We made it to the tax assessor's office in Weslaco to get our new place registered. It is not an easy place to find! It went smoothly once we got there and cost a total of $28. Then we headed toward Costco in Pharr to get fueled up and pick up a few items. Another stop at our favorite HEB then home to resume the settling-in process.
Today I am going up to the hall for the meeting which I do not usually do but this is a special one. Our managers are retiring and it is an appreciation gathering. And Brunch. They have been very special managers and the prospect of new ones can be a bit scary. I have never feared change and don't this time either...it's just that Lynn and JD have been above and beyond good managers.
And then tonight is Trivia! Maybe one more after this one. I have been using recycled questions all season but tonight's questions will be all me. I spent 2 hours yesterday afternoon putting the twenty questions together. Renie wanted to do a painting class so Butch will be my assistant tonight.
So till next time!
We are getting stuff done. Butch took apart an ugly unusable "closet" in the utility room and used the lumber for a workbench.
We have been dealing with several issues at the same time so I am way late in keeping up with blog entries. We are in the process of getting moved from the moho to the park model and in a month we will be reversing the process so each decision is taking more thought. Usually, one would just move the whole shebang and sort it all out after you are completely moved in but in this case, some stay in Texas and some go to Iowa and some make the trip each time. Too much decision-making is very tiresome and I can only do a limited number each day.
And then there are the health issues. It is finally slowing down but there have been more trips for doctor appointments in the past 3 months than in the last 3 years! And this year it has been for me instead of Butch. A UTI, dermatology biopsies, and the gastric procedure have kinda knocked the pegs out from under me. It is still a work in progress but improving.
Hard to write and work at the same time. We are in our new digs, partially. The hold-up is the Internet. They (Coba) will be coming to see if we can still have what we have been using or switch to another. They will be here tomorrow (Tuesday). Once that is decided we will be moving the motorhome to the lot behind the new place making the transfer of things far easier.
Of course, there are things we want to change, mostly small things and most of them will wait till we come back in the fall.
None of you will be surprised but the very first thing Butch did was get on a ladder. Joyce had found an area that had some water damage on the attached room. She had it repaired and informed us of it right away and it has been fixed. Then the question comes up as to why it happened and that is why Butch was on a ladder. We invited Paul and Sally Kelleher to come to look at our new place and Paul, Butch's pool partner, got roped into being his assistant in the ladder endeavor. Butch and Paul ended up clearing the eaves and downspouts of a large amount of dirt and debris. We have hopes this will take care of the problem. We will be keeping an eye on it though. I couldn't watch. I went inside and figured Paul would tell me if he fell off the ladder. He didn't...this time.
Right now, I am in the motorhome...with the internet and Butch is in the park model doing who knows what...till next time!
Hannibal and I share the same philosophy!
First off Butch is fine and so far he hasn't fallen or come down with something alarming. But this is going to be a rundown of my past month in not-so-sunny South Texas.
I found out that my lifelong friend Mickey has cancer. I hate that, of course, but she has always been tough as nails and I know without a doubt that she will give recovery her best effort. I have talked to her...need to call her again and I am very anxious to visit her when we get back to Iowa.
And then I heard from my sister Myrla's best friend that she had fallen, broke her shoulder/arm, and was in the hospital and not doing well. When I tried to call her, many times she was not able to talk to me for a multitude of reasons. She is in a different hospital and doing much better with plans to go home either today or tomorrow. In talking to her best friend that may not happen because those who know say she is still not able to take care of herself. She has seizures, COPD, and too many other issues to go into. I do hope she can go home and get her life in order at least to the point where she can have some fun now and again.
And then...When I had the bile duct procedure they gave me two capsules of high-powered antibiotics and I forgot that when I get those I sometimes, in fact often, get a UTI / yeast infection, and, YUP, I did. I am being properly medicated now so hope to have some relief so I am working on destressing and getting back to some semblance of normal.
So all in all it has been a stressful time, some good stress and some not so good. Chill! I say Chill!
I tried to transfer money to the seller last week and met with resistance from the credit union. So we lined up a 3-way conference with the seller, the realtor, and us and had a little talk with the credit union person, Danielle to be specific. After telling us it wasn't possible and asking her to explain an alternative method then and her being unable to come up with a solution we convinced her to call the seller's bank, as it happened to also be a credit union, and fight it out with them. So she did and called us all perky as she learned something new and WAS able to get it done. So our Park Model is now paid for and we will be moving in next Saturday. We were feeling sorry for Joyce as she is getting a bit rattled because of all the details she is dealing with, packing, donating, sale of property etc. Joyce is a super gal and we couldn't have bought from anyone nicer. She has been more than fair throughout the whole experience.
Then we came home and decided to get our fees with the park paid up to date and as we were getting ready a cold front came through with rain and strong winds. The temperature dropped from 71 to 58 in a matter of minutes.
I plan to play pool this afternoon and then I have a board meeting following pool to wrap up details of the banquet taking place Wednesday night.
Once this week is over it should settle down and we can do more of the fun stuff! I am ready!!!
In the many, 20+ years we have been coming the first week in March has always been a doozie wrapping up details and people getting ready to reverse the process. We have always felt that people were heading back way too soon. They break sweat down here and think it is time to head North. Some learn from this and stay longer the next season while others never do.
Yeah! For a week we are scheduled to have highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. Now that is more like it! We do have another cold front coming in next week with highs in the 60s but this time of year it doesn't last long. We will be moving into our new digs next Saturday so a cold spell will not affect us nearly as much. We close on the place next Thursday.
We have a very busy week coming up. Monday is Butch's ear, nose, and throat therapy. Most likely his last since he doesn't want to go anyway. And I do a money transfer for our new place. Tuesday is a very busy day except Trivia has been canceled because of a conflict. It is the day we get our stitches out from our dermatology adventure. And then at 4 is a going away party for Joyce, the lady we bought the Park Model from. She was very active in the pool hall on many levels. Thursday is the closing on the place as I stated earlier. And these are the extra's outside the usual scheduled stuff like more pool events etc.
Things are starting to wind down as they always do this time of year and by the end of March it will be very quiet around here. It always amazes us how many leave for up North the second week in March. Heck, In Iowa it can be a blizzard in May! We will be there in mid-April as usual I am guessing.
I took this photo this morning and as you can see the leaves are about to fully pop open.
Some VERY Interesting Photos
1 The 'Tier Avto', the 1930's version of a GPS. Developed by Touring Club Italiano, this device was more like a “map guidance tool and came with a set of paper maps It was tethered to the car’s speedometer that kept the scrolling of the map in proportion to the speed of the car.
2 A 'Tasmanian tiger' in captivity circa 1930. Also known as the thylacine, this carnivorous marsupial was native to the Australian mainland and went extinct in 1936.
3 Airline reservations before computers, 1945
4 The 1950s '3-in-1 Kitchen Combination.' It came with a stove, a sink, and a fridge - all in one!
5 American photographer James Ricalton posing with two extra tall men, fondly remembered as the 'Giants of Kashmir,' in 1903.
The photograph was taken in Delhi during 'The Durbar,' a celebration of the British monarch Edward VII’s (the great-grandfather of the current British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II) succession as the Emperor of India.
6 Television shopping in 1974
7 A gas station on Brovarsky Prospect in Kyiv, Ukraine, 1979
8 A woman standing in the doorway of an RV Camper at an exhibition in London, 1927. It was also called the "Road Yacht."
9 Draft beer being served during a Lufthansa flight in the 1960s
10. The Esso Hibernia tanker under construction, Wallsend, UK, 1970
11. Niagara Falls without water, 1969
Here is a link to an article that tells the story of how they pulled it off.
12. An Empire State builder hanging on a crane above New York City, 1930
13. An elementary piano class in progress in 1947 (photo by Yale Joel)
14. Military bomber planes fly past Mount Vesuvius in Italy as lava and ash spurts from the top of the volcano.
The devastating eruption ravaged the village of San Sebastiano and San Giorg in March 1944 and killed 57 people. Meanwhile, the Allied forces were battling for supremacy in the skies.
15. The original Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1914
16. A Phillips fridge from 1956 with a built-in radio!
17. A horse being rescued from a canal that it fell in - Amsterdam, 1929
18. Control Room of the German UB-11 Submarine (First World War)
19. Swedish Warship 'Vasa' being recovered from the seafloor in Stockholm, Sweden, on the 24th of April, 1961. It stayed underwater for 333 years and was still astonishingly well-preserved.
20. A young woman of the Ouled Nail tribe, Algeria, circa 1905 (photo by Lehnert & Landrock)
21. Philadelphia Electric Co. street light maintenance vehicle, 1910
22. A tree house of the Koiari people, east of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 1886
23. A woman using a vacuum cleaner in 1906
24. The 1958 'Sir Vival.' Designed by Walter C. Jerome of Worcester, this unique two-section vehicle was made to protect its driver and three passengers from death or injury on the highway.
The designer believed that, in case of a collision, the engine compartment would take most of the brunt and leave the passengers safe. Its standout features included a two-piece engine and cab, along with a driver turret. Unfortunately, only one Sir Vival was ever made, and it remains in the care of Bellingham Auto Sales in Bellingham, Massachusetts, even today!
25. A Native American chief at the Canadian Rockies, 1938
Many days the weather in Iowa is about the same as here-60's daytime and 40's nighttime. We have had several weeks of this off and on interspersed with an 80 degree once in a blue moon. This is very frustrating and then...we add to that the park being shut down to all indoor activities. Why, you might ask? Because these grown-up(?), rules-are-for-you-not-me people cannot seem to do as they are told concerning Covid protocol. We have had several cases in the park and the rules are simple. Self-isolate for 10 days. Stay home if you are sick. Do not assume it is a simple cold and/or the Texas Crud because most likely it is NOT, as those who have tested and found out they were positive can attest to.
But the thinking is I can go to church, play bingo, etc, and as long as I wear a mask it will be okay. So the spread goes on and gets even bigger. The result is management has decided a wake-up call is warranted.
All indoor activities are suspended until Saturday, tomorrow, and have been since last Monday. So no outdoor activity because of weather and no indoor activity because of inconsiderate people with the "Texas Crud"
Frustration...
Butch and I went to Nuevo Progreso today for a visit with our favorite pharmacist, Hector. We picked up some meds for one of our sons and a friend. We have come through the border many, many times. It is not unusual for questions to be asked as to the reason you went to Mexico, what you were bringing back etc. We are used to that and have learned to have our answers ready. Real answers of course, not made-up ones. And this time was no exception. The line of people coming back was long and the wait was taking a while but time moved on and we were inside the building. We were waved into a newly formed line and they took a quick glance at our passports and we moved on! It was the quickest and easiest entry into the USA we have ever had. At least in the last decade.
We ate at Jessica's and had Chicken Fajitas for lunch. A full and delicious meal for $4.95. I do not see a reason to try anything different!
We will have a couple more trips down before heading north in the spring.
Butch and I went to the Dermatology clinic a couple of weeks ago and we had a few biopsies. Yesterday was our return visit. We expected to zip in, zip out, and get on with our day. However, I had one biopsy on my neck, right side, that had some squamous cells and Butch had a mole that they wanted to remove. They said they could work it in this same day if we chose to do so. Getting mighty tired of doctor appointments we worked it in. Butch's mole removal was rather straightforward. Mine was one of those where they take some tissue and have it tested to make sure they have it all before sewing you up and calling it quits. The bad news is this all takes time but the good news is they only had to do it once. So another visit will be needed to make sure it all healed as it should but then maybe we can get a breather from sitting in waiting rooms.
Note to self: It is COLD in those waiting rooms so dress appropriately next visit!!!
Yesterday and the procedure with the bile duct went smoothly. I would say the most challenging part of the day was getting to the hospital during morning rush hour. The system at the DHR Health system at Edinburg TX seems to run smoothly. Butch was able to be with me the entire time with the exception of the surgery itself. He was able to stay in the room that I would be returning to. I had warned him the area was COLD so he dressed appropriately. And the nurses brought both of us warmed blankets. That was nice!!
I had multiple stones removed from the bile duct. Often times this surgery can be done without an incision but apparently, I needed to have a cut made. This was internal as I do not have any on the outside. Of course, I was drowsy most of the day yesterday and a bit off-center this morning. I am sure it will get better as the day goes on. So now I must get on with the day...helping with the planning of the pool hall banquet. I knew there was a reason I didn't want the job!
Procedure...
Butch and I celebrated Valentine's day pretty much in the same way as the last 63 plus years. Mildly sentimental and in the company of each other and that suits us both. I was obliged to get a Covid test so that is what we did in the morning. For those of you who have the image of them stuffing a Q-tip in your nose clear up to your brain, you will be glad to know they do not do it that way anymore. It was not at all unpleasant and they did not call me so it must be a negative for Covid. So most of the week has been in limbo waiting. Waiting for test results, waiting for word on the time and place, and waiting for it to be time to get the procedure done and over with. Well, today is the day and 8:30 am is the time. Being the early riser that I am, I am sitting here at my computer, remembering that I haven't posted anything in a couple of days.
The medical people keep assuring me that it is not a big deal. I will tell you later today if I agree with them.
Do you ever get bogged down and cannot think of a thing to cook? Me too! Been there quite a bit lately. On a whim, I started looking at the saved recipes from this blog. If you look at the top of this blog you will see a few tabs and one of them says 'Recipes' and if you click on it and scroll through them you might get inspired. I know I did!
And if you cannot see what I am talking about here is a link to them. https://brooker3.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html 💖
We squeezed in some time between events to get groceries and other stuff at Costco and H.E.B. Some people (😊guys) do not know that getting the groceries in the door is not the end of the work involved. So while I cleaned, prepared, and put away fresh produce, Butch went off to the pool hall for one of the big events for the guys who play pool. Butch and his partner, Paul Kelleher played 13 games to win first place in the doubles event. He was tickled!
While I was quarantined, I was voted into the Pool Hall Board position as secretary. So far it hasn't involved a great deal of my time. I was not railroaded. I did say "Yes". Regret may come later.
Yesterday was a chore day. First off we had a dermatology appointment at the
Dermatology Clinic of McAllen offers services in General and Pediatric Dermatology, Cosmetic... 3100 Buddy Owens Ave # 105, McAllen, TX 78504.
We have been there before a few times. So we were looked over and a few (3) biopsies for each of us. We both had a nose one and that's a painful business to get it numbed up!
Then we had a trip to the Gastroenterology facility to get my directions for the upcoming outpatient surgical procedure on the 17th.
Then home for lunch followed by a trip to the insurance office to get our new South Texas home insured. Butch did some research on this and found that we were best off getting the insurance the former owner had transferred to us. It was about to expire so it was time for us to do it.
Came home and was reminded that the "Potato Bake" event was today. Butch ordered one as a charitable contribution. He said his loaded baked potato was very good. This event is to aid those in need in the Rio Grande Valley on both sides of the river. The Trophy Gardens Church sponsored it.
I almost forgot about it being trivia night! After last week and 6 teams, we only had 3 this time. Everyone loaded up on their loaded potatoes and then could not pry themselves loose from their recliners! It also was brought home that many people plan side excursions in February such as ski trips, cruises etc. and we know that was the case for some of the trivia people.
It was indeed a full and busy day! I came home after trivia and went to bed soon after.
Taken at the Potato Bake. You can see we have nose problems!
In the old days when I was teaching computer classes the question of what to buy when it came to a new computer was a frequently asked question. So when I saw this article from people I trust to know, I thought I would share it with you.
https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/how-much-ram-do-you-need/
Another viewpoint: More and more people are doing all or most of their computing on their phone. I will never be one of those people for many reasons. First and foremost I do much more than check email and GPS. Actually, I do not use my phone to check email 95% of the time. Phones have an abbreviated version of everything you might want to do on a computer. So buying a new computer at all might be something you will pass on. Of course, that is your decision. 😉
Darrel and Linda are headed back to Iowa today. We had a very good time with them for the month they were here and we hope they can come back next season and stay longer. Last night we had chili and cornbread at our place and then played Pitch till it was time to go to bed. It had been many years since I played Pitch but it was fun once I relearned it.
We had a cold spell, actually a few cold spells while they were here. They handled it like the Iowa troopers they are. Thinking back over our 20 plus years of coming to South Texas I would say the number of cold spells and the depth of them are far more severe in the past 5 years or so than before. Needing one pair of jeans used to be an oddity but in the last month, I have had to wash jeans more than once so we wouldn't run out. We each have 4 pairs now where one pair used to be plenty. The times and the weather are a-changing.
FYI: Outpatient procedure on February 17th to remove the stones or sludge or whatever else might be in my bile duct. It doesn't sound too much of a thing to go through. It will be good to have it out of the way. I hope to be through with the guessing game of what was irritating my innards. Too many strawberries? Was it that sausage pattie? Perhaps too many nuts? Do you see what I mean?
I had an MRI in Jefferson last fall. They have the latest and greatest in MRI machines. That is what they told me and since I had nothing to compare it to I didn't know. It took about 10 minutes and it was easy peasy! So when I had one here I expected it to be similar, although when I asked about it he said we want one with more detail than the one you had last fall. So it was a whole different experience. I had many deep breathing episodes and periods of time where I had to talk myself out of feeling claustrophobic. I would not be wanting another one!
The results were given to me this morning by phone. I have a gallstone and/or stones in my bile duct. I was told the surgery is outpatient with an anesthetic. Someone will be calling me this afternoon with the time and place.
I have been dealing with the situation for quite some time and it has been worsening. It will be a relief to have it taken care of.
When I had my gallbladder out in my 20's I was in the hospital for a week and my incision was from stem to stern. It was a big deal in those days. I never dreamed I would have to deal with it again! I had no idea they could form again in the bile duct. I guess if you live long enough these things can come back to haunt you.
Last year, about this same time is when Butch had a small bowel blockage caused by scar tissue he had from an appendectomy when he was 18!
They say after 50 it is patch, patch, patch!
We had 6 teams for trivia Tuesday and that is a high for the season so far. There were quite a few new people and we did indeed have a very good time. Renie was under the weather so Butch filled in and we kept him running. We may even grow a bit for next Tuesday night because some of the people were new and plan to bring more folks with them next week. The more the merrier!
I haven't been on the computer. Odd for me, I know. I am finally getting my Puffy Bile duct attended to. Tuesday I had an appointment with the gastroenterologist and was quickly scheduled for an ultrasound on Wednesday and then quickly scheduled for an MRI this morning at 7:15am. Yes, that is right 7:15am. So now we wait to hear the next step.
The probing around on my abdomen for the ultrasound set off an episode so I am thinking the time is right to get it taken care of.
In a general way, how do I feel? I feel fine.
These days when someone asks, "How are you feeling?". They REALLY want to know how you are feeling!
We are feeling fine by the way. I do have an appointment with a GI on Tuesday and I have many questions for him. For those who do not know or remember I have an enlarged bile duct that needs some attention. I found this out last fall as a result of an MRI. The episodes from this little puffed-up fellow are getting more frequent. Thus the search for a solution to getting him unpuffed.
We have had a streak of cold and wetness with intermittent periods of sunshine and dryness. It has completely flipped on us from the months of October, November, and December. This is not the first time this has happened. My hopes were so high when we were on our first round of nearly perfect days. So okay I can be on board with a change for a while but now it is time to see the sunshine again...every day...for weeks on end! No, we are not shoveling snow or slipping on the ice and we are grateful for that. Please, oh please, come back to the winter weather of South Texas that we know and love! Enough already!
There is a glimmer of hope in next week's forecast.
Darrel and Linda are having a good time and enjoying their leisure. Because of the cold weather, they are perhaps getting a bit more leisure than they planned on but on the other hand, they find themselves quite busy. They have friends and family in the Rio Grande Valley for the winter and have been enjoying getting together with them. They also have taken a liking to Trivia. I have been having a steady 4 teams show up and sometimes more. I have hopes they will like it here enough to come back next season and maybe stay longer. It has been enjoyable having them here.
Renie and I finally bundled up in northern style to walk this morning and it felt very good to be back at it. We plan to be at the pool hall for a session later this afternoon. We are anxious to get back to that too. I have been happy with my play for the most part but there is always room for improvement. I have a long way to go to be in Butches caliber but I give him more of a challenge than I used to.
We asked our home seller if we could show the place to Darrel and Linda and she agreed. It was a bit like getting a glimpse of a Christmas Present and getting my nighttime wheels turning. It is still over a month before we can move in and get acquainted. We will enjoy it thoroughly when the time is right.
