When we will meet again??
Friday, August 19, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
It's OFF......and it is weaker and more painful than expected
Yep.....that's right.....I no longer have to wear a damn garbage bag on my arm when I take a shower!! But....I am still a bit disabled.....my fingers are so stiff that I cannot close my fist, I cannot yet bend my wrist up very far at all, nor down for that matter, and it STILL appears to be swollen at the wrist when compared to my good ole leftie(I will never criticize my left hand again.....it did soooo much for me over the past 8 weeks). So, I am a bit depressed, to say the least.
The orthopedic guy told me to "be sure I don't have to put a lot of pressure on my hand, wrist, arm" over the next two weeks.....in other words, "don't fall again". Then he gave me some exercises to do......but not until after the next two weeks. I knew it would be weak, however I never thought it would be quite as painful as it is......in some positions. I have been squeezing a rubber ball off and on all afternoon....attempting to regain 100% use of my fingers....think they are just stiff from lack of motion for two months. BUT.....if the wrist continues to give me trouble, well......I will return to some Dr for some advice and help. It is THAT important to me......I need as much range of motion, in all directions, as I can get from a Dr. or physical therapist.
Don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this. Oh well, hell......surely it isn't just old age, is it??? But....."Success comes in CANS....Failure comes in can'ts".......right?????? I WILL play that black grand piano sitting in my living room again!!!
TheHowserHouse HAS to get back on a stricter low cal diet......I actually didn't gain any weight during the first 7 weeks of our journey out west, BUT after the next 2 weeks wandering around here in Missouri and over to Indiana, I gained FOUR lbs.......and that HAS to GO!!!! And it WILL!!!! I have some travels to make next month and during the fall and the winter and the spring and......forever, and I will not put on weight while eating at the wonderful local eateries.
We are beginning to discuss the Christmas vacation from school, and where we will head off to. The 1st Lady has a trip yet to plan and execute for October with her sister......to some exotic island, or perhaps down to Mexico's beaches. I have to go over to Indiana (New Castle..just 35 east of Indianapolis) for the warranty repair on the RV the day after Labor Day weekend. Then in late Sept we are going to attend the Central Division Rally of the Cedar Creek RV Club down at Branson for 3-4 days. Thanksgiving???....well, it is always soooo expensive to fly somewhere over those four days that we may not go anywhere "special" during that long weekend. I really need to take a few days and run over to Wash DC area to visit a cousin whom I think soooo much of, and who is fighting a battle with liver cancer.....not certain just when as of yet.
In Jan or Feb or March, I will most likely make my winter pilgrimage to Arizona to thaw out from Missouri's cruel winter. Not certain if I will drive or fly this time.....??? Will have to see how the gas prices and airline fares compare.... We usually go to Miami Beach for the Easter break, but with Jay now living in Indiana I'm not certain if we will go down there or not..........might just go anyway, as we absolutely love it there!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahhhhh, the mind wanders while sitting here writing about what is ahead and around the bend......I don't even need "coffee table travel books" as I can visualize the places where I want/need to go, and will go. (Success comes in Can's). There are a few MUSTS to see before I get toooooo old to go jaunting around the world: Egypt, an African Safari, a return trip to Thailand, Rio, and New Zealand. And, if a chance to go anywhere else pops up, then.....yep, let's go! I have a couple of free trips to Europe including flight and hotel, so those will be on the agenda: Prague/Budapest and perhaps stretch it on down to Istanbul.
I KNOW I was an explorer in one of my previous Lives......no doubt about it!
Sooo, while I salivate thinking about all of this, I will sign off for now. Plus....I HAVE to squeeze that damn rubber ball for another hour.
Later.....
The orthopedic guy told me to "be sure I don't have to put a lot of pressure on my hand, wrist, arm" over the next two weeks.....in other words, "don't fall again". Then he gave me some exercises to do......but not until after the next two weeks. I knew it would be weak, however I never thought it would be quite as painful as it is......in some positions. I have been squeezing a rubber ball off and on all afternoon....attempting to regain 100% use of my fingers....think they are just stiff from lack of motion for two months. BUT.....if the wrist continues to give me trouble, well......I will return to some Dr for some advice and help. It is THAT important to me......I need as much range of motion, in all directions, as I can get from a Dr. or physical therapist.
Don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this. Oh well, hell......surely it isn't just old age, is it??? But....."Success comes in CANS....Failure comes in can'ts".......right?????? I WILL play that black grand piano sitting in my living room again!!!
TheHowserHouse HAS to get back on a stricter low cal diet......I actually didn't gain any weight during the first 7 weeks of our journey out west, BUT after the next 2 weeks wandering around here in Missouri and over to Indiana, I gained FOUR lbs.......and that HAS to GO!!!! And it WILL!!!! I have some travels to make next month and during the fall and the winter and the spring and......forever, and I will not put on weight while eating at the wonderful local eateries.
We are beginning to discuss the Christmas vacation from school, and where we will head off to. The 1st Lady has a trip yet to plan and execute for October with her sister......to some exotic island, or perhaps down to Mexico's beaches. I have to go over to Indiana (New Castle..just 35 east of Indianapolis) for the warranty repair on the RV the day after Labor Day weekend. Then in late Sept we are going to attend the Central Division Rally of the Cedar Creek RV Club down at Branson for 3-4 days. Thanksgiving???....well, it is always soooo expensive to fly somewhere over those four days that we may not go anywhere "special" during that long weekend. I really need to take a few days and run over to Wash DC area to visit a cousin whom I think soooo much of, and who is fighting a battle with liver cancer.....not certain just when as of yet.
In Jan or Feb or March, I will most likely make my winter pilgrimage to Arizona to thaw out from Missouri's cruel winter. Not certain if I will drive or fly this time.....??? Will have to see how the gas prices and airline fares compare.... We usually go to Miami Beach for the Easter break, but with Jay now living in Indiana I'm not certain if we will go down there or not..........might just go anyway, as we absolutely love it there!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahhhhh, the mind wanders while sitting here writing about what is ahead and around the bend......I don't even need "coffee table travel books" as I can visualize the places where I want/need to go, and will go. (Success comes in Can's). There are a few MUSTS to see before I get toooooo old to go jaunting around the world: Egypt, an African Safari, a return trip to Thailand, Rio, and New Zealand. And, if a chance to go anywhere else pops up, then.....yep, let's go! I have a couple of free trips to Europe including flight and hotel, so those will be on the agenda: Prague/Budapest and perhaps stretch it on down to Istanbul.
I KNOW I was an explorer in one of my previous Lives......no doubt about it!
Sooo, while I salivate thinking about all of this, I will sign off for now. Plus....I HAVE to squeeze that damn rubber ball for another hour.
Later.....
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Wednesday.....I think!
ONE MORE NIGHT.....I hope, until my right arm is free, finally. Tomorrow at 8AM I have to be at the dr.'s office in Farmington and I sure hope he will remove this constricting device. IF he doesn't, I am going to be reeeaaaallllly pissed. I've already convinced myself that my arm will be weak, but I am anxious to begin my schedule of lifting weights once again.
Today was a relaxed one......watched some early morning TV, read several newspapers on the net (STL Post, NY Times, Washington Post, Jeff C'ity Tribune(obits) and the MSNBC website). Then I spent 1.5 hours getting the shit together to send in the required documentation for 5 rebates that we are getting on the 1st Lady's lappie and the other three freebies(printer, router, carrying case). WHEW.....what a job just to get this money rebated back......unreal. Circuit City was VERY good about giving me plenty of rebate forms and a receipt for each item, but then you have to cut out the original bar codes on the cardboard boxes, and of course, none of these cut-outs will fit into a regular envelope. Then some of the items required a copy of the original bar code from the box, soooo I had to go get photo copies made, buy larger mailing envelopes, and then....the real kicker: PRINT with my left hand the addresses on all of these mailings. TOOOOOO much multi-tasking for a disabled OLD man!!!!!!
So, after getting it all done and mailed, I looked out in the yard and realized that there were dead limbs in the yard from God knows when, sooo I went out and began to pick them up....with the L.H. After about 15 minutes of this, I began to think I had been in a sauna.....I was soaking wet with.....you know....SWEAT.
My casted arm was sweating, itching, and becoming very annoying, soooooo I returned to the stick and brick HowserHouse and became a very cool(temp-wise) recluse once again. AHHHH....the life of a retired band director!
I decided to fix dinner this evening: Rice cooked in chicken broth(and not the "quickie" rice in a box), steamed broccoli and cauliflower, home grown tomatoes diced and salted, quick-fried chicken strips with freshly squeezed lemon juice and pepper on them and cooked with gloves of garlic, fresh(from my herb garden) parsley and basil minced, and all of this was put on the bed of rice and then covered with fresh shredded Parmisan cheese. UMMMMM, but did the flavors from all of these ingredients marry and live together nicely!!!!!! Glasses of wine helped to digest the meal, followed by coffee made from the fresh ground
French Roast beans.
So, what else did I do??? Nothing! The 1st Lady spent her last day of teacher meetings and prep.....and tomorrow the kids arrive eager to learn all about the sex lives of plants and worms, as well as learning which chemicals to use to blow up the chem lab. She probably already knows how many more days there are until the last day of school in May.......
Until later.......
Today was a relaxed one......watched some early morning TV, read several newspapers on the net (STL Post, NY Times, Washington Post, Jeff C'ity Tribune(obits) and the MSNBC website). Then I spent 1.5 hours getting the shit together to send in the required documentation for 5 rebates that we are getting on the 1st Lady's lappie and the other three freebies(printer, router, carrying case). WHEW.....what a job just to get this money rebated back......unreal. Circuit City was VERY good about giving me plenty of rebate forms and a receipt for each item, but then you have to cut out the original bar codes on the cardboard boxes, and of course, none of these cut-outs will fit into a regular envelope. Then some of the items required a copy of the original bar code from the box, soooo I had to go get photo copies made, buy larger mailing envelopes, and then....the real kicker: PRINT with my left hand the addresses on all of these mailings. TOOOOOO much multi-tasking for a disabled OLD man!!!!!!
So, after getting it all done and mailed, I looked out in the yard and realized that there were dead limbs in the yard from God knows when, sooo I went out and began to pick them up....with the L.H. After about 15 minutes of this, I began to think I had been in a sauna.....I was soaking wet with.....you know....SWEAT.
My casted arm was sweating, itching, and becoming very annoying, soooooo I returned to the stick and brick HowserHouse and became a very cool(temp-wise) recluse once again. AHHHH....the life of a retired band director!
I decided to fix dinner this evening: Rice cooked in chicken broth(and not the "quickie" rice in a box), steamed broccoli and cauliflower, home grown tomatoes diced and salted, quick-fried chicken strips with freshly squeezed lemon juice and pepper on them and cooked with gloves of garlic, fresh(from my herb garden) parsley and basil minced, and all of this was put on the bed of rice and then covered with fresh shredded Parmisan cheese. UMMMMM, but did the flavors from all of these ingredients marry and live together nicely!!!!!! Glasses of wine helped to digest the meal, followed by coffee made from the fresh ground
French Roast beans.
So, what else did I do??? Nothing! The 1st Lady spent her last day of teacher meetings and prep.....and tomorrow the kids arrive eager to learn all about the sex lives of plants and worms, as well as learning which chemicals to use to blow up the chem lab. She probably already knows how many more days there are until the last day of school in May.......
Until later.......
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
WOW..... more rain!
After a cloudy morning, the skies opened up and rain poured down early this afternoon.......and we can sure use it down here. Sooooo good to see rain without going through some horrific thunderstorm first.
Had lunch downtown in the city center of Fredericktown........met with a former student who is on her way to NYC after having graduated from Truman State University this past spring. A very talented young lady who can do whatever her mind desires......so, I am hoping for the best for her. As I have always said, "if you don't think BIG, nothing big will ever happen".
Made a quick run to the fast disappearing WalMart here in town. The new Supermart opens on the edge of town next week and by now, anything will be an improvement. It will be most interesting to see if other new businesses will move to the west side of town now that WM has built out there. Ohhhhhh.....goodness, how CAN I forget to mention that the very FIRST stoplight in town has been erected at the turnoff to the new Supermart!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow....progress in our little community.....well, at least as far as stoplights go.
Watched for the first time the movie "Ray" tonight. WHAT A MOVIE!!!!!! I immediately came to the internet to check on his children, his bio, etc., etc.......he had 12 children!!!! Lots of notes and lots of offspring......a very prolific creator.
36 more hours and this damn cast is going to be sawed off.......I HOPE!!!! Eight weeks in this thing is more than enough......hopefully.
I have my appointment for my warranty issues on the mobile HowserHouse to be taken care of.....right after Labor Day over in New Castle, IN.......about 35 miles east of Indianapolis. Looking forward to getting things fixed that have been troubling me......just little things that bug me a bit.
Will be in Eldon for the 1985 class's 20th reunion......should be great fun to see many of the former students that I had in band over there. (Hope I recognize AND remember them......hehehee).
Well....enough rambling chatter for this evening. I'm afraid many of these posts are becoming rather boring......nothing exciting in them about my travels, etc., etc. Guess I need to stir up some excitement around here!!!
Later.....
Had lunch downtown in the city center of Fredericktown........met with a former student who is on her way to NYC after having graduated from Truman State University this past spring. A very talented young lady who can do whatever her mind desires......so, I am hoping for the best for her. As I have always said, "if you don't think BIG, nothing big will ever happen".
Made a quick run to the fast disappearing WalMart here in town. The new Supermart opens on the edge of town next week and by now, anything will be an improvement. It will be most interesting to see if other new businesses will move to the west side of town now that WM has built out there. Ohhhhhh.....goodness, how CAN I forget to mention that the very FIRST stoplight in town has been erected at the turnoff to the new Supermart!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow....progress in our little community.....well, at least as far as stoplights go.
Watched for the first time the movie "Ray" tonight. WHAT A MOVIE!!!!!! I immediately came to the internet to check on his children, his bio, etc., etc.......he had 12 children!!!! Lots of notes and lots of offspring......a very prolific creator.
36 more hours and this damn cast is going to be sawed off.......I HOPE!!!! Eight weeks in this thing is more than enough......hopefully.
I have my appointment for my warranty issues on the mobile HowserHouse to be taken care of.....right after Labor Day over in New Castle, IN.......about 35 miles east of Indianapolis. Looking forward to getting things fixed that have been troubling me......just little things that bug me a bit.
Will be in Eldon for the 1985 class's 20th reunion......should be great fun to see many of the former students that I had in band over there. (Hope I recognize AND remember them......hehehee).
Well....enough rambling chatter for this evening. I'm afraid many of these posts are becoming rather boring......nothing exciting in them about my travels, etc., etc. Guess I need to stir up some excitement around here!!!
Later.....
Monday, August 15, 2005
Monday....a beautiful cloudy day
Rain.....and growing grass. As I said earlier this week, my lawn caretaker will have to be called before long to bring his mower and get busy. I will not complain.......the rain is needed!
Not much accomplished today, as some little demon with huge heavy hammers climbed inside my head overnight and began to try to rearrange whatever is inside and so, he hammered away all day. Finally, as of now, 7pm, he has decided he is about finished with his work and things are starting to quiet down upstairs.
I did get our new printer installed today on my lappie. The 1st Lady's is next.....and then to get the right cable whereby I can print using the router here in the house/yard. THAT will be great. Ok.....got hers done when she finally quit doing school work on it.
Now....to get the correct cable tomorrow. Looks like storms are going to arrive so I will get this posted now, even tho it is earlier than I usually do this. Think I will curl up with a cup of tea....yes, I said TEA....and read a book this evening. Nothing on the tv that even begins to interest me......as usual.
Until tomorrow......
Not much accomplished today, as some little demon with huge heavy hammers climbed inside my head overnight and began to try to rearrange whatever is inside and so, he hammered away all day. Finally, as of now, 7pm, he has decided he is about finished with his work and things are starting to quiet down upstairs.
I did get our new printer installed today on my lappie. The 1st Lady's is next.....and then to get the right cable whereby I can print using the router here in the house/yard. THAT will be great. Ok.....got hers done when she finally quit doing school work on it.
Now....to get the correct cable tomorrow. Looks like storms are going to arrive so I will get this posted now, even tho it is earlier than I usually do this. Think I will curl up with a cup of tea....yes, I said TEA....and read a book this evening. Nothing on the tv that even begins to interest me......as usual.
Until tomorrow......
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Getting behind on posting......with editing..
Hmmmmm......my nightly posting is getting screwed up......I just don't get it done! Yesterday, we went to Farmington to my hairdresser.....to get all 69 hairs trimmed back a bit. Always a problem because no one, including myself, can ever get those few fine hairs replaced in the correct way to keep the sun off of my shining top. No matter who clips those few hairs, I get pissed because they are never re-arranged in the correct manner to compliment my youthful looking face. But, I keep going back to the same place each time.....and so it goes.....I AM a creature of habit.
The 1st Lady shopped for several hours and managed to find her "school clothes" for her LAST year. Our clothing bill will drop out of sight after this year........yeah...right!!! Returning to the brick and stick home in the middle of the afternoon, her new lappie was giving her fits, so I once again called the Toshiba Support place and they worked their miracles in just a few seconds, and the Lady of TheHowserHouse was back online and working away towards her first day of school (Monday) goal.
Last night.....we attended a Trivia Party.....and as always, it makes me feel dumb as a rock. Where did I help our team???? Guess!! It was on the geography part, which was pictures of places around the world and we had to identify the country or city where these landmarks were located. Piece of cake!
IT RAINED last night!!!!!! BIGTIME!!!! How great......now the yard will need mowing and I will have to hire the summer mower to come over and do the lawn....again. He has mowed it several times this summer, however, not nearly as much as he thought he would have to. Perrhaps in a few....a short few weeks I will be able to push the lawn mower around and get my exercise.......looking forward to going to the dr. this week and hoping to get this damned cast off.
Well, today....we are off to church, then to see Mike, and then to meet the Moser family in south STL to return a car they had let Marsha borrow, and then on to Columbia, IL to attend Chris Stevens' wedding at 5pm. Soooo, a busy, busy day......"no rest for the wicked".
Later.....it was a wonderful wedding. It began outside.....everyone in the processional made it into the area in front of the waterfalls, and then water began falling from another source........the sky!!! After about 30 seconds of heavy, heavy sprinkling.....almost a rainfall......it was announced that there would be a rain delay....right in the middle of the the pastor's initial message. Soooo, everyone HURRIED into the reception hall at "The Falls".....a lovely wedding hall. After everyone was seated at their tables for the dinner, the processional began again and the wedding took place on the dance floor.......just as beautiful as outside, almost.
Cocktails and appetizers followed the wedding, and then dinner was served to all the guests. The traditional wedding dances were completed, and then the 1st Lady and I left.......school begins tomorrow. A really nice evening!!!!
The 1st Lady shopped for several hours and managed to find her "school clothes" for her LAST year. Our clothing bill will drop out of sight after this year........yeah...right!!! Returning to the brick and stick home in the middle of the afternoon, her new lappie was giving her fits, so I once again called the Toshiba Support place and they worked their miracles in just a few seconds, and the Lady of TheHowserHouse was back online and working away towards her first day of school (Monday) goal.
Last night.....we attended a Trivia Party.....and as always, it makes me feel dumb as a rock. Where did I help our team???? Guess!! It was on the geography part, which was pictures of places around the world and we had to identify the country or city where these landmarks were located. Piece of cake!
IT RAINED last night!!!!!! BIGTIME!!!! How great......now the yard will need mowing and I will have to hire the summer mower to come over and do the lawn....again. He has mowed it several times this summer, however, not nearly as much as he thought he would have to. Perrhaps in a few....a short few weeks I will be able to push the lawn mower around and get my exercise.......looking forward to going to the dr. this week and hoping to get this damned cast off.
Well, today....we are off to church, then to see Mike, and then to meet the Moser family in south STL to return a car they had let Marsha borrow, and then on to Columbia, IL to attend Chris Stevens' wedding at 5pm. Soooo, a busy, busy day......"no rest for the wicked".
Later.....it was a wonderful wedding. It began outside.....everyone in the processional made it into the area in front of the waterfalls, and then water began falling from another source........the sky!!! After about 30 seconds of heavy, heavy sprinkling.....almost a rainfall......it was announced that there would be a rain delay....right in the middle of the the pastor's initial message. Soooo, everyone HURRIED into the reception hall at "The Falls".....a lovely wedding hall. After everyone was seated at their tables for the dinner, the processional began again and the wedding took place on the dance floor.......just as beautiful as outside, almost.
Cocktails and appetizers followed the wedding, and then dinner was served to all the guests. The traditional wedding dances were completed, and then the 1st Lady and I left.......school begins tomorrow. A really nice evening!!!!
Friday, August 12, 2005
Another day.....
Friday...
Missed posting last night......my butt was tired of sitting at the lappie, so just watched a bit of the boob tube and hit the sack. Just cannot seem to stay awake once I lay down......I ALWAYS want to read, but my aging eyes just being to water stinging tears and sooooo, down goes the book. I may finish the one I am reading around next spring if I wait to read in bed.....hahhaa.
Today, the 1st Lady has some wake-up problems with her new lappie, but after a short call to the Toshiba Support Center, all was fixed quickly. They REALLY do a fantastic job of assisting you when there is a problem!!! I am sooooo impressed. I had a problem prior to leaving in May for our trip and they were there whenever I called.....
The 1st Lady is having sooooo much trouble with here eyes. She just came in...3pm....from school complaining about her eyes.......I KEEP telling her to see an opthamologist(sp?) , but she is dragging her feet as she is taking meds from here regular doctor to cure up the "pink eye" problem and she thinks that may be the problem????
There are soooo many clean-up chores that I need to do, but the heat and arm are keeping me from doing them......can't wait until next Thursday when I am scheduled to see the Dr. and hopefully get this damned cast removed. I know it will be very weak.....can tell that already, but it sure be great as today was 7 weeks in this damn thing. The heat really bothers my arm in the cast.....sweats, burns, itches...etc. and so I have just been acting like a hermit/recluse all this week!! Hate it, hate it, hate it!!!!!!!
Well......more later.....if there is any more to say....
Missed posting last night......my butt was tired of sitting at the lappie, so just watched a bit of the boob tube and hit the sack. Just cannot seem to stay awake once I lay down......I ALWAYS want to read, but my aging eyes just being to water stinging tears and sooooo, down goes the book. I may finish the one I am reading around next spring if I wait to read in bed.....hahhaa.
Today, the 1st Lady has some wake-up problems with her new lappie, but after a short call to the Toshiba Support Center, all was fixed quickly. They REALLY do a fantastic job of assisting you when there is a problem!!! I am sooooo impressed. I had a problem prior to leaving in May for our trip and they were there whenever I called.....
The 1st Lady is having sooooo much trouble with here eyes. She just came in...3pm....from school complaining about her eyes.......I KEEP telling her to see an opthamologist(sp?) , but she is dragging her feet as she is taking meds from here regular doctor to cure up the "pink eye" problem and she thinks that may be the problem????
There are soooo many clean-up chores that I need to do, but the heat and arm are keeping me from doing them......can't wait until next Thursday when I am scheduled to see the Dr. and hopefully get this damned cast removed. I know it will be very weak.....can tell that already, but it sure be great as today was 7 weeks in this damn thing. The heat really bothers my arm in the cast.....sweats, burns, itches...etc. and so I have just been acting like a hermit/recluse all this week!! Hate it, hate it, hate it!!!!!!!
Well......more later.....if there is any more to say....
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Wednesday's small dinner....
Yesterday, Wednesday…..was a day that didn’t see much action on the part of this old man. The heat/humidity was beyond belief, so I spent the day working inside with 1.5 arms…..sucking up the dirt on the floors/carpets, applying a cleaner on the hardware floors which goes on easily with a swifter-type mop, brush scrubbing the necessary room, etc., etc. None of this had really been effectively done since we left in May on our travels, so IT WAS TIME.
The 1st Lady spent several hours at school preparing for next week’s opening……and no matter how long she stays at school, there is always MORE to be done. But, it is the peace of mind affect that comes with trying to be prepared for the kids……for her LAST YEAR.
Our great friends, the always entertaining Hanners, returned from one of their many trips to take care of the many people who have been through disasters with home damages. Sooo, we threw a small little dinner to celebrate the returns of the Hanners and the Howsers. We kicked off the evening with champagne and little munchies and congratulatory toasts to our safe return(s), which brought on many good tidbits of conversation about our travels. The 1st Lady had prepared an Italian dish for dinner, which was preceded by one of her excellent salads of spinach, candied walnuts, other small veggies, and a balsamic vinegerette dressing. This was accompanied by red and white wines, depending on everyone’s preferences………plus, I needed my dark red medicine by that time.
Ahhhh, but the conversation flowed in many directions…..from their escapades in California, Texas, and their latest journey to Georgia….to our two journeys which kept us out and about for 9 weeks…..to our families and our plans for the upcoming weeks. Much discussion revolved around my broken arm and the challenges I have had with using only my left hand for various needs which must be taken care of no matter what the disability . A great way to enjoy a meal!!!
A quick trip was made outside to the rolling HowserHouse as the Hanners are giving some thought to purchasing an RV for themselves, so they took another tour of our home-on-wheels.
The evening ended with two hours of playing the latest craze…..the Mexican Train Game. This is great fun and does take a bit of forethought and planning to play as partners….or even individually. Midnight came and went…..and we finally called it an evening.
I will post some pics of dinner and our great game. Please notice the box of tissues on the table that Lady Hanner required for the evening…….I won’t discuss this necessity.
The 1st Lady spent several hours at school preparing for next week’s opening……and no matter how long she stays at school, there is always MORE to be done. But, it is the peace of mind affect that comes with trying to be prepared for the kids……for her LAST YEAR.
Our great friends, the always entertaining Hanners, returned from one of their many trips to take care of the many people who have been through disasters with home damages. Sooo, we threw a small little dinner to celebrate the returns of the Hanners and the Howsers. We kicked off the evening with champagne and little munchies and congratulatory toasts to our safe return(s), which brought on many good tidbits of conversation about our travels. The 1st Lady had prepared an Italian dish for dinner, which was preceded by one of her excellent salads of spinach, candied walnuts, other small veggies, and a balsamic vinegerette dressing. This was accompanied by red and white wines, depending on everyone’s preferences………plus, I needed my dark red medicine by that time.
Ahhhh, but the conversation flowed in many directions…..from their escapades in California, Texas, and their latest journey to Georgia….to our two journeys which kept us out and about for 9 weeks…..to our families and our plans for the upcoming weeks. Much discussion revolved around my broken arm and the challenges I have had with using only my left hand for various needs which must be taken care of no matter what the disability . A great way to enjoy a meal!!!
A quick trip was made outside to the rolling HowserHouse as the Hanners are giving some thought to purchasing an RV for themselves, so they took another tour of our home-on-wheels.
The evening ended with two hours of playing the latest craze…..the Mexican Train Game. This is great fun and does take a bit of forethought and planning to play as partners….or even individually. Midnight came and went…..and we finally called it an evening.
I will post some pics of dinner and our great game. Please notice the box of tissues on the table that Lady Hanner required for the evening…….I won’t discuss this necessity.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
First I'm wired....and now I'm wireless!!!
After almost three months, my former student and recent associate band director with me, and I managed to get together for a brief time. Of course.....I had asked him to assist me with becoming wireless in my stick house. Soooo, after a few short minutes, the computer guru had me all wired up so I could become wireless throughout the stick/brick HowserHouse. With the 1st Lady having her own lappie, we can now wander throughout the house with our lappies and still be in touch with the world. WOW!!!!
Soooo, that is the big news of the day from here. The heat was horrible.....again....and so I did odd jobs in the house that required only 1.5 hands to complete. I am NOW typing with both hands......still just as many mistakes, but the pain is leaving most of the time so it is time to use those fingers and get them flexed and back to work.
1st Lady was not feeling well this morning........thought she was getting a migraine, but with the proper meds, she fought it off without feel tooo bad. She revved up this afternoon and began to get the house organized....at least for a day or two.
This evening, another hour of water went into my plants. I honestly believe I could fall into some of the wide cracks in our yard and never be seen again. This is about as bad as I have seen since we have lived here.....17 years. I may need to get some boards laid around to use as bridges to cross some of these cracks.
Our wandering friends, the catastrophic insurance adjusters, have returned to Missouri and their country estate here. We have to get together this week before another disaster strikes somewhere in the nation and they have to dash across the country in the middle of the night without anyone knowing it until we realize they have left when they answer their cell from a distant point on the map. I always ask; "where are you now?". I must get their pics on this little blogspot......
Heard from a former exchange student who is flying over this week from Germany for a friend's wedding this weekend. Looking forward to spending a bit of time with him catching up on his Life. He was, and remains, such a wonderful positive young man!!!!!
Kathy and Jamie......enjoyed reading about your feelings about Texas. I replied to your post......and could have written much stronger but knew others will read it so I didn't. Hope you get through Missouri on your travels around our country. We MUST get togther.
Until tomorrow........
Soooo, that is the big news of the day from here. The heat was horrible.....again....and so I did odd jobs in the house that required only 1.5 hands to complete. I am NOW typing with both hands......still just as many mistakes, but the pain is leaving most of the time so it is time to use those fingers and get them flexed and back to work.
1st Lady was not feeling well this morning........thought she was getting a migraine, but with the proper meds, she fought it off without feel tooo bad. She revved up this afternoon and began to get the house organized....at least for a day or two.
This evening, another hour of water went into my plants. I honestly believe I could fall into some of the wide cracks in our yard and never be seen again. This is about as bad as I have seen since we have lived here.....17 years. I may need to get some boards laid around to use as bridges to cross some of these cracks.
Our wandering friends, the catastrophic insurance adjusters, have returned to Missouri and their country estate here. We have to get together this week before another disaster strikes somewhere in the nation and they have to dash across the country in the middle of the night without anyone knowing it until we realize they have left when they answer their cell from a distant point on the map. I always ask; "where are you now?". I must get their pics on this little blogspot......
Heard from a former exchange student who is flying over this week from Germany for a friend's wedding this weekend. Looking forward to spending a bit of time with him catching up on his Life. He was, and remains, such a wonderful positive young man!!!!!
Kathy and Jamie......enjoyed reading about your feelings about Texas. I replied to your post......and could have written much stronger but knew others will read it so I didn't. Hope you get through Missouri on your travels around our country. We MUST get togther.
Until tomorrow........
Monday, August 08, 2005
A day of nothing going on........
Yep.....the title says it all. What did I do today???? Watered the outdoor plants, shrubs, azaleas......and THAT sums up my day. Exciting, huh?
Guess I can use a little down time, but if it wasn't for this casted arm I would be doing a lot more outside like cleaning the 5er...it still has the dust and bugs on it from our summer journey. BUT that will have to wait for a couple of more weeks.
The 1st Lady finally had a Dr.'s appt. about her eyes.....she as been miserable for some time with her eyes watering day and night. Diagnosis?? Pink eye!!! Wonder who is next???? Hmmmm.....
This afternoon she joined several other fellow female educators from the high school at an afternoon pool party. She didn't swim......did not want to affect/infect the water.
Hopefully tomorrow will be of more interest to me AND you, the readers of my daily Life in TheHowserHouse.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Sunday at TheHowserHouse
Hmmmm, think it has been a long summer since we have been here in F'town on a Sunday!!!! We went to the 8:30am service at the local Methodist Church......been a Methodist member since I was in Jr. HS. A quick trip to the local grocery store.....WOW will I EVER be glad when we have the opening of the Super WalMart this month!! We have one of the poorest excuses for a food store of anyplace I have been.....our produce section is horrible...just an unbelievable amount of "fresh" produce.....NOT!!!!!
Anyway....then it was off to see Mike for a few hours of visiting. Back home in the early afternoon and then I got the 1st Lady's new laptop up and running. Very much like mine......just not with all the bells and whistles...or at least not as loud of bells as mine.
The rest of the evening has been just surfing the net. OH....if you read this Goldie.......I could use a bit of assistance with my router installation...say Tues?????? I'll give you a call.
Spent about an hour watering my dried out bushes and shrubs........REALLY dry here. Think my azaleas will make it but we need rain. The mosquitoes attacked me with a hungry vengeance, so I immediately began spraying for them, but not before I was a mass of red bumps on my sexy legs.
Tomorrow's plans????? Who cares...I'm retired! What I don't get done tomorrow will still be around to do the next day.
Hasta luego!!
Anyway....then it was off to see Mike for a few hours of visiting. Back home in the early afternoon and then I got the 1st Lady's new laptop up and running. Very much like mine......just not with all the bells and whistles...or at least not as loud of bells as mine.
The rest of the evening has been just surfing the net. OH....if you read this Goldie.......I could use a bit of assistance with my router installation...say Tues?????? I'll give you a call.
Spent about an hour watering my dried out bushes and shrubs........REALLY dry here. Think my azaleas will make it but we need rain. The mosquitoes attacked me with a hungry vengeance, so I immediately began spraying for them, but not before I was a mass of red bumps on my sexy legs.
Tomorrow's plans????? Who cares...I'm retired! What I don't get done tomorrow will still be around to do the next day.
Hasta luego!!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Hmmmm, a day of computer buying decisions
Didn't manage to sleep much last night.....must have over-used the casted arm in unloading TheHowserHouse upon returning home yesterday. But, daybreak came.....and a cup of freshly ground Starbucks French Roast beans put a "rush/jolt" of caffeine into my system and everthing was going well by 9:30am.
The 1st Lady decided she needed a laptop computer for herself.....am I hogging the new one bought in May for our journey??? SURELY NOT!!!! Soooo, she checks out the specials and good deals on the net thru the electronics stores.....and before long after several telephone calls to STL to the various stores to determine which brands/models they had available, we hopped into the car and off we went to the city to quickly get the pc she wanted!!!! It was offered with a free printer, free router, and free carrying case which sweetened the deal a bit. We have been happy with the Toshiba we purchased in May, so we bought another Toshiba....just a different model. With Missouri having a sales tax holiday this weekend, we saved quite a few dollars by buying today.
NOW.....we won't have to share....IF I can get the router installed correctly. Goldie...you may get a call for help!
Finised the day in the city by looking at plasma tv's......leaning a bit more towards buying one in the near future. We'll see.....
The 1st Lady is also beginning to look for "bargains" for her and her sister's annual LONG weekend getaway to some exotic destination. Not certain just where it will be this year.....probably some island resort where rum will ease the pain of laying in the sun and sand all day.
Well.....need to check out the router instructions. Not being a tech guru, I most likely will have to call for assistance. Soooo.....until later.
Mexico Kathy.......yep, it IS the end of the week. HAHAHA!!!!!
The 1st Lady decided she needed a laptop computer for herself.....am I hogging the new one bought in May for our journey??? SURELY NOT!!!! Soooo, she checks out the specials and good deals on the net thru the electronics stores.....and before long after several telephone calls to STL to the various stores to determine which brands/models they had available, we hopped into the car and off we went to the city to quickly get the pc she wanted!!!! It was offered with a free printer, free router, and free carrying case which sweetened the deal a bit. We have been happy with the Toshiba we purchased in May, so we bought another Toshiba....just a different model. With Missouri having a sales tax holiday this weekend, we saved quite a few dollars by buying today.
NOW.....we won't have to share....IF I can get the router installed correctly. Goldie...you may get a call for help!
Finised the day in the city by looking at plasma tv's......leaning a bit more towards buying one in the near future. We'll see.....
The 1st Lady is also beginning to look for "bargains" for her and her sister's annual LONG weekend getaway to some exotic destination. Not certain just where it will be this year.....probably some island resort where rum will ease the pain of laying in the sun and sand all day.
Well.....need to check out the router instructions. Not being a tech guru, I most likely will have to call for assistance. Soooo.....until later.
Mexico Kathy.......yep, it IS the end of the week. HAHAHA!!!!!
Friday, August 05, 2005
An EXCITING Thurs. and a blah Friday
Friday….
Ahhhh, where does the time go when we are in TheHowserHouse traveling the roads of the country???? I really don’t know……but the days pass by before I am ready for them to.
Yesterday…..we packed up, and drove SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY to Union, MO to the Pin Oak Creek RVPark to stay for the night. Noticed the caps, didn’t you??? Seems like we had just got on Hwy 54 headed north when the RV brake controller began to blink, flash, and go beserk as we went down the road……UGH!!!! The thoughts flying thru my mind of having to stop quickly while pulling 14,000 pounds brought visions of disaster….if I had only my truck brakes to do the work!! TheHowserHouse had never been so slow!
We made the trip without any trouble, except for white left hand knuckles as I gripped the wheel so tightly in a few braking situations, plus my bun muscles are now much firmer from all the clenching they did! HAHA. There were no RV service centers anywhere along our route so we just inched along…….all part of the Rver’s little slogan :
YOU ARE NOT AT HOME, SO……… ADJUST!
It was only 114 miles….right…..just a drive thru the countryside…right???? After getting
registered at the park, I set up TheHowserHouse and then put thru a call to my Emergency Road Service for the RV. Within five minutes they called me back and had made an appointment for me for this morning at 9AM in St. Clair at a RV Sales Service Center!!!! Only 9 miles down the road!!! Sooooo, out came the much needed dark red medicine and my knuckles and bun muscles soon were relaxing and feeling better.
We quickly went to Dr. Jeni and Darrel’s Moser Estate where we proceeded to baby sit the 2 granddaughters while Darrel hurried to the airport in STL to pick up his mother. Dr. Jeni was locked in her dental office with patients and other dental staff of hers while SWAT Teams and other law enforcement agencies were running, crouching, and securing the house across the street from her dental office as……there was supposed to be a man who had shot and hilled his wife in St. Charles. Sooooo, as they stayed away from windows, she said she continued to drill, fill cavaties, etc., etc. All very exciting!
She was “released” later in the afternoon and decided to put off doing the files and paperwork for the day and get home.
ALL IN ALL……AN EXCITING AND NERVE-WRACKING DAY!!!!
TODAY…..
Drove to our brake repair appt…….took 45 minutes to locate the problem and fix it, and we on our way to F’town. Just a stripped wire that was shorting out……$45.00.
Began unloading the RV and just about finished but the HEAT won out and we gave up until tomorrow morning. Took care of paying the bills, etc., and then drove out and had Friday night all-you-can-eat catfish…..and all I could eat was tooooooo much!!
Soooo, will post this earlier than usual and let it fly out through cyberspace…..
“Mexico Kathy and Family”….glad you have returned safely to the cultural shock and change of the USA after 7 months Rving thru our wonderful south of the border neighbor….Mexico!!!!!
Ahhhh, where does the time go when we are in TheHowserHouse traveling the roads of the country???? I really don’t know……but the days pass by before I am ready for them to.
Yesterday…..we packed up, and drove SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY to Union, MO to the Pin Oak Creek RVPark to stay for the night. Noticed the caps, didn’t you??? Seems like we had just got on Hwy 54 headed north when the RV brake controller began to blink, flash, and go beserk as we went down the road……UGH!!!! The thoughts flying thru my mind of having to stop quickly while pulling 14,000 pounds brought visions of disaster….if I had only my truck brakes to do the work!! TheHowserHouse had never been so slow!
We made the trip without any trouble, except for white left hand knuckles as I gripped the wheel so tightly in a few braking situations, plus my bun muscles are now much firmer from all the clenching they did! HAHA. There were no RV service centers anywhere along our route so we just inched along…….all part of the Rver’s little slogan :
YOU ARE NOT AT HOME, SO……… ADJUST!
It was only 114 miles….right…..just a drive thru the countryside…right???? After getting
registered at the park, I set up TheHowserHouse and then put thru a call to my Emergency Road Service for the RV. Within five minutes they called me back and had made an appointment for me for this morning at 9AM in St. Clair at a RV Sales Service Center!!!! Only 9 miles down the road!!! Sooooo, out came the much needed dark red medicine and my knuckles and bun muscles soon were relaxing and feeling better.
We quickly went to Dr. Jeni and Darrel’s Moser Estate where we proceeded to baby sit the 2 granddaughters while Darrel hurried to the airport in STL to pick up his mother. Dr. Jeni was locked in her dental office with patients and other dental staff of hers while SWAT Teams and other law enforcement agencies were running, crouching, and securing the house across the street from her dental office as……there was supposed to be a man who had shot and hilled his wife in St. Charles. Sooooo, as they stayed away from windows, she said she continued to drill, fill cavaties, etc., etc. All very exciting!
She was “released” later in the afternoon and decided to put off doing the files and paperwork for the day and get home.
ALL IN ALL……AN EXCITING AND NERVE-WRACKING DAY!!!!
TODAY…..
Drove to our brake repair appt…….took 45 minutes to locate the problem and fix it, and we on our way to F’town. Just a stripped wire that was shorting out……$45.00.
Began unloading the RV and just about finished but the HEAT won out and we gave up until tomorrow morning. Took care of paying the bills, etc., and then drove out and had Friday night all-you-can-eat catfish…..and all I could eat was tooooooo much!!
Soooo, will post this earlier than usual and let it fly out through cyberspace…..
“Mexico Kathy and Family”….glad you have returned safely to the cultural shock and change of the USA after 7 months Rving thru our wonderful south of the border neighbor….Mexico!!!!!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
WHAT a day!!!
Things were going great....we shopped this morning thru early afternoon and then just relaxed and read thru the afternoon heat in TheHowserHouse. We decided to stay another day, so I paid for another night here at Osage Beach RV Park. Noticed while in the office that there was a special rate for three nights.....about $10 cheaper. So I inquired and the nice lady working in the office told me to come back aroun 7pm and talk to the owner, as we had paid by internet when I made the reservations......paying $10 more than the special rate.
I went back to the office later around 7pm and talked .....or TRIED to talk to the owner about this overpayment....and the confrontation of heated verbs and adjectives began in loud and unfriendly terms. I finally told him to just cancel my extra/fourth night as I didn't want to spend extra nights here with someone who talked like he was talking to a client...me. As I went out the door with smoke trailing behind me, I heard him say...."that guy is a real asshole!"
Sooooo, I went back inside and the heated verbs began flying again!!!! No one won, of course....but I did inform him that I write reviews of campgrounds for sites on the internet.....and I would certainly be writing about this cg and about the way the owner treats his cg renters/clients. THIS he did not like!!!!!
Sooooo, then I went to visit some good friends....Dave and Helen.... at the Potted Steer......THE best restaurant in the Lake area. Had WAY toooo much red medicine...and way too many wonderful appetizers compliments of the manager (Helen) andd another former student who has become the head chef there...David Hartwick. Sooooo great to see these wonderful friends who are sooooo successful in the chosen careers!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK you SOOOOO MUCH, David..Helen...Chef David!
Sooo, guess we will head home tomorrow unless I cool down overnight and relent and go pay for another night here?????!!! DAMN, but I was angry and still am.
Guess I'll know in the AM..
I went back to the office later around 7pm and talked .....or TRIED to talk to the owner about this overpayment....and the confrontation of heated verbs and adjectives began in loud and unfriendly terms. I finally told him to just cancel my extra/fourth night as I didn't want to spend extra nights here with someone who talked like he was talking to a client...me. As I went out the door with smoke trailing behind me, I heard him say...."that guy is a real asshole!"
Sooooo, I went back inside and the heated verbs began flying again!!!! No one won, of course....but I did inform him that I write reviews of campgrounds for sites on the internet.....and I would certainly be writing about this cg and about the way the owner treats his cg renters/clients. THIS he did not like!!!!!
Sooooo, then I went to visit some good friends....Dave and Helen.... at the Potted Steer......THE best restaurant in the Lake area. Had WAY toooo much red medicine...and way too many wonderful appetizers compliments of the manager (Helen) andd another former student who has become the head chef there...David Hartwick. Sooooo great to see these wonderful friends who are sooooo successful in the chosen careers!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK you SOOOOO MUCH, David..Helen...Chef David!
Sooo, guess we will head home tomorrow unless I cool down overnight and relent and go pay for another night here?????!!! DAMN, but I was angry and still am.
Guess I'll know in the AM..
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Visitors at TheHowserHouse
Tuesday….Osage Beach, MO
WOW…but the heat is here again….99 degrees today!! Hurry up October….
Relatives and best friends came to visit TheHowserHouse today……as I hoped they would knowing that we were in the area. My sister brought my 92 year old mother down to see our traveling house and we had a great visit. She does sooooo well for a great lady of many years….a great mind that never stops thinking clearly, with a better memory than I have at 62. It is a bit difficult for her to get around but she is not a complainer as she gets a bit of assistance going up stairs, etc., etc. The “everready battery” that just keeps going and going and going.…..
Then this evening, the new Osage HS ASS Principal and former band director AND former student of mine, along with his charming wife who recently was named a nationally certified educator (WOW!!!!) came to TheHowserHouse for a tour of the house on wheels.. We went out to dinner and I suppose he now thinks he is flush with cash since he picked up the bill for the 1st Lady and I. It was a splendid evening as we talked, and laughed, and ate……what better things could we have done???
The Certified Educator (CE) is certainly to commended for going through all the hoops in order to reach this highly respected pinnacle in her chosen career!!!!!!! “CE” is such a fun person to be with…..and I am certain that her students are the lucky ones to have her in their classroom!
How well I remember how irritated they were with me shortly after their wedding many years ago……when they discovered rice in every crook and cranny of their luggage, car, along with being in their deodorant, toothpaste, etc., etc. Ahhhh, but just think where you can stuff/put 10 lbs of rice to take along on a honeymoon……
How well I remember a special 15th birthday gift the ASS Principal received…….I will never let him forget that he told me about it!!!! HEEHEE!!!!!
It IS good to have very special people like Mike and Merrie that can be called friends!!!!
Took a drive after we parted this evening down the old strip by Bagnell Dam……ahhhh, but what memories that brought back to my mind…..and how things have changed…and yet are still the same. Dogpatch is still there, but in a different setting……just the way time makes changes with everything (like my ripening body with only 69 hairs on my head).
Well, since I have already had several doses of my dark red medicine I will close this post…..taking tooooo long to correct my left hand typing mistakes……six weeks,almost, in this cast and two more to go. YEAH!!!!
WOW…but the heat is here again….99 degrees today!! Hurry up October….
Relatives and best friends came to visit TheHowserHouse today……as I hoped they would knowing that we were in the area. My sister brought my 92 year old mother down to see our traveling house and we had a great visit. She does sooooo well for a great lady of many years….a great mind that never stops thinking clearly, with a better memory than I have at 62. It is a bit difficult for her to get around but she is not a complainer as she gets a bit of assistance going up stairs, etc., etc. The “everready battery” that just keeps going and going and going.…..
Then this evening, the new Osage HS ASS Principal and former band director AND former student of mine, along with his charming wife who recently was named a nationally certified educator (WOW!!!!) came to TheHowserHouse for a tour of the house on wheels.. We went out to dinner and I suppose he now thinks he is flush with cash since he picked up the bill for the 1st Lady and I. It was a splendid evening as we talked, and laughed, and ate……what better things could we have done???
The Certified Educator (CE) is certainly to commended for going through all the hoops in order to reach this highly respected pinnacle in her chosen career!!!!!!! “CE” is such a fun person to be with…..and I am certain that her students are the lucky ones to have her in their classroom!
How well I remember how irritated they were with me shortly after their wedding many years ago……when they discovered rice in every crook and cranny of their luggage, car, along with being in their deodorant, toothpaste, etc., etc. Ahhhh, but just think where you can stuff/put 10 lbs of rice to take along on a honeymoon……
How well I remember a special 15th birthday gift the ASS Principal received…….I will never let him forget that he told me about it!!!! HEEHEE!!!!!
It IS good to have very special people like Mike and Merrie that can be called friends!!!!
Took a drive after we parted this evening down the old strip by Bagnell Dam……ahhhh, but what memories that brought back to my mind…..and how things have changed…and yet are still the same. Dogpatch is still there, but in a different setting……just the way time makes changes with everything (like my ripening body with only 69 hairs on my head).
Well, since I have already had several doses of my dark red medicine I will close this post…..taking tooooo long to correct my left hand typing mistakes……six weeks,almost, in this cast and two more to go. YEAH!!!!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Two day report and now in Osage Beach, MO
Sunday--
Another great day, hot/humid weather is back....UGH!! Jay, 1st Lady, and this OLD man went over to SE Evansville to visit the Angel Indian Mounds State Historical Site. They have put together a good museum and historical informational center......we really enjoyed learnig about the "mound" early Americans!!!! This particular group lived in this area by the Ohio River from around 1100 - 1490 AD and had a thriving civilization/cultural at the site. They built 11 mounds which were sites for various social orders to live on.....the higher the mound, the higher the social order....i.e..chiefs. etc.
Very few pieces of pottery or artistic artifacts have been found, but the knowledge of this group is gained from studying other mound groups in the central part of the USA.
We walked out around a couple of mounds, but there really is not much else to see there.....an example of the wall fortifications which they are known to have built, and an example of their summer homes with only a thatch type roof on poles. It became soooo hot and muggy that we decided to not walk around to visit all of the mounds.
Lunch was in order after retirning to the car...and soooo Jay took us over to Henderson, KY....just across the river. We stopped at a BBQ place and since I do not wish to be sued, I will not give out the name of the establishment,,,,,but, we will not return to that eatery again!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!!
We headed back to Evansville and took in a late afternoon movie: "The Island". WOW.....this was an interesting story line......with food for lots of discussion afterwards. Go see this one.....a bit futuristic, but then......maybe not tooooooo much in the future.
A cold, salt-rimmed Margarita was needed by all of us,,,,,so we stopped at a great little Mexican cafe for drinks with chips and salsa.....will eat THERE on the next run over to Evansville!!
Back to TheHowserHouse and soon to put this tired and margarita-sopped man to bed.....besides...it is getting late and tomorrow is a travel day.....about 360 miles and pulling this House thru St. Louis traffic!!!!! LOTS of concentration required to get thru that busy place.
Monday....
Well, we left the RV Park about 8:30 this morning......a bit of duck tape was necessary to hold up some important wires and cables under the entertainment slide!!!! AGAIN...another slight design flaw of the factory designers......a piece of flexible rubber/plastic(?) that bends and shifts when the slides retracts and which has the wires/cables attached to it decided to split and come apart which then let the wires droop downward toward the road!!!! Soooo, the tape to the rescue......NEVER travel without duck tape!!!!!!!!!
We arrived at Osage Beach RV Park about 4:30pm....after a stop at a Flying J for fuel for the truck and fuel for the two of us humans...adequate, but have eaten better food at other Flying J's. Tooooo hot to stop at a rest area to dine inside TheHowserHouse.
The Park.....well, not quite as gorgeous as the website might have one to believe....but it is close to the shopping and eateries!! So off we went to the OUTLET MALL.....and the 1st Lady found a shoe store going out of business.....one of her favorite shoe stores....so, I will have to get permission from the state highway dept. to allow me to pull TheHowserHouse with toooo much weight in it........SHOES!!!!!!!!
A call from Mike(Osage) saying he was here in the cg.....but didn't get the message until toooo late.....sorry,,,....we were loading shoes into the truck at the store at that time!!!!
So, will close this utterly useless rambling of my last two days and grab a book for some reading with my red medicine......
Tomorrow......
Another great day, hot/humid weather is back....UGH!! Jay, 1st Lady, and this OLD man went over to SE Evansville to visit the Angel Indian Mounds State Historical Site. They have put together a good museum and historical informational center......we really enjoyed learnig about the "mound" early Americans!!!! This particular group lived in this area by the Ohio River from around 1100 - 1490 AD and had a thriving civilization/cultural at the site. They built 11 mounds which were sites for various social orders to live on.....the higher the mound, the higher the social order....i.e..chiefs. etc.
Very few pieces of pottery or artistic artifacts have been found, but the knowledge of this group is gained from studying other mound groups in the central part of the USA.
We walked out around a couple of mounds, but there really is not much else to see there.....an example of the wall fortifications which they are known to have built, and an example of their summer homes with only a thatch type roof on poles. It became soooo hot and muggy that we decided to not walk around to visit all of the mounds.
Lunch was in order after retirning to the car...and soooo Jay took us over to Henderson, KY....just across the river. We stopped at a BBQ place and since I do not wish to be sued, I will not give out the name of the establishment,,,,,but, we will not return to that eatery again!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!!
We headed back to Evansville and took in a late afternoon movie: "The Island". WOW.....this was an interesting story line......with food for lots of discussion afterwards. Go see this one.....a bit futuristic, but then......maybe not tooooooo much in the future.
A cold, salt-rimmed Margarita was needed by all of us,,,,,so we stopped at a great little Mexican cafe for drinks with chips and salsa.....will eat THERE on the next run over to Evansville!!
Back to TheHowserHouse and soon to put this tired and margarita-sopped man to bed.....besides...it is getting late and tomorrow is a travel day.....about 360 miles and pulling this House thru St. Louis traffic!!!!! LOTS of concentration required to get thru that busy place.
Monday....
Well, we left the RV Park about 8:30 this morning......a bit of duck tape was necessary to hold up some important wires and cables under the entertainment slide!!!! AGAIN...another slight design flaw of the factory designers......a piece of flexible rubber/plastic(?) that bends and shifts when the slides retracts and which has the wires/cables attached to it decided to split and come apart which then let the wires droop downward toward the road!!!! Soooo, the tape to the rescue......NEVER travel without duck tape!!!!!!!!!
We arrived at Osage Beach RV Park about 4:30pm....after a stop at a Flying J for fuel for the truck and fuel for the two of us humans...adequate, but have eaten better food at other Flying J's. Tooooo hot to stop at a rest area to dine inside TheHowserHouse.
The Park.....well, not quite as gorgeous as the website might have one to believe....but it is close to the shopping and eateries!! So off we went to the OUTLET MALL.....and the 1st Lady found a shoe store going out of business.....one of her favorite shoe stores....so, I will have to get permission from the state highway dept. to allow me to pull TheHowserHouse with toooo much weight in it........SHOES!!!!!!!!
A call from Mike(Osage) saying he was here in the cg.....but didn't get the message until toooo late.....sorry,,,....we were loading shoes into the truck at the store at that time!!!!
So, will close this utterly useless rambling of my last two days and grab a book for some reading with my red medicine......
Tomorrow......
Saturday, July 30, 2005
A day from the past...
Saturday…..
A day of seeing some history…..New Harmony, IN. This is a little town of 800 people that I had never ever heard of before……a town that sits on the banks of the Wabash River which is the state border between Illinois and Indiana on the southern end of the state. It was formed in the EARLY 1700’s by an individual who purchased 20,000 acres to begin the town. He was a “visionary” who wanted to organize a “Utopian” community which would follow his ideas for society and community living…….what we now call a commune. He brought many intellectuals and educators with him down the Ohio River in a boat to assist with his plans for the town.
There is soooo much about this history that I cannot discuss, because I have lots of reading and self-study to do to learn and understand it more. www.newharmony.org I believe will lead you and me to some history about this town and the ideas of this society.
Anyway…many of the original buildings are still there, along with sooooo much to absorb concerning this community. It is now a community filled with artists, writers. And it has a thriving performing arts reputation there.
Lots of interesting shops filled with creations of some of the artisans in the area, along with many antique shops can be found on many of the tree-lined streets there. It is a really lovely little town that will hold the interests of everone who goes there.
There are several splendid restaurants to frequent…..and, guess what….we ate lunch at one of them, and it was excellent!!!!! Cooper House is worth a trip there just to savor their specialties….AND to eat some of those specialties!! Go do it!!!
Ran across a very good quote which I really think fits me, and many others:
“One of Life’s greatest joys
is eating with friends,
the second is talking about eating”
We came back to the cg….sunburned from the ride in Jay’s convertible. More red face and flapping skin for this OLD man….who now DOES look over ripe!!!
The 1st Lady fixed a grand dinner of a wonderful salad with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, fresh spinach, and a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette…..fresh corn on the cob, and a three cheese tortellini with chicken breast cubes smothered in a garlic alfredo sauce to make it creamy and caloric!!! A glass of my red medicine to assist in the digestion of this rich dinner made the meal incredible.
So, while I thought I had taken many pics in New Harmony, there weren’t that many too share with you….sorry dear friends.
A day of seeing some history…..New Harmony, IN. This is a little town of 800 people that I had never ever heard of before……a town that sits on the banks of the Wabash River which is the state border between Illinois and Indiana on the southern end of the state. It was formed in the EARLY 1700’s by an individual who purchased 20,000 acres to begin the town. He was a “visionary” who wanted to organize a “Utopian” community which would follow his ideas for society and community living…….what we now call a commune. He brought many intellectuals and educators with him down the Ohio River in a boat to assist with his plans for the town.
There is soooo much about this history that I cannot discuss, because I have lots of reading and self-study to do to learn and understand it more. www.newharmony.org I believe will lead you and me to some history about this town and the ideas of this society.
Anyway…many of the original buildings are still there, along with sooooo much to absorb concerning this community. It is now a community filled with artists, writers. And it has a thriving performing arts reputation there.
Lots of interesting shops filled with creations of some of the artisans in the area, along with many antique shops can be found on many of the tree-lined streets there. It is a really lovely little town that will hold the interests of everone who goes there.
There are several splendid restaurants to frequent…..and, guess what….we ate lunch at one of them, and it was excellent!!!!! Cooper House is worth a trip there just to savor their specialties….AND to eat some of those specialties!! Go do it!!!
Ran across a very good quote which I really think fits me, and many others:
“One of Life’s greatest joys
is eating with friends,
the second is talking about eating”
We came back to the cg….sunburned from the ride in Jay’s convertible. More red face and flapping skin for this OLD man….who now DOES look over ripe!!!
The 1st Lady fixed a grand dinner of a wonderful salad with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, fresh spinach, and a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette…..fresh corn on the cob, and a three cheese tortellini with chicken breast cubes smothered in a garlic alfredo sauce to make it creamy and caloric!!! A glass of my red medicine to assist in the digestion of this rich dinner made the meal incredible.
So, while I thought I had taken many pics in New Harmony, there weren’t that many too share with you….sorry dear friends.
Friday, July 29, 2005
ANOTHER day in Evansville.....
Friday…
A gorgeous day here in southwestern Indiana! Breakfast was outside under the awning of TheHowserHouse…visiting with morning walkers as they passed by, coffee while listening and watching various birds around us, and planning the day. A splendid way to begin the day.
We drove over to Kentucky across a beautiful Ohio River and visited the Audubon State Park…..named in honor of the famous bird watcher/identifier who lived in the area. He also made marvelous drawings and paintings of sooooo many birds. Took a short walk thru some of the wooded area…..nice and cool under the green canopy of the tall trees.
Then it was back to Evansville and some shopping for the 1st Lady who needs some additions to her wardrobe. Bargains are beginning to surface as the summer begins to head into August!!
After Jeremy got out of the office, we went out to add a few more pounds to our aging bodies. Tonight it was Greek…….a great restaurant with great atmosphere along with wonderful food! Such great combinations of flavors in the dinners we ordered….
Back to the cg and the very, very quiet of the park at night! Love it!!!!!!!
A couple of pics from today will be sent your way….hopefully.
Hope your 24th birthday was a GREAT one, Andrew Gipson!! You are just one year short of being one-quarter of a century OLD!!!!
A gorgeous day here in southwestern Indiana! Breakfast was outside under the awning of TheHowserHouse…visiting with morning walkers as they passed by, coffee while listening and watching various birds around us, and planning the day. A splendid way to begin the day.
We drove over to Kentucky across a beautiful Ohio River and visited the Audubon State Park…..named in honor of the famous bird watcher/identifier who lived in the area. He also made marvelous drawings and paintings of sooooo many birds. Took a short walk thru some of the wooded area…..nice and cool under the green canopy of the tall trees.
Then it was back to Evansville and some shopping for the 1st Lady who needs some additions to her wardrobe. Bargains are beginning to surface as the summer begins to head into August!!
After Jeremy got out of the office, we went out to add a few more pounds to our aging bodies. Tonight it was Greek…….a great restaurant with great atmosphere along with wonderful food! Such great combinations of flavors in the dinners we ordered….
Back to the cg and the very, very quiet of the park at night! Love it!!!!!!!
A couple of pics from today will be sent your way….hopefully.
Hope your 24th birthday was a GREAT one, Andrew Gipson!! You are just one year short of being one-quarter of a century OLD!!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
TheHowserHouse in Evansville,IN
Thursday…..
Arrived in Evansville, IN area early afternoon……however, it appears that some better cartographers are needed in making Indiana maps!!!! Even mapquest was wrong……it took us over an hour and several SHARP turn arounds to finally find the County Park…..Burdette Park. A real nice and clean park with RV camping , aquatic center, ball fields, mini golf, etc., etc. The price is good($18.00) for full hook-ups, so all that is needed are better instructions, better maps, and a better system for naming their roads in this area of the state.
After relaxing for a few hours and a walk thru the large park, Jeremy (our youngest son) arrived and before long we were being whisked around Evansville with the top of his convertible down and the blue skies above. A clean and neatly kept city of 110,000.….very impressive for this size of town which lies on the northern bank of the Ohio River.
He is the campaign manager for the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress from the 8th District of Indiana. The candidate dropped by TheHowserHouse this afternoon to introduce himself and to meet us. A great guy with great looks and full of charm…..glad he is running and not me.
Went to dinner at a pizza and microbrewery in town. Wonderful specialty pizzas and very good dark brew!!!!!! Then off we went to the waterfront for a quick trip to the local casino where we dropped some cash, and we were not winners…..as usual.
Back to the Park…..found it this time w/out any difficulty. Still some strange ways to get here over some weird road connections.
Soooo, think I will let my body sink into the bed, read a new book, and enjoy the real quiet out here. And it IS quiet.
Arrived in Evansville, IN area early afternoon……however, it appears that some better cartographers are needed in making Indiana maps!!!! Even mapquest was wrong……it took us over an hour and several SHARP turn arounds to finally find the County Park…..Burdette Park. A real nice and clean park with RV camping , aquatic center, ball fields, mini golf, etc., etc. The price is good($18.00) for full hook-ups, so all that is needed are better instructions, better maps, and a better system for naming their roads in this area of the state.
After relaxing for a few hours and a walk thru the large park, Jeremy (our youngest son) arrived and before long we were being whisked around Evansville with the top of his convertible down and the blue skies above. A clean and neatly kept city of 110,000.….very impressive for this size of town which lies on the northern bank of the Ohio River.
He is the campaign manager for the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress from the 8th District of Indiana. The candidate dropped by TheHowserHouse this afternoon to introduce himself and to meet us. A great guy with great looks and full of charm…..glad he is running and not me.
Went to dinner at a pizza and microbrewery in town. Wonderful specialty pizzas and very good dark brew!!!!!! Then off we went to the waterfront for a quick trip to the local casino where we dropped some cash, and we were not winners…..as usual.
Back to the Park…..found it this time w/out any difficulty. Still some strange ways to get here over some weird road connections.
Soooo, think I will let my body sink into the bed, read a new book, and enjoy the real quiet out here. And it IS quiet.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Playing catch-up w/the last few days......
Sunday…..
After a busy, fun-filled evening last night,,,,,,this morning was a laid back,relaxing way to begin another day. Breakfast was at the hotel, and while the food was perhaps a bit below average and the coffee was made by dragging no more than two beans thru some hot water….it was very pleasant to sit and relax.
The 1st Lady and Rachel enjoyed to the max about two hours in the pool while I read the morning papers over the internet. As all of the family who had gone to St.Joe for the wedding were staying in the hotel…..many of the younger set also gathered at the pool and had some fun family time.
We left town around noon only AFTER I stopped at the local Starbucks for a very good cappuccino!!!! WOW…..sooooo good and dark! Then it was a dash across Missouri on hwy 36 over to Monroe City. It was 98 when we left and after the 170 miles , it was 105 when we arrived……soooo damn hot, but up here there is very little humidity since it is terribly dry. Not sure I have seen such brown dead grass in years and years……it is just awful.
Prior to driving out of St. Joe and AFTER I got my cappuccino…..we ran across a pickup that was selling fresh corn on the cob. For $3 a dozen, we bought two doz. And the boys thru in several extra. AND…tonight we had several ears with HOME “GRANNY” GROWN tomatoes as part of BLTs. (“granny” is the 1st Lady’s mother)……..SOOOOOO TASTY!!!!!! Can’t wait for some more tomorrow………my very favorite veggie.
Guess what……I can’t get on the net here….the cell service is on “extended”…and I can’t get on….damn it!!! So, I will go to the Library tomorrow to post this and read my email.
Someday I will have a system/technology where by I will not have to do the Library run.
So…..adios amigos for tonight.
Monday…….
A day without access to the internet. I went to the local Library here in town this morning to use their computer(s) but…..I “have to have a library card”. Sooo, I told the young man that I would fill out the application, or, rather he would have to fill it out for me since I couldn’t write. He did so and then he said I “would have to wait for 24 hours before I could get my card”. I got a bit upset but told him I would be back in the morning.
I had already argued that I couldn’t understand why it is necessary to have a card when every library I have been to in many towns and different states have allowed me, or anyone else, to use their computers. Lost the argument, tho. “Library rules and regulations.”
Soooo, the day went on by with the heat reaching 105 again today……about the same temperature that I had reached while in the library. Spent several hours….actually more like the entire afternoon reading a book.
Not anything of interest on tv this evening, so I pushed my ripening eyes to bulge and squint more by continuing to read all evening. GOOD book…..a Ken Follett novel “Hornett Flight”…..a story about WWII in Denmark and the Resistance that was organized there. Some of his novels are really good and, like many authors who write sooo prolifically, some of his writing is not that interesting. Hmmmmm, could that be applied to blog writers, too???? HAHAHA.
Tuesday……
Sooo, after managing to pull my eyelids apart from all that reading yesterday, I got up, had my breakfast and percolator coffee…not too good…and shortly after 10AM I presented myself at the counter of the Library. THE Librarian told me I would not get a library card since I “didn’t live here”. The heat in the room became VERY hot as I stood there with smoke exiting from all possible orifices of my ripe and over heated body. I immediately took issue with her over this and I proceeded to tell her what a “negative aspect this rule was having on this little community”. I “discussed” how I had never run into this type of archaic rule in any library in all of the various states I had visited, etc., etc., etc. While I was presenting “my case” and supportive arguments, a lady came up and tapping me on my shoulder, stated to “Marian, the Librarian” that I could sign in to a computer under her name since she thought the rule was “ridiculous, too”.
“Marian” was flabbergasted….stunned, and beyond words. She had lost the verbal confrontation. She never said a word as the kind lady ushered me to her computer and pulled out the chair for me to sit down. I checked my ever-growing volumes of email, again thanked my unknown benefactor…who again said the rules at this Library were terrible and “outdated”, and left the Library and the dominating “Marian”. I intend to follow-up on this with a strong letter to the Editor of the News(paper).
(I did not think clearly enough…quickly…when “Marian” first denied me the card….because we do own farm acreage in this community!!)
I then went over to Quincy, IL to pick up some items for the 1st Lady’s mother. On my way out of town, she asked me to cash some checks at the bank for her, since she can no longer drive due to losing her eyesight this past year. The teller at the drive-thru asked me to sign under my mother-in-law’s signature, but as I held up my broken, casted arm, I said I couldn’t write. She just laughed and said, “You look like a trustworthy fellow.”, and gave me the money. Hmmmm, wonder why “Marian the Librarian” couldn’t see me that way???? HAHA!
Soooo, after purchasing the requested items in Quincy,,,,including some “algae eater” fish for her fish tank, I returned to my scheduled appointment with Ken Follett and his WWII discussion.
AND…..this afternoon the temp has dropped to 68 degress and IT IS RAINING in northern Missouri!!!!!
Hasta luego….(but not to you, “Marian”!!!)
After a busy, fun-filled evening last night,,,,,,this morning was a laid back,relaxing way to begin another day. Breakfast was at the hotel, and while the food was perhaps a bit below average and the coffee was made by dragging no more than two beans thru some hot water….it was very pleasant to sit and relax.
The 1st Lady and Rachel enjoyed to the max about two hours in the pool while I read the morning papers over the internet. As all of the family who had gone to St.Joe for the wedding were staying in the hotel…..many of the younger set also gathered at the pool and had some fun family time.
We left town around noon only AFTER I stopped at the local Starbucks for a very good cappuccino!!!! WOW…..sooooo good and dark! Then it was a dash across Missouri on hwy 36 over to Monroe City. It was 98 when we left and after the 170 miles , it was 105 when we arrived……soooo damn hot, but up here there is very little humidity since it is terribly dry. Not sure I have seen such brown dead grass in years and years……it is just awful.
Prior to driving out of St. Joe and AFTER I got my cappuccino…..we ran across a pickup that was selling fresh corn on the cob. For $3 a dozen, we bought two doz. And the boys thru in several extra. AND…tonight we had several ears with HOME “GRANNY” GROWN tomatoes as part of BLTs. (“granny” is the 1st Lady’s mother)……..SOOOOOO TASTY!!!!!! Can’t wait for some more tomorrow………my very favorite veggie.
Guess what……I can’t get on the net here….the cell service is on “extended”…and I can’t get on….damn it!!! So, I will go to the Library tomorrow to post this and read my email.
Someday I will have a system/technology where by I will not have to do the Library run.
So…..adios amigos for tonight.
Monday…….
A day without access to the internet. I went to the local Library here in town this morning to use their computer(s) but…..I “have to have a library card”. Sooo, I told the young man that I would fill out the application, or, rather he would have to fill it out for me since I couldn’t write. He did so and then he said I “would have to wait for 24 hours before I could get my card”. I got a bit upset but told him I would be back in the morning.
I had already argued that I couldn’t understand why it is necessary to have a card when every library I have been to in many towns and different states have allowed me, or anyone else, to use their computers. Lost the argument, tho. “Library rules and regulations.”
Soooo, the day went on by with the heat reaching 105 again today……about the same temperature that I had reached while in the library. Spent several hours….actually more like the entire afternoon reading a book.
Not anything of interest on tv this evening, so I pushed my ripening eyes to bulge and squint more by continuing to read all evening. GOOD book…..a Ken Follett novel “Hornett Flight”…..a story about WWII in Denmark and the Resistance that was organized there. Some of his novels are really good and, like many authors who write sooo prolifically, some of his writing is not that interesting. Hmmmmm, could that be applied to blog writers, too???? HAHAHA.
Tuesday……
Sooo, after managing to pull my eyelids apart from all that reading yesterday, I got up, had my breakfast and percolator coffee…not too good…and shortly after 10AM I presented myself at the counter of the Library. THE Librarian told me I would not get a library card since I “didn’t live here”. The heat in the room became VERY hot as I stood there with smoke exiting from all possible orifices of my ripe and over heated body. I immediately took issue with her over this and I proceeded to tell her what a “negative aspect this rule was having on this little community”. I “discussed” how I had never run into this type of archaic rule in any library in all of the various states I had visited, etc., etc., etc. While I was presenting “my case” and supportive arguments, a lady came up and tapping me on my shoulder, stated to “Marian, the Librarian” that I could sign in to a computer under her name since she thought the rule was “ridiculous, too”.
“Marian” was flabbergasted….stunned, and beyond words. She had lost the verbal confrontation. She never said a word as the kind lady ushered me to her computer and pulled out the chair for me to sit down. I checked my ever-growing volumes of email, again thanked my unknown benefactor…who again said the rules at this Library were terrible and “outdated”, and left the Library and the dominating “Marian”. I intend to follow-up on this with a strong letter to the Editor of the News(paper).
(I did not think clearly enough…quickly…when “Marian” first denied me the card….because we do own farm acreage in this community!!)
I then went over to Quincy, IL to pick up some items for the 1st Lady’s mother. On my way out of town, she asked me to cash some checks at the bank for her, since she can no longer drive due to losing her eyesight this past year. The teller at the drive-thru asked me to sign under my mother-in-law’s signature, but as I held up my broken, casted arm, I said I couldn’t write. She just laughed and said, “You look like a trustworthy fellow.”, and gave me the money. Hmmmm, wonder why “Marian the Librarian” couldn’t see me that way???? HAHA!
Soooo, after purchasing the requested items in Quincy,,,,including some “algae eater” fish for her fish tank, I returned to my scheduled appointment with Ken Follett and his WWII discussion.
AND…..this afternoon the temp has dropped to 68 degress and IT IS RAINING in northern Missouri!!!!!
Hasta luego….(but not to you, “Marian”!!!)
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Saturday, July 23, 2005
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