Taking it Easy

Wed. Dec. 7 Taking it easy

Up at 8 a.m. and start with coffee and grapefruit.  I am contemplating another Disney park today, but decide against it and just take things easy in the morning, catch up on the blog and internet surfing, play with Phoebe and Abby, and cook part 2 of my breakfast, consisting of two over easy eggs, sausage, and one piece of toast. I do list one watch on eBay from the “stash” of watches I have brought with me. I decided that four months would be too long a time without producing at least a little income, so I brought some inventory with me, and of course have my digital camera to take pictures to upload with the listings.

At around 1:30, I finally get dressed and head out. First stop is a dollar store for a couple of batteries for my bedside clock. I score a pack of 2 Panasonic AAA’s for a dollar. Is it just me, or have the “big name” battery makers like Duracell and Energizer gone apeshit with the packing and “bundling” to the point where you can’t get away without spending eight bucks or more? It’s ridiculous. I only paid $5 for the alarm clock, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend more than that for the batteries.

My next stop is Firehouse Subs, where I have a turkey bacon cheddar sub with ranch dressing, and a diet Barq’s rootbeer out of the restaurant’s new “Coke Fantasy Machine” where you get up to 121 varieties of Coke products. The sandwich is served warm, and is very yummy. But at eight bucks for a sandwich and beverage, I do think this is a little high, so obviously I’m not going to do this every day! I place a callback to Union Bank in Evansville because I’m totally locked out of my checking account because I have forgotten my login AND my password, so I’m pretty much screwed. I’ve been working on this since Monday, and a gal named “Crystal” at the bank has finally got it worked out for me, and she phoned to tell me and got my voicemail, so I called her back. This is just one of several websites that I have limited access to, because all my security stuff is stored on the “main” computer back at home, and I’m here with my laptop. So note to self and to others who are thinking of any long-term travel: before you go, write down all your logins and passwords, and keep it someplace safe.

Next, I head over to “24 Hour Fitness” and do my usual workout and swim. I also inquire at the front desk about some classes. I think I would like to try one or more of these classes in an effort to “mix it up” a bit with the exercise. I might try a strength training class, and/or another one called “Cardio Mix” which looks like a good old-fashioned “aerobics class” like I remember from the ‘80s back at “Market Square Fitness Center” (anyone remember that?) which I believe was eventually taken over by the Princeton Club. So I’m wondering how idiotic I’m going to look trying to “shake my groove thing” with kids that are 20-30 years younger than me? Maybe I should try the “Silver Sneakers” class first!! Anyway, I have a good workout and swim, and leave the club around 5:30. It’s dark and the clouds/rain are moving in for Orlando’s “cold snap” tomorrow, where the high will only reach 61 degrees.

Next, I head over to the Target Super Store and drop $56 for groceries, including a top sirloin steak and some jumbo shrimp from the meat department. I also buy some ham and Havarti cheese at the deli. By the time I get back to the condo, it’s about 7:30, and I prepare some additional chicken/sausage jambalaya, but also have a few shrimp with cocktail sauce. All washed down with a cold bottle of Red Hook pilsner. I get the alarm clock working with the new batteries, and everything works fine with that. I set it for 7:30 a.m. the next morning to test it out. I go online to check the Union checking account, and all is fine there; I have money!

TV is absolutely lousy tonight. My landlord has the absolute minimum cable package from the local supplier (Bright House Network, which I have renamed “Dim House Network”) so I don’t have many channels from which to choose, and course no History channel or any of those “nice” ones like that that actually inform you. So I play with the kitties and surf the ‘net, and do catch an episode of “Family Guy” at 10 p.m., but then head to bed after that.

Expenses: $1 batteries; $8 lunch; $56 groceries. Total: $65

Bruce