8 November 2024
Nothing says you’re old like shopping around for an independent/assisted living facility. Nothing spurs you on your quest like cleaning a pool filter, washing iguana poop off the pool deck or spraying for weeds.
I used to not mind these chores but they have simply become too much. I’ve also let my yard work go and it bugs me to see things I need to trim back but just don’t have the energy. I’ve decided to look into John Knox Village in Pompano Beach. Pompano is about a 21 minute drive from my house. It’s a facility with independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehab and skilled nursing care and hospice. I’ll keep you posted.
I did manage a mile walk this morning and then started the Friday chores of pool filter, pool deck, patio deck, and spraying. It took me a little over an hour. That doesn’t sound much until you try to lift a wet pool filter back into its canister.
After lunch and a nap, I finally got around to putting a coat of teak oil on the patio table. The sun was bleaching it out pretty good and I want it to look good for Thanksgiving. It’s a 3 or 4 day job to do the table and the 6 chairs.
I’ll give the top one more application. The hard part is getting all the little nooks and crannies on the table. I then flip it over and do the underside. It took about 2 hours.
As I was about to finish, Chip called and we planned a route to get me to his town after my Helen, Georgia visit. The last time I saw Chip was on the CGC Reliance in Corpus Christi. It’ll be good to reconnect with him.
My itinerary starts on 15 November with a drive to Jacksonville with a stay at a DoubleTree. That’s about a 5 hour drive from my house.
From there, I head to Grovetown outside of Augusta, Georgia with a stay at Home2 Suites on November 16th. The travel time is 4 hours and 15 minutes according to my mapping app. You’ll notice it takes me two nights to get to Helen when it used to take me one. I just can’t drive those distances anymore.
I’ll spend 3 nights at Smithgall Woods State Park near Helen with my cousin Jimmie and her husband Steve. This will be our second stay at the cabin. The park staff really work hard to make your visit a good one – they not only provide the firewood, they bring it in for you and start the fire.
I’ll leave Helen on the 20th of November and stop in for a visit with Chip and his wife. From there, I head to Macon, Georgia for a stay at the Hampton Inn. & Suites, about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Helen. That should give me and Chip plenty of time to catch up.
From Macon, I head to Ocala, Florida for a night at the Hilton Ocala. From Macon to Ocala is about 3 hours and 20 minutes.
From Ocala to home is about a 5 hours drive. I should get home on the 22nd of November just in time to welcome Wade from San Francisco for Thanksgiving.
Well, that’s enough blogging for today. Stay tuned!