Friday Field Trip Again

 

Yes, that is sunshine coming in through the window on this week's version of a Friday Field Trip! 

First stop, drop off water bill.  After reading the amount and a mild heart attack, Mr. Merry actually read the bill with included 10 extra days due to meter reading delays with the weather. 

On to the post office to drop off FOUR birthday cards for grandchildren in February.  The map was automatic. We know our way to the mailbox. 

A stop at Walgreens for the best price for Pepsi Zero. Mr. Merry had switched to Coke Zero due to A1C levels. Not only are his levels perfect with no medication, Mr. Skinny lost ten pounds. He has switched to Pepsi for political reasons. 

Next stop Dollar Tree for imitation lego bases. Everyone in line behind us had balloons and cards. I mentioned it to Mr. Merry and he mused that there must be a lot of people with birthdays.  I said no, it's Valentines Day and that is why you bought me roses. Then I told the amused line, he did not buy me roses, I bought them myself. We have been married almost 50 years and you learn to take care of what you want, lol. 

Our Aldi had closed Wednesday morning for a complete rearrangement of goods. We did not find it as confusing as everyone on local Facebook pages had complained about. 

Last week I accidentally picked up creamed corn at the store.  I almost kept it in case of emergency when I read that residents in Columbus had used canned creamed corn to bean some Nazis who were walking through their neighborhood (The Nazis then called the police, LOL). But my sympathy for the hungry families prevailed and I donated it to a blessing box. 

We went to the bank. 

And we went to Mr. Merry and my grandson's favorite place for lunch.  

This is the picture of all four of my February birthday grandchildren now aged, clockwise from the top left, 15, 9, 11, and 17.   They are also the four out of ten grandchildren who have experienced a broken arm, not sure if these facts are related. 

LOL -CORRECTION.  This is the four grandchildren who have had broken arms. February is not the 11 year old's birthday month.  The fourth birthday is actually the twin of the little guy in the top left corner - both are now 15. 

Mom did not have a 15 candle, so she made due with "8", "2", "1" and "4".

I sat for four and a half hours in this office yesterday without a single client. I did have a phone call from a desperate mother who told me she was coming in with an overdue utility bill so I waited the extra half hour for her.  She did not appear. 

Our office is located in what was originally the hospital for my town. A businessman purchased the building in the early 1950's when the new hospital was built and made it into offices.  His son who runs the accounting business in the building and the gym in the basement has donated the use of this office as well as his office wifi to our church organization. We salvaged the furniture from the church when they kicked us out for more room for them. 

In 1919 my grandfather was a patient at this hospital when he had his appendix removed. I have heard that the nurses had a dormitory either in the basement or in an out building. Either way, his nurse was a cute little orphan farm girl who had left her grandparents to attend a nursing school in Cleveland and come back to our town to work.  At the end of his convalescence at the hospital, he was released and the couple got on the train and rode to the end of the line (Detroit, Michigan) and rode it home to announce they had eloped. And that couple was my maternal grandparents.  I only found out this information when I was researching family history in local newspapers on microfilm.  

This was my view out my window for four and a half hours. I believe there is a new tenant. Last summer this duplex had a cute little table set with an umbrella, a different grill and planted all kinds of flowers. It just doesn't seem like the same household. 

The building is an interesting mix of businesses. There is a beauty parlor at the far, far end where the ladies room is. There are at least 3 massage therapists, one reflexology, two reiki people, and one person who does fancy facials of some kind. This group are mostly part-time or evening workers, although some have day appointments. There is an unmarked office that someone has rented to write a novel. There is another office where the biller for an anesthesia practice comes in, locks the door and does all the billing for the practice. There is an insurance agency in a suite of offices and there is an abused women's charity who is using the large sun porch (possibly as a donation, too) for their office and evening meetings.  

The massage/reiki people seem to burn a lot of incense and candles so there are some interesting smells.  They are all at least a wing away from us (and so is the ladies room) so we don't have to smell it all day. There are 3 mens rooms located closer to our office.  We are also located the furthest from the ramp entrance, but beggars can't be choosers. 

We will be enjoying our first two steaks from our beef quarter for Valentines Day and I might even make some twice stuffed potatoes. Festive foods were pretty picked over at Trader Joe's this week, but I did get two little chocolate lava cakes. If we are going to have dessert, I guess I should close and read the directions!