My Spring Break So Far

Well, even though we haven't spent Spring Break in some fabulous locale, we have had some fun and we've been really productive, too.

Easter Sunday was spent with family - breakfast with his folks, and lunch at my sister's. I had attended church on Friday night thinking that it would be a special Good Friday service. I was a teensy bit disappointed to realize that it was THE Easter service, and that it would be repeated Saturday night and Sunday morning. I was hoping for a reflective, somber service Friday night, and instead I got all the bells and whistles that go with the grand celebration that is Easter at my church. Oh, well...

Monday we drove up to Los Angeles to do a few errands for Michael. We had lunch at Chin Chin. There used to be a Cafe Chin Chin nearby, but they closed that location and we miss the food there. So, we were excited to get a little Chin Chin fix. Yum! I ordered a spinach salad with mandarin oranges and shrimp. So good! Later on, we went up to Sherman Oaks for dinner with a friend of Michael's at Solley's. I think they have the best matzo ball soup, and I love their honey mustard salad dressing. Mmm...

Tuesday was our second, and I'm happy to say last, termite inspection. We were so pleased with the quality of the inspection, the treatment options, and the price we got from Bug Central. So, I canceled the third inspection. We are lucky (insert sarcasm) in that we have not one, but two types of termites! So, our home requires two types of treatments because there is no one treatment that kills both drywood and subterranean termites. Come June, we'll have the house tented and treated with Termi*dor. Then, I'm choosing to go with their yearly inspection plan. In doing so, I will pay a yearly fee, and they will conduct a yearly inspection and treat any new infestations at no extra charge. Sounds good to me, and since we're now thinking we'll be purchasing a new home in a few years, this may prevent us from having to tent again.

Tuesday night we went to Morry's of Naples for a little wine tasting. Tuesday night's there they offer all their wine flights for just $10. I tried some Pinots and we shared some cheese. Oh, cheese! Yum, but we are now on a kick, I mean lifestyle change, to limit our fat intake and hopefully reduce Michael's cholesterol level. So, we'll have to find something else to snack on while we sip wine at Morry's next time.

Yesterday, we did a little home improvement. Michael replaced the seal on the toilet. Our first termite inspection had revealed a leak there. So, with much effort Michael got that done. I was as helpful as I could be. We saved about $200 by doing it ourselves instead of hiring a plumber. So, that's worth it!

We finished our day yesterday by doing a little shopping for Michael. He got some great deals on a new pair of athletic shoes (for our walks), and some shorts and sweatpants. He says he will use the gym at any of the hotels he stays in while he's on the road. So he's packing those for his upcoming trip. The best deal of all was getting a new suitcase at Ma*cy's on sale - 60% off - and we had enough gift cards to pay for the entire thing! Cool beans! We celebrated our savings by going out to dinner at the Crab Cooker.

This morning we have finished our taxes. We just about broke even, what with getting a little refund from the state and owing a little more than that to the feds. Since it's our first time filing jointly, we seem to be in a new tax bracket and I'm glad we didn't owe more.

Today is Michael's last day before he begins this next tour. He is working today, but we hope to make it to his brother-in-law's book signing this evening and then another dinner out. I am not looking forward to him being gone for such a long time, but he's excited to make the big bucks, and he's thrilled that he'll be working in Europe. I would be too!

I've got plans for how I'll pass the time while he's gone, but I'll blog about that later.

So, even though we weren't able to get out of town this week, we've spent nearly every day together, dined out every day, and slept in our new luxurious, hotel-like bed. That's almost as good as going on a trip, I guess.