Wild Set of Events

We didn’t even make it off Lark Drive before a problem cropped up.  My job is to watch that the two tow bars stretch out and lock.  It has never been a problem until this time.  The passenger side one would not lock.  We undid it and tried again.  Same result.  A fellow walking by stopped and told us to stretch out the tow bars, lay them flat on the ground so we could drive up to them square.  It worked!  I guess we were just lucky all these past 3 years.

We drove to Victoria and when we were just about there, my phone was down to 8%.  The generator was turned on when we left but based on my phone battery check, it didn’t stay on and I should have had power but apparently didn’t.  I checked the microwave and it was off.  Oh-oh!  We pulled in to set up and when Ted plugged into the post … nothing!  These rigs are electrical computer giants.  One little thing like the driver’s foot rest not being properly closed will keep it from starting.  So the fun began.  Ted was on his back in the basement looking for the transfer switch when a neighbor walked by and pushed our Oasis (hydroponic heat) reset button.  That turned on the inverter and we then had power but not the source we wanted.  Ted checked the generator and it was switched off,  so he reset that.  Still nothing.  He asked the office to check the power to our post.  The guy comes out, looks at it and said “one of those two plugs is dead, try the other one.”  Viola!  Power!  

We went to church and then a Mexican restaurant we like there and we both had margaritas!  The rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived right at 11, check in time.  We had a couple coming at 4 to look at the motorhome.  I had cleaned closets and drawers, done the nooks and crannies where the valley dust had settled and just needed to touch up the bathrooms a bit.  She looked great.  

The couple was very impressed.  The wife loves it and wants to travel, he is hesitant to spend the money. They have cash, having sold a business, but he is dragging his feet.  I am not sure he wants any RV.  The  negotiations are ongoing with more visits and more explanations of how things work.  We are not doing anything but answering their questions and letting them go through it.

We spent our days there emptying out everything that will not go with it.  That was hard enough without removing dishes, linens, cleaning supplies, Ted’s maintenance items and tools in the cargo bays, etc.  That all stays and we have more than enough of that at home.  We once again messed up a 2300 sq. ft. house with some of the contents of a 40 foot motorhome.  It took two days to do the mail and get things back where they belong,  

I worked hard all week at home while Ted met with Brian to do some maintenance issues.  Now the Oasis and both ACs have been serviced. 

Friday night John and Irene took us to Red Lobster for dinner.  We brought him some Voltaren cream and her some vanilla from Mexico but that certainly didn’t warrant  dinner; however, we were delighted to accept and spend time catching up.

I had a dr appt., we went to church and I used my free meal coupon at Black Bear for dinner.  Other than that I stayed focused on the house.

Our Disney cruise tags arrived and the girls are excited.  Kara has been on several Disney cruises and the rest of us have been on one but also other cruise lines. So we tamp down the enthusiasm so exhibited by many on the Disney Cruise page!  

I don’t need magnets, fish extender gifts (don’t ask), or period costumes to match the dining room themed  restaurants.  My Dad told me Ted and I would be jaded in retirement because we traveled so much throughout our lives.  I think I have arrived.

In the meantime while Couple #1 try to make a decision, a fellow from MI, wintering in FL, is “very, very interested”in our MH.  He is knowledgeable, asking all the right questions and doing proper due diligence contacting Newmar and Freightliner for maintenance and repair history.  No repairs, maintenance as called for by Freightliner.  And so we wait.   

The only thing on the calendar this week was working at the Give A Gown event.  This is an amazing organization that is tremendously organized and productive.  High school students, mostly from lower income schools, are brought in and allowed to choose a prom dress, a purse and jewelry!  I was merely checking in volunteers, checking them out, answering questions and collecting pink aprons on their way out.  I had a great time and saw several Forum girls also working.  Next year I think I will be a “fairy godmother” and help someone choose their outfit.  I learned that anyone can take a dress to any Tide Cleaners and they will clean and store it for this organization. 

I did all I could on our taxes and had to file an extension to wait for a K-3 that won’t be sent until June!   Or I could file without including it and then amend it!  I have enough to do leading up to summer and a respite to October sounded good.  

To add insult to injury, I chose to move our insurance for the cars, house, personal property and liability, all coming due in April.  So much info, comparing, questioning to do.  The hardest thing was to find the place on Xfinity to prove we have a monitored alarm system!  Every click took me to a new website that had nothing to do with what I needed.  Finally I was asked if I wanted a phone call!  Voila!  A website was sent to me and that quickly sent me where I needed to be.  Now we need to stop Travelers from withdrawing from our bank and change it to State Farm.  Fingers crossed we get this off my desk real soon.  

We have to renew our passports a year before they expire because they must be good for 6 months AFTER you return from a trip.  We will fly home from Dubai on 12/8 so our passport must be good through June 2025!  I have Ted’s ready to go but I can’t send mine off until May 8 when our Disney cruise ends.  I have to put my passport numbers on our Oceania info sheet by June 21, final payment date.  So … I can try expedited service in May and cross my fingers.  This happened once before when we were going to Eastern Europe in August and I needed my passport in Mexico January to March earlier that year.  They kept bugging me and I kept telling them I would get one after March.  It turned out ok.  Nothing has changed in the past 20 years so hopefully it will come through quickly.  One more day and then…

 Our  motorhome 

Mallard Drive, runs parallel to Lark, our street in Retama Village, Mission, TX

Our pool

Our choice

So Long, Not Goodby

We went to church, Golden Chick and card bingo on our last Saturday night here.  Other than mahjong I didn’t do much but straighten and clean drawers and cabinets.  

Wednesday was our field trip to Gellman Stained Glass Museum.  This is housed in a building specifically designed and built to house this collection of windows from near and far, but many were from the NE US.  Only two pieces were made for the museum, the dome and another that I do not remember.   I tried to identify the various Bible references without looking at the sheet.  We had a group of about 35.  I am on the washed out left, third in wearing white blouse and black pants.  

This is the entrance facing the top of the cross of the nave. 

This is a small piece of a Tiffany window called Te Deum, Of God.  The baby signifies Herod’s slaying of the Holy Innocents, trying to kill the Christ Child.  

I recognized the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  The Beatitudes.  The Mysteries of the rosary, particular Bible stories and many family windows with one to four or so people mentioned on it.   

Below, the wedding feast at Cana, birth of Jesus, Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, in memory of the Bew family over a 78 year time span.  Just a few of the great windows on display.

We have been working on our two trips to Disney, the 4 day Disney Wish cruise in May and Labor Day weekend at the Grand Floridian.  This family does nothing in a vacuum so the cruise “weekend” we girls are going on, is now at 7 people.  Bill and Ted decided to come to Orlando too so Bill can finish up some of the jobs that still need to be done for Kristin’s renovation, Ted will be the tool caddy!  Bill’s shoulder surgery keeps him from lifting, working with his hands above his head, etc. so Ted will serve in that capacity.   Morgan is flying down with her Dad and Susan prior and we will pick her up at Disney Springs the day before our cruise.  She will hang with the fellows, enjoy the pool and probably eating out, until we return on Monday.  That way she will be there for Kristin’s 50th birthday celebration dinner.  We will all fly home back to Detroit on Tuesday.  

The Labor Day trip airplane reservations have been made.  We will travel Wednesday before to Tuesday after Labor Day out and back to Detroit.  Our Andre Rieu concert is 9/13 at Caesar Arena in Detroit and now my 60th high school reunion celebration is 9/21 in Cincinnati.  We will spend a week or so there before we will finally head home.

Thursday we had dinner with 3 couples to say goodbye.  Friday we cleaned and packed to be ready to depart Saturday morning bright and early.  I have trouble getting down on my knees but even more getting up!  Getting down to get in all the nooks and crannies of the floor totally wore me out.  Ted cleaned out and packed up everything we had stored in the coach house.  We are ready to roll.  We met Jay and Stella next door at the fish fry to say so long, by April they will be back south of Houston.  They are coming in off the road for good.

Next stop Gateway to the Gulf campground.  That allows us to go through Houston Sunday morning about 10 when traffic should be light, relatively speaking! 

Last Week, Mixed Feelings

Nothing much happened Monday, we fielded a few calls on the motorhome and have finally heard from a few legitimately interested in purchasing an RV.  Since we are getting ready to move, we are holding back a bit so we can get home, empty and clean it before having lookers.  

Marisa and I had our annual girls’ day out Tuesday, getting our facials.  I also had some waxing done!  These hormone therapy pills are playing havoc with all kinds of things.  She did a great job and I really could see a difference in my skin.

Then we took Steve and Patty, who are parked next to us, to Texas de Brazil steakhouse as a thank you for the meals Steve has cooked in his smoker and shared, the checking to be sure our water and electric were  turned on and sharing their Wi-Fi password with us until we got our communication problems squared away.  I wasn’t sure I would ever be hungry again!  It was all so very good.

Our last (possibly forever) Newmar luncheon was Wednesday.  I don’t know if there was some kind of Hispanic holiday or celebration but Golden Corral was full!  And then a mariachi band came in and played.  We saw Paul and Ruth (old HitchHiker friends) again but didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.  Ted went to find the busboy that took care of our group in the private room and then we did not see them. Ted was shooting at 2:00 and was in a hurry to get home.  I did laundry and read my book.

Thursday, despite what has happened in Matamoros, we went to Progreso to finish up our shopping.  The US side parking lot was full.  The streets were crowded with winter Texans and no one seemed too concerned about what happened 85 miles away in Matamoros.  We have NEVER in 15 years, crossed into Matamoros or Reynosa, they have been considered dangerous for as long as I can remember.  They are big cities with major roads from the interior of Mexico coming in.  Progreso is a 3 block little village of restaurants, souvenir shops, pharmacies and dentists.  I know of only two incidents in all these years happening there and neither involved US citizens.  Ted had his pedicure, I bought what I needed and home we came.

Kelly and CeCe flew to Florida to visit Kristin and the three of them headed to Disney the very next day.  They were there bright and early on Thursday.  It was a “do over” for our August Covid escapade last year.

Upon arrival in the FL sun!

On our way to Disney World,

Buzz Lightyear

Sporting my Minnie ears.

Friday 

Best way to visit the Hall of Presidents.  Comfortable chairs, AC, dark, enough time to catch a few winks! 

Friday was back to Disney starting with breakfast at Topolina’s

She had a ball with Grammie and Auntie Kristin fawning all over her.  

Wrapping It Up

We were invited for fajitas at Sue and Nile’s house on Thursday.  They were kind enough to switch it from Wednesday when we declined the invitation because of Ash Wednesday and we would not be able to eat meat.  The lady starting with dementia across the street who lost her husband Christmas Eve was there with her daughter and son in law who are trying to wrap up her affairs.  I’m not quite sure what the long term plans are for her.  Jim and Karen did not come because they both had colds.  

With Bill and Ornell gone, we attended church alone but picked up Jay and Stella afterwards to have dinner at Golden Chick and then attend a show at their park.  It just so happened they had a group of 20 people coming and had reserved four tables.  It worked out well for us.  Piano Man put on a very good show.  

Stella’s birthday was this week so the same group went to Dirty Al’s for dinner on Sunday.  I chose not to play mahjong so I could clean the RV and do some laundry and we could leave at 3:30 to get to the restaurant in time.  We had a chicken and fish botana and brought five chicken tenders home.  I have been using them as snacks in lieu of lunch!  

Other friends Don and Trudy who were unable to come for the season have come down from Nacogdoches for a visit.  Ted took Don to sporting clays in Edinburg on Monday and Trudy picked me up for some shopping.  I had been wanting to go to Sketchers and finally made it.  I bought two pairs for the summer and all our travels.  Then we went to the new boutique opened nearby by the gal who owns Lionel’s.  She always was 1/3 of the Retama fashion shows for years.  The other two have gone out of business and taking different routes while Sandy opened her second shop.  I bought a bright, cheerful yellow blouse for my cruise in May!  That evening we went to BJ’s with them and Karen and Dave.  

It was back to the dentist on Tuesday.  We left at 8:00 and we were back home about 11:15.  Considering it is over a half hour to drive there, we hit a traffic jam of a semi on fire, and I had 2 fillings taken care of, that timing was amazing.  The Customs officer asked me what I was taking back and I said “two fillings.” He waved me on!  Recently at home I had a root canal with a temporary filling ($1300).  Then I paid my Dentist $200 to put a permanent filling in.  Down here I had a cleaning, check up, photos, panorama X-ray and two fillings for $250.  Ted’s cleaning was $40.  

It was a low key day Wednesday  I bought hair coloring in Mexico simply because it was there  I chose based on photo and number because the description was in Spanish  and so were the instructions!  No bilingual here!  Good thing I knew how to use it and the color turned out ok.  Then I got my hair cut!  

Thursday was ladies’ breakfast again and a good sized group turned out - close to 20!  I rode with Mimi and Mary since Sharon and Marisa were not going.  I offered to drive!

To send Trudy and Don off, we went to 492 BBQ with them and Mimi and Jim.  Everyone enjoyed their food and fellowship until it was time to say goodbye.  They will not return to Retama as season renters anymore. We will miss them.  

We attempted to attend the fish fry at Mission West on Friday but as we got out of the car ladies exiting the hall said they were all out of fish!  So a nearby Whataburger had a Whatacatch sandwich for Lent so that had to do. But it was good!

The season is ending and the entertainers are heading back to Branson so we went to card bingo next door instead of a show after church and dinner.  Ted got down to one card twice, I never moved.  

I played mahjong on Sunday then we went to the Pizzaria at Niles’ request.  We are now down to a dozen days until we head for home.

We are getting requests about the RV but the first have been dealers, consignment companies and scammers.  We are being extremely careful and have learned that an escrow at our brokerage firm to receive funds send the crooks on their way.  We are in no hurry and have decided if the right deal does not come along we will simply use it this summer and re-evaluate our winter plans in the fall.