Into Sequim and a Stop at the Casino

I left the house at 9:30, stopped at Walmart for a few items, and made my way over to the casino in
Blyn.  We were celebrating Joanne retiring from her job at the hospital. (it was eliminated)  A common occurrence these days so I'm mighty glad I'm not out there struggling in the working world.

We had a nice visit with lots of laughs.  Joanne said she made a list the first day she was retired of things she wanted to do.  One was to use up stuff in the freezer. She made her husband some zucchini bread and he was thrilled.  Linda asked her if she was going to do more baking now, and Joanne said she doubted it as she hadn't been into baking for years.  She even had to go buy flour, sugar, and vanilla just to make the bread.  Linda said she didn't bake either and Ruth said she  makes one certain cookie recipe and keeps those in the freezer to nibble on now and then.  And then there was me.  I used to bake a lot more than I do these days. Now, it's easier to just go buy something already finished. 

Then we opened up our Chinese fortune cookies and we laughed when I read mine:  You will eat three desserts a week (or was it per day?)  I've already lost it but it was something along those lines. We got to talking about the latest "news?" regarding Melissa Etheridge saying that Angelina Jolie's decision to have a double mastectomy was done out of fear more than her doing a "brave thing."  We all decided we were tired of hearing about this procedure of hers over and over again.  Like everything, the media talks a thing to death.

Joanne says:  Doesn't it just make you wanna' go out and get one?  Maybe they can advertise a two-for-one sale.  (and the jokes continued from there.)  And yes, we all know it's not a joking situation but still...you had to be there. I'm sick to death of hearing about how horrible it's gonna be if I get shingles.  They're gonna play those ads forever.  And I won't get a shot either.  They're over the top expensive, and not covered by medicare.

Another topic was how life has changed so much from when we were young.  Just about everything.
Ruth remembers how she always wanted a hope chest and she worked hard at filling it up. Now she wonders why she bothered.  And we all remembered Betty Crocker coupons and saving them for pieces of silverware. Ruth says her mom gave a supply of coupons to several people (with money) so they could send away for the pattern Ruth wanted.  Betty Crocker would only let you order one set per family per coupon order.

Joanne's job as medical transcriptionist was eliminated and that made us remember all the classes we took in high school (and college) to learn Dictaphones, office machines, typing, and shorthand. All obsolete now.

Here's a picture we had the casino valet take near the pretty plants along the sidewalk.

You can't see the plants that well so I took more photos.

Linda was up over $130 when I left so that was a productive afternoon.  I stopped at my old neighborhood to pick up a pot of flowers my neighbor was giving me.  Took a picture of the rose bush I left next to my house when I moved. Wish I had it now.

 

The old neighborhood continues to look run down.  More and more mobiles are being sold and moved out of the park.  That guy who bulldozed homes (was in the PA paper a while back)..he's bought a lot of the old mobiles to put on a mobile park he's building.  At least that's what my neighbor told me.



 

I stopped at Sunny Farms and bought about $8 worth  of veggies and then continued on down the highway. There's a lot of construction going on at one section of my route and a neon sign saying "expect 20 minute delays."  I debated about taking Old Olympic Hwy to avoid the mess but decided to take my chances.  Worked out okay and I only had to stop for maybe 15 seconds or so. Lots of activity.

 

When I got back to Port Angeles, I decided spur of the moment to stop at the shoe store and see about getting a new pair of sneakers.  I wanted something a little lighter than the heavier shoe I wear now.  They get  kind of warm in summer.

 

Here's that red flower my neighbor in Sequim gave me. I can hardly wait until they bloom.  The rain we had the last couple of days sure made my lily sprout out nice and full.

And that's about it for this Wednesday.  Tomorrow I'll work on my book, browse through ancestry.com again (my subscription runs out next month), and I since I bought two more flower seed packets, I think I'll sprinkle them somewhere in the backyard.  Ruth just called and said my flower list of yesterday (naming stuff deer won't eat) is incorrect. They'll eat just about anything except daffodils and foxglove. She came home to discover her hollyhocks were all gone.

Trivia and joke for today....

    Soldiers do not  march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a  vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.

The graveside service had barely finished, when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance.

The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, 'Well, she's there,'