January 2014

New Years Eve was spent at the Coles new house. This is a picture of the back of the house with their new dock and outdoor kitchen gazebo with a Viking grill. It’s everyman’s dream, right? The view down his canal is quite stunning too. All the homes and yachts are just beautiful. We really enjoyed the evening complete with fireworks from the Bluffs. We were able to make it past Midnight too. Thanks Sunny and Steve.

Between the days of rain we managed to find one day to get on the boat with the Sharpnacks. Jay and his family were here and we got to the sandbar at low tide and a sunset. The kids always have fun walking the sandbar.

Our big project for the new year was a new driveway. The old drive and sidewalk had been undermined by tree roots and it was cracked and uneven. We had to remove quite a few tree roots, which was a lot of work, but well worth it. We also wanted a second parking pad for the second car we brought from Naperville. It ended up looking pretty good and we now have a wider driveway and a parking pad.

January went all too quickly. We attended the North Passage Yacht Club meeting on the 7^th. We took the Hyundai in for a checkup on the 8^th which included lunch at Shrimpers and a stop at the Super Wal-Mart. We took the car to Wallace Hyundai in Stuart. I was totally impressed when they replaced my floor mats after just 15,000 miles under warranty! That’s good customer service.

On the 9^th I went to lunch with the guys. We have started going to lunch once a week just guys. Its something we all look forward to. We choose a different place every week but it usually includes draft beer!

On the 10^th we had a tennis social without tennis due to rain. We all gathered at the clubhouse and cooked steaks on the grill. It’s a fun group, with, or without tennis.

On the 12^th we went back to Cole’s for burgers. It was to welcome a couple people back from the frigid north. Some guys still go home for a few days to work. The Fedors were returning from a funeral. One thing led to another and before Sunny knew it we had yet another party. Thanks again to the Coles.

Monday the 13^th they poured the new concrete. Yeah! It was postponed due to rain only once.

Wednesday the 15^th John Pinter and I played in the annual Member-member tournament. It was the first leg of a two day tournament. We had fun and then I ran over to Abacoa to Rooney’s Irish Pub for lunch with the guys. I was a little late, but all stayed until I was done. Nice group of guys.

We were invited to Webers for dinner and bridge on the 27^th. Lynn is a great cook and Kurt and I actually get cards once in a while. It is a fun evening.

The next night we were invited to Merle Griffin’s for dinner. Merle had a group in for his famous stuffed chicken recipe. I am told it is his only recipe. The chicken was yummy. It was a fun evening and a chance to spend some quality time with Merle. I enjoyed it. Merle turned 80 this month.

The 30^th we were invited to Fedor’s for dinner. Jack made some great pork chops on the grill while I held the umbrella in the rain. Bonnie made some great fried rice too. Sunny and Steve Cole were there also. The Fedors live right on the intracoastal waterway. It is great to watch the boats travel back and forth all evening long. What a view! Thanks Jack and Bonnie.

The 31^st was the annual Chinese New Year tennis party. Again there was no tennis due to rain. Tony and Debbie Wallace along with Frank and Marie Sullivan host the event. They order Chinese food from a local restaurant. Everyone brings a dish to pass and there is always too much food, but it is very good.

Like I said, January went all too quickly. We had more rain than usual but the weather from the entire country has been crazy. There has been one polar vortex after another. We used to call these good “Old fashioned” winters with lots of snow and cold up north. Here it is usually 75 and sunny. We really enjoy our weather here.