Tuesday, 11 September 2018: USA

My heart still hurts.  I remember when Columbine happened in 1999 and it changed the way we looked at schools.  Most kids in school weren’t even alive in 2001 when, again, our lives were totally altered.  I was in Okinawa.  I had just moved into my house but my household goods had not been delivered yet.  No tv, no radio.  I did have a phone.  Mother called to tell me what had happened right before Ruthe, my new boss, called me.  School had been cancelled because we were in the middle of a huge typhoon that circled over the island for three days.  As a result, we were in TCOR 1 (Typhoon Condition of Readiness where 1 is the most severe) and “confined to quarters” at the same time we were it Threatcon “Delta” (threat level critical and immediate) and “confined to quarters.”    I helped in a 100% accounting of all of our teachers and families.  (And that was only preparing me for a few years later when I was at the Japan DSO and we had to account for all teachers and students after Fukushima.)

Today, I only need to worry and Justin and Gemma and it is all ok.

Well, that isn't exactly all that I am worried about -- Bob Woodward's new book "Fear" on the Trump Whitehouse was released today -- OMG!

Monday, 10 September 2018: Brussels

37 days until we leave! OMG!!! We made a list of all the things we need to do to get ready and now it is time to check it twice. Carl was going to live here this winter but now, with a little more information, we've all decided that getting our house truly ready for winter is just a bit more than we all bargained for.  We will go back to plan A and get the shutters up and blow out the water lines.   Justin has started getting boats settled.
 I filled out our insurance papers for massages. I can’t wait to we Aholi again.

Sunday, 9 September 2018: Green Bay

NFL 2018 started this weekend.  The Packers opened the season at home against rival Chicago Bears!  Justin and I were there!

We joined in the city wide festivities yesterday at the Steve Miller Band concert last night in the stadium district; us and over 20,000 of our new best friends.  Anne Marie joined us first for drinks and dinner at Hinterland and then for the concert.  Steve Miller was born in Wisconsin and then moved to the Dallas area when he was five or six returning to UW-Madison for college.  He’s been around forever; hearing some of his old favs was like visiting with old friends. 

Justin bought Nike Packer tennis shoes.  While some are cutting the swooshes off their Nike wear, I want to buy Nike stock.  Colin Kaepernick is standing up for what he believes!

Our first stop on Sunday was a little dive of a bar on the way into town where we both had a Bloody Mary — this is the way to start a football day, right?

About 45 minutes before kick-off

Pre-game warm-ups

I wanted to be in the stadium early.  I wanted to see the warmups, the fly over, the whole sha-bang.  If this is the only game I get to go to this year, I wanted the whole enchilada.  
As it turned out, I got my money’s worth.  The game was indeed a great one.

Coin toss

How many Cheeseheads?  You can have your traditional wedge of cheese, a sombrero,

 a baseball cap, a fedora, a top hat, or even, my personal fav, a cowboy hat.

Late in the 4th quarter -- stands still filled to see Aaron Rodgers, who left the 

field on a cart in the second quarter, return to lead the Packers to overcome a 20 point 

deficit for a 24-23 win over the Bears.  This win puts the Packers ahead at 

97-94-6 in the rivalry that began in 1921.

Serena Williams was in the news today.  Seems she expressed her opinion and got slapped with a double standard.  I remember seeing bad boy John McEnroe at Wimbledon throwing a racquet and screaming at the umpire with barely a reprimand. Unfortunately, the little Japanese girl’s win will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.  Already, I have to go to google to look up her name, Naomi Osaka. 

Friday, 7 September 2018: Brussels

Today was a banner day because I found success.  I had been locked out of my OPM account and Justin’s Social Security account.  I needed paperwork from both places for our application for Mexican residency.  I finally got into the sites, saved the documents I needed and got our applications submitted!  We will have to wait a couple of weeks for them to review our paperwork and then set an appointment in Milwaukee for our interview.  I sure do hope we can get all this done prior to 17 October!

Tuesday, 4 September 2018: NEW

No coffee?  No coffee!
My coffee pot died.  No coffee!  And I just bought that coffee pot!
Breakfast at April's?  You bet.
Then into town to run errands.  The new laptop I bought should have been my highlight of the day, but a new coffee pot took top billing.

We also stopped at Hartung to get more hastas.  Justin has really done a nice job of our landscape.  Now if the tractor would work so he can mow.  He borrowed Jordan's tractor to mow and to pull ours out of the boathouse so we can get it in for repair.

On to Windjammers for Tuesday night races and to pump out Merlin.  It has rained so much lately.

We also bought product to prep the floor in the bathroom.  I pulled up the linoleum in there.  As we get ready for the new walk-in shower, we decided now was the time to do the toilet and the floors.

Saturday, 1 September 2018: Brussels

Two different sets of people came from Bay Area Granite and Marble to look at our countertop — I am still not happy.  The seam color isn’t right, each of the slabs are level but they aren’t level together.  There is at least 1/16” difference and, the biggest problem that the slabs aren’t cut in the same direction.  Just like fabric with a nap, the slabs are totally different colors.  I’m not paying the bill until I am satisfied.  I don’t want to be “that customer” but I am not paying the bill yet.  Jason came over to look too so he can speak to the company rep on our behalf.  Meanwhile, he started working on the shelf that will be above the bar.  We may wait until next year to really get going with this next project.

The shelf will follow the line of the countertop and be supported from the ceiling.

I am excited about the live edge on the support at the cabinet.  

We will lose the light fixture here and replace with puck lights underneath the shelf.  

All of this will preserve and enhance the view to the bay.

We talked to Alonzo again this week.  A month or so ago the show stopper was the documentation regarding establishment of the corporation from Playa Del Carmen. That hurdle was finally cleared and now the deal is that we need to designate an auditor.  Alonzo said it wasn’t a “real” auditor but instead someone who would sign the papers that the lawyer prepared.  Peter served in this role for Maria so he was our logical and first choice.  Alonzo said he’d need copies of Peter’s ID and visa.  When we emailed Bijon, he reminded us that Alonzo has all this already including a copy of Peters passport!  And, the quote of the season -- Justin told Bijon “Even the money is tired of waiting.”

Thursday, 30 August 2018: Brussels

We went to April's for breakfast this morning.  She is such a doll and such a hard worker!  She had quite a special going for breakfast!  Goodness that's enough food for the entire family.  

Pat come over in his “batmobile”. Some might refer to the Polaris slingshot as a three-wheeled motorcycle, but Pat prefers to call his a bat mobile.  Pat and Justin are on a team to select a new committee boat for Windjammers.  Pat came over to look at our Bayliner and he and Justin went out for a quick day trip before we all met at Chadouirs Dock for a late lunch.  We extended an invitation to pat to join us in Mexico even though he usually spends the winters in Arizona ... anyplace except Wisconsin.

Monday, 27 August 2018: Brussels

Gully-washer of a rain storm last night set Justin and me up for a long, lazy morning in bed followed by a binge watching session of Downton Abbey.  We are quite enjoying the season and today we wrapped up season five.  Only one more to go.

We read lots of Packer news and caught up on info and advice from the Motley Fool.  I am obsessed with watching the stock market and the securities I've placed on my watch list.  I was convinced that the market would react negatively right after the inauguration.  I think we've been living on borrowed time.   I am very conservative so we aren't likely to see huge jumps, but we better not see steep dives either.  

We heard a crack n the night and woke to see that the top of this tree had fallen.  The tree was rotten on the inside and the part still standing has a huge crack.  The part that has fallen is at least 40'.  Good thing that didn't fall on top of our house!

Saturday, 24 August 2018: Green Bay

We went to Sean’s house yesterday.  He’s done tremendous work since he bought the house about two years ago.  He’s rebuilt the stone walls and has made quite the oasis in his backyard.  We all headed to a local pub for the first half of the Packer/Raider game — third of four preseason games.  We had quite a late start, 9:30pm, since the game was on the west coast so we drove to Rouer’s in Brussels during half time to finish the game with (owners) Tracey and Brian.  

Justin went to farmers market this morning while I stayed to hang out at home. He’d planned to go to the Merlin after but when he saw that Artscape was in full swing, he called me so I could join him there.  We enjoyed the trendy artsy-farts venue for the afternoon.  Once we were both back at home, we set out northward in the Bayliner.  It was quite dark when we got back to Chadouirs Dock but we were learning how to identify the cut into the dock from the water.  

In the news this week Aretha Franklin died.  Tom McCain died.  Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer, plead guilty to campaign finance charges and refused immunity

Paul Manifort was also found guilty on eight counts of fraud.  I made sure I filled out my voter registration form.  My sole voice will be heard next time.

Tuesday, 21 August 2018: NEW

Holly and Erich and their crew came for a quick visit on their way to northern Door County for a stay in a yurt.  They also have Lynn, their German exchange student. She will be with them the entire school year.  She is really quiet and although she is a vegetarian, she does eat dairy so she can enjoy the fabulous cheese from nearby.

We went to Packer Practice and got a glimpse of quite a few players, many of whom won’t make the cut.  We are ready for football!!