Thursday, March 29, 2012

More thoughts

I have more thought on yesterdays post. 
My mother was 83 years old and had been in bad health for years. Still, you just don't expect it when the times comes for them to leave this earth. I was very close to my mother, being an only child. My parents were divorced when I was nine years old, so for many years it was just me and my mom. 
I was glad to have my daughter and my grandson come with me on that trip. As it turned out, it was one of the ones you remember for a life time. We went to the Yuma prison, got pictures of my grandson, in "jail", on that same trip we also went to San Diego Zoo. Went by the place I lived in San Diego so many years ago. Really enjoyed the Escapade at Lancaster,Ca. My grandson made me so proud by giving blood. We stopped at Las Vegas,NV also. He was way too young to go into the casinos, except to eat and boy he could do that! He was a big boy and a big man now. Took them out to the Dam, that was impressive! And on the way back to Texas, stopped at the Grand Canyon. That was the time I got my Golden Age Passport.We actually camped in the park, no hook ups, I ran the generator long enough to make something in the microwave, and then Donnie built a fire. That's what camping is all about, sitting outside in total darkness around the campfire, roasting marshmellow with your family!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

This day twelve years ago

This day twelve years ago a tornado hit downtown Ft.Worth,TX. My mother passed away on the 13th and my daughter and grandson came from N.C. to the funeral. I had already made my reservations for the Escapade in Lancaster, CA and asked them if they would like to go with me. They said yes! We had a wonderful time. We were in Deming,NM at the Escapee's Park, Dreamcatcher having a Taco dinner at the club house, when we saw the news. We had just left the Ft.Worth area! Ft.Worth is my home town, even though I lived in Crowley,TX for many years. It was a shock to us to see our "town" so torn up from the tornado, never dreamed one would hit Ft.Worth. The weather seems really crazy these days. 
I am reading the blogs, and enjoying all the traveling information. The thing I am NOT liking is the price of gas/diesel! It makes me just get slower and slower about finding an RV. I saw diesel on the way to Whitney,TX last Saturday at $4.15 gal. Here in Cleburne it is $4.05 gal. Even if I had an RV I sure couldn't go far at those prices. Pulling my big fifth wheel I get about 9 mpg, and out on the open road with no wind and good road conditions, about 10 mpg. I do believe gas prices will come down, it may be after the election, so I am expecting the prices to be the same or more in the coming months. I am still looking for a "perfect" rig. What that is, I don't know! Sometimes you just have to "hunker down" and wait it out.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Bluebonnets are in bloom!

Took a drive to Whitney,TX today and was amazed at the beautiful Bluebonnets! They are my favorite flower. They usually don't start their bloom until April. I guess all the spring rain we had helped them come out early. I took some stuff to my storage bldg. I had been carrying it around in my truck for a month! Had to have help getting the roll up door up, but it's working now. Whitney has a new McDonald's, so I make that my "pit" stop, as well as getting a bite to eat. I also drove through one of my old camping spots, Lake Whitney RV and Golf. Not much has changed in the last year. Roads into the property are still terrible. I managed to hit all the potholes! They have been working on the highway leading into Whitney for a year now, and it is finally about finished. I think there must have been a motorcycle group there this week end. So many bikes, girls and guys riding. Whitney has always been a "bike" town anyway. There are a lot of good roads around the lake and the State Park for riding, and you couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather! Was good to get out, and Kandi enjoyed the ride and some of my french fries. I order a small hamburger, and fries for me, and I get her a glass of water. She drinks out of the cup like a pro. Been trying to teach her how to use th sipper top, she gets it every where, but can do it. 



I am still not feeling up to par. Maybe I just need to "push myself" a little more.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Reading my Kindle

I have really enjoyed reading my Kindle, so much in fact, it keeps me from getting my work done!My eyes feel like they have saw dust in them. I just bought the $79.00 one, nothing fancy, it holds 1400 books, so I don't think I will ever fill it up. My only gripe is, I think it should have had a back light. If it does I haven't found out about it. Another thing, there was no instructions at all. Everything is online. That gripes me too. It has WiFi, so u must have WiFi to down load books, but, there is a way to do it from your computer. Another thing is the advertising, or screen savers, no way to do away with that. So, when it is turned off, the "screen saver" ads come on. Oh, well, I still really like it, and I am sure I will enjoy it for a long time to come.


I have about decided looking on e-Bay at RV's is not the thing to do. It just gets me in a dither! I get so frustrated at people who list their items with a reserve! Why aren't they honest and just say what they want for it in the first place. I have been selling on e-Bay for many years. I always list the item for the amount I am willing to accept, with maybe a buy it now price, so they won't have to wait until the auction is over. I think this is an honest way to sell, the buyer know up front what to expect. With a reserve, the purchaser doesn't know what that price is! That is what drives up the price. I always go to RADA.COM to look up RV prices, and KBB.COM for cars, and trucks. I know going in what I am willing to pay, so their reserve don't mean squat to me! So, from now on I will just go to the local dealers here to do my "looking."It would be kinda nice to see what you are looking at before you go.


Been a little under the weather the last two days, so I haven't done anything. It's been raining and storms anyway, so it was a good time to stay in bed!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Still just hanging in!

I haven't done at lot in the last week, just going to the stores etc.
I am reading the travel blogs, and keeping up with my "groups". It seems to me that EVERYONE that has an RV is having trouble with it. Makes me wonder if I should even go back to the full time life.
This apartment complex did go up on my rent. Not a lot, but still, I want to be happy. When I moved here, the very first day, I wanted to move right back out. But I had signed the lease, and told myself I WOULD learn to be happy here. Well, I am not. The apartment is OK, but after all it is an apartment along with all the people in the hall, and having to go by their rules. It's like living in a hotel, seems like there is always some one in the hall talking, or their dogs barking, and that sets off my dog, barking! Then they keep changing the trash days, finally took out the big trash cans in the stair well, so if you miss the trash day, you have no where to put your trash until the next time there is trash pick up. I guess it is the Parking, that irks me the most. You are supposed to have a sticker, there are cars parked in the front row for weeks, with no sticker. I was told the residents only were to park there, and it you had two cars, you must park at the back of the lot where it says VISITOR parking. When you have back pain, it is hard to park so far away and cart your groceries in. It wouldn't matter if I had a bicycle, there still wouldn't be a parking space close to the entrance. I am just used to parking right in front of my rig, or behind it. I just miss my freedom!I didn't clear enough from the sale of the house to buy a house. Anything I could buy would need a lot of work. That is not for me, at my age. 
So, I am still looking and trying to decide on an RV, fifth wheel, or motorhome? I need something I can pay cash for, and that is the problem! Surely there is something out there for me.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

My pretty baby

Yesterday was "beauty shop" day for Kandi. She is so pretty, all bathed and her nails done. She looks better than I do! Wish I could go to the beauty shop, I sure need it.
While she was getting beautiful I  went shopping! We have a Burkes discount store here, I think you will find them in California, any way that is where I first went to one. They have clothing, and housewares. I always find something in their housewares department. Then on to Big Lots. I dilly dallied around there just passing time to pick up the baby, and of course made a few purchases. They have good buys on can goods, and pasta, etc. It was looking more and more like rain, was dark and gloomy with a few drops on the windshield. I don't like to drive in that kind of weather, plus my windshield is so dirty, both inside and out, it makes it harder for me to see. There is no good place here to wash my truck. When I lived in Whitney, I could do it in my drive way, but not here. I will have to take it to a place that hand washes, about $30-35 dollars. It won't fit thru the drive through car wash and I don't have the energy to do it by hand anymore.
Today the weather looks cloudy and a few sprinkles,so far. The weather forecast is for storms with small hail. Glad I don't have to get out today!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Happy Birthday to me

Well, today I am officially older than dirt!
Had a very nice day with my daughter Cherry, she brought me a pretty flower arrangement she had made, and a new handbag and matching billfold,couldn't find any bills in it though! We went out to eat and had a very good lunch. And then to Staples, I bought my birthday present to myself, a Kindle reader. It is the cheap one for $79.00, but I just wanted to read my books, not listen to music etc. Maybe later I will get into the music ones and the color is really neat too. I still haven't decided what I will do about my TV in the living room. I haven't even looked at new TVs, I keep thinking if I get another rig, it will have one. Maybe it won't, maybe I will stay here, who knows, only the shadow knows! I look terrible in this picture, it does need some retouching! But after all I am older than dirt!!!!! 

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Back to the drawing board!

After looking at the fifth wheel I thought I might like I decided there was no way I could live in it. It was another Montana, but very small. Really nice, rear kitchen, no pantry? Had a central vac. center, king size bed,(I don't need or want), a fire place!!! I would have to buy a Splendide washer/dryer, about $1000.00 plus installation. It was very nice but just not for me. So, I will keep looking. I may look at Motorhomes. Really don't want to live in one, but I have not really considered how I would do that. I know people that do, and have no trouble at all.To just make my day the TV in the living room went out. Just quit, well it's tired, it is 10 years old. I won't have it repaired, replacement, maybe. I have one in the bedroom, so I am not desperate. 
Today is Saturday, and I had planned to go looking at RV's, but now I am really not in the mood. 
I stopped yesterday at Chicken Xpress and got a three pc. order of fish. Couldn't believe it was $8.00! It was very good, and had a lot more than three pieces. For that money I could have eaten at a nice restaurant. I enjoyed it, so I guess it was worth it, I don't eat out often, and was tired and needed to eat as I had missed my lunch. Well, back to my cleaning.