Sunday, May 12, 2013

Weekend Plans Squashed

With Mrs Skoot in the hospital it was not known when she would be able to come home.  First they told us Thursday, then it got changed to Sunday or Monday and then a couple of days ago they mentioned perhaps Saturday.  So how was I to know when to expect her to be released.  I had been neglecting my chores, well not really but between leaving work, going to visit her in the hospital, then having to grab something fast to eat it made for a long day and getting home too late to cut the grass

 So I got the bright idea to insure my Corvette and then take it in for service on Friday for a transmission flush and new transmission filter.  It was something that I should have done last year but after it got vandalized it sat at the repair shop for a month waiting for a new top to be installed.


The pan seal was getting old and I need a new gasket which is included with the flush which I needed done anyway.  It was replaced with synthetic transmission oil and they also checked out my transmission which passed with flying colours.   It even seemed to drive smoother on my way home.  Now I don't have to look at all those pink droplets in my driveway

Transmissions on these Corvettes are at the rear and forms part of the transaxle.  It is connected to the engine in the front by a driveshaft then connects to the torque converter.  There is no way to replace the fluid, and there is no dipstick to check the level and my gasket has been leaking for some time (a few years).  It was just something that I never got around to having done.  It is not something that you want to do yourself because of all the mess it would make when all your transmission fluid gushes to the ground

I arrived home and decided to cut my lawn so I could keep my weekend free of chores.   The grass was so thick and long and my lawn mower struggled and chocked on all the damp grass.  The engine did not have enough power to stay running and I had to restart it many times and I think I flooded it when I turned it upside down to clear out the grass build up.   But I eventually got it going again and finished it up

I think cleaning up took just as long as the cutting.  It takes a lot of soap and water to clean up all these


grass stains, but it feels so good walking on my new lush lawn

Richard was giving me a bit of grief as I was going to fast food hamburger joints instead of more refined eateries which we have lots of in Vancouver so I felt a bit guilty as I struggled to figure out where to go.  I eventually ended up at Safeway when I decided to just make something at home


So here we are with some carmelized onions, a couple of hamburger patties and a whole sliced tomato.  I'm still loving our fairly new gas stove


Here we are, my dinner nearly done and topped off with a pile of ketchup.   It's basically a hamburger devoid of the bun

Being in a sort of Single Mode I thought that I would lower the top and cruise the finer areas of our downtown area to see how the younger half live.   It's been a while since I had cruised Robson Street, which I was going to do later in the day.   The rain was forecast to arrive in the evening so when I got up on in the morning all set for a day out on my 'Vette,  it was slightly drizzling so I left the car at home


and headed down to Steveston for breakfast "with the guys" .  I was really intending on driving my 'Vette but instead had to take my Honda commuter car


I turned on my Satellite Radio to keep me company on the 30 minute drive.    It's a 5 speed manual shift and I feel much more control with the clutch petal as you can better feel the "mesh" point, rather than if you wore shoes with thick soles.  I love driving barefoot or with thin soled sandals

Well, as it turned out, Mrs Skoot got released from the Hospital so I went to pick her up.  It is difficult for her to walk far so we decided to get car service

(grand daughter sitting in the back seat)

We didn't want to stress her hip/leg too much for the first few weeks.  We ended up at White Spot on Broadway where they have Car Hop service.   This chain is an institution in Vancouver with lots of history and known for their famous Triple-O Hamburger sauce.  (Yes Richard, but I didn't order one)


In the olden days you used to turn on your headlights for car service.   I had my lights on but no one came to take our order.   Then I noticed that they now ask you to turn on your 4 way flashers "for service".  I imagine that with day time running lights being mandatory in Canada it wouldn't be obvious who wanted service or not


The pretty car hops come to your vehicle and take your food order


Eventually your order is ready and it is placed on a car tray to be brought to your car


Here is our order being "delivered"


Mrs Skoot has the legendary hamburger combo, which includes fries, coleslaw and a beverage.  I ordered their famous clubhouse sandwich but without the middle slice of bread, fries and a coke


It is actually very tasty.   We sit in our own car and have our meal.   When finished you turn on your 4-way flashers and the car hop comes back to take your tray away

Well, I didn't get to drive my 'Vette today but Mrs Skoot is home . . .

Fast forward to Sunday Morning . . .

Me: "what do you want for breakfast ?"

MS (Mrs Skoot):  "Oats, toast, yogurt, poached eggs, milk, hot water . . ."    I was thinking Boy, she must be feeling much better.  Her appetite is back, she hadn't been eating much until now


Here we are.  Who says Men can't multi-task.  I have oats boiling on one burner and poached eggs coming up and the kettle is on


Today I am making the eggs, freestyle in nearly boiling water, with a dash of oil to keep the eggs together


while all that is going on I get out the Lemon yogurt.   Multi-tasking doesn't seem so hard contrary to what any female would tell you


In no time I have the poached eggs plated . Mrs Skoot likes to have her yokes unbroken


She must be enjoying the "Life of Riley"  issuing commands to get this and that, and what can I do except to comply like a trained monkey.  It's not like she can do much anyway until she gets her strength back

Because today is Mother's Day, our family came over for a late brunch of BBQ chicken and Kraft dinner for  the Grandchildren and then a selection of french bakery delicacies


I usually head straight for the cream puffs and of course there was a chocolate cake with lots of left over for later tonight


You can see that I had a nice day of running around . . .   Hope you also had a good Mother's Day with your family too


35 comments:

  1. Bob you are so wonderful! So glad Mrs Skoot is home, I hope she feels better fast!

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    1. Dar:

      What can I say ? It's not like I can abandon her in time of need. I was just thinking that I need to put in a wash soon. I hope she gets better soon too, as I need a haircut . . .

      Delete
  2. Glad Mrs Skoot is home as well! Get her a small bell to ring for your attention!

    Dom

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    1. Dom:

      Funny you should say that. I just charged up our GMRS radios so she can "walkie talkie" me. Much easier than having to answer phones, or shouting.

      Delete
  3. Happy belated Mothers' Day to Yvonne! She looks to be in excellent spirits. I guess the room service is pretty good. All our best to you both.

    David & Susan

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    1. David:

      Room service, no problem-O . The commands come out faster than I can do them. I think she is feeling much better but still taking pain killers and Tylenol Extra Strength as we were told to buy.

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  4. Looks like you all had a great day!

    Get well soon Mrs. Scoot!

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    1. Deb:

      It was nice to stay home on Mother's Day and let family come to us. It was relaxing to not do much, except to wash/wipe the dishes after. We were left with a pile of food so now we have leftovers to heat up for a couple of days. It's my job to make sure we have enough supplies . . . on hand so we don't starve

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  5. It sounds like you had a great couple of days except for the whole lawn mowing thing. I forgot what original weekend plans were. Going cruising in Vancouver with the top down? I must have missed something somewhere.

    And hope Mrs Skoot recovers quickly. When is your flatistan adventure supposed to start?

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    1. Richard:

      I was going to cruise around town in the 'Vette but then she got released on Saturday, instead of Sunday or Monday. Anyway it was probably better this way as "they" (Doctors) recommend that someone be with her for at least the first couple of days, just in case . . .

      We are usually "on the go" and driving around on the weekends, but now we have to stay put at home for a few weeks until she gets muscle strength back. We have to do physio exercises a few times a day. Right now it is a struggle to just walk out the door, down the stairs, and then down the sidewalk to the car.

      I haven't posted anything about Flatistan yet. Probably sometime mid June but I will be leaving on July 10th

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  6. Bob, you really can multi-task, all that kitchen work and you still had time to photograph it all. I would have burned the lot! Your corvette is looking nice. Good to see Mrs Bobskoot is home and well. Regards, El D

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    1. El D:

      I am only learning how to multi-task. The trick is to have everything cooked and ready, all at the same time. No problem to document it all, speaking of which, did you take your NEX out of the box yet ?

      I was not sure I was going to insure my Corvette this year or not, because I don't think Mrs Skoot can sit in it due to the seat angle, and low to the ground seat height, but I needed to have the transmission fluid and gasket replaced this year. Also remember that I have a new convertible top due to the vandalism last August and they did a great installation job.

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  7. Wow, that resteraunt is just so.....WOW I can't even think of the words. Just so lazy you don't even have to get out of your car. You have the girls shove food in your face and you don't have to get up. Is it any wonder that americans are the fattest people in the world with places like this. Oh and yes I know that Vancouver is in Canada .

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    1. Steve:

      WOW, I never thought of it being Lazy by eating here. I thought it was convenient as Mrs Skoot can not walk much and she had been eating hospital food for the past week. We wanted to go somewhere that was "easy" for her and she suggested this place. It is an established chain that has locations throughout British Columbia.

      Steve, no offense to Nebraskans, but the fattest people live in Nebraska. I have been there and this is what I have noticed. Vancouver is considered a healthy place as opposed to NewFoundland where most things are served deep fried. Oh, BTW the girls there were very nice . . .

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  8. Glad Yvonne has her appetite back, and gets spoiled by her loving husband. I am sure you will be awarded for a Best-Hubby award this year, Bob.

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    1. Sonja:

      This wasn't a good year for being disabled. First her broken wrist, and now this, but at least this was a planned surgery. If all heals well, she will be back to "better" than normal. So far all is proceeding to plan. We have to do home exercises and soon she will be going to Physio a few times a week. I am not supposed to help, she has to use her walker and crutches to get stronger. We even have a wheel chair but we are not supposed to use it. so while I see her struggle I have to think to myself that this is the best way right now.

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    2. Sonja:

      PS: with you making comments, it is like you are still here but we know you are a long way away in Germany. So close yet so far . . .

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    3. Bob, like you said... I am just a few keystrokes away ;-)

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  9. Great to see that Mrs. Skoot is home and looking so good! And she must be feeling better just to see you hoping about getting her things.

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    1. Lori:

      She is shouting out more commands than a General. I smile to myself and keep my mouth shut and just do what I must do. We can laugh about it later but for now I have to take up the slack. There is no one else I can delegate these duties to . . . "the buck stops HERE"

      Heaven forbid that I may need help in the future, then it will be my turn to issue these commands

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  10. I am glad Yvonne is home safe and sound and is looking quite well considering she just had surgery.

    I am still trying to picture you as a trained monkey...........Do monkey's feet get that dirty? Maybe you need a monkey to mow the lawn for you....

    Hugs!

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    1. Trobairitz:

      She is doing surprisingly well for only just out of the hospital. It's a struggle with no power in one leg, but we have to do daily exercises and then physio soon. Swelling is going down and she is still taking pain killers. She gets tired fast so she has to rest, but then I get to have the TV remote all to myself.

      You don't know how hard I have it. She is always inspecting for dirty feet and always telling me to wear something, but I am stubborn. If I could I would be barefooted all the time. You don't know how many times a day I have to wash my feet. I wear sandals as a compromise, and the reason I bought those Unshoes which are like being barefoot but looks like you are wearing something

      I wished I had a lawn mowing Monkey not. I had a friend who had a Monkey as a Pet. And he found out that Monkeys are very dirty and you have to always be cleaning their cages. So really, you don't want a pet Monkey. We used to pay a gardener to cut our lawn but we stopped when we had dogs as we didn't want a stranger in our back yard. Maybe it's time to get another Gardener. I'm just not sure I want to shell out the money for something I can do myself.

      Hugs to you too.

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    2. Bob - try a goat - they're cute and they mow the grass!
      Glad to see Mrs. Skoot home and looking fantastic!

      Delete
  11. Glad Mrs Scoot is home safe and sound, Bob.

    Your'er eggs didn't look quite done enough for me though! I could still hear the chicken clucking!! haha

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    1. Pat:

      Thank you for your well wishes

      Those eggs were done, they had been in that nearly boiling water for a long time. Mrs Skoot likes to pop her own yokes. Next time I need to cascade some water over them

      I'm feeling a bit sad that I may not see you until later in the year. Have a good summer in OK

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  12. What a perfect weekend! I must must must go to that drive in eatry! Mel's Drive In is the one I remember and really miss too!

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    1. KT:

      If you ever get a chance to come up here, we can go there in a car. This Company has been in business for a long time, even when we were teenagers we used to go there for car service. They are known for their Legendary Hamburgers and Chicken in the Straw

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  13. Nebraskans eat a lot of corn...and corn fed beef. Lots of calories.

    And considering corn is in nearly everything, most Americans are fat. Eat corn, drink corn.

    Did a raw vegetable go by in any of those photos? Oh, tomato. Probably a pickle, too. ;^)

    How high do you cut the grass? 3 inches? Stuff that thick and damp I'd mow over 4" if you can, for now.

    Happy that Mrs. Skoot is better and out of the hospital.

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    1. Martha:

      I went to Omaha many years ago and all they eat there is Steak and Potatoes. I saw many Large People there, larger proportion than regulars ones

      We try to have our fair share of veggies and fruit but our family brought this food and it was mostly meat. When we buy, we always include a vegetable dish.

      I am trying to keep the grass longer than normal so that the sun doesn't burn out the grass before the sod has a chance to root into the top soil layer. I am also keeping it watered but it is getting brown spots. Yikes, I need help to get ride of these brown patches.

      thank you for your good wishes. I am hoping that she gets well enough so I can take my vacation in July

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  14. Good to see that Mrs Skoot is back home and being very well cared for. :)
    The food looks wonderful. No wonder she has her appetite back!

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    1. Kari:

      I too am hoping that you can take Rachel home soon as well. Plus it must be hard (& expensive) to be living in a hotel in Portland.

      The meal was nothing special, I just wanted to make what she wanted. Her stomach must have shrunk in the Hospital due to the smaller servings. Perhaps those are the right size and at home we eat too much

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  15. Bringing home the wife from the hospital makes any day special, doesn't it . . . sometimes it feels like I'm taking mine home from a stretch in prison, given the confinement and the garb they give you in The Joint. Good for you, and good for Mrs. Skoot!

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    1. John:

      Of course you are right. We used the word "released" from the Hospital, but "released" could be from somewhere else, like Prison.

      We have a long weekend up here. Right now I can't be away from home for too long but if you managed to come up here, I could spare a few hours.

      Hope your move to Widbey Island went smoothly and everything arrived in one piece

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  16. Glad to see the prisoner has been released. Was it for good or bad behavior?

    Wow! I've never seen a drive-in restaurant with a little table like that. We have an
    "A&W" drive in where the girls are on roller states and deliver a tray of food
    that attaches on the outside of the car. Every month they have a car night
    and a bike night, with all kinds of Classic cars and motorcycles.

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    1. Dan:

      This restaurant has been around for decades. When we were teenagers we used to cruise the parking lot to see the other cars. They have always had these type of trays which go across your windows.

      come on over and we'll take you there. They have several locations

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