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Jam-packed January
Friday, January 28, 2022 at 02:44PM 
A. You're 70 ... B. So What
Since the dawn of 2022, the pirate's life has been a whirlwind involving -- to name but a few things and leave others out -- automobiles, illness, snow, a milestone birthday, and a puppy.
Allow me to elaborate.
For the last several months of 2021, TG and I had been discussing picking out a new car in January.
A new used car, that is. It's how we roll. That way, the pirate can get all the features she craves, without paying the price that they would be if purchased NOT pre-owned.
We acquired our first Cadillac in October of 2006; it was a 2004 CTS in Storm Gray, kitted out by me with the vanity license plate NOT2BE. We drove it pretty much exclusively until 2015, when it became an extra car, meaning only TG drove it.
(On January 15th he placed an ad on Craigslist for the sale of that car. Within minutes he had several interested texts, plus a phone call. He sold the car an hour or so later to the person who had called. Considering that she is an eighteen-year-old vehicle with a few repairs needed and more than 228K miles on her odometer, she fetched a fair and satisfying price.)
We welcomed our second Cadillac in 2015: another CTS, this time in Black Raven, leading me to dub her The Raven and plate her NVRMORE. She's a 2012 and still looks beautiful but we've put 100K miles on her and she was already relatively high in miles when we bought her.
On the actual birthday, we had a festive home-cooked meal
(That's the car that Andrew found for me online while lying on his bunk in the barracks at Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar, on one of his deployments. Knowing my car needed to be replaced, he had texted me to ask what I was looking for in my next Cadillac.)
(Without hesitation I replied, I'm in the market for a 2012 CTS in Black Raven. Ten or fifteen minutes later, he sent me a link to the car that TG and I would drive to a dealership in Greer, South Carolina, and purchase the very next day.)
She's still a wonderful car and a joy to drive.
But looking at a trip to Oklahoma in a month to see Andrew graduate from pilot training and get his wings, even with a AAA membership in good standing just in case anything should go wrong, we thought we'd better get newer wheels under us.
(The irony of the pirate refusing to fly to see her son get pinned with wings is not lost on her. But it is what it is.)
This time I was after a 2015 Cadillac SRX in Platinum Ice Tricoat. Which is white. But a really really pretty pearly white.
My new used mode of transportation
Cadillac stopped making this particular model of crossover in 2016 but I had done some research and decided I wanted a 2015.
We found her at a dealership in Monroe, North Carolina, on January 8th.
She's stunning. I applied to the DMV for the vanity plate PIR8, which is coming today. And no; I don't care if you know my license plate number. Everyone on the road will see it whenever I drive my new used car.
That important chore of car purchasing -- which is not without its own special kind of stressors -- accomplished, I went less than a week before coming down with what felt like the flu but which I am pretty sure was the Omicron.
No; I did not get tested.
What I did do was feel pretty miserable for five to seven days, with all the symptoms one associates with the flu: fever, chills, cough, et cetera.
But I am fine now. I stayed home and rested and got better.
Shortly after I recovered, TG came down with the same thing, though his symptoms were significantly milder than mine. He felt slightly unwell for maybe three days.
He's fine now.
And he bounced back just in time, because this past Tuesday, he turned seventy.
We commenced the parties in celebration of TG's milestone birthday last Saturday.
Stephanie drove over that morning from North Carolina, by herself, to go out to eat with TG and me plus the usual suspects: Audrey and Dagny and Chad and Erica and Rhett.
But first, we had a snowstorm.
The view from my front door ... including The Raven clad in snow
All week, last week, there was an ominous snowflake on our weather apps for Friday. At first a Winter Storm Watch was issued, and that lasted for a few days.
As we got closer to what had been the designated snowflake day, that alert was downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory.
Right up until the night before, it had all the earmarks of turning out to be nothing more than a cold, rainy day.
But on the day, the meteorologists kicked us all the way up to a Winter Storm Warning.
It began raining in the early afternoon but it was too warm for ice or snow. As nightfall approached, though, the temps fell to freezing, and then went below freezing.
Rain turned to sleet, then to ice, then finally to snow at around eight o'clock that evening.
It snowed in the back too
It snowed for about five hours and left three inches on the ground.
The next morning -- last Saturday -- it was very cold but sunny. Stephanie made the trip to our house without incident although her area had been blanketed with snow too.
The snow did not exactly melt within our neighborhood, but the roads were completely clear.
We had decided to eat at Texas Roadhouse, since we all like it. We arrived at two o'clock and were met with signs saying that groups larger than six people would NOT be seated together and that there was NO guarantee that the separated parties would be seated anywhere near one another.
There were eight of us.
The seemingly ironclad policy was confirmed by the girl at the desk where I put our name on the waitlist for a table. I said, but it's my husband's 70th birthday party and we are all from the same family! We eat together all the time!
She apologized but said she could not do anything about the rule.
She asked for two separate phone numbers so that each of our two groups could get a text when their table was ready.
Then she said, please wait outside because there is no waiting inside. Although there were at least two couples waiting inside.
We went outside.
Let's pull over and park here for a mo.
TG and his girls, last Saturday
TG and I went to the same Texas Roadhouse for supper several weeks ago. It was before Christmas. I think it was a Friday night. When we arrived, we were told that the wait would be "an hour, hour and a half." But I could see through the window behind the hostess that the restaurant's tables were mostly empty.
(Turns out that because they were short on servers, the management had decided not to seat parties until there was a server available to serve them.)
TG had gone to park the car so I met him outside, figuring he'd want to leave rather than wait so long. But he didn't; he wanted to wait. So we stood in the small outer lobby (it was a cold night) and made friends with some ladies who had been golfing for a few days at Hilton Head.
Exactly one hour later, we were shown to our table and immediately our server was there to take our order. As usual, the service was courteous and efficient. We enjoyed a delicious meal.
Fast forward to early January, when our pastor canceled a Wednesday evening service over Omicron concerns. After running a few errands, TG and I decided to again have supper at Texas Roadhouse.
We were shown to a table immediately. The place was at nearly full capacity seating-wise. Servers were everywhere and ours was most attentive. Again we had a delicious meal. Have you had the Critter Chicken Salad? It is very good.
For the birthday dinner rolls I put my new butter bell on the table
Between bites I remarked to TG that it was like pre-covid days, except still no pails of peanuts and no more servers forming up to line-dance to classic Country hits. I suppose those things are gone forever, more's the pity.
Back to last Saturday afternoon. We had not waited outside for long at all -- maybe five minutes -- before Audrey got a text that her group's table was ready.
I figured my text for my party would come later.
But Audrey, starting inside, motioned to the rest of us and said, She said for all of us to come ahead.
? ? ? ? ?
So we filed in -- all eight of us, together -- and were shown to an oversized oval-shaped booth large enough to accommodate every one of us.
The hostess motioned towards the booth and walked away.
We stood there, looking at one another, and then we all sat down. Together. It was a perfect fit.
Me and TG in full-on party mode
No one mentioned that the hostess had seated us in direct opposition to the restaurant's posted and spoken policy regarding parties of more than six.
Oh well. We proceeded to have a wonderful time. Those rolls! I ate only one.
Erica had brought balloons and party decorations. It was all so festive.
Later, back at home, I made coffee and served up the birthday cake.
I had picked up the cake at Publix that morning. It was white with black frosting around the edges and on the sides in a scroll design, and the writing was black too. No gooey gloppy buttercream flowers.
Here's what I had them write on top of the cake:
A. You're 70
B. So What
OK I guess you'd have to know TG. He is constantly, when talking, needing to list things -- like vocal bullet points -- and he always says A. whatever and then B. whatever.
Like, I might say, Darling why are you having a second bowl of ice cream?
And he'll say, A. It's really good, and B. I wanted some more.
So we all had a laugh at the cake and I assured TG that "so what" did not mean that we don't care that he's turning seventy, but rather that it's just a number and doesn't mean much.
Seven candles: One for each decade
We sang to TG and lit seven candles -- one for each decade -- and he blew them out, and then we ate cake and those who wanted coffee had some, with heavy cream.
The children had a few gifts for TG, with a promise of more to come on Tuesday, when we would gather again for a home-cooked meal on the actual day.
Erica and I and Baby Rhett went shopping on Monday for the groceries I needed for the meal. On the menu were Crock Pot Pork Chops prepared according to this recipe.
Sides were Party Potatoes, Mari's Confetti Corn, Green Beans Almondine, and Hawaiian rolls, with Arnold Palmer tea to drink. For dessert we had leftover cake plus a pecan pie -- TG's favorite.
After the meal there were more gifts for TG to open. Throughout the day he'd heard from and been congratulated by everyone from friends to old classmates to his siblings to the two children who were not able to be there to celebrate with us in person.
Where there's smoke there are often birthday candles
It was a good day and everyone agreed that we had feted our beloved patriarch in a fashion of which he is most deserving.
I gave him a bottle of cologne that I took a chance on from Amazon reviews. I had no idea what it smelled like except what I could surmise from its name.
Over the years TG has worn various fragrances and many of those are expensive prestige varieties made by Chanel and the like, but this bottle cost twenty dollars.
It's made by Cremo and named Spice and Black Vanilla.
I like it and he likes it and I think you would like it too
Wow, guys. I know that fragrance is personal and some readers would perhaps hate this scent, but I love it. TG does too so, when he runs out of this bottle, we will definitely be buying more.
Then, just this week, our Stephanie's family finally found a new puppy.
They'd been grieving over the loss of Shiloh for the last ten months.
Late last fall, they rescued a beagle mix that they promptly named Candace. In an unfortunate turn of events, within a few weeks Candace had to be returned to the rescue folks.
She suffered separation anxiety so severe that, when the family were gone from home for church or school activities, she harmed herself in her despair.
They would come home to find her bloodied and desperate, unable to cope with being by herself for a few hours even though all of her needs had been seen to.
She was fine when someone was home (which was most of the time), as long as she could follow them around and every waking moment be in the presence of people.
It was a difficult decision to return Candace, but when they did, and saw how happily she trotted back into the facility into the company of other dogs, they knew they'd done the right thing.
Candace needs a home in which a human (or another dog) is available to be with her literally all of the time. I pray she has found one by now.
Stephanie and the children resumed their search for a pet right after the New Year and, just this week, found what they were looking for.
Meet my granddog Piper. Photo courtesy Stephanie Bixler
She is a nine-week-old Golden Retriever mix. They've named her Piper. So far, everything is going even better than they could have hoped. The children are delirious with joy.
On to the next adventure! Which is, as I said above, our trip to Oklahoma in early March to stay a few days with Andrew and Brittany and Ember, and be present when our son graduates from Air Force pilot training.
He has excelled in this phase of his training, and he loves it, so we're grateful for his accomplishments and happy to see him realize a long-held dream.
Meanwhile it is still winter and you know what that means: Can spring be far behind?
The answer is no.
And that is all for now.
=0=0=0=
Happy Friday :: Happy Weekend
Reader Comments (17)
I enjoyed reading about your month and I LOVED the cake! So clever! Happy Birthday TG! We have had bitter cold weather and two feet of snow. We are over it!
I’ve never had a pre-owned car because hubby says he doesn’t want to buy someone else’s problem. But he doesn’t know much about cars, so we are at the mercy of mechanics. I’ve owned Hondas since 2000 and have never had to replace anything besides tires, oil/filters, and batteries. We tried to sell a car through the classifieds once and what a complete nightmare with the weirdos, so now we just do trade in. I’m glad you were able to sell without issues!!!
Let’s talk Texas Roadhouse! We don’t have them here, but we vacationed in SC once and ate at a Roadhouse twice because we liked it so much. Especially those rolls! I’m glad they broke their own rule about seating. Some of these rules make zero sense. I will never understand a mask to walk in a restaurant, but seated you can take it off. Just dumb. Glad you recovered from whatever you had!
@Bijoux ... my late father-in-law, when TG was a boy, used to trade in the family sedan every two years for a brand new one. I have never driven a new car but honestly, the used cars I've had have felt like new to me. They spiff them up so nice at the dealerships and you can tell if they have been gently owned. YES to Texas Roadhouse -- the Dallas Cut is my favorite steak but I'm currently hooked on the aforementioned Critter Chicken Salad! It's delicious. xoxo
Happy 70th to the hubby. It is always a pain in the butt anymore with dinner out and all the hoopla that goes into it.
We are thinking a new (used) car this year, too. A SUV to replace my GMC that now has 230 miles on it. My will buy it as a extra 'runner' car for his business. It's been a workhorse and a beauty with all the bells and whistles and is pearl white.
My daughter has an Infinity SUV that she will trade next year so we may but that from her for the trade value. We'll see.
Have a lovely weekend, Jenny. xo Diana
@Diana ... I like a nice car to ride around in so I'm willing to go with used, to get more of what I want! It sounds like you have a very sound plan to do the same. Speaking of the same, I don't think anything ever will be again, and it makes me sad. xoxo
Happy Birthday to TG! Looks like a wonderful celebration for a special guy who deserves all those accolades. (And who doesn't look or act 70!)
Nice new car! We will be in the market soon, but with the used car situation around here (serious lack of used cars) we are trying to hold off. You did good and will drive in style to that graduation. Love the new license plate too!
I'm glad you and TG are back to good health.
The puppy - so cute! The cologne - I'm checking it out. If you like it, I will too, and of course Bon as well. The cake? You are so witty!
Last year when my Dad turned 90 we couldn't do a gathering. So we (all 4 kids) rented a van so we could drive to Traverse City with Dad and Ann, all together in one vehicle. We had a special restaurant to go to on the shore of Lake Michigan. It's a 3 hour drive, which was enjoyable with all of us together. But when we got there, they said 5 to a table, and wouldn't budge on it. We explained the drive, Dad is 90, we were all together in a van... No! So very irritating. We sat at separate tables, and then all climbed back into the van to drive home. And none of us got sick. I'm happy that your hostess relented and sat you at one table.
I enjoyed your car and pup and 70th birthday party stories.
Happy belated birthday to TG! He looks great for being 70! Great picture of the two of you!! Good that you told Texas Roadhouse about it being your hubby's 70th birthday celebration so they could bend the rules a bit and sit you all together! I will have to try that chicken salad the next time we go there though with hubby watching his sodium, I'm sure it won't be for a bit. In the old days, I would eat the peanuts and hubby would eat the rolls :)
I like your new to you car and so cute with the personalized license plate.
I agree with you; I'm not flying again . There is that bit of irony about your son getting his wings and you not wanting to fly, but I'm sure he totally understands!
Sorry to hear you had whatever you had. I bet it was Omicron but why get tested? I think hubby had it the middle week of December. Came on as a cold, but not his usual way a cold presents. He still lingers with a bit of a cough . I haven't felt well but I haven't felt sick for the past week or so. Just tired, little dry throat, maybe a cough/tickle sometimes . I won't get tested unless I absolutely have to be.
Your new grand pup is adorable!!
Glad to see a post from you! I was wondering how January was treating you!
betty
It sounds like you had a fabulous month. Happy Birthday to TG. The cake is gorgeous and so clever. I'm glad you all were able to eat together and celebrate this special birthday. Enjoy your new car. It's beautiful. Piper is adorable and it's good to hear he is quickly settling in to his new home.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I can't wait to hear about your celebration in March. How exciting and it's always so nice to have something to look forward to.
I know how hubby feels...I turned the big 70 last August. I still feel 42 though, go figure.
The photo of you and hubby? You still look 22!! Send me some of those genes girlie!!
The cake is wonderful...the girls are beauties...and that puppy is SO Cute!!
Have a warm day friend!!!
(Our Samantha use to work at Texas Roadhouse...she kept bringing rolls home...omggg...
hughugs
Donna
@Mari ... Oh my WORD I can't believe what they did to you all at that restaurant! It is so DUMB and IRRATIONAL!!! I'm sure y'all made the best of it but wow that would have made me madder than a wet hen. You mention the lack of used cars ... WOW it was incredible when we were looking. We went to three major dealerships -- one in Columbia and two in North Carolina -- and there were a fraction of the cars that used to be on their enormous lots. It's amazing to me that we got the price we got, because while it was not low, it was fair and I guess one could expect to pay a lot more now. Yes DO check out the Cremo Spice and Black Vanilla! Your Bon will smell like a Bon Bon, haahahahaa xoxo
@Terra ... Thank you my friend! Good to see you! xoxo
@betty ... I still don't know why they seated us together at TR; I did not beg or implore but simply stated that we were all of one family and ate together all the time ... I guess the Lord was in it but we will never know! We were just oh-so-grateful and had such a good time, as we always do when we gather for a meal. We just really enjoy one another's company. You could still go to TR! If your husband has a steak and baked potato and green beans, he can totally control the sodium! I like it because it's one of the few places where you can just order a meal that is low carb (not the potato, more's the pity). So you won't fly either? In my younger days I flew all over the place, but since 9/11 it makes me feel so morbid, that the last time I flew was in 2007 when we went to San Antonio to see Andrew graduate from BMT ... but that time I said, never again. I have not missed it. We like driving. Sounds to me like your beloved did have the Omicron! I hope his cough resolves soon. Love to Winslow! xoxo
@Lori ... Piper is a girl, haaaha! After the heartbreak of Candace, my niece Allissa was determined to have a girl dog that she can bedeck with pink everything. In fact, when they returned Candace she was wearing a pink bejeweled collar which the staff tried to return, but Stephanie said, no, that's hers. And she was wearing it so proudly. And yes we will have quite the celebration in a few weeks, with Andrew and Brittany and Ember! I can't wait. You know I will share pictures ... xoxo
@Donna ... Girl those rolls are lethal! I do believe I could eat ten of them in a row. I just have to have one and then not look at them. I bet Sam was a really good server! She's so sweet and pretty. Haha you still feel 42 and so do I even though I'm staring down 65. I don't think I'll ever feel 22 again though, but that's OK. BTW I have made your Dutch Baby recipe TWICE since you posted it! WOW is that ever good! I would never have believed I could make anything like that -- so special! xoxo
Belated Happy Birthday to Greg! Wonderful Celebration!
Gentle hugs to you, on being sick.
Super sharp new car. Love your Vanity Plates!
Sweet new Grand Dog! Labs are the best!
S-n-o-w! Eeeeek! -giggles-
"Inquiring Minds" want to know.... From where did you take the picture of pool, etc., with snow?
And btw, no Snow Cyclone for us. No snow period, for us. Which is fine with me. I have enough already. Everything is pretty-in-white. :-)
Gentle hugs,
Mari-Nanci
🌲⛄🔥⛄🌲
Ooo I love that pearly white color on cars! I'll be getting a new ride at the end of March, and we are planning a road trip to see my sister-in-law. Happy Birthday to TG! He looks fantastic! I love the writing on the cake. So clever! It looked like a wonderful birthday party, but what party of yours isn't? Such a cute puppy!
@Mari-Nanci ... the picture of the pool was taken from the French doors in my kitchen which we use to go out back! I will be posting more about the view from those doors this week, haaaha so wait for it. I did notice that the "bomb cyclone" did not reach much farther north than NYC so I knew you were "safe" this time. There will be more coming your way, no doubt, before it's all over! xoxo
@Jeanette ... Oooh you have such fun before you, selecting a new car! It's pretty exciting. And a road trip too! Can't wait to read all about it. xoxo
Hello,
Love the story about A. and B. I shared that with my husband. The cake is perfect.
Happy Birthday!!
I shall give you praise for the patience your family had with Texas Roadhouse.. I do not think I would have handled it so well.
Best wishes for the new grandpuppy, may all go well.
And HUGE smiles and a big THANK YOU to your son.
Carla
@Carla ... Yes I thought the A and B cake was pretty inspired. I told him that on his tombstone we should put A. I died ... B. I am still alive. Haahaha and God be praised, it will be true. As for TR, all I can say is that I'm so happy it worked out as it did. I would have been unhappy if half my family were twenty yards away for a birthday dinner! Thank you for your gratitude to Andrew! I will tell him. xoxo
Congratulations are in order: new car, new snow (!), new pup, new pilot, new scent, but best of all newly minted 70 year old Greg!!!! Our neighbors from Colorado Springs were just singing the praises of the Texas Roadhouse. Glad they could accommodate your party. Our grandson, Jack, got Omicron last week - he's 17 and just had a sore throat. I'm glad you both recovered quickly. How special to be driving to OK in your new Caddy to see Andrew graduate. He is certainly reaching his goals. Hugs to you and Family. Barb
@Barb ... How wonderful to hear from you! I think of you often. Thanks for your well-wishes and I truly do feel as though I have been heaped with blessings. We are looking forward to our trip to see our beloveds, and have a tentative plan to enjoy supper at TR tomorrow night, haahahaha xoxo