Family get togethers

We have thoroughly enjoyed getting together with family and friends. Sue, Mike and boys had us down for Sunday dinner after church. Then we met Arthur, Herb and Sue and other friends for dinner that same evening. The next evening was spent with Susie and Al over a lovely chicken dinner. We do miss getting together with our family and the week here seems to fly by.

The motor home saga continues, and we are trying to get everything updated mechanically. Hopefully we will get it back late Tuesday afternoon. Right now we are waiting for a phone call to go and get it. The bill will be horrendous, but all should be fixed and later travels smooth. Time will tell. There is always something to fix when it comes to the coach.

Yesterday I also had my hearing tested and Thursday about 5:00 pm will be fitted for hearing aids. My hearing has deteriorated significantly this past year, with more loss in the left ear than the right. I have been putting this off for some time and hope that the aids will truly be an aid. I always said that I would get them when I am old so, I guess old has arrived. Happy travels.

Maintenance needed on the coach

We went to a favorite restaurant for breakfast, Loyola's. We have been going there for at least twenty years and not only had good food but fun visiting with old friends, as well. After that we checked out our motor home problems with an RV repair place and discovered that we really need to take it to Freightliner, which is also located here. We drove there and will take the coach in for work on Monday or Tuesday morning early. They will look into the battery problem which could also be alternator or belts. Since the belts have never been changed, we will get that done and any other work that is necessary. Then we should be good to be on the road.

Having gotten all of these arrangements completed, we stopped for flu shots at Walgreen's and then groceries for dinner. Andy wanted his Grammy to make cheesy potatoes, and so, of course, she did. When you add steak and salad, you have a good meal. She also made a Key Lime pie for dessert. Kait came home from college for dinner. After we got cleaned up, mostly thanks to Michelle, we played several noisy card games and then headed home for bed. I had an allergy attack probably due to chamisa in the back yard. Happy travels.

We arrive in Albuquerque

By mid afternoon we arrived in Albuquerque, unhooked the car, and backed the coach into Jerry's large driveway. Several years ago he had installed electricity in the garage so that we could park in the drive and hook up. There is also water and sewer available. It makes for a great arrangement, and we can see kids and grands and then sleep in our own bed but not take someone else out of their bedroom.

On the way here from Carlsbad after about 70 miles the battery light again came on, so that problem has not been solved. We either have bad batteries that are not holding a charge or an alternator that is not charging correctly. This will have to be fixed before we move onward.

We also ran into a significant crosswind that kept me busy steering to stay on the road. The roads were good but boring, as generally they are straight and straighter. We did gradually climb up to about 6000 feet elevation and drove through the Tijeras Pass into Albuquerque. Weather here is pleasant and cooling off at night. No air conditioner needed.

Marlene cooked dinner with Jerry doing the honors on the grill. He had picked up our son Scott on the way home from work so it was good to see both boys. Andy and I made some attempts to play ping pong. It was quite fun as several dogs tried to shag balls and did not want to give them up. Max had a good time with their two dogs Shadow and Foolish. He was quite tired by evening and glad to sleep in his own bed. Max is not quite sure what is happening, but he does like to get up in my driver's seat and has only honked the horn twice. He did it once yesterday while I was getting diesel and washing windows. I didn't jump but wanted to. The guy next to me wanted to know if the dog did it and then laughed. Happy travels.

We are on our way

We have begun this stage of our travels. It was sprinkling as we hooked up but lightly, so it was really not a problem. We settled up our bills with the park and Rian and hooked up the car to the motor home and headed out with a fine mist keeping our windshield damp. A quick stop for diesel fuel, and then I-10 beckoned, and we headed west. I do not know about you, but when we are traveling I keep a mental picture of west or whatever direction, to insure that I do not get going in the wrong direction, which I have done on occasion. We stopped in Ft. Stockton only to discover that the usual place where we get diesel had been closed for good. However, we quickly found another place and filled up.

To keep things exciting a battery light popped on, and after a bit of research we started the generator to keep the batteries charging. This worked, but when we stopped in Carlsbad for the night, we fortunately were next to an RV repair shop, and the men there came over to our park and tested the batteries, noticing some significant corrosion on the terminals. Since we had not really moved the coach for two years, this was not a big surprise. Did you know that a small amount of Coca Cola will remove much of this corrosion? Makes you wonder what is in a Coke. We left the batteries getting a charge from our trickle charger and went back to town to Danny's for barbecue. The men at the RV repair place had recommended Danny's, and they were right. The sauce was a vinegar base and excellent. The meat was well trimmed and not fat at all. It was an excellent meal.

Home, showers, a bit of television, and bed beckoned. A good first day of traveling. We did follow the guide of not going faster than 65 miles per hour as recommended in the car's handbook. As we begin this period of traveling, we find that we are not in a hurry. Happy travels.

Saying good by

Yesterday was another day for saying goodbye to good friends. Gloria and Clayton hosted us and Clyde and Dori for a goodbye lunch at the Inn of the Hills. We spent a lovely hour and a half eating from their wonderful buffet. They even had brisket that was cooked properly, that is, not burned to a crisp like one of my recent efforts. Conversation flowed, and we learned that Clyde and Dori are still planning to go to the Dakota's for the beet harvest and then might travel to Tennessee or the Carolina's either to look for land or other work camping jobs. Clyde thinks that a work camping job should only last 4-6 months, which allows them to really see the area and then move on. I agree with this assessment.

Gloria and Clayton were perfect hosts and have become such good friends. We hate to leave them but know we will keep in touch. They are enjoying their latest grand baby and showed us very cute pictures. Dori and Clyde have a grand baby too, but they haven't seen it yet, as they were flying back here when the birth occurred.

Having eaten our way through the buffet, we then joined Lois and Dave for dinner at Mamacita's. This non-stop talking thing was continued, and time flew by with them, as well. We managed to eat, and wonder of wonders, I had gained some more pounds today. No one forced me to eat. I had better get back on my diet and quick. We will keep in touch with all of these friends through email, and who knows when our paths will cross again. Happy travels.

The American

Recently we went to see the movie The American starring George Clooney. I was expecting an action movie of the James Bond type and so began to wonder exactly what I was seeing. I then decided that it was more like the Le Carre spy novels that had many layers, and you were expected to be able to understand or peel back all of the layers. There was a love scene in the movie that was QUITE explicit in that the woman was there in ALL of her glory. George's character was in good shape for a man of 50 or so years. I should be so lucky. At the end, which I will not divulge to you, we were left quite surprised. As we exited from the movie, we began to talk about various parts of it. I was quite surprised to learn that the female in the movie was actually two females. Where was I? Apparently I noticed her physical attributes and never looked at clothing, when she had any on, or her hair, or....... Did I mention that she was in all of her glory? Go to see this movie knowing that it is more of a head thing, not so much action, and that there are two women in it, not one. You might want to go see this one, Ron, and Julie, you, too! Happy travels.

You might be a senior if .......

In the tradition of Jeff Foxworthy, I would like to comment occasionally on what it is like to be a senior citizen. I would appreciate all suggestions and additions. So please join in.

You might be a senior if you are slowly driving down the road, got passed by a man in a hurry who waved a finger, and you wondered if he was a member of the Woodcarvers of America since he apparently had only one finger left on that hand.

You might be a senior if you went into your living room, forgot what you were there for, and returned to the kitchen where you started and then forgot where you had been.

You might be a senior if you overheard something about the President died and you stopped to remember that FDR died and what you were doing when your learned of his death.

You might be a senior if you wonder why everyone mumbles. If they would only speak up and speak clearly these days, you could hear them, too. Oh well, just make up what you thought they said.

You might be a senior if you try to answer your new cell phone commenting, "How do you answer this thing?" and get the reply from your wife, "Try 'Hello!'' "

Hope you enjoyed these. If you send me some suggestions by email or comment on the blog, I will try to add more in the future. Thanks and happy travels.