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!

Cincinnati to Nashville to Prattville, Alabama and ending in Foley, Alabama

We drove to Goodletsville, north of Nashville for a night at the KOA.  Our reservation was all in order and soon we were set up for the evening.  We decided to drive to Grannie’s Diner a bit out of town for dinner.  It was a pleasant drive and decent enough food but not spectacular for a Grannie!  We left the next morning headed to Terry and Carol’s new hometown.  The park I picked out wasn’t much but was only 10 minutes from them and for just one night!  What a dump!  All dirt strips in uncut grass, no amenities but a public laundry and your neighbor no more than 12 feet away.  We made due but I wrote a scathing report and advised people to look elsewhere.  

Terry and Carol came over and we all rode in their car to Olive Garden.  It was their 61st  wedding anniversary so we treated them to dinner and a bottle of red wine.  Then we went to their new house that they are still working on getting set up!  It is as big or bigger than their last home!  I thought they were downsizing!  Carol has done a great job of decorating and adding upgrades.  She still has a family room upstairs stacked with boxes of audio equipment and a garage with many boxes too.  All in good time I told her.

We went back to our less than desirable campground and got a good night’s sleep for the drive into Foley.  We arrived about 1:00 as I had estimated.  Ira came in right behind us!  Seems they were lost for a half hour but saw us and followed us in.  We are parked next to each other, across from the pool.

We chose to eat at Lambert’s, home of the throwed rolls which is across the street and down just a bit.  There are two others.  One in Sikeston, MO where we have stopped many times and Springfield, MO right north of Branson.

We ate more than our fill and Lee and I had a miserable evening!

On Thursday we decided to look for Bamahenge, Dinosaurs and Lady in the Lake.  It is an unmarked place and takes a bit of detective work to find.  

We found three dinosaurs hiding in the woods but the Lady in the Lake was MIA.  Apparently she was damaged and has not been reinstated!

We came home and made our obligatory stop at Walmart.  Lee was making dinner and I needed Tide and sugar.  For dinner we had BBQ chicken sliders, corn, green beans, baked beans and my contribution, strawberry shortcake.  I brought my bottle of Moscato and Lee and I finished it off.  It was a pretty blue bottle and she kept it.  

We were in bed at 9:30!  Ted got up early and had washed the motorhome before it got too warm.  I hadn’t slept well on my full stomach after Lambert’s, so we both turned in early.

And So It Ends

A month with the kids, two weeks with siblings and friends, now traveling to our one week “vacation” at Gulf Shores, AL with little “stops” in between - picking up chairs, the Ohio National Sporting Clay Tournament, getting yearly service, visiting the lake, etc.  The time has flown by.

Thursday I went to get my nails done and we stopped at Walmart for groceries.  The next day I noticed my motorhome key fob was missing.  The clip holding it to my purse had broken.  My Jeep fob was still there, clipped on separately.  On Friday Ted went with his brother Kevin to see the athletic department building, built at Elder high school courtesy of Kyle Rudolph of the Vikings, and now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and my half brother Kim Knoppe, owner of Autumnwood Homes.  It was very impressive, rivaling professional accommodations Ted said.

When he left there I told him I had talked to the Wednesday evening restaurant and the keys had not been found.  He tried the nail salon, but no luck!  Our last hope was Walmart; after all, they could have fallen off while walking in parking lots.  Ted went to Customer Service and they proclaimed “we have been waiting for Donna to come get her keys.”  I forgot I had a light up key ring saying Donna given to me by my son in law Larry.  It wasn’t enough info for them to find me but made them memorable and easy to identify!  I owe St. Anthony big time for this one!

That evening we met with the “magnificent nine” Ted’s two brothers, two sisters, a sister in law, two brother in laws and us!  This is the group that all went to Ireland (plus Tom and Jeanne who live in Arizona).  I sure would love to do another trip with them!  We ate at a really nice Mexican restaurant, right up the street from us and then went to sister Peg’s house.  Kevin and Ted kept us entertained with old Enquirer stories.  It was Barb’s birthday so we bought a second birthday cake this trip!  A sangria margarita and an Irish coffee helped me sleep really well.  

Saturday was our normal relaxing morning, church at 3 pm and then cousin Nancy and husband John came for a cookout.  We had an enjoyable meal out at the picnic table and sat around the lake enjoying a breeze.  They left just as it was starting to get dark and we came inside.  

Our Sunday plan was to see Karen one more time.  We needed to pick up a Rx for me, find an ATM that would give us cash and stop to buy some more Cincinnati groceries.  We couldn’t get the Rx, it was lunch time so we went on to find Chase banks and ATMs closed one after the other!  So we adjusted our route, found a “closed” ATM near the facility so gave up and went in to visit.

Karen knew us, but not our names.  She had received a crocheted Queen Elizabeth doll from her friend Judy and she kept telling us you can’t touch the nose, she will disappear!  Then she went into the bathroom to talk to her friend who is her own image!  She carries on a one sided conversation.  She found a peanut on the floor and said Ronnie likes to eat them and drops some when he throws them into his mouth.  She threw it away while saying he was working.  He died last Halloween.  She did remember her great grand daughter Jemma had been brought by “her mother.”  I supplied the name Laura and she said yes!  It was hard to say goodbye because I am afraid that mentally it may really be goodbye.  I know what Nancy Reagan meant when she called it the very long goodbye!  

When we left we took a shot at one more Chase ATM.  Turned out to be another bank’s ATM with a $3.50 charge.  At that point we used it to be sure we got back in time to get my Rx.  Of course it was not ready “because it was ready on the 14th and no one picked it up.”  I said “no, I was told insurance wouldn’t refill it before 7/22.”  She just agreed to fill it!  I never had this problem in all these years with Walmart.  Next year I will make sure WalMart is a preferred drug store!  

I had ordered a LaRosa pizza on line for pick up at the one near us that is under renovation.  That was all they were offering.  We brought it home and ate it outside at the picnic table.  Ted took our Magna shades down, put away the ladder and grill, etc.  I did stuff inside and we are ready to roll tomorrow heading south to Nashville for one night.

We were in for the night when we realized we had missed the grocery so no goetta, brats, turtle soup and Skyline chili to take back to Texas!

Two Weeks Back “Home”

We left before 10 to head to Cincinnati, I-71 to I-275, didn’t even need a GPS!  We made one rest area stop.  I went in to pay our balance while Ted unhooked the car and moved it next to our spot.  When I came out I backed him in with no problems. Nice big spot backed up to the lake.

We quickly set up and then took off to Batesville to visit with Karen.  Dan, Sue, Sherry and Wyatt were already there.  She cried again when she saw us and was overwhelmed at all her company.  We stayed going on two hours when it was time to walk her to dinner.  She was a “star” with everyone gathering around asking who we were and how we are related to Karen.  She said she wanted to go home and Sherry told her she was home.  She said “this is not home.”  She remembers some stuff and her home is one of them.  So sad.  

We returned through Lawrenceburg and stopped at Skyline for our chili fix.  The LaRosa’s pizza is being remodeled so we will have to find the nearest one next to that before we leave.

I did three loads of laundry and we sat outside for awhile until it got too bug-gy.

Tuesday we took the opportunity to buy new step covers for the motorhome.  We had taken the old ones off because they were worn.  There had been a new set left for us but they didn’t fit.  We also went to the grocery and ordered a birthday cake for me to take to my alumni luncheon on Saturday.

Ted went shooting on Wednesday and I stayed home doing some things around here.  After dinner we drove into Lawrenceburg to get an ice cream at United Dairy Farmers, another “must” place on our eating in Cincinnati.  We had goetta for dinner so that is 3 down when you consider our stop at Skyline.  LaRosa’s still awaits!

Thursday my best P&G pal, Karen, and her husband Bill came to dinner.  What a fiasco that became.  First off, Karen came loaded down with food.  We had strip and Delmonico steaks, I was baking potatoes, Karen brought corn 🌽, ambrosia salad and a home made apple pie.  I made cucumbers and tomatoes too.  Ted had gone to have the tank filled for the grill so we were all set, or so we thought!  We have two surge protectors, a built in one and external one.  One of them shut down our electricity due to low voltage.  Ted turned the generator on so my potatoes would finish cooking but asked me not to turn the induction stove on to cook the corn to keep the load light.  When he turned on the grill, the “filled” tank was empty.  He had two portable green bottles that barely finished the steaks.  I put the Texas toast on the hot grates and closed the lid to heat the garlic bread.  We actually ended up with a decent dinner!  When things settled down, the electric was turned back on and it stayed on!  Disaster prevented.  I was just glad they were really good friends who rolled with the punches.

We were to meet Ted’s siblings after they visited the Van Gogh exhibit (I had seen it in Houston) for lunch.  We had put in for a service call to see if our protector did exactly what it is designed to do or was it the campground pedestal.  The Van Gogh folks all stopped back to visit since we couldn’t join them for lunch.  The guy never did show up, his mailbox was full and we never heard from him.  The campground said they were going to stop recommending him if he was going to do business like that.

Saturday started bright and early as a bad one.  I tried my best to get ready for my alumni luncheon but I just couldn’t do it.  Ted picked up the birthday cake and delivered it to the restaurant for Donna.  She face timed me to say hello to everyone and to thank me.  That was a big disappointment.  

Almost as soon as I said I wasn’t going it was like a faucet was turned off!  All was okay!  We were planning church at 3:00 and then right after head to Kentucky to spend the night at the lake.  I stayed OK so we gave it a shot.  We were still concerned about our electric staying on too!

We ate at the winery with Tim and Cindy then went to their house to spend the night.  Next morning Tim fixed a great breakfast, we went by boat to visit Vicki and Eddie plus David was in residence across the cove and came over for a bit.  We spent the afternoon, had lunch and then headed home.  Thank God, the electric had stayed on,  

My niece Ann asked me to help identify people in photos that she had taken from Karen’s condo.  She wants to make a book before that history is lost,  so we spent three hours and finished it all.  There were some of me as a youngster but not too many.  One I was delighted to see had to be a grandma photo from my baptism.  My mother, two grandmas and two great grandmas plus one lady I don’t know and have no one to ask.  

My cousin Jim, an electrician, and his girlfriend Sharon came for dinner.  They had invited us to have Ky Fried chicken with them but they ended up having it with us at the picnic table next to the lake so he could look at our electric connections.  I sent Ted for a bucket of chicken and he came home with chicken, biscuits, mac and cheese, coleslaw and lemonade!  He said it all came with the bucket of chicken!  I had a bowl of cut up fruit and leftover cucumbers and tomatoes plus the corn that never got cooked on Thursday.  Another meal pulled from close to thin air!  LOL

Jim could find nothing obviously wrong so we just visited into the evening.  The next day the  electric tripped off and then right back on.  The campground agreed to replace the 50 amp breaker.  So far, so good!  

My cousin from my father’s side and her husband came for a visit, it has been years since we saw them last.  We ate at an outdoor restaurant in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, right on the Ohio River and had a great visit.  So much to catch up on.  

Today we were at Freightliner in Walton, KY for our annual service.  It was last done in Gaffney, SC on our summer trip last year after leaving Florida, heading to Pennsylvania.  They apparently parked it early morning and worked on it after lunch.  Four hours later it was done with only one hour labor listed!  We decided to fill up at the TA to be all set to leave on Monday.  What a chaotic mess!  Trucks were all over the place until there was total gridlock. We had made it into a fuel line and waited patiently while two arriving police cars started sorting out the “parkers” who had caused the mess.  Eventually we were back on the expressway headed home. Our electric was on.  Yay!  We got set up and left to meet Judy and Joe for an early dinner.  They were our best man and maid of honor 57 years ago and have been married 54 years.  We had a nice visit while eating; we were both starving since we had nothing to eat all day.  

Our Time at Ohio Sporting Clay Competition

We left at 9 am as planned and made our way down I-75 towards Ohio.  There was some construction but no actual stopping.  We were heading to a TA station in Monroe where our TSD price was $4.74 vs. the posted price of $5.99!  0ur biggest savings ever.  I wish we had needed more than 41 gallons.  We turned off at Findley OH to make our way through the countryside to Mt. Gilead.  We have been at this KOA before and I had done EZ check in online before our arrival.  So it was just a matter of giving them our credit card to run and go right to our spot and set up.  

Dan and Sue had arrived earlier and were at the gun club.  We invited them over for a cookout when Dan was finished.  This necessitated a run to the grocery and a bit of preparation.  But dinner turned out fine and we sat outside until almost 11.  Friday was a 9 am start time so it was right to bed for us all.

Ted didn’t do so good on Friday, Dan did better. But I was having one of my “bad” days and chose to stay home where facilities were right here.  After Ted left, I felt better and if I had a way to go to the club, I would have.  Later on, Ted came home to freshen up and we picked Dan and Sue up to go to a restaurant/bar and sat at a high top in the bar area.  The food was good and the crowd enthusiastic discussing the day’s events.

Ted did better on Saturday and Dan had a rough time.  The course is set up really hard.  Some of those targets were so fast, and thrown into the shadows in the trees so dark, I couldn’t pick up the flight of them and I watched them leave the thrower and then they disappeared.  There was grumbling among the troops!  

My brother Kim and his wife Marion came from Powell, about 40 miles away to watch the shooting.  It was about 12:30 when they finished so the four of us went to a biker bar for lunch!  Dan was shooting at 3:00 and didn’t want to eat.  When we returned we couldn’t find him.  We asked around and looked all over.  His truck was parked next to his golf cart but we never did find him.  Ted and I were headed to church at 4:30 so Kim and Marian took off for home.  When we came home we spotted Dan’s truck at their motel.  The truck by his golf cart was not his and he had been napping the whole time!

There was a dinner at the club for participants just as we returned from church so our evening was spent there.  Their friend Mike joined us since he was alone and I watched a robin feed her babies in a nest in the rafters of the pavilion, enjoying a bit of nature in the beautiful setting.  

We returned before dark and Ted dumped our tanks in preparation for heading out on Monday morning.  Here is a little gun humor.

Sunday was ok for Ted but Dan had a great run.  They shoot in different classes and they both ended up in the top 1/3.  Not a fantastic showing but good enough to have had fun.  Dan and Sue took off for home and we returned to the campground and chowed down!  It was late afternoon and neither of us had eaten even breakfast!  

Monday morning we left about 9:00 to head to Cincinnati.  We need to get parked and setup by 1:30 to make our way to Batesville IN to see Karen again.  We are meeting Dan and Sue there, they have not seen her since they went to their FL condo right after Christmas.  She will be so happy to see us all.  I don’t think she could rattle off all our names but I know she will know we are someone important to her.  She had a hernia repaired and has recovered.  This was an outing for lunch with Cindy after having stitches removed.