Happy...

...Anniversary...no, this is not a picture of Karen bailing me out of jail...this is a cell below the Coral Gables restaurant we investigated after supper last night.

So what's that got to do with happy anniversary?  We're spending a couple of days in gay old Saugatuck at a very nice Bed and Breakfast, The Twin Oaks...

Happy to report the accommodations are hospitable...beautiful old home from the 1860s, tastefully updated and within walking distance of all the shops downtown.

So how have I started this mini-vacation?

The same way I start every day, checking on Notions...only my surroundings are a bit more welcoming than usual.  (I'd offer up some lame apologies to my wms coworkers but they'll never read this anyway,)

This is a gorgeous old home...love their fireplace in the common area:

Hoping I can convince them to light a fire before we leave...

Ran into an old friend while we were out and about last night:

Haven't seen the Captain in ages...I spend more time with Mr. James Beam now, but back in the day the Cap' and I enjoyed some good times.

We'll see what today brings...probably some shopping, browsing the antique mall, might even roll a few games and the former Lakeshore Lanes (under new management now and can't remember their new name)...as the old saying goes, the afternoon knows what the morning never suspected, so I'll report back later with the exciting news.

Later, mcm fans...

Happy Anniversary...

...baby, got you on my mind...

Karen and I celebrated #9 with the above...note the bubbly...she likes pink champagne, I prefer the extra dry...

Amy gave us a couple of Christmas ornaments early for our anniversary:

Does she know us or what?  Pretty well sums up the two of us...we're either Franky and Marilyn or maybe Franky and Barbie...typical Beauty and the Beast arrangement...here's to many more happy years together!

Speaking of Marilyn, caught her on video quite unexpectedly the other day:

Probably just a wrong number...

On the All Hallows Eve front:

A couple of items I picked up at Target...well, I didn't just pick them up...I paid for them and brought them home, too...the annoying crow in the cage will hang in the same tree as the Tree Creature and the swinging bat...it will be a cool "walk by" feature for the li'l trick or treaters.

The creepy phone is probably just for fun...Karen said we should leave it out all year...she thinks the voice sounds like Jack Nicholson playing the Joker in the original Batman.

It's kind of strange, b/c I really don't like talking on the phone - I have some hearing loss that makes it a challenge at times...if I can't see your lips while you talk, I can't always tell what you're saying...but I have always liked phones...the way they look the way they sound, how solid and heavy they were back in the day...even when I hate to answer them in the middle of the night b/c the only thing on the other end is bad news about my father dying or my brother dying or my son being in the hospital, I still like phones.

Odd, I know.

Later, mcm fans...

Bowling For Nachos...

...at least, that's what I had between games 1 and 2 on Friday.  Hadn't bowled in over a year and re-beginner's luck allowed me to roll a 180 to start...only 2 open frames and those were just barely...skinned a 10 pin leave for one open, and chopped a 5-9 for another...would have been in the 200's if not for that display of back to back incompetence.

We were at the Lakeview Lanes in Douglas, MI...

(269) 857-1107

...a delightful, 8 lane bar and grill, and they'll serve you right at your table where you're bowling...

...so it was a Corona and nachos for me, an Oval Beach Blonde Ale and chicken salad for Karen...then it was game two.  No score given on that disaster as whatever muscle memory I may have retained from a year ago apparently was washed away by the Corona.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it for this blog entry.

So that was Friday's day off...a pleasant visit to Saugatuck and Douglas, a stop at the Lakeview Lanes, then back to our backyard for some fun in the sun:

That night we had a fire in the chiminea and enjoyed a drink and good conversation by the pool:

Saturday I was up early to have my cup of coffee and relax in Serenity Cove:

Here's a panoramic shot of Serenity Cove:

...obviously a panoramic view messes with the perspective, but gives you an idea of what the 180 degree view would be if stretched out in a straight line.

Of course we enjoyed our time in the pool, and later in the evening we stopped by Gordman's and bought a display shelf I used to organize my (mostly) Ronson lighter collection:

Saturday night we watched one of my favorite movies of all time:

It's a great adventure / romance set in the late 1930's and the art deco motif is fabulous.  Well worth your time.

Today has been pretty low key...beautiful, sunny weather but work looms once again and so I can't fully enjoy it as I deal with my automatic transition from time off to work mode as I do every Sunday.

Oh well; I'm thankful to be employed and able to live indoors and eat.

Tonight we enjoyed a fire in the chiminea:

...but I was interrupted with a problem at work...while I was on the phone with one of our third shift supervisors, Karen heard a noise near the fence and went to investigate...when she did she spotted Mr. Raccoon trying to scale the fence and gain entrance in our little backyard paradise.  Her appearance convinced him to retreat to the safety of the nearest tree:

Yes, we do live in the city, but sometimes it's hard to tell.

Later, mcm fans...