BAHAMA BREEZE!

Suddenly, it is all 'Go'!  Winter appeared to be over!  The sunshine was making everyone happy, and I was able to take my book and have a couple of uninterrupted hours reading in my favourite spot.   However, Mother Nature still had one more trick up her sleeve!

The phrase "Never kid a kidder", could have been applied on Sunday afternoon.  I am not proud to say that I have the ability to 'con', but then I suppose it is in most of us.  Honesty is not the best policy; it should be the only policy, but then, as the great English poet said, "To err is human....".  I try not to 'err' but I am human!  However, I shall attempt not to 'rabbit trail', or 'digress'.  I returned from my couple of hours of bliss, and saw a car crawling along the road.  My first thought that the occupants were looking for the house next to mine. My next door neighbour was having an 'Open House', just to get a feel the market!  Never kid a kidder!  She is a realtor, she has the feel! However, I smile and all remains peaceful.  The crawling vehicle came to a stop, a few houses down, and I went to walk across the road. The occupants were oblivious to me, and jerked forward, causing me to jump back, as they stopped outside my house.  At this point, I have to go back to my couple of hours of bliss, and let you know that I was reading a book where the main character was cross-examined by a very sly, but proficient barrister, (lawyer,) and for the most part, the main character kept his cool, only falling into the barrister's trap on a couple of occasions, but he then recovered very well!  As I reached my front steps, a female bounded out of the car, and shouted at me, "Is it your condo for sale".  I responded that it was next door that was on the market.  Said female followed me up the stairs and was asking me questions about the neighbourhood and wondered if she had missed the "Open House".  Her questions were very precise.  She was not looking, she was gathering!  She huffed, and puffed, and said that she was always late to these things.  Her eyes were scrutinizing my side of the building and she questioned me on the remodeling.  I became the main character in my book!  The answers were very bland and basic.  Did I feel the need to remodel now?  I shrugged my shoulders.  Did I want new windows?  I shrugged my shoulders.  Did I think I should change my front door, and modernise the furniture, for example the outside light?  I smiled and went to walk in but she hopped from foot to foot to try and see inside my condo.  I knew she was a realtor, but I doubt she knew I knew.  Her questions kept coming, and I told her to call the person who had it on the market.  I was doing very well, but like the character in the book, she threw me a 'curve ball'.  "She is asking top dollar.  Did you know that?" When she told me what the property was on the market for, my eyes widened, and I was shocked. "You're kidding!" I blurted, and instantly knew that the barrister had got the better of me.  "Do you think it's worth that?" she asked.  I recovered, as the did the character, but it was obviously too late.  "Depends what you are looking for", I mumbled, and tried to regain composure. "But there is no sign.  She hasn't left any information anywhere."  You are here.  You must have got the information from somewhere.  I became the main character in my book, again.  "Oh well", I said and smiled.  I waited for her to leave my front porch before going inside.  

Back in my home, with front door firmly shut, I went to the garden and donned my work clothes.  My wellies have seen better days.  Mostly pink, but with a lot of plastic missing, they look like I have been ravaged by a bear.  My shorts are torn, by design but the tear has gone from 'fashion statement' to 'ripped' and not for public wear.  My top was pulled down under a shorter one, and my cap did little to hide my disheveled locks.  I looked a mess, but I was gardening behind closed doors, so who cared.  Hearing someone at the dumpster, I waited until they would have left the area before walking out with my bucket.  However, my friend Cathleen was in her truck, having dumped her trash, and she spotted me.  We chatted for a while, and my 'cover' was blown.  Yes, the woman who dresses up for work, also dresses way down to do the garden!  A man came from nowhere, and appeared to be taking pictures of 'manhole' cover next to Cathleen's condo.  "What is he doing?" she asked.  I shrugged my shoulders, not to be coy, but because I had no idea.  "You are on the board, go ask him", she almost demanded.  "It's next to my condo", she continued.  She was right.  I should investigate.  We have large "No Trespassing. No Soliciting" signs outside our complex, and often uninvited people appear and do both!  "Excuse me", I said, walking over to the man, wellies flapping around my ankles.  He did not answer. "Hello!  Is there a problem?"  He turned round, looked at me, and said, "No. No problem", but I swear I could see, written on his face, "But you might have one!"  I continued, in my best English accent. "But you were taking pictures of the manhole cover".  He looked over, back at me, and laughed.  His apology appeared to be honest and heartfelt, and almost shameful.  He was not taking a picture of the cover, but of a check to deposit into his bank account. He was the contractor, who had his workmen working on the unit next door, and needed to find a shady place to take the picture!  I walked back to Cathleen's truck and told her of my findings.  "Do you see what I look like!" I asked.  Another day in the life of the mad Englishwoman!

I had to make myself reasonably presentable, as I had a job to do in
the evening!  I had to serve a paper!  We had a subpoena which needed to be delivered before Monday morning, and our gal in the field was not able to work it on Sunday.  Dana drove me to the deep south part of town (as it is known) and I went into the apartment complex and knocked on the door.  A very, very young girl answered the door, and I said her name.  Dana had received a message from her around five to say she would be home, and could he deliver it.  He told her someone would be there around six thirty, so she was expecting me.  As I said her name, she said, "Yes, thank you",  took the papers and shut the door.  When I got back to the car, I told Dana I had given it to a twelve year old!  He laughed and said that Kelly had said she was young, but not that young.  "She looked like she had just come in from playing outside with her friends!" I said.  The subpoena had the required 'attendance' fee attached, which in this case was $40.  "What will she do with the money if she is that young?" asked Dana.  "Buy a Barbie, I guess.  Or a skipping rope!"  I was adamant that I had given it to the wrong person, but I had said her name and she had said "Yes". She was expecting it, and appeared to know what it was I was delivering.  "So", said my husband.  "Is this a first?  Your first federal subpoena to serve?"  As I have only 'served' a handful of papers, personally, in my time here, it probably was my 'first' federal subpoena, but more to the point, was it the first time this lady had received a court document from an Englishwoman!

Monday morning started off a little drizzly.  We were expecting thunder storms but the day was just cloudy but very warm. Samantha left work early, and drove home.  Shortly thereafter, the skies began to go very dark, and by the time we got home, the rain was starting. However, as torrential as it was in the back of the condo, it had not reached the front.  It did not rain in the front for a full ten minutes.  There was some thunder and lightening, and then within an hour, all was calm, and there was the most amazing sunset.  I received a video from my daughter of a news report.  Two miles from her, in two different directions, there had been a tornado.  Each one had been quite devastating, and caused tremendous damage.  Edward had followed its path when he returned home, and sent her some pictures. It had demolished a couple of buildings, and made a mess of others. Trees were ripped up from the ground and vehicles were smashed. She had slept through the whole thing!  The winds would have been quite powerful around her house, but thankfully there was little damage.  Thankfully, there were no reported fatalities, but the damage was dreadful.  The picture now was of slightly cloudy skies and a beautiful sunset!

Tuesday morning showed little signs of damage in our area.  A few branches were strewn along the road, but other than that, it just looked like we had been through a small thunder storm.  

The news continued to report the damage throughout the week, and a young man, sixteen years of age, became the star of the storm.  His truck had been caught in a tornado, tipped on its side, spun around several times, and then miraculously turned back on its wheels, and he drove away, without any windows!  He received minor cuts and bruises, and managed to drive home!  

Unfortunately, Louisiana did notBy  fare as well and lost one person in a tornado that ripped through a suburb of New Orleans.  Tornado season has begun!

Thursday, all appeared to be quite calm.  The sun was out, the temperatures quite pleasant and the contests were back on line!  I saw that a group was going to be in the music lounge at the radio station, and entered all three of us.  By three in the afternoon, all three of us received an email to say we had won!  We checked out the group, and they were as mellow as the previous groups we had seen were loud!  Bahamas! was the name of the band, and as tropical as the name, so was the sound.  I then received another email from the promotor.  She said that she knows that I usually like to bring two people instead of one, and that was cool.  I responded very thankfully, and said that they had also won so perhaps she could let their seats go to someone else.  She was grateful for the response.

What to wear?  That was the question.  I had really made an effort for the last couple of shows, and much as I generally do not 'dress to impress', for the most part, I felt the need for a little 'pizazz'. However, I had really played my trump card with the black and white, followed by the leopard skin!  It was too hot for boots, so I just wore a nice black dress, with nice shoes.  We arrived and the lady at the front desk waved enthusiastically and beckoned us to come in.  It was quite amusing as the place was quite full.  We did not have to show any identification or announce ourselves.  "Hey Tracie", she said, and we all said "Hi!" and enquired as to her health!  (How are ya!")  Suddenly, a guy came up to Grant and called him by name.  It appears that he went to school with this fellow, whose brother is actually a DJ at the station! The friend and his wife joined us for lunch, outside on the patio, where we ate burgers and wings, with chips and queso.  "How come you are here", asked the young man. Grant pointed at me.  "She just wins things, man!" he said, very matter of fact!  

We walked into the studio and chose our seats, not at the front, but to the side!  "Where is (name I do not recall) brother.  He has a blue shirt on. Save him a seat".  We knew they were talking about Grant's schoolfriend.  However, there was another young man with a blue t-shirt on, and they ushered him in.  He looked at the staff a little fearfully as they were almost pushing him to the seat.  "Your brother said to save you a seat".  Perhaps an only child, the young man looked terrified, and it was then that the three of us said, all a little louder than anticipated, "You have the wrong guy".  They looked up and saw the second blue top!  

The show was amazing, as was the lunch, and I managed to bring home a burger for Dana.  It was the perfect end to the week!  The weather was beautiful, and I felt rather glamerous.  Grant's friend had commented on my hat and dress, and then told me that I was the most stylish woman he had ever met.  I thanked him very much.  It made me laugh.  He should have seen me accosting the contractor on Sunday!  I do 'dress' for work and am often told I look 'nice' but it is from women or older men!  Grant told me his friend had an 'old' soul, and his mother runs a bar in a small back street, in a small town, where everyone knows everyone and nothing changes.  I felt quite humbled!  I had thanked the organiser, for her email, and had said that we come as a package!  She said she knew that we generally come en-masse, and all was good!  Oh yes, we are back!

I got up Saturday morning, went for a walk, and got ready to go shopping.  A text from my sister in law appeared to be sent to the wrong person. "What time are y'all getting here.  We have to go out for a while".  I looked and shouted to Dana.  "Are we meant to be in Dallas?"  The sounds of exasperation meant "Yes".  She had told him a couple of weeks ago that she would be at his brother's house this weekend, and he told her to remind him, which she did on Wednesday.  Apparently, he was just on his way to tell me when an email, or something, stopped him, and he forgot.  I had been meaning to ask when she was coming back to Texas.  I called Samantha and said we could not go shopping together, and she said she would pick me up what I needed, just send her a list.  Then she asked if we were going to Bucees, as there was a t-shirt she wanted and had not been able to find.  "Just facetime me!" she said.

The saying goes, "When a potty (toilet) break costs you $100" and the picture of Bucees is usually above.  Four t-shirts, two coffees and a sandwich later, and Dana felt as if he had been through open wallet surgery!  It is not that it is expensive, but it is almost impossible to walk out of the place without something.  Of course, I usually only get coffee, but my daughter saw some things she could not live without, and while we could, we did!

It did not take long to get to Dallas, or just outside, and we had a lovely afternoon with Dana's sister and brother-in-law.  Jim cooked lunch and we ate and chatted.  I took some books that had been left, and am now set up for the rest of my life by the pool!  For a single man, he accumulated a lot of stuff!  Most, I believe, in case anyone needed anything.  He was one of the most sweet, generous people I knew, and we will all miss him very much.  It seemed fitting to sit around his kitchen table and chat, sometimes about Rick and sometimes about other things.  However, Dana wanted to be home before dark, and we left around five.  

Our journey home was about three hours.  Neither of us were hungry as we had been treated to lunch, so we took the sandwich that we had not eaten and shared it for dinner!  A cup of tea, and a piece of chocolate mousse cake was good enough for afters and we slipped in and out of dozes whilst watching the television.

Sunday morning was glorious.  I had planned to see if the water was warm enough to swim on Saturday, but of course had to abort the mission.  I checked the skimmers first thing in the morning, and the water was not as cold as it has been.  My plants need to be tended to, and we did enjoy a first tomato, grown from seed!  I do not think next week will be as eventful, as this or the last, but who knows what I shall have to write about in ............ another story!