Founders and Purple Feet

The Cape Fear Voices/Teen Scene banquet was on Saturday, April 15, and it was a wonderful event.  I am really tired and my feet are a lovely shade of purple and very swollen, but I still had a great time. 

I don't think I would cut it as an event planner.  I  hired a bar tending service who didn't show up.  I was livid.  The event started at 5:00 and at 4:30 I was screaming into the phone--where are you?  I got two interesting excuses--the first one was, "oh, I heard the event was cancelled, so I didn't show up."  When I asked if it dawned on her at 4:30 when I was asking where she was and telling her that my guests were due to arrive in 30 minutes, that the event wasn't cancelled.  

The second excuse was, "oh, my son died that day and I had to go to his funeral."  I guess she was expecting me to back pedal and put my nice hat on.  Guess what, I threw my nice hat in the garbage at 4:30 on Saturday.  Instead, I said, "thank you, I won the bet.  I bet the publisher that you would tell me that someone in your family died and that's why you didn't show up."  A full refund is being processed as we speak. 

But, the food was terrific, the music was perfect--our theme was super hero's and the singer learned 20 new songs for the event--specifically, Hero, written and originally performed by Mariah Carey. All of the feedback I have received was positive and we made a nice profit from the event which will got into our Teen Scene College fund.  

The highlight of the evening, for me anyway, was being given the Founders Award.  This is the highest honor given in our organization.  It is for outstanding service and support of the mission.  Since I was the event coordinator, I had to buy the awards.  I asked Gerald, our publisher, if he had anything specific in mind for the Founders Award.  He told me that we weren't awarding one this year.  When we got the programs back from the printer, I noticed that the presentation of the Founders Award was in there.  I assumed it was a misprint.  Gerald told me not to worry about it, having the programs reprinted would be too expensive.    I know Gerald very well and I know he doesn't make that kind of mistake.  I figured that he was going to give the award to someone else in the organization and didn't want to hurt my feelings, so I kind of let it go.  

Fast forward to the night of the event.  I was sitting in front, taking pictures of the writing award winners, both teens and seasoned writers.    All of a sudden, my camera flashed, "disc full," and wouldn't take anymore photos.  OH NO.  I was sitting there quickly deleting some of the hundreds of pictures of Dixie we have, when Gerald stepped up to the mic to explain the Founders Award.  I am furiously deleting pictures to make sure I get the presentation on film and all of a sudden, I hear Gerald say, "and this year, the award goes to Jan Morgan-Swegle."  I just sat there with the camera still in my lap.  I was dumbfounded.  The guests at our table were laughing at the look on my face and telling me to get up and get the award.  At that moment, 8 months of planning, the bar vendor not showing up and my painful feet just kicked in.  I broke down and cried.  I cried so hard I couldn't say anything.  I think I stuttered, 'Oh Tony, look what we got..." but I'm not even sure of that.  Poor Tony became one of  the bartenders for the evening so we didn't get to sit together.  I do remember calling  Gerald a bum for fooling me and that's about it.  This is the first award I have ever received.   Tony took my picture a few days ago with the award.  I could finally hold it without crying (oops, I'm crying now...again!)  So, all in all, my swollen, purple feet were worth it.  It was a wonderful event.  Next year, however, we are talking about hiring an event planner.  I'm getting too old for the stress!

I am busy now working on the May issue of the paper and catching up on my stories for Leland Magazine.  Tony took me to the beach to relax on Sunday, the day after the event.  Listening to the ocean and looking at the sky was exactly what I needed.  More later...my feet are turning purple again....to much sitting at the computer!

From the top:  Me, standing on our patio with the Founders Award--oh look, I'm not crying!

Next is Izzy Billings and Dan Niezmik.  Right after dinner, Izzy asked me to look at a poem she wanted to submit for the May issue. I had a dozen things to do, but I read it.   It was good.  I asked her if I could show it to someone.  She asked who?  I told her, "Dan Niezmik," he writes poetry for Cape Fear Voices.  She said, "a REAL poet?"  So I hooked them up and they spent much of the evening together, talking about poetry.  Dan actually won the award for best writer in the poetry category for Cape Fear Voices. 

Next is Susan Savia. Our entertainment for the evening.  When she heard the bartender wasn't coming, she stopped practicing and started hauling coke can cases!!

Next is Gerald, our publisher, a man I love very much for getting me back into writing.

Next is Laura Askue, Journalism teacher at Brunswick College--early College High School receiving the Educator's Award from Carl Parker, President of the NC NAACP.

Next is Izzy and I in front of the Super Hero posters.  She was worried that she didn't have anything nice to wear to the banquet, so I gave her some fashion advice.  She didn't know what business casual meant.  I told her she looked so good, I had to get a picture of her.  (I also think she looks like Jenna!)

After that is Sallye Niezmik, Tony and Dan Niezmik.  Tony donated some of his artwork for the auction.  Sallye bought one of his painting and he signed it for her. 

Next is Laura Askue and the Early College High School group (plus assistant principal) and Jeff Rivenbark, a local TV news personality.  He works for WWAY, who donated the venue for the event.   Students at Early College earn an Associates Degree and their high school diploma when they graduate.  These are future doctors, nurses, scientists and really smart kids!  

Last is Jeff Rivenbark, the news anchor.  Many of the "old ladies" at the event wanted to meet him and asked me if it was OK to approach him.  I told Jeff that if we put him in a kissing booth and charged money, we wouldn't have needed all of the stuff we had for the silent auction.  Every time a woman came up to him and gushed, "I have dinner with you every night..."  he thanked who ever it was and acted like he never heard that line before.  He was very nice.  He actually looks better in person than the photograph I took. 

 

Counting Down to the Banquet

 

Every year I say, I'm not doing this again, but here I am, 10 days away from the Cape Fear/Teen Scene banquet.  Everything seems to be magically falling into place and for that I am glad.  I will also be glad when the whole thing is over.  

Life is moving quickly.  I'm working 4 days this week, and then the banquet and then cleaning the house.....you can't clean and plan a  banquet at the same time!  So I'm calling it spring cleaning.  In reality, it's "oh hell, I haven't had time to clean in a month."  You know how it is when you just clean the toilets and keep the shades drawn so people can't see the dust. 

We got our new patio set for the back and shade for the front porch.  Our roses are just staring to bloom and they look so pretty.   May is looming--I can't believe I'm saying that on April 5, but it is.  We are going to Anthony's first communion the weekend before Mother's Day and will be celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary on May 12.  I have interviews for both papers set up in May and it promises to be a busy month yet again. 

I continue to have breathing issues and purple feet.  But, Fritz and Steve are having a worse time.  Both have heart issues and both either have been or will be in Parma hospital in the near future.  Steve just got out and Fritz is going in for tests on April 12.  Our brother in law, Joe, is doing better since his cancer surgery and it seems to be in remission.  So we are on health watch on several fronts.

Summer is on the horizon and that means beach.  It will be filled with tourists, but we will do our best to get in some sand and sun time.  Already the time is flying by.  I will be 71 in August and really can't believe that either.  I have often said I did not think I was going to live very long, so every day is a surprise.  Tony is watching his heart condition and doing everything he can to not get light headed and pay attention to his blood pressure and heart rate.  

Out of all of us, Dixie is doing the best.  We took her to a doggie etiquette class (see previous post) and she did so well.  Of course, she spent a great deal of time under Tony's protective legs, but she did socialize and is still the prettiest dog in Compass Pointe.  

Our nephew, Steven, got my laptop working so now I can take it on interviews and not have to deal with notebooks and paper.   Thank God for the younger generation.  Our nephew, Joe is doing well at his job and enjoying a relationship with a lady who also works at the bowling alley.  They have been dating since Christmas and I look forward to meeting her whenever we get back to Cleveland.  She seems to be a positive influence on Joe.

That's all for now.  Keep your fingers crossed that the banquet is a success.

More later. 

Stressed

I have been having a rough time of late.  Nothing terrible, just stress I don't need.  The Awards  Banquet is coming up in 3 weeks and everything is falling apart.  I hired a bar vendor in October because the food vendor does not offer bar service.  I had some changes of which the bar vendor needed to be aware and I could not get a response from them.  I sent emails and left voicemails until I said, you're fired.  Then they called.  The problem was that I had to pay them up front to book the date.    Luckily, they went through a third party vendor who has been helping with the process. 

Today, everything seems to have worked out.  I am getting a partial refund and I have one less thing to worry about.   Now, all we have to do is get the venue set up, pay the singer, make sure the guest speaker shows up (no word from her in a month,)  make sure the actual awards have everyone's named spelled correctly, make sure Gerald didn't oversell the tickets (he couldn't figure out how to turn off the "QR" code so people kept ordering tickets, make the information packets, get the seating figured out, hang the decorations and hope to God we  break even.  

Next disaster....I bought a laptop so I could do the interviews for the papers directly onto the laptop instead of taking notebooks and loose paper.  To set it up, you have to enter the IP address from our main computer router.  I did.  It rejected every time.  So, now I have a giant red paper weight.

I am also struggling with my legs and feet.  I think I am developing neuropathy as my feet tingle, swell and turn purple.  A few nights ago when Dixie needed to go out at 2:30 a.m., I walked into the partially closed bedroom door and I think I broke my toe.  

Last night, Gerald was sending the April edition to be printed and noticed that he was having trouble downloading the edition to the printer's site--something he does every month.  In particular, where my main story was on page 1 was just a large black block when downloaded.  So, at 11:40 p.m., Gerald started texting the layout guy and me.  This went on until about 1:00 a.m.  until the issue was fixed. 

Life shouldn't be this hard.

But, on a happier note.  Birdie turned 2 and is loving life.  I wish I could post a picture of her, she is just so cute.  Instead, I settled for a picture of a beautiful sunset and one of David, Tony and I at dinner celebrating Tony's 76th birthday. 

Tomorrow, Tony and I are attending a Veteran's event, celebrating the end of the Viet Nam War so I am only working 2 days this week.  

I will be glad when the Banquet is over....I said the same thing last year, but then, I was a year younger.

More later....

Who Knew ?? I'm A Small Business!!

We had our taxes done today and while we were sitting in front of the tax prepare person, he said to me, "Oh, I see you are a small business owner."  Well, that took me by surprise and I wondered where he got that idea.

Turns out that the W2 I got from Leland Magazine didn't have withholding tax taken out.  Duh, at some level I knew that, I just wasn't thinking long term.  So, I started thinking about the tax ramifications this could have and wondered how I was going to get "tax screwed" this time.  

Well, lucky for us, it turned out well.  We talked about "business expenses" like mileage when I go to places to write their stories and take pictures, phone expenses, computer, printer paper, ink, postage--all of that.  The mission was to go over what I was paid for writing with my expenses so I could declare a business loss.  No problem.  I can't do that every year, but you can be sure I'm going to keep better track.  He was also able to deduct tax preparation, which was great.  So, we got a refund from both federal and state.  I'm happy.

In other news, the Awards Banquet is 26 days away.  I'm starting to freak out....not sure I'm ready.  But hopefully everything will fall into place. 

Our brother-in-law, Joe, was just released from the hospital for surgery related to cancer.  I hope all goes well with him.

Yesterday, Jenna and Jon have been married for 19 years.  Wow, talk about time flying.  

Birdie's second birthday is next month.  She's talking and running and just as big as ever. 

The weather has been downright cold--all right, not Cleveland cold, but North Carolina cold.  We have had frost warnings for the past two nights.  It's funny to see our flowering bushes with ice on them. 

Dixie is well.  We took her for a Dog Park Etiquette class last week.  Actually, I was writing about the class and there was some push back about photographing people without their express written consent, so I took Tony and Dixie and did some staged shots with the instructor.  It was fun.   Dixie was very well behaved and we learned a lot about "dog stress."  Yes, they have it.  Good dog stress and bad dog stress.  We learned that if two dogs are fighting, you never get near their heads, you go behind one of the dogs and lift them up by their back legs.  They will immediately stop fighting and turn their heads to see what is going on.  Now, you have to be quick and "sling" them away from the other dog (which seems as dangerous of getting near their heads,) but hey, what do I know!!  Luckily, Dixie has very short legs. 

Work is going well.  One of my favorite people fell last week and is in the hospital.  Her son made her use a walker and she fell down trying to use it.  Needless to say, he is in the dog house!

Not much else going on.  Tony's last heart check up was good.  We are still on our meds and interestingly enough, my sister, Fritz, and I have very similar symptoms with our shortness of breath and irregular hear beats.  Her doctors can't find a reason why either, so we just do what we can to keep everything under control. 

More later. 

 

Life Gets In the Way

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since November when our neighbor, "Wild Bill" died.  But, as people always tell me, life gets in the way.  Sure does. 

I'm still writing for Cape Fear Voices and Leland Magazine.  I stopped writing for Costal Buzz as they went to a quarterly publication and it just didn't work with my schedule.  I am also still working at the Senior Living facility, 3 days a week.   It is a sad place, but I have made many friends and count myself lucky to have known them when they are gone.  

We are in our early part of the year cycle.  Donna and Bob  are down and we shared Tony's birthday at a favorite restaurant.  David came up to celebrate Tony's birthday and play golf with  Bob and Tony.  Tony Jr., was travelling for work, but Tony did get to talk to him and got a facetime call from the kids and Marie on his birthday.  Jenna's kids sent him letters and cards which he really enjoyed. 

We had another death in the neighborhood--our friend Ken Rogers died in January.  He was in his backyard and had a heart attack.  Very sad.  He was a nice man.  We (the neighbors)  are all of the opinion, however, that death needs to stay away from Palm Point for quite a while. 

Once again, I am working on the Writer's Banquet for Cape Fear Voices and Teen Scene.  We will have more than 90 people attending and it promises to be quite an event.  

Tony went for his cardiac appointment on Friday.  Everything is good for right now.  His doctor is still of the opinion that Tony will need a pace maker soon, but it is still a ways down the road.  His BP was a bit high, but not terrible.   Overall, for a 76 year old guy, he's in OK shape. 

Today, he and David played corn hole.  David leaves tomorrow. It was a nice visit for Tony and I am so glad David could arrange to be here.  I think David got some much needed rest as well. 

Speaking of health, interestingly enough, my sister, Fritz, is experiencing some of the same health issues as I am.  We take some of the same meds and have similar symptoms.  And, funny as well, her doctor can't seem to find a diagnosis--just like mine!  Guess we are "sista's!!"

I am very concerned that something has happened to my friend, Arthur.  I sent him some things that I wrote and he was supposed to get back to me, but it has been several months now and I haven't heard anything.  His cell phone has  been turned off and his landline goes right to voicemail.  I worry about him being all alone and hope he is OK.

Looks like Tony is calling David and I to dinner.  I will wrap up for now and continue to try to do better about posting updates.  I hope all are well and enjoying the year. 

Cycles: Part 2--Wild Bill

 

Once again, I can't believe I haven't posted since October.  Last month my post was called "Cycles" and I feel that is an appropriate title again. 

As I may have mentioned, Tony's cousin, Alan, died a few weeks ago.  He was 74 and a real health nut.  Not an ounce of fat on him.  And, of course, he died jogging.  I felt bad, because Alan was a very nice man, but then, our neighbor, Bill or "Wild Bill" as he was known, died on November 4.  That really hit me.  He was in his early '60's and yes, had health issues, but was doing so much better.  Just a few weeks ago, he was walking around the Compass Pointe Craft Fair and driving his truck.  He was always the life of the party and made everyone laugh.  

Maybe it hit me harder because he lived two doors down from us.  Or, maybe because of his age.  Maybe it was seeing him recently looking so good.  I don't know, but I do know that we lost a wonderful person who will be missed by many,  many people.  

I'm sorry you are gone, Wild Bill.  I'm sorry that Colleen is alone now.  I will listen for you on windy days and in the cool of the evening because I know you will be looking down on us saying hello and smiling.  I will smile back. You always made me smile. 

Cycles

 

I guess life really does move in cycles.  I'm planning the 3rd annual Awards Dinner for the newspaper and once again, it's taking a ton of time to put together.  The event is in April, 2023, but if you don't line up your venue and food vendor right away, you might end up with nothing. It seems like I just finished up doing the last one.  

I've started working at the Arbor Landing Senior Living facility.  If it kills me, we're going to get the house paid off while we can still enjoy it!   I work 3 days a week from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. as the receptionist.  

As I have told many people, by 7:30, everyone is in bed, so it's not a tough job.  I have met many "characters" there and really like what I am doing.  Today is Wine Wednesday--they meet in the bar in the facility and sing and drink.  I always say they are "boozin" again and they laugh.  Last night, one of my favorite residents, came in with her son.  He will be out of town for a while so he took her to dinner.  I was teasing and asked how she always managed to have good looking dates.  As her son was leaving, he said, "I'll be back soon.  Just try and have a good time and don't get into trouble."  She just rolled her eyes at him.  He continued, "maybe you and Jan can sit down one night and play a board game or cards."  Again, she rolls her eyes.  I said, "hey, that's a great idea--do you play poker?  We could sit at the bar and play strip poker and see if we can draw a crowd."  Well, she just cracked up at the idea and he said, "MOTHER!" Just the way Jenna used to say it to me.  There was an older gentleman in the area--he just visited his 14th great grandchild.  He laughed at what I said and asked if I had heard of the 3 "H's."  I said no.  He said, that's what a man gets when he gets old--horney, hopeful and harmless!!"  Somehow I think my friend's son is going to worry the whole time he is gone. 

It is sad though, to see the shell of people they once were.  This is not a nursing home, but I think that some of the residents should be in a place where they get more care.  We have nurses on staff, and each resident has their own one or two bedroom apartment, but some of the people just can't handle living alone.  

The weather is finally getting to be tolerable.  It's 73 and sunny today.  We got rain and wind after Ian, but nothing like Florida got.  I know people who have their Christmas tree up already and I just laugh.  Nothing like pushing the year to an end.

Health wise, we are OK.  Tony is good.  He had his labs and doctor visit today and his numbers look great.  He still gets light headed, but overall, he's healthy.  I am OK, my skin is still a problem and so are my legs.  Being on my feet at the facility makes them swell and then I walk funny.   How many times this year have I said that it's hell to get old?

David and Brenda are coming up for Thanksgiving and then we will be travelling to attend her investiture as a judge in January.  David and the girls actually get to help her into her robe as she is being sworn in.  

And with all of that said, it's time for me to get to work.  I wonder if I will ever truly retire?