Category Archives: Florida

Year 2 – Day 129, Sunday, September 4, 2022. After a long drive from Clarksburg, West Virginia we are home by dinner time. To view the complete year 2 daily diary, click here: https://deestimes.com/living-the-dream-year-2-may-1-2022-april-30-2023/ Today’s product recommendations are traveling essentials.                                                    1) Luggage hand cart – we love this cart for easy rolling for easy cruise carry-onContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 129”

Year 2 – Day 128, Saturday, September 3, 2022. Another Hershey Park 2022 Day. The park was very very crowded. Rode a few rides and started the trip back to KY. PA we will see you for Thanksgiving. To view the complete year 2 daily diary, click here: https://deestimes.com/living-the-dream-year-2-may-1-2022-april-30-2023/ Today’s product recommendations are traveling essentials.                                                    1)Continue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 128”

Year 2 – Day 127, Friday, September 2, 2022. September 2, 2022. Relaxing fun day hanging with the Grandkids. Then dinner at PF Chang’s and later in the evening watched Jungle Cruise. Fun day with family. To view the complete year 2 daily diary, click here: https://deestimes.com/living-the-dream-year-2-may-1-2022-april-30-2023/ Today’s product recommendations are traveling essentials.                                                    1) Luggage handContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 127”

Year 2 – Day 126, Thursday, September 1, 2022. It is amazing how there always is an accident on the way to PA. Today on Interstate 81 in PA there was a tractor trailer that the box had fallen off of in the opposite side of the highway. The traffic was blocked up for miles withContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 126”

Year 2 – Day 125, Wednesday, August 31, 2022. A nice day for a ride. We will work on the house next week. We are taking a few days away from the sweat bees and all the block laying fun. Before we left town Steve had an appt at 10:30am at a local ophthalmologist’s office. WeContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 125”

Year 2 – Day 124, Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Rain was forecasted for today, so it was going to be an inside workday. Two more windows were trimmed. By 11am we realized that it was not going to rain. Steve then switched the rest of his workday to laying block. The back block wall just needsContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 124”

Year 2 – Day 123, Monday, August 29, 2022. Steve was up and working outside by 7am. The corners were done by 11am. You always build the block corners of a structure first ensuring they are level vertical and horizontal. All corners need to be the exact same height. Steve is thrilled the building is perfectlyContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 123”

Year 2 – Day 119, Thursday, August 25, 2022. The footings for the garage are dug and ready for the concrete to be delivered tomorrow. Nine yards of 3,000 psi will be here at 8am. Steve dropped his 30-year-old transit and couldn’t get it to level correctly. Off we went to Lowe’s and bought a newContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 119”

Year 2 – Day 118, Wednesday, August 24, 2022. The Washing Machine has been wanting me to run the self-clean cycle. I kept ignoring it until today. Today, I said OKAY let’s do it. Yes, I talk to the washing machine. It is lonely here. I started the clean cycle and added some liquid laundry soap.Continue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 118”

Year 2 – Day 117, Tuesday, August 23, 2022. Steve is back outside today covering up the rest of the septic system. He moved the dirt around the house. He has to be so gentle and careful around the house. He is not going to finish grading until after we get a bunch of rain. TheContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 117”

Year 2 – Day 116, Monday, August 22, 2022. Today we decided we had to do a thorough clean up. We tackled the lower level. Moved stuff to the utility room. It took all day, but by the end of the day things are organized again. We actually have a place to lay back on thoseContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 116”

Year 2 – Day 115, Sunday, August 21, 2022. We loved the Mexican Restaurant so much we went back and celebrated our Granddaughter’s birthdays there. Marley was 19 on August 14th and is attending EKU. She was home for the weekend. She has the freshman homesickness thing going and is close enough to come home aContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 115”

Year 2 – Day 114, Saturday, August 20, 2022. All I can say is it’s another “GROUND HOG DAY”. Yesterday Steve did slice his finger pretty bad, so we decided to break away and go out to a local Mexican Restaurant. There we had excellent food and service. There is now about 174,000 pounds of stoneContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 114”

Year 2 – Day 113, Friday, August 19, 2022. Just another Groundhog Day of finishing up the septic system. I have so had it with nothing getting done inside and it is super-hot outside. First thing this morning we went for our second covid booster vaccine. We figured with all our vacationing coming up we couldContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 113”

Year 2 – Day 112, Thursday, August 18, 2022. The last 100-foot trench is dug and partially covered with stone. The yard reminds me of Tremors. They are traveling through the ground and coming up to eat us. Scary yard. We no longer have any grass. When it rains it will be mud. I only sawContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 112”

Year 2 – Day 111, Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Second lateral line is installed and covered with stone, landscapers’ material and soil placed back on top. Steve then dug the first half of the third trench. Lots of hard work. The shed looks like it is sitting on a cliff. There is an abundance of differentContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 111”

Year 2 – Day 110, Tuesday, August 16, 2022. First lateral line completed, and we are on to working on the second one. Thank goodness for our equipment. Can you imagine how hard it would be without the mini excavator and the garden tractor and trailer? Yikes it would be impossible to move all this dirtContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 110”

Year 2 – Day 105, Thursday, August 11, 2022. The work on the new septic lines started today. There will be two distribution boxes. We also decided that this house is really airtight. We never open the doors and windows and need some inside plants to put out oxygen. So, I bought few pots and plantsContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 105”

Year 2 – Day 104, Wednesday, August 10, 2022. We have decided to update our septic system. So, we spent a long time today working on designing the new field. The tank itself is in excellent shape. We haven’t had any issues with it, but the talk around the neighborhood is that the leach field isContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 104”

Year 2 – Day 102, Monday, August 8, 2022. A beautiful sunny day today. The outside shower is gone. It is now on the dumpster. Actually, that dumpster is gone and a smaller one is here. I am really happy with my new shower. I will not be missing the old one. We picked up aContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 102”

Year 2 – Day 101, Sunday, August 7, 2022. We went out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel where the staff is wearing face masks again. We are in a covid Hotspot. Today is my birthday and everything Steve does, he says, “This is for your birthday!!!”. He put our counter height table together. Justin came byContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 101”

Year 2 – Day 100, Saturday, August 6, 2022. The last of the large dumpsters is loaded. It will be picked up on Monday and a smaller 20 yard will be dropped off. All the cement and rocks will be loaded into the smaller one. The stairwell is almost completely painted. One of our neighbors cameContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 100”

Year 2 – Day 99, Friday, August 5, 2022. One more dumpster gone and a new empty one is here. We now have a pond in our side yard with lots of frogs around the dumpster. The stairwell is primed, and ceiling painted. Steve was tired of walking the plank. So, he has his paintbrush tiedContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 99”

Year 2 – Day 98, Thursday, August 4, 2022. Our life is back to the goal of completing the house. Steve finished loading the dumpster. Two more dumpsters to go. The next two will be used for the cement and any other clean up stuff. He also worked more on the stairwell to the upper levelContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 98”

Year 2 – Day 97, Wednesday, August 3, 2022. We are traveling home. I hate to call it home. It is not home. The northeast is still my home. It is actually sad to be going back. Oh well as my sister-in-law used to say it is what it is. We won’t be traveling up northContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 97”

Year 2 – Day 96, Tuesday, August 2, 2022. We are having another great day in Hersheypark. It is much hotter and sunnier today. We are not staying together as a group as much. Everyone has special rides that they want to go on before they head home. We have a wide range of ages inContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 96”

Year 2 – Day 95, Monday, August 1, 2022. We are at Hersheypark today. Everyone went their own way for breakfast and then we met up at the park. Steve and I had breakfast at the hotel. Diamonds get a $20.00 credit towards two breakfasts. It was good and relaxing before the hectic day started. DueContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 95”

Year 2 – Day 94, Sunday, July 31, 2022. We left Clarksburg, West Virginia early and we were in Maryland early in the morning. It was a gorgeous day to look at the beautiful views. Then onto Pennsylvania we went. Oh YES, Pennsylvania does us smile. Justin and Bobi shared some pictures of their stop atContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 94”

Year 2 – Day 93, Saturday, July 30, 2022. Thiis morning we are heading to the second annual Ortega Hersheypark Family Reunion. It is a little smaller this year. Due to some health issues and college classes, seven people that attended last year are unable to come. We will miss them. Hopefully, we can FaceTime themContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 93”

Year 2 – Day 92, Friday, July 29, 2022. External stitches are out and no lifting still with my right arm. It was a down day for us. Steve took the day off and we just hung out. Actually, we researched more vacations. Trying to do a cross country on Amtrak next June. Wanted to doContinue reading “Living the Dream – Year 2, Day 92”