Due to a clerical error, my opinion doesn't count

Five yeats ago, we purchased a home. A home that I I thought I owned as well as my husband. Well, when we went to sell it, it seems my name was never recorded on the deed!  When the time came to sell, I had no legal right to make any decisions. We had two people interested in buying the house, once it was listed. The decision was made to go with the cash sale. Well, the  woman who offered cash ,and signed a contract, decided to break the contract. Now she wants her money back! My husband wants to avoid any conflict, me, I am po'd that she bailed and actually cost us 4 months mortgage, which is approx. $8'ooo. Why in the heck would you agree to release $3000 deposit! The other original person who " was" intetrrsted in the house, was not were our Real EastE Agent contactedhim , after the first person bailed,! Am I wrong to want to keep the deposit? My husband thinks I am wrong, but the woman who backed out, cost us several times over her deposit!

OC Get Away- April 10th

This morning Jeff left for Taiwan. His first stop was to be San Francisco. Emily said his flight was delayed due to a fuel leak, once fixed, they departed. Going to be tight on the connecting flight in SF.

Greg came home from work at noon and we headed right out for the beach. Opening day of baseball for the Orioles at Camden Yards. We saw quite a few fans heading to the stadium. It is misty and overcast. Actually glad we did not go for opening day tickets.

You could barely see anything going over the Severn River Bridge, foggy. The Bay Bridge was even worse. It looked like we were driving off into nowhere.

Stopped for lunch at Panera in Easton.

Got to the Condo, saw that the bathroom is moving along. It has another coat of paint to go on the walls, but getting there. I about Exploded when I went to the cupboard and found that something I knew was there had disappeared! As we know in this family, things don't grow legs and walk off! I feel violated! We went out and were able to replace the item, so it wasn't the $, it was the idea that someone took something from our house, while they were there to work, not go through the cupboards. Nough said!

Around 3:19 we got a text from Amber that said Baby Nick was born. We had been following that I for from an earlier text.

Long Time, No Write or Read

U

      Well a lot of water has gone under the damn, since I last blogged. Whatever that expression means, not quite sure.

      We have a new Grandson, Ryan Langley Dumler. He was born on March 24th at 3:35 am. He came in at 8.74 oz. two sweet boys for John and Amber!

     January 13 th, 2015, Emily, Jeff, Jack  and Elliot moved back to the U.S. From Dubai, UAE. I guess I should update their family. they moved to Dubai, in early 2013. Jeff was working as an instructor pilot for the UAE. They had a beautiful villa in an exclusive community near Motor City. Greg and I were fortunate to be able to fly over there in early April 2014, for Elli's birth. Elliot Grace Gelzinis came into this world on 04-14-2014. The whole hospital Maternity Ward. In Dubai is very much different that in the US. Outside the rooms are these elaborate floral/ balloon arrangements. that was the only real difference. Greg had to fly back to the U.S. A few days after Elli's birth. I was fortunate to be able to stay for 29 days. I had a really good time, I was able to drive to Spinney's in Motor City to do shopping.  I drove to the shopping area in Arabian Ranches too. After Emily started to feel better, we did some sight seeing. Went to Jumeirah beach, the a Country Club, where We saw Peter, from their church, playing Jazz. We drove by the Palm, and Atlantis, the Burg al Arab. We went to the Global Village, which was really cool! We went to the Dragon Mart, which was a collection of stores. The Malls were  really big and grand.  Sure glad that we got to go there and experience of going global!

     We also bought a condo at Ocean City, from Jeff's Grandmother, that April. It was a real fixer-upper, but we got it looking pretty good that season. We went to the beach every chance we got. It has been a great get away, but costly at the same time. We had to come up with $30000 for new doors and windows! We have had some water damage. But at the same time, it is a great get away. Love going there. Hopefully John, Amber and the kids, as well as Emily ! Jeff and their kids will get to enjoy it for years to come!

Leonardtown Wharf July 6,2013

Well Greg loaded up the kayaks and we went to Leonardtown Wharf. It is at the foot of Washington Street. The kayak ramp was great. We loaded my kayak in the shoot and Greg gave me a push. Right out into the Bay I went! He loaded his kayak and gave himself a little shove and away he went as well! We headed to the right, up to the head of the Bay and to the mouth of where the McIntosh Run empties into Brenton Bay. It was a beautiful morning. Saw some pretty birds. Didn't see too many other boaters. We went up the run a little way, and then headed back to the wharf. We were out on the water for apron. 75 minutes. Getting back on the floating launch wasn't a problem for me. Greg pulled me back up the chute that I had gone down! Would like to launch from the winery and paddle the run to the Bay. Perhaps next time! I am still liking kayaking!

Port of Leonardtown Brenton Bay

This was the final place that we checked out for the day. It was the Public Park at the Port of Leonardtown. It is at the foot of Route 326,Washington Street. It was the most kayak friendly of the places so far. There was a big parking lot, a short walk to the launch ramp, and they even had bathrooms! That is a plus.

There was a ramp, which you can see in the photos. It is a floating dock. It was designed to launch from. The water in the Bay was pretty calm. There were a number of other kayakers out there. The water is also used by speed boats and jet skis. On this particular day, we witnessed that the speed boats had little regard for the kayakers. Instead of slowing down as they passed them, they sped up and created waves. This is a maritime no no, but was done none the less. Something to be aware of.

This was the nicest location we found today and have made plans to make it our next outing!

Launch Sites....Old Chaptico Wharf

Actually the second place we checked out was the Old Chaptico Wharf. It was a busy place. People were pulling out and putting in motor boats. There was still plenty of room to launch a kayak. There was the traditional boat ramp, and there was a low dock out at the end of the wharf. There was a rocky shoreline, so you couldn't launch from a beach area. Once again, it was on the open water of the Wicomico River, which looked to be a little rougher than we wanted. There was plenty of parking and it was a short walk to the dock. The Wharf was located down Route 238, heading towards 7th District. Once again it was apron 5 miles from the house.

Possible Launch Site.....Port of Leonardtown Public Park

 

The third place that we looked at was the Port of Leonardtown Park. It was located near the intersection of Route 5 and Route 243, Newtowne Neck Road. It was a small park with ample parking.  It was a small stream that opened up to Brenton Bay. There was an area where you could launch from. It was , as Greg said, a "lazy river". There was moving water, but it was flowing very slow. In the photos it looks quite narrow at this point, but it gets wider as you go down stream. It may be part of the McIntosh Run. 

Finding a Launch Site.....Wicomico Shores

The day after our first outing, we decided to get out the Miata and scope out some local areas that we thought might be good for kayaking. We started at Wicomico Shores. It had a public boat ramp, which would do nicely. It also had a dock that you could use to lower yourself into kayak, a technique that I am not ready to try! Upon going out on the dock to get a view of the shoreline, I discovered a small sandy beach just past the picnic grounds and bathrooms. We walked down to it and found that it would be a perfect place to launch. There was even a stream going back into a marshy area. That would be fun to explore. Couldn't tell how far back it went, but worth a look.

This area was in more open water, the Wicomico River. There was a breeze blowing and the water was rougher than we are ready to tackle. If you stayed close to the shore, it could be a nice place to explore. Not far from home, within 5 miles.

Kayaking

So while thinking of what to get for Greg for his birthday, I remembered how much he liked kayaking while we were in Florida on vacation earlier in the Spring. A kayak....perfect gift. So I spent some time on line looking at kayaks. Spent even more time looking in stores. I saw a couple that I thought he might like, but not being a kayaker myself, what did I really know about kayaks? What features would be most liked by the gift recipient? Finally I came to my senses and decided to get him a paddle and a dry bag. The kayak should be chosen by him! 

Glad I let him choose, as he picked something different from what I would have picked for him. He wanted something like what Emily and Jeff had. I was looking for something more stable.

We looked at Bass Pro Shop, no recreational kayaks, just fishing ones. We found what he wanted at Dick's Sporting Goods. He selected a Preception "Swifty."  Since this was a sport that we would be enjoying together, I figured that I should "take the plunge" and get a kayak as well! I picked out a Potomac "Catalyst."Mine has a flatter bottom, a little longer, and has 2 dry wells; one in the bow and one in the stern. (How do you like those boating terms?)

With Greg's schedule, we were not going to be able to try the yaks out till the 4th of July. Our first venture out was to St Mary's Lake in Calloway. The launch went well. We paddled around for about an hour. It was really fun. I never once felt in danger of flipping over. That had been my biggest fear of kayaking. It was a really nice day, the weather was nice. It was a little breezy, but not windy.  I came away from that experience wanting to go again!

Now to look for some more areas to paddle in.........

Emily's Baby Shower March 17th 2012

Emily's baby shower was an absolute success! The guest list of attendees were: Great Grandmothers: Nina Fitzpatrick, Betty Hughes and Phyllis Emeigh . Grandmothers: Susan Markovich, Debbie Gelzinis, and myself. Great Aunts: Casey Huether, Robin Dumler, Debbie Grill, Kathleen C. and Mary Katherine Gonzales, Amy Emeigh. Aunts: Amber Dumler and Alyssa Gelzinis . Cousins: Eva Huether and Ethan Dumler.Second cousins: Amanda Wilson and Amanda Grill. Friends: Beth Shepard, Linda Barnes, Karen Young, Lisa Ellie, Bryce Ellie, Lisa Bartley-Estep.

The decorations were done by Emily Gelzinis and Beth Shepard. They were fantastic! The "cloud and rain drops" were great!!

The food was provided by Greg, via the Olive Garden. The menu consisted of Salad, bread sticks, marinara sauce, Lasagna, 5 Cheese Ziti, Chicken Alfredo, Tiramisu and cupcakes. The food was DELICIOUS!!! We had a variety of sodas, wines, sweet tea and water.

We ate first and then went right to the presents Jeff was on Skype and got to say hi to everyone. He was able to stay on to see the presents open. They got so many nice things.

The diaper doggie cake made a great centerpiece, if I say so myself! All the guests seem to like the gift bags they received, as the left. They were filled with a picture frame, bottle of water, personalized Hershey bar, votive cup with "soft blanket" candle, and a bottle of Bath and Body Works, Antibacterial "Fresh Picked" scent hand wash.

The living room was full of presents! They got so many great gifts and only one repeat gift! The registry at Babies R Us, must not have been working correctly, as we looked up the registry and several things had been purchased, but the registry did not reflect that.

A Big thanks goes out to all those who helped "behind the scenes". Karen, Amber, Linda, Beth and Emily!

Maybe There Is No Mexican Food For Us in B'More

We moved to the city in early October. Seeings as there is just the two of us, we frequently eat out. We have found a few gems, such as Cabanita's Chicken, 2 doors down. It is a Peruvian Chicken Restaurant. We have had their food several times during the past two months. The first time we went there and ate in. The food is good, the servings plentiful and the price, down-right a steal! The Cokes is where they get you! $2.00 for a can of soda? So we most times walk over, and get take out, I always have Coke in the fridge!

Another "gem" is Chipparelli's in Little Italy. It is about a 10 minute walk, but worth it! They have an incredible house salad! Their entrees are big enough for two and then some. We will each order a salad and split an entree between us. Prices are fair and the food is heavenly!

We have also found that you can get excellent "pub grub." There several pubs in our area. Can't say that we have ever left a place unsatisfied. James Joyce has the best Beef/Lamb stew around.

Now Mexican is another story. There are a lot of Hispanic/ Ecuadorean Restaurants on Broadway. We wanted to go for Mexican yesterday afternoon after church, so we set out to find a place. We went by several, and for one reason or another, we decided on Santa Ana Restaurant. We walked in, and all heads turned our way! Ever feel like you wish the floor would open up and suck you under? Sure felt like this yesterday. The second indication that we may not be in the right place, was that no one spoke English, at least to us! After asking the hostess if we should seat ourselves, I knew this was going to be a difficult process. Se hablo Espanol? No we both chimed in. There was an awkward silence. We finally ordered drinks, but when it came to the menu, we both decided, we were just there to "wet our whistle", so to speak. We paid the bill and left, still hungry, but not thirsty! We ended up across the street at a Chinese eat in/take out place. Which was very good, and cheap. We will definitely go there again.

The conclusion we have come to, as this was not the first "Mexican Restaurant" up here that we have tried, with the same results, is that these restaurants are not here for "gringos" to go and eat....they are here for the Hispanics to go to. They pretty much stick to their own culture here. Maybe that is the way it is in larger cities.

All I know is, in Saint Mary's County......You can get a real good "feed" at Salsa's, Monterey's or Fiesta Cafe....And they appreciate your business and want you back!

So Much for Eating Mexican here!

What I didn't Know about Dragonflies

I was just sitting on the deck, looking out over the backyard. It is almost 6:00 pm. The sun is getting low in the sky. I was noticing a swarm of little insects flying just out over the deck. As I focused in on them, I also noticed quite a few dragonflies out over the yard. These dragonflies would buzz around and swoop up an insect! I sat there for a few minutes watching these fascinating creatures "have their dinner!" Just one more of the many miracles of God. The food chain at it's very basic.

I'm getting over the Blues

It has been one week exactly, since I had the laser treatment to my face and neck! What an ordeal! I had no idea that I would be so bruised. I have not gone out since the day after I came home. I went out Thursday with Linda to fullfill two requests for Find A Grave. They were both local, and I didn't see anyone. Since then, I have been a hermit here in the house. Today I was able to use my Bare Minerals to conceal the bruising. I can still see it, but that is because I know where to look. I feel more comfortable now with the idea of getting out of the house.

I am in the doubting phase of this whole thing. I am not sure I am going to get the results that I desired. Time will tell. I have three weeks more to heal and I go back to the Dr. It is at that point that I will have to make up my mind whether I want to proceed with further treatment, or call it quits. I don't know if I can take going through it again. We will see.

I have also started using the treadmill. I did a mile yesterday with varying speeds and inclines. Today I did 2 miles pretty much the same terrain. I hope that I can stay motivated, as I would like to loose some weight and get in shape. If my complexion is going to fail me....I have to work on the body!

First Road Trip of 2011

The first Road Trip of 2011 was to Spring Lake, North Carolina. The purpose was to look after Emily and Jeff's dogs. Emily asked me back before Christmas, if I would be free to dog sit, and since I didn't have any plans....I agreed. I asked Linda if she would like to go .....and like a true friend....she agreed.

We left Mechanicsville on Thursday, January 6th. We had the "Double L", so you know we traveled not only in style, but in comfort! First stop was in Dalghren at the WAWA. It was a gas, $$$, coffee, breakfast stop. Always a necessity when heading south!

We traveled down 95, which had very little traffic, but very many police! I think I must have entered 25 reports for the state of Virginia, to Trapster. Trapster is an App for iphone that alerts you to any sort of traffic alert possible. From speed traps to big road kill. If you go by anything worthy of letting other users know about, you simply enter it. I only starting using this service since radar detectors are illegal in VA.

Back to the trip.......The trusty Garmin routed us around Richmond, which was fine with me, as my second stop is usually exit 9A in Hopewell. You guessed it....another WAWA. You might as well get all the good coffee you can! After leaving Hopewell, we didn't stop again till we were in Halifax, NC . The Oasis, at exit 168 has a Dunkin Donuts, another good source of caffeine, and a very nice bathroom to boot! As we were leaving the Oasis, to get back on "the 95", that one's for you Greg...Remind you of So California? Anyways, we saw an advertisement on an old barn for Historic Halifax. Now I personally have seen that ad 50 times, if I have seen it once! I have thought about checking it out, but was always in too much of a hurry either going North or South to get where I was headed. Linda and I have a lot of things in common, one of them is a sense of adventure. It was kind of like a bucket list item for me, I was curious and who knows, it may be my last chance to check it out! So we both quickly agreed that we would make a quick side trip to Historic Halifax, and see what it had to brag about! It was a short drive off the 95, maybe 5 miles. We went to the Historic Visitor's Center. We were greeted by a lovely young lady who welcomed us with lots of Southern Charm. We watched a 13 minute movie about the origins of the town's early life, then took a tour through their museum. We visited several home sites and stopped and took photos at the cemetery. All in all we probably added an extra hour to our trip, but it was well worth it!

Back on the road again... We did make one more stop along the way. We went to the Nahunta Pork Shop, in Pikesville. They have some of the best sausage, which is what we got to make sausage gravy for our breakfast for the few days we would be at Em and Jeff's.

This time I followed the route that the Garmin wanted to take us. I usually turn off the volume and drive the route that I know by heart. This time it took us through Benson and then through Campbell University, Lillington, and down 210 to Bill Shaw Road. The house was so nice to get to! It was so inviting, the Christmas tree lights were on, and the house was perfect.. all except the absence of smoke detectors! It wasn't quiet though.... All nine dogs realized we were there at the same time, it was quite a chorus! After a quick roll call, we made a list and hopped back in "Double L" and went to Food Lion, yes... we are planning on eating! They didn't have "all" our favorites, but we'll make due. China Star was our choice for dinner.

Long drive, long day....Time to rest up for tomorrow!

Nite All.

Corey Billie's Airboat Ride Day!

This morning was an early rise, as we drove into Fort Myers to the Winn Dixie, where a van was picking us up and taking us to the Everglades for a four hour tour. Had we known where this airboat place was, we could have done it the day before while we were already out there for the Manatee tour. It was very close to the Marina.

This was cool. From the minute we stepped into the van, Dwight the tour guy started talking. He was mixing in some personal stories with a lot of history. It was a good ride out. We had 12 people on the van.

When we got to Corey Billie's we had to go in and sign away our rights to hold them responsible for anything that may occur on the tour! Eight of us boarded the red airboat with Capt. Gary. He was good. He toured and talked, introduced us to a gator or two, drove us all around the mangrove and through the saw grass. We saw quite a few big birds. He also gave us some thrills on the ride. It was really cool. I tried to video the whole thing, and did get some good footage.

After our ride, we were introduced to Buster the 3 foot 1 1/2 yr old gator. Kim Billie told us all about Buster and then had us hold him, one at a time. I was the first one to go. He felt so much different than I had imagined. I thought he would be hard shelled, but he was like rubber and soft. That was neat!

On our van ride back to Fort Myer's, Dwight continued talking and telling us stories. It was a good trip all round.

We stopped at a Pollo Tropical on the way back to the house, for lunch. It wasn't as good as I had remembered from Miami.

We got home to a pool that was just the right temp. We all went in the pool. I also spent some time in the jacuzzi.

We watched some of the video from this week. I am no video shooter! I move the camera around way too much!

John and Amber went out and got the fixings to make us dinner. We had shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta and cheesey biscuits. It was a great meal. Once again, filled to the brim.

Manatee Day

This morning we drove out past Naples, to the Everglades. We had a Manatee tour scheduled. It was cool. We went to this marina, boarded this pontoon type boat and trolled around the channel. We saw several manatees. There was another couple on board with us, Vito and his wife from Southern Connecticut. W also drove down the river and saw a huge alligator, in an inlet of sorts. He was sunning himself. It was a fun trip. We learned about the "skunk Ape" and about the island, out near Key West, where they did experiments on animals clonning, etc. Made for great story telling, don't know how much of what Capt. Jim Walker said was true, but it was part of the experience!

We stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for Linner on the way back to Cape Coral. Stuffed ourselves once again!

Monday on Sanibel

This morning we decided to go over to Sanibel. I had this bright idea, the night before, to hide a conch shell, that we had purchased, on the beach for Amber and John to find. The beach was way more crowded than we had anticipated, so it was harder to pull off. They didn't fall for it. We did however execute the plan with some success on a couple older gals, wading just off shore. They didn't jump up and down, as we had imagined, but picked up the shell and quickly bagged it.

We did see some dolphins playing around, right off shore. Like I said, there were quite a few people at the beach this day.

We rode around and found a place for lunch, Island Pizza. We ordered a pizza feast and ended up taking alot home.

We scoped out a perfect place to get some sunset shots for Amber. We stopped on the Causeway. We weren't the only people there.

We came home and did up some brats ate and relaxed in the hot tub.

A Different Kind Of Sunday

First full day in Florida. It was really nice waking up to the sound of the water flowing over the edge of the jacuzzi into the pool. It pure sunshine, gentle breezes. The clocks got set back last night, so we got an extra hour of sleep. Today's plan was to go up to the Turvis Tumbler Outlet in Venice and trade in the tumblers with cracks in their seals. I took back 8 for Sharon Potter. I only had one to turn in. They had a lot of new designs since I was last there. I picked up a couple new designs. Later found out that they have an outlet in Fort Myers as well. We stopped in at Sonny's B B Q for lunch on the way back to Englewood. We had to go by Mommy and Deac's to pick up a few things for them. We didn't stay too long. We stopped for a D Q on the way back to Cape Coral. We later went out to Chili's for dinner. with the time change, the jacuzzi had shut off, so the guys overrode the timer and we spent some time relaxin in the hot tub. After getting out and changed, I went back out to the patio. It was neat sitting out there at the table watching the colors in the pool change. Good day!

Travel Log: StarDate 11/05/2010

It started two days ago.... our 2010 vacation. Greg and I got up, finished packing and got the car loaded and were on the road, heading south by 6:00a.m. We drove over to John and Amber's to pick up their luggage. We were driving to Florida, but they were flying. So we took their luggage to make it a little easier on them. We got there right at 6:45. After briefly seeing Gonzo and Bella, we hugged Amber and got on the road.

Sheetz was our first stop! Gas and breakfast was first on the list of things to do. We stopped in Lumberton at Smithfield's for lunch. After all..... they have the best North Carolina style B-B-Q. I usually get a drumstick on the side, as their chicken is pretty darn good as well!

We made a couple other brief stops along the way, and still pulled in to Brunswick, Georgia right on schedule. We did make one unscheduled stop, not cause we wanted to.... but because the South Carolina Trooper pulled us over. A little matter of speeding. He was a nice guy and we were back on the road before you knew it.

After getting checked in, we headed out to find a fabric shop. Where this new Veracruz does not have the shade for the cargo area, I wanted to get some black fleece to lay over our stuff in the back. We ended up at Wal Mart, where they didn't have the fabric department, but we got a great deal on twin throws, that did the job.

I chose where we went for dinner. I chose Michael's Deli and it was a good pick. The prices were way cheap and the food was way good! Sounds like a win/win to me. I got a 21 piece fried fantail shrimp dinner, with mashed pots and gravy and green beans for $5.99. Greg chose a fried fish plate. It was very good!!

We wet back to the Hampton Inn and got settled in for the night. I sure was tired from driving.

The Bittersweet Replacement

After 5 years, a whole lot of good times and 197,775 miles; the Santa Fe (Betsy), was traded in. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loved that vehicle. It was dependable, smooth riding and a "looker". Of late, it has been starting to show signs of it's age. It was bittersweet, but we recognized the need to trade, while it was still worth a trade-in. Greg and I talked it over and decided to enlist John's help with shopping for a replacement.

John went right into action. Knowing what we like, he was able to scout out the perfect replacement, in just a matter of hours! John has been working in the Dulles area, so on his way home from work he swung by the Pohanka dealership in Fredericksburg. He called to tell us that he had found what he thought we'd like. I drove over to John and Amber's. The three of us went to the dealership and took a test drive, long story short, we bought it!

It is a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz Limited. I have named her "Double L", which stands for Luxury Liner. From the heated leather seats to the back up sensors, she's loaded. With seating for 7, an incredible stereo system and personal climate control for all aboard, this is a luxury liner for sure!

Thank you John, for your love of car shopping and your expertise in dealing with car dealers! You got us a sweet deal for a sweet ride! A Big thank you to my honey for buying me this new car. You always give me your best! I love you!