We are 8 for 13!

Well I am a pink stripe today!  Ted went to Walmart to buy more tests and found out Medicare paid for 8 tests!  I used one this morning and the dreaded pink line appeared.  I have a bit of a sore throat and some sinus drainage and still tired but that’s about it. Poor Kristin didn’t have enough energy to walk across her apartment!

I put all our things away from the trip, cleaned up after Ted cooked dinner last night and am doing 3 loads of laundry.  I have had two vaccines and one Booster for whatever that’s worth. I still got it!  

I canceled our card group next Tuesday at the country club. I want to give myself time to get a few negative tests before being around people.  

Not much should happen over the next week or two.  To be safe I didn’t even go to Mass Sunday morning.  Stay tuned. I will be back to you shortly. 

We Are Home

We arrived home around 4 pm on Saturday, 5 days before we were scheduled to.  Dropping the visit with Kristin and Tom & Eileen left us with nothing else to do.  We had talked about stopping at the beach but we were driving right past the Alabama Gulf Coast we had just left 2 weeks before.  Having been gone since May 30 except for our two weeks in between switching from motorhome to car/resort, it sounded good!  I was very tired and once we got home I slept a few hours and then all night too!  I only drove from Lafayette to the TX line but I was bushed.  

I took a Covid test this morning and so far it says I am ok.  Poor CeCe can hardly talk with her sore throat, cough and fever.  So the score stands at 7 out of 13 but that may change.  We have been asked to join family members on a cruise out of Galveston in March.  I am thinking long and hard before committing!  

Here are a few photos of happy times and the exhaustion of Disney parks.  

I will take another test tomorrow just to be confident I am ok.

And We Thought It Could Not Get Worse

 We are fine as of Saturday, so far.  We did more running around on Friday, checking out, taking the cat to the vet, leaving him there for Kristin’s friend to pick up and headed to the FL Turnpike.  Our SunPass got a workout!  We drove to Crestview, FL where we stopped on our first night out and spent the night there again.  

Kelly, Cassie, Ally and CeCe made it to Detroit and was met by that angel I prayed for.  He came in the form of the car park bus driver who loaded all their luggage plus stroller and car seat, unloaded it all and loaded it into Kelly’s car.  They made it home only to determine CeCe was now sick!  Coughing and a slight temperature.  Pat and Bidkar are still in FL, are feeling better, and will fly home on a 6 am flight they were able to secure with no penalty.

Kristin is feeling better but extremely tired.  The cat seems to be ok after his treatment at the vet and Jen was happy to bring him home.  

Kara and family had their SW flights cancelled after being at loose ends all day since they could not get late check out of either of her Grand Floridian rooms.  Then those flights were cancelled and they were to fly out today to Baltimore on to Detroit.  It was a 6 am flight so she rented a room at the airport hotel for. $300+!  As soon as they got settled the Baltimore portion of the next day’s flight was “delayed.”  She threw in the towel, booked 4 one way seats to the tune of $2000+ on Delta, non stop.  They arrived this morning about 8:30.  

As soon as all are well the saga of our Family Disney Vacation will end!  

Downhill From Here

Thursday morning started with a 2:39 am Text:  Ugh!  I have Covid.  Kristin had returned home to feed her cats and rest because she didn’t feel good.  She finally took a test.  So she needed her things brought from Kelly’s condo south of Disney, to Lake Mary, far north of Disney, about an hour each way.  I told her we would, thus started our day later on.  We found the condo and two more sick folks getting ready to go to Urgent Care.  They had Kristin’s things all packed up.  Wearing our masks and using hand sanitizer, we loaded them in the car.  They mentioned Cassie’s wheelchair was still in Kristin’s car and could we bring that back because the service was picking it up the next day!  Sure!  So we headed back down to the condo to deliver the chair.  Kristin would not let us bring the things in beyond the doorway.                           

Patrick and Bidkar both tested positive and the rest tested negative with tests from Urgent Care. The last we heard was Kelly, Cassie, Ally and CeCe were going home Friday as planned.  Bidkar and Patrick negotiated an extended stay to go home on Wednesday.  How the girls with the baby, luggage, stroller and car seat are going to manage is beyond me, especially when they land in Detroit.  That may be another horror story for tomorrow!  With airport security, there isn’t much personal help available to offer.

In the meantime, Morgan tested positive for Covid.  Sam needs to check into his dorm on Saturday,  Bill is still recovering from shoulder surgery and Kara said she just didn’t know what to do.  They have to vacate the Grand Floridian, they cannot get a rental car to drive home. They talked of sending Sam on ahead and his father can pick him up, and maybe Bill going with him.  Kara can go to the condo with Pat and Bidkar, sanitize the bedroom and bath, and stay until Morgan can travel.  Stay tuned!

We went to the Grand Floridian in our bathing suits and spent the afternoon at the pool with Kara, Bill and Sam.  Morgan was in her room and waved to us from the porch when we left.  Then we heard from Kristin, can we take the cat to the vet today, he is throwing up all over the place!  Why not?  So the vet appointment is at noon and that allows us to check out of here, drive there, go to the vet and back to Kristin’s and not have anywhere to go for any length of time!?!  She said she feels better but is terribly tired.  I asked if she wanted us to stay in town at a motel to be near and she said no.  There really isn’t anything we can do.  

We had planned a stop in Palm Coast at best friends Tom and Eileen.  He has had a diagnosis recently and I helped them navigate an appointment this Monday at MD Anderson in Jacksonville.  He certainly doesn’t need us to expose him so once the cat gets back home, we are hitting the FL Turnpike and heading for home.  

And you wonder why I live in Texas?

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Finally, Magic Kingdom

We were up really early on Tuesday morning, the big day to take CeCe to the Magic Kingdom.  She had been there on Sunday with her parents, grandparents and Aunt Kristin.  She loved the parades!  

We started with Winnie the Pooh which got a ho hum response, then on to Under the Sea.  Now that she got into, clapping and dancing in her seat.  It was very musical and colorful and she was very familiar with Ariel and the music.

We also did It’s A Small World, Country Bear Jamboree, met with Cinderella, Philharmonic Magic, the carousel and watched part of a parade.  By then it was lunch time and someone was getting tired and hungry.  In fact, we all were.  We, Pat and Kelly were with us, ate lunch at the Plaza Restaurant and then headed for home.  

Kelly and Pat had Park Hopper passes and were supposed to proceed to Hollywood Studios.  But Pat was not feeling good so she went on alone on Disney Transportation and met Cassie and Kristin.  Sam and Morgan had left them to return home. The four of us went back to our condo where Pat slept on the single bed that comes down from under the TV, Ted chose the couch and I put CeCe down in the king bed so I could close the door.  She slept 3.5 hours.  When she awakened we used our Disney app to order food at the restaurant here on our grounds.  Then Ted took CeCe to our pool and splash pad.  She had a ball!  

Later, Ted and I went to the Grand Floridian to see the special fireworks.   We joined Kara and Bill and had a margarita at the tables around the lake with the castle in the background.  We were unable to return to the Magic Kingdom because Mickey’s Halloween Party was 6-11 and you needed another ticket!  

Wednesday everyone slept in but Kara, Bill and Sam.  They headed to Magic Kingdom minus Morgan who was still whipped from a full day at Hollywood Studios.  

We eventually went to Disney Springs shopping district.  I found another gift for Nancy.  We needed to stop at Walgreen’s before coming home.  After lunch we put on our suits and headed to the pool.  We met a delightful British couple and talked to them for a long time.  

I didn’t want dinner so Ted  went to McDonald’s (I think) and brought ice cream back for us. We have one more day here and Morgan wants to take us to the Art of Animation Resort to see all the art throughout.  Because we are all resort guests we can get on property.  They are very strict about not having just anyone roaming around their resorts.  

We have our Mickey Bands to do most everything.  CeCe has an old one, not attached to any account.  She insists on putting hers up on the Mickey too to enter the park!  

 

Another Trip Along the Coast

Monday I went to see “Where the Crawdads Sing.”  I had read the book, enjoyed it but it ruins the suspense when you know the ending and they changed it a bit in a way I didn’t like.  Irene, Linda and I were a bit dismayed at the $70+ price tag for 3 senior matinee tickets, a large popcorn and 3 cokes!  Zero inflation my *ss!

Tuesday we met Tommy and Susan for lunch at House of Lasagna south of us.  My dismay meter dinged again when the vegetable lasagna and the dishes the others ordered included either a salad or bowl of soup.  They were out of both 15 minutes after they opened!?!  They finally decided they had small side salads which turned out to be a small plate of lettuce with one very thin slice of tomato!  I was batting a thousand.

Nancy and I went to the community college to sign up for some fall classes.  It seems the social scene is in no hurry to resume so I decided to channel my interest along a different line.  I packed in earnest for our Thursday departure when I returned home.

We drove to Crestview FL to spend the night.  We had a Cracker Barrel gift card so we chose to eat there since one was close by.  Ding! Ding! Ding! again on the dismay meter.  Ted ordered a bowl of chili with cheese and onions on top.  The chili came with cheese accompanied by a plate of onion slices so he had to cut them up himself to add to the chili!  He asked for a soup spoon and was advised it was in the rolled up napkin. It was a long handled iced tea spoon!  My chicken and dumplings should be reversed to dumplings and chicken because there wasn’t hardly any chicken in a huge plate of dumplings, most of which were not eaten.  I hope my luck changes a but since I have two weeks to go!

We arrived in The Villages about 2 pm at the new home of our old Cincinnati neighbors.  We moved away in 1981 but have remained friends.  We toured the area because we owned a villa there from 1994 to 2006 and the growth is stupendous!  We had dinner outside on a patio in one of the “downtown” areas before retiring back to their house.

Saturday Margie had a nail appointment and Ted and Steve took a golf cart tour and then rode electric bikes.  In the meantime I got myself ready and arranged our bags and things that were getting messed up with searching for this, that and the other thing!  I brought food for the road, things for the apt. since I didn’t know what would be included, our Magic Kingdom day needs - ponchos, water bottles, Magic bands, etc.

We went to another downtown restaurant for a late lunch and then went to church at 4 pm and Margie went with us.  Steve claimed he prayed from home.  It was a very nice service and very good sermon.  We went back to their home for awhile then left for the music scheduled for that night in the town square. After a dance, we had ice cream cones and returned home to call it a night.

Sunday we said our goodbyes and headed south along the Florida Turnpike.  Our Sun Pass worked just fine.  We found Saratoga Springs Resort with no problem and were moved in quickly.  The MI folks plus Kristin were at the Magic Kingdom, Kara had arrived in the afternoon and was out getting her Owner’s Box stocked.  She will use what she needs, replace what she needs to then have it taken away until her next trip down.  She calls and the box will be delivered to whatever resort she chooses to stay at. 

Everyone showed up Sunday evening for a visit and my snacks and drinks cache suffered a serious dent.  

Monday people came and went until it was time to go for dinner at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort.

It was a very interesting dinner with characters drifting through and stopping several times.

We left afterwards to visit Kara’s two studio rooms she had booked at the Grand Floridian.  One bathroom for four adults just doesn’t hack it so the kids had their own room.  The Grand Floridian is a gorgeous hotel and on the monorail but I admit I am liking my two bathrooms, a kitchen, LR, king size bedroom and a washer/dryer on the ground floor, at the beginning of the hall, next to the pool!  We are on a fairway on the Lake Buena Vista golf course and we even had visitors one morning.

Back Home For Two Weeks

It took until Sunday to get our work done.  For some reason both hampers were full here at home, plus a day or two worth of clothes from traveling and then all the towels from both RV bathrooms and the kitchen.  I had 6 loads to do!  Good thing I did the sheets and remade the bed our last day!

So Monday I took the day off.  No adulting that day! 

There has been paperwork - our church had our building fund info wrong, it went back to 2001 when we moved down here!  I fixed our yearly contribution info early this year.  I asked Nate to fix whatever data bases we could be in with the correct info.  Time will tell!  

The Expedition needed inspection and application for registration sticker.  Ted’s eye doctor bill is messed up.  We paid a deductible at the office because I knew he had not met his.  Then they sent a bill so I thought “maybe they got the deductible wrong.”  It hits my credit card one day, two days later I get a credit, two days later I get the same bill!  I wrote a letter and said “y’all need to make up your minds!”  Stay tuned!

I was able to get the Expedition added to our FL SunPass account.  And Wells Fargo said a new law necessitated them knowing all the Grantors and Trustees listed in our trust.  All I can say is things sure can get complicated!  I haven’t decided if the computer is a help or a hindrance!  

Our two weeks time here is all accounted for.  Some fun things, some routine things.  Maybe when we return the first week in September things will be less hectic!

I forgot to mention another of the Keehan cousins passed away last week.  Melissa’s dad, Uncle Jack, was our dentist until 1981 when we moved from Cincinnati to Michigan.  She is Cousin #7 to leave us.  She had homes in OH, AZ and FL but her memorial service won’t be until October in Canton, OH.  Rest In Peace, Melissa.  You will be missed.  

I had my first return visit since my MDA March appointment.  I had to get blood drawn beforehand.  My vitals were excellent.  Two pages of results showed two things.  Dr. Oke advised me to drop from two to one calcium pill.  My number was one point high.  She suggested I wear the silicone prosthesis at least 25% of the time to keep my back muscles equal.  And that was it!  Everything else looked good.  I have appts. with her next April.  I do have a mammogram and appointment with the surgeon in November.  On Monday I see Dr. C and get him on their 6 month routine.  He will monitor my cholesterol, BP and other non cancer related medical issues that a PCP handles.  I continue to be very impressed with M D Anderson personnel.  

We finally got some much needed rain!  The sprinkler guy is stopping to address two areas not getting proper coverage AND the bull rock creek that is getting well watered but doesn’t need to!  When we return I need the windows washed and the fence builders to redo most of the back fence.  It is 20 years old and needs some TLC!  And then … I am done inside and out … for the time being!

I got a new, bigger sprinkler head to replace 3 small pop ups.  It appears it will fix the brown spot not getting enough water.  I “think” he did the same at the fence but I am not positive.  He did not cap the big sprinkler near the AC, electric box and a whole lot of bull rock used to carry downspout water away.  I made him come back.  He said that bush might die.  We are having the two “corners” redone after the fence is replaced.  The bull rock carries lots of water away so I am not worried about it.  You can see the wet rocks vs. the upper left hand corner that is dry.  I am not trying to grow rocks.  If we had not gone 60 days with no rain, these shortcomings would probably not be so bad. But if the sprinkler isn’t hitting it and there is no rain, gaps become very obvious.  

Friday was haircut day again.  We went late in the afternoon so we stopped at a new pizza place that recently opened for dinner.  We sat outside because it was pleasant.  Saturday was church.  Tomorrow starts our last four days until we leave on Thursday.  

Delayed Ferry Trip to Dauphin Island Due to Rain, so Plan B

We planned to leave for Fort Morgan in the morning but a hard rain shower right before dawn caused us to check the weather.  We were going to tour the fort and take a ferry ride across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island.  Showers were predicted so we shifted gears.  

We chose a leisurely morning then the guys went to look at trucks and Lee and I went to Chico’s. She bought an outfit and I bought 4 tops.  They all went to the pool afterwards but I stayed behind to make dinner. We had two kinds of brats - Cincinnati ones and Shipshawana ones, German potato salad, corn (before it got old), baked apples and cole slaw. Lee made a cherry pie but we were all too full to eat it. 

We decided to ride to FL to buy mega lottery tickets because AL doesn’t sell them.  On our way back we drove along the beach - so pretty and wide!   Beautiful white sand. We used our detective skills to find our friends’ spot they purchased in Belle Terra. We knew they were back in Houston, they had a pull thru spot, a pavilion was just about completed and a Margaritaville sign gave it away!  Nice place!  It was dark when we got home and I was in bed early again. I can’t get used to this fatigue!  

Next morning Haulin’ HitchHikers alumni from our days owning a HitchHiker, Judy and Greg, picked us up for breakfast. We had a nice meal and left for their house for a longer visit.  Lee and Ira were taking a day of rest when we returned and we were going to church later so we didn’t go anywhere until it it was time for church.  It was a speedy service!  We ordered a pizza and picked it up on the way home.  

We were set to give the Dauphin ferry a try Sunday morning but they posted they were running with only one ferry.  That meant waits would be 1.5 hours apart.  So we chose to just go to Fort Morgan and visit the fort and museum.  We were all interested in how important this port was in several wars.  I had never thought of it as important in the civil war but it was.  We drove back to the beach and admired the white sand and I walked along the edge.  Everyone waited for me.  

I don’t recall doing anything particular on Monday and Tuesday.  It had rained a bit off and on.  We ate at the picnic table on Monday and at Paula Dean’s on Tuesday.  It was laundry, cleaning, wind down time for both families.  

We left early the next morning and drove to Lafayette, LA to a KOA.  We had $25 in earned credits and it was in a good location so we opted for that.  Nice park, long pull thru and easy maneuvering around the park.

Today is Thursday and we arrived home about noon.  Sara had our spot empty and waiting for us.  It was 100 degrees.  We started getting things together that needed to come home, then all our clothes and shoes.  After two trips packing and loading, then putting away at home, we opted for a sandwich from Jack in the Box and headed for home.

We will go early in the morning to start washing the motorhome before the sun gets too hot.  My biggest job will be emptying the refrigerator and freezer.  Once I have transferred it at home I will go back and clean the fridge and empty the pantry of things that cannot stay.  Canned goods, some spices and vinegars, pasta, sugar, flour, etc. can be left for our next outing.  

Nancy brought our mail.  She said I had a lot of cards!  They were mostly graduation thank yous but one wedding and a party invitation that happened in our absence.

I balanced my check book, got my calendar in order,  and called it a day.  I took a shower, washed my hair and settled in to finally see my red hot Astros!  

Friday was a day of hard work.  Ted washed the entire motorhome while I emptied the refrigerator and cleaned it, took all our clothes, that don’t stay, home.  And went through the medicine chest to take home what we needed.  Shampoo, band aids, sunscreen, etc. gets to stay.  Then I cleaned the inside.  

This morning I looked at my travel figures.  We went 3290 miles driving the motorhome and spent $1857 on fuel using our TSD card for an average mile cost of 56.5 cents.  Many people ask about fuel costs even when they aren’t crazy high!  It is what it is.  Campgrounds are right up there with the crazy high stamp!  $45-80 a night.  Our saving grace was 31 days at the Oakland County MI park for $713.  Helped sitting still for those dates too so no fuel purchased until we left.  

Time to put the old girl back in storage until our next adventure!