Monday, December 12, 2005

I was up extremely early this morning at 3:30 and decided I would write my Journal and publish everything to the website.  I got it all done and still had time to take a nap before my honey rolled out.

We ran out of LP Gas sometime last night and it was actually warm enough all night that we didn't need the furnace.  I was covered up with a Mexican Blanket, and in my recliner, when Sharon got up.

The trains that were going by and concerning Sharon had stopped during the night as I had predicted, but the moron parked directly in front of us ran his generator all night.  So I guess there's always a trade-off when you park in Wal-Mart for the night.

We were about 40 miles from Casa Grande and it would take us about an hour to get there.  We had to stop in Eloy at the Flying J for propane and then continue on to our campground, Desert Shadows.  We arrived about 10 and settled in to one of our usual sites.

We called Jayce Dale, our friend from home, who we had carried some items in the trunk of our car, out for.  Apparently she had been close because she stopped over to the campground about 10 minutes later.  We helped her transfer all the stuff from our trunk to their car and they were on their way in 25 minutes.  Jayce had stopped over with her friend Ann in her car.

After they left we gave Jerry and Mary Milan a call and found out they would be shopping until later this afternoon so we decided we would also do some shopping until they came home.  Before we left, Bob and Bonnie Barr from home stopped over and surprised us.  They had told us they might see us here, but sometimes our paths cross without us even knowing.  It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.  We talked for awhile and then they left for home and we left for Wal-Mart.

We had to pick up some groceries and some Christmas "stuff" for our decorations in the motorhome.  It didn't take us long and we were back.

After we got back and Sharon finished her decorations we stopped over at Casa Verde Estates where Jerry and Mary were at and stayed for a few hours.  We've become very close to them over the past few years and enjoyed our cruise with them two years ago, very much.

We stayed for supper and ordered a couple of pizzas from just down the street.  When we left we arranged to meet in the morning at JB's for Breakfast.  We called Bob and Bonnie after arriving home and they decided they would like to come along and they would pick us up in the morning.  I love it when a plan comes together.

Sharon checked e-mail tonight and logged on to the internet to check weather for tomorrow and do a couple of things with the Credit Union.  I watched Seinfeld from the couch and then left her to turn out all the Christmas lights.  It had been a lovely day for sure. 

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

After sleeping til 8 o'clock this morning I was relieved to have had the extra sleep.  I had gotten up at 3:30 yesterday wide awake and with no gas for the furnace.  It was still relatively warm inside so I just covered up with a blanket and sat in my recliner.

We got ourselves ready and Bo and Bonnie picked us up and we set out for JB's where we met Jerry and Mary Milan.  Jerry had had his medical treatment and arrived almost at the same time that we did.  We went in and had a fabulous Breakfast like I suspected we would.  After we were done Jerry and Mary invited Bob and Bonnie to have Dinner with us (4) at the Elks Club tomorrow night.  Bob and Bonnie agreed it sounded good if they were still here.  They would find out later that Western Horizon wouldn't give them any more days under Passport unless they sat through the presentation.

Sharon decided that she would do some of the laundry today and I figured I would try to wash at least half of the motorhome.  When talked to the office on the phone yesterday day they said I would have 24 hours on the wash permit.  Well I found out that they meant 1 day.  It seems like the same thing except that 24 hours could have meant 24 consecutive hours over two days.  It seems like just a minor descrepancy but a descrepancy never-the-less.  Oh well, I'll do it on a day that I can start in the morning instead.

One of the times that Sharon came back from doing laundry she put on shorts.  And of course not to be outdone, I did too.  I also helped her carry back a good portion of the laundry on my trip over to the office and back.  When she was done we sat outside and had a beer sitting in the sun.  She told me that NOW she was on vacation.

Bob and Bonnie stopped over in the late afternoon and told us that they would be moving on to Yuma in the morning but they would be at the Agua Caliente casino for Breakfast on the 28th of this month.  We told them that Phil and Joyce Bach would be down at that time and they would get a chance to see them then.  They stayed over talking til just after 6 and I thought I saw Denny and Sue Gosser drive into the park while we were talking.  We'll have to check the park tomorrow and see if I was seeing things or not.  This is getting to be old home week here.

After the Barrs left we settled in for Spaghetti and Becco's Sausage along with a lettuce salad for Supper.  It was very good and we washed it all down with some wine.  Afterward we settled in to watch some tube and Sharon got on the internet at 9 and checked e-mail and did some business at the Credit Union.  I checked my website right after and found that my Domain was coming up someone else's site.  Man, it's always something.  I sent an e-mail to GoDaddy.com to find out "What the Hell."

We both folded up our tents at 11 and hit the trail for the feathery kingdom shortly thereafter.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

We got going washing the motorhome today but it was a complete waste of time.  By mid-morning we got a phone call from our daughter Jennifer insinuating that we (I) am an uncaring son-of-a -bitch whose Mother is in the hospital, and needs attention and I'm not there to provide it.  There was actually no mention of the fact that she fell a week ago, and is now under wonderful care, according to my Mother, and improving daily.  There was no mention of the fact that all of her medical needs are being taken care of by professionals and that we receive almost daily updates on her condition.  I have therefore decided to return home for the winter and  If they think I'm an uncaring SOB now, they can't even imagine how insensitive I can be between now and the 1st of May of next year.  Surly doesn't even begin to describe how pissed off I am.  But I'll go home because THEY think I should.  It doesn't make one Tinker's Damn what I want, or think because Sharon agrees with THEM.  So everyone can just pucker-up and kiss my big fat ass.

For Dinner tonight we went to the Elks with Jerry and Mary Milan and at least had one last good time before we head to the frozen tundra.

This whole situation may be our last trip west, or for that matter, at all.  We have never traveled from the warm into the cold before.  We don't know how to do it.  We may end up with frozen pipes in any one of a number of places in the motorhome.  Under the floor, in the water heater, in the toilet are just of couple of places that come to mind.  The places that I'm not thinking about are the ones that worry me.  If we end up with major damage our traveling days are over.

Jerry and Mary wanted us to let them know what's going to happen, and when, as we parted last night.  I don't see much point in delaying our  departure from this point on, so we'll probably leave over the next day or so.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Yesterday's entry in the Journal may have been a little hasty but the situation has not changed significantly.  Sharon still needs to talk to the kids before we make any decisions.  We've exchanged e-mails over the day and attitudes have been tempered somewhat.

I spent a good portion of the morning getting our stuff together and preparing to head back home.  I see absolutely no urgency to go but I'm in the minority.

We had Tamales for Supper tonight and I wasn't impressed.  I guess Tamales are not going to be a favorite Mexican food for me.  And not for Sharon either apparently.  We still have 6 left of the dozen she bought at church 2 weeks ago.  We'll choke them down somehow.

I e-mailed all day today to save my Domain name of www.Goin-South.com to no avail.  They want me to pay $80 to preserve it because it's expired.  It's a long story and they can kiss my ass for the $80.  Normally it costs $8.95 to renew it.  Nuff said.

We watched TV for the night and all of the shows were repeats.  So far I can't believe what a wonderful time I've been having this year.  I almost want to do this every year.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Sharon talked to Jessica this morning and nothing has changed, except that my sister Cookie is flying in tomorrow to get my mother settled in to the Nursing Home.  Jessica still wants to know if we're coming home and when.  Exactly what we're supposed to accomplish by going home I don't know.  Everything is being taken care of that seems to be necessary and I really don't know what my presence would add to that.

We went to Wal-Mart and picked up our pictures today and on the way we stopped at Long John Silver's and had some fish stuff.  Sharon had a fish Dinner and I had a fish sandwich.  We had eaten there once last year ad the fish was delicious as it was again today.  After picking up our pictures we headed to the dollar store to pick up a few items that Sharon promised to Nicole and Brady.  We usually get them sticker-books and then send them stickers every month.  It looks like this year we'll be able to deliver them in person.

Jayce Dale called this afternoon and wanted to know if we wanted to go out for Karaoke tonight at McMashers Sports Bar.  We figured we needed a little entertainment so we agreed to meet them (She and Ann) there at 9:30.

For Dinner tonight we had Chicken and Broccoli in a Garlic Alfredo Sauce, Salad and Garlic Bread and a couple of Cocktails to finish it off. 

We sat and watched TV until 9 and then got ready and went out.  Jayce and I didn't sing any songs and we all just sat there and talked. The music was quite loud and we had a hard time talking but we were there until about midnight before we all decided to go home.

It was a little chilly outside by the time we got home.  It looks like the water will freeze tonight.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

The water was a little stiff but it ran almost immediately after turning it on.  Sharon was up early so that she could go to the clubhouse with her Bookmarks, Breadcoths and Dishcloths to sell.  She had to pay $5 for a table and sold 2 - $1.25 Bookmarks.  It does not seem like a good way to keep our heads above water.  Actually she only makes them for something to do so any money she makes off them is just icing on the cake.  I stopped over to the clubhouse and she was disgusted.  I guess I don't blame her.  Getting up early for nothing is not her forte'.  And the things that she makes are cheap enough for cordial Christmas Gifts.

The "come home right now" hysteria has seemed to have calmed somewhat in the past couple of days.  We'll decide what we're going to do after my sister flies back to Virginia on Wednesday, but the way it looks right now we won't be going home anytime soon.  At least not until after the first of the year.  For the present we'll continue our schedule as planned until something changes drastically.

Sharon was cooking most of the afternoon in order to invite Jerry and Mary over for Dinner tonight.  She was making Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread and a little Becco's Sausage.  She also picked up a Banana Cream Pie.

I was working on the newsletter for the afternoon and managed to get a couple more stories done.  It should be finished early this month, and we should be able to get it out before the postage increase.

Sharon went to church this afternoon, and as soon as she got out, Jerry and Mary arrived.  We had a very nice Dinner and this would pretty much be our last chance to get together this year, especially with the turmoil going on at home.  With us leaving on Monday there just won't be any time to get together again.  They left about 10:30 tonight and Sharon got on the computer and Bill got on the bed.  I was tired and I didn't even hear her come in the bedroom.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Sharon got up this morning and talked me into a big Breakfast.  She doesn't usually do that but she did today.  I was game for it.

We had Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits and Gravy and sausage.  It was absolutely fabulous and really hit the spot.

No sooner did we get done eating and Jerry and Mary showed up with Krispy Kreme Donuts. They wanted us to see the letter that Jerry got from his doctor showing evidence that Jerry was an Atomic Soldier.  He was an unknowing volunteer during one of the nuclear blasts that was set off years ago.  It would be our last chance to see it until April when we come back, if we're still out west then.

They stayed for about a half hour and then we said our good-byes and watched them leave for home.

Sharon decided that today would be "laundry day" so while she was cooking Breakfast I sorted the clothes for the laundry.

I fixed Sharon's closet rod after she got back and then the rest of the day pretty much just laid around and watched a little tube.  The Packers play on Monday night so we didn't a game on today.  We may not even have a game on Monday night.  We'll just have to wait and see.

We took down the Christmas decorations inside and outside the motorhome and put them in the trunk of the car.  Since they were going back up again when we get to Catalina Spa and RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs there was no reason to put them under the bed and back in storage.

We had leftover Lasagna for supper tonight and it was still fabulous.  We even had the leftover Banana Cream Pie which was obviously still pretty good.

We settled in for TV for the night, since we'll be leaving in the morning, there's no point in making any plans with anybody for the night.  We had planned on stopping in to see Jayce, but she went up to San Manuel today and we don't know when she'll be back.

We'll be content to just sit and watch a couple of favorite shows tonight.