Saturday, June 30, 2012

June 30, 2012


June 30, 2012

The last day of June was a very busy day for the Dane family.

At 10:30, some of the group headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Meredith was driving one car with passengers JP, Rosie, and sometime Sara.  My brother, Jim, was driving the second car with wife, Peggy, Brent, myself, and sometime Sara.  It was a beautiful day and a nice road, but lots of traffic.  

We stopped at some of the lookout areas along the way to the highest point on the road.  By the time we got there it was lunch time.  At the park snack bar we got barbecue sandwiches and Cokes.  The young man at the cash register was a student from Clemson, who said he was majoring in psychology and geology.  I asked him if, with those degrees, he would be able to figure out about why rocks are like they are?  What I meant to ask was, would he be able to find out why rocks are cracked.  Do you get the joke...a psychologist and cracked rocks?  Oh well, he got a good laugh out of it, anyway!

By mid afternoon, we had gathered at Meredith and Dwaine’s house, enjoying our time in the backyard, watching the boats on the lake and the dogs playing “doggie” games on the lawn.

As usual, the food was superior...grilled skirt steak, potato salad, roasted red potatoes, salad, watermelon, and Michelle’s homemade rolls.  Dessert was pie, apple crisp, and ice cream.

After eating, the picture taking got into full swing.  Six of us had cameras, some were taking pictures with iPads, and some with cell phones.  A lot of pictures were taken of the dogs.  They got a good feeling of how it felt to be mobbed by the “pup-arazzo.”

Before the party broke up, Brent was presented with a chef jacket, decorated by Lori and signed by everyone in the family.  On the front pocket was an Oregon “O” and “Chef Brent.”  On the back she had painted the Team Frantic logo and referred to Brent as “Uncle Sir,” which is what he told us to call him when he went into the Air Force.

We all had a great time.  Lots and lots of talking and, as usual with this family, a great deal of laughing.

Friday, June 29, 2012

June 29, 2012


June 29, 2012

Several of us went to garage sales this morning.  They weren’t as good as last weekend, but we were able to get a few things.

Bill and Michelle went to the Denver airport to pick up JP and his girlfriend, Rosie.  We all met back at Michelle’s at noon.  It was good to see the “newcomers” from California.

My brother, Jim, and his wife, Peggy, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, arrived in time to eat dinner with us at Cracker Barrel.  That was one of JP’s requests of places to eat.  The food was good and there was a lot of visiting around the two tables...16 of us total.

We went back to Meredith and Dwaine’s house to sit in the back yard to visit some more and watch the dogs play ball, among other things.  Unlike all of us humans, the dogs don’t seem to run out of energy.  The thing that we don’t run out of is things to talk about.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

June 28, 2012


June 28, 2012

I went to Meredith’s house this morning to sit in the backyard and look at the view of the lake.  It was nice to have the time to sit and relax with the kids and the dogs.  

We went on a couple of errands, but just relaxed most of the day.

Bill was in charge of dinner.  Meatloaf and baked potatoes were on  the menu for the day.  It smelled so good while it was cooking that we were all really, really hungry by the time it was ready.  

After dinner we went for a walk with the pups.  It was a beautiful evening for a walk.  Afterwards, most of the group went to Sonic for treats.  I just wanted to go home and go to bed.  This poor old gray haired woman was plumb tuckered.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

June 27, 2012


June 27, 2012

At 9:00 this morning, Lori and Natalia rolled up to Michelle’s house.  We were really surprised, but glad to see them.  The last we heard from them was Monday when they were in Burbank, CA for an appointment at the school Natalia plans to attend.  

We were busy all day long, doing a lot of running around.

It was Michelle’s night to cook.  She made homemade french fries.  They are always a big hit.  Hamburgers were grilled on her new gas grill.  Brent was the major cook for that part of dinner, with Dwaine as his assistant.

After eating, we sat around the table and looked at photographs of the kids when they were young.  There were many “ahs” and some hilarious laughter.  That event will continue for several more sessions.  There are LOTS of pictures to go through.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

June 26, 2012


June 26, 2012

Brent, Sara, and I drove to Broomfield to have lunch with Meredith at Oracle.  We had a good time and the food in their cafeteria was certainly good.

Afterwards, we went shopping at a mall close to the Oracle buildings.  Sara found several pairs of shorts on sale, as well as a bright colored tank top.  Some jewelry purchases rounded off her shopping for the day.

As we drove home we noticed smoke in the mountains west of Boulder.  We had seen lightening in the area earlier and learned that it was the cause of the new forest fire.

Tonight, as we finished our dinner of chicken enchiladas and cole slaw, the wind began to blow rather briskly.  That’s not good for the fire situation.

After visiting around the table, I said I was going home (the MH was parked in the driveway).  Joshua said “Have a safe trip.”  He has the same quick wit that Bill and Brent have.  That’s good to see!

Monday, June 25, 2012

June 25, 2012


June 25, 2012

It was hot again today, but not as hot as yesterday, I don’t think.  I stayed inside most of the day.

Yesterday, Meredith and I made menus for the next week.  Every night, we had been struggling with the age old question, “What shall we have for dinner tonight?”  Now it is posted in the kitchen for all to see.

Brent cooked dinner tonight...pulled pork, cauliflower casserole, and fried pickles.  For dessert he made lime pie.  He is a really good cook!  The whole meal was delicious.

Michelle and I cook tomorrow night.  We are having chicken enchiladas.  It is a crockpot meal.  I will go to Walmart in the morning to get the groceries we need.  

Michelle and Ron put up an above ground pool and tonight the kids had a blast.  The dogs wanted in, too, but for several reasons they weren’t allowed the privilege.  Poor furry beasts!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

June 24, 2012


June 24, 2012

There was smoke in the air this morning.  Since we have been here the smoke has been to the north.  Apparently there are two new fire areas.  One is west of here in the Estes Park region.  The other is west of Colorado Springs.  The small town of Manitou Springs has been evacuated.  Hopefully we’ll get more news by tonight.

We went to lunch at a new place called Smash Burgers.  It is a Colorado burger chain.  The burgers were good, but kind of expensive.  We would all rather be at In-An-Out, but that just wasn’t possible.

Michelle, Brent, and I went to Lowe’s while Meredith and Sara bought groceries.  I don’t know what everyone else did, but when I got home, Bill and Ron were watching the last few laps of the NASCAR race from Sonoma.  

We went to Meredith and Dwaine’s for dinner on the patio.  Just before we left we felt a few sprinkles.  By the time we got to Michelle’s there was lightening and thunder.  Soon it started raining, but not for very long.  It certainly didn’t seem like enough to help the fire situation, but you never know.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

June 23, 2012


June 23, 2012

It was really hot yesterday, but was worse today, 102°.  The good side of it is there is no humidity with the heat.

We went to the tiny town if Mead, site of a city wide yard sale event.   There were so many places to shop, but as the morning went on it got too hot to stay out on driveways and shop in the heat.  

We had a good time, though, and went to a really good barbecue place for lunch.  Afterwards, we shopped some more, but opted to go home earlier than we had meant to.

As we were driving back to Loveland we could see the smoke from the forest fires.  Most of it was contained, I think, until it jumped a canyon and took off again.  It has been a bad one!

Friday, June 22, 2012

June 22, 2012


June 22, 2012

Brent and I, plus the three youngest grandchildren went for a drive this morning.  There were lots of garage sales, but Brent said I spotted them too late to turn in.  At least that was his excuse.  At one place, that didn’t work so we stopped.  

Brent immediately saw a power tool at a good price.  It was a Craftsman router that had hardly been used.  Getting it back to Michelle’s involved getting her van to transport it in.  Brent is so excited about it that he said he has totally changed his mind about garage sales.  Yippy, Skippy!

We had a pizza party at Michelle’s for dinner.  That’s an easy way to go.  And it was really good, including two dessert pizzas. S’more and cinnamon were both yummy!

The saga of the iPad case is over.  I wanted one like Lori has.  I couldn’t find one at a store, so I ordered one off the Internet.  Thanks for supplying the info that I needed, Lori.  It arrived at Michelle’s not long after we did.  It’s great and I don’t have to worry about the screen being damaged as we carry it around. 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

June 21, 2012


June 21, 2012

Connor, Sara, and I spent the morning and part of the afternoon with Hapa and Willie at Meredith’s house.  Joey spent his time with Michelle in her office.

Our first assignment was to cut and chop up a watermelon.  For several reasons not too many chunks of melon went into the bowl.  It was so-o-o-o good!

We spent quite a bit of time sitting on the deck looking out over Boyd Lake.  It is a beautiful view from their house.  Very relaxing!

Us “watermelon hackers” thought we were due a treat, besides all the melon we consumed, so off we went to Sonic.  Today, in honor of the arrival of summer, all milkshakes were half price.  Yea!

We all gathered back at Meredith and Dwaine’s for dinner.  Tonight it was for spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread.  Michelle was the chief cook with Brent as her assistant.  They make a really good team.

Today Joshua got his driving permit, so Bill took him out for his first session.  According to the teacher, the student did a very good job.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

June 20, 2012


June 20, 2012

Good Ole’ Grandpa let us sleep later this morning.  We didn’t get on the road until 7:10.  Wow!  We all needed some extra “sack” time.  

After the long day yesterday Bill was very tired so we fixed him a plate of my leftover lunch...chicken fried steak, potatoes, okra, green beans, and a roll.  As he started to sit on the sofa and eat he remembered that he needed to take the key out of the Honda so it wouldn’t run the battery down.

Well, he sat his plate down on the sofa and went out the door.  I was working on the computer and wasn’t paying any attention.  When Bill came back in a minute later he wanted to know what I had done with his dinner.  I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but there sat the plate, as clean as a whistle.  

Willie had a very good dinner!  Bill just about lost his cool.  Of course, I saw the humor in it.  Bill was upset with Willie, especially when he nearly made off with Bill’s PNB sandwich a few minutes later.  Some people are slow learners, eh?

This morning they were back being BFFs again...Best Furry Friends.  Bill explained about how tired he had been last night.  So all is OK once again!

Our friend, Bonnie, called this morning to see why we were driving such long distances each day.  We are having a family reunion in Loveland, Colorado and we want to get there ahead of time to make it worth the long trip.  There is so much to do in the area.

The drive north on I-25 was uneventful.  We stopped at the Rest Area about 10 miles east of Rye, Colorado.  We lived in Rye for 11 years, moving in 1975.  Brent was two when we left so he didn’t remember anything about.  He, the kids, and I drove to Rye so I could show them where we had lived.  Rye is a small town in the San Isabel Mountains, at 7,000 ft. elevation.  It was small when we lived there and its still small.  We spent some time enjoying a clear stream in a park west of town.  Coleson and I found a geocache hidden there.  Several other caches were available in the area, but time didn’t allow us to pursue them.

We got to Michelle’s at 3:00.  We spent a lot of time visiting before going to Meredith and Dwaine’s for dinner.  We hadn’t been in tht aera since they moved into their house.  It is very nice and they are enjoying it.

Our mileage today was 250.  Just a short jaunt!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

June 19, 2012


June 19, 2012

Happy Birthday, Brent!  Forty years ago today, driving 35 miles in the rain, we made it to the hospital just a few minutes before our “bouncing baby boy” was born.  You talk about instant love of a kind all its own.  That was a prime example.  And that love is still growing.  

Super Driver had us on the road at 6:05.  Our first stop was at a Rest Area for some “leg stretching time” after two hours on the road.  Sara and I were the only ones who didn’t get out.  She was still asleep in back and I still had on my pajamas.  I love traveling in a motorhome.

We arrived in Amarillo after driving though miles and miles of ranch land.  The were two things on our list for this area.  The first one was the Cadillac Ranch where three local artists buried ten Cadillacs, in a row, nose down.  Apparently my interpretation of art differs from some.  But it was a fun place to visit.  

There was a cache in the Ranch area and one at our second stop also, the Big Texan for lunch.  They are known for their challenge of eating a 72 oz. steak with all the trimmings, plus dessert, in one hour.  If you finish in the alloted time it is free.  If not, the cost for the meal is $72.00.   

A young man started the challenge just after we got there.   He made a valiant effort, but still had 11 oz. to eat at the end of his time.  Shucks!  We didn’t see someone win the challenge, but for us, it wasn’t a total loss.  There was a film crew from Dallas making an advertisement for a local Chevy dealer.  So the loser actually won because he was in an ad with some of the Big Texan staff.  It was interesting to watch the filming.

As we left Texas..honk, honk, yahoo...and crossed the northeast part of New Mexico, we stopped at the Capulin Volcano National Monument.  Unfortunately, the Visitor Center had just closed, but we walked a nature trail and learned a lot about the area.

Coleson was very interested in the deer that he saw as we drove through the lava fields.  He was hoping to see deer, but he saw antelope instead.  He was excited about that.

We got onto I-25 at Raton and shortly thereafter we crossed into Colorado with the usual fanfare.  We parked for the night at Walmart in Trinidad after traveling 485 miles today.

Monday, June 18, 2012

June 18, 2012


June 18, 2012

We missed our departure time of 6:00 by 12 minutes.  Not bad for five people, three of whom really don’t like getting up early.  One of those three, whom shall remain nameless, headed for the bed and was soon fast asleep again.  Sara had her own pillow. Oops, I told! Sorry, Sara!  Brent and I will nap later, as will Bill.  Coleson and Willie are on their own!

As we crossed the Mississippi River into Louisiana we did a limited “state line routine.”   One small honk and a soft yahoo was all we did because of sleeping passengers.

When we were about an hour from the Texas border, its time to give a “nap report”...Sara, Willie and Brent are back on the bed.  Coleson went to sleep on the sofa, fell off, and didn’t wake up.  That’s a tired boy!  

I’d been nodding off in the copilot seat.  Its a good thing I don’t have many “naviguesser” duties to perform.  Once we turned onto I-20, I was “off duty” until we get through Dallas.

We arrived at the east side of Dallas at 3:05.  From there on it was just one city after another.  We got off I-20 at Exit 450 so we could go to In-An-Out for late lunch/early dinner.  Yippy, Skippy!

With very, very happy tummies (including Willie’s because he got a burger, too) we got back on the road, working our way through rush hour traffic to the northwest side of Ft. Worth.  We left the Interstate system and took Hwy. 287 to Wichita Falls.  It was about a three hour drive.

565 miles today in 13.5 hours.  Bill did most of the driving, but Brent did his part, too.  We stopped at several places and spent some time out of the MH.  So it wasn’t as tiring as it might sound.

We stopped at Sam’s Club in Wichita Falls for the night.  After getting things settled in, Brent, Coleson, Sara, and I went out exploring.  We found two caches, one just as it was getting dark.  There was a really nice Skate Park, with lots of people there...some participating and some watching.  On the way home we stopped at Sonic for treats before going back to the MH and crashing.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

June 17, 2012


June 17, 2012

We had a lot to do today in preparation for our departure early in the morning.  We are leaving some things here that we won’t need in Colorado.  When we get back all of if will be transferred to the motorhome once again.  It is the big shuffle!

At 11:00, Bill and I went to Lowe’s and a couple more places. On our way back to Walmart we stopped at the Flowood water tower in search of a cache.  It took just a few minutes of searching.  It is the first cache we’ve hunted for since June 4th.  That’s not good.

At Walmart I returned the iPad cover I bought yesterday.  Instead of trying another style, I ordered one like Lori has for her iPad.  It should be at Michelle’s by the time we get there.

We went out to dinner for Father’s Day, then to Dick’s Sporting Goods for tennis shoes for Coleson and Sara.

The rest of the day was spent just as the first part of the day.  Not very exciting, but necessary. 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

June 16, 2012


June 16, 2012

This morning the guys from Ed’s Barbecue place came to get the bar that Brent had built.  He did a wonderful job on it.  I think he was just a little sad to see it going down the driveway and turning toward its new home.  He already has another project in mind though.  

After Brent mowed the yard we went to lunch.  He was really hungry after all that work and very hot from the temp and humidity.  We thought catfish would taste mighty good.  And it did!

The saga of the cover for our new iPad continues.  Today, I went to Walmart to try to find a cover for it.  I found one that I thought would be good, but upon taking a good look at it once I got it out of the package, we found its shortcomings.  So-o-o tomorrow I will take it back and try again.  Maybe the third time will be a charm.

Friday, June 15, 2012

June 15, 2012


June 15, 2012

This morning I was extremely lazy.  I won’t give any excuses.  And I am certainly not apologizing.  It was great.

Bill and I met Brent for lunch.  Mexican food was the choice of all of us.  One of the nice things about this area is the wide variety of good places to eat.

I decided to return the iPad case I bought yesterday at Best Buy.  After using it last evening during the tutelage session with my Mississippi iPad guru, Paul, we discovered several things about it that were less than satisfactory.  

Brent took me to Best Buy and they cheerfully refunded my money with no questions asked.  We made several more stops before heading home.

The clouds were getting darker and darker as the afternoon went on.  Before we arrived back at Brent’s house we had quite a rain storm.  It didn’t last long and the skies cleared quickly.

I had a burst of energy and was able to get some things needed for our trip to Colorado loaded in the back of the Honda.  Two more days for that type kind of chore.  We plan to do a “Willie Nelson” on Monday and “get on the road again!”

Thursday, June 14, 2012

June 14, 2012


June 14, 2012

I stored several things in Brent’s garage before we went to Florida for Spring Break.  Today, I started going through the boxes to see what needs to be taken to Colorado.  It wasn’t a very difficult task, but the humidity got to me.

Brent and I went to Ed’s for lunch before going to Lowe’s to do some Father’s Day shopping.  We forgot to stop at Best Buy on our way home, so we turned around and went back!  Brent is such a patient taxi driver.

At 5:00, we went to see our friends, Paul and Debbie Henderson.  After sitting on their patio and visiting for awhile, we went to dinner at Joe’s Diner.  The food was good and it wasn’t very crowded so we continued our visiting session after we finished eating.

We had taken our iPad with us, because Paul has one and he was going to teach me some things about it.  Paul has become my Mississippi iPhone-iPad guru, whether he wants to be or not.  I don’t remember giving him a choice. 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

June 13, 2012


June 13, 2012

After spending the morning accomplishing almost nothing, I went to Walmart right after lunch.  I didn’t do much better there.

Grandson Coleson is always amazed by the places we’ve been and the things we have done.  Bill was talking about the years we lived in Colorado and Wyoming.  While in Colorado he said we had snowmobiles that we used when we owned a ski run.  Coleson said, “What didn’t you have before I was born?”  

Oh, my!  The fun just keeps on and on.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

June 12, 2012


June 12, 2012  

We had rain all night long and lots of lightening and thunder.  It was a very noisy night.

By the time we were up and had eaten breakfast it had stopped raining.  There were some tasks that needed to be taken care of.  When Brent got home from getting his hair cut, he, Sara, and I went to the Apple Store in the Renaissance Shopping Center.  I had a lot of questions to ask about the iPad.  I was there for quite awhile and got answers to my questions.  Now the problem will be to remember everything and be able to apply it.

After lunch at Sweet Peppers, Sara did some shopping.  It started to rain so we set our course for Sam’s Club.  That’s where I purchased our iPad.  By the time we got back home the rain was coming down in buckets.

I spent most of the rest of the day “playing” with our new “gizmo,” aka iPad. 

Monday, June 11, 2012

June 11, 2012


June 11, 2012

Bill went early this morning to get the oil changed in the Honda.  The icon on the instrument panel had gone from 15% to 10% to 5%.  In other words, get with the program and change the oil!!!!

I made a midmorning run to Walmart.  There were several things on the list, plus I spent some time just wandering around, taking advantage of being there by myself.

When I got back home it was past lunchtime, so we went out to Ed’s for their lunch special, chicken fried steak.  Some of us also ordered fried pickles.  They were good, but compared to Brent’s, I think Brent wins hands down.  There homemade rolls were good, as usual.  We had some leftovers so Willie was a happy puppy when we got home.

This afternoon I finished a beading project.  Afterwards, I spent some time getting all my supplies cleaned out and organized.  I don’t plan on beading anymore before our trip to Colorado.

Tonight, we had a huge lightening storm,  high winds, and then very hard rain.  It was truly a “frog strangler.”

Sunday, June 10, 2012

June 10, 2012


June 10, 2012

The race from Pocono was disappointing as far as we were concerned.  Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr. made a mistake about fueling.  Although Jr. was able to overcome part of the loss of track position, Jeff wasn’t able to make a comeback.  Maybe next week!

After the race I helped Brent on the project he has been working on...the bar he is building for Ed’s barbecue place.  It is getting very near to completion, I think.

I also had time today to get some book work done.  I had been putting it off for too long.  It is amazing how other things take priority, like beading, my journal, jigsaw puzzles, and important things of that sort.

Brent fixed a really good dinner tonight.  He put the leftover crawdad meat and some shrimp in an Alfrado sauce and mixed pasta in with that.  It was very good.  He made stir fry with two different kinds of squash and had garlic bread.  Yummy for the tummy!  I am so glad I let him cook and create things when he was four.  It is paying big dividends.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

June 9, 2012


June 9, 2012

This was a busy day for us, and a fun day, too.

We woke up to the sound of rain on the roof.  I enjoy the rain, but with Bill its a different story.  He remembers all the rain we had while living 20 years on the coast of Oregon.  To him, “rain” is definitely a four letter word. 

We watched qualifying for the NASCAR race in Pocono.  Three of “our guys” will have starting positions in the top 10, but Jimmie Johnson is way back.  The race tomorrow will be interesting to see how quickly he can work his way to the front.

Bill, Brent, Coleson and I went to Sam’s Club.  After eating lunch there, we split up.  Bill went to price new tires for the Honda.  Brent got a box of Hot Pockets for Coleson, and I priced iPads.  We made two other stops before returning to our cozy home on wheels.

I heard Brent, in his garage, working on his project.  I thought about asking him if he needed any help.  Instead, I decided to rest a bit.  An hour and a half later I woke up.  He had quit working by then.  Do I know how to get out of work or what?

Not long after that Brent came out to see if I wanted to go out to eat crawfish.  Bill wasn’t the least interested, but I never pass up an opportunity like that.  I didn’t realize it, but we were meeting friends at The Crawdad Hole.  

I have never eaten at a place where you have to bring your own things to drink.  We sat on their deck and ate crawdads and shrimp, boiled potatoes, and corn.  And talked and laughed the early part of the evening away.

Some of us wanted to watch the second half of the basketball semifinals, so we went back to Brent’s house.  He has been building a bar for Ed’s barbecue restaurant, so instead of watching the game everyone stayed in the garage around the bar.  The party didn’t break up until 12:30.

It was so much fun spending time with friends.  Brent’s friends are our friends, too, and that makes them extra special.

Friday, June 8, 2012

June 8, 2012


June 8, 2012

At noon, we went to the new barbecue place, owned by Ed, a friend of Brent’s.  Today’s special was catfish.  It was really good, with yummy hush puppies.  There was also peach cobbler for dessert.  We all ate too much!

We stopped at Lowe’s before going home.  Brent is building a bar for Ed’s new place and he needed more lumber.  While Brent worked on his project I went to get the kids.  On the way back home we stopped at Sonic for treats.  I told the kids that Brent says I spoil them and Coleson said, “You do and I sure do like it.”  Well, I like it, too!

I was able to help Brent with painting on his project.  I told him that I was going to tell everyone that he is a slave driver.  Don’t tell him how much fun I had doing it.  I don’t want to blow my cover.

Today was a busy day. No wonder I was tired by the time bedtime got here.

Natalia graduated from high school tonight.  Lori sent us several pictures by text.  Time is going way too fast.  I was in the delivery room when she was born.  It seems like only yesterday.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

June 7, 2012


June 7, 2012

Bill and I went to Penney’s this morning to look for the tennis shoes he wanted.  Well, he found them and, as luck would have it, they were on sale.  Wow!  He returned the Nikes for a full refund. 

It was lunchtime by then so we went to Five Guys.  The hamburgers were good.  I must report that the only thing good about the fries was that there were lots of them.  They were very limp, kind of like the ones we use to get in Mexico.  

Our friends, the Meeks, will know what I’m talking about.  One time the four of us went to Puerto Vallarta, saw a Burger King on the dock where the cruise ships come in, and decided it was time for some “home cooking.”  It was the first time in a long time we’d had what we considered good fries.

That reminds me of a second grade student I taught who said, “I’m an American but I sure do like French fries.”

Sara and I went to Verizon at 5:00, solved my iPhone problem, then stopped for a treat before I took her to her mother’s apartment.

I ended the day watching Brent and Willie play.  They are such a great team!  Brent got Willie to “talk” before the play session ended.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

June 6, 2012


June 6, 2012

Happy 12th Birthday, Sara.  

Bill went “tennis shoe” shopping this morning.  I stayed home and worked with my beads.  Maybe I should say played with my beads.  Its too much fun to be considered work.

The shoes Bill came home with were not to his liking.  They were Nikes and he wanted Avias.  I called the Avia company to find out where they are available in this area.  Tomorrow we will look for the kind that will make him happy.

Tonight, Keltie took us out to dinner for Sara’s birthday.  It was a  Chinese place that was way more expensive than it was good.  I’m surprised a place like that can stay in business.  But it was enjoyable to spend the time together.  Its hard to believe how fast these 12 years have gone by. 

We can see lightening in the distance so maybe we will get some rain before morning.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

June 5, 2012


June 5, 2012

We left Forest at 9:40 to travel to Brandon and Brent’s house.  Yippy, Skippy!

After parking the coach, Bill settled down for a nap and Brent and I went to get Coleson and Sara.  We went to lunch at a new barbecue place opened by a friend of Brent’s.  The food was good and the waitress is our friend, Robyn Banks, so we got to see her.  It was a win win situation all the way around.

This afternoon Sara and I went shopping.  Her birthday is tomorrow, so I let her pick out an outfit for her present.  She is a shopper deluxe.  We had a good time and stopped at Sonic for treats before going home.

I have a beading project spread out on the table.  There was barely room for my computer.  It will be like that for a week or two while we aren’t traveling.

Brent and the kids seemed happy to see us, but happiest of all was Willie, Brent’s Golden Retriever.  His tail hasn’t stopped wagging, I don’t think.  

Monday, June 4, 2012

June 4, 2012


June 4, 2012

We are doing a Willie Nelson today...on the road again.  After fueling the coach at Walmart ($3.50 for diesel), we headed west on I-20.  By the way, regular gas at Sam’s yesterday was $3.11.

We parked a Walmart in Forest.  Bill rested for a few minutes and then we set off on the geotrail.  We found a cache in the parking lot not far from where the MH was parked.

Before the day was over we had found a total of six caches.  None of them were too difficult to find, but it was a challenge caching in a different area.

It was 90° or more here today, so we didn’t want to hear from Lori that they were so cold they had a fire in the fireplace.  And they were having s’mores!  That was really a low blow, don’t you think?

Sunday, June 3, 2012

June 3, 2012


June 3, 2012

We had a problem with our internet last night.  I had been on-line before dinner.  When I tried later to make the connection, it didn’t work.  I was in a near panic because I couldn’t post my blog.  I tried during the night with no luck.  Again this morning with no luck.  Ugh!

We decided the only thing to do at that point was to go to McDonald’s and use their free wi-fi.  Of course, that necessitated eating breakfast there.  

It was worth the trip because I was able to send yesterday’s blog and my tummy is happy, too.

We spent an hour looking for a Verizon store only to discover that it didn’t open on Sunday.  What a pain technology can be, but the good far outweighs the bad.

I spent over an hour on the phone with Verizon trying to solve our Mifi problem.  In the end, it was diagnosed as a SIM card problem.  It needed to be replaced.

The person on the phone searched around the Meridian area to find somewhere to get a replacement.  He wanted to get us back on line as soon as he could.  Waiting for tomorrow when the V. store opens wasn’t acceptable.  

He found what we needed at Best Buy.  They installed it for us and now everything works just great.  Yippy, Skippy!

It was nearly 3:00 before we got back home.  We watched the last hundred laps of the NASCAR race and then took long naps.  All this high tech stuff wore the Geezers out.

June 2, 2012


June 2, 2012

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon working on a craft project.  That’s my idea of a good time.  Bill was polishing the coach. That’s NOT my idea of a good time.  To each his own.

We watched qualifying for tomorrow’s NASCAR race from Dover, Delaware.  Mark Martin got the pole.  He’s the oldest driver in NASCAR at age 53.  

Several days ago I wrote about our search at the boat docks for alligators.  The following is an e-mail from our daughter, Meredith, sent to her siblings:
Two geezers are grounded by their children for tempting fate....
alligator hunting? when did that get on the bucket list? :)
See what Bill and I have to contend with in our quest for adventure!

Friday, June 1, 2012

June 1, 2012


June 1, 2012

Another new month.  We’ve already had a good dose of summer here in Mississippi.  And there’s more to come, I’m sure.

Today we drove into Meridian to visit the Dentzel Carousel.  It is truly impressive.

It was made for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.  In 1909, the city of Meridian bought it for $2,000.  Today its value is more than a million dollars.  

Throughout the city are carousel horses, decorated by local artists.  The ones we have seen have been beautifully done.  The carousel horse is the mascot of the city, I guess.  Anyway, the carousel theme is important to the city.

We took the long way back to the campground, traveling some very narrow back roads.  According to my Road Classification Chart, we were on “fifthendary roads.”  We were able to snag one cache after a short tromp through the woods.

So far, there are no new ticks to add to the contest!