The selling of our home, purchasing another home and moving, continues to drive everyday of our lives. It will be this way for a while. We went into this thinking we would have several months while Haddix built another set of condos. It went totally another direction and in two weeks we have purchased a home and wait for closing, put our home up for sale and sold it the next day, and started the real clearing out of items and setting up things for the new home. We continue to tell ourselves the good things we accomplished each day and have discussions as we go so we both are on the same page with how to set up the new home, what we really need and what we are willing to give away or toss, where we could truly place in the new home the items we most desire to keep, etc., etc., etc. I am very grateful Claude and I can talk and find common ground on so many details in all of this.
I was taking pictures of our set-to-show basement and came across this. It made me laugh really hard. We only had a couple of days to do the most important things to have our home set-to-show. These pictures were taken after our home was walked through by three people and purchased by a family who only saw the pictures on line. Can you spy the cute thing I missed in cleaning our home for set-to-show?
It is the homemade "Exit" sign in the family room over the door to the patio. Years ago when Hayden was very, very young, he developed a fascination with exit signs. He would spot this quickly anywhere we went and point at them while calling out "Exit Sign!". So, being a good Gramma, I made exit signs for every door in our home. I thought I took all of them down years ago. Alas, when I took these pictures, I realized I missed one! Hayden is now 16 years old. That sign has been up there for a very long time. Proof once again that, if something is over my head, I will probably miss it. Still gives me a chuckle to see that. I did take it down. It did not hamper any visitors opinion of our home as they walked through it. Nice moment in all the mayhem!
Another fun moment in the midst off all this directed effort, was coming across family pictures and scanning a series of pictures of Ruby Mae Cornwall Christensen pictures. Gramma Ruby is Claude grandmother on his father's side. These were pictures of her funeral. I was not able to attend. We had just moved our family to Maryland. We flew Claude back to Utah but could not afford to fly all of us back. Someone was kind enough to give us a little book of pictures of the funeral. When I got to the end of the book, there were three pictures of Gramma Christensen which I posted on our family Facebook page so everyone would have these treasures. Here is the post and the pictures: "Here are a couple of pictures you should each save for your family history. This is Ruby Mae Cornwall Christensen. She is Claude's grandmother. She is the mother of Evan Christensen, Claude's father. She loved her flowers. She would hoe the weeds and then call for a 'flunky' to help move the weeds. She had a hard time even walking and I found it amazing her diligence with her flowers. I loved going to visit her when we visited Utah. She was a delight to just sit and chat with."
Monday, May 31st, was Memorial Day. We invited Jake to visit but he couldn't travel. We invited the Marx family to come for a cookout but Hayden had a flag ceremony to do with the scouts. So we celebrated by Cleaning and Clearing. Claude did prepare us a yummy barbeque chicken with pasta salad, beans and corn-on-the-cob. Delicious meal and lots accomplished in our home.
The buyer for our home was traveling from New Mexico and was to arrive on Tuesday. We assumed, incorrectly, they would want to see the house that day. We were very careful to put the house back in set-to-show order after working on Monday.
Tuesday, June 1st, we were out-and-about again. This day started with a trip to the bank to sign papers. It gave us the opportunity to be sure they all understood we wanted to close on our new home as soon as possible, there was a definite buyer for our home and they also wanted to close as quickly as possible.
Claude and I traveled to Georgetown in separate cars that day. I had gone through books again and had many to give away. I would deliver books before taking Papa for his Tuesday afternoon car ride. This time I took Papa first to see the outside of the new house. I tried to explain to him we were moving from Sadieville to Georgetown. He is so deaf, it is hard to get him to understand some things. Then Papa and I went on our drive in a westerly direction this time. I drove Hwy 460 to Frankfort and took Hwy 421 to Eminence, Kentucky where we picked up Hwy 55 south through Shelbyville. Hwy 60 took us back to Frankfort where we got back on Hwy 460 and back to Georgetown. Nice ride. Took almost exactly two hours. This is really about as long as Papa can ride now. He loved being out. I am saving these routes so I can repeat them as needed.
I felt how the strain of the Covid-19 shutdown has affected Papa by his reaction when I picked him up for the drive. The door between the lobby and the hall Papa lives on inside the nursing home is locked. There are a lot of dementia patients and they can't get out without the combination. They walk Papa out that door to meet me. He came directly over and reached out for a big hug. Papa hugged me for the longest time. It felt so good for both of us. How grateful I am for being able to hug my father again. Human touch is essential to our existence. It was a very tender moment for Papa and for me. I told him he could hug as long as he wanted to hug.
Tuesday was also the Marx Anniversary. I posted this on Facebook with this picture. "I believe Michael has loved Andie Christensen Marx for a very long time. Happy 24th Anniversary to our middle child and her good hubby, Michael!! Love Ya Bunches!!"
I also called moving companies. We want someone to help us with packing and moving. It is sure difficult when you don't have a date to give them for the move. You can't lock anything in place. But I got prices and we have chosen the moving company we want to help us. Now, we need to press for a date. Coordinating the two closing dates and the move is a thrill I tell you, an absolute thrill!! NOT!
Wednesday, June 2nd, was a rainy day at home. At least we planned to be home all day Cleaning and Clearing. However, Claude had taken all our switch plates off the light switches that we have collected over the years that are special. He happened to notice the butterfly one he missed in the breakfast room. The problem...he had donated all the remaining extra switch plates to Goodwill. We needed to purchase a switch plate. An impromptu run to Georgetown was put in place with a stop at Goodwill to drop of donations followed by a stop at Lowe's to purchase the switch plate.
Claude and I spent some time going through all our DVD's to see if we could donate some of them. We did find some. I made a spreadsheet with all the DVD's and another spreadsheet with all the VHS tapes on it. I was able to get these all up-to-date with what we kept. That was a project on my long-term To Do List so it felt good in many ways to get that done and have us both participate in the process.
I also determined I could lessen the items in my sewing room by getting rid of my old printer table and putting the printer on my computer table. I moved the printer and Claude came downstairs, took the printer stand to his workshop and broke it into pieces. It was amazing to watch. Claude was like a machine of destruction. In pieces we were able to put it out for the garbage man. Such a manly man I am married to.
Received a few phone calls of note this day. The first was from Bonnie, Claude's mother. She received her birthday gift in the mail and had opened it. Her birthday would be Saturday but at 92 you can open you gift when you want! It was the table runner I crocheted. She said it fit her table beautifully. She was so very happy with it. Made Claude and me feel good.
Jacob, our son, also called to tell us Mager Scientific was sold. This is where Jake works. He is okay for now job wise.
Katelyn also called to let us know she might be induced this weekend. It would be great if it happened on Saturday as that is Bonnie's birthday.
Claude got caught up in all the chicken sandwich wars that are going on now. He decided to do his own study. It was complete and he posted it on Facebook. Here is what he posted regarding his assessment of chicken sandwiches.
HERE ARE THE RESULTS -- THE ANSWERS TO ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW -- THE GREAT CHICKEN SANDWICH WAR -- A PIECEFUL SOLUTION
Well it’s over, it’s over at long last. If chickens had arms it could be truly said that they have been laid down and we have reached an armistice. But they don’t so we haven’t and I guess it’s just a “wingistice.” Temporary no doubt, as all wars seem to be, but the pens lie silent for now.
After an exhausting expedition and a greater appreciation for the Tums Corporation, I can report the rankings of my expeditionary adventure into Chicken Sandwich Land. Read on…
Chicken Sandwiches come in three varieties – Classic (or Southern Style with a roll, chicken, pickle, and mayo in some form), Deluxe (the Classic ingredients plus a run through the garden (lettuce, tomato, etc), and Spicy (amped up chicken breading). You can find Grilled as well but these are meaningful only to those on the left and right coasts, so they are separate and apart and mostly for those folks not dwelling in the flyover states.
The Results are…
DELUXE VERSION:
Wendy’s - Their Deluxe version is always a pleaser and is a long-time favorite of mine. It pairs well with their chili, but could be improved by adding onions and a little ketchup.
McDonalds – Much better than their Classic version. It is built on the same roll but had a more generous piece of chicken. It’s a good sandwich but nothing to catch and hold your attention.
Chick-Fil-A – It’s very good, well balanced and the flavor of their breaded chicken breast was their usual top-of-the-pile good, supported by a cast of fresh crisp veggies.
Hardees – Their Big Chicken Sandwich, is worth your time, with a good sized portion and ok flavor, but the overall size of the sandwich was a little awkward to handle, making it tough to drive at the same time.
Bojangles – Only comes in one version. Large breast and good sandwich but the breading puts it over in the spicy category and I’m not into spicy for the sake of spicy. If you are, try this one.
Burger King – Their hand breaded version was quite good. They build it on a brioche roll, and the veggies were fresh, crisp and tasty. The chicken was good but not unusually so. It was like a Chicken Whopper.
DQ – A surprise here. It was a great sandwich. Excellent flavor, good meat-to-bun ratio. I recommend it.
Sonic – Large sandwich, not bad overall, I’d order it again. Good flavor, size, and balance. A worthy effort and the car hop was cute.
CLASSIC STYLE:
KFC - Southern Style Classic, big surprise here. This is an excellent sandwich, with a generous portion, juicy and that great ElevenHerbsAndSpices flavor. They did something wonderful to their mayo sauce that gave it a little extra zip which added to the quality of the sandwich.
McDonalds - I don’t think they were really trying on this one. Mine came with just the roll and the chicken, and a couple of very lonely pickles. The chicken was ok but a seemed a little greasy. The Brioche roll was a plus. They should take this war more seriously, or just stick with burgers.
Lee’s – A pretty good sandwich. However, I found the breading a little too salty. However, that was offset by their seasoned mayo-sauce thing. The large chicken breast overpowered the bun a bit which didn’t hold up all that well.
Zaxby’s – Signature Chicken Sandwich was worth the trip, supported by their unique Zaxby’s Sauce and generous portion it was worth the time invested. That said the flavor was very good but not unusual.
Chick-Fil-A – A naturally great sandwich, the usual chicken breast and roll with a great supporting cast of pickles and mayo.
Popeye’s – Good but not great. The breast overpowered the roll and was hard to handle. Their breading was good but a little spicy for a “non-spicy” sandwich. The standard condiments apply here, that and I had to go into Lexington to get one.
Burger King – A top pick, it was a good balanced sandwich. Flavorful, crispy, brioche roll and worth a look.
AND THE WINNERS IS…
Deluxe: (This one was a TOUGH decision)
Winner – Chick-Fil-A – Based on the flavor of their breading.
Honorable Mention – Wendy’s (will still likely be my go-to sandwich. Especially on Sunday’s of if I need a chili fix.)
Classic:
Winner - KFC (I was quite surprised by this one) –
Honorable Mention – Chick-Fil-A
Thursday, June 3rd, was the most nerve-wracking day of the move situation so far. The buyers for our home were in town. They did not come on Tuesday as we thought they would. Instead, they came and stayed while the home inspector did his job. That day there would be the Home Inspection, a Termite Inspection and a Radon test would be started. We were asked to not be there for the four hours needed for all the inspection stuff. We left our home about 10:30am and didn't return until about 5:30pm.
We used our time to drive to LaGrange to deliver some furniture to the Marx home. That is 1 1/2 hours each way. We planned to stop and have a nice sit down dinner somewhere on the way home. Michael let us spend an hour or so sitting in their nice home on nice sofas in the air-conditioning. The fun part was the Ring doorbell going off on Claude's cell phone every time someone would walk across the front porch. We enjoyed watching the inspectors and the buyers as they were at the front of the house. The buyers were happy with their purchase and the inspector was really impressed with the building of our home and the layout. Now we wait for what he found to know what we need to fix before the closing.
Friday, June 4th, We started our day with a drive to Georgetown to give Papa a treat and fill that birdfeeder. The bird are ravenous now I tell you, absolutely ravenous. But they do make Papa happy. We dropped more stuff at Goodwill. Then we were off to LaGrange to leave a bit more furniture. We stopped in Frankfort for a Cook Out burger.
Here is an updated picture on the progress of the new home being built in Eagle Bend. Sure is fun to watch their progress.
We spent our afternoon and evening home waiting for people to pick up items. We gave away our big TV. We bought it in 2004 when we purchased the home. It works excellently but is old technology. Michael suggested we get rid of it in the move and then purchase a new one so it is the one hooked up to whatever television we end up using. Not sure what that will be. We use DirecTV in Sadieville but there may be other options in Georgetown. We also gave away the Egg Grill. There is just not room for that, the gas grill and the smoker. We really use the smoker most. So we gave the Egg Grill to a family we know and love in our Church congregation. We also gave a cabinet and kids wading pool and some yard and work tools to a friend in Sadieville with seven little kids and a farm. This house is getting lighter every day.
At 7pm we stopped all work and watched Bailey's 8th Grade Promotion from Oldham County Middle School. So nice to be able to do this with a limitation on the number of people attending these things. Can't believe our little Miss B is going to be in high school this fall. That means the Marx family is finished with elementary and middle schools. Well, Andie teaches at an elementary school. But their children are both now high school aged kids. Yike!!
Claude commented about hamburgers when he posted about the great chicken sandwich wars. People asked him about his results of hamburgers. This was Claude's response.
People asked. Claude answered regarding fast food burgers. Here you go...
OK, by popular demand and as a continuing service to make the world a better place. Here are the results of my exhaustive survey regarding the best burgers. As a caveat, these only represent fast-food sources, as opposed to the premium burgers you get in casual /sit-down dining extablishments. This is not to discount the sit-down burger experience, some of the best burgers will come from these places. Also, while I may only mention it in passing, adding bacon to anything makes it better... Oh, and there is another way to evaluate the quality of your burger. How many napkins do you need to get through it? A good burger will require at least three.
Read On:
The best overall burger is the Burger King "Whopper". This is based on the generous size, the fact that it's charbroiled, and it is supported by the contrasting fresh vegetables in the standard version, and just the right condiments. The roll also holds up well under the strain. Nothing wrong with this sandwich assuming it is built correctly and the maker doesn't get too heavy handed with the mayo. (By the way if you're up for a nice "snack" burger, try the double hamburger. It's quick, cheap, charbroild, and a tasty straight-up meat sandwich.)
Next up is the "Western" burger found at Cook Out burgers (Frankfort and Lexington). Not as large as the Whopper and the vegetable mix is a little different, (usually just a hand smushed burger patty or two or three, and the BBQ sauce, onion, and pickle) but it's a great tasting burger and is dressed out nicely. They offer a number of variations on this theme, and they have a walk-up window as a delivery option.
Wendy's original "Single" with all the fixins comes in a very close third. It's where I go if I don't feel like the drive to Frankfort of Lexington. This burger is a "square" meal for sure (sorry, had to be said). Several varities to be had here, but Dave's Classic Singe (or Double, for the more carnivorous patrons) never disappoints. It is a great burger, just not quite as tasty overall as the Whopper, or Cook Out burgers.
Next is the Steak-N-Shake original steak burger. I like it as a double. They also may just have the best fries going but that's an aside for our purposes here. It's a grilled burger and you can get it in a single version, but the double steak is a keeper and it comes dressed out nicely having been properly run through the garden, and it's dirt cheap. You should give it a try. It reminds me of a good burger done on the grill at home.
Here is a surprise for you. Hardee's (aka Carl's Jr), makes a surprisingly good burger, particularly their new Prime Rib Steak burger. Large, and generous, but more simply made than the Whopper it's worth your time and money. It's generally not as well constructed as a good Whopper but it does it's best to remind you of one.
Federal legislation requires that I at least mention McDonald's. My burger of choice here is the Quarter Pounder, no cheese. I make it a double if I'm feeling particularly manly. Granted, this is an emotionally biased entry because the Quarter Pounder reminds me of the burgers I used to get at the rodeo when I was a kid, but as a simple straight-up burger it's not bad. (For the record, McDonald's fries top the list of best fastfood fries with the possible exception of those to be had at Steak-N-Shake.)
Well that's about as far as we need to go with this one, at least for now. Happy motoring and burgering.
Saturday, June 5th, we planned to Clear and Clean all day. Claude cut the grass. I went to work in the storage area with the kids toys. Cleared out a lot of items there. After Claude finished cutting the grass, we loaded my car with all the Goodwill items and headed to Georgetown. This was an experience. Usually we have dropped off things during the week at Goodwill. Saturday there is a line of cars out into the parking lot of the shopping center. It moved fairly well. We were successful in getting four shelves emptied in one of our storage areas and the shelving moved to the workshop. Claude will dismantle theses shelves next week and they will go to the new house. We will get four more to take with us from the other basement storage and the garage. All other shelving we will leave for the new owners. I was also able to go through my Christmas decorations again, as well as the seasonal decorations and get a new stack of things to go to Goodwill on Monday. It was a very productive day. Lots of things to still go through. But we can feel progress.
June 5th is also Bonnie's birthday. This was my Facebook post wishing Bonnie a very happy birthday. "When I married Claude Christensen, I gained a great mum-in-law, Bonnie Christensen. How blessed we are to have you in our lives. Happy Birthday to you Bonnie! Love ya bunches!!"
Sunday, June 6th, has been a good Sunday. This will most likely be our last Zoom sacrament meeting. Governor Beshear has lifted all restrictions and we can go back to some semblance of the old normal. We did enjoy our Zoom sacrament meeting and our reading. We have two people supposed to come today. We are giving our breakfast table to a young couple recently married. Brenden will come and pick that table and four chairs up. The Home Inspector set up a Radon test and he is supposed to come and pick up that equipment today. I plan to work on the two file cabinets in my sewing room. I only want to take one with us. I have done a lot with these already but need to finish that up so I can give away the file cabinet we are not taking.
The move continues to dominate our lives. Other things are happening though. Katelyn let us know she is at the hospital with the hopes little Joel will be born today. Life is in motion. We'll just try to keep up with all that motion!!
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