MOVING DAY

APRIL 30th....Loading the Truck

Maureen & Jan do some last-minute packing of glass and mirrors.

Ron, Tom, Russ, Jan & Nick

Keith flew 2,300 miles to help us pack, load and drive the truck west.

GETTING THERE!!!

All that's left of the master bedroom

Kendra's former room...

...and Keith's former room

The living room and dining room...



Many hands made light work...

Keith, Linda & Tom. Our neighbor Tony comes to say goodbye.

It's a good thing we got the 28-footer!

Initially, this was the crew in charge of packing everything into the truck

But we never would have made it without Ryan's expert help!

My sister Darlene came to say goodbye...

Some other helpers not previously mentioned...Don, Jutta and Blake, as we are nearly finished.

Longtime friends, Nick and Don, as the final few items are loaded

A tired John waves thank you as he closes the truck door. We finished around 11am, showered & changed, then left at noon. Next stop was Lake City.

A Florida Farewell

April 17th, 2011

Our dear friends, Ron and Shauna, hosted a FAREWELL OPEN HOUSE for us in their home. Here are pics of SOME of the people who came to

CELEBRATE our moving 2,400 miles away!!!

Pat A., Shauna H., John, John A., and Katie

(See how happy Pat and Shauna are!)

More happy people!!!!

Shauna, Stephanie and Kenny, Katherine, Louise

(Stephanie and Kenny drove down all the way from Ft. Pierce!)

Katie and Jutta

John and Kenny
Pals since before Kenny served his mission. (WHOA!)

**********************

APRIL 24th - EASTER SUNDAY!
Ron & Shauna never leave the destitute and/or lonely without a place to go.

They host us AGAIN! This time for a lovely Easter dinner with their family.

Katie, Shauna, Ladene, Megan, Brent, Katherine

The Easter Table!

Ron always fulfills whatever critical tasks he is assigned.
(Here, he's displaying Easter eggs. VERY important. VERY.)

CAMERA WARS!
Boyd H., Shauna, Katie

Gearing up for Easter dinner.Boyd H. and his wonderful daughter, Shauna!

***********************
APRIL 25th

Don and Jan S., AND Ron & Shauna (with Megan in tow) treated us to dinner at The Olive Garden

(and also commemorated John's 60th birthday with some gag gifts!)


Sorry! We didn't take any pictures of this momentous event!

Nevertheless, we are grateful to all these long-time friends for making us feel special and loved (and that we'd be missed)!




The Olive Garden staff were probably eager to get us away from outside their front entrance after we ate....We girls, at least, were sobbing and crying and hugging as we bid our farewells.

(Hope we didn't chase away any customers.)

*********************

April 28th


JOHN'S 60th BIRTHDAY!!!!




We're once again at The Olive Garden,this time, with John's side of the family.

(did the O.G. staff recognize us?)


The Two Brothers, John and Michael





Lookit all these BABIES!!!


In the foreground: the young parents, Jackie and Greg;


kiddies Josh and Kaylee;


Center stage: The GRANDPARENTS, Darlene and Rick;



In the wings: Wesley and Hayley.
Michael, Laura, Glen, Keith (who had flown to Florida


to help us drive the 2,500 miles to Utah),and Greg.
Glen, Keith, Greg, Jackie, Darlene, Rick, Wes.

Laura, Glen, Keith, Jackie

(and unknown waitress)

Need we say what the mood was like

outside the front doors of The Olive Garden after dinner?

Spring Break 2011

Kendra and Alayna's visit, March 2011

Ready for the beach!
On Thursday we drove to Orlando to visit Granda & hit a few sites.

On Friday, we took Grandma to lunch at the Olive Garden...

and shopping at Ron John's Surf Shop.
Friday night we went to Medieval Times...





Then the big surprise!!!!!!

Jeff had flown into Orlando while we we in Medieval Times. Chris & Lorna picked him up at the airport and were waiting at the Steak-N-Shake just down the street from Medieval Times. After the show was over, I "suggested" we stop for ice cream at Steak-N-Shake! This pic was taken 1 second before Kendra spotted Jeff.

Saturday we went to DownTown Disney for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and to do some shopping.

Alayna got her picture taken with her hero Buzz Lightyear!

Then it was back to our house for visits to the beach and the zoo.

Grandpa even took Alayna for a ride on his lawn mower.

March Madness (Klemas style)

Alayna's March 2011 Visit
(with Kendra, Katie, John & Betty as her court)
This is where we plan to go:

MEDEIVAL TIMES DINNER SHOW

A Chapter is Closing

Although I've been with Florida Public Utilities for 39 years, the last 15 have been in the "Parts Department". My job has been to supply our 20 - 25 Service Techs with all the appliance repair parts they need, tools, supplies and to calibrate and maintain their electronic gas detectors. I also processed their work orders, filed warranty claims, sold parts over the counter and several other duties. My "home" for at least the past 10 years has been this 40 ft. trailer. I set it up and stocked it when FPU purchased it. (hence one of my workplace nicknames is "Trailer Trash").

But mostly I'm known as "Parts John".


The counter where the servicemen pick up their parts.
and the $2,000 calibration station and associated test gas cylinders.

From my office door looking toward the counter...

My little office.

Last October, FPU was purchased by Chesapeake Utilities. The changes are coming quickly & many employees have been "let go". Our appliance sales and installation department is in the process of being eliminated while our repair service will be terminated in the next 3 or 4 months. The trailer will then be sold and the number of employees greatly reduced.