A big job finished and a start to the new year which will be here soon

A few years ago I got tired of trying to find appointment books for Terry and I that we liked so I decided to make them.  I put a picture for anniversaries and birthdays for everyone.  This year there turned out to be 41 pictures.  The appointment book ended up with 50 double sided papers for a total of 100 pages.  I am guessing I put in about 12-14 hours of finding pictures, typing out the entire year in weeks and then putting it all in order.  I took the papers to Staples yesterday and got the finished product in the afternoon.  It is a job that I am happy is finished.  Some would understand that old people need the dates and the pictures to remember!!!  That way we know how old people are too and it gives me an idea if anybody is catching me!

November 25th, 1988

It was the day after Thanksgiving and I had big plans.  I had been putting Christmas lights up for several years but this year I wanted to do something different.  I had been putting lights around the porch, around Cynthia's window but this year I wanted to string lights all the way to the peak of the front gable and then down the other side.  I had purchased more lights and had figured out how many I needed.  I forgot to think about the fact that we had 60 amp service into the house and still had the old old fuses that you screwed in and out.  The weather was perfect and I got out the old wooden ladder that was the tallest I had.  I could string the lights part way up and then lift the "little giant" ladder on the porch roof and get all the way to the peak.  I knew this was not a job for the faint of heart but I was up to it.  By mid afternoon I had the lights up and they were perfect.  I had made sure the cord was tight so the lights would not sage but be in a perfect line.  Before dark I had the extension cord hooked up and it was set to be plugged in at dark.  It seemed like it did not get dark fast enough but finally we decided it was dark enough to look at the job I had done!  Everyone gathered outside in the front yard and I was at the outlet.  With the "OK" word I plugged the cord in and presto, the entire house went dark!!!  I dare not go into details for fear that someone might read this and ask why I was not committed to the "big" house!  I will admit that I am thankful the house did not burn down.  I did unscrew the 15 amp fuse and screw in a 20 amp (could I blame Dad for not teaching me about electricity--no I have NO excuse) and that helped BUT of course that was about as stupid as one can get.  The story kind of went like this.  When we wanted the outside lights on pretty much all electric things in the house were turned off and it worked then!  I must say we received many compliments from the neighbors.  It took many years before I felt I could afford to up grade the electric box in the house but it is now new and safe. As for the lights I sit by our pool here in Naples and remember only!

A bit cool today at 57 when I got out of bed.  Tennis at 9:00 and I may wear a light jacket as I bike over.  Terry has an afternoon appointment and then we will stop by Costco for gas and some things after that.  A swim in the pool after tennis and then maybe some more progress on my book after we return home in the afternoon.

We have the turkey (it is dead) in the fridge defrosting so it should be good by Thursday morning.  I had a light breakfast and now am enjoying my second cup of FP.  Now on to the day.

Uncle Travis with Maximilian before he went home.