Sonoran Hot Dog -- YUM

Tucson
First of all, I went to the hand doctor yesterday and he took out the remaining stitch and "freed" me!  I can resume normal use of the hand, as tolerated!  But, I do have to go to physical theraphy for the hand, which I will start tomorrow.  The hand feels really good and is healed, so perhaps I am on the way to getting my life back!!!

Today our friends from Montana, Gordon and Denise and Al and I took off on a quest to find a Sonoran Hot Dog.  What is a Sonoran Hot Dog you ask?  The Sonoran hot dog may take the phrase "with everything" to new heights. It starts with a hot dog wrapped in bacon. Then you begin piling on the beans, grilled onions, fresh onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, cream sauce, mustard and jalapeno salsa. Add radishes, cucumbers, whole chilies and even mushrooms, if you want.  We went to the best place in town, El Guero Canelo down in South Tucson for this delectably delicious treat.  We were first amazed to find it very crowded; but more amazed by the price!  $2.50 gets you a Sonoran Hot Dog with all the trimmings and a bottle of Coke--a real glass bottle too!  El Guero Canelo has been dishing up dogs since 1993 and we think it is well worth the drive.  However, we did discover they do have a dog stand a bit closer to us so next time we will try it. 

Sonoran Hot Dog, and yes, there really is a hot dog in there!

TheWeather has been better here the last few days after having rain for a few days; but rain is predicted for the weekend again and we are having company for the weekend.  Al's cousin Christine and her husband Denys from Australia will be here.  We were hoping to do something fun like go to Tubac or someplace like that, but if the weather is rainy that will be a no go!  Oh, I know, we will take them for a Sonoran Hot Dog!!!!

Bye bye Picc line

Tucson
Bye bye PICC line!  YES!!! I saw the infection Doc yesterday and the recent blood test showed I was greatly improved so he pulled the PICC line.  I asked him if it was gonna' hurt when he pulled it (yes, I am a wimp) and he laughed and said "I already have pulled it!"  Yup---there it was in his hand!!  WHOOHOO!  I feel 100% better already!

Holly went with me to the doctor, so afterwards we went out to lunch.  We found a great Deli, "Shlomo's & Vito's" NY style deli --  yum!!  Gotta take Al to this place!  It's part Jewish style deli and Italian style deli and ALL GOOD. 

Rain in the old pueblo today, which we need.  However the PGA Accenture Match Play is going on not far from us, so I am sure they aren't enjoying the rain.

More later --  I need to let my hand rest!

ICK! ICK! ICK! WHAT A MESS!

Tuesday feb 16
Tucson
Another short blog. WHAT A MESS I AM IN!!!   My hand was healing fine -- I was beginning to feel human again and WHAM--i got hit with a massive infection in my hand.  Superbowl Sunday after watching the Saints win, my hand started to swell up---I thought it was gonna' pop!!!  ANd it really started to hurt.  I took two painkillers and went to bed---and even the painkillers didn't touch the pain.  Monday found me in the hand doc's office begging for relief.  Yup---got an infection---sent me home with antibiotics and wrapped my hand and told me to keep it above my heart at all times (take two asprin and call me in the morning routine?) Back to see him Wednesday, I am no better.  He lances the incision and takes out the stitches OUCH --  ever had 4 shots in the palm of your hand that was very sore to begin with?  OH MY GOSH -- I thought I was going to faint!  And by this time I am the queen of pain pills - taking two every four hours, and still no relief.  Anyway, to make a long story longer, he drains the incision, and has me come back early on Thursday - to which I was still no better.  So,,off to the infection doc I go -- same one Al had last year and that I really liked.  His words were "ICK" nasty infection.  And we still don't know what type of infection it is, but staph is suspected.  He decides to put me on IV antibiotics, massive doses.  So last Friday I had a picc line installed ( I asked if they could put a USB port in as well, but guess technology isn't that far along) and started on massive doses of antibiotics -- home healthcare nurse trained our friend Denise how to administer the IV, twice daily.

Speaking of Denise -- her and her hubby Gordon are very good friends from Montana who are thawing out here and spending the winter parked in our RV pad we had built.  WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM HERE -- AND WE THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR SENDING THEM HERE.  I truly don't know how we would had managed without them.  She not only does my meds, but she has basically had to be cheif cook as as well.

Back to the hand -- it is much better now.  Saw the infection doc yeaterday and he said if I keep doing well I can get rid of the picc line possibly by Friday, which I would be very happy to do.

Thursday
The infection is Staph -- great!!  However I am doing much better and hope to get rid of the $%^&*# picc line tomorrow!!

Ow, Ow, Ow

Tucson
After arriving home last Saturday, things have been a bit of a blur!

First of all, I am typing this with just my left hand.  I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand last Tuesday,  All in all it is healing nicely.  I removed the big bandaid on Friday and I do have a little feeling coming back into my fingers.  I have discovered there are quite a few things I can do with only one hand & the left one at that!  Then there are just things that absolutely cannotbe done -- don't ask.


More when I can type.

More of New Orleans

Jan 19, Tuesday, New Orleans


The condo we are staying in was built in 1842….and yes, it has been modernized over the years, however, the exterior looks like 1842. We are right in the middle of the French Quarter as well. In the French Quarter you can modernize the inside of a house/townhouse/building, but you can not change the exterior. You have to maintain the old French Quarter appearance. I find it very charming.



Ron and Melanie left today, heading back to Portland. Little by little our group is dwindling down. We have two more full days in New Orleans after today. Time flies when you are having fun. We reallly enjoyed having all of our kids with us on this trip.



Ric, Janet, Jenn and Jerry are off to explore the cemetaries today. I was going to go with them, but decided to take a break today. We had lunch at Clover’s Café…a true 1950’s diner on Bourbon St. and St.Louis St. in the heart of the French Quarter. The hamburgers are cooked on a grill and covered with an old hubcap!!! Very good and worth the walk. Right now Jack and Suzi are off on a walk and Al is resting. He seems to be doing a lot of that lately.

Tonight we had dinner at the Crazy Lobster, which is at the end of the River Walk. Jerry had the “Seafood Bucket” which is what they are famous for. It contained a full lobster, shrimp, crab, mussels, corn, potatoes and was huge. He managed to eat most of it with a little help from his dad! Janet and I had red beans and rice; Jenn had jambalaya…all was very good. So I have tasted this trip beignets, hurricane, pralines, jambalaya, po boy sandwich, etouffee, gumbo, red beans and rice, and only have a muffelatta left to try. UGH…I am full!



Jan. 20, HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY GARY

Up late this morning, guess I was tired! Woke up to rain and mist and fog…eerie!



Jack, Suzi, Jenn and I took off walking this morning to Café DuMonde for yet another round of coffe au late and beignets. Then it was shopping time…through the French Market and the shops that surround them. The French Market is comparable to Pike Place Market in Seattle…a little smaller, but not all of the vendors were out today. Loved walking around in the fog and mist however. The sun came out later this afternoon. I think I will take a walk around the French Quarter this afternoon….just can’t get enough! For someone who didn’t expect to like New Orleans, I am really liking it.

After a lunch of a quarter muffalatta sandwich, which was exceptionally good and they are huge; Jenn and Suzi conned me into taking a walk with them. What they forgot to tell me is that I was going to be walking all over the French Quarter. Actually, it was fun, but I had to give them grief about it. They were doing a walking tour from a book Suzi bought today. There was really a structured tour in the book, but we didn’t discover that until the VERY END of the walk!!! We kinda’ zig-zagged all over the French Quarter. At one point we had just visited the cathedral and were standing on the corner trying to decide which place to go next and the heavens let loose and it poured. Of course, we had left our umbrella’s and poncho’s at the condo….so we found a store selling ponchos, put them on and it stopped raining!!! It figures! We didn’t let a little rain stop us….we continued our walking tour. We stopped for a cup of coffee and to let our feet rest for a while, and then we were off again. Finally, just as it was getting dark we returned to the condo. Tonight for dinner we went to Mona Lisa’s restaurant, right around the corner…excellent Italian food. Fun day….



Jan 21, THURSDAY

Our group here is dwindling rapidly here….Jenn, Janet and Ric left today…what was 12 is now down to 5!

After Jack took them to the airport, he picked us up and we went to the WWII Museum….all I can say is WOW. That was a great museum. I learned more there than I learned from the school books about WWII!

After that we set out to find a Sam’s Club (since there is no Costco anywhere around!!) for a broasted chicken. Well, it wasn’t exactly as easy as we thought! Lucy, my GPS, wouldn’t, couldn’t find a Sam’s club here …. The gps on Jacks phone said one place and the gps on my phone said another….after many wrong turns we finally found it. When we got in, they were out of broasted chickens and we had to wait 20 minutes for one…..we could have stayed lost for a bit longer I guess.

Tomorrow we are headed home…well back to Phoenix. We will stay overnight in Phoenix since I don’t like driving in the dark and especially through the desert. I talked to Denise at home and we are really having the wind and rain….winds up to 30 mph and 50-60 mph gusts…ugh.

Back to New Orleans

Jan 17, Sunday New Orleans

We arrived back in New Orleans early this morning and by 10:00 a.m. we were off the ship and on our way to our condo for the week. After checking in and discovering our condo was on the second floor (I had requested a handicapped, first floor unit) it was a question as to if Al was going to be able to handle the stairs; however, he did fine. We dumped our luggage and went in search of lunch and a WalMart for supplies for the week. We will probably eat breakfast in the condo and lunch and dinner out. Way too many good restaurants in this town and way too little time!!!

After finding Walmart we decided to eat first so went back to the VooDoo BBQ for lunch. All I can say it this place is advertised as the best bbq in New Orleans and we agree.

This afternoon Jack, Suzi, Ron, Mel, Jenn all took a long walk. Al and I just rested and I got caught up with emails. For dinner all of us went to Landry’s Seafood. It was good, however, the dirty rice was way too spicy for this wimp! Sadly after dinner we said goodbye to Mike and Bev as they fly home tomorrow morning. Ric, Janet and Jerry took off to their condo; the rest of us back to ours. Nite all!

Jan 18, Monday, Happy Birthday Shirley; New Orleans

Up this morning to a beautiful day! After breakfast all of us but Al, who didn’t feel like tackling the stairs this morning, took off walking to Jackson Square to jump on a carriage ride around the French Quarter. I was really amazed about some of the facts we learned about New Orleans. Katrina did some damage to the French Quarter, but didn’t do the damage that it did other places.

Wraspirs and Waddicks on the Carriage Ride

After the carriage ride it was to Café DuMonde for beignets and café au late for a snack. Then we all scattered again. Jerry took off to just look around, Ric, Janet and Jenn walking through the French Market; Mel and Ron back to the French Quarter; Jack, Suzi and I back to the condo.

After lunch at the condo we took a private van tour of the city, Katrina devastation. I had no idea of the true devastation that Katrina did. The media didn’t exactly cover it properly or report it properly in my mind. They only covered the big items, leaving out valuable information. Did you realize that some area’s were under 15 feet or more of water? Or did you know that New Orleans has about half of the population that they did before the storm? Some of the people just walked away from their houses, never to return. New Orleans is suffering from a lack of workers, especially entry level workers. Families moved and have never came back, thus the lack of workers is really slowing down the recovery efforts. I was totallly amazed at the amount of devastation; still very obvious in places. Our tour driver lost his house, but fortunately he had flood insurance and was able to rebuild. He lived in the upper 9th ward. We toured not only that area, but the lower 9th ward as well and saw the work that Brad Pitt is spearheading in that area. We saw where the levee’s broke and the canals that carried the water into the city; where they have rebuilt the levee’s which have not been tested as of yet. Just totally amazing to me. How much or little we actually know about the damage of Katrina. What didn’t get damaged by water got damaged from the wind or fire. I have a new appreciation of the rebuilding that is going on.

Just steps left after Katrina got done

Houses that Harry Connick Jr is building

We also toured the Garden District, which pretty much escaped major damage, however, a lot of the wealthy area’s were also heavily damaged, not just the poor area’s. We toured the cemetarys as well and we plan on going back to them tomorrow. They are so interesting since most of them are above ground crypts.

Dinner tonight was at Irene’s Italian Restaurant, only 2 blocks from the condo. Al decided he could walk the two blocks, however, the blocks were very long and he was in pain by the time he got to the restaurant; after dinner Jack went and got the car to bring Al back to the condo.

Tomorrow is another day of exploring….can’t wait. I am really loving New Orleans….who knew I would?

Ron And Melanie, aboard NCL Spirit

Belize, Cozumel, Tropical storm Wraspir!

Jan 14, Thursday Belize


While the kids scattered to do various shore excursions, Al and I stayed on board the ship. Ron and Melanie did Al-Tun Ha ruins and Belize River tour; Jenn, Janet and Bev did Al-Tun Ha Ruins and Belize City Tour; Mike, Jerry, Ric did Jungle Trek and cave tubing; Jack and Suzi did Jungle Trek, Cave tubing and Zip Line. I did walk into the Ships’ Tourist Trap at the end of the pier, however, it was too crowded for me.

Tonight we all scattered for dinner as well. Some went to the dining room, some to the buffet, and some to the hamburger place. Fairly quiet day for me.

Jan. 15, Friday, Cozumel

All of the kids went to Tulum today, since they have never been there. Jack, Suzi, Al and I have been there, done that and decided we didn’t need to do it again. Jack went to the gym, Al stayed on the deck and read; Suzi and I walked to the Ship’s tourist trap at the end of the pier and boosted the local economy a little bit. Reminded us of being in Mexico, oh, wait, we are in Mexico…hey lady, buy from me! “Almost free”…ha!
This afternoon Suzi and I pampered ourselves with a massage and facial….ah…..much better.

We all had dinner tonight in the Shogun Asian Fusion restaurant on board. Somehow, it wasn’t as good as when we had dinner at the same place on the NCL Pearl on our Panama Canal cruise. After dinner, we all scattered again…some to the show, some to the casino, some to their rooms.
Jan. 16, Saturday, At Sea

BOOM! WHAT???? BOOM!!! We were awoke to a great tropical storm. The ship was a rockin’ pretty good last night, but this morning around 7:00 a.m. we were treated to a real storm. Thunder, lightning, wind, rain and high swells. WOO HOO! I love a good storm at sea. Jenn and I sat on the bed with the door open and watched it….rain coming down in sheets….big flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder; high waves and lots of wind. LOVED IT! The ship was literally crawling through this storm….and was sounding the fog horn every two minutes as visibility was nil. We did pass another ship in the distance during the storm…we could barely see it. The storm lasted a good hour or more and this ship is still doing a bit of rocking now.

After breakfast we had our family pictures taken .. Jack being the photographer for us. The rest of the day is free to do “what ever” And I think I will do just that…read and what ever!

Guatamala

Jan 13, Wednesday, Santo de Tomas, Guatamala


Still cloudy and a bit cool today as we arrive in Guatamala. Since Al has such a difficult time walking we did a town trolley tour today. Ron and Melanie went with us. The rest of the gang scattered; some doing the old fort tour; some doing the town and beach tour and yet others doing a river trip.

Our tour through the town made us glad of where we live and what we have. The average wage here is $250 month and gas is $5 plus a gallon…you do the math! No large super markets here either, you mostly do your shopping daily at the local outdoor market. We saw a lot of fresh produce that looked really good, however, our tour guide said most of the good produce is exported to WALMART! Their main export in Guatamala is sugar cane and most of it goes directly to Coca Cola; the second export is coffee and the third is banana’s, which once again goes mainly to Walmart. The other major industry here is tourisim. And yes, they LOVE the cruise ships. Poor is the only word I can use to describe what I saw today. However, the port seems to be very busy, lots of activity all day. And I had to laugh at our tour guide, Jorge, he was freezing today! He said it is the coldest it has been here in over 40 years -- it is about 65 degrees. The normal temperature for this time of year is 85+, so yes, the locals are cold.

I did contribute a few dollars to the local economy however. Right outside the cruise ship is a small shopping area….one more touristo trap! I bought a few trinkets to take home and some beautiful place mats…I love the vibrant colors.

Tonight after dinner we all scattered in different directions….some to the comedy show, some to bed, some to the casino; Suzi and I did some minor shopping on board and looked at the pictures the ship photographers take at every opportunity! I don’t know who that woman is with Al all of the time…she sure looks old!!!  Tomorrow is Belize.

Cruisin' we are...

Jan 8, 2010 Friday


Left Phoenix at 1:00 p.m. direct flight to a very cold, New Orleans. Or as they say it N’awlins. Picked up our rental car and after a few wrong turns, (GPS not familiar with this part of the world obviously!) we found our hotel. We are staying 2 nights before the cruise at the Hilton Gardens, Convention Center. Out our window we can see the cruise port and currently Carnival is in port.

Mike and Bev arrived earlier today; so after we dumped our luggage we promptly went in search of somewhere to eat. We found “Mothers”, best ham in N’awlins. Mike had the ham, Al and I had fried oysters and they were excellent….some of the best we have ever had. We drove through the French Quarter for a bit trying to get our bearings. After that we headed to the airport to pick up Jerry. Half of us are now here…the rest arrive tomorrow.

Jan 9 Nawlins Saturday

MY, IT IS COLD HERE! 23 degree’s this morning. Very unusual for New Orleans. The locals are just about frozen stiff!!!

After breakfast at the hotel we hopped in the car and drove around the French Quarter again and the French Market area. We stopped at Café DuMonde for bengiets and café au late….YUM. Bengiets are nothing more than fried sweet dough with lots of powdered sugar….but oh so good. We wandered around for a bit, then jumped back into the car to the garden district. The houses are amazing! We stopped at VooDoo BBQ for lunch and it was amazing. Want to go back there again.

Later today we started picking up the rest of the family/friends from the airport. Ric, Janet and Jennifer came in first; got them back to the hotel in time to turn around and go back and pick up Jack and Suzi. I promptly got lost coming back from the airport, so Jack and Suzi got an improtu tour!!! Then it was off to Mulata’s for dinner. Interesting place, very loud and all cajun food. I had the stuffed shrimp, which I didn’t really care for. The fried alligator appetizer was pretty good tho. After dinner Jenn and I took off for the airport to pick up Ron and Melanie. And, I made the same wrong turn coming back to the hotel again; but at least I could find my way back to the hotel in one shot this time. Now, all our kids are here; we are ready to cruise!

Jan 10, Sunday aboard NCL Spirit

Did I mention how cold it is here? The artic air has hit places where it isn’t suppose to be!!!
I started shuttling everyone to the ship around noon today – then Melanie and I took the rental car back to the airport and hopped a taxi back to the ship. After eveyone is on board, we all met up for lunch. Our group is 12, so getting tables together we thought was going to be hard, but so far we have managed just fine.

The weather is still cold, but sunny. We will travel down the Mississippi River for 100+ miles before getting into the Carribbean. As I said, it is cold, probably the coldest cruise we have ever been on so far, but the promise of warm weather awaits. All of us but Al went up on deck to the “Bon Voyage” party…sailing, sailing, down the muddy river!!! Dinner was in the dining room tonight, as usual very good, however, I am already tired of the food! For whatever reason, usually after a few days of a cruise I get tired of the food; but this trip I started out tired of it! Don’t ask! But I am not complaining, just stating a fact.

Jan 11, Monday, somewhere in the Carribbean
It is still a bit cool….especially when you get in the wind, but I do see a few sun breaks between the clouds this morning. The sea is calm and very relaxing, rocked me to sleep last night.

I should mention here that Jenn is sharing our room on this cruise. The room is very small, so last night it was very interesting sleeping. I don’t know if any of us got a lot of sleep!!! We all had breakfast together this morning and now everyone is off doing their thing. Al is resting, and I am about to go for a walk.

Later in the day…..I have done a lot of walking around the ship….this is one of the smaller ships in the Norwegian fleet at 882feet long and holds 2878 people, passengers and crew. It has recently been refurbished, however, it entered service in 2000.

This afternoon Al and Jerry went to the martini tasting; the rest of us gathered in the lobby and just visited. Some went to play shuffleboard, to the casino, the gym and various other activities on board today. We all met up for dinner tonight….this family is crazy when we all get together…lots of laughs.

The weather is turning a bit warmer tonight, however, the sea’s are a little rough today. I don’t mind it at all. It does make walking a bit of a challenge however and especially with Al and his cane. It takes at least two of us to help him walk when the ship is like this.

Jan 12, Tuesday, Costa Mayo Mexico
The ship arrived at 10:00 a.m. and pulled in next to the Royal Carribbean Liberty of the Sea’s….quite a bit larger ship than ours!

Al decided he didn’t think he could do the tour here, so Melanie went with me instead. Jack, Suzi, Ric, Janet, Jenn, Melanie and I did the Chocchoben Mayan tour. Good thing Al didn’t do it…lots of walking over rough ground. When I booked this tour it was described as an “easy” tour…not! Lot’s of Mayan ruins and good history. We also got to see a couple of howler monkey’s in the trees.

Costa Mayo was completely devestated by hurrican Dean in 2007 and we could see evidence of it still. The tour dock and pier have been completely rebuilt and the little “tourist trap” at the end of the pier is brand new.

Dinner tonight for some of us was in Cagney’s Steak house…good, but no one can beat a steak cooked at home!!! Al returned to the room after dinner and I went with Jack, Suzi, Mike, Ric, Janet to the show….a rock and roll revue…which was very good and very high energy.  Nite all...more tomorrow.

 

Good Riddance!!

Tucson

As I sit here I am counting down to the end of this horrible year.  I have 100 minutes left of 2009 and I can't get rid of it quick enough.  This has truly been a horrible year for us.  Just a recap.

Jan   --  My brother Dick starts out the year in the hospital and comes home mid January and dies Jan 21.

Feb.  --  Our wonderful doctor dies of a sudden heart attack.  Leaves us scrambling for a new doctor.

Mar --   Al becomes sick while we are visiting friends in Lake Havasu.  I get him back to Tucson as fast as I can.  He winds up in the hospital with a staph infection and ultimately has to have one of his knee replacements re-done. He spends 28 days in hospital/rehab. 

On a good note, we welcome Ada JoEllen into the world, great granddaughter #4.

Apr. --  Al goes back into the hospital for a couple of days as his picc line is infected.  ENOUGH of the hospitals!

May  --  We are prepared to leave Tucson and head back to Washington, however, we are held up because I am having some medical problems......

June  --  We finally head north...Al takes a nasty fall in Idaho Falls, ID and cracks two ribs. 

July  --  In Alaska, we hold my brothers memorial.  Then a few days later his daughter, my niece dies.

Aug --   We take a cruise from Alaska to Vancouver....and we had a good month..FINALLY!!!

Sept.  -- Billie and Dan almost lose their home to the horrible brush fire that engulfs southern California.  

Oct. --  Finally, a fairly quiet month.  We get back to Tucson in one piece and start to breath a sigh of relief...this year is almost over.  However, end of Oct. Jennifer calls and says she will have to have a hysterectomy...pre cancer cells have shown their ugly heads.

Nov. -  We fly back to Seattle to help Jennifer through surgery and get her back on her feet.  She is doing well.
Also in Nov. we fly to Missouri to meet great granddaughters Sophie and Ada and to visit with Grandson David and Tiffany.  We spend Thanksgiving with Mike, Bev, Sarah and other two great granddaughters, Natasha and Nadia.

Dec.  --  It's almost over, this year of 2009, but not before it knocks us around one more time.  Natasha has a small brain tumor and is operated on for removal.  She bounces back quickly, thank God, but is it really over?  We won't know for sure until 2010 if she will have to have radiation or chemo. 

So the drama that was 2009 is almost gone.  I can only pray that 2010 will be a much better year for us. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our family and friends.......I have 62 minutes left of 2009.  Not gonna answer my phone................

Merry Christmas

Tucson,  68 degrees
Ah, Christmas.....all the hustle, bustle and rush is over.  Now to sit back and enoy. 

This Christmas is a little different for us in that Jennifer, who usually flys to where ever we are for xmas isn't here.  We are all, and when I say all, all of our kids and us, are going on a cruise next month, so Jenn elected to stay in Seattle for xmas this year.  I have talked to almost all of our kids today, or texted them. '

Today I am mostly reminded of Christmas' past.  I remember childhood Christmases where we opened our presents on xmas eve.  We usually went to my Aunt and Uncles for dinner and Mom or Dad would always dissappear for a while after dinner.  Then when we got home Santa would have been to our house.  I was told we were first on his list of deliveries.  I knew we didn't have much money, but we always had gifts and lots of love.

Then I remember when my children were small....the wonderment on their little faces when they would see the tree with Santa's gifts under it.   Jenn shared some pictures today of her and Melanie on xmas morning and I was instantly transported back in time. 

And last, but certainly not least, my prayers for our men and women that serve our country, either in the military, or as police and fire fighters....they are our hero's.  I am fortunate to have our adopted daughter Billie and her husband Dan, Billie as a Lt. in the LA County Sherriff department and Dan as a fireman in Los Angeles City Fire Dept....our own personal hero's. 

We are both so very thankful that our great grand daughter Natasha who had a tumor removed from her brain a week ago is doing well and home from the hospital.  We are also so very thankful for our entire family, Mike, Bev, Stephen, Sarah, Natasha, Nadia; Jerry, Jennifer; Melanie, Ron, Victor, Lori; Ric, Janet, Ashley, Cammie; David, TIffany, Sophie and Ada; Billie and Dan, our wonderful children, grandchildren and great grand children...we are so blessed.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Bah Humbug

Tucson
Boy, talk about someone being the Bah Humbug Christmas elf...that would be me.  I am not in the Christmas mood  and can't seem to get into the spirit.  I do have some of the outside lights hung, and the Christmas cards are done and mailed (thank goodness); but for the rest of it, UGH!

Part of the problem is my great grand daughter Natasha.  Natasha is Sarah's oldest child, (10) Mike and Bev's grand daughter.  Last week Natasha wasn't feeling good and Sarah took her into the ER.  What they found was shocking!  Natasha has a mass (tumor) on one of the 4 main veins into the brain.  Natasha will have surgery on Friday, Dec. 18 to remove the tumor.  Please pray for her and her family.  Needless to say I am worried sick.

In other news, our weather has been great...however, last week it was cold and rainy.  Our friend Carolyn was here from Seattle last week for a visit and the weather did not cooperate....it was cold, rainy, windy and generally ugly while she was here.  We had a good visit and hope she will come back, the weather isn't always rotten.

Our wild animal kingdom is alive and well.  The other night we had 12 javalina's around our flag pole and they stole the quail block we had out to feed our birds.  Drove the dogs crazy!!!  Then yesterday morning I let the dogs out because they were barking and saw why they were barking...2 bobcats were walking up our road.  Plus the coyotes seem to be busy singing every night.  It can get very noisy around here at times!!

We have done our donation to our local food banks and Toys for Tot's and I have a few bags of clothes ready to go to the local clothing bank.  Have you made your donation yet?  Support your local food banks and Toys for Tots to ensure that a needy family will have a Merry Christmas.

Our Christmas wish for everyone is simple...peace, joy, happiness and good health. 

Hmmm---it's been a while

Tucson
I thought I had posted a blog from St. Louis, but guess I didn't! 

We had a fabulous time in St. Louis with Mike, Bev, Sarah, Natasha and Nadia.  What a treat for me....Bev pretty much wouldn't let me do anything and I got some much needed rest.  Mike took over the care of Al for the most part and Bev and I played.  One day (in a horrible rain storm) we set out to find a Quilt shop in Florissant,MO.  Helen's Hen House Quilt Shop...what a great place.  It is in one of the many old mansions in the area.   One day we went to the mall; had lunch at St. Louis Bread Company, which for everyone else is Panera Bread Co.  One day all of us went to 5 Guys Hamburgers...that was good as well.  But for the most part we relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Mike and Bev and their great cooking. 

Nadia and Natasha

Natasha is growing up so fast....at 10 years old she is already beautiful....and nice.  Nadia is a typical 2 year old, cute as can be and into everything she can think of.  She really is a good baby, not fussy or cranky at all.  At least when she was with us....Sarah may differ with that tho.

But it all has to end, and on Friday after turkey day we headed back to Kansas City to catch our flight to Phoenix, but not without seeing David, Tiffany, Sophie and Ada one more time. 

We arrived back in Phoenix 30 minutes early (love SW Airlines!!) and got to our hotel early.  We were both tired, but looking forward to a nice dinner out and then bed.  Got to our car and guess what?  DEAD BATTERY!  Dinner was delivered pizza!!!  The next morning AAA came out and installed a new battery...I knew I was on the ragged edge of needing one, just trying to eke out another few starts!!!

We met Dick and Lano in Gila Bend and picked up the dogs.  Boy were we glad to see them.  And they were glad to be home, however, not getting as spoiled as they were when they were with Dick and Lano.

Since we have been home we have had several doctor appointments.  AL is doing fine; however, I am having trouble with carpal tunnel and will have to have surgery sometime in the near future.  I am going to try and postpone it until after the cruise in January.

Now I am deep into Christmas...cards, decorations, etc.  Last Sunday I baked 20 doz cookies; 10 doz went to the cookie drive for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq; 10 doz went into my freezer for future use!

Good friend of ours, Carolyn from Seattle will arrive here this Saturday for a short visit and we are both anxious to see her.  That will distract me from Christmas for a while, which is fine with me.  I am just not ready for the holidays. 

It is cooling down nicely here....tonight in the low 30's, but during the day in the 60's.  We are suppose to get rain over the weekend and part of next week, which will be fine with us as we really need the rain.  I imagine Carolyn won't be to happy with it tho!!!

Jenn is doing well...had her post op appointment today and all is well.  Thank goodness.  She is having a hard time with no appetite and has lost 14 pounds in the last month...wish I could say the same.  Oh well, such is life.

Until next time, live every day as if it was your last....life is ment to be lived.

Kansas City

Nov. 18, 2007

Kansas City

After being back in Tucson for a grand total of 6 days, we hit the road, or skies again. We flew in to Kansas City yesterday. We left from Phoenix where the weather was warm, and arrived to cold, gray, wet weather. It had snowed here the night before and all I am doing is hoping it won't snow again in this state until Nov. 28....after we leave.

First priority was meeting our great granddaughters! Grandson David and Tiffany have provided us with two beautiful babies. Sophie is 18 months old and Ada is 8 months old; and of course, Grammy thinks they are the most beautiful babies in the world! We met at the restaurant where David works...and the babies were soooo good. Sophie came right to me and so did Ada. Ada wasn't too sure about Grampa for a while, but she warmed up to him.

SophieAda

Nov 18

Today we met the kids at the mall where there is a play area. Sophie loved it, a bit timid, but had a good time. She loves other kids and waves "hi" to them. She says a few words as well; mine, no, up, and does sign language for "please". Very cute. Ada boo is so darn sweet...smiles all the time and is trying so hard to walk and talk.

The past few days in Tucson have litterly flown by. I was busy from the minute we got home right up to the minute we left. Between doctor appointments for Al and Chiropractor appointments for me, that takes up plenty of time. I tell you, getting old isn't for sissies!! We had a lovely dinner with friends Roger and Jude the night we got home and got caught up on each other's lives. On Sunday niece Claudia and husband Larry drove over from Casa Grande; Gary and Jeannette; Bruce and Holly; Cortney and boyfriend Josh came over for dinner, so we got to see them for a bit. I know, people think I am nuts, but I love to have people for dinner...gives me a chance to try out new recipes that feed just more than 2!!

Nov 19

Picture day. Tiffany had made arrangements to get pictures done of all 6 of us. Sophie and Ada were good, but by the end of the session, Sophie was DONE! I agreed with her....poor baby was tired and she was DONE! We went out for a quick lunch, and by then both the babies were tired. I think we wore them out yesterday!!! So they are down for a nap; GPa is snoring in his chair in the hotel room and I am eyeing the bed.....more later, yawn.

And we are in Seattle again?

Seattle

Yup, we are in the land of gray and rain again. This was a unplanned trip. Jenn had a hysterectomy last week and is doing amazing! She is up and around, sore, but day by day she is getting much, much better.

I must say I AM DONE WITH THIS YEAR! First my brother dies, then our doctor dies, then Al is in the hospital for 30 days, then my niece dies, my sister in law has surgery, now, Jenn. GOOD GRIEF! Enough all ready!

Seattle is holding true to it's reputation....rain and gray. It has rained all but one day that we have been here; and the one day it didn't rain it was gray. Oh, wait, we did see the sun for one day for awhile, but then it disappeared and we haven't seen it since. Last week we had a big storm, rain, thunder, lightning, wind, etc. Kinda' fun for a change.

And we haven't been doing much but taking care of Jenn and the house. We did get to have lunch with Ric and Janet yesterday and Rowland and Kathy were here last night for dinner. We have seen some of Jenn's friends; they are all so helpful and want to help her so I am not worried about leaving here tomorrow. Sherrie has been a big help, with us during surgery, here to support when ever we need her and I am sure when we leave she will be here to help Jenn if she needs it. I am always so glad those two have each other for support.

We head home tomorrow for 6 days, then we are off to Missouri to see kids, grandkids and great grandkids.....can hardly wait. I will finally get to meet my two youngest greats. Sophie is 18 mos and Ada is 8 mos. BABIES! Then I will get to see Natasha, 10 and Nadia 23 months as well. I will be in heaven! Tired, but happy.

More later..................

AHHHHHHHHHHH HOME

Tucson
Ah, home...what a wonderful feeling. We arrived home Tuesday, around 2:30 p.m. But I am getting ahead of myself here.

Monday, Oct. 19
We are off ...headed towards Tucson. We left Acton a little after 10:00 a.m. When we were leaving the RV Park another couple had pulled their motor home onto the access road and where having trouble getting their tow lights to work...I had to maneuver and squeeze past them...not fun, but I managed to do it without damaging anything.

We had planned to drive to Quartzsite, AZ today. But to do this we had to drive through Blythe, CA. Now, let me tell you about my hate-hate relationship with Blythe. NOTHING GOOD HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN THIS TOWN! Years ago we were in Blythe, on our way to LA when we got the phone call that our daughter Jennifer was in the hospital in Seattle with life threatening blood clots. Then next time we went through this hell town, we were headed to Lancaster for a funeral of a good friend. We spent the night in Blythe and Al got very sick and we had to turn around and head back to Tucson. Well, Blythe held on to it's title of the most hated town....we were 20 miles west of Blythe when my cell phone rings. It's Jennifer...and she doesn't have good news. She has just gotten out of the doctors office and she has pre-cancerous cells in the uterus and has to have a hysterectomy. WTH? When? Well, she doesn't know a schedule yet, but she (and I) are pretty shook up. GRRR...I tell you it's this hell town.

So, we decide to keep going, not stop at Quartzsite and head for home. I am feeling good and not tired, so I told Al I would drive until I felt tired. Things are running smoothly, it's getting dark...hmmm...I look in the mirrors and its really dark behind me....wait, I don't think we have any running lights on the trailer. We pull into a rest area and sure enough, no damn running lights on the trailer. We had just had these fixed...or so we thought. So, we decide to head to the nearest RV Park, which happened to be eight miles down the road in Tonopah, AZ...in the middle of nowhere! However, the RV park was beautiful, apparently a snow bird retreat.

Tuesday...we are wrollin towards home. Every nerve in my body said HOME. We were all tired of travel...that includes cats and dogs. I finally pull up the hill to the house and we let the dogs out and the cats explode out of the trailer. It is the first time they have been allowed to run freely without leashes in over 5 months. All four animals explore the area to make sure no one has invaded their territory. A little bit after we arrive, Dick and Lano arrive. They had been over here to see a doctor and they had good news...no surgery for Lano.

We unload just what we need for the night and collapse in the house. IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME.

Wednesday and Jennifer calls....she had just talked to the oncologist .. he doesn't think it is a good idea to wait too long for surgery, so she is scheduled for her hysterectomy Nov. 4. WHOA...guess I had better get busy unloading the trailer so we can fly to Seattle to be with her during and after surgery. Just when I thought I was going to get to stay in one place for a little while....not.

The weather has been beautiful here...I love October in Tucson. Oh heck, I love Tucson, period.

Friday and we have no air conditioning. Hmmm...so I call the repair man and after $1000 of repairs, we have A/C. OUCH! I am pretty much finished unpacking the trailer, it is now all in the house and waiting to be put away, which may not happen right away! With Dick guiding me, I got the trailer backed in next to the house...and I am proud of myself for being able to do it in one shot.

Saturday, Dick and Lano go home and I go do some grocery shopping. Now I face the task of getting everything put away before we leave for Seattle....so for the next few days I will be busy.

Wroamin' thru California

Acton, CA

Leaving Medford behind on Oct. 10, we ventured into California. Had beautiful weather driving down I-5 to Sacramento. Finally arriving in Sacramento around 4:30 p.m. --- but trying to find our RV Park proved to be a little more difficult than I anticipated -- even Lucy, our GPS was confused! After a few wrong turns and doing a U-Turn with the trailer behind (I am getting good at this) we finally found CalExp RV Park. I think RV Park is to strong of a description for it....it is in the parking lot of the fairgrounds and it is basically a parking lot with hook ups. No TV, (altho they say you can use your antenna, ours refused to work) and no WIFI (which they say they have, however, we were parked so far away from the hotspot it wouldn't recieve), but we were there and staying put for a couple of nights.

Sunday, Oct 11

Around lunchtime the next day, my stomach realized were were in In n Out Burger country! So off I went with Lucy the GPS and found an In n Out. YUM! Later that afternoon we went over to friends Kathy and Richs for a nice visit and dinner. However, they did something very odd just before we got there; they went swimming in their clothes!! Apparently, Kathy was skimming the pool for leaves, lost her footing, Rich being near she grabbed for him, and they both went in the pool!!! I am still laughing Kathy. They are great people. You know, we are so very fortunate, we have so many great friends in our lives.

Monday, Oct 12 and we are off to Chowchilla for the night. Down I-5 we go, stopping in Santa Nella for our favorite soup stop, Andersens Split Pea Soup. We have made this a stop everytime we go down I-5 in this area. Doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, we stop. Once we arrived in Chowchilla we were surprised to see how this little, sleepy town has grown. My parents retired and died in this little town, and are buried here, so it is a definite stop when we are in the area. Al and I both like the town and would consider living here if it wasn't in California! Anyway, we arrived at the RV Park and when I was checking in, the clerk said she was going to block out two nights for us just in case. Just in case of what??? They were expecting a terrible storm and were forcast to get at least 5 inches. 5 inches or what??? RAIN! Oh! Right, I am in the rainless country now. We get parked and take off to put flowers on my parents graves and then over to visit a short while with my niece Joy and husband Stan. By the time we get back to the RV Park it is dark and getting a bit windy.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

About 3:30 a.m. we were being rocked by the wind and the rain was really coming down. By the time we got up that morning it was still raining...we tried to wait it out, but after a couple of hours we went ahead and hooked up the truck to the trailer, getting soaked in the process. My jeans didn't dry out all day! Down Hwy 99 we went. We finally ran out of the rain about 100 miles north of Bakersfield. About 30 miles north of Bakersfield we hit a dust storm...visability was poor, but we pushed on. My hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight I was thinking they were going to have to pry them off! Through Bakersfield and up the Tehachapi grade we went...wind blowing across us so hard I thought the trailer was going to topple over. Then we got into some more rain....we were one, big, wrolling, mud ball! Finally arrived in Acton around 4:00 p.m., somewhat tense, but very relieved to be here! After getting set up and a short rest, Billie and Dan arrive and take us to dinner. I was so tired I could barely eat, all I wanted was bed. It was windy here and spitting rain, but nothing like what we had been through that day.

Wed. Oct 14, up and rested we head off for Lancaster to get some needed supplies. For the most part of the day I finish up our income taxes and get them ready to mail the next day; and rest. That evening Billie, Dan, Al and went to Lawry's Prime Rib Restaurant in Beverly Hills for dinner to celebrate both of our anniversaries, albeit, a few weeks late. All of us had done this years ago and decided to do it again since it was so good the last time. This time? Well, either I had it so built up in my mind how wonderful it was; or they have gone down hill a bit. It wasn't as I anticipated, good, but not fabulous. But we had a good time anyway.

The next day dawned bright and sunny and warm. Thursday is the day to mail income tax after filing an extension last April. Nothing like waiting to the very last day huh? So off to the Lancaster Post Office we go....hmmm, where did it go? Even Lucy, the GPS couldn't find it. Finally after driving around and driving by the houses we used to live in, we found it, right where we had left it! Well, actually, it had moved in the past few years, but I had forgotten it. That evening we had dinner with the only friends we have left in Antelope Valley (insert a cry here). All of our other friends have moved, or, unfortunatly died! WOW...what a revelation to us. Any way, we had a great visit with Glennie and Fred and most of the conversations started with "What ever happened to (insert name here)???" It was good to see them and we hope they will at least stay put for a while here.

Antelope Valley from Hwy 14

Glennie and Fred

Friday was work day. We have been having a problem with the truck's temperture gage, so Dan volunteered to replace the thermostat for us to see if that was the problem. Ford wanted $300+ to do the job. I bought the thermostat for $10.32 and Dan put it in for us. We spent the better part of the day at their house, I did laundry and made cabbage rolls for dinner. We also saw just how closes the Station Fire got to their house....to close for comfort if you ask me.

Billie and Dan's house...middle of the burnt area.

Saturday arrives in all its glory. We are off to see my brother in Glendora for the day. But not before I battle an army of sugar ants that have decided to invade the 5th wheel. I spent a good hour and half trying to find out where they were coming from. Off to the hardware store for some ant spray I went. I sprayed around everything that touched the ground on the trailer and sprayed the hose and cables as well. Then inside I sprayed where I saw them coming in and I cleaned everything that even hinted as food for them. GRRR...one of natures mistakes...ants! I am not sure what good they are except to be annoying.

Once we were on the wroad to my brothers we were hungry and were headed to The Hat, the best pastrami sandwich in the world awaited us. As expected, it was great. Found my brothers house as he has moved since we were here last and Lucy the GPS found it perfect. It is really a nice place and so glad they are comfortable in a larger house. Had a great visit with him and family . Then we decided to go out to dinner. Now, we were raised in the town of Azusa and all of our growing up and adult lives, when we wanted Mexican food there were only two places we went; El Patio first and second La Tolteca. Well, El Patio finally closed after 40+ years a few years ago and we thought that La Tolteca may have done the same, so we decided to go to the fall back restaurant, Carmens. Off we go, me following John. Just as we get to Carmens, we look and across the street in the old Safeway building is La Tolteca. You can't imagine how excited our stomachs were!! Yum, it was just as good as we remembered. Hope they stay that way.

Michale, John, Julie, Taryn, Steven and Christopher....family :-)

Today, Sunday, we are resting and doing a lot of nothing, except I am still fighting ants. I cannot find out where they are coming in from. I have used a can of ant spray, supposed to be replellant, but I am beginning to think they are thriving on it.

On another note, time for Grandma to brag. Our granddaughter Lori, has been nominated and accepted into the People to People Ambassador program. She will visit England, France, Belgium and The Netherlands this coming summer. We are so proud of her...she and 40 others will represent Oregon this summer. And what a great program this is and a wonderful opportunity for her. WAY TO GO LORI!

Tomorrow we will be heading to Tucson finally. We are all anxious to get home now. Even the cats are ready to have some room after being cooped up in the RV all summer. Don't get me wrong, our 5th wheel is nice and spacious, but after a few weeks, it does get a little confining.

So until next post from Tucson, hope all is well in your world.

The Wroamin' Wraspirs

Oregon Pictures

Here are some of the pictures from Medford/Grants Pass that I couldn't get loaded the other night.



The road to Crate Lake. I just love this tree lined road.



Fall colors were out everywhere....this was taken in Grants Pass....


Whats left of Savage Rapids Dam.



Family....Sis Jean, Nieces Pam, Sue, Kay and Kay's husband Mark.

Portland, Medford and Grants Pass

Central Point, OR

Whew, what a fun few days we have had, and busy ones too. Let me see if I can get it all recorded here.

We left Seattle on Oct. 1 as planned and got to Portland and got settled in. We had dinner at Ron and Melanie's that night and Melanie, Lori and I went to the People to People Ambassador meeting which Lori had been accepted in. It is a good program and she will have a great time this next summer. She will be visiting England, France, Belguim and The Netherlands. It will be good for her.

The next day while they all worked or went to school we vegged. Friday night we drove to Salem and had dinner with friends Arley and Betty Freauf. It was fun to get caught up with them. Saturday we met up with Ron, Melanie, Victor and Lori and had sushi for lunch, then rode MAX (the light rail) into Portland. What a great system MAX is...too bad Seattle can't come up with something like this. Sunday we went out to Eagle Creek to look at some property they are thinking about buying. It is beautiful out there. All in all we had a great visit with our kids, just too short.

We wrolled down the wroad towards Medford on Monday, but not before we had to have the break away emergency brake repaired on the trailer. I was amazed, it only took 10 minutes to repair and only cost $9.98. I am still sure they didn't charge me enough, but I didn't argue.

After getting set up at the RV park in Gold Hill, we went to my sisters in Central Point. Nieces Pam and Sue were both there as well. Had a great dinner and got some visiting in. Tuesday we went to Jacksonville and met up with my other niece Kay. Jacksonville is such a neat little town and I always enjoy going there. Wednesday sister Jean, niece Pam, Al and I went to Crater Lake. This has been on my "bucket list" for many years. Even though I was born in Grants Pass and lived there 10 years, I had never been to Crater Lake. Once, some years ago when we had our motor home we tried to go to Crater Lake, however, we had a gas leak on the motor home so we got to get out, look over the edge and we were gone! This time we spent all day there. It was breath taking. God's work is beautiful. We stopped at the lodge and had lunch and then went to the Rogue Gorge. Saw the lave tubes, and where the Rogue River actually goes under ground for a bit at the Natural Bridge. And Gordon, we even went to Trail! We had a great day....
Sister Jean, Niece Pam at Crater Lake





Thursday we did nothing but rest and run some errands. Had dinner at my niece Kay and husband Mark's house in Jacksonville. They have a lovely home there and we all had a good time just being together.

Today we drove to Grants Pass to take a trip down memory lane. I was born in Grants Pass; Jean has lived there off and on for years and niece Sue graduated from high school there. We drove the "old road" Hwy 99. On the Rogue river since 1921 has been the Savage Rapids Dam. Been there forever. As of about 10:00 a.m. today it is gone. We got there just about an hour after they had let the river flow free of the dam. Very sad to see this. The reason? "Although the dam has fish ladders, these ladders are old, do not meet current regulations, and only allow limited fish passage. Dam removal has been proposed to restore fish passage to natural conditions." GRRRRR After shedding a tear at the dam, we headed on into Grants Pass to go past old houses we once lived in -- I got to talk to the person that is living in the house I lived in here and my parents built. It has been changed considerably over the years and he was thrilled with the history of the house that I gave him. We also went by the school we went to and just did the memory thing. Then, as tradition for my sis and I, we went to Grants Pass Drug Store to have a chocolate ice cream soda. Ahhhh...heaven in a glass. YUM!

Weather has been glorious and the changing colors are magnificent. We saw so many pretty trees in the last few days and the colors have ranged from light green to yellow to orange to brilliant reds. I bet I have 100 or more pictures of trees changing color.

Our time here has ended and we are headed down the wroad tomorrow for new adventures. Next stop, Sacramento for a day or so.

I would have posted more pictures on the blog, but it was taking way too long to upload them. Sorry. I will try and post some later.

Old Friends, Weddings and Enjoying Seattle

Everett, WA

Sept 26

We just returned from a beautiful wedding. Our friends Carl and Carolyn Beddingfield's daughter Tracy got married today. She was a beautiful bride; matter of fact, she is a beautiful woman. We were with Carl and Carolyn in Saudi and have remained friends all these years. It was fun to see other old friends at the wedding at well...Joyce and Rudy; Sarah and Keith and many more. We had a nice, albeit short, visit with Carolyn and Carl, as you can imagine they were pretty busy. It was nice to see them again...it has been a few years since we saw either one of them.

THEN, on Thursday night we had dinner with another set of old friends, Paula and Lew Hustead. What a great visit we had with them. They are friends from Saudi days as well. We haven't seen them in years...10 at least. I want to know why they haven't aged! They look wonderful and just as great as they always have been. We got caught up on each other's family as well. Jenn and Sherrie joined us for dinner as well. As Jenn said, they were some of our favorite people in Saudi. What a neat time for us.

Jo, Lew, Paula, Al, Jenn

We still have a busy schedule in Seattle. Tomorrow we are going to breakfast with Jenn and Sherrie; then tomorrow evening we are having dinner with Ric, Janet and Ashley. Late birthday dinner for Janet and Ashley and early birthday dinner for Ric...who will be 50 this year!!! How does this happen????? Monday are a full day of doctor visits again. We did some of that last Thursday as well...arg. Tuesday I am having lunch with old friend Ginnie and Wed is Nancy day and lunch as well. I should burst by then!!!! It is so fun seeing all of these people tho...and some I can't see due to schedule conflicts I have at least gotten to talk to on the phone.

I was just sitting here thinking that we have been living this lifestyle for 10 years now. And how things have changed! I remember having to lug my laptop to the RV park office to dial up to the internet. Then RV parks started putting phone lines at selected sites and we would always try to get on of those sites so I could hook up the internet. Then wifi started, but at first you had to be fairly close to the hot spot; now most parks have wifi available and if they don't I have my aircard and can connect just about everywhere. I can only imagine what it will be like in 10 years from now!!! And we are still driving the same rig....99 F350 and Alpenlite 5th wheel. They have really served us well, we have had our share of problems, but that is all part of the lifestyle. Matter-of-fact, said truck is at the Ford dealer now being fixed and we are driving a rental car. We looked at the new F350's and if we win the lottery we will buy one, but otherwise I will have to beg, borrow and steal enough money to buy one! They are absolutely beautiful and we would love to have one, but man, it's a lot of money!! OUCH! So our 99 F350 will just have to run a few more years! Unless anyone out there wants to give me a few thousand dollars; about 50 thousand of them please!

The weather here has been incredible! Sunny and clear and warm during the day and nice and cool at night. Love Seattle when the weather is like this and I have thoughts of moving back to this beautiful place; then my brain kicks in and I remember the many, many days of rain and gray. UGH!

Dogs are missing the freedom they had in Odessa....they now have to be on a leash at all times and be walked everywhere. At least I am getting some excercise! However, we found a place to play "ball" so I have managed to let them off the leash and play for a while every day. This park we are staying in is nice, however, I like the park next door better...more room. We are kinda squished in here.

So for now, we are wroamin and will be wrolling towards Portland on next Thursday.