I'm flying home for a family emergency

My dad is in the hospital. He's been there for 11 days now, and we're pretty worried. He took a turn for the worse 2 nights ago, so I'm hopping a flight home. He has heart problems, kidney problems, and diabetes. I can only hope he recovers, but we just don't know. If you can find room to pray for him, I would very much appreciate it.

Michael is staying here in Nantucket without me. We have a big job that needs to be finished this week so that we can get paid. And we need that money to pay rent. I'm sorry I have to leave him to do it but I have to go home. If my dad isn't any better by next week, I want to fly Michael out too. We had planned on making a trip to my home in Idaho this summer anyway -- I've been wanting him to see how beautiful and expansive our place is -- I just wish it were under different circumstances. So...Michael could use your support now too.

I love you guys. Thanks for all your kind words.

Cheers,
Ernest

I FOUND STARBUCKS COFFEE!!!

Thank the Lord in Heaven! I found Starbucks coffee.

A small store called the "Trading Post" has 6 different types of Starbucks coffee, fresh donuts, and the owner is ordering our cigarettes. And the best part is that it's only 2 blocks from our apartment. How sweet it is!

I'm looking forward to the warm weather

More pics of our new place

I'm so stoked about this apartment. We have so much room! It's not the condo in Leavenworth (I LOVED the condo in Leavenworth), but it's a good second.

This is the bonus room. We think we'll put the TV up here with the surround sound, so we can turn it up as loud as we want! We may also put another bed up here or use it as a workspace.


And this is the spare bedroom and misc. other pics.

We got our apartment!!!

We met Mark today and signed the lease. Woohoo! Now, I can finally talk about it. ;-) I'm not usually a superstitious man, but we wanted this apartment so much that I wasn't taking any chances.

The apartment is a large 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment occupying the 2nd and third floors of this house. On the main floor is a large bedroom with lots of storage, a second bedroom, which we may use as an office, a full bath with that most glorious of inventions - the bathtub, a large kitchen with all new appliances, and a large front room. Upstairs is a bonus room that runs the length of the house. There is also a washer and dryer in the basement and a deck off our kitchen.

Here is the kitchen and front room:


We managed to negotiate a lower rent. He was previously getting $1850/month. But after we talked a while and we built some rapport, I was able to talk him down to $1500/month. Score! That's a fantastic price for such a big apartment. This is the first place we looked at and initially we walked away discouraged. He wanted first and last month's rent and a security deposit up front. Even with the lower rent, that was just too much for us to afford. Then, Michael had the brilliant idea of moving in on the 15th (effectively cutting our first month's rent in half) and spreading the security deposit over 4 months. Mark said yes, so here we are.

Here is the larger bedroom:


As you can see, the apartment is NOT furnished. We'll be sleeping on the floor for a while...! But Mark thinks he has a couple beds and couches from his other rental properties that we can use. And there are some large garage sales coming up!!

We now have plenty of room for you to visit, so please consider it.

Ma' Nature's Lyrical

....with her yearly miracle! Spring! Spring! Spring!

The flowers are blooming and the trees are flowering and the birds are chasing each other from branch to branch. It's a wonderful sight. There are so many different kinds of birds here, because much of the island is a bird and wildlife preserve. I may have to invest in a telephoto lens to try and capture the busy suckers on film.

The lighthouse in this picture is at the Sankaty Golf Course. It only costs a mere quarter of a million dollars to join the club and golf here! This place is so exclusive that they initially denied President Clinton access when he visited. Eventually they relented. But for those of you planning to visit (And we hope you are!!!) who like to golf, don't despair! There is another golf course open to the public.

Michael The Entertainer!!

It's amazing how much entertainment kids get out of the simplest things. Take a Cheerios cereal box for example! Michael entertained Lily for hours with his makeshift top hat. Lily made us some very tasty Crayola Crayon, Crocodile Puzzle Piece, Building Block soup, as you can see in the picture. We all had to taste it and say, "Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" I'm not sure if she is going to be a clothing designer (she picks out her own clothes every day, and she's only 1 & 1/2 ) or a Top Chef!

I hope you don't mind all these pics of Lily. She's such a ham that there is plenty of opportunity for pictures! Plus, we've been cooped up inside for the last two weeks thanks to the weather.

We are already making money. Brian asked us to clean all the windows on his house, which is a beautiful 2-story home. We're making $30/hr for that. Everytime I clean windows I realize why so many cleaners put on their cards, "Don't Do Windows!"

One of Michael's all-time favorite clients, Mrs. Camp, is returning to the island and wants him back to do various jobs like detail the yacht and make party preparations for the numerous parties she holds over the summer.

And yesterday, we visited Linda Upton's house and spoke with her daughter Ashley. She wants us to repaint the master bath and the other 2 bathrooms on the 2nd floor of their beautiful (and enormous) home. In Ashley's bath we proposed a little detail painting -- we're going to do 2 bold vertical stripes with a pin strip in between in all differing shades of turquoise -- just to make her bathroom extra special, and she LOVED the idea. We start that on Tuesday at $25/hr. AND, Ashley said they really want Michael back as their house cleaner and are planning to let go of their current maid just so they can have Michael back. We will be cleaning their house every Thursday at $30/hr.

So, everything seems to be working out wonderfully. You can all stop worrying about us. We will keep you posted.

Oh, and for all you moms out there... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!!

Well, yesterday was the first sunny day we've had since we got here. It's like that one time........ when Michael and I first moved to Leavenworth, we lived in a tent for 2 months and he assured me that in the summertime it never rains in Leavenworth and then we found ourselves racing to put up the rain fly at 2 in the morning!

But anyway! I managed to get these pics off.

We may have found an absolutely FABULOUS apartment. But, I'm not discussing it until we've signed the lease.

Sights I find interesting in Nantucket

Downtown Nantucket or Nantucket Proper, if you will, is paved with cobble stones. And I don't mean the fake ones you can get at Home Depot. These are real, beautiful, impossible-to-drive-quickly-over, watch-where-you-step-or-you-just-might-fall-and-break-your-face stones.


And here are the masters that do it. Looks like back-breaking work.


So, it's near impossible to find a business here. They all look like houses!! There are no giant signs announcing the store or any outdoor advertising. But that's the charm of it all. Most all the houses have cedar shingling, which turns a washed-out gray after weathering a season. And each building may ONLY have white trim.


This pic is for Anita & Lisa...


I hear Nantucket has plenty of Theater. Perhaps the Starlight Theatre & Cafe will be for me...? (Please no! Anything but dinner theater!)

A sunny morning on Nantucket Island

It was a beautiful sunny morning on Nantucket.
Here's a picture of the sunrise on Brian and Christy's street. Like the house in this picture, many of the homes have a "widow's peak" on the roof, where the woman of the house could climb up to watch for the sailors returning (and sometimes not returning) from the sea...

Later, Michael took me for a tour of the island. We went to the "Take It Or Leave It" site, which is where the Islanders drop off their unwanted but still usable items and anyone else can take them. I found a book (of course) and Michael discovered a set of interesting wooden folding chairs. Very cool. I have a feeling we'll be visiting this place a lot.

Then we parked downtown and strolled around the beautiful streets. He pointed out the original 3 red brick buildings built sometime in the 1800s. And we ended up again at the Rose & Crown bar/restaurant, where Michael used to wait tables and where I met Debba - one of Michael's good friends from days past. (NOTE: Click on any picture to enlarge it)

Nantucket! Oh my goodness!!

So...it is Sunday, April 26th, and we are exactly on schedule!! Thank you very mush! Pardon my spelling, but Michael and I just got back from lunsh (it was mostly liquid!) with Michael and Kirk. They are awesome! They both were absolutely thrilled to see Michael again -- after 10 years -- and I had a great time getting to know them a little bit.

We are "On Island" as the locals say...in Nantucket....and staying with Brian and Christy Potter. They have a beautiful house and a beautiful new daughter, named Lily. Thank you Brian and Christy!!! We stayed up last night watching videos and swapping "Michael" stories.... I always say you can tell the character of a man by the company he keeps! And so far...I am duly impressed!

Cheers,
E

We left Pigeon Forge with a BANG!

We left Pigeon Forge with a BANG....a bang in the rear bumper that is. I backed the van straight into a pole. Now, I could easily blame this on my bum left eye, but the fact is I just wasn't looking. (And who puts a giant telephone pole in the middle of a tiny parking lot, anyway?!?) It left a sizable dent in the rear bumper and broke the left taillight lens cover in two. Luckily, we were able to tape the lens cover back on using some clear red tape, and we were on the road again! We'll get that fixed when we get settled in Nantucket.

Aside from the aforementioned, the only other problem we've had with the van is the "Service Engine Soon" light has come on. The car manual states anything from "Emission System Check" to the "Cap on the Fuel Tank Not Sealing Properly" as possible causes. Anyone have a suggestion? I guess we'll take it into a dealer as soon as we can.

Well, we're tired of being on the road and anxious to get to Nantucket. So, we decided drive straight through to New York. That's 16 hours we drove yesterday. And, as it turns out, there is no driving "straight through" New York. We were routed over highways and interchanges and bridges too numerous to count. And we did it with crazy people driving all around us!! It's a good thing we had cash too. The tolls cost us $13! Just to drive on their crappy roads! But I'm not complaining too loudly. We caught a beautiful glimpse of Manhattan all lit up at night.

So....now we are in Hayannis (Cape Cod). We pulled up to the terminal and got a spot on the next available ferry to Nantucket. All in all, I think we're doing pretty darn good.

Best coaster ever?

Dollywood has a couple of the most innovative rides I've ever seen...and I've been to a lot of amusement parks! I have to write a separate post about them, just because they are so cool!

First is the Timber Tower. The video pretty much explains that ride...! In the background of the Timber Tower is the Thunderhead wooden roller coaster, which has won national awards. It's more like a modern steel coaster with all the spins, dives, and fast corners.






Then there is the Mystery Mine. From a distance this just looks like a kiddie ride. But at the very beginning of the ride when it drops you 45 feet straight down a mine shaft, you know that it is not! Several times it stops at the bottom of a mine shaft, then lifts you straight up only to drop you straight back down again. So much fun, we did it twice! If you ask Michael, this is the best coaster ever!!!






Then at the County Fair part of Dollywood is the Dizzy Disk ride. I think they should rename it the Tilt-A-Hurl.




There's more to tell you about Dollywood, but I'm going to stop here. We'll fill you in on the rest the next time we see you. Right now, I'm going to step outside, enjoy the beautiful summer evening, and sip from my Dollywood 2009 Collector's Edition Souvenir Cup.

Dolly! Dolly! DOLLYWOOD!

We rolled into Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, yesterday afternoon and easily found our hotel. We are staying at the Vacation Lodge. If you ever visit Pigeon Forge....do NOT stay at the Vacation Lodge.

This town is not unlike a small Las Vegas. There are tons of themed hotels and attractions clustered along a strip. We spent a lovely evening in our "quaint" hotel and then went to bed excited by the knowledge that we would soon be seeing big blonde wigs, live shows, and roller coasters!!

Dollywood is set up as an old-time mining town, replete with old-fashioned buildings, spinning waterwheels, and discarded mining equipment. She has a museum of costumes from all her movies, like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias, and 9 to 5. She has a huge display case for all her awards, and it is exhilarating to see so many Grammy Awards, People's Choice Awards, and CMA Awards up close. Also, she has her Coat Of Many Colors on display and the original sheet of notepad paper upon which she scribbled out that incredible song.

Dollywood has so many attractions! They have their own version of Cirque du Soleil, called "Imagine' " by Le Grand Cirque. There is a Bald Eagle Sanctuary and even an authentic steam locomotive built in 1943, that is actually fueled with coal. One of my favorite spots is the rocker park -- a spot filled with rows and rows of wooden rockers for you to take a load off!

Our last day in the sun

Today was our last day at Rich's Bungalow...and boy what a day it was! A storm was promised but not delivered. We slept in, drank coffee, read books, watched TV and went to the beach. It's been great to relax here and recharge our batteries.

A little narrative about my pics in this post. The first is a pic I always take at the beach. I call it my "Beach Self Portrait." Second is an action shot of Michael discovering that even though it may be 78 degrees today it ain't 78 degrees in the water. (I love him!) Third and fourth are pictures of the adorable Village of Baytowne Wharf - a great place for food, coffee, and to take the kids. Last is a shot of the wharf on Choctawhatchee Bay.

Where to next? Dollywood here we come!!