On My Way to the Outer Banks, NC

My time in Florida has come to a close.....I had a great time with Lauren, Brett and Baylor and I missed a frigid winter in VA, MD and AR!

Lauren, Brett and Baylor got moved into their new house in downtown WPB.  It is a darling house and they can walk or ride their bikes to almost everything.  Here they are riding to school!

I'm excited about seeing Beach Blanket Bungalow.  Check it out at Vacation Rental by Owner (click on link).  I haven't seen it since the end of September last year!  I have had a few renters over the winter and I have an awesome housekeeper that takes care of cleaning while I'm away.  Her husband is a Mr. Fix-It so if anything goes wrong, he can help.  After I bought the house I got to know some highly skilled people very well: electrician, plumber, painters and swimming pool builders!  My real estate agents, Zak and Beth Garcia from Coldwell Banker were awesome and showed me several properties, followed through in helping me purchase and close on the BBB!  They have been a great resource for everything OBX.

My task here for about 10 days is to spring clean; wash all the comforters, pillow shams, throw pillow covers, couch and chair covers.  The house needs a new refrigerator and I'll need to have a water line installed for an ice maker.  I wish I was a handyman!  Two of the bedrooms have double beds and I am changing them out for queens....which means a trip to Sam's in Chesapeake, VA.  I need to check out all the beach chairs and pool chairs to make sure they are all in good shape.  Last but not least, I need to do some landscaping around the pool.  It was ready the end of July, first of August last year and I never got the opportunity to landscape it.  Before I had the pool put in, the previous owner had developed a beautiful garden complete with name tags for all the plants and flowers.  Unfortunately a lot of the plants had to be removed for the pool construction and the concrete around it.  Also, we had to follow certain Currituck County guidelines about borders and fences.  Here are some pics before, during and after the pool installation!

                                                                 

Janie and Marcelo have a pool/ping-pong table that they are going to let me have for the beach house.  I think the renters would enjoy it!  

I will post pictures after I finish landscaping and cleaning up the yard.  I will need to trim the crepe myrtle (a little late)....cut the oleander down, trim the palm trees and haul away all the debris.  I  will post pictures after I finish!

I am going to travel to England for 5 weeks in April and May!  I am so excited.  I will try to post during my adventures......until then......KK

KK's Victory Lap

First Year of Retirement!!

KK's Victory Lap

Well, I'm approaching my first anniversary of retirement and wanted to start a small blog for family and friends!  It's been an awesome year and I have never. Not once. Looked back.  

As a matter of fact, the company from which I retired, Biosense Webster, Inc., had their National Training Meeting this past weekend (February) in Hollywood, FL.  Since I was only an hour north in West Palm Beach, I drove down for a visit.  The awesome thing is, there are so many people that I worked with that I miss and it was great seeing them all.  The second great thing is......I'm so thankful that I am not still working.  I got to sit in on an ultrasound group meeting and all the old problems are still there....same song, different verse....but I don't have to sing that tune any more!

I wanted to recap the year.....My retirement date was April 3rd, 2014.  My precious family surprised me with a retirement party and they all came from their respective states to help me celebrate.  Janie Bass Munoz hosted the party and created an awesome display of my entire life.  Many great friends also came to honor me.

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In late April, I closed on a beach house!!!  John named it 'Beach Blanket Bungalow'.  Here are some before and after pics:

 

   

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On April 8th I traveled to Salisbury, Maryland and set up home in my travel trailer, aka, The Zinger on Crystal and Ryan's large double lot.  There were many highlights of my visit to Salisbury, but here are a few:

I went on a field trip

to Furnace Town with

Kayla's class                  

I went crabbing with Skye's class

          

We had a shrimp boil

cookout on the beach 

at Assateague Island 

National Seashore:   

I parked the Zinger on Ryan and 

Cry's lot, much to the unhappiness

of a couple of neighbors!

We went to Hershey RV Park, 
Hershey Amusement Park and 
Amish Country

                               

Two graduations

                                                 

                 





A Trip to Thrasher's for

                     Boardwalk Fries with Cryk                         
                       and Mom Mom Wesson

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In May, I met Lauren, John and Janie in Dallas for Turner Massey's graduation from SMU.  We celebrated with Tom and Sharon and Turner!

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I spent most of the summer in Midlothian and Corolla, NC where I worked feverishly to get my beach house ready for renters.  The Guices, the Hendersons, the Kempfs and the McNiels were my first visitors!  The pool was ready by late July.  I spent the month of September at the beach and it was WONDERFUL!  My friend Sherrie Custar came for 5 days; Jess Dubois and Sue Craven came for an overnight!

 


There were many highlights from the summer:  Mary's dance recital, 4th of July at the Richmond diamond watching the Flying Squirrels, fun times at OBX.  I helped Janie with Vacation Bible School at Swift Creek Baptist Church.

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In July, Kelly Baldwin and I went to China with Educational Tours.  It was an awesome trip!!!!

 

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In late September, I hooked up the Zinger and headed for Arkansas........so beautiful in the FALL.......

It was great to spend time with John, Wilson and Eli.  John and I went to a Razorback football game.  It was a warm, beautiful fall day and we had awesome seats by the Razorback band.  In November, Janie, Lauren, Brett and Baylor came for the Arkansas Ole Miss game...unfortunately it rained and rained.

 


In October we had fun going to the Pumpkin Patch, decorating pumpkins and celebrating Halloween.  I made my usual 10 Halloween costumes, oh yeah!

       

                

While in Arkansas, I was able to get together with some old friends.

 


I also spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Arkansas with John, Wilson and Eli.....so much fun!  Last but not least, we got to go to a Razorback basketball game in Bud Walton Arena.

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On December 31st, I left Arkansas (brrrrrrrr!) at 17 degrees for sunny Florida!

I moved into the Vacation Inn Resort and had a great spot and very nice neighbors!

 

I have been to several of Baylor's flag football games and went on a field trip with his class to the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, FL.

 

Janie, Marcelo, Mary and Paolo came down to WPB for Mary's 10th birthday.  We had a birthday dinner and ice cream cake.  

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I decided to sell the Zinger, I actually decided to do it on my way to Arkansas when I was driving white knuckled across country.  I love it and have really enjoyed staying in it but I didn't enjoy pulling it.....also buying the beach house definitely took the shine off the Zinger.  I listed it on RV Trader and got a lot of responses and sold it to a nice family from Jupiter, FL.  Another chapter closed.  Sniff sniff.  Maybe someday I can get a really small one, like a Minnie Winnie!

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When I leave Florida at the end of March, I will go to the beach house in Corolla, NC to get it ready for the summer season.  I will do all the spring cleaning inside and outside, get all the outdoor furniture out and ready for the pool to open.  I need to buy a new refrigerator and have it installed.  I will also hopefully get some landscaping done around the pool............

A glimpse into April and May......after getting caught up on my annual doctor's appointments, I am traveling to England for 5 weeks.  I am beyond excited about this trip!!  I will blog about my adventures!  Until next time........KK