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| August, 2010 |
August 30 - 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 31. We were on the road yesterday by 9:30, after filling up with gas. We headed southwest on US 151 (no maps, as the source I was using has changed and I can no longer save the images) and the first thing we noticed was the trees starting to change color. That stretch of road is beautiful through the hills of southwest Wisconsin.
When we got to Dubuque, we pulled over to change drivers and Mike got out to check that all was ok with the toad (Jeep). He noticed that the key wasn't in the right position in the ignition which meant that the steering wheel was locked - it is supposed to be freely moving so the wheels turn when the RV turns. Oh! Oh! Not a good sign. He checked the tires and sure enough - they were damaged - to the point that we were going to have to replace them. Big chunks of rubber were missing around the entire tire, the passenger side much worse than the driver's side. These tires were purchased less than 2 months ago. He approached the RV with his head hanging down - feeling so bad about not double checking the setup or crediting the play in the RV steering wheel to the wind (it was quite gusty).
We made a quick decision to go to Rochester, MN rather than turn back to Madison where there was a Discount Tire - there were none in Iowa or Missouri where we were heading. One hundred fifty miles later, we pulled into the Discount Tire dealer in Rochester where they quickly replaced the tires and charged us $350. We spent the night at a nice little RV park - too tired to really enjoy the place.
This morning we got an early start and made it all the way to my brother Bob's house in Grain Valley. Bob had the red carpet out when we arrived, 2 margaritas waiting for us. When Penny got home we chatted for a little while before going to a nearby Mexican restaurant for a delicious dinner.
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August 23 - 29, 2010
Monday, August 23. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear husband, Mike! And to Casey too (if you ever read this blog). We're having his brothers and their wives over for dinner tonight, so I made a trip to the grocery store to get the stuff that we needed.
We got the cutting and chopping of veggies out of the way. Mike stayed home and I headed to the pool. It was a perfect day for it and I had it all to myself for over an hour - what a surprise that was because it has been a busy place most days.
Just as I was leaving the pool, Tom and Karen arrived and we had a nice time visiting before Dan and Sharon got here. Each of them brought a dish and we grilled some veggies and pork tenderloins, so dinner was great. There was a nice breeze that kept the bugs down (a few flies were buzzing around, but not too bad). Mike got lots of birthday greetings, so it turned out to be a very nice day.
Thursday, August 26. Brrrrr! It got down to 46 degrees this morning, I don't remember when we last saw those kinds of temps - probably when we were enroute to Wisconsin in May. We even pulled out the space heater last night so we would be prepared this morning. We sure are wimps these days!
We spent most of Tuesday in Madison, taking care of errands, like getting the tires rotated on the car. The place was right across the street from the Hu Hot Mongolian Grill, so we decided to try that out for lunch. The food was fresh, there was a nice variety of choices, and it was quite entertaining to watch it being prepared on the huge circular grill. We then stopped at Costco for a few items before heading back home.
Yesterday was our house cleaning and doing laundry day. A cold front came through last night so it was a great night for sleeping, the humidity has dropped and we could have the windows open once again. After getting our chores out of the way, we headed to Stoughton to spend the afternoon with Pat.
This afternoon we delivered fresh veggies to Mom again, and as before, she ate them all quite willingly. The day was perfect and we enjoyed our stroll around the building, looking at flowers, spotting turtles and frogs lounging by the lake, and hearing the stories about Grandpa George's garden over and over again - poor Mom. Her memory is very limited and most are of her childhood, but she is cheerful and happy and always appreciates getting outdoors and having company.
We had planned to get together with Pat and Roger one more time, but also wanted to see Louie and Dave again too. We met them at Toby's and were also joined by Joan and Vicki for an enjoyable evening of dinner and drinks.
Saturday, August 28. Happy Birthday, Nan! Pat offered us a discount coupon for an oil change, so we headed to Stoughton on Friday afternoon to get that out of the way. With nothing to do but wait, we walked to the nearby pet store and got a new bully stick for Frisco (his favorite kind of chew toy). The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out in the shade of Pat's yard and then going with them to Barber's Bay for fish fry. It was another bust - the last time we were there was last year and it hasn't improved since then. It used to be soooo good!
Today, we spent a couple of hours with Mom and then had to say a teary goodbye. Communicating with her by phone is just not the same. From there, we drove up to Portage to see Dan and Sharon one more time. Their house was all a bustle with 3 of their granddaughters, Brooke (age 10), Elizabeth (age 8), and Reanna (age 4). They had lots of fun playing with Frisco, and he didn't know which way to turn as he was getting commands from all 3 at once. He was a good sport and seemed to enjoy the activity. We were later joined by Rachael and Rob (Reanna's parents) and her 3 year old brother Ryan.
Sharon fed us quite well with a tossed green salad, a delicious chicken lasagna (I will have to get that recipe), homemade dinner rolls, fresh fruit and even a yummy cake for dessert. It was another great time with the Bridge family, but then we had to say goodbye again until we get back here (or they make a trip to visit us (we hope).
Sunday, August 29. Our last day here in Wisconsin, we got a few things ready for the drive back to Arizona and a stop in KC to visit family along the way. I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items that we need for the trip and for lunch with Pat, Tracey, and Savana today. Sweet corn sounded like a good thing to have, but the farm truck that has been outside the park for the last 2 months is no longer there (they must have run out of corn). Pat picked some up on his way and that was even better, as it was Eugster's corn - our favorite from year's back. I didn't realize it, but learned that they actually have a patent on their very own sweet corn - no wonder that nobody else can match it. I also made some fresh tuna salad (not from a can) and that too was a great hit. You will have to try it some time, as there really is no comparison - the texture and flavor is delightful.
It was a nice afternoon, but then it came time to say goodbye - always a hard thing. We're so fortunate to have been able to spend lots of time with them and are hoping that their plans to come visit us over the Christmas holidays works out.
The chairs and tables and grill are all packed away now - we're closer to being ready to roll.
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August 16 - 22, 2010
Monday, August 16. The start to another week in Wisconsin. Our time his is getting shorter and shorter. We cleaned house and just enjoyed being at home - another beautiful 77 degree day with a nice breeze to freshen everything up.
Later this afternoon, we went up to visit with Mom and she was having another good day. She loves the outdoors, so the deck overlooking the lake is where we sat - she ate about 10 more tomatoes and some sliced cucumbers - would have eaten more if I had taken them. When it was time for her dinner, we took her in and she even ate some of that while we sat and visited. Glad to see it.
We met some former coworkers from Covance for dinner this evening at the Hitching Post in Portage. Connie (retired just before me) and her husband, Bill and Beth (still working there - in her 25th year) and Bill (Mike's boss when he worked there in the early 80s, Bill left about the same time I did). We had a really nice visit and lots of laughs about old times.
Wednesday, August 18. Yesterday was such a BLAH day, we just laid around the house all day, neither of us feeling very good (or maybe just needed a down day to do absolutely nothing).
Today was much better. I did start off on the wrong foot, as I got up and got ready for a haircut appointment, then realized it isn't until tomorrow morning. The phone rang and it was Janna (a couple from Stillwater, MN that we met while wintering in Port Aransas, TX). They are vacationing not too far from here, so we met them half way in Spring Green for lunch at the Round Barn. It was great to see them again and to meet their friend Pat from Lee's Summit, MO. It amazes me that you meet someone, feel like you have known each other for years, even if you only see each other once a year for a short time. We're looking forward to the next time.
Before heading back home, we stopped to see Mike's classmate, Mark and his wife Kari that live in Spring Green. It had probably been 5 years since the time and we caught up right where we left off. Mark is always full of news of classmate's whereabouts, and they will not be at the class reunion this weekend, so we learned a lot. Nice to see them and to meet their son and 2 of their grandchildren.
Tonight, Pete and JoAnne stopped by for a chat. What a social life we have - its so great!
Saturday, August 21. It's been a weekend of reconnecting with people from Mike's class of 1965, many of whom were last seen at his 40th reunion in 2005. The Friday night gathering was held at the 1855 Bar and Grill in Cottage Grove. We stopped to pick up Jim (he and Mike's back yards were kiddy corner from each other) at Pete and JoAnne's house - always nice to see him again, our last visit was in the Villages in Florida in 2008. Friday nights at most restaurants around here are crowded with a high level of background noise, and when we arrived we thought "how will we ever be able to have conversation", but things improved when we stepped out on the deck - except for the mosquitos that refused to leave us alone.
The first couple we greeted, we learned that our homes in Mesa are less than a half mile apart, so we will now have Norm and Chris to hang out with in Arizona too - what a small world it is these days. We shared a table with them for dinner and it wasn't long and we were putting 2 tables together and 5 more people joined us. The poor waitress, but then I'm sure she was rewarded for our trouble. The turnout was pretty good and it was a fun time.
The Saturday event was held at the Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove, a nice new facility that was quite crowded when we arrived - a fund raising benefit was just finishing up. By them time the class picture was taken, most of the other party had left and we had the place to ourselves. The food was good, the company was great and we had a very nice time. It was a foggy drive back home.
Sunday, August 22. It was an R and R day for Mike but I chose to do a favor for my brother, Ron, and give him a ride to Stoughton. He has been struggling financially and hasn't been able to see his girlfriend for a while. It was long drive but it gave me some time to chat with him. I dropped him off at Nancy's house and then I went to hang out at Pat and Traceys. When it was time to head back home, he decided to stay the night and it saved me about an hour's drive.
I tried to sit outdoors after dinner but the mosquitoes were buzzing all around me, so back into the air conditioned motor home I went. We caught up on last week's episode of Antique's Road Show that we had missed.
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August 9 - 15, 2010
Monday, August 9. The rumble of thunder and flashes of lightening woke us up around 2:00 this morning. Frisco got as close as he could and the storm got worse and worse, the rain was coming down in buckets and before long the winds were rocking the motor home. It was kind of scary. I couldn't help but worry about the poor folks camped in tents. Needless to say, it didn't help us get a good night's sleep.
When I got up, I found that our chairs had flipped over, the rugs were all askew, the tablecloth ripped from the table and my plant was upside down. Rugs and fireplace rings and other various things were scattered all over. Jeff, the owner of the place said there was various damage throughout the park and that he had heard that we could have had straight-line winds up to 70 mph. We were tired after not much rest last night, so laid back down for a nap around 11:00.
This afternoon, we had a gathering of Mike's siblings at Tom & Karen's. We had a great summertime meal, it felt good to have the Bridge's together again. Tom wasn't feeling good, so we didn't stick around for too long, but it was still nice time.
Thursday, August 12. It seems like it has been a busy week with visits to Mom, cleaning house and doing laundry, having Pat, Tracey, and Savana over for dinner. I tried making pizza on the grill and it ended up tasting delicious but I will have to modify the process in the future, as it was a bit of a challenge. The crust (Trader Joe's premade dough) should have been rolled out, but I don't have a rolling pin with me, so I spread it with my fingertips. It was to be placed on a cookie sheet on the grill until brown on the bottom. My cookie sheet has a ridge, so I put it on the bottom and it stuck but I was able to get a knife under it and get it off. At that point, the ingredients were put on and it was returned to the grill until done. It tasted yummy, so it is probably something I will try again.
This morning, we met up with our long lasting friends, Jim and Sue at the 4 Lakes Yacht Club, loaded into their boat and headed down the Yahara River to Lake Waubesa for breakfast. Today is predicted to be a very hot and humid one, so we started out at 9:00 with hopes of beating the heat. Poor Jim had already worked up a sweat, just getting the boat in the river. The Beach House wasn't open for business yet, nor did they even serve Walleye and eggs during the week, so we went over to the Green Lantern. Our hunger for this great Wisconsin breakfast was satisfied and we also had one of their yummy Bloody Mary's (a basket of the fixins are delivered to your table and you season them as you choose).
By the time we finished breakfast it was probably 90 degrees and we headed right straight back to the Yacht Club. You didn't really feel the heat as long as you were moving, but stop for just a minute and you started to sweat. It wasn't a very long boat ride but we sure did have lots of good conversation. Their boat is a small, 1960s vintage wooden boat and it is always a treat to get a ride (again, we were negligent about taking photos). Jim and Sue are both retired now and are interested in doing some RVing in their future. They had never seen our motorhome, so after our boat ride, they came up to our house to see our setup. With all of their boating experiences through the years, they won't have any problem dealing with an RV. Maybe we can even get some trips in together - that would be so enjoyable. It was another great day with great friends and once again, I think about how fortunate we are to have such a good life.
Friday, August 13. My day started with my usual Friday routine of hitting the local garage sales. I got 2 in before it started to rain. We went up to visit with Mom and found her in great spirits today. We took fresh cherry tomatoes from Pat's garden and they were a big hit - she ate 6 of them and probably would have had more. She also enjoyed the Bing cherries and had several of those.
After learning that the tomatoes came from Pat's garden, she started telling us about the huge garden that her Grandfather used to have - she even remembered that he was bow legged and used to tell her that "if it weren't for my legs, I'd be able to walk good". Mike remembered seeing pictures of him, always with a cane. We browsed the Birds and Blooms magazines, she always enjoys the pictures of birds, animals, and flowers. It was a very nice visit today.
Friday night fish fry at the Cannery with the Hooverson's - 4 of them and their spouses - always a great time. Mike ordered Walleye and I had the Lake Perch - yummy! And naturally, you can't have fish fry without Old Fashioneds.
Saturday, August 14. The day was perfect for the Farris picnic at the Vilas Park Zoo. We were fortunate to have cloudy skies, as it would have been uncomfortably hot without that cover. It was a great turnout and I got to see several of my first cousins on my mother's side of the family and many of their extended families. The spread of food was great too. I did a much better job of visiting than I did of taking photos, but a few are posted.
Sunday, August 15. The temperatures and humidities have dropped, it is right around 80 degrees today and absolutely gorgeous. We took it easy this morning, then headed to Stoughton to hang out with Pat and Tracey this afternoon. Lunch at Deak's Bar was pretty good. A low-key but very enjoyable day.
Sleeping with the windows open and the AC off - it doesn't get much better than this.
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August 2 - 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 4. Lots of activity for us today, but the 2 previous days this week were pretty low key. At 7:30 this morning, the 2-man team from Lodi Glass showed up to replace the driver's side pilot window on the motor home. They really knew their stuff, as it was done inside of an hour, all the pieces fit together, and it looks great!
I got the laundry going and Pat came by to hang out with us. By the time the laundry was done, the site that we are moving into was vacated and we proceeded to get things secure to move. I'm quite happy with the spot; we have good internet and phone signals but best of all is the great shade tree. We now have shade starting before 11:00 and it will be with us until the sun goes down - the AC won't have to run constantly and we can sit outside and enjoy it.
On Monday, we took lunch to Mom and she actually ate several bites of sweet corn and some tomato, drank some root beer and she especially liked the cherries that we brought. She washed it all down with a can of Ensure - so not a bad day as far as eating goes. We walked around the building and spent some time on the deck overlooking the "dry" lake. A man was weed whacking the lake bed and we learned that the repairs to the dam are complete and they will be opening it and letting the lake fill up again. That will be so nice because it is a beautiful spot to relax and watch the ducks and geese, and maybe even drop in a fishing line.
Thursday, August 5. Happy Birthday to my long lasting childhood friend, Pat. We started the day by meeting and Roger for breakfast, as they were starting a road trip in the Miata. I couldn't believe she sat down at the table, I wished her a Happy Birthday, and she proceeded to knock over my coffee mug and it all landed in my lap. The waitress quickly brought over a towel to sop it up and I was just fine until I got back home to change. You're forgiven, girlfriend.
As we left the restaurant, a couple of guys pulled in with their Jeep that was topless. It inspired us, so Mike took the windows off and the top down and we headed to Wyocena. It is one of those perfect Wisconsin summer days, around 75-80 degrees, with a nice breeze and low humidity. It felt good to have the fresh country air flying around us. Frisco was riding in the back seat, I had his leash wrapped around my leg, and he was looking out the side windows, reprimanded a couple of times for hanging out the window. As we pulled into the drive to the nursing home, I felt a tug, looked around and could see a flash of blonde hair on the ground next to the car. He had either slipped and lost his balance or jumped out and he slipped right out of his collar. It's a good thing we were moving at a crawl - or we may have run over him. My heart was beating so hard! He was freaked too - as soon as I opened the door, he jumped in.
Our visit with Mom included the usual walk around the building, sitting on the deck (there is a lot more water in the lake now, but it still isn't full), admiring the flowers, and when she got sleepy, we headed back home. Had to make a stop at Camping World to get a replacement handle for the crank on the TV antenna. It's always tempting to buy other neat stuff there, but we resisted.
Friday, August 6. I put a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker this morning before heading out to some garage sales. My big find was a beginner's guide to chords for the guitar. Mike was quite appreciative of my $1 purchase. On my way back home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up the remaining ingredients I needed for Cuban sandwiches (bread, dill pickles, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and the pulled pork) that we are taking to Pat's for dinner this evening. The bread was the problem - Cuban bread is a common ingredient in the grocery store bakeries down south, but there was none to be found here. I settled on some rolls that will just have to do.
Pat made another of his garden salads and the sandwiches were a big hit.
Saturday, August 7. Frisco has been dragging his butt when we have walked the last 2 mornings. Now, I'm thinking he might be hurting as a result of his jump out of the moving car on Thursday. I checked him closely, but didn't find anything out of place and he isn't limping or anything, perhaps he is bruised. He got tortured with the grooming routine this morning, starting with cleaning his ears, followed by a bath, and then the dreaded nail clipping. He sure is a good little dog through all of that dreadful treatment.
It was another nice day here in Wisconsin, but the humidity is going up. All the talk around here is about the next week of clouds, rain, and high humidity. Good old Wisconsin in the summertime. We decided to take a drive to see if we could track down my brother, Ron. Nobody has heard from him since he moved to Mazomanie this spring. I've tried to call him several times, but his phone has been out of service. It was a nice drive, straight west from here along country roads and through the beautiful Wisconsin countryside until we came to the Wisconsin River near Sauk City.
I wasn't sure exactly where he was living, so we pulled into one place to inquire and a big old dog from next door came up to greet me, barking and protecting his place. A man came out, I asked him and he told me where I could find Ron, working on a rehab project down the street. We finally tracked him down and had a short visit, he's barely managing, picking up odd jobs and helping out his friend in exchange for a place to stay. I felt bad for him, I'm relieved that he is ok but sorry to see him struggling.
Sunday, August 8. We had some good storms come through during the night and the morning was pretty rainy. I had a list of a few things to get at Trader Joe's, so headed out to Madison this morning. I think I have to get out of the grocery shopping mode, it seems I've been doing a lot of that lately.
Pat came up and we couldn't decide what to do, he said he could always browse the sporting goods stores so we headed to Gander Mountain. Mike and I saw some outdoor chairs that we liked but don't really need to haul any more around in the RV, so we added it to the "want" list. The Cannery in Sun Prairie was our destination for lunch, a nice spot that Pat had never been to. The Bloody Mary was excellent, Calamari was good, wings were so-so, and there were way too many haystack onions. It was a nice time anyway.
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Sunday, August 1, 2010
Today starts a month of many birthdays for our family and friends, I have at least 10 birthday cards to send. I stopped by the office this morning to see if we could relocate, as our wifi signal is very poor and sporadic (Mike is having trouble watching his guitar lesson videos) and we also are getting no shade in the afternoon, so we requested a different site. They were quite accommodating, so we will try another site on Wednesday when there is an opening.
I washed the car and the rear of the motor home this morning, we took a little nap, and then headed to Pat and Tracey's for the afternoon. Pat fixed some brats and a yummy salad from his garden and I brought along my potato salad. It won't be long and we will be having lots of green beans, tomatoes and cukes.
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Created on 08/02/2010 07:13 AM by bridge
Updated on 09/01/2010 09:59 AM by bridge
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