Pic of us

 

Candy took a pic of us last night before Trivia started. Butch helped Reenie catch on to the scoring part of trivia before skipping out on us. We had a great time.

Today the chairman of the Christmas program asked me to do a Christmas-related trivia game as part of the program. She said she is playing cards in another nearby room while trivia is going on and there is always lots of laughter. Many people could relate to her next statement, "We have been playing cards with the same group for many years and I can't let them down to play trivia. But maybe someday."

Eye Appointment

 I have had my left eye giving me fits for a while now. If I close my right eye and looked out my left it was not clear at all. And I just did not feel good at all about my vision in that eye. My last exam was well before Covid, so I was due to have the situation evaluated. I hate to even tell you about the outcome of my eye exam at Thurmond Eye Institute yesterday. Dr. Hook told me that laser treatment would not show any significant improvement at this time. He said the lens in my glasses was too strong in my left eye and that if I tried some older glasses that I already have I might see an improvement in my vision for the left eye. He was right! I am wearing some glasses I had from 3 years ago and my vision is much improved! FYI My last prescription was obtained at Wolfe Eye Clinic in Ames. I am not blaming anyone because mistakes can happen to anyone. I am a bit disappointed in myself that I didn't get this figured out on my own. The solution to my problem was in an eye case in my own home all the time.

Dr. Hook also told me that the eye department of the University of Iowa is the best in the nation for eye care. He said he did an interview there once for a job but it was too cold for him. He has never lived any further North than Houston.

One adventure after another.

Yesterday we decided we were not that crazy about getting out of the park on a Saturday. Traffic is far too busy! Sunday isn't bad at all so we did our usual breakfast taco at El Dorado, the same El Dorado that my friend pointed out to me last year is not marked with the name! We have been going there for years and did not realize there was NO SIGN.

Today's adventure does not need to be repeated. I went over to Liz's and we were talking about get-togethers and dates for such when Chico made the discovery that the guest bathroom needed a replacement. I offered Butch's help and tried to call him. My call went straight to voice mail. That is when the adventure started! Is it his phone or mine? For the next 2 hours, this was our focus and I will not bore you with the details but somehow Butch got my number blocked in his phone. Finally, I held my finger down on my name entry in his phone and one of the options that appeared was UNBLOCK. We are back to functioning until the next big adventure.

Oh the fun we have!

Slow Down

 With age, things slow down. Getting a home cleaned in one day, laundry, writing blog entries, preparing meals. Is this really how it happens? Where you continually slow down, day by day until you do not move at all anymore? Kind of scary don't you think? Well, I really do not go there in my head very often. Only when I feel like I cannot get to everything I want to do in a timely manner. I guess it is better than having nothing to do or feeling as though you have nothing to do. I am definitely not there!

Yesterday was a full day. At 7:30 AM Reenie and I walked for an hour. Oh yes, before and after that I defrosted the fridge because Butch and I were doing a Costco/ H.E.B. run to stock up on groceries and I wanted the fridge ready to do its part in keeping our food safe. Butch had pool at 1:00 so I did have a bit of a break after getting everything put away. Then after Jeopardy! I met Reenie at the pool hall and we played for an hour. It was a good time because we are a good match in abilities. Came home, fixed supper then joined friends Reenie and Alex for Bridge. I haven't played in years but it went fairly well. So the day was full but enjoyable.

Butch and I are going back to Costco today because we have an appointment to get the tires rotated...

Busy

 I told Butch I would do my part to keep him out of the hospital this year but he had to do his part too. He planned to get on the roof and start washing the MoHo. I protested. On one of our walks, we came upon a group of people who are in the business of washing RV's and park models and perhaps anything else you may want to be cleaned. The timing seemed to be right because Butch talked to them and made an appointment. Today was the day and for $75 they washed our RV from top to bottom. It may not be the job that Butch would do but it is done and looks very good from my perspective, and I did not have a stressful day wishing he were on the ground and standing upright and not harmed.

He is sitting at his computer and all in one healthy piece. We never need to be concerned about him getting exercise because he rarely sits still for very long. Been very active his entire life and I expect he will remain so as long as we can keep him out of harm's way.

Listen to the Mocking Bird!

First Trivia Night

 ...for the 2021/2022 season. I am so lucky to have a photographer among the players. Thanks, Candy for helping me out that way. Time marches on... Barb and Butch.

I am still looking for someone to help me with the scoring.

Not the winners:
Candace Marquis, her mom, Cookie, and her dad, Mr. Cookie, Al Schafer, Lester McKinney and his wife
(Sorry guys, missed some names!!)

And some more not the winners:
Randy Parks, Willard Utech, Barb Utech, Phill Hudson
Susie Parks, Susan Hudson, Monika Reis , Mike Reis
And photobomber Barbara Brooker

WINNING TEAM:
Dave, Susan, me, Sara Schuler Daggett, Tom, Rich Dayton, Mark Trimm

Photos snitched from Facebook- Barb

It starts

 Things are starting to happen here in Trophy Gardens. When Butch and I left Magnolia park we decided we were not going to participate in Trophy Gardens to the same extent we did in Magnolia. It was a smart move and still is as far as we are concerned. It is very easy to get overloaded with events, places to go, and things to do. 

Yesterday we played in the couples mixed doubles pool event and after that, we were invited to Liz and Chico's for supper and cribbage. It was a good time and good food.

Ever thought this?

 Yup, Me too!

Our Bubble People

 Our "Bubble People" are not all here just yet but they are on their way. And we are ready to greet them warmly and then get into some serious game playing.

Butch and I are signed up for mixed couples pool tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, I will not have Butch as a partner for that event but it is still a good time and a way to become better acquainted with fellow pool players.

It is the question of the day, "Will our Canadian friends return to Trophy Gardens?"  Too early to tell but it is not sounding likely that they will return. Hopefully, they will surprise us.

This morning was an in-park Patio Sales. We had a look-see but didn't latch onto anything. I take that back, Butch bought a new anode rod for a water heater. Good price from a guy who was an RV repair person before he retired.

Till next time...

Food for Thought

 

Flexibility was a cornerstone of psychologist Timothy Leary’s work: He introduced new frameworks for group therapy and the therapist-patient relationship. Leary is best known for his studies on the transformative effects of psychedelic drugs, which led him to conclude that some hallucinogens can positively influence personality or outlook. While Leary’s research remains controversial, his takeaway hits on a universal truth: By remaining flexible and willing to change our minds, we give ourselves more room to grow, expand our perspective, and live a fulfilling life.

A walk...

 Went for a walk this morning and within a 5 minute period was asked when trivia would be starting by 3 different people. So I am saying the start date will be Tuesday, November 9th at 6:40 PM in the main hall. Odd start time one might say and the reason for that is Jeopardy! is on week-nights at 6:00 PM so I can still watch it and make it to the hall for trivia.

Just before we took off on our walk the propane guy pulled up. We have heard that propane will be very high priced this winter so we wanted to see what kind of price we are looking at for right now. Amigo propane is selling it for $3, up about 50 cents from last season if memory serves me.

Speaking of memory; I misplaced my camera. The translation is I put it in a safe place, so safe I couldn't find it...But then I did!

I really like the shampoo I bought from Hector yesterday.  I tried it for the first time last night and my head is not itching, a chronic problem I was having and my hair is nice a fluffy, like a bunny, as one of my hairdressers told me once.

Our spot for the winter:

A look Back

 My niece Karla was asking me about my sinuplasty procedure I had done in the Spring of 2019. So I went back through my blogposts to see what I had said about it and sent the entries to her. FYI -I have not had one sinus incident of any kind since it was done. But I digress...

I ran across this photo I had taken of a whistling duck. They visit the Rio Grande Valley every Spring. This photo stood out to me. I notice it is a tad blurry. I still like it though.

Mexico

 I was about out of Xarelto, a very expensive medicine I have been taking for years now to keep me from having a stroke. Nobody wants that! I used to buy it in Mexico because of cost in the good ol' USA, however last year I decided to try buying it in the U.S. I thought I had done the math correctly and the added cost was not too bad. I was wrong! I don't know how I went wrong as math has never been my strong suit but regardless I decided to buy it from Hector, my favorite Pharma guy. I called my CVS Pharmacy just to check on what it would be if I bought it there and it was $351 for a 3 month supply. Compared to $210 for a 3 month supply from Hector. So today we made our way to Nuevo Progreso, just across the border where I bought a 6 month supply.

The traffic was light, and they said masks were mandated but we saw very few. One of the biggest advantages was that Hector was not busy so we were able to talk to him at length about a variety of issues. The people ahead of us had a discussion with him about shampoo. I was interested in what he had to say because the shampoo I have used and relied on for years, Nioxin, has suddenly jumped from $18 a bottle to $37. Below is what Hector was recommending and he said he uses it himself. $10 a bottle. Yes, it is in Spanish but you can get it translated.

https://www.grisi.com/index.php/lineas/division-farmaceutica/productos/botika-grisi-shampoos-herbolarios-hechos-a-base-de-extractos-naturales. 

In fact, I will do it for you. In English:

https://www.grisi.com/index.php/lineas/division-farmaceutica/productos/botika-grisi-shampoos-herbolarios-hechos-a-base-de-extractos-naturales

The directions are to use it every day. Wet your hair well and apply about a spoonful of shampoo making thick suds. Let it stay on your head for 3 to 4 minutes then rinse well. Preferably do this at night before going to bed.

We also talked about Charlotte. As you may or may not know Butch and I have been a fan for years. It is for joint pain that does not want to go away. Hector has never liked the idea that we use it because it is not sanctioned by the Mexican government, it is expensive, $15 to $20 for 30 tabs and he said we definitely should not be taking it every day. Once he warned us, we did stop taking it daily and now only use it when nothing else works and then only for a day or two. On this trip, he told us of an alternative that works and is not expensive. It is diclofenico. Oddly we are familiar with it but only recently thought of it as an alternative to Charlotte. It cost $6 for 40 tablets. So no more Charlotte for us. It is very beneficial to catch Hector when he is not busy and has time to discuss these things with us. The only way to make that happen is to go see him early, like November, or late, like April. The rest of the time people will be lined up out the door and beyond to see him. We were first introduced to Hector by our good friends Bill and Kay Stilson when we were in Magnolia Park. We look back on those years with them with great fondness. Oh, the stories we could tell! Right, Kay?

After our very productive visit with Hector, we went to Jessicas for lunch. We enjoyed Chicken Fajtas, at  $4.95 for each of us. Very, very tasty.  It was a most pleasant first visit to Nuevo Progreso this season.

Week One

 Week one is behind us and I am reminded that it takes that long or perhaps a bit longer to feel fully settled in. That has been true for all the years we have been doing this but somehow I forget it until it is passed. I haven't walked the park yet. I haven't had my camera out and looked for good photo opportunities.

We did have an amusing incident. Squirrel related. Last year we had a tall shepherd's hook with a ball of birdseed and the squirrels here did exactly what the squirrels did in Iowa. Well, we left the shepherds hook in Iowa as it is really too tall to transport safely in the car or motorhome. I hope to borrow one from someone who stays here year round. I am looking out the window as I sit at my computer where the seed ball used to be and there is the squirrel looking up at me! The look said, " You are forgetting something!?"

RV Converter Story Con't

 Our new converter from Amazon was due to arrive today. At 8:10 this morning I get a text message that says a package (the converter) cannot be delivered because the front door is closed and cannot get access to the driveway. It took a bit of investigating to get that all figured out. 1. The office is closed on Saturday until Nov.1st. 2. Is it at the USPS or on a truck somewhere? So we went to the USPS and were met with a friendly, young man who was most accommodating. 3. He quickly found our package and it was the new converter. Problem solved. WE got the new one installed and we are back in business.

Staying calm and positive goes a very long way in having life go smoothly. Thus we can put the "bump" behind us and be grateful it did not become a canyon.

Back in the groove somewhat

 I haven't started trivia yet but I have been thinking about it. Tuesday nights...Darn, I'll miss Jeopardy. The older version of Jeopardy is on at 3:00 PM and the latest version does not come on till 6:00 PM. 6:00 PM is not a good time for me! I'll get over it.

Played pool with Butch yesterday for a WHOLE HOUR. It went well for me. Butch was tired. Golf in the morning then pool in the afternoon and then pool with me after that so he was tired with good reason. I have been getting some practice in by playing alone but it really isn't much fun. I'll get over it. The women I might like to play with are not here yet.

Another Colleen Column

 

It is no wonder we are friends. We agree on so very much. Not everything I might add but offhand I cannot think what we do not agree on. Surely there is something!? I do remember in the very early years of our marriage Butch told me I looked through life with rose-colored glasses and I said back to him, "What is wrong with that?

Dream on -October 27, 2021

~a column by Colleen O’Brien

A fellow I recently met asked me to describe myself. I told him I was a worried Pollyanna. He said, “Isn’t that impossible?” Being pollyannaish means that one is “pleasantly, even unrealistically optimistic.” Which means I can’t be worried. But I’ve always been able to walk down the middle of the road, so I am perfectly comfortable juggling optimism and pessimism.

My dream upon awakening lies below; within it are the thoughts that come when I am fully awake and no longer basking in the Alpha state of neither here nor there, AKA Pollyannaism: I’d like to scrub America down, wash away any tendency toward racism and slavery, misogyny and repression, ageism, judgment about obesity, misandry, decrepitude, mental illness and so on; and then replant the vast swaths of clear-cut forests across the land, cover up all glory holes, rebuild and replant all shaved-off mountains and plug up all oil pipelines. I’d want clean energy, period, and no more raping of the land, killing of the fauna, polluting of the air and water.

I’d like my country to be suddenly egalitarian in all ways – housing, education, employment, healthcare, recognition, gender preference, marriage choices, birth privacy…. I’d like it if our most important preoccupations were our own lives, our families, our education, and our chosen jobs that we are passionate about.

I’d like it if our government employees from Prez on down worked at their chosen jobs with integrity in all ways, taking care of the business they’re paid by us to do as we go about our lives in our jobs.

I’d like to quit waking up with dread about losing the democracy we’ve been working on for more than 200 years. I’d like Utopia, obviously. And what’s wrong with that?

Those working against democracy – toward autocracy, fascism, plutocracy, dictatorship, perhaps feudalism, and peasantry – want Dystopia. I’d like them all to go to Texas and set up their Dystopia and live in disgruntlement forever.

We’ll take the rest of the country and live in Utopia forever. There will be no border crossings for them. And of course, Utopians would never have an interest in crossing that particular border. We’ll visit with Canadians and get to Mexico by boat.

A Bump

At least I hope it is just a bump. I woke up to the refrigerator beeping. So at 5:00 AM Butch is reading the booklet to make a diagnosis. He found the code and it says it cannot be repaired by the owner. So we can't call anyone at 5:00AM. I couldn't go back to sleep and neither could Butch for quite some time. Right now we are waiting for 8:00 AM so we CAN call someone. Cross your fingers for us...more later

I guess one is never completely free of "Bumps". When Butch got up he started tracing down the problem. And one of the things he noticed was our coach lights were decidedly dim. So he started checking out the converter and sure enough, it was not working. The house batteries were down because of this too and that meant the refrigerator was short on power. I am not overly smart about all this electrical stuff, There is house power (batteries) and then there is plugged-in electricity power otherwise referred to as 120 volts.  Both of them have to be working for all to be correct. So Butch determined we need a new converter. Ordered it on Amazon, ($170) supposed to be here Saturday. So soon we hope to be back on track. It seems we needed one more thing on our list of the stem to stern maintenance.

I am sorry I kept you all in suspense all day. It was also the day our COBA Internet was installed, I was short on sleep and I hoped to get to play pool but that didn't happen either. Till next time! 

Oh yes! The refrigerator is working. We have a battery charger on the coach batteries. Temporary fix.

Settle-in Day

 We are in Trophy Gardens RV Resort and yesterday was a settling-in day. We seem to be the first or one of the first of our bubble pals to be here. That is not a bad thing because we have time to truly settle in without being rushed. We have registered and paid the appropriate fees. 

Covid rules still apply much as they were last spring before we left. Masks are abundant. The pool hall rules are "Masks not required but strongly recommended". Not enough people yet to see how diligent the residents of the park will be. In the general population, most are wearing them. Same at the grocery stores and other businesses. 

Hidalgo County/Population  868,707 (2019)

 Hidalgo county is very large in area and the population is growing steadily as well. 

So no comparison to Jefferson Iowa. We do like the idea that they care and are trying to keep everyone safe.

We went to the grocery store yesterday (H-E-B) and it felt like home! We are very fond of H-E-B! The best-run grocery store in the country!

The weather! It is HOT. A cold front is supposed to come through tomorrow. It has been in the high 90's since we got here and no, we do not like it that hot. But finding a halfway spot has eluded us...so far.

Butch and I did play pool for a while yesterday and we hope to get an hour's play in every day just as we did in Iowa. It felt good to be back at it.

The Internet: I am using the hotspot on my phone with good results for now but we like to stream and are high users so I will be returning to COBA on Wednesday. Local TV here is less than complete for us so our Amazon firestick gets heavy use.

Enough for now. Tune in tomorrow for more....?

Headed to the RGV

 Yesterday was a smooth sail down to the valley and our designated spot for the winter. We are in Trophy Gardens RV Park, the same as last year. 

Going through San Antonio early on a Sunday morning makes for the easiest path through a city that you will ever experience. This is the 3rd year of orchestrating our trip in such a manner and will most likely repeat it unless we change our route completely. Not likely.

We arrived about 2:00 in the afternoon, and smoothly parked at our site. We went to the El Dorado restaurant in Alamo TX for supper. The first thing that greeted us outside the door was a large sign "NO MASK" "NO SERVICE". We had our masks on and so did everyone else. Once seated and served the masks can be removed to eat of course. All employees were masked as well. The food was WONDERFUL! Butch had hamburger steak and I had chicken taco salad and it was superb for both of us. A very pleasant experience for our return.

I am working my hotspot on my phone for Internet until Wednesday so I probably will not be on it much until then.

So, faithful readers, know that we are in our southern home and we are safe and happy. So Later!

A Day of Catching Up

 We have had a day-off or sort of...nowhere we had to be. So I caught up on laundry and email etc. In the morning we will hook up the car and head south to the Rio Grande Valley where we will spend the winter. It should be an easy day- the route is familiar and Sunday morning traffic is usually light going through San Antonio. So all is good. Till next time...

Canyon Lake Leg

We left the Winstar casino about 9:00 am, Wednesday and arrived at Canyon Lake in mid-afternoon.  That is the short story. I tried to GPS the entire trip instead of taking it in increments like I normally do. First mistake. The second mistake is I told Butch the route I had chosen and he did not approve because it added too many miles. So I tried to change it en route. That perhaps was my third mistake. We ended up on the wrong side of the lake in a cul de sac that did not let us turn around without unhooking the car. So we unhooked the car, contacted Terry to help us, and tried to find our way out of there with ME leading the way in the car. I did get back to a familiar intersection so I pulled over and Butch led the way. It was in an area we had been in more than once so I did know where we were and where we were headed. The roads are hilly and curvy as they generally are around a lake in Hill Country Texas. So we found Lisa and Terry's place and I breathed a big sigh of relief.

We have had a great time there getting caught up with them and many of our other Snow Mountain Ranch friends. When we were at Snow Mountain Ranch they were known as the Texas Mafia, mostly because they are a tight-knit bunch. They included us Iowans so we didn't care what they called them! They are people who know how to have a good time.

Wednesday night we played cribbage as it is a game we all enjoy. Thursday the guys played golf and then we went to San Antonio to Costco and Hobby Lobby, came home and we showed them how to play CrossCrib, another cribbage game that brings out the very worst in me. @*%$ Game!

This morning we are in Rio Guadalupe Resort in Sattler Texas. And we will be here till Sunday when we will make our final leg to Alamo Texas and Trophy Gardens where we will spend the winter. We have a good Internet connection here so hope to get caught up after being off of it for several days. I did take some photos this morning to share with you.

Butch and Terry having coffee and Breakfast Taco's before we left.

On their back deck

I love her Flower Bed. Terry made this for Lisa.

TheLinder's Ranch House

Butch and I love their ranch house home. I think Butch might miss mowing the lawn though.

We had quite a conversation with little Leo. He asked us, "Do you consider yourself old?" Butch said that we did and he asked "Why?" And I told him because there were so many more years behind us than there were ahead of us. I added that I didn't think I looked as old if I wore makeup. He asked if I had makeup on then and I said "no" but added that I would the next morning. Well, I forgot and his very first question was "Are you wearing makeup?" So since I had forgotten I took and sent this picture to him...with makeup! He agreed I did look less old with makeup. Leo is 8 in case you have forgotten.

These are photos of our surroundings at the Linders.

While cleaning and organizing our travel basket I ran across an attachment that connects to your phone to take photos. I am sure I purchased it but never used it. The picture below is taken with it.

Till next time! Really good Internet connection here!

Not Much time to post...

 We are in Thackerville OK at the casino and will be taking off soon, as soon as Butch gets up and moving. Yesterday's leg of the trip was trying. 20- 30 miles of MAJOR construction in Tulsa started us off. The lady in the GPS kept trying to change our route and we should have done it. I-44 through Tulsa would have been a challenge in a car or truck but it upped several notches in the motorhome. Lots of lane changes and barricades, often on both sides, and the transitions were uneven. Add into that a 15 to 20 MPH wind. It looks to me like it will be years before it is completed. Next time we will take hwy 69 south, bumps and all. There is not a good way to get through Oklahoma, isn't now and never has been.

BUT this morning we are 5 miles from Gainesville Texas and the roads in Texas, for the most part, are excellent. We are headed for the Terry Linder residence in Canyon Lake, North of San Antonio, and should arrive mid-afternoon. This leg is 342 miles.

On a more pleasant note, we took our meal vouchers and our $50 dollar free play cards to the casino, played for 2 hours, and came home with $70 dollars between the two of us. We like the idea of the casino giving us this incentive to stay here every fall. It has been to our benefit.

Next fall our route will be on HWY 69 South to HWY 82 West to Gainsville TX and then 5 miles back North to the casino on I-35 to exit 1 in Oklahoma. We have done it that way in the past and it worked well. A 5 mile backtrack is no big deal for peace of mind.

Listening to the Mockingbirds! Till next time...

Missouri Kids

 Leo

Yes, Mom!

Elise

Leo reads to Nana Susan...

Scotcheroos! Little Leo said Keri's Scotcheroos are the BEST!

And he is not the only one who thinks so!

Still in Peculiar!

 I have a bunch of fantastic pics taken yesterday in what was a very full day of getting caught up. The Teeter children, our greatgrands, are a delight. I feel like I should be taking notes of all the gems of wisdom they share with us. 

This morning Butch and Gary are playing in a 2 person best ball at the course in Harrisonville. And I am getting caught up on laundry, blogging, and whatever else crosses my memory bank.

I have taken many, many pics I will be sharing as soon as I can get them transferred from the camera to the computer. That is the next item on my agenda.

One item I would like to share with you in case you are a LastPass user. I am a longtime user of LastPass and dearly love it. Yesterday I was using my Chromebook instead of my main computer because it is smaller and easier to take to a different location. I was at Amanda's and on her wifi and I had previously signed out of my account on the Chromebook and needed some passwords I could not remember to get back in. So I tried to get to LastPass as a guest. It would not let me sign in. Not surprising, as I was on guest status with the Chromebook. So we went to the Gary and Susan home in Peculiar, been here many times, did not expect any problems because I stopped to get the passwords I needed at the RV park. Got signed in to the Chromebook and I still could not sign in to LastPass! Now, this worried me a bit, because this was where ALL of my passwords are kept! I was very tired when we got home and went straight to bed. I did think about it a time or two when I awoke during the night but was still too tired to deal with it. So this morning I got all of my chores done or started and sat down to my computer to see if I could get to LastPass or if it was not going to give me access. NO PROBLEM! I was already signed into LastPass on this computer and this is obviously why I could not get signed in on any other computer. It did point out one of my flaws and that is to ALWAYS sign out of LastPass in case my computer goes kaput. There are other obvious reasons that is smart too. So since I have not changed my master password since 2019 I will do that this morning and then sign out. Whew!

Yea!!! Peculiar!

 Our first leg of the trip is done and it went very well. Jefferson to Peculiar MO and we are in the Peculiar RV Park that we have stayed in many times. We had forgotten that the road to Amanda and Brad's place leaves a lot to be desired. It had been so long since it was last determined bad that I figured it just had to be repaired by now! I was wrong so at the last minute I called this park and luck would have it they had one, I tell you ONE site, for one I tell you, ONE night. But it has all worked out and we will be here for 3 days, leaving Monday morning as originally planned. Funny how these things can fall into place. There would have been a time that this would have been a high-stress day for me. But I have come a long, long way. These days it is nearly impossible to find an RV site without a reservation made at least a month in advance. And yet? It all worked out.

Don't Give Up...

...on me. We have been knee-deep in the process of getting ready for the annual trek to south Texas. It is a two-part system as we will undo the process again next Spring on our return. Oddly, we look forward to both events, but we are also glad when the bulk of this is done. We are at that point for the fall part of it.

I feel more ready this time than ever. We have had plenty of time to think about any items we may have forgotten and feel certain the list will not be long. Last season Butch forgot his wide-brimmed golf hat and it bugged him all winter, every time he played golf.

We are very much looking forward to the trip as well as the destination. Butch enjoys driving the MoHo and we will be seeing our Missouri kids and due to distance that doesn't happen nearly enough. 

Our next 'looking forward to seeing' is our Canyon Lake TX friends, Terry and Lisa Linder. We met Terry and Lisa at Snow Mountain Ranch when we were full-timers and volunteering there. Sometimes you just click with people and Terry and Lisa fall into that category. They have stayed in our RV spot and had fun with us here in Jefferson and we have stayed in their extra RV spot at Canyon Lake and had fun there.

And the next looking forward to is seeing our friends in the RGV. Too many to mention.

And I must add the "going away" events in Jefferson have been equally enjoyable. Leo and Keri take very good care of us all year and they always send us off by entertaining our friends and our friends always look forward to it. Anytime you can enjoy the food that Keri has prepared is a good day.

Mickey and I have talked for about 3 hours today!! Not all at once, thank god! But that sure takes me back to our teen years. Maybe even before, since we have been friends since 3rd grade.

Time for a break and pool at 4:00

Comparison

Last Spring when we arrived home our pool hall looked like this:

And now it looks like this. It will not have any additional items added. If anything, items will be removed.

Yippy-Skippy

 I slept the best last night than in more than a week. I have climbed the mountain, really a hill, and I can see the top from here! Butch and I are pretty well packed up and ready to go. It feels like we have a free week. 

We plan to celebrate brother Leo's birthday on the 12th. My Grandma Z's birthday was the 11th and we always had a party for her so it feels right to celebrate this time of year.

Thursday we will wrap things up and leave for Missouri early in the day on Friday. Our first stop will be at Brad and Amanda's in Harrisonville. We look forward to seeing our Missouri kids, Gary, Susan, Amanda, Brad, Elise, and little Leo who is a lot less little than he used to be. He is 8 now and filled with an abundance of information!

Last season while in the Rio Grande Valley we felt very safe as protocol was strictly followed for everyone's safety with the pandemic. I was surprised and pleased to see that it still is! See the Magnolia blog: https://magnolianews.blogspot.com/2021/10/news-from-mabel-zoet.html A big THANKS to Deon for keeping up with what is happening with our Magnolia friends. From the sounds of it, we should be getting there sooner rather than later. Not all of Texas is as diligent as the Rio Grande Valley.

I heard from a highly intelligent science/doctor (as if that carries any weight) that we will be looking at an Endemic, meaning that this virus will never go away. The window is past where we could have stopped it in its tracks so now we must live with it for decades. It will be like the flu, perhaps deadlier and we will need boosters every year. 

Almost...

We are almost ready to roll on down the road. This has been a wonderful year for getting ready. The weather has been perfect...and dry! We have been able to take the time to do a little each day so we are less stressed. We have almost a week left to finalize everything. It feels wonderful to not feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of what lies ahead. 

The only negative I can see has been a lack of due diligence with this blog.

To catch you up a wee bit. Leo and Keri sent us off with a farewell gathering. The food was top-notch as it always is when Keri's hands prepare it. 

On the agenda today is laundry. So gotta go but maybe later I can add some gems.

A Word Thing

 Being the wordy person that I am I could not pass this up!

Washington Post Mensa Invitational (new words for old)

Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee , n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted , adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate , v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4 esplanade , v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly , adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent , adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph , v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle , n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence , n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash , n. A rapidly receding hairline..

11. Testicle , n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude , n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon , n.. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster , n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism , n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent , n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

Moving to the backyard

 We are in the process of moving from the house to the RV. We started yesterday with the kitchen. Once the food has been taken care of the rest of it does not seem like as big a chore. It is not easy trying to live in two places even when they are only a few feet apart. Tackling the process in a two-week time period is better, especially when the weather is pleasant, and it is right now. So the kitchen is done. Next will be the bathroom, clothes, computer stuff, meds, etc. A person can become overwhelmed with all the decision-making. So far, so good. And now I must get back to it.

Rotten Egg Smell

 I am sharing this article not because we had this happen in our RV but because we had it happen in our 10 Gallon water heater in the pool hall. And the cause was the same as in this article and since we have many RV friends I decided to share the info we found to fix it.

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-water-smells-like-rotten-eggs/