We played Shanghai the night before with our regular group before our 7:30 departure Sunday morning. We tried a new way to go a bit north, then east, but we didn’t like it. Taking I-45 south to pick up I-10 takes you way south to bring you back up north. So coming home we took our normal route which is picking up 105 out of Beaumont, TX straight west across to I-45.
We arrived a little after 4:00 as expected. Barb had a pot of chili and hotdogs ready for dinner. It was chilly so no beach weather all week! We caught up on family news, played cards, took walks, sat around the pool with jackets on and ate - a lot! Barb made breakfast each morning and put out things for lunch. She is the Energizer Bunny! Ted had brought 6 filets and his sousvide appliance to prepare them. This is a French tenderizer of sorts that cooks the meat slowly to tenderize it before a final finish on a grill. They were spectacular. Baked potatoes, salad and garlic rolls we also brought, filled out the meal. Barb’s peanut butter pie finished it off.
The next three nights we ate out. First was McGuire’s Irish pub that serves 18 cent bean soup. The recipe is one used to make it for the Senate cafeteria at the original price from decades ago. It was ok, I like mine better and it was not hot! Corned beef and cabbage, fish, burgers and an Irish based salad were all enjoyed. There are dollar bills stapled to the ceiling and estimates are $3 million is up there.
Barb and Kevin walk 5 miles each morning. I joined them one morning with the understanding I would go part way being sure I could make it back to the house. I got 1.5 miles and my impinged nerve at the base of my spine had enough! So they continued on and I walked back ok. I used to do 3 miles three times a week with my friend Gerre until she moved! That was before two impinged nerves became hitchhikers - the one just mentioned and one at L4. Getting old sucks!
Second night we ate at a Mexican restaurant we visited two years ago. I think most of us got tacos and margaritas. It was all good.
Our last night was a fancier place The Ocean Club. The food was very good and I think everyone had something different except Ted and I both had chicken parm which I can never finish. So it was lunch the next day. The strange thing was the spaghetti was served naked! Ted asked for sauce and they brought a small bowl to the table which was enough. Never heard of such a thing!
We had been watching the weather and towards the end of the week we knew we had to leave two days early or stay 3-4 days longer. We left on Friday early and drove straight through arriving just as it got dark and started to rain. Whew! We dodged a bullet. The temperature tumbled and everything froze overnight. We made it to church at 5 on Saturday while the temp was about 38 counting on it to not drop below freezing by 6! We just made it. Church was packed, just like at Christmas. No place to park or sit hardly. They said very few attended Sunday morning!
The weather stayed below freezing every night for a week. It is 46 today and the forecast is on the upswing. By next week we are scheduled for high 60’s and mid 70s, our normal winter weather. I will be able to move my succulents back on the patio table.
They are finally scheduling depositions for Ted’s accident when the semi T-boned him a year and a half ago after the truck crossed a solid yellow line in a no passing zone and the driver was cited. It means we cannot make travel plans until they stop moving the dates and actually do them.
I hope everyone had a great Holiday season and are not now suffering through crazy weather!
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