Sunday, August 31, 2008

Well ... That Was Annoying!

We left Tropical Palms Friday morning. Ted's back was still very painful but he is OK sitting so driving was not a problem. I did all I could to get the outside and inside ready so he wouldn't have to be on his feet. We drove to a nice park in Holt, FL about 30 miles east of Pensacola. It has nice big sites and is well maintained. There are no amenities other than a bath house but for overnight that's all we needed. The owner helped me hook up when he learned that Ted was having back problems.

Saturday morning we continued on I-10, then I-12 to Baton Rouge where we pick up I-10 again. Traffic was starting to pick up. By the time we made Lafayette it was really getting heavy so we decided to press on to Beaumont to be out of Louisiana. Gulf Coast saved us a spot and we stopped there. They said there would be no breakfast because they had hurricane preparedness to attend to. That evening the news announced mandatory evacuation of that area starting at 6 a.m.

We got up and left about 8:30. Our plan was to take I-10 about 5 miles, head north to Sour Lake and then 105 west into Cleveland and south on 59 to I-45 and Rayford. What works in theory doesn't work when you have *$#&^*(@ running the show. We got to 105 and 146 and were forced to go north. They didn't care where we lived, we had to go north. We were about an hour from home before we turned north. We spent almost three hours on this road going very few miles. I found another west route to take us to 59 but when we got there we were told we had to go to Livingston to get to Conroe. Since Livingston is about 50 miles north of Conroe I asked him where he studied geography! But that's what we had to do. Go 50 miles north, cut across a county round to 59 and then come 50 miles south. The normal 2 hour trip took 5.5 hours. I know they wanted people to go north away from the storm; however, they forgot that lots of people live in the Houston area and didn't need to go north to find shelter. They had shelter if the %*&% would let you get to it!

We got set up at Rayford and our dear friends Jay and Rick washed the front of the RV to get all the love bugs off. Then they did the same to the truck. They set up for Ted and I know they'll tear us down tomorrow so Ted will only have to back the RV into its spot later in the day when we put it away.

Good friends are so wonderful to have. We thank God for them.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Hurricane Hunters

We're thinking about coming out of retirement to become Hurricane Hunters. We won't have to hunt long because they seem to find us with no problem! We left Texas a day late waiting for Eduord to go through. Then we stayed two extra days in the panhandle waiting for Fay to go to the east coast and now we're leaving Orlando three days early to out run Gustav because he's heading toward I-10 somewhere from Florida to Texas, right where we have to travel.

We went out to Kristin's on Wednesday. We viewed some of the flooding in DeBary, the city where we lived from 1996-2001. The entrance to the country club is under water as is the guard house and the sales office. Many side streets are flooded and blocked off.



Kristin's lake was 5 feet low and is now at the top of the seawall. Sinkholes are developing in the neighborhoods in the country club. It's a terrible mess. When we lived there, Central Florida was dealing with wild fires but they never got too close to us. This water is a whole different ballgame.



We went out for a very late lunch (4:30) and were the first people at the restaurant that opened at 4:00. When some REALLY senior citizens from the senior housing development next door came in for the "early birds" Kristin remarked "Oh my God, we even beat those people here!"

We went back to her house for the night and I was able to do all my laundry while Ted watched TV. Kara called and said her travel agent was able to cancel our attendance at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and still maintain her reservation for them and Kristin. She told us to go ahead and leave to get a head start on the storm if we wanted.

So I went to the periodontist today and we checked in with our Morgan Stanley guy before heading back to the campground and eventually went over to Downtown Disney for one last dinner with all the kids before we leave.

The campground refunded our fees for the 3 days plus another day for the water "inconvenience." I had told them when we arrived that we didn't know how long we would be staying because Ted had injured his back. Normally campgrounds don't give refunds. And I received word that I can turn our 7-day Disney tickets back in and get a 95% refund. There's no time limit on them but I'm not sure we'll ever go to Disney 7 out of 14 days ever again. It's a lot like work and hot to boot!

We hope to get somewhere between Tallahasee and Pensacola Friday, Baton Rouge on Saturday and home by Sunday. It may be a bit difficult getting camp sites because of it being Labor Day weekend but the campgrounds along the interstate aren't normal "holiday weekend destination parks" and if we're lucky, we'll find a spot.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Camping versus RVing

Anyone who really knows me realizes that I "RV" and don't necessarily "camp." I don't need to be in the middle of nowhere with a bonfire going to enjoy the 5th wheel. In June we went three days without electricity in Michigan and yesterday and today we went without water! Our fresh water tank was not filled because of the weight it causes so we had to depend on a gallon of distilled water and bottles of water for drinking, I went to the pool with a gallon jug to get water to flush our toilet. The bath house's toilets and showers weren't working and it didn't take long for them to be uninhabitable! The break was finally repaired this afternoon so a shower is first on the agenda! That's enough "camping" for me.

Ted is still nursing his back and leg so Kristin picked me up today and we drove to the Magic Kingdom to meet up with Kara, Allen and the kids. We went to Philharmonic Magic and on the carousel before going to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for Morgan to be transformed into Tinkerbell. (She was Cinderella last time they were down.)





Never underestimate Disney's ability to separate you from your money. The Boutique is in Cinderella's castle and there was no limit to the little girls with appointments with the "fairy godmothers" to turn them into princesses.







Then it was time to have an early dinner at Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. Ted drove over and I met him so he could just pull up out front and I parked the truck again. We've made a lot of use of the monorail this trip. We had a great meal and the kids always enjoy the characters stopping by. Sam reminded Cinderella and Prince Charming that he met them last year.





After dinner Ted took the truck back home and I stayed to spend time on rides with the kids. We managed to accomplish quite a bit and didn't leave the park until a few minutes before closing. We could see the fireworks from the monorail back to the Polynesian Hotel. Little Morgan aka Tinkerbell just couldn't hang in there any longer.



We are going to Kristin's in DeBary tomorrow. If you've been watching Central Florida info on Fay on the national news, you would recognize this city as being flooded from Fay. Kristin's house is OK even though she lives on a lake. I have 3 appointments on Thursday, the first one at 9 a.m. So we're going out to do laundry, spend the night and take care of all our errands.

With Gustov heading to the Gulf we think we'll take off Saturday for home. We are attending the Hoop Dee Doo Review at Fort Wilderness on Friday night and then plan to pull out the next morning. If all goes well, and Lord know that hasn't happened much for us this summer, we'll be home on Monday.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

And The Beat Goes On

We drove Wednesday from Topsail State Park at Santa Rosa Beach to Bushnell between Ocala and Tampa. We stayed in a Passport America park and it was okay for a stopover. We had missed most of Fay's rain; she was going up the east coast as we were moving down the west coast.

Thursday we made our way into Port Charlotte and stayed at the Riverside RV Park just a few miles from my Dad. After we set up and cleaned up we went over for a visit. Eventually we brought he and Edna back to the RV for them to see it and then went to dinner. The first place we stopped, the Navigator, had live music and was just too loud for a 6:00 pm dinner. We had a drink and moved on to a different restaurant. It was on the estuary of the Peace River and very nice.



The next day we went back over and my sister Laurie and her husband Spence came over after work for what Grandpa called "a pizza party." We had a great visit and were sorry when it was time to say goodbye. It was late when we got home.

Soon after, Ted started complaining about his leg. What he described made me think of sciatica. I started him on anti-inflammatory medicine and hot and cold compresses. The next day when he went to gas up the truck before we hooked up just about did him in. He was in a great deal of pain. We prepared to leave because he was okay sitting and driving.

We stopped at two rest areas on the trip over and just the short walk from the truck to the RV sent Ted's leg into a tailspin. By the time we arrived in Kissimmee at Tropical Palms, I asked for help setting up. That evening I took Ted to Celebration Hospital because my remedy just wasn't getting any results. He said on a scale of 1 to 10 the pain was a 10.

We were taken in right away and they started with relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medication. They finally tried morphine and steroid shots. Ted said the pain went down to 4 unless he tried to walk on it and then it went back to a 7. They sent us home with Vicodent with ibuprofin and a muscle relaxant.

Ted slept well Saturday night and Sunday we just hung out doing the hot/cold compresses and taking the prescribed medicine. Around 5 o'clock he drove us to the Polynesian on Disney property (just a few miles). He stopped at the front so he could sit on a bench and I parked the truck. Kara had obtained a wheelchair for the duration of their visit and Allen met us.

Allen pushed Ted to the pool where we were able to visit and see the kids. Then we went to a restaurant in the hotel for dinner. They are so disappointed we can't go to the parks with them but Ted doesn't want to be pushed around all day. Our next time to see them is dinner at Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. When Morgan saw Cinderella at Magic Kingdom today she told her we were coming for dinner Tuesday and she would see her then. (Cinderella is one of the characters present at the Park Fare dinners.)



Ted was able to drive us back home and is resting comfortably in his recliner. We will stay the whole 9 days we intended to be here to give Ted the opportunity to heal. I'll call Dr. Shedden's office on Monday and talk to his staff and hopefully make an appointment for him to evaluate what is going on when we get home.

All I can say is that we haven't had a dull moment this summer. I'm ready for some "same old, same old" soon.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Florida's Emerald Coast

Ted and Eddie finally were able to play golf on Thursday. I spent the day on the beach with all the kids. They had a fun day building sand sculptures and attracted a lot of attention from passersby. We started asking them to vote and the octopus was winning. The folks next to us hired a sand sculptor to help them build a dragon. It was beautiful and very professional but at $30 an hour we thought it was overkill.




Once again Eddie was the chef cooking burgers for dinner. To the best of my knowledge he didn’t drop anyone’s dinner on the ground. Cooking for 15 people takes a fair amount of time but he was always willing to do it. I understand Friday morning he cooked sausage and pancakes for everyone.

We went to Mass Friday morning for the feast of the Assumption and then had breakfast at the Donut Hole, a restaurant very near the campground and then visited our beach here at the park. A tram runs every hour or you can easily walk the 7/10th of a mile path. Ted carried two chairs and I had the bag of towels, sunscreen, water, etc. so we took the tram both ways. We only stay two hours because the sun gets very intense reflecting off the white sand and water.

In the evening we met everyone at Pompano Joe’s on the beach in Destin. They put us at two tables but it worked OK. I had mahi-mahi and Ted ate shrimp. The food was pretty good and no one complained about it like they did about the Crab Trap. We were glad we had skipped that dinner on Wednesday night after we heard their comments about the food afterwards.

Saturday started out very rainy but cleared early on. Everyone took off to shop and play putt-putt. We stopped at Best Buy to buy a phone battery for Ted and to get mine set up to ring again. For some reason it had stopped ringing. The fellow tried all the things I did but it wouldn’t ring. So he decided to change the ring tone and it started working. He was able to set it up to my original ring tone. He said he couldn’t explain what had happened.

Saturday evening after Mass we met up with Vicki, Ed and the boys and went to the dog track. It was a lot of fun but only Dustin was a winner. His Mom placed his bets and cashed his tickets. Tim had given Ed $6 and we all chose Frosted Flakes for him in the last race. He bet it across the board and it won! So Tim was the second winner and he wasn’t even there.

It was late when we got back to the house and the kids were all packing up their cars. They were going to take off as soon as they were done. Tim & Cindy as well as Eddie and family were going to leave early in the morning. I’ll feel better when I hear they have all arrived home safely.

We’re watching the storm Fay and it appears it will mess up our plans to go to the west coast. They keep predicting it to make landfall near Tampa and that’s exactly where we were headed. We’ll keep watch and decide tomorrow about where to head. We have until Saturday to get to Kissimmee so we’ll play it safe.
Sunday dawned nice and sunny and we went to the office to ask about staying here until Fay decides where she is going. Our space is not reserved until next Friday so we should be able to stay put until it is safe to go.

We took a ride into Destin and visited Camping on the Gulf campground. The spots near the highway are short and close together. The ones on the beach look like a parking lot. It appeared slides and awnings couldn’t be fully deployed! There is no room to park your tow/towed vehicle. The rates are $79-$132 a night! I wouldn’t camp here on a bet. All that sand and salt water near your rig and tow vehicle plus the poor accommodations, not to mention the outrageous prices, would steer us away.

There were several rigs from Leisure Time RV on display and we went through them. The Essex motorhome ($350,000) didn’t have as much storage space or counter space as I have in the HitchHiker. We didn’t like the Jayco or Seneca Class Bs at all. A 34 foot Montana 5th wheel was our choice for layout but it is a lower end RV and wouldn’t be one we would consider. A HitchHiker laid out like it would be though.

We stopped at Wal-Mart for a few groceries. Since the kids are all gone we’ll be eating at home more. It was late in the afternoon so we went to the pool instead of the beach. Eventually I left for the RV and made chicken parmesan for dinner. We called my Dad and he told us not to come that way unless it cleared and then only if we have the time. I guess Fay is going to call the shots for the next couple of days.

Monday was laundry day and a dip in the pool in the afternoon. We have paid to stay until Wednesday morning. It appears we will be good to go then. It cuts our time short with my Dad but at least we’ll be able to get in a visit before heading to Disney.

Fay made landfall this morning so we’ll be leaving tomorrow as she makes her way across the peninsula perhaps to exit over the water and turn back inland at Jacksonville. We hope to stay west of any residual rain and stop south of Ocala Wednesday night. That will give us Thursday and Friday nights in Punta Gorda to visit my Dad and still make Kissimmee on Saturday. I think we’re back on track!

We called friends Kate and Pat in Panama City Beach to see if perhaps we could stop by for a visit. Pat is recovering from hip replacement surgery and was scheduled for physical therapy so it didn’t work out. Ted had a chat with him and he didn’t remember that we had moved to Texas even though we stopped there 5 years ago on our way to our house in The Villages. He has our phone number now so maybe he’ll call Ted now and then.

Everyone made it back to Indiana and Ohio safely. Sure was glad to hear that. Until later.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

And the Week Begins



We drove to the house in Seagrove Beach on Monday. We found Stephen hobbling around with a sore ankle and someone came up from the beach and said they thought Brian had broken his arm. They both had been using a Skimmer Board. I guess they forgot that the water recedes and the board then stops in the sand and they didn’t. (Tuesday they took Brian to the emergency room and he had a sprain.) Ted left with Eddie for the golf course. A thunderstorm started so we figured they would be back soon and they were. The weather cleared but they decided to try Thursday instead of returning to the course.

We had some lunch and then went to the beach. Fishing was difficult because the wind and waves kept dragging their lines back in. While casting, both Stephen and Eddie caught seagulls that were trying to eat the bait. This necessitated throwing a towel over the bird to get the hook out. We did see some dolphins jumping into the air not too far out and that was neat to watch.



Eventually the guys played a game of touch football, the old guys (Ted, Tim and Eddie) versus the young guys (Ronnie, Landon and Stephen hopping around on his sore ankle). I’m not sure who won but there was a lot of rolling around in the sand by them all.




Eddie was given grill duty for dinner and he had piles of meat to cook. Six of us had bought steaks for ourselves and there was a huge pile of pork chops for all the others. Ted’s steak ended up in the sand and had to be washed off and put back on. Unfortunately he saw it but just laughed. I was in charge of baking the potatoes and the rest made beans, salad, bread and set the table. There were 15 of us for dinner and it got real quiet once the food was on the table. Everyone was busy eating.

The kids turned off the two Wii sets they had so the Bengals playing Green Bay could be watched by the fellows. I got caught up on my computer since the house has wifi and at half time we came home.

Ted and I drove to the Fort Walton Beach airport Tuesday morning so he could fly to Fort Worth. This problem has been on-going since we were in Ohio. He ordered paper made to certain specifications and it had arrived and was ready to run. I stopped at the Silver Sands Outlet Mall and walked around. My only purchase was seven Lenox Christmas ornaments for Kara’s all-Lenox Christmas tree. The kids called after dinner and said they were going to the dog track. Severe thunderstorms were predicted and I didn’t want to be driving in the dark, in the rain on unfamiliar roads so I passed. Ted called and said the afternoon paper run had gone well. Maybe we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on this.

I was awakened around 6:30 by a storm that was buffeting the trailer. It didn’t last long but it was intense. At 7:00 the phone rang and it was Vicki checking to see if I was OK. They are about 10 miles east of me and when the storm got there everything on the porches had blown away.

Ted called when he was on his way to the Fort Worth airport. I checked and there was a 2:25 flight earlier than his 3:45 flight so he was able to catch that. Eddie called to say that we were all going to the Crab Trap in Destin to celebrate Cindy, Landon and Ronnie’s birthdays. I told them that we would meet them there.

The restaurant is on old Hwy. 89 that runs along the beach. We found it but it was only 5:30 and they weren't coming until 7:00. The restaurant would not accept a reservation and said by 7:00 it would be an hour wait. Ted was tired and hungry so we called and said we were going to eat early and would see the kids tomorrow. We stopped at Applebee's and then headed back to the RV to watch the Olympics.

Monday, August 11, 2008

On the Road Again

We left Wednesday for Beaumont. There were no signs that a storm had gone through other than a little standing water on the concrete pads in the campground. Our drive across 105 didn’t show any signs of tree damage. I think Eduoard was a non-event as far as Tropical Storms go.

Ted left to have dinner with the fellow from the Wall Street Journal and to attend the press run. He was home about 10 o’clock. I had a bite to eat, watched TV and read a book.

Thursday morning we had breakfast in the rally room at the campground. They provide a decent breakfast that includes waffles shaped like Texas. Ted had those but I had a half bagel and glass of apple juice. We were on the road by 8:30 a.m.

It was about a 5 hour drive to Slidell. After showering, we went to Bloss’ and Pam, Olivia and Luke were there but Timmy was golfing so the six of us went to Ruby Tuesday’s for dinner. It was new and they chose to try it.

Afterwards Pam took the kids home because school was starting the next day and we went back to the house. Ted watched the Saints/Colt game while we visited. In the fourth quarter the electric went off. We got Bloss settled with a flashlight and candles and left to see if we had electric at the park. There were police and utility workers at the end of her street so we knew she would have electric shortly.

Our ride to Destin was a bit more interesting. Just as we entered the tunnel of I-10 in Mobile the light turned to a Red X in our lane. Up ahead, traffic had come to a stop. There was a wreck and only people with small cars could get through. Eventually there was a semi and us side by side and neither of us could go. Finally police on motorcycles got through and they pushed the pick-up out of our lane and we were able to pass. We spent about a half hour in that tunnel and I didn’t like that feeling at all.

We decided to take 98 out of Pensacola instead of staying on I-10 and dropping down later. That was too slow going and I don’t think we would do it again. Then to make it worse there was another accident. We were slowed but never really stopped.

Finally we made it to Topsail and it is a lovely park. We have a beautiful fountain next to us instead of another camper. I think this may be the nicest park we have ever stayed at. We were both starving and hot so we turned on the A/C and left to find a place to eat.



First we continued east on 30A to find the Pineapple Palace where the family is staying. It looks very nice outside with its own pool and sits right on the white sand beach. We all will need to be careful with the sun. The reflection from the water and white sand can give one heck of a burn.

We drove west again on 98 and came to a shopping area. We ate at Johnny Rocket’s and bought a few things at Publix. Both have “resort pricing.” There aren’t many restaurants around the Pineapple Palace and I think we’ll be eating at home a lot. Taking 15 people to dinner could be a problem anyway.

The RV was cooled down when we got back and we settled in to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony. It was quite impressive and they set the bar high for Vancouver in 2010. We finally called it a night and turned in. We have 10 nights here so we can kick back and relax. The family is due in Sunday. Karen & Ron will not be coming because of her broken shoulder. We will miss them.

On Saturday we walked the 7/10 of a mile to the beach. The beautiful white sand and crystal clear blue water creates the prettiest beach I’ve ever seen in Florida. We stayed less than two hours and I got burned on the front of me. It doesn’t hurt but really is red. Ted had on sunscreen and was OK. We dressed for church which we located just two miles east of us. Afterwards we drove to Wal-Mart in Destin for a few things we needed.





I fixed a big breakfast on Sunday and we waited for Eddie and Vicki and the boys to arrive. They got in about 2 o’clock but the house wasn’t ready until 4:00. So we walked to the beach again for about a half hour and then rode the tram back. After some drinks they left to find the Pineapple Palace and await the arrival of the others. After dinner they called and said everyone was in. Panama City Beach was two miles closer to them than Destin so they were all headed that way to grocery shop. Ted and Eddie are golfing tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Not To Worry

Thanks to Eduoard we have delayed our departure by a day. We are getting an average rainy day and if it weren't for the TV, I would never know there was anything out of the ordinary going on with the weather.

We didn't want to head into the path of the storm today because it came ashore close to Beaumont where we were headed. That area lost power and I-10 was closed for a period. We expect the remnants of the storm to be past us by early evening and it should be "good to go" tomorrow. We only have a two hour drive to Beaumont so we can leave early afternoon.

So we'll be in Slidell on Thursday and get into Topsail on Friday. The state park still charged me a "change fee" when I called to adjust our reservation. You would think Florida of all states would be a little more understanding about hurricanes!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Last Weekend Before Taking Off

I worked at church on Thursday for the funeral luncheon. I always think of the gospel of the loaves and fishes when we do this. We always fret about quantity (never quality!) of the food being brought and our biggest chore turns out to be what to do with the leftovers. Jesus just had them gather it in baskets. We use GladWare! The nursing home and fire station across the street are the usual beneficiaries.

At home I changed clothes and we were off to Trivia Night at the country club. They had a wonderful buffet dinner and we all had a drink. There were 8 at our table - Terry, Carol, Jody, Dave, us and a new couple named Margaret and Murray that we had never met. First objective was to pick a name for our team. We chose "The Bucket Listers." We won that prize beating out Woodlands Warriors, Rainbow Unicorns and Oldies but Goodies. Good choice on the judges part I think. Our prize was a wine tasting for our table.

Then on to the questions. We were doing really well with questions on all kinds of subjects. There were 4 or 5 groupings and then that part would be tallied. I hit it big on the last question "which six flags have flown over Texas." Well ... I know my Texas history and answered that one in no time - Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederacy and the Stars and Stripes. 60 points!! Alas, we lost by one point.

But wait ... Terry noticed one of our groupings was added wrong. We had 10 points, not 8 ... we had won by one point not lost. The winning table just walked out with their gift certificates saying "is that so?" Bah humbug.

So the club gave each of us ladies a 14 ct. gold chain with The Woodlands insignia pine cone (also in gold) on it and the fellows a carrying pouch with The Woodlands Country Club embroidered on it. It is great for holding all the papers I carry with us when we travel for long periods. Now we have learned our friend from the other table is saying they won. We're willing to let them keep their gift certificates but not bragging rights. He'll hear from all of us about that. LOL. It was a fun night and will give us something to rib Joe and Linda about for a long time.

Friday was the "Take a Trip to India" party at our friends whose daughter spent a year there on a Fulbright Scholarship. Her mother joined her recently for a two week stay. The house was decorated with photos, fabrics, books, wall hangings, clothing, etc. They were all dressed in their Indian garb. The food was prepared by an Indian gentleman. I liked everything I tasted but some of it was HOT!!! There is a yogurt cucumber dip you have to use to calm down the heat. And Sue Anne made cookies shaped like elephants. They are always good. Afterwards we went with Terry, Carol, Susan and Vince to the Eden Cafe for dinner. It was about 9 o'clock when we got home.

Ted went shooting the next day and I attended the Seniors meeting at church. I walked in carrying tablecloths I had laundered from the funeral and a lady took them from me and started to cover the Fellowship Hall tables. I had to stop her and take them to the room we use for funerals. I can see how easy it is to have something for your ministry, and then not have it.

A Fife and Drum corp entertained us and there was a dramatic account of the battle of Shiloh. Having just been to Vicksburg, I was very interested in this and really enjoyed it. They are going to Crighton Theater in Conroe in September to see the Buddy Holly Story so I bought six tickets for us, Terry & Carol and Jody & Dave. We saw "A Christmas Story" there and they did a great job. Hope this one is equally as good.

A surprise "going away" (7.5 miles) was held for Terry & Carol in their old neighborhood. They will be moving into their new house mid-August. We all pulled it off and they were speechless. It was a great party with Ginger's son serving as an outstanding bartender. Again there was more food than you can imagine. I have lots of spinach dip, bread and vegetables in the fridge now. Too bad it's too hot (in the 100s recently) to make vegetable soup.

Ted is golfing with Terry today. I need to start gathering our things to take to the RV. We are leaving Tuesday for Beaumont. Ted will call on Dow Jones that evening. Our stop Wednesday will be Slidell. We have invited Ted's deceased brother's family for dinner. We should make Santa Rosa Beach, FL on Thursday. My family won't arrive until Sunday for their week stay.

I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have but I'll keep my journal going in Word on a daily basis and then copy it into the blog when I can. Keep cool!