Monday, April 20, 2009

We got a leisurely start this morning even though we had a couple of things to do today, including getting ready to leave for Branson tomorrow.  First of all, we made a visit to the Clubhouse for Breakfast.  We had our usual Belgian Waffle and coffee and juice.  This is a really nice touch for a campground and it doesn't seem to cost much.  The 3 times that we've been over there there was only a handful of people in a seemingly crowded campground.

After Breakfast we headed toward the town of Beaumont to do a little sightseeing.  Our first stop was at Lamar University and the home of the Spindletop gusher.  The spindletop is an oil derrick replica that shoots water 120 feet into the air.  Unfortunately the museum is closed on Mondays so we could only see the derrick, and not see how it works.

From there we headed toward town the long way.  We took the scenic tour not realizing how far the Spindletop was from town and we were looking for the Beaumont Fire Museum and the 24 foot tall Fire Hydrant painted in the colors of a Dalmation.  We took our outside pictures and then we ventured inside the museum.  I even managed to see some things that I had never seen before.  The wooden pompier ladders that hung from the ceiling come immediately to mind.  By the time we finished at the museum we were ready for lunch.  We got a recommendation from the lady working at the Fire Museum.

Suga's was the next stop for lunch.  It was a very elegant place and the food was quite good indeed.  I had a Shrimp Poboy and Sharon had a Crawfish and Artichoke concoction that came with Penne noodles in a cream Sauce.  We could only eat half and we took the other half back home for later.  Later, of course, would be tomorrow or the next day.

When we got home it was time to check out the few problems we had the other day on the road.  Aside from the monsoon rain that was falling we also had problem with the generator putting out any power.  After it dried out today I reset the breakers, and started it up, and it seemed to perform just as it was supposed to.  I put the battery Charger on the engine battery and left it there until we went to bed at 10.

Dennis and Mary got back from Mary's son Curtis about 3:30 or so.  We stopped over there for a couple of beers, me not so much, but Sharon had my share.  Everyone knew that I had to leave before "24" came on the tube tonight, and about 10 minutes before eight I packed up myself and headed home.  Sharon came with me but she could have stayed.  I was glad she came home however as Jessica called and gave us the medical report for her pregnancy.

As usual, "24" left me hanging and wanting more by the time the end of the show rolled around.

At the end of the night we both headed for the sleep chamber at 10 since we would be getting up early tomorrow to get ready to leave for Branson.  Besides there was nothing else left to watch.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

We made a leisurely exit this morning right after we went to the Clubhouse with Dennis and Mary for Breakfast.  We had our usual Belgian Waffle and I also had a Blueberry Bagel.  I think we made it to the road by 9:30, but it really didn't matter, because we weren't going to make it to Branson today anyway.  We'd get about halfway before we would stop for the night.  Our planned stop would be in Malvern, Arkansas but we'll see how far we really get.

The stay at Gulf Coast RV was a really pleasant one since we had friends here and we had never stopped at Beaumont before.  The free Continental Breakfast every morning was a nice touch and a great way to start out the day.  We had a very nice visit with Dennis and Mary even though it was short.  Except for the first day they were busy every day so we didn't get to spend much time with them, but the time we did spend, was very enjoyable.  We also got to do a little sightseeing while we were here.  Although most of the roads are torn up in town we did get a feeling for the town with what we did see.  The "oil" derrick at Spindletop would have been fun to see gush, but it wasn't to be.  Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men just flop in the execution.

Our day on the road today was pretty uneventful since everything was back in working order again.  The generator problem was corrected by resetting the breakers when the unit was off rather than running.  I gave the battery a good charge before we left Gulf Coast and that didn't seem to create a problem.

We arrived in the Malvern Wal-Mart about 4:30 and there were loads of Semis in the lot.  There must have been 20 parked and resting and not looking like they were going anywhere soon.  So we mosied around and found ourselves a spot for the night and settled in.

We watched TV until about 8 and then fired up the generator to recharge the batteries that we had used up until that point.  By the time 10 rolled around we were both exhausted enough to go directly to bed, do not pass GO, and do not collect $200.  It had been a long day and we were ready to sleep it off.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

We were up early this morning but we didn't get on the road til about 9:30 headed toward Branson, MO.  We are now back into the insects again as it took a while to clean the dirty windshield.  It was way past my little scrubber and it's matching squeegee, as I had to break out my motorhome washing brush and a bucket of water.

After we got rolling, we both got a little hungry after about an hour of driving, and we found a very convenient Cracker Barrel to stop at for Breakfast.

By the time we decided what we were going to eat it was narrowed down to the "skillets" and Sharon had Ham and Cheese and I had Sausage.  Both were very good.  After about an hour for the stop, we were back on the road again.

Highway 65 that we took up from I-40 was a little 2-lane road that went through a host of tiny towns and villages.  I enjoy taking these little roads as long as the pavement is good, and this one was.  We got a chance to take the scenic route even if it was only for about a hundred miles.

We arrived in Branson about 2:30 and had to take "the strip" into our campground after having missed the road we wanted to take in.  We were happy that the traffic was not necessarily that busy.  We got to our campground without any trouble, and after a fashion, we were settled in and ready for a post-travel beer or two.  When we arrived the sign outside the campground flashed that it was 84 degrees outside and it was also quite humid.  It took a while to cool off the inside of the coach even though we had the "engine air" running all the time we were driving today.

We checked out the brochures that Sharon picked up from the office and called the Oak Ridge Boys Theater to see if there were any tickets available for their show in the next couple of days.  There were, and we reserved them for tomorrow night.

We had a DiGiorno's Pizza for Supper tonight.  We acquired a taste for them this winter.  They just seem to go down very well every once in a while.

After Supper we settled in front of the TV even though there was a good possibility there was going to be a nap taken sometime tonight.  After a couple of beers, a good pizza and my recliner were made available it seemed that a nap was almost inevitable.

Sharon was off at 10 but I hung in there until 11 before I finally gave up the ghost and headed for the feathers.  I never did take a nap tonight which surprised me.  Oh well, maybe I'll take two tomorrow.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

We had a plan for Breakfast this morning, but not much after that.  We researched our options and found that the best choice for us might be the Plantation Restaurant Buffet.  It was actually quite good and we had a very nice meal.  There wasn't a lot of selection, but what do you expect for $4.99

After Breakfast we drove around looking for something to do and Sharon finally settled on a huge Craft Mall close to the campground.  I waited in the car as I really didn't feel like wandering around a Craft Mall for the next 45 minutes or however long it took her.  I didn't mind sitting in the car and it was much easier on the ole' leg anyway.

After the Mall we came back home and meandered toward our usual nap areas.  It seemed like there was a little snooze in store for the both of us.

We had Bratwurst and Fried Potatoes for Supper tonight.  We usually grill the Bratwurst but in this case it was much too warm outside to get out the grill and cook them.  Supper was at least as good as our Breakfast Buffet.

We watched our usual TV until 7 o'clock tonight and then we left for the Oak Ridge Boys Theater to catch the 8 o'clock show.  The show was very good but we were struck by how much the group had aged.  HELLOOO, isn't everybody getting older?  They looked like a rag-tag bunch of senior citizens.  But their music is still first rate.

We got out of the show at 10:30 and spent the next half hour finding our way home.  We left the parking lot out the back way and got onto a road we weren't familiar with.  Eventually we just drove toward the lights and found our way back again.

Sharon headed to bed as soon as we got home but I stayed up to watch CSI before I got the urge to retire.  It didn't take long after the program was over for me to fold up my tent also.  Tomorrow will be another day.

Friday, April 24, 2009

We had nothing on the agenda today except to go to Joe's Crab Shack and eat lunch.  We got a leisurely start this morning by having Breakfast at home and then Sharon planned on giving the Big Guy a trimming.  So I sat and sweated for a half hour while she cut my hair.  It was already getting warm outside and it look like it'll be another hot day.  It's not that the temp is that warm but the humidity is quite high.

By 1 o'clock the little Mrs. was "starving to death" so we headed out for Branson Landing and lunch.  We rode the Trolley for about 2 blocks before we jumped off at the Joe's Crab Shack stop.  We had been here once before in December on our way out West.  We ordered our usual King Crab Bucket and sat for the next hour, cracking and picking Crab out of the shell.  It's such a hoot to fight for your lunch and the Crab is just excellent.  Our waitress was a Royal "pain in the ass" as she came back to the table about 20 times while we were trying to eat.  She meant well, but she definitely overdid the "good waitress" thing.  A couple of visits to the table would have been more than adequate.

After lunch we were sitting on a bench waiting for the Trolley and Al Roker, the TV weatherman walked by.  He was in town for the Great American Pie Show sponsored by the Taste of Home people.  Sharon immediately jumped up and wanted her picture taken with him.  So being the good husband that I am, I obliged her.  He was quite agreeable to the imposition.  He was just walking along with his ipod, minding his own business except for the people who recognized him.

After our chance encounter, we hopped onto the Trolley and took it for the full circle.  We checked out all the stores and Sharon decided to stop at the Five and Dime.  We jumped off at the stop closest to the store and we went inside.  It didn't take me long to figure out that I wasn't interested in anything inside.  I went out and sat on a bench and waited, just watching the people go by.  One of my favorite things to do.

By the time we left The Landing it was about 4 o'clock and time to go home.  We got home in time for a couple of shows I like on TV including Glenn Beck and Special Report.  After that is Jeopardy and "Wheel".

We were fending for ourselves for Supper since neither of us had an urge for anything special.  We had a couple of good shows on tight even though we were able to attend a show in  the Magic Theater for free.  We opted out of the free show and sat at home and TV'ed instead.  Prison Break, Flashpoint and Numbers kept us very entertained for the night.

Although Sharon caved at 10, I stayed up until about 11 cause I wasn't tired enough to fall asleep at 10.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

We were off this morning for another Buffet Breakfast.  They have a tremendous number of buffets here and we plan to hit at least a few of them.  Peppercorn's would be our first destination for the day.  We had a coupon for a dollar off so why not use it.  We're all for a good deal.  The food at Pepporcorn's was very good and we were "happy as clams" as we left there to head for Wal-Mart and some shopping.  We had to take a very round-a-bout way to get there to avoid the strip.  We had a few things that we wanted to pick up and we wanted to go to the Supercenter.  We also noticed that the parking lot had not been posted against RV parking..........yet.  We did our shopping and then we were back on the road to our campground. 

We had to stop at the office to pay for our campsite for the next couple of days.  By the time we leave we will have spent our maximum of 7 days here.

We sat around this afternoon just watching the NASCAR race and napping.  Sharon cut up the watermelon that we bought at Wal-Mart and put it in a bowl on the countertop.  She does that to force me to eat it.  She's always trying to choke fruit and vegetables down me.  I'm going to be healthy even if it kills her.

She was off to church about 4 and I explained the easiest way to get there.  When she got back at 6 she explained how she got there.  In the end it was the exact way I told her but she went about it a little haphazardly.  First she tried to make it there down the strip, but when the traffic refused to move she turned around and went down the Red Route. She was a little sheepish when she told me about it when she got back.  She said she couldn't remember what I told her.

I also had the air conditioner on when she got back.  We fought turning it on all day yesterday and we were both warm sitting here watching TV last night.  As soon as she left for church I cranked it up and she teased me about it.  I didn't care, I wasn't sitting here sweating two days in a row.  So I solved the problem before it reared it's ugly head.

We watched TV tonight in relative comfort, eating watermelon and just enjoying ourselves immensely.  There weren't any good shows on tonight but we surfed until we found something to watch.  We mostly tuned in to TruTV and watched that for the night.  They've usually always got shows on the showing The Dumbest.......whatever.  We both folded our tents at 10 and headed south.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

We had nothing planned today so we decided that we would have a big Breakfast of our own this morning.  We had decided that we would have Omelettes, Bacon, Hash Browns and Toast.  And it was all very good.

By post-Breakfast time it looked like we were going to have another hot and muggy day.  We had the "air" on again today by noon while we watched the NASCAR Race at Talledega, Alabama.  There were a couple of Multi-car pileups during the race, and including an accident almost at the finish line, which changed the order of finish.  It was all quite exciting indeed.

We just a sat around and relaxed for most of the day, except for those times that we were making phone calls to friends and family.  Sharon had made a call to Dennis and Mary Ceshker to see if they planned on stopping here in Branson on their way through.  They played phone tag for most of the day until they finally talked to each other around suppertime.  They seem to be just passing through when they come by.

We settled in front of the tube tonight for a "not so exciting" night.  I guess we had all the excitement we were going to have watching the stock  car race this afternoon.  Sharon went to bed at 10 and I stayed up til 10:30 watching Seinfeld before I also retired for the evening.