From our daily log...
June 17 Testlin, YK
We got out of Toad River about 10:30 this morning after having breakfast in the cafe and saying goodbye to everyone who was so nice to us. It kinda’ felt like we were leaving old friends!
Fueled in Watson Lake and had lunch there around 3:00 p.m. We really had a head wind today, and a very curvy road.
Stopped for the night at Dawson Peak RV Park, 8 miles south of Teslin. Nice park, but lots and lots of mosquitos! We finally had the stew I cooked a couple of days ago for dinner, then Cortney and I took a walk with the dogs to the lake and back. Not sure what lake this is.
We are seeing lots and lots of RV’s. I would say 10 RV’s to 1 car/truck. There are lots of RV parks along the way and so far we haven't had any trouble finding one. I did make reservations for our RV park last night as we wanted a pull through (quit laughing Jeannette!) and I am glad I did, we got the last one! This place we are in says it is famous for it’s homemade Rhubarb pie, so of course we bought a piece, but haven't tried it yet as we were all too full.
The guy parked next to us is from LA, and is retired LA City Fireman. Of course, I had to ask if he knew Dan, but he didn’t – he retired 14 years ago!
Critter count: 1 bear, 1 deer and 2 wild buffalo!
June 18, 2006 Happy Fathers Day!
We are still having trouble getting used to the daylight hours. It was still very sunny and bright at midnight (land of the midnight sun!). I woke up at 2:30 and it was kind of dusk…then I woke up a t 4:00 a.m and it was bright and sunny again!
The dogs and I took a walk to the lake again this morning. It’s a nice walk and they could get off the leash for a while, until another man walking his dog started down the road…then I leashed up the boys and it was a good thing I did, they really didn’t like this other dog. First time I have seen that!
We left Dawson Peak Campground at 9:15 this morning Stopped for fuel in Teslin at 3.61 a gallon. We are beginning to consider that cheap! Al fueled in Ft. Nelson at $4.34 per gallon! OUCH! Then at Watson Lake it was cheaper, it was $3.91 a gallon.
Teslin Lake is so pretty … but then every lake up here seems to be! I just realized we haven't seen any Caribou yet…well, let me rephrase that, and LIVE caribou. We did see a dead one along the road yesterday. Right now as I write this we are between Teslin and Whitehorse. We will stop in Whitehorse to get some groceries…we are running low or out of a few things.
After stopping in Whitehorse for groceries, we were pulling out of the parking lot and guess who we ran into AGAIN! Yup, Don Miller, my ex! Apparently the U.S. is big enough for us not to run into each other, but Canada isn’t! He had been in Whitehorse for 3 days fishing and was heading towards Seward….and we aren’t!
We had lunch at Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ House…great halibut fish and chips. We tried to go to the Edgewater, however, since they serve liquor, you had to be 19 to get in and we couldn’t get in with Cortney. Finally let Whitehorse around 2:00 p.m.
Stopped in Haines Junction for fuel and an ice cream. Road is still pretty good, some frost heaves, but not bad. Drove along side Lake Kluane (pronounced Klew-aw-nee) –lots of road construction. We were stopped for over 10 minutes. Fortnately, this is a beautiful, blue green lake, so the view was great. We finally arrived at Cottonwood RV Park, 16 miles south of Destruction Bay for the night. BIG MISTAKE! First of all, it was the most expensive RV park we have had so far. Granted, it was right on the lake, however, they have no electricity, so everything is ran off generator and we only had 15 amp service. Secondly, because of the bear problem, you have to take your own trash out with you when you leave and dispose of it elsewhere. And there were more mosquitos here than anywhere else we have been! Fortunately, I had bought some heavy duty, what the locals wear, mosquito repellant and it worked well. On the plus side, the showers were very clean and lots of hot water and they were free! Most other places the showers were either metered (25 cents a minute) or $2.00 per shower. We bbq’d pork steaks for dinner along with a baked potato and asparagus. Cortney and Al watched a movie, Jo read and the dogs slept in the evening. Very windy and cold at night….brrrr!
Critter count: 1 porcupine, 2 deer and a coyote.
June 19, 2006
We left Cottonwood around 10:30 this morning after a leisurely morning. Some road construction to Destruction Bay. After that pretty bad road with lots and lots of frost heaves and rough patches, travel is very slow…..about 40 mph at the most. Cool today.
After crossing back into the USA at about 1:00 p.m. we finally arrived at Tok, Alaska at 3:00 p.m. Since it was still early, we decided to go on to GlenAllen, AK on the Tok Highway Cutoff. Now, this road was destroyed 4 years ago by an earthquake. Apparently, they are slow at road repairs…we drove 87 miles of HELL…the road was gravel and very slow and rough and a lot of frost heaves…frost heaves are wonderful things! If you have never experienced them, they are road heaves…that’s the only way I can explain it. It was very dirty and muddy in spots as well…our white trailer is now brown, as is our black truck! It will take a lot of work to get rid of the grime! We finally arrived in Glenallen at around 8:00 p.m. Alaska time (1 hour behind PDT). At the first campground we stopped at they were completely full…oh oh….however, about a mile down the road we found another campground…well, it is a place with somewhat level spots and full hookups…I can’t really call it a campground, but it does have WIFI service!
One we looked in the trailer, it looked like someone picked it up, turned it over and shook it…what a mess. Also, the camper wasn’t in much better shape. However, since we will be in Anchorage tomorrow, we will leave the mess until we get settled.
Critter count: 1 beaver
Monday, June 19, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Still in Toad lake
Toad Lake, BC June 14, 2006
We are still here. I just talked to Al in Ft. Nelson and the part for the truck won't be in until tomorrow afternoon and he should be back here tomorrow evening. With any luck we will be back on the road by Friday.
The tow to Ft. Nelson cost $500....yikes! That's like 3 tanks of gas! Thank goodness we have insurance to cover that.
Today Cortney and I did laundry, cleaned the camper and trailer and hooked up the TV to satellite service. At least here we have Satellite TV and Internet. We are parked close to the laundry and restrooms and they just hooked up the Internet in the laundry room today.
There is a forest fire burning across the lake and ridge from us. We can see the smoke and we just hope the wind doesn't change,....that won't be good if it does. We haven't heard any planes or helicopters dumping water on it yet either. It makes the sun that weird color of red...fire red.
Tomorrow cortney and I plan on taking a short walk. We are still seeing a lot of moose in the lake and enjoying just sitting out side and enjoying the scenery and watching the mosquitos eat me! I have on the strongest deet they sell and I am still getting bit! I GIVE UP>
More later..............................
Al & Jo
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
We are still here. I just talked to Al in Ft. Nelson and the part for the truck won't be in until tomorrow afternoon and he should be back here tomorrow evening. With any luck we will be back on the road by Friday.
The tow to Ft. Nelson cost $500....yikes! That's like 3 tanks of gas! Thank goodness we have insurance to cover that.
Today Cortney and I did laundry, cleaned the camper and trailer and hooked up the TV to satellite service. At least here we have Satellite TV and Internet. We are parked close to the laundry and restrooms and they just hooked up the Internet in the laundry room today.
There is a forest fire burning across the lake and ridge from us. We can see the smoke and we just hope the wind doesn't change,....that won't be good if it does. We haven't heard any planes or helicopters dumping water on it yet either. It makes the sun that weird color of red...fire red.
Tomorrow cortney and I plan on taking a short walk. We are still seeing a lot of moose in the lake and enjoying just sitting out side and enjoying the scenery and watching the mosquitos eat me! I have on the strongest deet they sell and I am still getting bit! I GIVE UP>
More later..............................
Al & Jo
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
Dawson Creek to Toad River
Hello All....
We are currently in Toad River, BC, population 100 or less. And by the looks of it, we will be here a couple of days. But let me start at the beginning of yesterday.
We left Dawson Creek and made our way to Ft. Nelson. Saw 6 deer, 2 black bear (one was a cub) and a healthy coyote. Got into Ft. Nelson and decided to stay at a motel last night....a break from the camper. All of us got a good nights sleep and the dogs got a good run last night, so they slept well, too.
This morning we went to breakfast, then filled up with diesel at $3.94 a gallon!!! Yikes, the most we have paid so far. And back on the road....drove through some beautiful scenery, and after about an hour on the road, we began smelling raw diesel fuel. Hmmm....but since we were going up and down we thought maybe it was just a bit of an overflow from fueling. But then it started to really smell and the gas gage was sinking fast! About 50 miles out of Toad River (the nearest place in the middle of nowhere).....we kept on going to Toad River. Now, Toad River consist of a gas station, Cafe, Cabins, RV park and an emergency air strip. We get out of the truck and look under it and diesel fuel is POURING out! Our $3.94 per gallon diesel fuel! ARRGGG! I wanted to get a bucket and catch it! We asked if there was a mechanic here and yes, there was. He came out, looked and looked, and looked, scratched his head, and looked some more! Finally found that the fuel was leaking from the place where the fuel lines split into the injectors (I think)...anyway, he couldn't fix it. He called a tow truck from Ft. Nelson to come get the truck. In the mean time (it took over 3 hours for the tow truck to get here) we unhitched the trailer, took the camper off and and settled in for a day or two. Well, at least Cortney and I settled in here....Al went with the truck back to Ft. Nelson (122 miles back!) We are hoping it will get fixed tomorrow, but if they have to order parts it may be Thursday before we are back on the road.
While we were eating lunch here this afternoon, an RV pulled in and this man came in the cafe. I about choked on my water....it was Don Miller, my ex-husband! Now, I ask you, what are the chances???? He is on his way to Alaska as well....but stopping at the same place?
Strange things do happen.
In the mean time, the people here are so nice to us and very accommodating. The cafe has great food (Cortney and I had dinner here tonight) and have a satellite Internet hookup and satellite TV! If only Cortney and I can figure out how to hook it up! We are parked with a great view of the mountains, a lake and today saw 7 moose (yes, I GOT TO SEE MOOSE -- more than one!) feeding in the lake. Of course the mosquitos are as big as horses and my new cologne is DEET...unfortunately, it doesn't stop these mosquitos! They are a hearty bunch!
By the way, before I forget to mention this again.....the rock and roll has finally been removed from the truck and camper and I am no longer hanging my head out the window turning green from motion sickness! THANK YOU SUN COUNTRY RV!
We did see 17 stone sheep on the way to Toad River...one was a baby! We also saw two buck deer this morning. Al was salivating!
Ted and Shirley, you will remember Toad River...it's the cafe we stopped at that has all the caps on the ceiling...over 6887 of them! Pretty cool!
So, until next time.....we are the
STUCK, UNWROAMIN' WRASPIRS
Al, jO, cORTNEY AND VARIOUS ANIMALS!
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
We are currently in Toad River, BC, population 100 or less. And by the looks of it, we will be here a couple of days. But let me start at the beginning of yesterday.
We left Dawson Creek and made our way to Ft. Nelson. Saw 6 deer, 2 black bear (one was a cub) and a healthy coyote. Got into Ft. Nelson and decided to stay at a motel last night....a break from the camper. All of us got a good nights sleep and the dogs got a good run last night, so they slept well, too.
This morning we went to breakfast, then filled up with diesel at $3.94 a gallon!!! Yikes, the most we have paid so far. And back on the road....drove through some beautiful scenery, and after about an hour on the road, we began smelling raw diesel fuel. Hmmm....but since we were going up and down we thought maybe it was just a bit of an overflow from fueling. But then it started to really smell and the gas gage was sinking fast! About 50 miles out of Toad River (the nearest place in the middle of nowhere).....we kept on going to Toad River. Now, Toad River consist of a gas station, Cafe, Cabins, RV park and an emergency air strip. We get out of the truck and look under it and diesel fuel is POURING out! Our $3.94 per gallon diesel fuel! ARRGGG! I wanted to get a bucket and catch it! We asked if there was a mechanic here and yes, there was. He came out, looked and looked, and looked, scratched his head, and looked some more! Finally found that the fuel was leaking from the place where the fuel lines split into the injectors (I think)...anyway, he couldn't fix it. He called a tow truck from Ft. Nelson to come get the truck. In the mean time (it took over 3 hours for the tow truck to get here) we unhitched the trailer, took the camper off and and settled in for a day or two. Well, at least Cortney and I settled in here....Al went with the truck back to Ft. Nelson (122 miles back!) We are hoping it will get fixed tomorrow, but if they have to order parts it may be Thursday before we are back on the road.
While we were eating lunch here this afternoon, an RV pulled in and this man came in the cafe. I about choked on my water....it was Don Miller, my ex-husband! Now, I ask you, what are the chances???? He is on his way to Alaska as well....but stopping at the same place?
Strange things do happen.
In the mean time, the people here are so nice to us and very accommodating. The cafe has great food (Cortney and I had dinner here tonight) and have a satellite Internet hookup and satellite TV! If only Cortney and I can figure out how to hook it up! We are parked with a great view of the mountains, a lake and today saw 7 moose (yes, I GOT TO SEE MOOSE -- more than one!) feeding in the lake. Of course the mosquitos are as big as horses and my new cologne is DEET...unfortunately, it doesn't stop these mosquitos! They are a hearty bunch!
By the way, before I forget to mention this again.....the rock and roll has finally been removed from the truck and camper and I am no longer hanging my head out the window turning green from motion sickness! THANK YOU SUN COUNTRY RV!
We did see 17 stone sheep on the way to Toad River...one was a baby! We also saw two buck deer this morning. Al was salivating!
Ted and Shirley, you will remember Toad River...it's the cafe we stopped at that has all the caps on the ceiling...over 6887 of them! Pretty cool!
So, until next time.....we are the
STUCK, UNWROAMIN' WRASPIRS
Al, jO, cORTNEY AND VARIOUS ANIMALS!
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
Odessa to Dawson Creek
From our daily log)
Alaska 2006
June 9
Left Odessa around 2:30 P.M. Stopped in Omak at Walmart for a few supplies, mainly mosquito spray…we are heading into the land of Mosquitos….GIANT mosquitos. Crossed the border into Canada at Oroville at 6:00 p.m. It was a little wait in line and we had rain. Finally stopped for the night in Osoyoos, BC at NK’Mip Campground. It was a nice campground, right on the Osoyoos Lake. However, it rained all night. We decided instead of cooking we would go to the Elks for dinner. We hauled the camper and trailer over to the Elks only to find out no food was served, it was Bingo night! They recommended the Diamond Steak House and it was very good. The steak house was also a Greek restaurant, and while Al had prime rib and Cortney had Chicken Parmesan , I had Mousaka, which was the best I have had since being in Greece! YUM!
Critter count: 1 deer in WA
June 10, 2006
Left Osoyoos around 10:45 a.m. --- we all slept until 8:30! Even the dogs and cats! I think we were tired. And, while I think of it, all animals are on this trip, included Jose! It rained all night, pitter-patter on the roof, sounds like popcorn popping when you are in a camper. Headed north on Hwy 97. This is absolutely beautiful country…lots of lakes and mountains. Took Hwy 97C from just south of Kelowna to Merritt, BC…very high pass and beautiful. Fueled in Penticton, at $3.66 per gal for diesel, which is cheaper than regular gas! OUCH! Rain off and on to Merritt. Had a horrible lunch at Woods Restaurant in Merritt…won’t do that one again! After lunch I took over driving…narrow and curvy roads to Cache Creek then we hit Hwy 97, nice road. Lots of wild flowers along side the road, lupine and black eyed Susan’s. We also saw a moose and 2 deer today. The moose was in the middle of a green field eating….she was very big and a dark brown color. Needless to say, I was very excited. We are in Clinton BC tonight at the Gold Trail Campground…same one we stayed at 3 years ago. Had dinner at the restaurant here…they guy who owns the campground and restaurant is a real character. Rain finally quit and it was very nice to sit outside and have a drink and relax. Cortney and I played ball with the Poodles and the cats got to get out on their leashes. Jose loves to get out (go figure) but Juanito could care less.
We only traveled 233 miles today…we must get going earlier and travel a little more miles if we plan to make Alaska this year!
June 11, 2006
We left at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Hwy 97 is the “Gold Rush Trail”….I can’t imagine traveling this route years ago during the gold rush. We stopped in 100 Mile House for fuel (3.44 this time) and did a grocery stop at Safeway. It’s fun to check out the different brands they carry. And Cortney was amazed that a lot of the items are in English and French.
Saw a deer just north of 100 mile house. Weather is perfect….blue sky with some clouds, temperature is in the high 70’s.
Stopped at McLeese Lake and had a picnic lunch next to the lake. The weather is beautiful, about 75 degrees. Met a couple from Scotland here. They were traveling from Vancouver, BC to Prince Rupert, then back to Vancouver Island.
Arrived in Prince George to early to stop for the day. We fueled up and then headed on, relying on our trusty travel guide book “The Milepost” as it said there were campgrounds along the way. Which was right, however, either they weren’t open or had no water and electric.
About 80 miles south of Chetwyne we came across a pickup and boat stopped dead in front of us, there were two motorhomes we were following, they managed to get around the pickup, however, we were met with a huge truck coming the other way---we couldn’t stop as we came up on this hazard so quickly, (he was on a curve) but we managed to get by him and the on-coming truck pulled right to help us get by. WHEW! Then, about 70 miles south of Chetwyne, we were approaching a bridge crossing a creek, the on-coming car was stopped on a curve to let a duck and her babies cross the road….however, the car behind them couldn’t stop, swerved into our lane…Al did some real good driving here, he missed the oncoming car and the bridge abutment by inches. Needless to say we were glad the motorhomes had pulled off about a mile before this, or we would have all been in an ugly situation. Our hearts were beating pretty fast after this! People who stop IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR DUCKS ON A CURVE ARE BLOODY IDIOTS! We finally stopped about 10 miles south of Chetwynd at Caron Creek RV.; By the time we stopped it was 7:00 pm and we had traveled 428 miles.
Critter count: 1 deer and 2 squirrels and 1 dead duck and ducklings
June 12, 2006
Left campground at 8:30 am and stopped in Chetwynd for breakfast. We are now approaching Dawson Creek and we will begin the Alaska Highway (ALCAN)…from Dawon Creek to Tok, Alaska, 1280 miles. Beautful weather and scenry.
Al & Jo
Cortney, Juanito, Jose, Schuster and Beau
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
Alaska 2006
June 9
Left Odessa around 2:30 P.M. Stopped in Omak at Walmart for a few supplies, mainly mosquito spray…we are heading into the land of Mosquitos….GIANT mosquitos. Crossed the border into Canada at Oroville at 6:00 p.m. It was a little wait in line and we had rain. Finally stopped for the night in Osoyoos, BC at NK’Mip Campground. It was a nice campground, right on the Osoyoos Lake. However, it rained all night. We decided instead of cooking we would go to the Elks for dinner. We hauled the camper and trailer over to the Elks only to find out no food was served, it was Bingo night! They recommended the Diamond Steak House and it was very good. The steak house was also a Greek restaurant, and while Al had prime rib and Cortney had Chicken Parmesan , I had Mousaka, which was the best I have had since being in Greece! YUM!
Critter count: 1 deer in WA
June 10, 2006
Left Osoyoos around 10:45 a.m. --- we all slept until 8:30! Even the dogs and cats! I think we were tired. And, while I think of it, all animals are on this trip, included Jose! It rained all night, pitter-patter on the roof, sounds like popcorn popping when you are in a camper. Headed north on Hwy 97. This is absolutely beautiful country…lots of lakes and mountains. Took Hwy 97C from just south of Kelowna to Merritt, BC…very high pass and beautiful. Fueled in Penticton, at $3.66 per gal for diesel, which is cheaper than regular gas! OUCH! Rain off and on to Merritt. Had a horrible lunch at Woods Restaurant in Merritt…won’t do that one again! After lunch I took over driving…narrow and curvy roads to Cache Creek then we hit Hwy 97, nice road. Lots of wild flowers along side the road, lupine and black eyed Susan’s. We also saw a moose and 2 deer today. The moose was in the middle of a green field eating….she was very big and a dark brown color. Needless to say, I was very excited. We are in Clinton BC tonight at the Gold Trail Campground…same one we stayed at 3 years ago. Had dinner at the restaurant here…they guy who owns the campground and restaurant is a real character. Rain finally quit and it was very nice to sit outside and have a drink and relax. Cortney and I played ball with the Poodles and the cats got to get out on their leashes. Jose loves to get out (go figure) but Juanito could care less.
We only traveled 233 miles today…we must get going earlier and travel a little more miles if we plan to make Alaska this year!
June 11, 2006
We left at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Hwy 97 is the “Gold Rush Trail”….I can’t imagine traveling this route years ago during the gold rush. We stopped in 100 Mile House for fuel (3.44 this time) and did a grocery stop at Safeway. It’s fun to check out the different brands they carry. And Cortney was amazed that a lot of the items are in English and French.
Saw a deer just north of 100 mile house. Weather is perfect….blue sky with some clouds, temperature is in the high 70’s.
Stopped at McLeese Lake and had a picnic lunch next to the lake. The weather is beautiful, about 75 degrees. Met a couple from Scotland here. They were traveling from Vancouver, BC to Prince Rupert, then back to Vancouver Island.
Arrived in Prince George to early to stop for the day. We fueled up and then headed on, relying on our trusty travel guide book “The Milepost” as it said there were campgrounds along the way. Which was right, however, either they weren’t open or had no water and electric.
About 80 miles south of Chetwyne we came across a pickup and boat stopped dead in front of us, there were two motorhomes we were following, they managed to get around the pickup, however, we were met with a huge truck coming the other way---we couldn’t stop as we came up on this hazard so quickly, (he was on a curve) but we managed to get by him and the on-coming truck pulled right to help us get by. WHEW! Then, about 70 miles south of Chetwyne, we were approaching a bridge crossing a creek, the on-coming car was stopped on a curve to let a duck and her babies cross the road….however, the car behind them couldn’t stop, swerved into our lane…Al did some real good driving here, he missed the oncoming car and the bridge abutment by inches. Needless to say we were glad the motorhomes had pulled off about a mile before this, or we would have all been in an ugly situation. Our hearts were beating pretty fast after this! People who stop IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR DUCKS ON A CURVE ARE BLOODY IDIOTS! We finally stopped about 10 miles south of Chetwynd at Caron Creek RV.; By the time we stopped it was 7:00 pm and we had traveled 428 miles.
Critter count: 1 deer and 2 squirrels and 1 dead duck and ducklings
June 12, 2006
Left campground at 8:30 am and stopped in Chetwynd for breakfast. We are now approaching Dawson Creek and we will begin the Alaska Highway (ALCAN)…from Dawon Creek to Tok, Alaska, 1280 miles. Beautful weather and scenry.
Al & Jo
Cortney, Juanito, Jose, Schuster and Beau
http://wroamin.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Alaska or Bust?
And we are off....well almost. We have a few minor details to take care of but we are trying to be heading north sometime on Friday. Have all the "house sitters" in place, the cats and dogs have their beds and food dishes packed and hopefully we will take BOTH cats this time! In other words, we are just about ready to make our trek north to Alaska. We figure it will take us eight days, just like the last time to go from here to Anchorage. However, knowing us, it could take a bit longer. We like to stop and see things along the way and we have no idea how much road construction we will encounter along the way. There are two seasons in the great north of BC and Yukon, winter and road construction!
I am armed with the required mosquito repellant....industrial strength size! The mosquitos are as big as house boats up there! The pets have been to the v-e-t to get their shots and health certificates, so I can't think of much more we have to do before leaving. Oh wait, I still have to load the food (and if you know Al, there will be a lot loaded!!) The camper is almost packed to capacity, the trailer getting very full, so we have to be close to being ready to leave! NO MORE ROOM!
I am beginning to feel like all I do any more is pack, unpack, repeat! I swear I just finished unpacking....oh, right, I did! We have been home less than a month and we are off again! Never let it be said we let an grass grow under our feet!
Since my last blog, we have been busy bee's. We had company for a week from Tucson. We took them on the requisite trip to Seattle where they enjoyed the Space Needle, Pikes Place, and downtown. We enjoyed the doctor and dentist office! We did do the Boeing Tour with them and must say, I was very impressed. I have been away so long a lot has changed and the new 787 sounds like it is going to be wonderful! Wonder how they are going to move those engines???? The old Traffic coming out in me? Nope, I am done with that life!
The weather around these parts has been strange, very hot one week, very cold the next and rain, rain, rain! The last few days have been a mixed bag of rain, wind, sun, heat, cold, you name it!
Cortney, is here and is going with us to Alaska. Now, how do I explain Cortney's relationship to us? Well, Cortney is actually Al's 2nd cousin...I think. I get the cousin's way too confused. Anyway, she is daughter of Bruce and Al's cousin (1st cousin once removed) Holly. The live about a mile from us in Tucson and we are very fortunate to have them as not only relatives, but close friends. Cortney is 15 and a truly wonderful young lady. AND, on the 22nd of June, Granddaughter Cammie will be joining us in ALaska for 3 weeks as well. Cammie is 16, so I will have two teenage girls on my hands....and no, I am not questioning my sanity....yet.
We have had some sad new since our last blog, AL's Auntie Anne (Cortney's great grandmother) died last month. She was AL's fathers sister and lived to be 96, almost 97. We have visited with her in South Dakota almost every year since retiring. She was such a wonderful lady and we will miss her.
When we bought our trailer in Alaska everyone said they were coming up to visit. At first we were booked solid for the summer, and as of today, NO ONE IS COMING! Everyone (Including Dan and Billie) have bailed on us! WELL!
Never the less, we are on our way tomorrow. AL has the garden in (yes, he planted tomatoes, and we have a caretaker for the garden) and I think everything is ready to go. Al seems a little hesitant to go, which I can understand since he has been having problems with his back and knees again. I can only hope it gets better, or we may be back sooner than planned. THe plan is to be in Alaska about 2 months, pestering my brother, nephew and niece and spending time at our place on the Kenai River, near Sterling Alaska. We will be on our cell phone once we reach Alaska (but now while in Canada) and we will try to check email every night. Let us hear from you!
So until next time.....adios,ciao, auf Wiedersehen or so long, or what ever. We are once again...
THE WROAMIN' WRASPIRS AND ONE SANDERSON
AL, JO JUANITO, JOSE, SCHUSTER, BEAU AND CORTNEY!
(See, Juanito got first billing this time!!)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Water, no Water?
I feel as if I am playing that game show "Deal, No Deal?" with our water in the house...."Water, No Water?" But I am getting ahead of myself. Like I said in my last blog, we arrived home and after figuring out where and how to turn the water on, we were in business! WATER! Well, that is until last night. Last night was just plain weird...all night. IT was a hot day yesterday, and kind of cloudy all day. Around 6:00 it started to blow and we got a few drops of rain. Then, we had a thunder storm that lasted over 2 hours of rumbling and rain. A nice rain that makes the wheat farmers here very happy. About 9:30 p.m. we lost power. Total blackness --and this house is DARK. Hmmm...where are the flashlights? After a scramble and stumble over a couple of dogs, I found one flashlight. And then located the candles. We sat in the dark for about 45 minutes, then decided to go to bed. Just as we were drifting off to sleep the power came back on and every light in the house was on! We got up and turned off lights and went back to bed, thinking we were going to have a good nights sleep. But, it was not to be. At 1:30 a.m. we were jolted awake with a "POP" then the sound of gushing water (sounded like Niagara Falls under the house). Now what????? We climb out of bed, put on some shoes and go looking for the cause of the noise. We discovered a water leak under the house...gushing water. Now, haven't we been here before? What the he--????? Oh, by the way, it was raining outside as well. I go out and locate the water shut off valve (the very same one I couldn't find last week...I am becoming way to familiar with it now), shut the water off and think "plumber, first thing in the morning." We get back in bed, start to drift off, when a thought goes through my very soggy brain, "Water heater?" Al, do you think we should turn off the water heater? Yup! So back up out of bed and back into our shoes and back outside in the rain to turn off the water heater. GRRRR! Finally, back to bed...only by then I was wide awake and a million thoughts going through my brain. I finally was lulled back to sleep by the rain about 4:30 a.m. We called our plumber this morning and he came out and discovered the source of the problem, a fitting had popped off one of the connections. Sure hope we don't have to make a habit of this! At least we now have water again. And we sure are sleepy today!
Since getting home we have been busy, just getting unpacked, (well, kinda' getting unpacked -- have several things that are taking up permanent residency in the trailer right now) cleaning the 6 months of dust and dirt out of the house, and trying to get ready for company at the end of the month. And then throw in a couple of trips to Moses Lake for supplies for the garden and house, etc. Actually, when I look back on the last week, we have packed a lot into it! And, here I felt I hadn't done anything!!! And it has been hot here....not just mildly warm, I am talking record breaking heat. 97 one day, 96 the next. This is May, right???? Feels like Tucson, looks like Odessa! I am confused. (no comments from the peanut gallery) And the S-s-s-n-n-n-a-a-a-k-k-k-e-e-ssssssssssssssss are out! Our neighbor up on the hill killed two (yup, TWO) rattlers on Thursday. GULP! On our way to Moses Lake yesterday I saw three dead snakes (the way snakes are suppose to be) on the road. So, I am really on high snake alert!
The truck and camper are at Sun Country RV getting the rocking and rolling taken out of them! Also a few minor maintenance things taken care of so that part will be ready for our big trip to Alaska next month. I have piles everywhere of Alaska bound stuff -- plus some stuff in the garage we will have to load before we leave. I am beginning to feel like I am in the moving business....oh wait, I AM in the moving business! From Odessa to Tucson; Tucson to Odessa, and repeat....and now throw Alaska in the mix! No wonder I never know where anything is...and I attributed that to my age!
Al is busy planning his garden. He got the rotatiller out Thursday and tried to start it and of course, it would start, but wouldn't stay running (I think these things get together during the winter and plan out revenge on us.) So the rotatiller is in for repair, then hopefully, he will get the garden in. Garden, you say??? Aren't you gone for the summer? YUP, but some how, some way, we will still have a garden...thanks mostly to the wonderful people who water our lawn for us while we are gone...they also get the garden. But this year, they will also share in the crops from the garden, which will mainly be, yup, you guessed it, tomatoes. Anyone who knows Al knows that tomatoes are his favorite. There will also be some zucchini planted....just for fun!
Well, that just about brings us up-to-date for now. The dogs and cats are loving their wroaming space....and the dogs LOVE the grass. Whoopee...nice, soft, green, grass to play on! The cats are on mice patrol outside and climbing the trees...yipee, these trees don't have stickers and bite! Hope they enjoy their freedom, because come next month, it's back into the camper and off we go again!
For now, we hope you are all happy and healthy and enjoying life. Until next time...Happy Trails to you.
The UNWroamin' Wraspirs,
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Jose, Juanito
Since getting home we have been busy, just getting unpacked, (well, kinda' getting unpacked -- have several things that are taking up permanent residency in the trailer right now) cleaning the 6 months of dust and dirt out of the house, and trying to get ready for company at the end of the month. And then throw in a couple of trips to Moses Lake for supplies for the garden and house, etc. Actually, when I look back on the last week, we have packed a lot into it! And, here I felt I hadn't done anything!!! And it has been hot here....not just mildly warm, I am talking record breaking heat. 97 one day, 96 the next. This is May, right???? Feels like Tucson, looks like Odessa! I am confused. (no comments from the peanut gallery) And the S-s-s-n-n-n-a-a-a-k-k-k-e-e-ssssssssssssssss are out! Our neighbor up on the hill killed two (yup, TWO) rattlers on Thursday. GULP! On our way to Moses Lake yesterday I saw three dead snakes (the way snakes are suppose to be) on the road. So, I am really on high snake alert!
The truck and camper are at Sun Country RV getting the rocking and rolling taken out of them! Also a few minor maintenance things taken care of so that part will be ready for our big trip to Alaska next month. I have piles everywhere of Alaska bound stuff -- plus some stuff in the garage we will have to load before we leave. I am beginning to feel like I am in the moving business....oh wait, I AM in the moving business! From Odessa to Tucson; Tucson to Odessa, and repeat....and now throw Alaska in the mix! No wonder I never know where anything is...and I attributed that to my age!
Al is busy planning his garden. He got the rotatiller out Thursday and tried to start it and of course, it would start, but wouldn't stay running (I think these things get together during the winter and plan out revenge on us.) So the rotatiller is in for repair, then hopefully, he will get the garden in. Garden, you say??? Aren't you gone for the summer? YUP, but some how, some way, we will still have a garden...thanks mostly to the wonderful people who water our lawn for us while we are gone...they also get the garden. But this year, they will also share in the crops from the garden, which will mainly be, yup, you guessed it, tomatoes. Anyone who knows Al knows that tomatoes are his favorite. There will also be some zucchini planted....just for fun!
Well, that just about brings us up-to-date for now. The dogs and cats are loving their wroaming space....and the dogs LOVE the grass. Whoopee...nice, soft, green, grass to play on! The cats are on mice patrol outside and climbing the trees...yipee, these trees don't have stickers and bite! Hope they enjoy their freedom, because come next month, it's back into the camper and off we go again!
For now, we hope you are all happy and healthy and enjoying life. Until next time...Happy Trails to you.
The UNWroamin' Wraspirs,
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Jose, Juanito
Friday, May 12, 2006
ODESSA, FINALLY!
May 12, Happy 17th Birthday Victor!!!!
We are finally in Odessa! We got home last night around 10:30p.m. All of us tumbled out of the truck/camper (for the cats -- and yes, Ted, Juanito made it all the way!!!) and the dogs ran and ran, we wandered to the house. We were almost incoherent we were so tired. But I am getting ahead of myself here!
We finally got out of Utah on Wednesday....we were beginning to think we had taken up residence there! We made it to Twin Falls, Idaho before stopping. The truck and camper weren't rocking so bad after having the shocks turned up to the highest they would go and the tire pressure a pretty much the highest we dared! However, the wind is not our friend and it was with us all the way up I-15, blowing, of course, across the road. Al's shoulders and back hurt just from holding on to the steering wheel so tight! We finally stopped at another KOA (now, this is unusual for us, we usually avoid KOA's, or Keep On Adding as we call them, as we have had some bad experiences in the past with them) and this one was very nice as well. The wind stopped blowing after we stopped, so we sat outside and just relaxed.
Yesterday we got on the road about 10:00 a.m. and decided we would probably go to Pendleton, Oregon and then stop. The wind was still with us and it was getting a little on the cool side as well. Still lots and lots of snow on the mountains all the way up through Utah, Idaho and Oregon. We reached Pendleton at 4:30 and decided to heck with it, lets go on to Richland/Kenniwick/Pasco. Well, once there, we were only 100 miles from home....so we decided to just go home. But, not before a stop at a Home Depot for toilet seats (we have new toilets in Odessa, but no seats?) and then a stop at Costco for needed supplies. After that and a quick bit to eat we hit the road at 8:30 p.m., hoping the wind would have died down, but no luck, it was blowing just as hard! MAKE IT STOP!
Now, we are home, anxious for a good nights rest. I come in the house and flip on the water faucet and get NOTHING! NO WATER??? What the??? Then I remembered Denise had said the water was turned off under the house. What I didn't remember is where the new shut off valve was and how to turn it on! And I wasn't about to go looking for it at 11:00 p.m. (remember, there are snakes here...and they could just be waiting for me!!) At this point, we were so tired, we didn't care. We went to bed! No dogs in bed with us either.....well, Beau tried, but was quickly put back in his bed! The cats even stayed out of bed....I have no idea where they slept, nor did I care!
Up this morning, refreshed and ready to tackle the day. The damn wind is still blowing a minor hurricane outside. Al took the dogs for a walk and he said they ran until he thought he was going to have to carry them home. I walked over to where the T-Bird was stored and brought it home, after picking up 2+ weeks of mail. I sat down and went through the mail and Al installed toilet seats. YEAH! IT takes very little to make me happy anymore apparently! Oh, and the very first thing we did was turn on the water! Water....we have water! Thanks again Denise and Gordon....wonderful job! Haven't gotten much more accomplished today. We both decided to take it easy today and tackle unloading/unpacking tomorrow. I have a lot I want to do before our company gets here at the end of the month, but I don't know how much I will get done. I seem to have a lot of ideas of what I want to get done, but the mind is willing and the body says "NO WAY!"
We are both glad this trip is over! As I sit here I see storm clouds gathering to the north of us....but if the weather holds true to pattern, they will pass to the north of us and we will get no rain. Good thing, we have things scattered from here to there and I don't feel like hauling them in!
IF you are in the Odessa area, stop in. We may be here! We plan on leaving for Alaska probably around June 6-7ish. Of course, that is just the plan. We could leave earlier, or later, we finally, after all of these years, have discovered we leave when we leave!
So, until next time.....happy trailers, er, trails, to you.
The Wroamin' Wraspirs,
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Jose and Juanito (pffttt to you Ted from Juanito!)
We are finally in Odessa! We got home last night around 10:30p.m. All of us tumbled out of the truck/camper (for the cats -- and yes, Ted, Juanito made it all the way!!!) and the dogs ran and ran, we wandered to the house. We were almost incoherent we were so tired. But I am getting ahead of myself here!
We finally got out of Utah on Wednesday....we were beginning to think we had taken up residence there! We made it to Twin Falls, Idaho before stopping. The truck and camper weren't rocking so bad after having the shocks turned up to the highest they would go and the tire pressure a pretty much the highest we dared! However, the wind is not our friend and it was with us all the way up I-15, blowing, of course, across the road. Al's shoulders and back hurt just from holding on to the steering wheel so tight! We finally stopped at another KOA (now, this is unusual for us, we usually avoid KOA's, or Keep On Adding as we call them, as we have had some bad experiences in the past with them) and this one was very nice as well. The wind stopped blowing after we stopped, so we sat outside and just relaxed.
Yesterday we got on the road about 10:00 a.m. and decided we would probably go to Pendleton, Oregon and then stop. The wind was still with us and it was getting a little on the cool side as well. Still lots and lots of snow on the mountains all the way up through Utah, Idaho and Oregon. We reached Pendleton at 4:30 and decided to heck with it, lets go on to Richland/Kenniwick/Pasco. Well, once there, we were only 100 miles from home....so we decided to just go home. But, not before a stop at a Home Depot for toilet seats (we have new toilets in Odessa, but no seats?) and then a stop at Costco for needed supplies. After that and a quick bit to eat we hit the road at 8:30 p.m., hoping the wind would have died down, but no luck, it was blowing just as hard! MAKE IT STOP!
Now, we are home, anxious for a good nights rest. I come in the house and flip on the water faucet and get NOTHING! NO WATER??? What the??? Then I remembered Denise had said the water was turned off under the house. What I didn't remember is where the new shut off valve was and how to turn it on! And I wasn't about to go looking for it at 11:00 p.m. (remember, there are snakes here...and they could just be waiting for me!!) At this point, we were so tired, we didn't care. We went to bed! No dogs in bed with us either.....well, Beau tried, but was quickly put back in his bed! The cats even stayed out of bed....I have no idea where they slept, nor did I care!
Up this morning, refreshed and ready to tackle the day. The damn wind is still blowing a minor hurricane outside. Al took the dogs for a walk and he said they ran until he thought he was going to have to carry them home. I walked over to where the T-Bird was stored and brought it home, after picking up 2+ weeks of mail. I sat down and went through the mail and Al installed toilet seats. YEAH! IT takes very little to make me happy anymore apparently! Oh, and the very first thing we did was turn on the water! Water....we have water! Thanks again Denise and Gordon....wonderful job! Haven't gotten much more accomplished today. We both decided to take it easy today and tackle unloading/unpacking tomorrow. I have a lot I want to do before our company gets here at the end of the month, but I don't know how much I will get done. I seem to have a lot of ideas of what I want to get done, but the mind is willing and the body says "NO WAY!"
We are both glad this trip is over! As I sit here I see storm clouds gathering to the north of us....but if the weather holds true to pattern, they will pass to the north of us and we will get no rain. Good thing, we have things scattered from here to there and I don't feel like hauling them in!
IF you are in the Odessa area, stop in. We may be here! We plan on leaving for Alaska probably around June 6-7ish. Of course, that is just the plan. We could leave earlier, or later, we finally, after all of these years, have discovered we leave when we leave!
So, until next time.....happy trailers, er, trails, to you.
The Wroamin' Wraspirs,
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Jose and Juanito (pffttt to you Ted from Juanito!)
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Wroamin' North
May 9,2006 10:30 a.m. Kanab, Utah
You say, “Where in the heck is Kanab, Utah?” Well, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but this is where we are. We left Tucson about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, heading north on our annual trek to Washington. We stopped in Camp Verde, AZ at the “Distant Drums” RV Park for the night. This was a very nice park and had a large area for the dogs to run….which they loved and so did we!
We took off from there yesterday and made it to Flagstaff. We stopped there because, once again, the camper is rocking from side to side when we drive. We had hoped that putting the new shocks on would end this nightmare, and they do help, but it still rocks and Jo gets motion sick! Now, Jo has NEVER had motion sickness….she can usually ride the wildest rollercoaster, rocky seas, worst roads, etc. and be fine. But this movement from side to side makes her sick in an instant. And this is no damn fun! We put more pressure in the tires in Flagstaff and talked to several different mechanic’s and they all scratched their heads and said “I don’t know!” Finally we found a RV place, and they recommended air bag susupension, but of course, they had none in stock and it would be 4 days before they could get to it. So, finally, off we went, and when the rocking starts, we just slow down until it quits and then off we go again. This is kinda’ like going forward, then slow down, and then go again. And it is the strangest thing, sometimes we can go for miles and miles with no problems, then we will hit a patch of road (not necessarily a rough road either) and it will start to rock. We figured we MAY be home for Mothers Day, then again, maybe not!
We made it to Kanab last night….we have a little RV park here we have stayed before and it is really nice. We thought we would stay at Lake Powell at Wahweap, however, they have raised their camping prices to $40 per night…..I DON’T THINK SO! So, we decided to just push on to here. Now, you ask, why aren’t you on the road now? Well, one minor problem. When we stopped yesterday at Wahweap, I noticed the right rear tire had a big crack in the sidewall. So, this morning we found a tire shop, un-hitched the trailer, unloaded the camper, and Al is now getting the spare put on. Nothing is easy anymore! Maybe we will leave Kanab today, and then again, maybe not! It is raining as well, so doing anything outside (like hitching/unhitching, loading/unloading) is miserable. Oh well, so is our life!
We had a nice few days in Tucson before we left. It was getting pretty warm and Al was definitely ready to head north. A friend of ours, Bob Grabow took us to dinner one night at a restaurant called Lil Abners. Now, I have to tell you, we had the best steak we have ever had in a restaurant! Why we haven’t been to this place before is beyond me! We also had dinner one more time at Café Poca Cosa with Jack and Sue Waddick and it was good, but not as great as before. However, the restaurant has just moved into it’s new location and hopefully working out the problems with the new location/moving, etc or, we just hit it on a bad night. It has always been one of our favorites.
The plumbing in the Odessa house is finished, so we can have water when we get home. Thanks to Gordon and Denise at Sun Country RV. I tell you, if you ever need any RV work done, and you are anywhere near Moses Lake, they are the ones. They are also very good friends of ours and we really appreciate their efforts.
A few observations we have made in the last few days. Some rives actually have water in them! Now I know this isn't a revelation to most of you, however,if you live in Arizona, where the rivers usually are dry, it is nice to see rivers with actual water in them! While we were in Missouri we were actually surprised to see water in rivers! We have been in Arizona too long!
Utah is beautiful. Especially around Kanab and the southeast part of the state. Of course, Zion and Bryce Canyon are here, as well as that other big canyon is close by...you know, the Grand Canyon. Lake Powell still needs more water...still really low.
As I finish this blog,(10:00 p.m., mdt) we have managed to get the tire fixed, camper reloaded, trailer hooked up and made a whopping 200 miles today. We are currently in Fillmore Utah in a very, very nice KOA. If you ever are traveling I-15 and need a place to stay in this area, this place is very nice. It has been really windy, and slow going for us today. We did get the shocks turned up (apparently the new shocks have adjustments on them) as high as they would go....and it has helped some with the rocking. But it will be air bag suspension for us before we go to Alaska!!!
The dogs, cats and Al are all in bed, so guess I will close this and join them. We hope this finds you all happy and healthy....until next time, we are,
THE WROAMIN' WRASPIRS
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Juanito and Jose (yes, Jose is with us....)
You say, “Where in the heck is Kanab, Utah?” Well, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but this is where we are. We left Tucson about 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, heading north on our annual trek to Washington. We stopped in Camp Verde, AZ at the “Distant Drums” RV Park for the night. This was a very nice park and had a large area for the dogs to run….which they loved and so did we!
We took off from there yesterday and made it to Flagstaff. We stopped there because, once again, the camper is rocking from side to side when we drive. We had hoped that putting the new shocks on would end this nightmare, and they do help, but it still rocks and Jo gets motion sick! Now, Jo has NEVER had motion sickness….she can usually ride the wildest rollercoaster, rocky seas, worst roads, etc. and be fine. But this movement from side to side makes her sick in an instant. And this is no damn fun! We put more pressure in the tires in Flagstaff and talked to several different mechanic’s and they all scratched their heads and said “I don’t know!” Finally we found a RV place, and they recommended air bag susupension, but of course, they had none in stock and it would be 4 days before they could get to it. So, finally, off we went, and when the rocking starts, we just slow down until it quits and then off we go again. This is kinda’ like going forward, then slow down, and then go again. And it is the strangest thing, sometimes we can go for miles and miles with no problems, then we will hit a patch of road (not necessarily a rough road either) and it will start to rock. We figured we MAY be home for Mothers Day, then again, maybe not!
We made it to Kanab last night….we have a little RV park here we have stayed before and it is really nice. We thought we would stay at Lake Powell at Wahweap, however, they have raised their camping prices to $40 per night…..I DON’T THINK SO! So, we decided to just push on to here. Now, you ask, why aren’t you on the road now? Well, one minor problem. When we stopped yesterday at Wahweap, I noticed the right rear tire had a big crack in the sidewall. So, this morning we found a tire shop, un-hitched the trailer, unloaded the camper, and Al is now getting the spare put on. Nothing is easy anymore! Maybe we will leave Kanab today, and then again, maybe not! It is raining as well, so doing anything outside (like hitching/unhitching, loading/unloading) is miserable. Oh well, so is our life!
We had a nice few days in Tucson before we left. It was getting pretty warm and Al was definitely ready to head north. A friend of ours, Bob Grabow took us to dinner one night at a restaurant called Lil Abners. Now, I have to tell you, we had the best steak we have ever had in a restaurant! Why we haven’t been to this place before is beyond me! We also had dinner one more time at Café Poca Cosa with Jack and Sue Waddick and it was good, but not as great as before. However, the restaurant has just moved into it’s new location and hopefully working out the problems with the new location/moving, etc or, we just hit it on a bad night. It has always been one of our favorites.
The plumbing in the Odessa house is finished, so we can have water when we get home. Thanks to Gordon and Denise at Sun Country RV. I tell you, if you ever need any RV work done, and you are anywhere near Moses Lake, they are the ones. They are also very good friends of ours and we really appreciate their efforts.
A few observations we have made in the last few days. Some rives actually have water in them! Now I know this isn't a revelation to most of you, however,if you live in Arizona, where the rivers usually are dry, it is nice to see rivers with actual water in them! While we were in Missouri we were actually surprised to see water in rivers! We have been in Arizona too long!
Utah is beautiful. Especially around Kanab and the southeast part of the state. Of course, Zion and Bryce Canyon are here, as well as that other big canyon is close by...you know, the Grand Canyon. Lake Powell still needs more water...still really low.
As I finish this blog,(10:00 p.m., mdt) we have managed to get the tire fixed, camper reloaded, trailer hooked up and made a whopping 200 miles today. We are currently in Fillmore Utah in a very, very nice KOA. If you ever are traveling I-15 and need a place to stay in this area, this place is very nice. It has been really windy, and slow going for us today. We did get the shocks turned up (apparently the new shocks have adjustments on them) as high as they would go....and it has helped some with the rocking. But it will be air bag suspension for us before we go to Alaska!!!
The dogs, cats and Al are all in bed, so guess I will close this and join them. We hope this finds you all happy and healthy....until next time, we are,
THE WROAMIN' WRASPIRS
Al, Jo, Beau, Schuster, Juanito and Jose (yes, Jose is with us....)
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Great Letter...a Must Read for everyone!!!
I just received a copy of this letter....it pretty well sums up my feeling regarding the immagration issue.
This letter sent to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist from a retired border
> patrol agent, and it has more common sense than all the bull being
> spewed from the Senate, with the exception of a few sensible
representatives.
> Dear Senator Frist:
>
> There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about
> illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan
> and Honduran aliens.
>
> #1.
> Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are
> very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S.
citizen.
> Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their
> home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United
> States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government
> subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main
> attraction i s employment and their loyalty usually remains at home.
> They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans.
> What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without
> paying the price.
>
> #2.
> There are no jobs that Americans won't do. Illegal aliens are doing
> jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families.
> Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence
> home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are
> no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.
>
> #3.
> Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are
> NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home
> countries.
> They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more
> than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by illegal
> aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this
> nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of
> detection and dep ortation.
> Those
> who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk
> on behalf of their children.
>
> #4.
> Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy. Illegal aliens
> constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages
> and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.
>
> #5.
> This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born
> Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded
> by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is not a
> nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time
> or another.
>
> #6.
> The United States is welcoming to legal immigrants. Illegal aliens are
> not immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants
> every year than the rest of the world combined.
>
> #7.
> There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote". Hispanics are white,
> brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans,
> Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Mar xists and Independents. The
> so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to
> get the Hispanic vote is a dead end.
>
> #8.
> Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have
> resented the United States. During World War I Mexico allowed German
> Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War
> II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico.
> During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to
> operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and
> applauded all across Mexico. Today Mexican school children are taught
> that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, new Mexico and Texas. If you
> don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their
> schoolchildren.
>
> #9.
> Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life,
> there are
> 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on
> less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse
> to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one
> billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World
nation overnight.
> Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better
> life.
> I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the
> USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good
> reason to trash another nation?
>
> #10.
> There is a labor shortage in this country. This is a lie. There are
> hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior
> citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take
> jobs at a decent wage.
>
> #11.
> It is racist to want secure borders. What is racist about wanting
> secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting
> people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for
> legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents?
> What is it about race that entitles peop le to violate our laws, steal
> identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price? For
> about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our
> borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These
> politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society
> has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be
> high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens
> and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a
> choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country
> and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those
> of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep
> either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do
> you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow
> to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to
remain here?
> There
> will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in
> 2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by
> third world agitators and thieves.
>
> David J. Stoddard
> U.S. Border Patrol (RET)
> Hereford, Arizona
>
This letter sent to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist from a retired border
> patrol agent, and it has more common sense than all the bull being
> spewed from the Senate, with the exception of a few sensible
representatives.
> Dear Senator Frist:
>
> There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about
> illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan
> and Honduran aliens.
>
> #1.
> Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are
> very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S.
citizen.
> Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their
> home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United
> States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government
> subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main
> attraction i s employment and their loyalty usually remains at home.
> They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans.
> What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without
> paying the price.
>
> #2.
> There are no jobs that Americans won't do. Illegal aliens are doing
> jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families.
> Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence
> home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are
> no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.
>
> #3.
> Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are
> NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home
> countries.
> They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more
> than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by illegal
> aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this
> nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of
> detection and dep ortation.
> Those
> who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk
> on behalf of their children.
>
> #4.
> Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy. Illegal aliens
> constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages
> and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.
>
> #5.
> This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born
> Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded
> by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is not a
> nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time
> or another.
>
> #6.
> The United States is welcoming to legal immigrants. Illegal aliens are
> not immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants
> every year than the rest of the world combined.
>
> #7.
> There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote". Hispanics are white,
> brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans,
> Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Mar xists and Independents. The
> so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to
> get the Hispanic vote is a dead end.
>
> #8.
> Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have
> resented the United States. During World War I Mexico allowed German
> Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War
> II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico.
> During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to
> operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and
> applauded all across Mexico. Today Mexican school children are taught
> that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, new Mexico and Texas. If you
> don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their
> schoolchildren.
>
> #9.
> Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life,
> there are
> 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on
> less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse
> to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one
> billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World
nation overnight.
> Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better
> life.
> I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the
> USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good
> reason to trash another nation?
>
> #10.
> There is a labor shortage in this country. This is a lie. There are
> hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior
> citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take
> jobs at a decent wage.
>
> #11.
> It is racist to want secure borders. What is racist about wanting
> secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting
> people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for
> legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents?
> What is it about race that entitles peop le to violate our laws, steal
> identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price? For
> about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our
> borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These
> politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society
> has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be
> high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens
> and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a
> choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country
> and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those
> of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep
> either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do
> you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow
> to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to
remain here?
> There
> will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in
> 2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by
> third world agitators and thieves.
>
> David J. Stoddard
> U.S. Border Patrol (RET)
> Hereford, Arizona
>
Monday, April 24, 2006
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
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
Friday, April 21, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, April 14, 2006
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......
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......
Saturday, April 08, 2006
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?
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
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!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Legal??? Illegal????
I normally don't spout off about politics, and the current news/issues, however, this business of all the protesting because of immigration policies has finally got me going and I can't leave it alone! What really got to me was the front page of today's Arizona Star Newspaper. The headlines read "Immigration Measures, Student throngs here walk out for 2nd day" HUH??? And then accompanying this is a picture of a young lady, Hispanic, waving a Mexico flag in one hand and wearing a Mexico flag as a scarf/bandanna on her head. HIGH SCHOOL students have walked out of class for the 2nd day in a row. In my day of school, that would be called "Cutting class". And there would be punishment for it. I doubt seriously 99% of these kids care about immigration issues, it is just "the thing to do" and it gets them out of school! Now I have to ask, isn't this still America? If the young lady waving the Mexican flag is loyal enough to Mexico to wave their flag, and is so unhapppy with American polices, why isn't she in Mexico???? Why the hell is she here? But I digress......
First of all, we are all immigrants from some where if we are not Native Americans. Our forefathers came to this land to make a better life for themselves and I have no complaint with that. However, MOST CAME HERE LEGALLY! Yes, they came over by whatever means, boat, walk, run, wagon, etc. across the borders LEGALLY. They obeyed the established laws of the United States (or they established the laws.) They didn't SNEAK across a border somewhere, and then either 1.) take a chance of dying in the hot desert; 2.) run from authorities and get shot/killed 3.) get caught and sent back to try it one more time; and finally, 4) STOP THE SMUGGLERS FROM BRINGING ACROSS ILLEGALS, who pay them hugh amounts of money, and are treated inhumanly. Our forefathers, the ones who made this country what it is; came here to make a better life for them and their families (to which they either brought with them or sent for their family when they could.) Those who are protesting now say we should let the illegal ones stay...and NOT punish them. Well, okay, WHY???? Why don't we send them back and let them come to America the legal way? Takes to long you say? Yes, that might be true. But maybe there is a reason for that. Has everyone forgot 9/11??? And the terrorist were here legally (or kinda)...and look what they did to us. How do we know that the illegal immigrants coming across our borders aren't terrorist??? Again, they should be made to come across legally.
Now, haven said that, I do think that a "guest worker" program could work. When I say guest, I mean, they could come here as a guest (defined as someone who doesn't reside here) and work doing the work us spoiled Americans won't do (that is a whole different topic that I won't belabor now). Immigrants could come here for a specified time limit (6 months, year, 2 years) and be given the opportunity to work AND PAY TAXES, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US POOR WORKING SLOBS DO! During their "guest" time they would also be given the opportunity to learn our language (what a novel concept THAT is) and study to take the test and become an AMERICAN CITIZEN! They possibly could even bring their immediate family here after becoming an American Citizen, (unless the entire family comes to work, then the aforementioned opportunity would apply to the entire family.)
That leads to the next idea....let them work legally and pay taxes --- perhaps we could actually lower our taxes! (Now, quit laughing and stay with me here!) THe majority of the illegal immigrants don't pay U.S. taxes, work under the table for wages a bit higher than if they had to pay taxes and are taking jobs away from perhaps the unemployed Americans. Most of the illegal immigrants are here putting their children into our schools and overcrowding our schools, forcing us to teach in different languages, and lessening the education our children are getting. AND most of the illegal immigrants are getting better medical care that we are -- and for free. Who pays? WE DO. In higher medical costs. Now, if they were here legally, we could build more schools with the tax dollars they generate and PAY, we could build more clinics for medical needs that they could use AND PAY FOR. If they had to send money back home to Mexico to support family, that is fine, however, they would have paid U.S. taxes on it first! I,personnally, am tired of everyone coming to this country thinking WE OWE them something! They can EARN it, just like the rest of us do and our forefathers did!
To wind up this rambling, let me say that I know some of you won't agree with me, and I don't expect you to....and you have the right and the freedom not to...that is what this great country is all about. However, I will bet you and your forefathers came here legally, and you pay your share of your taxes, and are proud to be called an American. And the immigrants today can do the same.....IF they do it legally! Enough is enough, we don't owe them anything, let them earn it just like we do/did!
First of all, we are all immigrants from some where if we are not Native Americans. Our forefathers came to this land to make a better life for themselves and I have no complaint with that. However, MOST CAME HERE LEGALLY! Yes, they came over by whatever means, boat, walk, run, wagon, etc. across the borders LEGALLY. They obeyed the established laws of the United States (or they established the laws.) They didn't SNEAK across a border somewhere, and then either 1.) take a chance of dying in the hot desert; 2.) run from authorities and get shot/killed 3.) get caught and sent back to try it one more time; and finally, 4) STOP THE SMUGGLERS FROM BRINGING ACROSS ILLEGALS, who pay them hugh amounts of money, and are treated inhumanly. Our forefathers, the ones who made this country what it is; came here to make a better life for them and their families (to which they either brought with them or sent for their family when they could.) Those who are protesting now say we should let the illegal ones stay...and NOT punish them. Well, okay, WHY???? Why don't we send them back and let them come to America the legal way? Takes to long you say? Yes, that might be true. But maybe there is a reason for that. Has everyone forgot 9/11??? And the terrorist were here legally (or kinda)...and look what they did to us. How do we know that the illegal immigrants coming across our borders aren't terrorist??? Again, they should be made to come across legally.
Now, haven said that, I do think that a "guest worker" program could work. When I say guest, I mean, they could come here as a guest (defined as someone who doesn't reside here) and work doing the work us spoiled Americans won't do (that is a whole different topic that I won't belabor now). Immigrants could come here for a specified time limit (6 months, year, 2 years) and be given the opportunity to work AND PAY TAXES, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US POOR WORKING SLOBS DO! During their "guest" time they would also be given the opportunity to learn our language (what a novel concept THAT is) and study to take the test and become an AMERICAN CITIZEN! They possibly could even bring their immediate family here after becoming an American Citizen, (unless the entire family comes to work, then the aforementioned opportunity would apply to the entire family.)
That leads to the next idea....let them work legally and pay taxes --- perhaps we could actually lower our taxes! (Now, quit laughing and stay with me here!) THe majority of the illegal immigrants don't pay U.S. taxes, work under the table for wages a bit higher than if they had to pay taxes and are taking jobs away from perhaps the unemployed Americans. Most of the illegal immigrants are here putting their children into our schools and overcrowding our schools, forcing us to teach in different languages, and lessening the education our children are getting. AND most of the illegal immigrants are getting better medical care that we are -- and for free. Who pays? WE DO. In higher medical costs. Now, if they were here legally, we could build more schools with the tax dollars they generate and PAY, we could build more clinics for medical needs that they could use AND PAY FOR. If they had to send money back home to Mexico to support family, that is fine, however, they would have paid U.S. taxes on it first! I,personnally, am tired of everyone coming to this country thinking WE OWE them something! They can EARN it, just like the rest of us do and our forefathers did!
To wind up this rambling, let me say that I know some of you won't agree with me, and I don't expect you to....and you have the right and the freedom not to...that is what this great country is all about. However, I will bet you and your forefathers came here legally, and you pay your share of your taxes, and are proud to be called an American. And the immigrants today can do the same.....IF they do it legally! Enough is enough, we don't owe them anything, let them earn it just like we do/did!
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Spring????
Spring in Tucson can be interesting and this one is no different. Last weekend, we had rain, snow, wind (a lot of wind -- blew down our neighbor's shed, rearranged our patio furniture); then it was nice, warm for the rest of the week. Now, today, it is repeating last weekend, wind, rain, snow, repeat. The weather just can't seem to make up it's mind. And the saying "March comes it like a lion, it will go out like a lamb" or visa versa, well, I think the weather is PRACTICING for the end of March, since it came in like a lamb! We are very thankful for the rain/snow/rain. Our cactus are really starting to thrive, our Octillo is starting to bloom. For those who don't have a clue what an Otcillo is, it is a plant that looks like dead sticks sticking straight up in the air, and once a year, if and when it gets enough moisture, it gets really green and has beautiful red blossoms at the end of the "Sticks"....it is one of my favorite desert plants. Oh yea, it also has stickers on it, just like everything else in the desert!
For the past couple of weeks we have been laying low. AL has been battling pneumonia since March 6. He is much improved now, however, still has to take it easy as he tires very quickly. There for a while, he was pretty darn sick. The doctor has been wonderful, especially since he kept him out of the hospital. However, some of the antibiotics he has prescribed wasn't much cheaper than a hospital stay! Needless to say, I let out a yowl when I went to pick up the prescription and it was $197 for 10 pills, and that was after the insurance had picked up their share. These pills were $40 a pop! No wonder the USA is in such a mess over prescription/medical care. How do people who have no insurance do this???? Thank you Boeing for your retirement insurance coverage!
Have you ever been to a Renaissance Fair? We have never been, so on the 4th we made the trek to Phoenix to attend one. We went with Holly, Bruce and Cortney and we had a great time. I really didn't think I would enjoy it since I am not into the "mid-evil" thing, however, I really had a good time. We all enjoyed the entertainment and the huge turkey legs that we bought for lunch. There was no way I could eat that huge thing! WOW! But they were good. It was fun seeing all of the people in costume, and most attendee's were even in costume (except us, of course!) It was a good day and we were glad we went.
Well, that is about it from this end of the world for now. We hope this finds everyone doing well and living life they way they want. Life is too short to be miserable -- live it to the fullest...there is no second go around.
Until next time we are --
The UNwroaming Wraspirs!
For the past couple of weeks we have been laying low. AL has been battling pneumonia since March 6. He is much improved now, however, still has to take it easy as he tires very quickly. There for a while, he was pretty darn sick. The doctor has been wonderful, especially since he kept him out of the hospital. However, some of the antibiotics he has prescribed wasn't much cheaper than a hospital stay! Needless to say, I let out a yowl when I went to pick up the prescription and it was $197 for 10 pills, and that was after the insurance had picked up their share. These pills were $40 a pop! No wonder the USA is in such a mess over prescription/medical care. How do people who have no insurance do this???? Thank you Boeing for your retirement insurance coverage!
Have you ever been to a Renaissance Fair? We have never been, so on the 4th we made the trek to Phoenix to attend one. We went with Holly, Bruce and Cortney and we had a great time. I really didn't think I would enjoy it since I am not into the "mid-evil" thing, however, I really had a good time. We all enjoyed the entertainment and the huge turkey legs that we bought for lunch. There was no way I could eat that huge thing! WOW! But they were good. It was fun seeing all of the people in costume, and most attendee's were even in costume (except us, of course!) It was a good day and we were glad we went.
Well, that is about it from this end of the world for now. We hope this finds everyone doing well and living life they way they want. Life is too short to be miserable -- live it to the fullest...there is no second go around.
Until next time we are --
The UNwroaming Wraspirs!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
RAIN!!! Finally!
It's RAINING!!! Finally, some moisture! Now, granted, it isn't a lot of rain like Seattle gets, but more than 10 drops all together here is worth celebrating! Our deck is wet, wet stuff is running down the windows, and the road is wet and best of all, IT SMELLS LIKE RAIN! Of course, the weather guessers (now, wouldn't I love that job! Where else could you be wrong 99% of the time and keep your job???) said the rain would miss us. HAHAHA...they were wrong. Given, it isn't much rain, but when you have been as parched as we have been for 136 days, we will take what we can get! And wonders of all wonders, it is a nice, gentle rain. Unlike when we have the monsoons and we get all the rain for a year in an hour! And this rain won't wash out our private road!
We attended Tucson's Rodeo last week. What fun! We like to go to the Rodeo's where ever we are and this one was a great rodeo. One bull wasn't quite ready to leave the arena, so he just layed down in the middle and refused to budge! It was very funny watching the cowboys try to get him to move. They would get him up and head him towards the gate and at the last minute, the bull would turn around, go back out to the middle of the arena and lay down again!
Question of the day for me. Why, would the U.S. even consider letting Arab's run some of our ports???? Didn't we learn from 9/11? Are we trying to set ourselves up for letting terrorist into the country??? What about terrorism doesn't Bush understand? Now, I have been a Bush supporter, and I haven't hidden that fact. But I seriously disagree with his thinking on this port deal.
Until next time.................
We attended Tucson's Rodeo last week. What fun! We like to go to the Rodeo's where ever we are and this one was a great rodeo. One bull wasn't quite ready to leave the arena, so he just layed down in the middle and refused to budge! It was very funny watching the cowboys try to get him to move. They would get him up and head him towards the gate and at the last minute, the bull would turn around, go back out to the middle of the arena and lay down again!
Question of the day for me. Why, would the U.S. even consider letting Arab's run some of our ports???? Didn't we learn from 9/11? Are we trying to set ourselves up for letting terrorist into the country??? What about terrorism doesn't Bush understand? Now, I have been a Bush supporter, and I haven't hidden that fact. But I seriously disagree with his thinking on this port deal.
Until next time.................
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Rain...please!
It is so dry here in Tucson even spit dries before it gets swallowed! I am not kidding! We haven't had any "measurable precipitation" in over 126 days. It tried the other day to rain. It really did try. However, all it managed to do was give us 6 inch rain...one drop every 6 inches for 3 milliseconds...enough to screw up a clean car and then it went away! Our cactus are even parched...begging for a drink. I never thought we would have to water our yard here (now, let me explain our "yard"...it consists of cactus, cactus, and rock and more prickly things) however, we have resorted to watering our cactus! Poor things were knocking on the door begging for water...we couldn't resist them! The valley below us is so dry one little spark will set it off and we will have front row seats to one heck of a brush fire...and this is one seat we really don't want to have! Now, I know all you Seattlelites will think I am crazy begging for rain.....and sometimes I have to check my sanity as well, but we really do need the rain down here. So send all your extra rain this way -- please.
We were in Seattle for 5 days this month. We went up to attend a wedding of a good friend. We also managed to squeeze in some time to see Ric, Janet, Ashley and Cammie for breakfast one day. We had our round of doctor appointments as well...I mean, we can't ever go to Seattle without doing those! We also attended a "Dudley Manlove" concert with Jennifer, Sherrie, Kris and some other of their friends. What a great group Dudley Manlove is...if you ever get a chance to go see them, go! They are definitely a lounge act, but very good and sing no songs after 1981....so if you enjoy the music prior to 1981, go see them. Jennifer see's all of their shows, mainly because she really likes them, but I suspect there is also an ulterior motive there...I won't go in to that. But I digress...we had a good time in Seattle. The weather was great...sunny and nippy. Where was all that rain:???? However, on Monday before we left we woke up to rain, so we felt right at home. Tuesday we had an early flight out (8:00 a.m.....don't ask) and we were up at 4:00 a.m. to leave Jennifer's at 5:00 a.m. I looked out the window when we got up and it was raining. By the time we left Jennifer's in Lynnwood at 5:00 it was snowing like mad. Yes, SNOWING. I drove from her apartment to just about Lake City before I got out of the snow. And it was really snowing. UGH. I know why we live here in the winter. Even if it is drier that dry.
We are going to the Tucson Rodeo on Friday....can't wait. We have always wanted to go, but for whatever reason, never made it, so we are going finally.
We have had company since my last post as well. Gary and Jeannette were here for 5 days...definitely not long enough. We had a good time, took in the play EVITA, went to Bisbee for a day, checked out RV parks for them as they have bought a motorhome and anticipate spending some time here next winter (YEAH). We really had a great time while they were here, only it wasn't long enough.
Also, good friend Suzi Waddick who is a stained glass artist has made and installed a beautiful stained glass in the window above our front door. IT is absolutely beautiful and when I figure out how to insert a picture into this blog, I will put one of the stained glass in. I just haven't gotten around to figuring out how to do it. I will shortly!
So, until next time....
We were in Seattle for 5 days this month. We went up to attend a wedding of a good friend. We also managed to squeeze in some time to see Ric, Janet, Ashley and Cammie for breakfast one day. We had our round of doctor appointments as well...I mean, we can't ever go to Seattle without doing those! We also attended a "Dudley Manlove" concert with Jennifer, Sherrie, Kris and some other of their friends. What a great group Dudley Manlove is...if you ever get a chance to go see them, go! They are definitely a lounge act, but very good and sing no songs after 1981....so if you enjoy the music prior to 1981, go see them. Jennifer see's all of their shows, mainly because she really likes them, but I suspect there is also an ulterior motive there...I won't go in to that. But I digress...we had a good time in Seattle. The weather was great...sunny and nippy. Where was all that rain:???? However, on Monday before we left we woke up to rain, so we felt right at home. Tuesday we had an early flight out (8:00 a.m.....don't ask) and we were up at 4:00 a.m. to leave Jennifer's at 5:00 a.m. I looked out the window when we got up and it was raining. By the time we left Jennifer's in Lynnwood at 5:00 it was snowing like mad. Yes, SNOWING. I drove from her apartment to just about Lake City before I got out of the snow. And it was really snowing. UGH. I know why we live here in the winter. Even if it is drier that dry.
We are going to the Tucson Rodeo on Friday....can't wait. We have always wanted to go, but for whatever reason, never made it, so we are going finally.
We have had company since my last post as well. Gary and Jeannette were here for 5 days...definitely not long enough. We had a good time, took in the play EVITA, went to Bisbee for a day, checked out RV parks for them as they have bought a motorhome and anticipate spending some time here next winter (YEAH). We really had a great time while they were here, only it wasn't long enough.
Also, good friend Suzi Waddick who is a stained glass artist has made and installed a beautiful stained glass in the window above our front door. IT is absolutely beautiful and when I figure out how to insert a picture into this blog, I will put one of the stained glass in. I just haven't gotten around to figuring out how to do it. I will shortly!
So, until next time....
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Okay---that was disgusting!
We just finished watching the Super Bowl. What a disgusting display of partalilty that was! The ref's might as well have been wearing Steeler uniforms! The Steelers STOLE that game with the ref's bad calls. Oh well, there is always next year for Seattle....they showed up and played a good game and that is really what counts. On to bigger and better things!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Go Seahawks...Go Seahawks... Go Seahawks
So...can you guess who we are rooting for in the Super Bowl! FINALLY, our team is in the Superbowl! We are SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! We have been Seachicken, er, Seahawk fans forever...whether they are losing, losing or finally WINNING! The team is very strong this year. The team mates actually LIKE each other and support each other. Article in the paper this morning (yes, in the TUCSON paper) about how as the van carrying some of our players was entering the hotel parking lot in Detroit hit the gate. WAS THE DRIVER A STEELER FAN??? Fortunately for us, no one was hurt. I can hardly wait for Sunday!!! Of course, I will be a nervous wreck during the game.....and before...but that's what it is all about! Oh, and the 12th man...is alive and well here in Tucson as well! Nothing could be better, unless we were actually at the Superbowl..and I don't think I could survive that!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Home, sweet home....again!
Jan. 21, 2006
Tucson
We finally got home from Hawaii on Jan 9. We arrived in LA at midnight, and waited an hour, yes, an hour for our luggage, which I was sure was still basking in the Hawaiian sun! However, it also made it back in one piece (Thank You American Airlines!). We got back to Billie and Dan's at 2:30 a.m. (it has been years since we have been up that late...oh, no wait, I remember a certain Amtrak trip taken last month...) and litterally fell into bed. Up the next morning, loaded our car and headed towards Arizona. We decided we would drive part of the way and then finish the trip the next day. HA! We hit the Arizona border about 7:30 p.m. and we were like an old horse headed for the barn...we were going HOME! We got home about 11:30 and we were greeted by two angry cats who let us know, in no uncertain terms, that we were definitely on their "list"....what ever that is!
THe next week went by in a blur.... I know we had doctor appointments and the likes; but I can't tell you when or why! All I know is we were enjoying sun, albeit, it was cold at night (in the low 30's). And that all I heard from our daughter in Washington and daughter in Oregon is that is was still raining and they may float off at any time! Tee hee...we were on our 88th straight day of sun...but we sure could use a little of that rain. IF nothing else, to settle the dust down in the air. Of course, I have enough dust in the house to cause a small dust storm at any time if I turn on the fan!
Last week kinda' went by in a blur as well....I guess that is what retirement is all about. We are too busy to do anything, but I can't tell you what we were too busy doing! IT is still sunny and I am still hearing from those kids up north that are getting very soggy that it is still raining....wah! OH, and my NFL team, THE SEAHAWKS are doing fantabulous! GO SEAHAWKS! Tomorrow they play the Carolina Panthers....I may not watch the game...can't stand the suspense!
We went to dinner tonight at a wonderful place downtown called Cafe Poca Cosa! AL's cousin's Neil and Bobbi are in town, so we went with them and our other cousins, Holly, Bruce and Cortney to dinner. WOW! THe food there is sooooo good and I am soooo stuffed! Burp. OH, excuse me!
Cortney is almost 15, and tonight was her first formal dance! She looked absolutely beautiful. Do you remember your first formal dance? I do...it was at least a hundred years ago.... I think we had electric lights and cars...maybe! I also remember my girls first formal and I was a closet crier. I would go in the closet and cry because they looked so grown up...and beautiful. Boo Hoo...my babies ...oh well, that too passed, and now they are all grown and one has a daughter that she will possilby get to go through this with in the near future...if Lori can take her horse with her! Nuff of that nonsense!
So, that pretty much brings us up to date...for now. We still have sun and Seattle still has rain....nothing changes!
Tucson
We finally got home from Hawaii on Jan 9. We arrived in LA at midnight, and waited an hour, yes, an hour for our luggage, which I was sure was still basking in the Hawaiian sun! However, it also made it back in one piece (Thank You American Airlines!). We got back to Billie and Dan's at 2:30 a.m. (it has been years since we have been up that late...oh, no wait, I remember a certain Amtrak trip taken last month...) and litterally fell into bed. Up the next morning, loaded our car and headed towards Arizona. We decided we would drive part of the way and then finish the trip the next day. HA! We hit the Arizona border about 7:30 p.m. and we were like an old horse headed for the barn...we were going HOME! We got home about 11:30 and we were greeted by two angry cats who let us know, in no uncertain terms, that we were definitely on their "list"....what ever that is!
THe next week went by in a blur.... I know we had doctor appointments and the likes; but I can't tell you when or why! All I know is we were enjoying sun, albeit, it was cold at night (in the low 30's). And that all I heard from our daughter in Washington and daughter in Oregon is that is was still raining and they may float off at any time! Tee hee...we were on our 88th straight day of sun...but we sure could use a little of that rain. IF nothing else, to settle the dust down in the air. Of course, I have enough dust in the house to cause a small dust storm at any time if I turn on the fan!
Last week kinda' went by in a blur as well....I guess that is what retirement is all about. We are too busy to do anything, but I can't tell you what we were too busy doing! IT is still sunny and I am still hearing from those kids up north that are getting very soggy that it is still raining....wah! OH, and my NFL team, THE SEAHAWKS are doing fantabulous! GO SEAHAWKS! Tomorrow they play the Carolina Panthers....I may not watch the game...can't stand the suspense!
We went to dinner tonight at a wonderful place downtown called Cafe Poca Cosa! AL's cousin's Neil and Bobbi are in town, so we went with them and our other cousins, Holly, Bruce and Cortney to dinner. WOW! THe food there is sooooo good and I am soooo stuffed! Burp. OH, excuse me!
Cortney is almost 15, and tonight was her first formal dance! She looked absolutely beautiful. Do you remember your first formal dance? I do...it was at least a hundred years ago.... I think we had electric lights and cars...maybe! I also remember my girls first formal and I was a closet crier. I would go in the closet and cry because they looked so grown up...and beautiful. Boo Hoo...my babies ...oh well, that too passed, and now they are all grown and one has a daughter that she will possilby get to go through this with in the near future...if Lori can take her horse with her! Nuff of that nonsense!
So, that pretty much brings us up to date...for now. We still have sun and Seattle still has rain....nothing changes!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
So Long Hawaii, Hello Wreal Life!
Kona, Hawaii
Jan. 7, 2005
Tomorrow we leave for home. I am including the last of my diary entries from here. We have really enjoyed our trip here and we will be back.
Jan 1, 2006
Happy New Year!
Today we lazed around the condo for the morning. Jennifer, Ric and Cammie took off to go back to the Point of Refuge to see if they could see more of it…last time they were there the waves were so big half of the park was closed. While they were gone, Al and I drove to the end of the road from our condo and I walked out to the beach where the waves were really pounding on the rocks…HUGE WAVES! WOW!
From there, we went to see Suzi, who is still in the hospital. We hope she gets out soon….this is no fun!
Rowland and Kathy Brasch got in around 4:30 and we met up with them at the condo that we are moving to. They will spend the night there tonight and we move tomorrow.
Dinner tonight was with everyone, minus Suzi, at Huggo’s. It is advertised as the restaurant where you can see the manta ray’s…well, apparently, the manta rays haven’t been in this bay for years! However, it was still a nice restaurant, we sat out on the patio and the waves were crashing on the rocks right below us. We said goodbye to Mike and Bev, they leave tomorrow.
Jan 2, 2006
Moving day for us. We got all of our “stuff” moved into our new condo. This one is MUCH nicer that the last…We were at Holua, which is nice, just no view. Now we are at Kona Coast Resort and we have a wonderful view of the grounds, golf course, ocean and pool and the waves crashing onto the rocks! The unit it much nicer as well. It is almost as good as our unit was at Sea Village 3 years ago.
We watched the Rose Parade; then went to lunch at Lulu’s. Great hamburgers….Jo was happy. Afterwards we walked through the ABC store again, and then Rowland and Kathy went to Costco and we took Jennifer to the airport. She goes back to reality and soggy Seattle.
Suzi has E-coli and is still in the hospital. We sure hope she gets better soon. Her temperature is still up and until they can get that under control she will stay there! What a horrible way to spend a vacation in Hawaii…I feel so bad for her and Jack.
Dinner tonight was French Dip Sandwiches, made from the left over tri-tip. They were really good!
Ric, Janet and girls stopped by to say goodbye to us. They leave in the morning.
Jan 3, 2006
We went back to Bubba Gumps for breakfast. This time they were out of the Southern Style French Toast that we like so well. Wait! How can that be? Apparently they were out of the cinnamon raisin bread. So we ordered it with white bread…and it was wonderful this time.
Back to the condo, where we had an appointment to take the 90 minute tour of the complex and the “condo sales pitch”. We did add some points and now we have a 2 bedroom unit in this complex every other year. AND we have enough points for a cruise every other year, or we can divide up points and come here every year, or a cruise every year.
This was a potato, carrot, pea day…in other words, we vegged all day. Later in the afternoon I went up to visit with Suzi.
Some observations from Hawaii:
Local drivers are very courteous…and you can definitely tell the tourists drivers!
Local people are very friendly and helpful.
SPAM…and not the email type. SPAM is the national food of Hawaii…I swear more Spam must sold here than anywhere else in the world! And, did you know, Spam comes in different flavors? As if you care……..how about garlic Spam, or Tabasco Spam, or cheese Spam? Still don’t care, huh?
Exotic birds fascinate me. There are so many pretty birds…with names I can’t pronounce or begin to spell.
Hawaiian language fascinates me….can I buy a consonant? Lots of vowel together and repeated and my tongue doesn’t allow me to pronounce them all! Fun to try, however, I am sure we have massacred the Hawaiian language.
Jan.4, 2006
We finally got Suzi out of the hospital and she wasn’t out 10 minutes and rarin’ to go! We all took off for Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. I know, easy for us to say! Pu’uhonau o Honaunau is also called the Place of Refuge and is an awesome spot to visit. In ancient times, commoners’ lives were governed by many, confusing laws. The penalty for breaking these laws was usually death. The lawbreaker could elude the penalty of death if he could reach Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, which offered a safe place, and they could perform certain rituals designated by the priest and all would be forgiven and they could return home. Pu’uhonua o Honaunau is a National Park and it was great to walk around. Some of it was still closed off due to the high waves that have been pounding the island. We did get an idea of what it was like.
Before we went to Pu’uhonua o Honaunau we also stopped at a coffee plant, however, no tours were offered. We walked around the grounds, and sampled some coffee, but didn’t buy any Kona coffee. Kona Coffee is expensive even here! Then we stopped at the Painted Church not far from Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. The Painted Church is actually St. Benedict’s Catholic Church. It is a small, charming church dating back to the 1800’s. Faterh John Velge dedicated himself to creating frescos on the walls and ceiling of the church. It was really very moving to see.
Lunch today was a real treat. We stopped at The Coffee Shack in Captain Cook. This is really a popular place for lunch and we had to wait a while, but it was worth it! We were able to sit on the deck and had a panoramic coastline view overlooking Kealakekua Bay. The food was outstanding with homemade bread and lots of great goodies.
Tonight we tried a restaurant that the locals frequent. The Big Island Grill is located off the beaten path, and is excellent. The food was wonderful and the prices were very reasonable. Al, Rowland and Suzi had the lamb chops; the rest of us either opted for the roast pork, fish or a combination of both.
Jan 5.2006
We are finally getting the hang of being in Hawaii…of course, we will leave in 3 days! We all went to breakfast at the Aloha Angel Café in Kainaliu ( a little south of Kona). WOW…was that good. Better than Bubba Gumps by far. This café is located in the renovated historic Aloha Theather, which was built in 1932 and was originally a silent movie house. Now it still is used for culture events as well as having a great restaurant. Aloha Angel has a lovely view of the beach and ocean and has the best pancakes I have ever had! YUM! A must try if you come to Kona. And the entertainment was great...we had gecko's coming right up to the table...we enjoyed watching the battle of who was the "alpha" gecko! And no, we didn't see the Geico Gecko!
After breakfast, Rowland and Kathy headed for the volcano. Jack, Suzi and us decided to drive north and go over Saddle Road to Hilo. Saddle Road runs between two volcano’s, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The entire area is called a saddle because of the saddle shape of the valley (some BIG saddle!) This road travels through mostly unpopulated areas and some of the most drastically changing scenery you could ever imagine. We started out in the desert, gradually winding our way into the lava fields; or the surface of the moon, whichever you chose! From there we rose to an elevation of 6500 feet to heavily wooded areas; and then on the other side to lush, green tropics! It was absolutely amazing. A few words on the road itself. Saddle Road was hastily built in 1942 for military purposes. As the guide book states “The road was paved by Sadists-R-Us” and that is pretty much an accurate description! The road is very narrow, winding and ROUGH---but well worth the trip. Until a couple of years ago, if you were driving a rental car (and who isn’t on this island???) you couldn’t drive this road without it voiding your contract with the rental car company! We also experienced a definite change in weather. From the east side it was warm, sunny and clear; the farther up we got it was windy and cool, then cold (well, cold is relative..it was 50 degrees); then it changed to fog, rain and a little warmer. It was rainy in Hilo and we basically just drove through Hilo and then headed north on the highway on the west side of the island, through Waimea and then back to the east side of the island and to Waikoloa Beach Resort for dinner at The Big Island Steakhouse…not to be confused with where we had dinner last night!
After dinner Jack and Suzi headed to the airport for their trip home and we headed back to the condo. Row and Kathy weren’t back yet, however, we had a message saying their rental car had broken down not far from the volcano and they were waiting for a replacement car to be towed down for them. They finally got home around 11:00 p.m. Long day for them.
Jan 6, 2006
Today was another veg day. This is what Hawaii is all about for us anymore…rest and more rest. Now, people say, why do you need to rest when you are retired? Well, let me tell you, I do more now that I am retired than when I worked…just different activities. We have been here and it is one of those “been there, done that” things, and there are just some days we don’t want to do anything but read, relax and enjoy the balmy weather and look at the ocean. Kathy and Rowland did go into Kona town and do some required retail therapy this afternoon.
This evening we all piled into the car and drove to Waikoloa to Roy’s Restaurant. Yes, the same one we HAD reservations at for Jennifer’s birthday, however never made it because she was sick. All we can say is WOW! The food, the service was great. I had the best creamy polenta I have ever passed over my lips! And the ribs were wonderful as well. And of course, we had their signature Lava Chocolate Soufflé….it was great as well. We all left there as stuffed as one can get. Burp! All of us commented on how good the food was/is. There is a Roy’s in Scottsdale…hmm…Jack and Suzi, shall we take a road trip sometime soon???
Tomorrow the plan is to lay around in the morning and then take off for the north end late morning and go to the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi for lunch and play around the north end. Then come back here for clean out the fridge for dinner…which will be a chore. You should see the food Al has stockpiled in the fridge! We could probably eat for another month!
Jan 7, 2006
After lazing around for most of the morning, we took off for the north end of the island. We encountered the normal slow traffic in town, and finally hit the open highway just before the airport. It was really windy today and tough driving. We drove Hwy 19 to Hwy 270 and went to Hawi again. Hawi is where King Kamehameha was born. There is a unique statue that sits in the little town of Kapa’au. We had lunch at the Bamboo Café and it was wonderful. The building this café is in dates back to 1911. Very old and very unique. Again we went to the end of the road to the Pololu valley…this sight is really pretty. We also found a great beach near there called Keokea. Very secluded and protected.
On the way back we saw a lot of Humpback whales near North Kohala area. We spent a few minutes watching them blow, flip their tales and breach. Very cool to see. Also got some awesome sunset pictures from Honoka’ope Beach, just above Waikoloa. Neat area.
Once back into Kona, a quick stop was made for Jo to get her free gift from the ABC Store and for Kathy to pickup a tee shirt. Back at the condo, we bbq’d hamburgers and gave our neighbors all the food we had left over. They won’t have to buy food the entire time they are here. Nice people from Madison, WI.
We are packed and ready to depart tomorrow morning. We both leave around 10:00 a.m., the Brasch’s on Hawaiian and us on Island Air. We both go to Honolulu, they only have a short layover, we have about 5 hours, so Willy, Nora and Ashley are going to come get us and we will go to lunch with them. We should be back in LA around midnight tomorrow night and then on up to Billie and Dans. We should be home in Tucson on Tuesday.
So until next time from who knows where,
we are:
The Wroamin' Wraspir's
Al & Jo
PS...Holly, tell the boys we are comin' home finally!
Jan. 7, 2005
Tomorrow we leave for home. I am including the last of my diary entries from here. We have really enjoyed our trip here and we will be back.
Jan 1, 2006
Happy New Year!
Today we lazed around the condo for the morning. Jennifer, Ric and Cammie took off to go back to the Point of Refuge to see if they could see more of it…last time they were there the waves were so big half of the park was closed. While they were gone, Al and I drove to the end of the road from our condo and I walked out to the beach where the waves were really pounding on the rocks…HUGE WAVES! WOW!
From there, we went to see Suzi, who is still in the hospital. We hope she gets out soon….this is no fun!
Rowland and Kathy Brasch got in around 4:30 and we met up with them at the condo that we are moving to. They will spend the night there tonight and we move tomorrow.
Dinner tonight was with everyone, minus Suzi, at Huggo’s. It is advertised as the restaurant where you can see the manta ray’s…well, apparently, the manta rays haven’t been in this bay for years! However, it was still a nice restaurant, we sat out on the patio and the waves were crashing on the rocks right below us. We said goodbye to Mike and Bev, they leave tomorrow.
Jan 2, 2006
Moving day for us. We got all of our “stuff” moved into our new condo. This one is MUCH nicer that the last…We were at Holua, which is nice, just no view. Now we are at Kona Coast Resort and we have a wonderful view of the grounds, golf course, ocean and pool and the waves crashing onto the rocks! The unit it much nicer as well. It is almost as good as our unit was at Sea Village 3 years ago.
We watched the Rose Parade; then went to lunch at Lulu’s. Great hamburgers….Jo was happy. Afterwards we walked through the ABC store again, and then Rowland and Kathy went to Costco and we took Jennifer to the airport. She goes back to reality and soggy Seattle.
Suzi has E-coli and is still in the hospital. We sure hope she gets better soon. Her temperature is still up and until they can get that under control she will stay there! What a horrible way to spend a vacation in Hawaii…I feel so bad for her and Jack.
Dinner tonight was French Dip Sandwiches, made from the left over tri-tip. They were really good!
Ric, Janet and girls stopped by to say goodbye to us. They leave in the morning.
Jan 3, 2006
We went back to Bubba Gumps for breakfast. This time they were out of the Southern Style French Toast that we like so well. Wait! How can that be? Apparently they were out of the cinnamon raisin bread. So we ordered it with white bread…and it was wonderful this time.
Back to the condo, where we had an appointment to take the 90 minute tour of the complex and the “condo sales pitch”. We did add some points and now we have a 2 bedroom unit in this complex every other year. AND we have enough points for a cruise every other year, or we can divide up points and come here every year, or a cruise every year.
This was a potato, carrot, pea day…in other words, we vegged all day. Later in the afternoon I went up to visit with Suzi.
Some observations from Hawaii:
Local drivers are very courteous…and you can definitely tell the tourists drivers!
Local people are very friendly and helpful.
SPAM…and not the email type. SPAM is the national food of Hawaii…I swear more Spam must sold here than anywhere else in the world! And, did you know, Spam comes in different flavors? As if you care……..how about garlic Spam, or Tabasco Spam, or cheese Spam? Still don’t care, huh?
Exotic birds fascinate me. There are so many pretty birds…with names I can’t pronounce or begin to spell.
Hawaiian language fascinates me….can I buy a consonant? Lots of vowel together and repeated and my tongue doesn’t allow me to pronounce them all! Fun to try, however, I am sure we have massacred the Hawaiian language.
Jan.4, 2006
We finally got Suzi out of the hospital and she wasn’t out 10 minutes and rarin’ to go! We all took off for Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. I know, easy for us to say! Pu’uhonau o Honaunau is also called the Place of Refuge and is an awesome spot to visit. In ancient times, commoners’ lives were governed by many, confusing laws. The penalty for breaking these laws was usually death. The lawbreaker could elude the penalty of death if he could reach Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, which offered a safe place, and they could perform certain rituals designated by the priest and all would be forgiven and they could return home. Pu’uhonua o Honaunau is a National Park and it was great to walk around. Some of it was still closed off due to the high waves that have been pounding the island. We did get an idea of what it was like.
Before we went to Pu’uhonua o Honaunau we also stopped at a coffee plant, however, no tours were offered. We walked around the grounds, and sampled some coffee, but didn’t buy any Kona coffee. Kona Coffee is expensive even here! Then we stopped at the Painted Church not far from Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. The Painted Church is actually St. Benedict’s Catholic Church. It is a small, charming church dating back to the 1800’s. Faterh John Velge dedicated himself to creating frescos on the walls and ceiling of the church. It was really very moving to see.
Lunch today was a real treat. We stopped at The Coffee Shack in Captain Cook. This is really a popular place for lunch and we had to wait a while, but it was worth it! We were able to sit on the deck and had a panoramic coastline view overlooking Kealakekua Bay. The food was outstanding with homemade bread and lots of great goodies.
Tonight we tried a restaurant that the locals frequent. The Big Island Grill is located off the beaten path, and is excellent. The food was wonderful and the prices were very reasonable. Al, Rowland and Suzi had the lamb chops; the rest of us either opted for the roast pork, fish or a combination of both.
Jan 5.2006
We are finally getting the hang of being in Hawaii…of course, we will leave in 3 days! We all went to breakfast at the Aloha Angel Café in Kainaliu ( a little south of Kona). WOW…was that good. Better than Bubba Gumps by far. This café is located in the renovated historic Aloha Theather, which was built in 1932 and was originally a silent movie house. Now it still is used for culture events as well as having a great restaurant. Aloha Angel has a lovely view of the beach and ocean and has the best pancakes I have ever had! YUM! A must try if you come to Kona. And the entertainment was great...we had gecko's coming right up to the table...we enjoyed watching the battle of who was the "alpha" gecko! And no, we didn't see the Geico Gecko!
After breakfast, Rowland and Kathy headed for the volcano. Jack, Suzi and us decided to drive north and go over Saddle Road to Hilo. Saddle Road runs between two volcano’s, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The entire area is called a saddle because of the saddle shape of the valley (some BIG saddle!) This road travels through mostly unpopulated areas and some of the most drastically changing scenery you could ever imagine. We started out in the desert, gradually winding our way into the lava fields; or the surface of the moon, whichever you chose! From there we rose to an elevation of 6500 feet to heavily wooded areas; and then on the other side to lush, green tropics! It was absolutely amazing. A few words on the road itself. Saddle Road was hastily built in 1942 for military purposes. As the guide book states “The road was paved by Sadists-R-Us” and that is pretty much an accurate description! The road is very narrow, winding and ROUGH---but well worth the trip. Until a couple of years ago, if you were driving a rental car (and who isn’t on this island???) you couldn’t drive this road without it voiding your contract with the rental car company! We also experienced a definite change in weather. From the east side it was warm, sunny and clear; the farther up we got it was windy and cool, then cold (well, cold is relative..it was 50 degrees); then it changed to fog, rain and a little warmer. It was rainy in Hilo and we basically just drove through Hilo and then headed north on the highway on the west side of the island, through Waimea and then back to the east side of the island and to Waikoloa Beach Resort for dinner at The Big Island Steakhouse…not to be confused with where we had dinner last night!
After dinner Jack and Suzi headed to the airport for their trip home and we headed back to the condo. Row and Kathy weren’t back yet, however, we had a message saying their rental car had broken down not far from the volcano and they were waiting for a replacement car to be towed down for them. They finally got home around 11:00 p.m. Long day for them.
Jan 6, 2006
Today was another veg day. This is what Hawaii is all about for us anymore…rest and more rest. Now, people say, why do you need to rest when you are retired? Well, let me tell you, I do more now that I am retired than when I worked…just different activities. We have been here and it is one of those “been there, done that” things, and there are just some days we don’t want to do anything but read, relax and enjoy the balmy weather and look at the ocean. Kathy and Rowland did go into Kona town and do some required retail therapy this afternoon.
This evening we all piled into the car and drove to Waikoloa to Roy’s Restaurant. Yes, the same one we HAD reservations at for Jennifer’s birthday, however never made it because she was sick. All we can say is WOW! The food, the service was great. I had the best creamy polenta I have ever passed over my lips! And the ribs were wonderful as well. And of course, we had their signature Lava Chocolate Soufflé….it was great as well. We all left there as stuffed as one can get. Burp! All of us commented on how good the food was/is. There is a Roy’s in Scottsdale…hmm…Jack and Suzi, shall we take a road trip sometime soon???
Tomorrow the plan is to lay around in the morning and then take off for the north end late morning and go to the Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi for lunch and play around the north end. Then come back here for clean out the fridge for dinner…which will be a chore. You should see the food Al has stockpiled in the fridge! We could probably eat for another month!
Jan 7, 2006
After lazing around for most of the morning, we took off for the north end of the island. We encountered the normal slow traffic in town, and finally hit the open highway just before the airport. It was really windy today and tough driving. We drove Hwy 19 to Hwy 270 and went to Hawi again. Hawi is where King Kamehameha was born. There is a unique statue that sits in the little town of Kapa’au. We had lunch at the Bamboo Café and it was wonderful. The building this café is in dates back to 1911. Very old and very unique. Again we went to the end of the road to the Pololu valley…this sight is really pretty. We also found a great beach near there called Keokea. Very secluded and protected.
On the way back we saw a lot of Humpback whales near North Kohala area. We spent a few minutes watching them blow, flip their tales and breach. Very cool to see. Also got some awesome sunset pictures from Honoka’ope Beach, just above Waikoloa. Neat area.
Once back into Kona, a quick stop was made for Jo to get her free gift from the ABC Store and for Kathy to pickup a tee shirt. Back at the condo, we bbq’d hamburgers and gave our neighbors all the food we had left over. They won’t have to buy food the entire time they are here. Nice people from Madison, WI.
We are packed and ready to depart tomorrow morning. We both leave around 10:00 a.m., the Brasch’s on Hawaiian and us on Island Air. We both go to Honolulu, they only have a short layover, we have about 5 hours, so Willy, Nora and Ashley are going to come get us and we will go to lunch with them. We should be back in LA around midnight tomorrow night and then on up to Billie and Dans. We should be home in Tucson on Tuesday.
So until next time from who knows where,
we are:
The Wroamin' Wraspir's
Al & Jo
PS...Holly, tell the boys we are comin' home finally!
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Kona, Hawaii Jan 1, 2006
Hauoli Makahiki Hou! Or Happy New Year in Hawaiian! Happy 2006!
Here is a copy of my travel log so far......
Hawaii 2005-06
Dec. 23, 2005
Left LA at 8:30 a.m. via American Airlines. How airlines have changed! No more meals anywhere! We paid $5.00 for a turkey/cheese sandwich which was probably made 2 days ago! We arrived in Honolulu at 12:30 p.m. Hawaii time (2 hours behind LA)Got our car, and had 3 hours to wait for Jennifer to arrive, so we went and got something to eat then just drove around. Bought Lei’s for all of us, including Dionisio’s,, our good friends here that we are spending Christmas with. J arrived at 3:20, and off we went to Willy and Nora’s. They have moved and they live on the west side of the island in Kapolei, in the Makakilo gated community. Their house is absolutely beautiful. They overlook Honolulu, and the view is breathtaking.
Dec. 24
Got up to shower, only the shower outsmarted me. Had a heck of a time figuring out how to turn on the shower! Finally remembered that you pull down the faucet and that starts the shower. Came down stairs and Jennifer came out of her room and said that the shower was smarter than her and how did you turn it on? We got a laugh out of that.Jennifer and I went for a drive today to Diamond Head. Also had lunch at our favorite burger spot, Teddy’s Burgers. They have moved from a tiny, secluded spot to right down on Wakiki, and they are still good.Tonight Willy and Nora had their xmas celebration with their very large family. I have never seen so much food. I thought the Wraspir’s did a good job of providing lots of food, but honestly, we don’t hold a candle to the Dionisio’s. And it was all wonderful!
Dec. 25
After calling all of the kids, we kicked back and relaxed most of the day.Bad news today,Jr.Jo's brother-in-law, died this afternoon at about 2:00 p.m., PST. He has been sick and just never recovered from a bad bladder infection. His Parkinson’s got worse, and he just wasn’t strong enough to fight it. He died very peacefully at home with all kids home. Jean, Jo's sister is doing well, knowing that Jr. is in a much, much better place.
We are going to Willy’s Aunt Betty and Uncle Bernie’s tonight for dinner. Bernie was the first Philippine lawyer in Honolulu and spent time as a representative for the state of Hawaii.It has been very hazy here, VOG they call it…haze from the volcano on Hawaii.
What a place Bernie and Betty’s place is! First of all, when you walk in you are immediately in a time warp! Back to the 60’s….green shag carpet, olive green and orange walls and orange furniture everywhere. Actually, I admire them for keeping it up so well! Now, let me tell you ,this family is TALENTED! Bernie and Betty’s children are so musically talented it is unbelievable. Not only were the tables loaded with food; there was a honest to goodness band playing! And most of the band was either family or friends of theirs. Their two daughters sang beautifully, and so did their son. One lady who sang was the voice coach for the lead singer in the musical “Miss Saigon” and she had a beautiful voice! Bernie and Betty were wonderful hosts and we had a great time.
Dec. 26
Off to the big island today. Jennifer, Al and I arrived around 2:30; rounded up our rental car (another convertible…can’t be in Hawaii without one!) and set off to find our condo. We are staying at Holua and Mauna Loa Village…these condo’s are part of our Shell Vacation Club. I had reserved a two bedroom condo here; however, when we got here they had a computer “glitch” and had only one bedrooms left. After I explained that there was 6 adults staying in this condo, (Ric, Janet and girls, plus Jennifer and us) they put us in two, one bedroom units for the night, saying that we would have to move into our two bedroom tomorrow. I was not too happy about moving, but at least we have two condo’s for the night and no one has to sleep on the floor! Ric, Janet and girls got in about 6:00 p.m.
After they got settled in, we took off to find dinner. We had dinner at one of our favorite places, Bubba Gumps. After a short wait, we were sat at a wonderful table outside, overlooking the ocean, hearing the waves crash and loud screams. Loud screams??? Wait, that doesn’t fit into this scenario! What happened is a cockroach the size of Texas had flew in and landed on Jennifer’s arm, took a cruise down her arm and then cruised down the table; causing Jennifer and our two grand daughters to scream so loud I am sure you could hear them on the mainland. The rest of us were so stunned over the screams we just sat there and watched the cockroach on his/her trip up and down the table! The roach then attempted to fly, but Ric backhanded him/her and sent it flying! The rest of the dinner everyone was on “cockroach alert!” Ah yes, we are in Hawaii.
Dec. 27
We all just kinda lazed around this morning, Ric, Janet, Ashley, Cammie and Jennifer took off to go to the Place of Refuge, however, they couldn’t get to it due to high waves. After they got back, we waited around for Mike and Bev to arrive. After they got here, some of us took off for a Costco/Safeway run. Then I took Mike and Bev to their condo. They are staying at Sea Village, which is about 4 miles north of us and is where we stayed last time. It is really nice. All came back to our condo to have taco’s and everyone gave up early….long day.
Dec. 28
Everybody, with the exception of Al and I, took off to see the volcano. We decided to stay here and rest and do nothing! We did drive down Ali’i drive to see where Jack and Sue are staying. The location of the condo we got for them is awesome…right in the middle of downtown Kona, walking distance to everything. I hope they like it.
Mike, Bev and Jennifer returned from the volcano around 7:00 and we all went to Rocky’s for Pizza. YUM…some of the best pizza I have had. Ric, Janet and girls stayed at the volcano to see the lava flow at night. They said it was cool to see, but hard to walk to the point where you coud see it.
Dec.29 Happy 37 Birthday Jennifer
Woke up to a sick Jennifer. She has a really bad cold and she spent the day in bed. Everyone else but Dad went downtown Kona to do some shopping. Had lunch at the Hardrock Café. Jack and Suzi got in today around 1:00 and we got them checked into their unit. It has a great location, but the unit itself isn’t the greatest. We were going to go to Roy’s for dinner tonight, however, canceled because Jennifer is sick. We bbq’d tri tips here at the condo.
Dec. 30
Jennifer is feeling a little better. We took it easy most of the day tho. Suzi is in the hospital…she has a kidney infection that has really gotten bad. This trip isn’t the best so far for some of us! The girls went shopping downtown again and the boys went to town to have a drink at Lulu’s. For dinner I fixed a lasagna from Costco. We really are laying low this trip...at least so far!
Dec.31
FINALLY…we did something today! We had the worst breakfast at Bubba Gumps….which is usually very good but all of our food was either cold, soggy or didn’t taste good. Afterwards Ric, Janet and Ashley went back to the condo, Ashley isn’t feeling good! The rest of us took off for the north shore to see the huge waves. Huge waves and high surf is pounding the islands and it is great to see. We stopped at the National Energy Lab Beach and the waves were HUGE….I would guess over 20 feet high and when the hit the rocks they would splash up at least 50 feet in the air! After oohing and aahing over them we took off for the little town of Hawi on the north shore. It was like stepping back into the 1950’s. The town is very small, but very unique! We drove to the end of Hwy 270 to see the Pololu valley and overlook. It was absolutely breathtaking. And we could see Maui clearly today from the north shore.
Driving back we almost ran out of gas and had to make a quick stop in Waimae to get some go juice in the car! We got back to Kona and went looking for the hospital to see Suzi..I hope she hasn’t taken up a week’s residence there! She is looking and feeling much better and we hope she gets out tomorrow.
Dinner was at Mike and Bev’s condo at Sea Village. I think I prefer those condo’s to the one’s we are in…at Sea Village you have a nice view of the water, even in the back condo’s. Here we can see NOTHING! Condo’s are nice, but absolutely NO VIEW of anything but more condo’s. Jack came to dinner, but took off for the hospital afterwards to spend more time with Suzi.We came back to the condo, and NO ONE stayed up to welcome in 2006 in this time zone. We were so tired we celebrated the new year in Pacific Time Zone and went to bed.
Hopefully, 2006 will be a great year for everyone! We were not unhappy to see 2005 leave...
Until next time.....
The Wroamin Wraspir's
Al and Jo....no dogs or cats on this trip!
Hauoli Makahiki Hou! Or Happy New Year in Hawaiian! Happy 2006!
Here is a copy of my travel log so far......
Hawaii 2005-06
Dec. 23, 2005
Left LA at 8:30 a.m. via American Airlines. How airlines have changed! No more meals anywhere! We paid $5.00 for a turkey/cheese sandwich which was probably made 2 days ago! We arrived in Honolulu at 12:30 p.m. Hawaii time (2 hours behind LA)Got our car, and had 3 hours to wait for Jennifer to arrive, so we went and got something to eat then just drove around. Bought Lei’s for all of us, including Dionisio’s,, our good friends here that we are spending Christmas with. J arrived at 3:20, and off we went to Willy and Nora’s. They have moved and they live on the west side of the island in Kapolei, in the Makakilo gated community. Their house is absolutely beautiful. They overlook Honolulu, and the view is breathtaking.
Dec. 24
Got up to shower, only the shower outsmarted me. Had a heck of a time figuring out how to turn on the shower! Finally remembered that you pull down the faucet and that starts the shower. Came down stairs and Jennifer came out of her room and said that the shower was smarter than her and how did you turn it on? We got a laugh out of that.Jennifer and I went for a drive today to Diamond Head. Also had lunch at our favorite burger spot, Teddy’s Burgers. They have moved from a tiny, secluded spot to right down on Wakiki, and they are still good.Tonight Willy and Nora had their xmas celebration with their very large family. I have never seen so much food. I thought the Wraspir’s did a good job of providing lots of food, but honestly, we don’t hold a candle to the Dionisio’s. And it was all wonderful!
Dec. 25
After calling all of the kids, we kicked back and relaxed most of the day.Bad news today,Jr.Jo's brother-in-law, died this afternoon at about 2:00 p.m., PST. He has been sick and just never recovered from a bad bladder infection. His Parkinson’s got worse, and he just wasn’t strong enough to fight it. He died very peacefully at home with all kids home. Jean, Jo's sister is doing well, knowing that Jr. is in a much, much better place.
We are going to Willy’s Aunt Betty and Uncle Bernie’s tonight for dinner. Bernie was the first Philippine lawyer in Honolulu and spent time as a representative for the state of Hawaii.It has been very hazy here, VOG they call it…haze from the volcano on Hawaii.
What a place Bernie and Betty’s place is! First of all, when you walk in you are immediately in a time warp! Back to the 60’s….green shag carpet, olive green and orange walls and orange furniture everywhere. Actually, I admire them for keeping it up so well! Now, let me tell you ,this family is TALENTED! Bernie and Betty’s children are so musically talented it is unbelievable. Not only were the tables loaded with food; there was a honest to goodness band playing! And most of the band was either family or friends of theirs. Their two daughters sang beautifully, and so did their son. One lady who sang was the voice coach for the lead singer in the musical “Miss Saigon” and she had a beautiful voice! Bernie and Betty were wonderful hosts and we had a great time.
Dec. 26
Off to the big island today. Jennifer, Al and I arrived around 2:30; rounded up our rental car (another convertible…can’t be in Hawaii without one!) and set off to find our condo. We are staying at Holua and Mauna Loa Village…these condo’s are part of our Shell Vacation Club. I had reserved a two bedroom condo here; however, when we got here they had a computer “glitch” and had only one bedrooms left. After I explained that there was 6 adults staying in this condo, (Ric, Janet and girls, plus Jennifer and us) they put us in two, one bedroom units for the night, saying that we would have to move into our two bedroom tomorrow. I was not too happy about moving, but at least we have two condo’s for the night and no one has to sleep on the floor! Ric, Janet and girls got in about 6:00 p.m.
After they got settled in, we took off to find dinner. We had dinner at one of our favorite places, Bubba Gumps. After a short wait, we were sat at a wonderful table outside, overlooking the ocean, hearing the waves crash and loud screams. Loud screams??? Wait, that doesn’t fit into this scenario! What happened is a cockroach the size of Texas had flew in and landed on Jennifer’s arm, took a cruise down her arm and then cruised down the table; causing Jennifer and our two grand daughters to scream so loud I am sure you could hear them on the mainland. The rest of us were so stunned over the screams we just sat there and watched the cockroach on his/her trip up and down the table! The roach then attempted to fly, but Ric backhanded him/her and sent it flying! The rest of the dinner everyone was on “cockroach alert!” Ah yes, we are in Hawaii.
Dec. 27
We all just kinda lazed around this morning, Ric, Janet, Ashley, Cammie and Jennifer took off to go to the Place of Refuge, however, they couldn’t get to it due to high waves. After they got back, we waited around for Mike and Bev to arrive. After they got here, some of us took off for a Costco/Safeway run. Then I took Mike and Bev to their condo. They are staying at Sea Village, which is about 4 miles north of us and is where we stayed last time. It is really nice. All came back to our condo to have taco’s and everyone gave up early….long day.
Dec. 28
Everybody, with the exception of Al and I, took off to see the volcano. We decided to stay here and rest and do nothing! We did drive down Ali’i drive to see where Jack and Sue are staying. The location of the condo we got for them is awesome…right in the middle of downtown Kona, walking distance to everything. I hope they like it.
Mike, Bev and Jennifer returned from the volcano around 7:00 and we all went to Rocky’s for Pizza. YUM…some of the best pizza I have had. Ric, Janet and girls stayed at the volcano to see the lava flow at night. They said it was cool to see, but hard to walk to the point where you coud see it.
Dec.29 Happy 37 Birthday Jennifer
Woke up to a sick Jennifer. She has a really bad cold and she spent the day in bed. Everyone else but Dad went downtown Kona to do some shopping. Had lunch at the Hardrock Café. Jack and Suzi got in today around 1:00 and we got them checked into their unit. It has a great location, but the unit itself isn’t the greatest. We were going to go to Roy’s for dinner tonight, however, canceled because Jennifer is sick. We bbq’d tri tips here at the condo.
Dec. 30
Jennifer is feeling a little better. We took it easy most of the day tho. Suzi is in the hospital…she has a kidney infection that has really gotten bad. This trip isn’t the best so far for some of us! The girls went shopping downtown again and the boys went to town to have a drink at Lulu’s. For dinner I fixed a lasagna from Costco. We really are laying low this trip...at least so far!
Dec.31
FINALLY…we did something today! We had the worst breakfast at Bubba Gumps….which is usually very good but all of our food was either cold, soggy or didn’t taste good. Afterwards Ric, Janet and Ashley went back to the condo, Ashley isn’t feeling good! The rest of us took off for the north shore to see the huge waves. Huge waves and high surf is pounding the islands and it is great to see. We stopped at the National Energy Lab Beach and the waves were HUGE….I would guess over 20 feet high and when the hit the rocks they would splash up at least 50 feet in the air! After oohing and aahing over them we took off for the little town of Hawi on the north shore. It was like stepping back into the 1950’s. The town is very small, but very unique! We drove to the end of Hwy 270 to see the Pololu valley and overlook. It was absolutely breathtaking. And we could see Maui clearly today from the north shore.
Driving back we almost ran out of gas and had to make a quick stop in Waimae to get some go juice in the car! We got back to Kona and went looking for the hospital to see Suzi..I hope she hasn’t taken up a week’s residence there! She is looking and feeling much better and we hope she gets out tomorrow.
Dinner was at Mike and Bev’s condo at Sea Village. I think I prefer those condo’s to the one’s we are in…at Sea Village you have a nice view of the water, even in the back condo’s. Here we can see NOTHING! Condo’s are nice, but absolutely NO VIEW of anything but more condo’s. Jack came to dinner, but took off for the hospital afterwards to spend more time with Suzi.We came back to the condo, and NO ONE stayed up to welcome in 2006 in this time zone. We were so tired we celebrated the new year in Pacific Time Zone and went to bed.
Hopefully, 2006 will be a great year for everyone! We were not unhappy to see 2005 leave...
Until next time.....
The Wroamin Wraspir's
Al and Jo....no dogs or cats on this trip!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
We Can't Seem to Stay Put!
Tucson, AZ
Dec. 15, 2005
Season's Greetings to all!!!
Well, here we go again! We went to see our Grandson in San Antonio...What a fun trip! We took Amtrak from Tucson to San Antonio. Now, that was an experience! First of all, the train was 5 hours late getting into Tucson; it was suppose to arrive at 2:20 ahoy; however we spent 5 long, hard hours on very hard benches in the train depot until it finally arrived at 7:20 a.m. We could have gotten a good nights sleep and still made the train had we known it was that late! At any rate, finally on the train; very tired, but still rarin' to go! We get to 12 miles west of Lordsburg, NM (for those of you who don't know where wonderful Lordsburg is, you haven't missed anything! It is in the middle of NOWHERE!) All of a sudden, the train comes to a grinding halt, with the announcement that the crew has ran out of running time. Apparently the crew can only operate the train for 12 hours at a time and they had officially ran out of time! Okay, so this is nice, we are really in the middle of nowhere...and no train crew! The new crew was coming out of El Paso, and they weren't there yet. We waited for almost 2 hours for the new crew to arrive, and finally we were on our way again. We arrived in San Antonio 8 hours late...I think this may be a new record for Amtrak! At any rate, we finally got our rental car and found our hotel and took a nice, long nap!
Danny arrived around 5:oo p.m. and we were sure happy to see him. He has grown up into a very nice, responsible young man and we are proud of him. We went to dinner and then he took us to a movie..we saw "Rent"...if you haven't seen it, go! It was really good.
The next day dawned a bit cloudy and cool, so we spent the morning shopping and then went downtown to the RiverCenter and took a boat ride on the river that goes through San Antonio. Very nice and we spent some time on the River Walk as well.
Sunday was rainy/misty and cool, but we went to the Alamo anyway. Very interesting place, filled with a lot of history. After that we decided to drive to Buda, Texas to the Cabelas store. Al wanted to nose around and Danny was amazed at how big it was! We stopped on the way back at the largest outlet mall I have ever seen! I just had to do some retail therapy there! If you are ever in or near San Marcos, TX, stop at this place...it has everything.
Monday, Danny had to work. He is in the Army and is getting ready to ship out to Germany for 2 years, but currently at Ft. Sam Houston. He is a medic and has just finished his training for optometry technician. We spent the day nosing around and then met up with Danny for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. We said our goodbyes to him that evening and got ready to brave Amtrak again in the morning. We were scheduled to leave at 5:40 a.m., but of course, we all know how that works. We were very surprised to arrive at the station and find the train already there! We got on and went to sleep even before it left. We had a fairly uneventful trip home, only arriving 4 hours late.
NOW, we are getting ready to leave again. We can't seem to stay home! We are leaving Sunday for Yuma, then on to California to see family and on the 23rd we fly to Hawaii for 16 days of paradise! We will be staying with friends in Honolulu for 3 days and then on the 26th we fly to Kona on the big island for two weeks. The first week we will have Jennifer, Mike and Bev: Ric, Janet, Ashley and Cammie; and friends the Waddicks join us mid week; the second week we have friends Rowland and Kathy with us. So we will be busy, but we will be warm and happy
and enjoying family and friends.
So until I post our next "blog" let us wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....or Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Dec. 15, 2005
Season's Greetings to all!!!
Well, here we go again! We went to see our Grandson in San Antonio...What a fun trip! We took Amtrak from Tucson to San Antonio. Now, that was an experience! First of all, the train was 5 hours late getting into Tucson; it was suppose to arrive at 2:20 ahoy; however we spent 5 long, hard hours on very hard benches in the train depot until it finally arrived at 7:20 a.m. We could have gotten a good nights sleep and still made the train had we known it was that late! At any rate, finally on the train; very tired, but still rarin' to go! We get to 12 miles west of Lordsburg, NM (for those of you who don't know where wonderful Lordsburg is, you haven't missed anything! It is in the middle of NOWHERE!) All of a sudden, the train comes to a grinding halt, with the announcement that the crew has ran out of running time. Apparently the crew can only operate the train for 12 hours at a time and they had officially ran out of time! Okay, so this is nice, we are really in the middle of nowhere...and no train crew! The new crew was coming out of El Paso, and they weren't there yet. We waited for almost 2 hours for the new crew to arrive, and finally we were on our way again. We arrived in San Antonio 8 hours late...I think this may be a new record for Amtrak! At any rate, we finally got our rental car and found our hotel and took a nice, long nap!
Danny arrived around 5:oo p.m. and we were sure happy to see him. He has grown up into a very nice, responsible young man and we are proud of him. We went to dinner and then he took us to a movie..we saw "Rent"...if you haven't seen it, go! It was really good.
The next day dawned a bit cloudy and cool, so we spent the morning shopping and then went downtown to the RiverCenter and took a boat ride on the river that goes through San Antonio. Very nice and we spent some time on the River Walk as well.
Sunday was rainy/misty and cool, but we went to the Alamo anyway. Very interesting place, filled with a lot of history. After that we decided to drive to Buda, Texas to the Cabelas store. Al wanted to nose around and Danny was amazed at how big it was! We stopped on the way back at the largest outlet mall I have ever seen! I just had to do some retail therapy there! If you are ever in or near San Marcos, TX, stop at this place...it has everything.
Monday, Danny had to work. He is in the Army and is getting ready to ship out to Germany for 2 years, but currently at Ft. Sam Houston. He is a medic and has just finished his training for optometry technician. We spent the day nosing around and then met up with Danny for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. We said our goodbyes to him that evening and got ready to brave Amtrak again in the morning. We were scheduled to leave at 5:40 a.m., but of course, we all know how that works. We were very surprised to arrive at the station and find the train already there! We got on and went to sleep even before it left. We had a fairly uneventful trip home, only arriving 4 hours late.
NOW, we are getting ready to leave again. We can't seem to stay home! We are leaving Sunday for Yuma, then on to California to see family and on the 23rd we fly to Hawaii for 16 days of paradise! We will be staying with friends in Honolulu for 3 days and then on the 26th we fly to Kona on the big island for two weeks. The first week we will have Jennifer, Mike and Bev: Ric, Janet, Ashley and Cammie; and friends the Waddicks join us mid week; the second week we have friends Rowland and Kathy with us. So we will be busy, but we will be warm and happy
and enjoying family and friends.
So until I post our next "blog" let us wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....or Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Wridin' the Wrails!
Dec. 1, 2005
11:40 A.M.
Somewhere in eastern Arizona (about 12 miles from Lordsburg, NM)
We are on our way to see Danny on Amtrak. We were scheduled to leave Tucson at 2:20 a.m. today….however, the train was 6 HOURS LATE arriving in Tucson. We had called at midnight and were told the train was running an hour late. We called again at 1:30 a.m. and got the same info, so we loaded up the car and took off for the train station in downtown Tucson. We got to the station at 2:45 and found a sign that read “Amtrak delayed until 4:45 a.m. due to Union Pacific freight traffic”. GREAT! We checked in our luggage and decided we would go have breakfast, or a cup of coffee, or something! After discovering NOTHING is open in downtown Tucson at this hour, we headed out to I-10 and found a Denny’s open. Not in the best part of town, but we didn’t have a choice. We had breakfast and finally at 4:00 a.m. we headed back the train station. We parked the car in the parking garage and walked the 2 blocks to the station. We sat down and waited. At 4:40 a.m. the station agent made an announcement that the train was delayed due to an emergency and would arrive at 5:55 a.m. GRRRR! Have you ever tried to sleep on a bench in a train station? They are harder than the ground….Jo tried and gave up! 5:55 came and went -- people were getting a little (?) irritated…finally the station agent made yet another announcement (by the way, he had the personality of a rock) that the train was delayed about 35 minutes out due to a broken rail on the line. GOOD GRIEF! Scheduled arrival of 7:30 a.m! WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN A DECENT NIGHTS SLELEP! The crowd was getting antsy…one young woman had been there since midnight with her two small children; after taking a bus from somewhere north of Tucson. FINALLY at 7:20 Amtrak arrives. We board and get to our “room”…we have a sleeper on the trip. Our room is about 4 feet wide, two seats facing each other..very cozy! I could see a lot of time being spent in the observation car by us! Since the room was not made up for sleeping, we went up to the dining car (the entire length of the train from where we are) and had breakfast again! We got about 3 miles from the station and the train had to stop on a siding to let 3 freights pass. I should tell you here, that freight trains have priority on the rails….and Union Pacific owns these rails. We also found out that the southern route for Amtrak is always slow…and at least 2 hours late! By now we are over 6 hours late. Finally we get rolling again. We go back to our “room” and try to figure out how we are going to sleep. The attendant comes by and told us that the room across from us was unoccupied, and gave the room to Jo to use until someone boards for it.
It is now noon and we are still stopped in the middle of NO WHERE! All I can see is sage brush, weeds and I-10. You will never guess why! Apparently the train crew can only operate the train in 12 hour shifts (government regulations) and this crew has ended its shift. We are sitting here waiting for a replacement crew.---I hope they aren’t coming by Amtrak…we will be here a long time!
11:40 A.M.
Somewhere in eastern Arizona (about 12 miles from Lordsburg, NM)
We are on our way to see Danny on Amtrak. We were scheduled to leave Tucson at 2:20 a.m. today….however, the train was 6 HOURS LATE arriving in Tucson. We had called at midnight and were told the train was running an hour late. We called again at 1:30 a.m. and got the same info, so we loaded up the car and took off for the train station in downtown Tucson. We got to the station at 2:45 and found a sign that read “Amtrak delayed until 4:45 a.m. due to Union Pacific freight traffic”. GREAT! We checked in our luggage and decided we would go have breakfast, or a cup of coffee, or something! After discovering NOTHING is open in downtown Tucson at this hour, we headed out to I-10 and found a Denny’s open. Not in the best part of town, but we didn’t have a choice. We had breakfast and finally at 4:00 a.m. we headed back the train station. We parked the car in the parking garage and walked the 2 blocks to the station. We sat down and waited. At 4:40 a.m. the station agent made an announcement that the train was delayed due to an emergency and would arrive at 5:55 a.m. GRRRR! Have you ever tried to sleep on a bench in a train station? They are harder than the ground….Jo tried and gave up! 5:55 came and went -- people were getting a little (?) irritated…finally the station agent made yet another announcement (by the way, he had the personality of a rock) that the train was delayed about 35 minutes out due to a broken rail on the line. GOOD GRIEF! Scheduled arrival of 7:30 a.m! WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN A DECENT NIGHTS SLELEP! The crowd was getting antsy…one young woman had been there since midnight with her two small children; after taking a bus from somewhere north of Tucson. FINALLY at 7:20 Amtrak arrives. We board and get to our “room”…we have a sleeper on the trip. Our room is about 4 feet wide, two seats facing each other..very cozy! I could see a lot of time being spent in the observation car by us! Since the room was not made up for sleeping, we went up to the dining car (the entire length of the train from where we are) and had breakfast again! We got about 3 miles from the station and the train had to stop on a siding to let 3 freights pass. I should tell you here, that freight trains have priority on the rails….and Union Pacific owns these rails. We also found out that the southern route for Amtrak is always slow…and at least 2 hours late! By now we are over 6 hours late. Finally we get rolling again. We go back to our “room” and try to figure out how we are going to sleep. The attendant comes by and told us that the room across from us was unoccupied, and gave the room to Jo to use until someone boards for it.
It is now noon and we are still stopped in the middle of NO WHERE! All I can see is sage brush, weeds and I-10. You will never guess why! Apparently the train crew can only operate the train in 12 hour shifts (government regulations) and this crew has ended its shift. We are sitting here waiting for a replacement crew.---I hope they aren’t coming by Amtrak…we will be here a long time!
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