Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Oh Boy...Company and a SNAKE

Odessa



WHY? WHY????? Why do I have to be the one to find the damn snake???? Why can't some one who ISN'T AFRAID of snakes find it? But, I am starting in the middle....

Memorial Day in Odessa is a really big day and many of Al's extended family gets together after visiting the Bohemian Cemetery for a pot luck lunch on Monday. So we know we will have some company to drop by over the weekend. AND, Jennifer and Cammie were coming over to spend the weekend with us.

Friday evening, about 9:00 p.m my cell phone rings and it is Dwight Uhrich, Al's cousin from Texas and one of our favorite people calling. I answer the phone by saying "Okay, where are you?" to which he replies, "Ephrata", which is about 40 miles from here! He asked if we had room for him to stay, which we always do.

Saturday and Jennifer and Cammie arrive and that night we have a family BBQ, along with Al's cousin Lillian and husband Lynn from South Dakota (Dwight's sister) who are here for Memorial Day and staying at the local motel. Along with them Myrna, another cousin who I absolutely love and lives near by, are here for dinner. After dinner, Mandi (good friend) and her two kids stopped by and brought us some rhubarb (yum). Everyone was getting ready to leave and I decided to take the rhubarb to the refrigerator in the garage. For those of you who haven't been here, we back the 5th wheel up behind the house (this is important to the story, trust me). It is almost dark (9:30 ish) and I am walking between the house and the 5th wheel heading to the garage when I hear a "rattle"...WTH??? I look and under the trailer is a rattlesnake, coiled and rattling! I took one HUGE leap to the corner of the house and RAN between the garage and the house to the front yard screaming AL, Al, Al, Al. Well, everyone else thought I was screaming OW OW OW! Not funny. I was so scared I could barely get out the words SNAKE, let alone tell them where it was! I finally told them where it was; by that time Dwight and Jennifer had came out the back door and were standing at the corner of the house, asking me what was wrong! I screamed at them RUN...SNAKE, and of course they had no damn idea which way to run! Finally they saw the snake (they were standing next to it) and in a few steps Jennifer was next to me. At any rate, Al and Dwight killed the snake...Al said it was about 26-30 inches long....I say it was 26-30 FEET long and 15 feet around! Damn Snakes...God's big mistake! My heart slowed down to a normal beat about 24 hours later. I tell you this, I don't go off the deck after dark and I am constantly looking for those long, slithering creatures that God shouldn't have made. I think I will move to Hawaii so I won't have to worry about those things!

The rest of the weekend was great. Had a big BBQ here again Sunday night; with everyone mentioned before, plus Jerry and Ardis. Then yesterday we went to the memorial for one of Al's cousins who had died last year and then to the Pot Luck in Irby. Fun day, but exhausting.

Lillian and Lynn left today...we really enjoyed our visit with them and we are only sorry we don't see them more often. Dwight left this afternoon to take his rental car back to Seattle (long story) and then take a bus back here. This morning he found a motorcycle to buy and left it here until he can get back later this week to pick it up and ride it home to Texas. He is also a great guy and we really enjoy having him here. Both Al and I agree we are very fortunate to have some really great cousins that we enjoy so much. Unfortunately, we don't get to see them all as often as we would like. There is nothing like having a good family.

Bruce, Holly and Cortney are due in tomorrow...and we are looking forward to seeing them. It has been less than 2 weeks since we have seen them and it seems like FOREVER. They will only be here a couple of days, but we take what we can get.

We really had a good time with Jennifer and Cammie this weekend. Jennifer is a worker bee and so is Cammie. The both jumped in and helped me get things ready. Heck, I barely had the trailer unpacked...oh wait, I didn't have it totally unpacked until they got here! That's right! :-)

Now things should settle down to a dull roar for a while. We head to Seattle June 5 for a round of doctor/dentist appointments and seeing friends/family. Then on the 9th to Portland for 5 days. Our grandson Victor graduates from high school and granddaughter Lori from Jr. High. I am really looking forward to spending time with them as last year I didn't see them very much.

Until next time....watch where you step...there may be a snake near by!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Odessa

Odessa, WA
Home again, home again...at least our summer home. We arrived home on Tuesday night, about 11:00 p.m. We were going to stay in Richland, tri-city area that night, but like the old horse, going to the barn, once we got to Richland, we stopped and loaded up on supplies at Costco, and came on home! While we were unloading needed supplies for the night, it started to rain on us and the wind was blowing....Washington, welcoming us home!

Our trip was good. We stopped in Salt Lake at Cabela's...a HUGE store and Al got his fishing reel and a few other goodies. We spent the night in Salt Lake, and it got cold again that night! A cold front moved through and we were scrambling for blankets once again.

From Salt Lake to Boise was pretty uneventful. I might add that Al drove the entire trip, with the exception of a few hours and he did a great job and his ankle wasn't bothering him that much. As long as he could get the ankle elevated at night, he was okay. We noticed along the way that diesel fuel was less costly than unleaded. The highest we paid until we got into Washington State was $2.91 a gallon! Once we reached Washington however, the price jumped and it is well over $3.00 a gallon....and here in Odessa it is $3.49 a gallon. OUCH!

Yesterday we spent most of the day getting things done in the house and reading 3 weeks worth of mail. Today I am starting the laborous job of unloading the trailer. The weather has been great, in the mid 70's and sunny. We had Directv installed today, so we finally have some television to keep us up on what is happening in the world. HOwever, the last two days being kept in the dark have been nice! :-)

Jennifer and Cammie are coming over for the Memorial weekend and we are looking forward to seeing them. Jerry and Ardis were over last night for dinner and we had a good visit. Jerry is helping Al get the garden in and someone has left us one tomato plant that is thriving. We don't know who did this, but we are thankful for it.

I guess I have to admit, Odessa feels like home to me now, along with Tucson. Everyone here has gone out of their way to stop and say hello to us. Neil and Bobbi Wraspir stopped yesterday...they are currently in Pasco, but will be back here in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Tucson...hmmm...uh, the day before we left Tucson we bought another house! HUH? Yup. We bought the house right below ours for investment purposes. It was in foreclosure and we got an excellent price on it; however, it needs some work, which we will have done this summer. So now we own 2/3'rds of our "hill"...a little over 5 acres. WE plan on renting the new house out as soon as we get it cleaned (and it really needs cleaning...ick!) and repairs done on it. The previous owners took everything out of the house, including the a/c and heater!! However, they left one, very, very, dirty, greasy, grimy stove! I have already decided to just haul it out and put a new one in. I don't think you could get that stove clean! Bleechk! We close on June 5...just one more place for me to keep track of!

The cats and dogs are glad to be out of the trailer and home. The dogs are loving the grass....much easier on their feet. And yes, the cats have explored and re-marked their territory and have laid claim to all!

So, until next time, if you are in the area, stop by! Call first, as you never know where we will be wroamin' next!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Panguitch

We are finally on the wroad! We left Tucson Friday, later than planned,but that is just the way it is. We stayed at one of our favorite RV parks Friday night, Distant Drums, in Camp Verde, AZ. Traffic through Phoenix was HORRIBLE....it took us almost 2 hours! And people have no clue when they cut in front of you that you can't stop this big rig on a dime! I had my brake on the whole time....and I wasn't driving! Al decided he felt like driving, and has done a great job. His ankle is bothering him some, but it hasn't stopped him from driving. The temperature was 119 in Black Canyon City and the truck was telling us all about it. Going up the hill from there our thermometer in the truck (which reads outside temp) said it was 140 degrees! I think it was telling us it was too hot to be correct!



Saturday----We are currently in Panguitch, Utah, not far from Bryce Canyon. We drove 342 miles yesterday. I know that doesn't sound like a lot to most of you, but to us it is...we usually average 300 miles a day and we are definitely taking our time. We have driven this so many times we can ALMOST do it in our sleep. We stopped for lunch yesterday in Cameron, AZ and at the Cameron Trading Post and had the best Navajo Taco! We have stopped here before and we decided we would stop again.

The weather has been alittle bit cooler, in fact we had a nice cooling rain in Flagstaff. We usually take highway 89 all the way into Page, then into Kanab, Ut. BUT, we decided to take 89A, which goes through the valley on the Arizona side. Well, part of the way through the valley. We did manage to find a nice, high, pass that tops out at 8900 feet! The climb wasn't too bad, lots of "snake" curves and the gps map showed them well! It was a beautiful drive and we enjoyed the cooler weather up on the top (it wa 84) and we wound up in Kanab anyway, just a prettier drive for us. We were tired of going by Lake Powell and seeing how low the lake is.

Sunday
We are getting ready to pull out. It was COLD last night! Night before we had the a/c going full blast! Even when we got here yesterday it was still in the 80's, and we had all of the windows open. Around 2:30 a.m. I woke up and I was cold, cold, cold. Evidently, so were the animals, as both cats and Beau were cuddled up next to us on the bed! And of course, I had taken the blanket off the bed the night before and put it away making the statement "We won't need this!"...right! I dug out the blanket again and settled back in bed, but the animals didn't move!

We are off to Lehi, Utah today to stop at the Cabela's there so Al can spend his gift certificates he got for his birthday and it will be a nice brake for us.

Oh yeah, where is Panguitch, UT??? We are about 250 miles south east of Salt Lake City on highway 89. Nice little town! And Panguitch means "big fish" in Piaute! That is my learning lesson for the day! And don't ask me how to pronounce Panguitch!

Until the next time, we are
The Wroamin' Wraspir's,
Al, Jo, Beau, Jose, Juanito and Schuster!

Friday, May 11, 2007

The day the Ice Melted!

Tucson

Today the ice melted in the Santa Cruz River! Yup, today was the day! BREAKUP! You ask yourself what in the world is she talking about???? Well, here in this fine city, the first day of the year the temperature officially reaches 100 degrees is the day the ice melts in the Santa Cruz River. HUH??? EXPLAIN! Well, first of all, the Santa Cruz river is usually a dry river bed (mostly used by illegals to cross into our fair country from the country to the south of us), unless it is monsoon season; when the dry river bed turns into a vicious, treacherous, swift moving river! But only for a while! Then it goes back to its former self...dry. The local media (ahem) has dubbed the first day of 100 degrees as the day the ice melts in the river! Don't ask me why! All I know is today was the first official day it reached 100 degrees here. However, yesterday my thermometer read 103, the day before it read 100....and today it read 109, which I know it was not....at least I don't think it was. But in retrospect, maybe it was. The outdoor temperature gage on my car decided this afternoon to drop from it's current reading of 104 to 75! And it stayed there most of the afternoon, but by 4:30 it had crept back up to 102! Go figure that one out! And yes, I was foolish enough to have to go outside of our frigid house to run some errands. Speaking of our frigid house, (Al has the thermostat set at 70, but it feels more like 50!) I can't wait to get our electric bill for this month! UGH!

On another note, I have to laugh at myself! I am playing a twisted mind game with myself! For some unknown reason, I won't let the gas in my car get lower than a half a tank. At least this way it doesn't hurt so much to go fill it up at $2.90 a gallon and spend $30! I know, I know, it is a sick game, but it makes it hurt less. I still look for the person with the gun who is holding us at gun point and robbing us at the gas pumps! Surely, that person must be there! And I am THANKFUL that gas it ONLY $2.90 a gallon (at Costco)....I have heard in California it is up to $4.00 and in Seattle at $3.58...that's a gallon right? Not a fill up? In Odessa it was $3.60 the last time I checked...think I will buy a horse!

AL is on the mend...finally. Not only does he have a sprained ankle, but cellulitus also attacked him on the same ankle. The two have nothing to do with each other either, except both of them are holding us hostage here until he gets better. The swelling on his ankle has gone down considerably, and IF we get the doctors okay, we will be heading north on the 17th...of this month I hope. However, I am learning to count on nothing! That way I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen!

Computers and I are having a hard time of getting along lately. In a previous blog I was expounding on my laptop being down. Well, I got it back, all fixed....uh huh. It worked for two (count 'em --2) days, and crashed again. So back I go to Best Buy to the Geek Squad...yup, my hard drive is toast! I am so glad I had backed up the laptop before I took it in last time. So they replace the hard drive and ask me to bring in all of my recovery disks from Dell. Okay...no problem. Ya' right! I can't find the recovery disks! I have looked high and low for them...torn apart my office (well, it needed cleaning anyway) and still haven't found them. I found things that had been missing for months, but no recovery disks. AH HA...friend Bob has the same computer, I will just borrow his! But guess what? He can't find his either! I think the two sets are out having a party---without us! I have looked in all the logical places, the illogical places and everywhere in between....I CAN NOT FIND THEM! It is making me nuts. And the worse part of it is, I remember seeing them right before we went to St. Louis and I remember putting them in a safe place...if only I could remember the SAFE PLACE! GRRRRRRRRR!

Until next time, we remain UNWROAMIN'!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Old

Our son sent us this link to youtube...it pretty well describes us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6PbqAPM


Friday, May 04, 2007

Best Laid Plans............

Tucson

Yup...Still Tucson! We have been trying unsuccessfully to head to the great (?) town of Odessa (usually known as Odessolet by two of my grandchildren) for the last week. Planned departure date? TODAY! So, what are you still doing in Tucson you ask? Well, it all started last Tuesday. I had been busy cleaning the 5th wheel and getting it ready to load. Tuesday evening AL is going to haul the trash cans to the road (no easy feat I might add, since the road is a quarter mile away). He has them loaded in the truck and he started to get into the truck and his left food slipped and he twisted his ankle. I think it is all a ploy to get me to help him...but being the good person I am (No comments from the peanut gallery) I help him with the trash. Later that evening he says "my ankle hurts"...I look and at it and it is swollen up like a balloon. Oh-oh. I asked him if he wanted to go to ER, and of course the reply was "NO". Well, at 9:30 p.m. he decided he had better go to the ER (of course I was ready for bed). So off we go to ER HELL! They xrayed, did blood work up (?) etc. and determined he had a bad sprain. At least it isn't broken I say, so we can continue on with traveling plans. We get home at 3:00 a.m. ... pain killers in had and instructions for him to keep it elevated and iced.

Next morning I suddenly realize that ALL of the packing, loading, closing this house down is on my back! AAARRRGGG! Well, if that is the case...things will be slowed down drastically! I have discovered I am not as young as I once was and what used to take me 10 minutes to do usually takes 30 now! So now we are at a crawl.

AL's ankle is still very swollen and he can't travel very far in a car/truck, etc. See??? If we had a motor home he could just go lay on the bed and I could drive (since I have to anyway). We still have no idea how long he will be layed up (pardon the pun) so I am taking my sweet time loading. The ankle is still very swollen and sore. I know what that feels like since I broke my LEFT ankle this winter...however, it didn't really seem to slow me down much. So I have to think that a sprain must be more painful.

At any rate...we are still here in Tucson. I am enjoying the weather tremendously, we have even had a couple of short rain/thunder storms which I LOVE!

Last Friday we had our annual "Al's birthday and our Farewell" party here. Al barbequed about a million ribs (at least it looked like it!) and we had good friends over to help him celebrate his birthday.

So until we can wroll....we are the un-wroamin' wraspirs!

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