Behind Again

Don’t ask me how you fall behind when you have nothing to do, yet here we are.  Last week went by so quickly.  We were in town at Kara’s a lot getting ready for the party.  We checked in with the venue (Scottish Lodge Hall) and went over regular and Covid details.  There could be no buffet but a caterer was allowed to dish up prepared food, she had to have a bartender, no self serve.  Only 50% of capacity was allowed.  Everyone had to wear a mask. With that done we regrouped to establish and tackle jobs to make the party happen as safely as possible.

We rolled a small packet of hand sanitizer, salt & pepper packets, knife and fork in a napkin and taped it shut with yellow strips made with sticky on one side. We washed our hands, sanitized our hands and wore gloves.  She had ordered 8 dozen cupcakes and bought individual containers to put them in.  Then she made labels for the different flavors.  

We felt well prepared for celebrating as safely as possible.  Imagine our surprise on Friday when the hall called and said the Board of Health had just visited and said they were wrong in classifying them as a restaurant and they were an Event Center with a limit of 10 people.  They and the caterer could lose their licenses and attendees could be fined $1000!?!

By Saturday morning they had a plan in place to have it at home, outside in their yard.  As a precaution she had bought two canopy tents intending to use one on their patio in the summer and take one back if she did not run into the exact problem we were dealing with.  The biggest item was tables and chairs which she was able to rent at the last minute.  She and Bill were able to pick them up using both SUVs. With that taken care of, I knew we could do this.  

The caterer said he was running into this and coming to their house instead was no problem.  He served all the food while gloved and had wrapped each dinner roll in its own baggie.  

The patio

The Chill table 

The Driveway

Restrooms

Kara had his Awards Table all ready with help from Morgan and Kristin.  She displayed it next to their 50” TV brought outside to run the slideshow she created of his life.  It was exceptional and I made three appearances plus one of my hands holding him.  In addition to a check I wrapped up a DVD that we had in at least 4 RVs.  It was from 1930s cartoons, most of which were Popeye.  As soon as he climbed into the RV he wanted to watch those old time black and white cartoons.  Morgan was excited too because she said it had prompted her interest in drawing.  (She is an excellent artist).  I worried he would think it was dumb but he was elated.  He remembered watching it none stop and said it was like finding an old friend.  

It turned out to be a beautiful day.  It was on the warm side but the shade and a nice breeze kept most everyone comfortable.  The kids were able to play all sorts of games on the grass and the last people didn’t leave until about 10:30.  I was expecting Daughter #4 and her family at the park for dinner on Monday.  Sheetal has been a part of our family for 37 years as Kristin’s best friend.

Turns out Kara sent me home with all the leftovers because they all decided to come!  I really didn’t have to do much though.  More heating up than cooking!  

Today we are going to take Sam to his haircut thinking I could get my nails done.  But they aren’t allowed to do powder dip so I decided to just wait.  But we are having one last family dinner because Larry and Kristin fly back to Florida on Wednesday and we head into Indiana and then Kentucky on Thursday and Friday.  

Week One of Two

We went to Frankenmuth on Wednesday for two things - Chico’s Summer Sale and Bavarian Inn’s world famous chicken dinner.  Chico’s was a success $280 worth of clothes for $104 and the chicken dinner was as delicious as ever.  It was our only meal of the day.

I don’t think we did much on Thursday other than Ted washed and waxed the car and MH.  I am still straightening, finding, moving things to be as convenient as possible.  And I found the fly swatter!  No flower on it though.  I also found the campfire forks to roast marshmallows. Neither of us could even remember if we had kept them.

We had Kara’s family out but just had pizza delivered to our campsite.  The little fellow in yellow latched on to Sam and it turned out he was the nephew of Cassie’s prom date in high school.  Small world.  He had some cookies and a lemonade before his grandma came to get him.

On Friday we went into Kara’s where she had Bill grill beef or chicken kabobs, corn on the cob and watermelon chunks for dinner.  Bill bought them a 6th anniversary cake that was enjoyed by all.  We stopped at the store on the way home because everyone was coming to the park on Saturday.

We had a crowd - Kelly, Pat, Cassie, Greg, Ally, Bidkar, Baby CeCe, Kara, Bill, Morgan plus the two of us.  Getting enough serving dishes and silverware was the biggest obstacle.  I had summer sausage with cherry covered Brie and some chips and pretzels for snacks but I had to find big spoons so people were not reaching in with their hands.  Ted grilled burgers and brats.  I made baked beans and a peach cobbler in my crockpot served with vanilla ice cream, Kelly made a fruit salad and Kara a pasta salad.  I also sliced tomatoes, onions and had shredded lettuce and pickles to make a good old fashioned burger.  And of course the hand sanitizer was on the table too.  We had commandeered another 8 foot table from an empty campsite so we had 16 feet of food and plenty of seating using additional lawn chairs.

We did not hold the baby and stayed 6 feet away because we have been out in stores and places though we do wear our masks indoors, it is mandated for public buildings now in Michigan.  She can walk a few steps but takes off when pushing her little cart.  She loves music and was enthralled trying to clap and keep time to Ted singing All My Exes Live in Texas.  It was so cute!

Ted built a fire and we all social distanced around it.  We turned the outside TV on and Ted turned the station to country music.  We found there are light strips under the slide out and the coach!  Makes a big difference when you come home in the dark.  The two patio light bulbs were burned out and Bill brought a bigger ladder to reach them.  No more coming home in the dark!

Little by little we are finding things and learning.  Every once in awhile we have to write Jim and ask him the question of the day.  Good thing he doesn’t charge us!

On Sunday Ted went shooting and it rained cats and dogs.  I thought for sure he would come home but he said they shot the whole course, stopping to wait for showers to pass.  We dressed and went into town.  Our original Plan was to attend church outdoors in lawn chairs but the weather caused cancellation so we watched Pat and Kelly’s church on TV in their family room.  Afterwards we went to a great restaurant with lots of food, great prices and even better service.  It was my Monday dinner too!

Monday, right after they emptied our tanks, we had a problem that sounded like a motor or something running under the sink.  We couldn’t figure out what it was and why it was running.  It started after they had dumped our tanks.  We talked to Oasis people, Jim the previous owner and finally Newmar who I told the only thing under there was the Sub Woofer and the built in vacuum.  Turns out the sub woofer has been a problem and they were sure that was it.  They said we could unplug it and get it “fixed” at our convenience.  I went under the sink looking for an off button but there was only a Max and Min dial.  It was on Max and I turned it to Min and it stopped.  It doesn’t appear to be “on” and they said it only comes into play when the surround sound comes on.  We are lucky we can get the TV on and find the station we want without worrying about the surround sound.  Ted called Jim back and had a good laugh.  We are learning something new almost every day.

Brand New KOA

We drove without incident to Mt. Gilead and found the KOA that had opened just 8 days previously.  We were given a spot in Row G and I asked where the cabin was that Dan was going to be in.   I explained we were together and probably would be eating together and would like to be close.  They put us right across the road from them and it has been most convenient.

We then went to Eagle’s Nest to watch Dan shoot Fitasc, a European clay shooting game.  It is done holding your gun down near your waist and raising it to firing position only after the bird is called for. It is very difficult.  As of late afternoon Saturday he was in second place.

We came back home and while Sue and Dan showered after all day in the sun, Ted grilled brats on the grill at their cabin while I readied macaroni salad, watermelon chunks, beans and chips.  Klondike bars were dessert, the small ones.  I really did more “opening” than cooking but Sue was most grateful to walk out to the covered patio and sit down to eat.

Friday the fellows were shooting at 9 but they go warm up before so we agreed to meet them at 9:30. When we arrived they were moving quickly and I was concerned my brother Kim and Marion were going to arrive too late to see them shoot.  They arrived just in time to see them shoot the last two stations.

We all came back to the pub here at the park and had lunch.  Dan had to go back to his Fitasc round, Kim and Marion visited with us for awhile longer, then headed back to Powell, OH about 40 minutes away.

We spent the evening on the cabin patio just visiting and munching on veggies and nuts.  No one was hungry.  It started to rain so we headed across the road to home.

We did the same time thing on Saturday and two of the squad never showed so with a 2 man team, they had moved almost half way down the course when we arrived at 9:30!  When they finished, with not great scores, they went to 5 stand to practice!  We took the trappers advice and went to a small restaurant near the range.  The food was very good but the selection was limited and quantity way short of the “enough for two” Todd promised us.

We came home and Ted showered while I started two loads of laundry.  The stackables don’t hold but 1/4 of what my 20+ years washer at home does and takes way longer to run a cycle.  What they save you in water you pay in electricity and time!  But I guess it is better than the laundromat though two hours every other week was enticing!

Sunday there was some confusion.  Kim asked if Ted and I had time for dinner Sunday near their house.  Dan was leaving right after shooting because they had a Monday morning flight to FL.  We said yes but then there was the question if they were coming to see the shooting.  We all decided they weren’t.  I chose to stay home because the three of them left at 7:30 after checking out of the cabin.  I tried repeatedly to reach Kim to determine if they were or were not coming and received a text from Marion eventually “we are 5 minutes away”.

Sue’s truck and our car were parked a distance away from the general public parking lot, the fellows were about to start shooting, so Marion came back for me after I made a quick trip to the mirror, and all turned out well!  Ted shot very well but not good enough to make up for his mediocre score on Saturday.  Neither he nor Dan won any money or accolades!

Everyone headed for home and later on Ted and I dressed up for an Italian dinner out in Powell, OH.  We were the only four in the restaurant though another party came in later.  The food was excellent and we talked non stop until close to 10:00.  I do hope they will attend next year’s family reunion.  He has at least 100 people to meet that he is related to.  There are lots more, that will just be for starters.

Monday we left about 9:00 and drove 5 hours to Michigan to Addison Oaks, an Oakland County Park.  We end up here usually every year in our summer comings and goings.  It has big sites and two parking spaces per campsite.  We will be here a little more than two weeks.

Everyone is working so Tuesday we did a lot of running around - Sam’s for our protein drinks and gas, Target for an induction 5 qt. pot, Kroger for a few groceries ... and we forgot water and sodas!  That will give us something to do tomorrow!

Moving On

On Tuesday, we drove through two hours of beautiful farmland and the city of Van Wert, OH with the most beautiful collection of Victorian homes with sweeping verandas, turrets and widow walks.  It was a beautiful day, but we arrived in Shipshawana about 11:05 and were told breakfast was no longer available after 11:00 so we had an early lunch.  Normally I would order a piece of their wonderful pie but stuck to my guns and declined.  Last time I looked I was .4 out of my range so back to the straight and narrow!  One quarter of a pound is easier to lose than a whole pound!  

We walked around the flea market buying two gifts (everybody loves fleas LOL) but the sun and heat were becoming uncomfortable.  We moved on to E&S grocery where you can find amazing things especially for baking but there was no strawberry glaze I wanted nor powdered peanut butter Ted wanted.  I bought one more gift and we headed for home.

We did not have to look for a cutting board or fly swatter since we found them at Dollar General.  The swatter has a blue flower attached.  Ted told the girl it was really nice because you can kill the fly and send flowers all in one swat.  😊

And as I predicted, I have located my cutting board in a drawer but not the fly swatter.  I am wondering if maybe some things made it to Goodwill that I should have held on to.

Wednesday we had a mobile repair tech coming to fix a part in one of our A/C units, it was actually something to do with the heat pump that threw an error code so luckily the A/C continued to run.  We have two units so we were never uncomfortable. In fact, we don’t know how long the error code was displayed.  Ted had them tighten a piece of molding and realign a cargo door that the previous owner had gotten off kilter with the electric cord reel.  Their bill for two men and the part was less than a service call in the big city!

In the late afternoon Ted went to meet Dan for a few rounds of skeet.  While he was gone a storm came up and the awnings were going nuts.  The large side awning put itself away due to its wind sensor and I pushed the button for the one over the door,  however, the ones over the windows on the opposite side were being pushed and pulled frantically.  Ted had told me you have to put these away by hand.  I ran out and saw you had to slip the strap out of its clip and let it roll up but I couldn’t reach it, then the man across from us came over and did it for me.  Whew!  So much still to learn.  We had one awning in the trailer and I knew which button to use!  Ted showed me where the rod was to use to let the awning roll up.  Lesson learned!

Today we move on to Mt, Gilead for the registered shooting competition this week end.  Dan and Sue are heading there early because Dan is shooting today.  Ted isn’t, so we will take our time and get set up at the campground.   It is only a two hour drive and you don’t want to arrive before checkout.  If your space is occupied you have nowhere to go to wait!

All our activities have been outdoors and social distanced restaurants.  Ted is getting frustrated having to ask for salt!  Paper menus and nothing on the tables remain the order of the day.  Our granddaughter Ally has been exposed at work.  Her first test was negative and we are awaiting results on the second one.  This may make seeing Cece a bit more difficult.  We are having trouble finding Campgrounds with space the first two weeks of August.  I think after 8/15 some schools will start back and things will open up.  We have two weeks to work on it.

Stay well.  Avoid crowds.  Wear a mask in stores and at church.  Wash your hands.  Since no one has definitively decided just how this spreads, that’s about all we can do besides staying home all the time.  And we have our home with us!

On A Bigger Lake Now

Usually we stay at Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park but all the sites were filled because of the holiday by the time I was able to get through once it reopened.  So we are in a private park, not fancy, but it has full hook-ups, easy in and out with no one bothering you with rules and regulations and half the price of the state park that has electric only!  We rode through the other night and it appears they have put water and sewers in a few lines of sites but they don’t look big enough to hold us.  So, all in all, we are happy where we are.

Once set up, we went to Dan and Sue’s to meet their new dog Dolly just home from training in Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately, they did not convey to her that she is not a lap dog.

Eventually we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.  For the middle of cornfield country, it was really good.  Monday was spent getting acclimated, stopping at the store and eventually going back to Dan’s for a cookout.

Tuesday the fellows went shooting, Sue had a headache so I kept the car and went to the post office to mail a birthday card and then went shopping for 3 boy and 1 girl birthday presents.  For the 4th we are going to a 4th of July picnic and combined birthday party for four of their 16 grandchildren!  I also bought bags, tissue paper and 4 more birthday cards.  I hope they like their gifts.

Wednesday we were waiting on Keith and Steve to arrive from Connecticut.  They were headed to Elk Lake to join  the four housefuls down there but spent most of the afternoon and early evening with us before continuing on.  Dan took us for a very pleasant boat ride on Grand Lake in the afternoon and we eventually ended up at CJs for dinner.  We all were really hungry because the only thing besides dirty dishes cleared away was two croutons!

Here is a little history on the hand dug lake.

“Originally constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal, Grand Lake St. Marys was for many years recognized as the largest man-made reservoir in the world. The 13,500-acre lake is the gateway to swimming, boating, camping and fishing in one of Ohio's oldest state parks.The area in and around Grand Lake St. Marys State Park played an important part in the development of the Northwest territory.”

The fellows went shooting again on Thursday while Sue and I drove to Lima to get manicures and pedicures with everyone wearing masks.  We stopped for some things at a drug store and I dropped her off at home.  Ted was not back and I took a short nap then fixed myself a small dinner.  He ate when he got home and we stayed in for the night.  

Friday we ran an errand and ended up having lunch at Bella’s on the patio beside the lake.  

This is just down the street from where cabins with individual fishing piers were where my family spent many a vacation.  My great grandparents came to Celina for years to vacation and fish, they belonged to the Moose Lodge because it was the only TV and they wanted to watch the Reds.  Grandpa Homer was presented a key to the city at one time.  I remember seeing photos of that.  The restaurant/bar that was Chick and Tiny’s is now named something else and has expanded and the cabins and piers are all gone.  I am thankful for those wonderful childhood memories and being able to share my stories with Ted.

We were invited to Sue’s son’s home to celebrate 4 youngsters’ birthdays and Independence Day all rolled into one.  Dan and Sue have 6 kids and 17 grandkids so we saw 3 of the adults and 7 of the children.  Everyone had a great time, lots of food, presents and birthday cake!

We had to travel north on I-75 to get home.  Because it is all flat farmland here, we were able to see fireworks from both sides of the road and in front of us.  A fine end to a wonderful day!  

We have nothing planned for the rest of today or tomorrowBut that may change.  Tuesday we are going to Shipshawana, IN to Amish country.  The flea market will be open so I can find a fly swatter and cutting board, neither of which I have been able to locate in the motorhome!  As soon as I get home I will probably find them so then I will have two.

A Whirlwind of Relatives and Friends

We drove to the lake on Saturday, arriving just about lunch time.  We had a sandwich with all that were there - Tim and Cindy, son Ron and Sarah plus Lily, Maddie and Morgan plus daughter Amy and Landon with sons Lucas and Graham.  A whole houseful with us there too.

We sat on the dock and Ed and Vicki  stopped by in their boat for a brief visit.  After they left, Karen, Ron, Terry and Lynn stopped by in their boat.  It was like Grand Central Station!  Landon grilled the steaks for dinner and we had quite a spread!  Afterwards Tim and Cindy took us on a very long boat ride on their boat.  They have sold their Indiana house and are moving to the lake in preparation for retirement the first of the year.

Here is Graham with Ted.  He likes sitting on his lap.  And Morgan, who they claim makes up with no one, never left my side.

Sunday was a huge breakfast and more swimming, tubing and boating.  After lunch a storm was brewing so everyone kicked into high gear to get things ready before the rain started.  We were about a minute behind and got wet running to the car.  We drove in rain back to the campground.

When we awoke on Monday morning the Connecticut cousins Jerry and Brenda were parked next to us.  They must have pulled in just as we went off to bed.  Their daughter Avery was going off to visit other cousins so we saw Jamie, Steve, Faith and baby Will when they picked her up.

Tuesday we attended the Creation Museum as planned with Steve and Marge followed by lunch at Skyline.  Tim and Cindy were moving things to the lake so I told them to stop here for dinner and invited Jerry and Brenda too.

Wednesday we had a bit of time during the day to catch our breath.  After work, niece Jill met us for dinner.  She had to work late so we got a late start and she has dogs at home so it was a short evening.

Steve and Marge invited us to their house for a swim and dinner on Thursday.  We passed on the swimming but did go for a visit and dinner.  Their daughter came too and we had not seen her in almost 40 years.  She was in elementary school when we left Cincinnati and never visited when her parents would meet us while camping.  She is a policeman and knew three of my relatives!

We had to eat and run, for which I apologized, but we had Sherry, John and Nancy coming by at 8 o’clock.  Sherry is a Hamilton County Park police and Nancy is our family travel agent relative.  Jerry and Brenda came over and it turned into a party.  Nancy brought snacks and wine and I got a bit worried about us being too noisy.  They left just before 11 o’clock and nothing was said about the loud talking and laughter so we must have sound sleepers on our other side.

Friday we met my half brother Kim (same mother).  We barely knew each other  growing up and have been making headway in correcting that.  We had a terrific dinner and visit.  We learned so much about what we both remember as children and then moved on to careers, likes and dislikes, etc.  I felt really good about our time together and hope to see them when we move on to Delaware, OH for the Shoot Ted and Dan are participating in.

Today we are picking up Karen and Ron for church and then will take them out for dinner.  We leave in the morning so it is our last chance this trip to be with them.  Our next two weeks should be a lot less hectic but I must admit I enjoyed every minute here seeing so many people important to us.

Our First Week 2020

We were just starting to get ready for the day on Saturday.  I had my clothes on and was just brushing my hair and the doorbell rang.  Ted was still not dressed and headed to the bedroom and closed the door.  I opened the front door to our neighbors from Cincinnati before we left in 1981!  Steve and Marge were really good friends and thanks to Facebook, Steve and I exchange travel and Texas comments.  It was great to see them and we are going to attend the Creation Museum with them next week.

We had to eventually excuse ourselves to get ready to pick up Dan for church.  We didn’t know what “rules” were in place and hoped for the best.  There was one door to enter.  Seating was every other pew, seating on opposite ends and when they were full, the door would be locked.  Afterwards we went to see Dan’s new house since we had never seen the inside.  Then we moved on to Kath and Mike’s for pizza and to play Horse Race.  Kevin and Barb joined us.  It was a fun night and Ted won the most money.

Sunday was the baby shower that was postponed until we could be here.  We got to see so many in the family and the two newest babies, both younger than CeCe but bigger!  It was at Twisted G Farm, my niece’s property.  The group of kids and their parents had fun visiting the horses, goats, pig, ducks, etc.

Right across from them was the campground we kept our second travel trailer in the late 70s before moving from OH to MI.  So when we left we rode through and it isn’t near as nice as it used to be.

Monday was Peg’s 71st birthday so we invited her and Dave to breakfast.  They are leaving for Florida this week so we had to move quickly.  Both Dan and Tom from Phoenix called her while we were still at the campground so we invited Dan to join us, which he did.  We had a nice meal and talked about their Hawaii trip scheduled for Christmas.

After coming home Ted put the wheel covers on since we will be here for two more weeks and then we went to Sam’s.  We wanted to stock up on our Cincinnati foods.  Frozen Skyline Chile, canned Skyline Chile, goetta and turtle soup!

Tuesday we invited Karen and Ron to lunch and to see our new toy!  We had a nice visit and they left for home with two servings of peach cobbler.

Wednesday we went shopping to find a Keurig coffee caddy.  We have one at home and I wanted one for the RV.  BB&B was closed permanently.  We checked a few other places but gave up.  We stopped at Humbert’s meats for brats, steaks for down the lake and pickle loaf for me!  We will go back Friday for ham, turkey and cheese for the lake too.  I came home, found a caddy on Amazon on sale for half price so it is on its way.

Kevin called and he and Barb came to visit in the evening.  They are leaving for California soon so we were glad they came to visit.  It was so nice sitting outside, just talking and sharing family news.  We appreciated them taking time to come.

Thursday evening our friends who were our Maid of Honor and Best Man, now married, picked us up  to go to Hidden Valley Lake across  the street for dinner.  The company was superb, the food not so much.  Judy had her knee replacement postponed because of the virus and it is now scheduled for August.  She is in a lot of pain and having trouble getting around.  But she was a trouper and made her way into the RV, not an easy feat for her.

Friday was really busy!  Donna picked me up and we met Cookie at a restaurant right on the Ohio River.  We sat outdoors under a canopy and it was so pleasant that we spent three hours together.  When we all arrived back at the campground, Tal and Cindy had arrived from Texas, passing through on their way to Maine.  Tal and Ted are shooting buddies.  We visited for awhile and once Donna and Cookie left we turned right around and went back to the same restaurant for dinner.  I had grilled chicken for lunch and grilled mahi for dinner!  Traveling, visiting and eating can be tough on the old waistline.  I brought my scale and so far so good in staying in the 4# spread I am allowed to stay at for free Lifetime status.

We head to Owenton, KY tomorrow for two days at the lake.

Good News and Trip

First off, both of our Echocardiograms were normal.  We had them done the day before we left and they called us by the end of the day.  So I guess my PVC is normal for me and looking back I remember in 2015 I had what they called borderline on my EKG before my hip surgery.  The doctor said it could be many things including being big busted and the leads should have been moved!

We left Tuesday as planned and drove to Texarkana, AR.  We were able to get our DISH to pick up Shreveport, LA channels for our local stations.  We stopped for fuel with no problem; however, the pricing portion of our EFS app which shows us best price is not working and hasn’t apparently for some weeks because we had received an email about it.  We are getting our discount but 1) we don’t know if it is the best diesel price in the area and 2) what the discount is.  When the withdrawal was posted to our checking account I determined we had paid $2.02 a gallon.

Wednesday our destination was Sikeston, MO.  We have chosen places we have been to so we knew what to expect as far as room in the sites.  Also a car will come get you and take you to Lambert’s, home of the “throwed” rolls and take you home.  Our other choice was to eat at home or disconnect the car.  The rolls, green beans and cucumbers were excellent but the chicken and dumplings should have been named dumplings because there was only one small piece of chicken in there.  Way too many carbs with no protein,  and Cracker Barrel dumplings are way better.  Ted had a burger and sweet potatoes.  The driver said I should have complained but I try not to do that so I just let it go.

We were still getting Shreveport local channels on Dish.  It was the same time zone so it worked.

Thursday we headed out for Terre Haute, IN.  Sites are always angled at campgrounds so there is a right way to enter never requiring less than a 90 degree angle.  Ted was led the wrong way and He told them so.  The young girl said she didn’t think he could come the right way!  He had to take the car off and do several three point turns to get the coach in.  Then he went to the office and told her don’t ever bring a big coach, especially one  pulling a car, the wrong way to approach a site.

We ate in and spent a nice time with the folks next to us from Virginia.  We tossed toys to their dogs who delighted in bringing them back to toss them again!  When we went in we tried to get the local channels and it kept saying we were in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  When I tried to fix it to Indiana it insisted we were in NM and we were getting the right channels.  The couple hour time difference made a big deal to what was on.  We finally had to call and have Dish people do it on their end.

Our last travel day was a short one with less than 200 miles to Cincinnati.  We stopped to fuel up and the pump wouldn’t work.  Looking around, Ted determined none of them were working and the truck drivers were getting irate!  So we left and went to the only truck stop between us and our next campground.   We have no idea what we paid because the app was still down and it might be Monday before the debit shows on our bank statement.  I hope they get the app working soon.

We pulled into Indian Springs and received a warm welcome.  We have been stopping here most every year for the last 16 years.  Ted unhitched the car while I paid Linda for our stay.  This was going to be Ted’s first back-in attempt, he did it perfectly!   With my direction of course.  We rested awhile, had some dinner and later took a ride around to see any changes.  The old Skyline has closed down and a huge new one was built down the road in a much more visible place.  We stopped at United Dairy Farmers for a dish of ice cream then drove to his brother Dan’s new house.  Ted decided he wasn’t home (?) so we headed back to the campground.

Then who should call but Dan!  He was home watching TV and on a fluke called to see if we had arrived in town.  Men!  We made plans to get together with the rest of the family for pizza at his sister Kathy’s Saturday night after church.  We will pick Dan up on the way!

Things Have Certainly Gone Downhill

We haven’t done much, still staying pretty close to home.  We did meet Tommy and Susan at a Mexican restaurant before they took off in their motorhome.  We continued watching Mass streamlined from our church and Ted did our grocery shopping.

We have been busy getting ready to leave.  A nice thing about the motorhome is that we can load it up  while in storage versus the trailer.  We were able to get most toiletries put in the medicine cabinet using the new trays.  Our hanging clothes have been put in our individual wardrobes.  The pantry stuff that we are taking is in place and the freezer is full.  Our refrigerator stuff will go out late Monday.

And in the meantime our country is being destroyed.  For the life of me I cannot figure out how you expect some to sympathize with you while you are destroying people, places and things.  I have read about police brutality and white privilege so I can see where we can certainly improve.  But painting entire groups with the same broad brush is fair to no one.  I did an interesting thing.  It was a video of young people who were playing sort of Simon Says.  If a statement pertained to you, you were able to take steps toward the finish line.  They were social, financial, family, etc. questions.  You know what I learned?  I not only had no white privilege but according to their yardstick, I was disadvantaged!

I have no answers but I know this chaos isn’t it.  The police union and prosecutor should answer for the 17 opportunities this officer’s actions came to their attention.  Even if half of them were not warranted that leaves a lot that should have been scrutinized.

And I cannot condone any personal injury, looting, burning, etc. by anyone against anyone.  Our schools have failed our children.  If they taught History they may have a better understanding of what went before, what was done, why it was done and how it worked long term.  My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and those that have been injured.  How can one injustice, where the whole world was against the perpetrator, justify the injustices done to so many?

Enough!  On to happier things.

We both went for a yearly check up at the cardiologist.  Everything of Ted’s was fine.  He only goes because our PCP said anyone his age should have a cardiologist!  My EKG showed a PVC.  Here is the definition.

“A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a relatively common event where the heartbeat is initiated by Purkinje fibers in the ventricles rather than by the sinoatrial node. PVCs may cause no symptoms or may be perceived as a "skipped beat" or felt as palpitations in the chest. Single beat PVCs do not usually pose a danger.”

So I am scheduled for an Echocardiogram on Monday.  She threw Ted in too so he will get one as a baseline.  I have had no symptoms so here’s hoping it is no big deal.

We left there and proceeded to Irene’s.  The Peach Truck was distributing their goods about the time we were leaving the doctor and she and I were splitting a box.  She was back home and was unpacking the goods.  I took about 1/3 of them since we are leaving.  I made a fresh peach pie, froze enough for a cobbler and kept some just for eating.  If you ever see an ad to order peaches from the Peach Truck from Georgia, jump on it.  They are excellent.

We attended church in person this past weekend.  We had to make a reservation so they could seat us socially distanced, wear a mask and wait to be dismissed.  Then we met Terry and Carol for dinner before we leave.

Our poor kids are still locked down in MI.  The beauty shops won’t even open until 6/15.  Cece has been kept away from everyone but recently they have brought her to her Grammie’s who has missed her greatly.  She got wissy poos to keep the hair out of her eyes!  The second photo is her mother with her wissy poos!  

We have our reservations all worked out.  We will be in Cincinnati two weeks, Celina two weeks and a long weekend in Delaware OH where Ted and Dan will shoot in the Eagle’s Nest at Cardinal complex.  From there we will go to Michigan for two weeks and Sam’s graduation party.  

Hopefully we’ll do some exciting nothings to write about.  August is open and most sightseeing will be done then as we make our way back south.  

Have a great safe and healthy summer.  Continue to pray for our nation.  I think God is the only answer left. 

Numbers Just Don’t Add Up

We had a nice Memorial Day weekend.  I have been getting out a bit more but not for long, not into any crowds, mostly just run an errand and return.

We were invited Sunday to a Tomball campground by friends who had 5 people besides us at their RV.   Plans were if it rains, grab a plate of food and head for home.  There was brisket, ribs and chicken besides lots of other stuff too.  I made a Black Forest cake to take.  We all were outside sitting apart.  It rained horrendously on the way down, broke for about 3 hours, and when it clouded up, we headed home in another horrendous downpour.  Our water meter lid was floating in the yard, the emitter lid had been blown off and our side yard on top of the French drain looked like a river.  Nothing was damaged, just lots of water draining away eventually.

Monday we were having Terry and Carol over so Ted smoked ribs in his smoker.  I used red/white/ blue dishes and put a dozen little flags out around the wall.  I even told Alexa to sing The Star Spangled Banner before we sat down to ask the blessing.  I thought it was a nice touch.  I made twice baked potatoes, beans, Texas toast and served applesauce with Carol’s coleslaw.  I also made a very berry cobbler which we all enjoyed.

We played cards.  I had a Shanghai and came in second.  Hooray, finally my dry spell has broken.  I am used to playing cards at least once a week and this not socializing is getting old fast!

Irene and I both had Chico gift cards so when they finally opened we went to the Premium Outlet Center to see what trouble we could get into.  I used up my gift card and then some at Chico’s but Irene had two cards and had some credit left on one.  A fair amount of stores were not open yet,  some had social distancing outside waiting to get in and some allowed only a certain number in at a time.  I made one purchase at Ann Taylor and Irene bought a piece of jewelry at Swarovski and we shared some mini Annie pretzels on a bench that had the middle seat roped off.  So much for lunch!

While I was cleaning house and preparing for having company, Ted was working on getting the plates for my Jeep and the motorhome.  The consignment lot that sold our truck had all our Jeep paperwork and were in no hurry to get the plates but finally this week Ted picked them up.  When the motorhome title arrived he was able to get the motorhome plates.  They are now on the vehicles with the inspection stickers in place.  The titles should come sometime in June.  Nancy will watch out for them.

Our trip is mostly in flux right now.  What I have in place isn’t working because the events we were aiming for have been cancelled.  New ones are in their place.  Michigan is still on shutdown until into June so the county campgrounds aren’t open, I need to change the dates in the Ohio state park but no one answers the phone and the mailboxes are all full.  Sam’s commencement may or may not  happen.  The party venue may or may not be open with permission to have enough people to cover the guest list, etc., etc., etc.!  We were able to get Ted registered for a different Shoot in Ohio with my brother.  That venue has cabins and RV spots but all 600 spots and the cabins were full.  So we opted for the nearby KOA and Dan and Sue rented a camping cabin.  Let’s hope those reservations hold!

But we are self contained now with a generator so the worst that can happen as far as parks go, is we end up in a Walmart or Flying J for a night.  We will do our best to get confirmed reservations as we move along but with things changing day after day it is hard to stay on top of it.

And this is the reason for my Title.  Today we reached 100,000 Covid19 deaths.  So I Googled how many people normally die each day from all causes in the US and the answer from a few different sources is 7,000.  We have been “locked up” for the most part, for 56 days.  You can do the math.

Happy Mother’s Day Week

Saturday we watched Mass and ate at home.  For Mother’s Day we rode to Lowe’s and in the outside garden center, bought a flat of impatiens.  Ted planted them along the front wall at home.  Later in the afternoon we went to Saltgrass Steakhouse for dinner.  The tables behind each of us and next to us were empty.  The tables are totally cleared off and the menus are paper.  We had a nice dinner with no incidents and came home to talk to all three of the girls.  I had a lovely day.

I stayed in the rest of the week venturing out to Dollar General Thursday to buy a sympathy card, five graduation cards and six birthday cards.  Busy times coming up.  Later on I decided to seal the granite in the master bath.  It isn’t hard or time consuming.  You just have to set the timer to do the things in the proper order at the proper time.

Friday I did nothing!  Absolutely nothing.  Ted even fixed dinner.  One thing I did accomplish was ordering the baby gift for the shower we are attending for my great, great nephew in Indiana in June.  We had tickets for the theater but there was no performance so I have no idea what they will do.  This was the end of this season and a new season will start in the fall.  They have not sent the new tickets or put the credit card through so they may be going to give a credit.  I just have to remember to watch   for what they do.

The salons opened so we got haircuts on Saturday.  Cindy has a new place, a salon with all little rooms of individual stations.  We waited in the car until she was ready and went in together.  It certainly was an improvement for both of us.  She has been very busy and we appreciated her getting us in so quickly.  To make up for the missed haircuts, we paid her double.  The last thing we did before leaving Mission was to get a haircut.  Otherwise I have no idea how bad we would have looked,

Since we were in the area we opted to eat at Mel’s Diner.  They required reservations, which we didn’t have, but she said she had a table for just two so we went in.  Everything is disposable or single servings but the chicken was as good as ever.

We had chosen to eat out because we missed our Church.’s live-streaming of Mass at 5 pm.  When we arrived home, I searched on line and found one from Massachusetts in a gorgeous cathedral celebrated by a Cardinal.  It was of course empty but the vocalist was exceptional and the message very good.  So we now have two Texas churches, Toronto and Massachusetts to add to our repertoire.

Sunday we were back at Terry and Carol’s for the country club’s $5 pick up spaghetti dinner and it was great.  I made a pineapple upside down cake for dessert.  We played cards.  I did not win!!

Monday we ventured to the Container Store.  I wanted plastic lipped trays for the coach’s medicine cabinet.  It is almost 4 feet wide and fairly deep.  We would have things rattling all over the place if just set in there when traveling.  When we arrived they said we had to make an appointment and wear a mask which we had.  But then he asked for our names and phone number and let us shop.  Two ladies came but had to wait for us to leave before they could come in.

We had not eaten and it was 2:30 so we went to House of Pies.  We were seated all alone, received plastic ware and everything was individual - salt, pepper, ketchup, jelly, etc.  I was given a wipe for my hands and credit card when paying the bill and she wiped my card handing it back!  I guess that’s the new normal.

It is Tuesday and the laundry is done, baby present wrapped, 3 bags put out for Texas Paralyzed Veterans and the refrigerator cleaned out.  My Rhoomba isn’t charging properly so now I am going to research that!  It is always something.

Feeling Good

A lot of prayer went into our motorhome decision, going all the way back to last summer.  One day we saw a couple who looked older than us buying a brand new motorhome while we were at the Newmar factory to the next day a good camping friend not waking up that morning, he was 68.  God has a sense of humor I think in giving both sides of an answer which really didn’t help me much!

We are back in isolation after our 2000 miles sequestered trip in the car and motorhome.  We came in contact with a hotel clerk, Jim and his wife who had also been sequestered, and one grocery store visit in our 8 day saga.

But everything went so seamlessly in the midst of the pandemic I think only God could have smoothed the road so well.  And we couldn’t have found a better couple to buy from.  They bought the best of everything, were meticulous all the way down to the files and then left it all for us to have,   including an Epson printer, Blue Ox tow bar, Towmate brake lights for the roof of the Jeep, Air Force braking system so the car brakes with the motorhome.  There are one, if not two, of everything that ever needs replacing at some point including the yearly maintenance filters.  Windshield wipers, water filters, lounge chairs and tables, two sets of wheel covers, etc.  It was like buying a furnished model home.

Of course all that “stuff” sitting all over my house was an accumulation of 40 years and 5 other RVs.  What was now in the motorhome was staying so this others had to go.  I took a second set of sheets, several towel sets, dishtowels and potholders (Sandy was no cook by her own admission).  I wanted my electric can opener, some baking dishes, glasses and coffee cups (just 2 didn’t work).  There are cleaning supplies galore, boxes of trash bags for the self closing can, laundry detergent, toilet chemicals, etc.  Thank goodness for the half bath cabinets where a lot of this is stored.

Once we had all we wanted in the motorhome we tackled the piles at home.  A friend wanted my original bed ensemble from the 5th wheel.  I got it out and put it on the bed in the 5th wheel only to find it on the floor because the buyer didn’t want it.  Ted’s friend runs a camp for at risk boys and he wanted towels and blankets. The rest filled the Expedition up twice and landed at Goodwill, the first place to reopen.  There was a vacuum, Keurig coffeemaker, toaster, Corelleware, silverware, pots and pans, etc.  It is amazing what we had in there.

When we look back over those two weeks we are amazed at what we accomplished while flying by the seat of our pants.  The people paid cash for the trailer and left with a title.  I notified the state of TX that the vehicle had been sold and taken to Arizona then cancelled the insurance.  The truck sold and the people left with a title back to Tyler TX and I did the same notification and cancellation for that.

We were given the title for the Jeep so we insured it and have a paper tag while awaiting the plates and title.  In the meantime it needed a front plate bracket and running boards will get put on next week.

There was a lien on the motorhome so we returned with no title just a bill of sale and odometer reading.  We bought insurance and are awaiting the title to apply for our plates.  That lien has now been removed but we don’t know who is working or not in NCDMV!  We sent both plates back to Jim in NC so he could cancel his insurance.  The motorhome is in storage with no plate yet.  But all in all, things went smoothly.

John and Irene brought us dinner that night and we sat outside at the picnic table to keep distance.

We spent most of the next week getting new homes for all our trailer stuff.  It required redoing some of the closets I had straightened when the lockdown started.  And since I was in them, I decided we should get rid of excess stuff here at home too.

The salons are now open and while Ted went shooting I went to the nail salon.  They had only four customers at a time, wore masks and gloves and there were plastic shields between them and customers.  You had to have an appointment to be inside.  My fingernails had pretty much all broken off so she did the best she could.  I did not want tips put on.  They will grow out quickly.  My toenails  really needed trimming.  It felt really good!

This is the week we should have been in Cancun which was canceled, our Michigan campground reservation had to be pushed back 10 days due to a delayed opening, and our New England trip has been canceled.  Our group is talking to the Holy Land tour people to see where that stands.  I have no idea of how the virus is being handled in Jordan or Israel.  I do know my Israeli neighbor is stuck in Tel Aviv and not allowed to return.

Changing On A Dime

Well, things certainly kicked into gear on Monday.  We were just having coffee mid morning when the phone rang.  It was the AZ couple.  They asked if we would put the RV in a campground so they could check it out better.  So we did. They looked again and made us an offer.  Then we had to move quickly.  We had the title and they wanted it notarized though it doesn’t call for a stamp.  It took 3 banks and 3 UPS offices before finding a notary.  Then it took two Chase offices for them to transfer the money from their Chase accounts into our Chase account.  Once that was done we had to unload everything we had in the RV.

It took the balance of Monday and half of Tuesday to accomplish a complete purge.  They wanted nothing but did accept paper plates, paper towels, cups and two sets of flatware to get them home while eating in.

We had stuff on every bed, counter, garage floor and our neighbor’s garage floor.  I realized we had accumulated all this from 5 RVs we have owned and it was time to clean house.

In the meantime we called to advise our North Carolina motorhome owner we were ready to buy.  We left on Thursday, made sandwiches and ate in a rest stop and stopped at a Hilton Garden Inn at Germantown, TN, just east of Memphis.  We bought sandwiches from a nearby restaurant to eat in our room.  In the morning for breakfast there were empty bags and all sorts of things to choose from to eat in your room or wherever. Since we couldn’t just stop anywhere with the pandemic I took muffins, protein bars, Cheerios, milk, OJ and bananas.  It got us through the day.

When we arrived, Jim said we had a problem in that when we entered NC, we were to quarantine for 14 days.  The rental car had Florida plates and they didn’t want the neighbors at the park where they kept the motorhome to see them.  So they insisted we have dinner with them, spend the night and return the rental car first thing in the morning.  Once we did that we were given the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit we were also buying.  We spent Saturday and Sunday in the motorhome getting lots of lessons from Jim including a driving stint for Ted.

On Monday I called Morgan Stanley and had them wire the money to Jim’s Merrill Lynch account.  It all went seamlessly.  He had all the paperwork ready so it was easy.   We drove to Crossville, TN for our first stop.  That got us through Knoxville.  The next day included driving through Nashville and Memphis stopping in Forrest City, AR.  It was very windy so was a difficult day for driving.  Our last stop was Carthage, TX.  We pulled into Woodlands Lake RV park about 1:30 on Thursday.  Tommy and Susan were waiting for us to welcome us home, they drove from Southeast of Houston just to see our new rig.

We drove home to load up the Expedition and the Jeep.  In the meantime, Ted got a call and our truck was sold.  He went to put the V gate in the truck since we had put the original tailgate back on.  The people are looking for a 5th wheel and it is easier with a V gate.

I started going through boxes and bags setting things aside for Ted’s buddy who runs a Christian boys ranch and someone running a women’s shelter.  Sheets, blankets, towels, pots, pans, etc. all were put into piles.  When I had my car filled, Ted arrived back and I filled his.  We returned to the campground and got busy.  Ted washed the windshield and front of the motorhome while I tried to put things away.  It took a long time but I made great progress.  We were both too tired to do another run and we had a late dinner and called it a night.

Tomorrow will be busy.  A few people are stopping by and Irene and John are bringing us dinner.  It is good to have accomplished so much in 10 days time,

Not Much Going On

I really don’t have anything to report.  We have been cooking dinner still, not much else to do!  One day we took a short ride just to get out of the house.  A trip to nowhere for nothing!

On Friday Terry and Carol were to bring carry out fajitas from the country club to eat on our deck.  But it threatened rain and got a bit chilly so they asked us to come there.  I wasn’t totally comfortable but we did go.  The fajitas were good.  We all had our own individual cups of toppings and used tongs for tortillas and the meat.  Afterwards we played cards and I didn’t win!  Being quarantined has not improved my card playing skills!  The best thing was I cleaned my whole house in anticipation of  having company!

We live streamed our 5 pm Mass Saturday and cooked a turkey breast in the Instant Pot while we watched.  The turkey was done just as we finished.

Sunday we received a call from a couple coming from Arizona to look at our RV that is for sale.  We expected them on Monday and planned to set it up in a campground so they could see that everything worked, etc.  It was raining cats and dogs Sunday afternoon so once the rain stopped Ted went to the storage yard, hooked up, pulled it out, opened it all up.  They arrived at our house, followed me to the storage yard and they spent about an hour looking it over.  They are looking at several.  The lady said it was beautiful and her husband wanted a Mobile Suite so we have two things going for us.  We have no idea what  else they are looking at but they intend to take something back to Arizona.  They said they will let us know either way tomorrow.   Stay tuned!

Day 29

Well there certainly isn’t much to write when you sit in your house all day!  Boring.  I went to the RV twice, once to get our gift cards we forgot to bring home and another time to take a few more photos someone in AZ asked for.  We ran into no one in the gated storage area.  Then my big outing was to get blood drawn at the hematologist followed by a stop at Walmart.  I was so busy distancing myself I was 6 feet behind Ted.  He said maybe I should just go home and stay there.  So I did.

I have been cooking most every night.  We did pizza once, McD’s fish one Friday, Chik Fil A drive thru (Ted, not me) and Raising Cane chicken.  Out of 29 days, that leaves a lot of dinners.  It isn’t so bad because I have nothing else to do.

We have used live streaming to attend church on Sundays.  Once we watched Fr. Roy down in Mission.  You don’t spend much money when you stay home, especially if you don’t go on line to shop.  I have ordered a slip for me and ink cartridges this month and that’s all.

Our trip to Cancun was cancelled.  We have 3 campground reservations starting the second week in June through the third week in July that are in place so far.  One is a state park, another a county park.  A good many government park systems are shut down for now so time will tell.

Our grandson Sam is graduating high school but everything pertaining to end of year - prom, honors convocation, graduation, party are all up in the air.  I have seen events being cancelled for the 4th of July.  He is going to Wayne State U and Kara said they have been very informative in how this will affect moving into the dorm and classes.

Our Easter was better than expected.  I was up early so live streamed the 7 Mass.  The homily was something God wanted me to hear.  Ted got up later so he watched the 9 am Mass.  I was surprised with an Easter basket, my first in many, many years.  The Easter Bunny filled it with 3 of my favorite candy - Butterfinger bunny, chocolate eggs and Peeps!  

Ted bought a 9# ham so we knew going in we would have lots left.  We baked a sweet potato for Ted and a white potato for me.  I also made a pineapple carrot salad plus Hawaiian rolls and a crazy crust cherry pie.

But the best part of the day was two Zoom meetings with our kids!  Kara set it up so she, Kristin and I checked it out to be sure everyone could get on.  There is supposed to be a 40 minute time limit but for some reason in Easter it was not enforced.

After everyone’s dinner we all got on Zoom again, 16 in all.  Even Grandma Duda, Kelly’s mother in law who is under going chemo for lymphoma was there and Cassie’s new boyfriend.  I really liked the last one so I was a bit bummed but I will withhold judgment.  Little Cece was crawling around and then while sitting next to her Daddy she was watching his hand go from the Dorito bag to his mouth.  She never said anything but never missed a chip!

It was 88 degrees and sunny, just a lovely day.  Being outside or having others over for dinner would have been so very nice but it was not to be.

So we have two more weeks of this.  I am holding my -2 to +2 of goal for Weight Watchers.  They closed down so I have not been weighed by them since February.  But I know how my scale is versus theirs and I am within range.

That’s about it from our house.  I guess the rest of the world is still out there.