what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Nords]

A friend of ours has been planning a party for the last month, and we Ohana Nords are among the 75 people who are coming.

He recently found out that his home is inside the Secret Service security perimeter around the home where the Obamas are spending the holidays. The good news is that our cars will have special high-security dedicated parking. I told my daughter that the "other" news is the Secret Service shoots the driver first.

Just to make things more interesting, the motorcade might be heading up over the Ko'olau at about the same time we were planning to make the trip. So now we'll have to keep an eye on the news today, and our attendance might not happen after all.

Talk about your high-stress socializing.

 

[Major Tom]

A friend of ours has been planning a party for the last month, and we Ohana Nords are among the 75 people who are coming.

He recently found out that his home is inside the Secret Service security perimeter around the home where the Obamas are spending the holidays. The good news is that our cars will have special high-security dedicated parking. I told my daughter that the "other" news is the Secret Service shoots the driver first.

Just to make things more interesting, the motorcade might be heading up over the Ko'olau at about the same time we were planning to make the trip. So now we'll have to keep an eye on the news today, and our attendance might not happen after all.

Talk about your high-stress socializing.

Kinda goes against everything else we've heard about the kickback lifestyle in Hawaii.

 

[Huston55]

Off today, the first of 17 straight days off! Well, I hope they're not ALL straight; hope to get in at least a little partying around the New Year. DW and I, and a friend, are taking a long cruise to the Caribbean. Very much looking forward to it; warm relaxing days in the sun and clear blue water.

That's a long time off for me. Maybe with a little planning, I can turn it into a mini-RE exercise. NAW, too much w*rk!

 

[Ronstar]

Another day, another near disaster. DW has the day off. I go to work. I get a call on my cell from the car dealership stating that they screwed up the car paperwork. All paperwork was printed with the wrong VIN, and the plates are for a different car. They wanted me to bring the car and paperwork in to swap plates and redo paperwork. I said that there was no way I could do that - DW would see me come home from work early and take off out of my workshop in the car, or see me when I came home from the dealer.

I knew DW would leave soon to get groceries. She called from the road and I asked when she thought she would get home. She wouldn't be home for a couple of hours, so I called the salesman, telling him that I would go home and get the plates and paperwork and for him to meet me at my office.

DW calls me again while I'm at home getting the plates, saying that she's near my office and that we should go to lunch. I tell her that I'm on a field inspection and that I can't make it - she's not happy. I get the plates and paperwork and go back to work where I make the swap with the salesman, and then go home.

The new car is a mess from driving it home in the rain yesterday, and SIL and MIL are hinting that I need to wash it before giving it to DW. The problem is that I have less than 6" in front and back of the car in my detached workshop with the garage door closed. So I'll need to open the garage door and move it to put the new plates on and wash it, and then return it to the workshop. That will be tomorrow's challenge - pulling off the car wash and plate installation without her knowing it. And I don't think she's leaving the house.

 

[Coolius]

Ask your MIL or SIL to call DW and request help for doing something in their home - maybe prepare a dessert dish, or decorate the place, etc. Anything just to get her out of the house for the few hours it'll take you to wash the car and put on the new plates.

I'm sure she'll be delighted and surprised!!

Since I am on RE status now, we are far more aware of, and sensitive to, our limited resources ( with no regular income flow ), so DW is quite against any large ticket purchases.

We agreed not to give each other gifts for Christmas, but just have a great meal and enjoy the company of our son & daughter ( both grown and living away from home ). Which we will.

 

[Ronstar]

Ask your MIL or SIL to call DW and request help for doing something in their home - maybe prepare a dessert dish, or decorate the place, etc. Anything just to get her out of the house for the few hours it'll take you to wash the car and put on the new plates.

I'm sure she'll be delighted and surprised!!

Since I am on RE status now, we are far more aware of, and sensitive to, our limited resources ( with no regular income flow ), so DW is quite against any large ticket purchases.

We agreed not to give each other gifts for Christmas, but just have a great meal and enjoy the company of our son & daughter ( both grown and living away from home ). Which we will.

I like the "ask MIL or SIL" advice. I'm getting tired of the close calls. I here what you're saying about large ticket items in RE. Our plan was to buy new vehicles before we retired. My truck is 2.5 years old. She now has a new car. DW is eligible for retirement at work. I'm ready to go from 3.5 days a week to 2.5 or less.

 

[Nords]

Kinda goes against everything else we've heard about the kickback lifestyle in Hawaii.

I'm pretty sure they'll be wearing aloha shirts over their Glocks...

Last year the beach crowd was whining & complaining pretty fiercely about the security zone in the water and on the beach. It might be the reason why they're renting a different house this year. OTOH the Coast Guard is probably going to have to anchor a cutter up there for the holidays.

He also plays basketball each morning on the Marine base. I can just hear the gunny sergeant: "Awright, guys, I need five volunteers to lose to our Commander in Chief tomorrow-- you, you, you, you, and of course, I really don't like you either!"

 

[Huston55]

He also plays basketball each morning on the Marine base. I can just hear the gunny sergeant: "Awright, guys, I need five volunteers to lose to our Commander in Chief tomorrow-- you, you, you, you, and of course, I really don't like you either!"

I don't know...I hear POTUS has game.

 

[Sue J]

Ronstar, I'm enjoying your escapade of keeping the car hidden from DW! This is a long topic and I don't want to go back too far. Did you post what kind of car you bought for her?

 

[Major Tom]

Ronstar, I'm enjoying your escapade of keeping the car hidden from DW! This is a long topic and I don't want to go back too far. Did you post what kind of car you bought for her?

Yes, I'm enjoying it too. Am looking forward to the next installment.....

 

[Ronstar]

Ronstar, I'm enjoying your escapade of keeping the car hidden from DW! This is a long topic and I don't want to go back too far. Did you post what kind of car you bought for her?

Its an Acura TL. Going to replace her 2000 Acura. They look very similar from the front. She may not notice the difference when I swap them in the garage.

 

[MichaelB]

Its an Acura TL. Going to replace her 2000 Acura. They look very similar from the front. She may not notice the difference when I swap them in the garage.

Nice...

 

[pb4uski]

(yesterday actually) Went downhill skiing as we had some FREE vouchers that would expire. It was stormy, hard to see at the top of the mountain but visibility got better as we came down. Conditions were good but with little natural snow very few trails were open. Boy, am I out of skiing shape - something to address in retirement.

Went home, had a quick dinner and then drove to the airport to pick up DD who was coming in for the holidays from a vacation in Germany. She was wired and in "chatty Kathy" mode so we had a pleasant drive back home.

 

[TromboneAl]

I'd say don't make any extra effort to wash the car.

This a good "Oh what a tangled web" lesson. Imagine what it would be like having an affair.

P.S. I didn't mean to imply that it was bad to make it a surprise.

 

[Huston55]

I'd say don't make any extra effort to wash the car.

This a good "Oh what a tangled web" lesson. Imagine what it would be like having an affair.

More expensive than a new car.

 

[REWahoo]

More expensive than a new car.

Yep. Especially if the relationship turns out to be a[-]cr[/-]limonious...

 

[pb4uski]

Wrapped gifts.

DS' car is dying so I'm searching for a replacement or I may buy myself a new rig and let him takeover my ride. Test drove a Suzuki Kizashi - nice car, may be a candidate. But Subaru Legacy looks good too. Or should I loosen the purse strings and splurge for an Audi A4 and just keep it forever? Decisions...decisions.

And watched football...good game so far. Off to BILs for Christmas Eve festivities soon.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

 

[Nords]

I don't know...I hear POTUS has game.

I've heard that too. I'll keep an eye on the local papers for the scores.

We headed to the party at 4:30 PM after learning that AF ONE was landing at 6:30 PM. As we headed across H-1 to the H-3 onramp, we noticed that HPD cars were already blocking other (smaller) H-3 onramps. Luckily at that time on Aloha Friday before Christmas, hardly anybody was on the road to H-3. (Pearlridge Mall was quite another story, as were Costco & Wal-Mart.) Every half-mile or so along H-3 (like at the Ko'olau tunnels) we'd see another pair of patrol cars staged for traffic control. Good place to have a breakdown since you'd get plenty of "help". Bad place to be driving under the influence or with an outstanding warrant for a different kind of "help". Our Houston-driving daughter (now known as "Leadfoot") really had to control her instincts of driving 70 MPH in the 60 MPH zones.

The security perimeter at the neighbor's street was manned by... I have no idea. They were all in civvies-- jeans & polo shirts, not local, but not obviously armed. However one guy had a clipboard, and he looked official enough standing behind the traffic barrier. He checked our IDs and let us in. We were going to offer to share some of our special fudge brownies with them but decided that generosity probably wouldn't be taken in the spirit it was intended.

Parking was great. No need to lock the car, either.

ClifP and I both felt uncomfortable drinking alcohol, although nobody could decide whether the breathalyzer would be used on the outgoing traffic as well as the incoming.

I'm not sure what time the motorcade approached, but all of a sudden people rushed out of the house to line the street. It took two ambulances, a dozen HPD vehicles, a couple SUVs, and a press bus to get the President to his destination. (The press bus was brightly lit inside, making it look suspiciously like a high-value target-- or at least like a big plastic bubble that the Secret Service could keep an eye on.) They drove by the crowd at about 15 MPH, and our NROTC daughter got a nice shaka from her CinC.

All things considered, it was a very nice party.

We saw a USCG chief petty officer leaving as we were driving up. I'll bet they have a cutter patrolling the beach all weekend.

 

[Ronstar]

Today is running very smooth. Washing DW's new car secretly won't be as much of a problem as I thought. I think I have enough room to bucket wash the car in the workshop without opening the door. It's just a matter of when - probably around 6am tomorrow.

This morning I decided to get some new microfiber towels to wipe it down with after I wash it, and told DW that I was going to Menards to pick up a new bathroom faucet. She said she wanted to come with. So we got the faucet (no towels), and stopped at MIL's to pick up some stuff. Luckily MIL said nothing to give away tomorrow's surprise.

I started installing the faucet, but of course had to make an emergency trip (alone) to get plumbers putty, etc (and the towels).

DW has asked several times that I get her (old) car repainted as her Christmas gift. She asked again today how that was coming. I said I'm still waiting for a quote. I now have the final steps of the plan ready.

 

[Ronstar]

Got up at 4am. Shut down outside door detection "beeps". Opened the garage door manually. Put her old car in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. Went to my workshop and washed the new car, put on the plates and a big green bow. Then drove it into the garage and went back to bed.

DW woke up and I told her that I was getting her car (the old one) repainted as her Christmas gift, but the the repair shop was worried that they couldn't repaint over the spot on the roof. DW said "what spot? - there's no spot on my roof!" and went to the garage to inspect. She saw the bow on the car roof and said "Oh - that spot - how clever!". She didn't recognize that the bow was on the new car. Then she said "Those aren't my license plates", looked closer and screamed. I think she's happy. I know I'm happy that this is finally over.

 

[W2R]

So glad you pulled it off successfully, Ronstar!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

 

[NW-Bound]

Slacker?? I just finished with my elaborate Christmas light installation!

Sure! That's symbolic of a tumbleweed, a native plant, isn't it?

 

[Meadbh]

Got up at 4am. Shut down outside door detection "beeps". Opened the garage door manually. Put her old car in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. Went to my workshop and washed the new car, put on the plates and a big green bow. Then drove it into the garage and went back to bed.

DW woke up and I told her that I was getting her car (the old one) repainted as her Christmas gift, but the the repair shop was worried that they couldn't repaint over the spot on the roof. DW said "what spot? - there's no spot on my roof!" and went to the garage to inspect. She saw the bow on the car roof and said "Oh - that spot - how clever!". She didn't recognize that the bow was on the new car. Then she said "Those aren't my license plates", looked closer and screamed. I think she's happy. I know I'm happy that this is finally over.

Well done RonSanta! You deserve more than eggnog for this one.....where is that mistletoe?

 

[Moemg]

Got up at 4am. Shut down outside door detection "beeps". Opened the garage door manually. Put her old car in neutral and pushed it out into the driveway. Went to my workshop and washed the new car, put on the plates and a big green bow. Then drove it into the garage and went back to bed.

DW woke up and I told her that I was getting her car (the old one) repainted as her Christmas gift, but the the repair shop was worried that they couldn't repaint over the spot on the roof. DW said "what spot? - there's no spot on my roof!" and went to the garage to inspect. She saw the bow on the car roof and said "Oh - that spot - how clever!". She didn't recognize that the bow was on the new car. Then she said "Those aren't my license plates", looked closer and screamed. I think she's happy. I know I'm happy that this is finally over.

Wow ! That has always been my Christmas present fantasy . Tell your wife she's a lucky woman !

 

[pb4uski]

Excellent!!! Don't you love it when a plan comes together!!!