NO WATER!

We are currently sitting in the Microtel just outside of Spokane airport as our flight for Phoenix leaves tomorrow morning. We have had a few stressful days in Odessa.

It all began to go "south" when the plumber finally arrived in Odessa. Now, you know that Odessa is a very small town. Well, the plumber got lost in Odessa...that should tell you how the rest of this goes. At any rate, he arrives finally and goes under the house, turns on the water, turns off the water and goes to his truck to make a phone call. Hmmmm-- I say. A few minutes later he comes into the house and says, "I have some bad news for you"....well, duh, what else do plumbers say???? Well, the bad news is that for the next few days we will have no water. YIKES! Apparently, we had a bad freeze and all the plumbing under the house needs replacing. Yes, ALL. AARRGGG! AND, all of the insulation under the house is wet as well, so it has to be removed and replaced and of course, someone else has to do that. Al and I look at each other, both thinking, this house isn't worth the amount this is going to cost us! Plumber estimate is over $8,200....and that doesn't include the $2,500+ for the insulation. double AAARRGG! So now what? Al says "bulldozer" about the same moment I say "Match"! We both were just sick. This is an old manufactured home...we have put some money into it, aka, new windows, painting, etc. However, how much more do we really want to dump into it? Finally Al has an idea...call our insurance company...maybe this is covered. So, being ever doubtful, I call and lo and behold, yes, freeze damage is covered! HUH? REALLY??? DID YOU SAY IT WOULD BE COVERED??? After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I got all of the details, etc. Adjuster will call on Monday, but go ahead and get the plumber scheduled. YEA! First RIGHT thing to happen since we got home. Whew! Then this morning the adjuster called. He will be out on Wednesday to assess the damage and yes, it will be covered, however we need to get another estimate (he feels this estimate is very high, and we agree!) But he is definite that we need to get the insulation removed TODAY if possible so no mold will grow! Got it! Call the insulation people and they were out in 3 hours to start the project. Now, all I have to do is find a plumber to give us another estimate by Wed. And we will be flying all day tomorrow. UGH! At any rate, hopefully, by the time we get back we will be "with water" again. Never a dull moment!

The funeral for Al's brother Gene was beautiful on Saturday, if you can describe a funeral as "beautiful". Gene was truly a gentle giant. Gene stood 6'4" tall and weighed 230-240 lbs. His hands were the size of Texas...I have never seen anyone with such big hands. And his heart was as big as Texas as well. He was the type to always lend a helping hand to neighbors, friends and family, sometimes to the detriment of his own family. He was generous to a fault at times, but EVERYONE loved Gene and could count on him for help. He was truly a gentleman, and a gentle man. I will never forget seeing him hold his grandson, those huge hands practically covering the baby! We will miss him terribly, but at least he is at peace and no longer suffering. I have not just lost a brother-in-law, but a brother as well.

Yesterday was Al's birthday and we celebrated by doing nothing most of the day (what can we do with no water???) and later in the day we went to Jerry and Ardis' for dinner. Baked a chicken and Ardis and I made a very lopsided white cake with peanut butter frosting....but it tasted great. Ardis and I have had several "kitchen" experiences together and we laugh and giggle about them frequently. I love that girl!

We stayed at the La College Motel (formerly the Odessa Motel) after the plumbers news on Friday. Jennifer and Kristine also stayed there. The motel is old, but clean and alittle on the funky side. Each room has a theme...we were in the "Australian Outback" room; Jennifer and Kris had the "Italian room". The rooms are decorated in the theme and have murals on the wall...very different. But it served the purpose well...someplace to stay with running water and a bed! However, Odessa is a desperate need for a restaurant that isn't fast food. We have the Coffee Haus, that serves a great breakfast sandwich and a good lunch, but no dinner and there is NO PLACE to get breakfast on a Sunday. We survived, but it sure showed what is really needed in Odessa!

Back to Tucson tomorrow, we will pack up and head north probably around May 4-5. Depends on when the plumbing project will be done.

Until the next time...........we are still
Wroamin' Wraspirs...kinda

Popsicle juice/Ice Cream Man and a deep sadness

We are currently at our home in Odessa, Washington. HOW DID YOU WIND UP THERE you ask. Well, its a sad story.

We left O'Fallon, after a wonderful visit with Mike, Bev, Sarah and Natasha and headed to Kansas City to visit with Grandson David for a few hours on Monday. We had a wonderful visit with him. He has grown into such a nice young man (he is 23) and we are so proud of him. On Tuesday we headed to Lake of the Ozarks to spend some time with our friends, Carl and Ruby SKidmore, but first we stopped in Clinton, MO to have lunch with one of Al's cousins. We has a good, but very short visit with them. After leaving them, and in the middle of no where in Missouri our cell phone rings and we are informed that Al's brother, Gene has died. Gene is 4 years older than Al and has been in poor health for a few years. We are very saddened by losing him, however, we know that he is in a much better place and is at peace. At any rate, we continued to the Skidmores for the night.

So now, we have to scramble to get flights to Spokane. We finally, after a long search book flights from St. Louis to Spokane, via Phoenix. Yes, Phoenix. IT was the most DIRECT flight we could get! We could have gone from St. Louis to Chicago to Denver to Seattle to Spokane....uh, no! That was one of our options! At any rate, I cancelled our return flight with American Airlines to Phoenix on Friday and rebooked with America West/US Airway for flight on Thursday to Spokane. We arrived home last night to NO WATER (have a couple of broken pipes, currently waiting for plumber to arrive) and NO PHONE. GRRRR! But we are home. It is kinda' like camping! And no RV in sight to stay in....so we head out to Jerry and Ardis's and spend the night. What a trip! Thank goodness they had the room for us or we would have wound up in the Odessa Motel, which would have been okay. At any rate, we are here until next Tuesday, when we will fly back to Phoenix and go home to Tucson for a few days. Gene's funeral is tomorrow. Jennifer is due in today. Sad way for family to get together, but like most large, spread out families, we get together for funerals and weddings!

While at Mike and Bev's, I learned a few things from our precious great grand daughter, Natasha, age 6. I learned that it is hard to catch the ice cream man. We heard him twice, and twice we scrambled out the door, only to see his tail lights going down the street. Poor Natasha was crushed both times! I also learned what popsicle juice is! Do you know? It is a Natasha recipe....melt a popsicle, add water and an ice cube....presto, popsicle juice (it calms an upset 6 year old when she has missed the ice cream man). ANd yes, I drank it....after all, what are great grandma's for? (and yes, it was icky.) And I have to add here, Sarah, is doing a wonderful job raising Natasha. Sarah has recently moved out into her own apartment and is doing wonderful. We are so very proud of her. We also met her boyfriend, Chris and like him very much. He is very nice, shy, and very kind to both Sarah and Natasha.

Both of us were amazed at how lush and green Missouri is. It was absolutely beautiful. I love the little towns, and some of their names, i.e., "TIGHTWAD, MO." We laughed for miles over that one! Not as good as BOOGER HOLLER, but close. We were sorry we didn't get to stay at the lake for a few days...AL was looking forward to mushroom hunting and fishing for croppie. Oh well...another time perhaps.

It is cold here! I am glad I left a few clothes here....as I was not prepared to come north just yet! The weather in Missouri was warm with no humidity and we really enjoyed it, along with a few great thunder storms. Bev took me to a great restaurant for lunch in the little town of Kimswick, MO called the Blue Owl. Boy, was that ever good. The town was really cute as well....we will have to go back there. I told Al I would like to spend a month in Missouri some time in the RV, just so we can poke around the state. There is a lot I would like to see.

Well, the plumber should be here shortly, so I will cut this off for now. We hope this finds you all happy and healthy. Until next time, we are....

THE WROAMIN' WRASPIRS, minus all animals.

PS...we got to play with Simon last night....he is such a great dog.

St. Louis Louie....

We are currently in O'Fallon, MO (near St. Louis) visiting our son Mike, wife Bev and our grand daughter Sarah and our beautiful little Natasha! Natasha is 6...what a fun age! She is a real kick....busy as any 6 year old can be. I'd like to be 6 again...at least for a day. Just think about it...no worries! The biggest worry would be "when do I get to play again?" "What can I explore next?" Of course for me, I would HAVED to worry about something....I am a worrier. Oh wait, at 6 I probably wouldn't worry...I wouldn't be a Mom yet. As a Mom, it is my job to worry. Even though all of our children are okay, successful, happy, etc., I still have to worry abou them. AND, our grandchildren...yes, I definitely have to worry about them. It's my job as a grandmother!

It is beautiful here! The weather is in the high 80's and wonders of wonders, no humidity -- yet. And it is GREEN here...that color we don't see very much of in Arizona. It is LUSH GREEN! Mike and Bev live in a wonderful area and it is so pleasant to sit here and relax and not worry! (well, I am a worrier, so I worry when I don't have anything to worry about...don't go there!) At any rate, we are truly enjoying our visit. We will be here until Monday after Easter. Then we will head to Kansas City to visit with David, our grandson. From there, we will go to Clinton, MO to visit one of Al's cousins, and then to Lake of the Ozarks to pester the Skidmores for a few days before flying back to Arizona on the 21st.

Once we get home, we will be packing up and heading north..yup..it will be time for our annual trek to north to Odessa. Can't believe time has gone so fast!

Just really wanted to say Happy Easter to everyone......

Just Had to Say This

I can't refrain myself from a few comments on the Katrina Hurricane and the recent wave of tornados that have devastaed the south east. I have noticed a lot of difference in the way the news media has covered them. Katrina is all you heard about from every news portal.....and more than you could take at some times. We were saturated with it. (Pardon the pun!) Now, the southeast has been hit hard by several killer tornados. Do you hear people crying on national TV, "Help us, Help us"? Or even much of a coverage from the major networks on the tornados? There is usally a blurb during the national news, and that is it. No Brian Williams, Dan Rather (or his replacement) or anyone else rushing to cover the tornados and devoting hours to the devastation. I don't understand. WHY???? Yes, Katrina was horrible, but aren't these tornado's just as horrible? People were killed and lost their homes...and THEY HAD NOT MUCH OF A WARNING! THEY DIDN'T HAVE 2-3 DAYS OF WARNING TO GET OUT OF TOWN! Why the difference???? I know the Red Cross is there, but I sure don't see them begging for donations on National TV. I know other relief coverage is there, as well as possible FEMA (I am not betting on that one!); but where is the news coverage. I just turned on the TV and I couldn't find one single major network covering the tornados! Maybe the government could take some of the mobile homes they bought for Katrina victims that are not being used (not good enough?) and take them to Tennesse or Alabama or Georgia to help house the tornado victims. Oh, wait, not a good idea. Mobile homes are tornado magnets (Even tho I live in one at times). Another question, if there were no mobile homes, would there be tornados?

1,2,3,4,5,6 NO MORE

Okay, let me get this straight, tomorrow morning (April 4) at 1:23 a.m., I am suppose to get up and do what???? Oh yea, it will be a hundred years until the sequence will be repeated...and I think I will just wait for that one! I bet 100 people have sent me the email telling me to get up at 1:23 a.m. tomorrow and enjoy the moment. Personally, I would rather see the re-run!