Thursday, March 13, 2008

Day 74: FIRST Installment....no internet last night

As I said, no internet last night....or tv. So......here is yesterday's (Wednesday) written post.


OMG……THIS was one of those days here in the RGV that are soooooo few and far between……..upper 70’s with easy, soft breezes out of the south that kept the newly hatched bugs away from the sagging hulk of me. Ohhhhh, if only ALL the days could be sooooo grand and enjoyable like the one that we experienced today…..all day.

I was up at 6:30 this morning……yep, it was STILL dark outside…..DAMN!!! However, after my early morning rituals (and I attempted to be as quiet as possible), I went downstairs, made my coffee, and then after a quick mug full, I left for my appointment in Donna to have an oil change, fuel filter change, and everything checked out in preparation for the upcoming trip……as we gradually, gradually work our way northwards.

I was the first appt. and by 8:45 I was on the highway returning to the resort. The 1st Lady was about ready to leave for her Line Dancing class by the time I returned…… While she was gone, I straightened up inside TheHowserHouse….and then I finished what I had begun yesterday…..I washed all of the windows to get the water spots, dust, etc. off of them. This took about 45 minutes, but they look good NOW……

Then we decided to go to Gonzales’ for one last time to eat their marvelous and HUGE hamburgers and onion rings. OMG…….it has been a month since I had been there and I had forgotten just how LARGE, BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC their hamburgers are!!!!!! And…..they are sooooo damn tasty, juicy, wonderful!!!! Just a wonderful hamburger that cannot be found anyplace else…..and I will miss having access to such a great little place!!! IF….for some ungodly reason you have not been there…….go to Donna, take the Main Street south until you reach Silver Street, turn left/east on Silver….and drive a few blocks until you see ALL THE CARS parked around a building that has no sign to identify it, and you will have arrived at Gonzales’ Hamburgers!! Trust me on this…..you will not be sorry for having made the trip for one of their incredible hamburgers!!!

We returned to the resort…..and soon we were on our way up a couple of blocks to the pool…..where we spent all afternoon enjoying the perfect weather, a perfect pool, and some great conversation with friends who were there.

BUT…..just as we were leaving for the pool we notice off to the southeast the dark smoke rising……the sure sign of sugar cane fields being burned for the new crop. AND…..the bright blue sky was littered with small, stringy bits of black ash from the burning of the cane!!!! Looking up at the sky, it appeared that there were black birds floating through the sky…..and then this ash began to settle down over the resort…..AND, on top of my freshly washed white rubber roof of TheHowserHouse!!!! EGADS!!!!! Not a damn thing I could do about it……the ash fell on top of us, crumbled and left it’s nasty black mark on everything!!!! SHIT!! I couldn’t believe it…..and neither could a lot of people who have also recently washed their RV’s.

The pool was also becoming inundated with all of the ash……and it didn’t crumble in the pool unless you touched it…….sure glad I am not the “pool boy” and have to clean this all out. Oh well……….such are the tiny problems of Life!
We had a quick bite to eat….and then picked up Ron and Linda……and off we went, west, to McAllen to the Peppermint Palace for over two hours of wonderful square dancing…….and what appears to be the last time we will get to dance while we are here the remainder of this week. It was just GREAT…….the caller is tremendous….the tempo of the dances was really FAST……and we had such fantastic fun with everyone. There were seven squares……and most of those dancing we now know from attending so many dances the past 2.5 months.

By the end of the evening, we were all on such a natural “high” from the fun and the activity and …….just the great fun of dancing together successfully. We said our “goodbyes” as we parted company with so many friends from around the RGV who are “Winter Texans”…….Winter Square Dancing Texans!!! As always we have become close to several couples and it will be strange to not see them almost every day……and we will certainly miss them!!!! Charlie and Kathy(who left Monday), Danny and Donna (who left last week)Tom and Pat(who left last week), Ron and Sandy, Linda and Ron, Doug and Diane, Don and Millie, Don and Maria, Gayle and Lillian, Larry and Millie…..and many others whose names would make a very long list.

A quick 30 minute drive back to the resort…..only to find that the cable tv AND the internet services were down and out!!! Hmmmmm……..not happy about this, but then it is just part of this Life of instant communications that we have adjusted to over the years….and things do go out from time to time.

Tomorrow…….who knows???? No certain plans just yet…….. Today was great….just super!!! And,…….it only makes it more certain for me that…….

LIFE REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!

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