25. May 2009 by Kathy.

It is a beautiful day here in SW Florida…it may rain later, but right now the sun is shining and life is good.  We worked on painting the lanai a bit this morning; still have a ways to go.

Alan and I spent the weekend in Melbourne, FL. We lived there for a few short months back in 2002, when Alan was contracted to The Harris Corporation. We enjoyed several restaurants there, so we decided to have an “Eat Our Way Through Melbourne” weekend.

Friday for lunch, we ate at Meg O’Malleys Irish Pub…you know we can never pass up a good Irish Pub! Had a couple o’ Smithwicks there.  That evening we ate at our favorite Italian place, Pane e Vino.  It was just as delish as we remembered.  On Saturday we drove up to Olde Cocoa Village, and wandered the quaint streets.

Those of you who have been to Germany with us…doesn’t that look like a courtyard in an Auld Stadt?

Back to food…ahem…does ANYONE eat here?  (You will have to click on the picture to see what I’m talking about.)

Yes, that says $150.00…for a steak!!

We didn’t eat there.

On down the street to Murdocks, another of our favorite pubs. Only place I’ve seen in the US where one can have Tucher Weizen.

On Saturday evening we were disappointed that another fav Italian place had closed. We made do at Island Pasta.

We drove back on Sunday morning. It was a nice respite for us. And one of the best parts was the hotel…I snagged a Hilton for $50/night on Priceline. Not too shabby, eh?

I’ll leave you with a sunset shot from our lanai.

Go well, dear friends, and enjoy whatever Memorial Day plans you have!

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17. May 2009 by Kathy.

I’m back! I said I wouldn’t write again until “comments” was fixed, and it now appears that it is. So, remember to be kind!

So much has happened since October.  Most all of you know that Alan’s last contract ended in December, and he has been searching for a new one since then. He has been offered a contingent job in Charleston, SC.  It is contingent upon being awarded a government contract.  And yes, I said job…not independent contract. After 12 years, Alan will probably be shutting down AJLane Inc. Now, while the money is not quite a good as being independent, there are benefits…health insurance (we will save $600 a month…yes!) on what we’ve been paying; the company will match a certain portion of 401K savings, and will contribute to a retirement account.

I’m not saying which company for now; I don’t want to jinx it. It is a major consulting group.

As to Charleston, SC (Moni, I can hear you from here!) that is fine with us.  We will continue to hopefully be Florida residents; Alan will commute at first; they do want him to relocate, so we have to work on that. Maybe a small condo, where Maggie and I can join him for weeks at a time, or maybe…a boat! We talked about buying a live-aboard boat while we were in DC, then we came to our senses. Maybe we can rent a live-aboard to see how we like it.

So keep your fingers crossed for the government contract to be awarded.

In other news, I guess everyone has heard about dear friend “J” by now; the good news is that he is at home, recovering very nicely from two bouts of congestive heart failure.  He has had to make several difficult changes in his lifestyle…but we are happy that he agreed to make the changes; it will keep him here with us for a good while longer. Both he and JED have been good friends for so long now…we’re lucky to have them in our lives.

Alan and I flew to Portland to see Cara and Joe over her spring break. We looked at houses with them, and they signed a purchase contract while we were there. They closed on Friday, and have been moving in this weekend.
The house is new, built in-fill style in an old neighborhood. The neighborhood is St. Johns, a funky-crunchy area in North Portland with everything from cute bars-inside-old-churches, to retro clothing stores. It fits Joe and Cara very well.

Colin and Adrienne are still blissfully happy. Adrienne finished her NP classes late last year, and passed her boards (she was worried - the rest of us weren’t); she is remaining at the same hospital, but as a NP she’ll have more responsibility, but better hours. Colin’s job responsibility has decreased, as has his pay. He has decided (yippee!) to return to grad school and pursue a MSW. He hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll work in the private or the public sector. Either way, I’m proud of him.

I’m proud of all our kids (I include Adrienne and Joe in this, as well)…they have all grown to be responsible adults with a strong social conscience. It is nice now that liberal is no longer a dirty word.

(Non-knitters may discontinue reading at this point.) In knitting news, on the needles now are the February Lady Sweater, a tank top in a beautiful hand painted cotton yarn, socks for Cara, and as always, a couple of dishcloths. CR sent a cute alligator handbag pattern and the wool yarn, so that will be coming up soon.

I’ve also started another silk painting class, along with JED. I’ll let you know how that goes. And I’ve cranked up the sewing machine several times for bags and totes. They don’t call me the Bag Lady for nothing.

Kayaking with Sylvia will end for me tomorrow. We are heading out early in the morning to kayak the rivers and mangroves near Matlacha (not pronounced Mat-latcha, but in the French manner…Mat la-shay). I’m sad to see my kayaking season ending but plan to take our boats out a couple of times this summer.

Alan and I are heading over to Melbourne on the east coast of Florida on Friday for a couple days of R&R. We lived there for a few months in 2002, and we’re looking forward to revisiting some restaurants and shops.

Moving on, here’s a couple of pics from Mardi Gras and K Derby parties:

As you can tell, our social life is quite healthy!

To my friends in Charlotte…I miss you! Come see me!

To my friends in Florida…see you soon…we’ll raise a glass or two of cheer together.

I will leave you with a closing shot of a Bird of Paradise plant in full bloom outside our front door!

Go well, dear friends.

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