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| January 2008 |
January 1 - 6
Tuesday, January 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Our day started off when I awoke at 7:30 and realized the alarm didn't go off at 6:00 as it usually does. Groggy from being up late and having drinks, we stumbled in to work by 8:30. Poor little Frisco had to settle for a few short romps today because we didn't have the time or energy to go for long walks.
The park was busy once people started to stir and we managed to get through the day. Just before closing time, some guests arrived and Mike escorted them to their site. It just happened to be the site where the happy hour crowd had taken up residence recently, the site that had the last bit of afternoon sun. They are ingenious people and we know they will find another good place to gather.
Pizza Hut provided our dinner and it was early to bed.
Thursday, January 3. It was the 1st day of our 4-day weekend and it was so nice to just hang out, take walks, pay bills, and enjoy the cool but sunny day. It was also maintenance day for Frisco, he got his ears cleaned, a good brushing, teeth brushed, monthly dose of Advantage and heartworm, and his nails trimmed. Unfortunately, Frisco jerked as Mike was trimming his nails and one got cut way too short. It bled and bled and bled, finally stopped, but after a walk this afternoon, we noticed that it was bleeding again. We dosed it with several layers of liquid bandaid and hopefully, that will keep it from bleeding through the night.
This evening, the happy hour group ended up next door to us, since it was one of the sunniest spots in the park this afternoon. Someone dragged a fire pit and some logs over and a crowd of about 20 people ended up gathered around the fire for a couple of hours. It was fun, lots of laughs and good conversation.
Friday, January 4. It has warmed up around here, barely needed the heat this morning. Once the sun came up, it was beautiful. We decided to visit the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge that is located about 30 miles north of Rockport. It is a coastal area of shallow water, salt flats, freshwater ponds and a 16-mile auto tour loop through dense grasslands.
Many bird species winter in this area including the whooping crane and we did see a pair of them, although they were off in the distance and barely could be seen through the binoculars. We did see many other herons, ducks, shorebirds, and got a really good spotting of a kingfisher. We took lots of walks along trails and boardwalks, taking in the views at many observation platforms.
Before leaving, we drove the auto tour and spotted a pair of white-tailed deer,an armadillo, and several turkeys along the roadside. It was a relaxing, fun way to spend the day and the weather was perfect.
Saturday, January 5. Frisco and I had a nice long walk this morning. It was kind of foggy and humid when I woke up, but warm enough to walk without wearing a sweater. I love it!
We headed for Corpus Christi to hang out with Hair and Judy this morning. When we got there, Judy showed us her collection of shells that she had gotten from the beach this week. There must have been 100 starfish drying on plastic sheets and plates full of all kinds of other shells too. She has been a busy girl.
The took us to see their new house, just a mile or so away, but on a canal. The inside is in the process of being painted but we were able to walk around it anyway. There is not a speck of grass in their yard but it is nicely landscaped. The back of the house faces one of the fingers on a canal that connects with the Packery Channel that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Their back yard is small, but large enough to have a small patio, swimming pool, and hot tub. We're looking forward to future visits.
We decided to go to the beach and do some more shelling. The guys dropped Judy and I off at the beach, then went to get some sandwiches and beverages. The shelling was good, I found lots of baby ears, jingles, bear paw, starfish, and *bleep*les. I'm not sure what I will do with them. We drove around and had a little tour of Padre Island, a very nice area that we might have to consider in the future.
Mike and Hair brought back sandwiches and we just hung out for a while. We had to leave by about 4:30 to allow us time to get home, let Frisco out (we left him at home since we didn't know what we would be doing this afternoon).
This evening, we met Hair and Judy and their friends, Mickey, Karen, and Rickey at the Latitude 28'02 Restaurant in Rockport. They had heard good things about it and wanted to check it out. The place is very nice, the restaurant is on one side and a gallery on the other. Many of the works are displayed throughout the restaurant.
Our dinner was excellent, the presentation beautiful, our server was very attentive, and the desserts were wonderfuly. Mike and I both had shrimp stuffed with crab, shrimp florentine, and we shared a creme brulee for dessert.
Sunday, January 6. Happy Birthday, Randy! It's hard to believe it is already Sunday and Day 4. Since we haven't taken care of any chores yet, we did laundry and some house cleaning this morning.
After getting home last night, we have both been looking at properties on Padre Island on the internet. We decided to take a ride back to Corpus Christi this afternoon to see some condos at the Beach Club, a renovated condominium community, just a 5-minute walk to the beach. The units are in the $110-180,000 range which seems affordable for oceanfront property. We looked at all of the different floorplans ranging from studios to 2-bedroom units on each of 3 floors. No decisions right now, but definitely a possibility for the future. I would love to walk the beach every morning.
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January 7 - 13
Tuesday, January 8. We're back at work and I was just sitting at the desk in the office, I glanced out the window and spotted 2 dolphins surfacing at the end of the pier (about 500 feet from the shoreline). Looking to the south, I can spot a flock of white pelicans. They are beautiful birds, gliding along the water so gracefully, but when they land on the water they take a nosedive and create a huge splash.
As the afternoon goes on, the pelicans have gathered at the pier, along with gulls and brown pelicans. The oyster boats are heading toward the harbor. The water is smooth as glass today, it has warmed up to nearly 80 degrees and the clouds have cleared off. Just this morning, I was thinking about how nice it is here, especially the salt air, the moderate temperatures and the laid back atmosphere of the place. We might just have to spend future winters here.
The park is full with maybe 1 or 2 sites that could be rented from a few days to a week or so. I have had to turn several people away this afternoon.
At about 4:00 this afternoon, dark clouds moved in and the wind picked up and changed direction real quickly. Mike and I took the flag down as it was straight out and taking a real beating. After work we joined a few people for a *bleep*tail and once again, had some lively conversation. There is one site a few doors down from us that is vacant because it is too small to get many of the RVs in it. The folks tell me that we're not allowed to rent it because its just a great gathering spot to hold happy hour.
Wednesday, January 9. Although there wasn't a lot of scheduled activity today, it turned out to be very busy. It was a nice, cool day. We didn't get much of a walk this morning as it was real windy and cool along the road and it's not much fun walking in the park. On those days, Frisco gets his exercise by playing ball in the shed. I'm sure he doesn't mind at all.
Tonight, we went to potluck - a great way to get a good meal without having to cook. I took my kidney bean coleslaw and there was quite an array of goodies; fish served several different ways, meatloaf, swiss steak, casseroles, lots of veggies, and several desserts. We sat with a couple from Wyoming, Mark and Renita, and had great conversation about our experiences and the full-timing lifestyle. It sure is interesting to hear the stories of others and to get to know folks from all over.
Tomorrow is day 4 and we will be getting ready for our trip to Houston to visit with Jo and Ray. We are so looking forward to it.
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Friday, January 11
We headed to Sugar Land to visit my cousin Jo and her husband Ray today, a road trip that took us about 3 hours. The Google Earth directions that I had were excellent except the exit that we were to take from the highway was closed and we ended up getting closer to Houston than we intended and had to call Jo for alternate directions. Sugar Land is on the southwest side of Houston and is mostly new development. The suburbs are expanding into that area and you can tell by all of the construction. Their home is in a very large development called Greatwood.
It's been 3 years since we have seen each other but it didn't take long to catch up on the news and to feel like it was only yesterday. This was our 1st stop after picking up our 1st motor home in Clyde, TX back in March 2005. Looking back at my website journals, it was also one of the 1st topics on the website. It feels good to be with family once again.
Frisco and Buster (their 5-month old poodle and shih tsu puppy) got along great and couldn't leave each other alone. They ran and romped and nipped and poked each other constantly.
When Ray got home from work, we went to see the movie, Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. All of us thought it was very good. The reviews were not so good but many times we find their take is opposite from ours. After the movie, we stopped at a place for hot wings and drinks.
Saturday, January 12. I took Frisco for a nice, long walk through the neighborhood this morning, a very nice place to walk.
After breakfast, we went to the Boat, Sport, and Travel show in Houston at the Reliant Center. The displays that most caught our attention were the Zodiac inflatable boats and the Fold-A-Boat, although there were incredibly beautiful yachts and sailboats too. We did purchase an E-Z Hook, a stainless steel hook used for turning meats. We considered it to be a gadget that we couldn't live without.
Jo wanted to look a trailers that she could pull behind her Hummer and there were lots of different types at the show. Ray and Mike both wanted to look at Class A motor homes, so after the show we headed toward Katy (on the northwest side of Houston) to Holiday RV, a very large dealer. While there, Mike and I found a 34' Holiday Rambler Admiral that we really liked. We'll see what kind of numbers the salesman comes up with, as we told him right off that we weren't interested in talking about it that day.
Returning to Jo and Ray's house, we set about fixing dinner of steak, potatoes, and asparagus. Ray demonstrated how efficient the E-Z Hook worked for checking and turning the steaks and then he demonstrated how his new wine bottle opener worked. It's hard to believe we have lived without these tools all these years. Dinner was excellent. Jo served a delicious fruit compote for dessert.
Sunday, January 13. After breakfast this morning, Jo's daughter Angie and her daughters, Sammy and Sonny came by for a little while. It was nice to see them again too, it has been 5 or 6 years since we had seen them and they sure have grown up a lot too.
Jo and I went to a very nice garden center and I helped her pick out some plants for a large planter in front of her garage. We potted it up when we got back and it turned out very nice.
This afternoon, we all went to the downtown Sugar Land square where we strolled through some stores and had a bite to eat.
Mike and I left there at about 4:00, the return trip taking only 2.5 hours - not a bad drive at all. It was a very enjoyable weekend and we have plans for them to come to Rockport before we leave the area.
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January 14 - 20, 2008
Monday, January 14. R and R day - we must be getting old. For every 4-day shift we are off it seems that we need 1 day to catch up on our rest. That is usually the day for doing chores also, so guess its not too bad of a thing. The weather has cooled down again, so it's not a bad day too just hang out and catch up on e-mails, photos, etc.
I got my hair cut today and I'm right back to the same short style that I have worn for years. After working with Jill to grow it out over the past year, I have been unable to get a stylist to just trim it, but not change the style. It's really hard when you go from being satisfied with every haircut to not knowing what you will look like when you leave the salon. Everyone seems to want to cut off way too much and it's impossible to convince them otherwise. Sorry about the rant!
Tuesday, January 15. It's exactly 2 months until Ben and Jill's wedding - it is coming up quickly. We're back to work today and the weather is the big topic of conversation around here. The wind is cold and the water is white-capped. The temps are not supposed to get above 60 degrees today and rain is expected.
Wednesday, January 16. It rained all night long, starting at about 9:00 last night, just when Mike took Frisco out for his evening walk and to lock up.
Today, I have been reading the blogs of 2 couples that we have met here in the park. Mark and Renita have been on the road since October of 2007 and Diane and Jim since the fall of 2006. We all have our lifestyles in common but differing backgrounds. All are interested in taking photos, visiting different parts of the county, meeting people, and sharing experiences. What a great way to live!
We are both tired tonight and decided not to join the folks at the potluck. I took some Tortilla Soup out of the freezer and we had a quiet night at home. Tonight should be a little better for sleeping, as I heard the rain all night last night. The sun came out this afternoon and it was beautiful - lots of boat on the bay and several people out fishing on the pier.
Friday, January 18. Day 4 and it has been a long, slow 4 days. The last 2 days have been cold and rainy. Last night after work, I made a pot of chili, perfect for the type of weather we were having. Tonight, I felt like having a regular meal, so made pork chops, sweet potato, and broccoli - very tasty!
Saturday, January 19. It feels so good to be able to sleep in and start the day slow and easy rather than hustle and bustle getting ready for work. I've been wanting to go to the local Farmer's Market (held the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month) since we arrived and haven't managed to do it. I did go this morning and it was probably the worst weather possible - cold (about 40 degrees) and windy. There were only a few vendors setup, but I did manage to get some lettuce, tomato, yellow squash, eggs, and homemade wheat noodles. Maybe next month will be better.
I also got the grocery shopping out of the way this morning. I try to avoid shopping on the weekend, but since I was out and about I thought I would get it out of the way. It is hard to believe how expensive groceries have become - the bill today came to $160 - for 2 people for about 10 days! I admit that I'm not very good at economizing on groceries because I just buy whatever I want. That may have to change.
The weather improved greatly today when the sun came out. We spent some time going through things to prepare for a flea market/craft sale on Monday. We try hard not to accumulate unnecessary items but we managed to come up with 2 grocery bags full of stuff to try to sell.
Mike and I took Frisco to the park this afternoon where we had a nice, long walk in the crisp but refreshing air. We went to happy hour after that and then settled in for the evening.
Sunday, January 20. What a nice day we have had today. Yesterday, we talked about going to a movie this afternoon but we decided to wait and do that on one of the upcoming cold, rainy days that are predicted next week.
I decided to give the shower a good scrubbing this morning and ended up brushing off some of the silicone caulk. That led to removing all of the old caulk and re-caulking it, a project that took several hours. Mike cleaned the windows inside and out - it is always nice to look out of clean windows. The park was abuzz with folks out walking, doing projects, cleaning, and just enjoying the nice weather.
The park's activities group are having a pizza party this evening, just before the ice cream social. We plan to watch the Green Bay Packer's play at 6:00 this afternoon, at Lambeau Field on a day that is about 1 degree below zero and wind chills in the 25-30 degrees below zero range. We're hoping for a big win and only 1 game away from the Super Bowl.
We've also been working on planning our vacation to Austin with Pat and Roger in March, only 4 days after we get back from our Mexico vacation. What a life! Roger called to let us know he had found a motel, we checked it out and went for it. The Austin Motel on Congress sounds kind of interesting, I look forward to our visit.
What a sad night for the Packer fans - they lost the game in overtime 23 to 20.
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January 21 - 27
Monday, January 21. Another month, nearly over - the time sure does fly. This morning I am getting ready for the sale that is being held in the rec hall. Mike and I will work this afternoon for Lucy and Myron and then will be off on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The sale was ok, I sold about $35.00 worth of stuff and spent $16.00, so I did end up with a little money in my pocket. Several people brought their crafts including some beautiful watercolors, photographs, greeting cards, Christmas stuff, and jewelry. I made up some glass bead refrigerator magnets and sold a few of them. The RVers are not a good market for that, as there are very limited magnetic surfaces.
It is another rainy day here but the temps went up to the mid 60s this morning and are declining as the day goes on.
Tuesday, January 22. Shopping day. We decided this would be a good day to go to Corpus Christi to try to complete our necessary shopping for the wedding. Naturally, we bought things we didn't really need but we also got most of the stuff we needed for the trip. I still have to buy a swimsuit but since they don't have the summer stuff out at the stores yet, I may have to shop online. Sometimes, that is a much better experience anyway.
When we got back to Rockport, it was dinner time and since we hadn't planned ahead for dinner, we stopped at the Moondog Restaurant in the Fulton Harbor. The brightly painted exterior had caught my eye several times when walking or driving by. It was a foggy evening, so the outdoor eating areas weren't open but on a nice day it would be a very pleasant place to dine, have drinks, or just sit and watch the oyster boats coming in off the bay. We tried the crab cakes and shrimp that were both excellent. The sides and the drinks were also very good and the staff was friendly and attention. We will probably return some day, although there are several restaurants in the area that we still want to try.
Wednesday, January 23. It's another cold and rainy day here in Rockport and we're starting to feel the old cabin fever once again. I did run some errands today with a stop at the local library for a few books to help pass the time.
The potluck dinner tonight was excellent as usual and there was a good turnout and we had very enjoyable conversation at our table. Mike and I watched an excellent movie tonight called King of California with Michael Douglas - a very interesting story about a teenage girl whose father is released from a mental institution and comes to live with her. It was a good way to wind up the weekend, as it's back to work tomorrow again.
Thursday, January 24. What a day! Another cold, wet, miserable, gray day here in Rockport. It made me think of the many days in a row that were just like this in Pacifica, although with more fog. And then it made me think of our friends and family up north that are dealing with -20 below temperatures. Guess we have no room to complain, we are 65 degrees warmer than that. People around here are wearing winter coats if they have them and nobody is gathering for happy hour today.
The office was real busy today. I can't believe there are so many people that wait until the last minute to make reservations and then expect to get preferential treatment and their choice of the prime sites. We had one site vacate, but it was rented again within a few hours.
Frisco only got 3 short walks today and about 20 minutes of play inside the motorhome. Sure hope he doesn't start bouncing of the walls tomorrow.
Saturday, January 26. Day 4. Yee Hah! I had a nice, long conversation with Rita on the phone this morning - thanks to cell phones that make it so much easier to stay in touch. Today is her daughter, Christel's due date for delivering her long awaited son, but she has had to sign of being quite ready. We are all anxiously awaiting the news of the 1st child of our kids' generation.
Mike started feeling the symptoms (headache, sore throat, fever) of a bad cold or flu that is going around the park. Darn. Our regimen of Esberitox has started once again and we hope we can keep it at bay.
Unfortunately, as the day has gone on, he has become progressively worse. I made a pot of chicken soup for dinner.
Sunday, January 27. We got off to a great start this morning with a knock on the door at 7:45. One of the sites has been without power and they were looking for help. Mike is still very under the weather and Lucy and Myron were gone to church, so they just had to wait for Myron's return.
It is a nice cool but sunny morning, so Frisco and I took a long walk. Once again, I didn't bring the camera along, so could take photos of the many birds that I saw.
Back home, as I was making the bed, I could hear little pecks on the bedroom window. I raised the shades and there was a little Black Crested Titmouse jumping between the ladder and the window. I did manage to get a nice photo - check out the album.
I was on my own today, so did some cleaning, talked to Pat, Ben, and Rene on the phone, sat in the sunshine reading a magazine, fixed Ben's pasta for dinner, did a bit of shopping, and got started on our income taxes. All in all, it was a pretty good day for me. Mike has been under the weather all day - hope he gets better through the night.
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January 27 - 31
Monday, January 27. We were supposed to switch work days with Myron and Lucy today, but Mike is still under the weather so that's not going to work. I spent the morning working on our taxes but still need some information before I can continue.
Bob and Jeri dropped Sammy off this morning and it looks like that will work out ok. He's had some problems with digestion lately so I'm hoping that isn't going to be a hassle for us. He is used to sleeping in his crate, so we will probably bring that here - we won't have to be going back and forth between RVs.
This afternoon I drove to Port Aransas in pursuit of a swimsuit for the Mexico vacation. I went to every beach shop in town and settled on the 1st swimsuit that I picked out. Funny how that works, huh. There isn't a lot of selection for "mature" women but there are racks and racks and racks of little tiny bikinis. Kind of a disappointment.
Thursday, January 31. Another month gone by. We're back at work and Mike has recovered from the crud that he had this week. Whatever it was, it put him down for a few days. Yesterday wasn't a good-feeling kind of day for me, but at least I didn't get what has been going around the park.
Good News! Christel had her baby yesterday at 1:45 pm, a little boy, Barley Odin - 7 pounds 2 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and Baby, and Dad and grandparents Rita & Denny are all doing well. We don't know his name yet but are anxious to hear it and to meet the little guy.
Today was a beautiful sunny but windy day here in Fulton but we are expecting a front to move in during the night and drop the temps down to 42 overnight and highs tomorrow in the mid 60s. Not bad for the 1st of February.
Frisco and Sammy are getting along just fine and all is working out on that front. We've been able to coordinate the walks and feeding so no problems have come up. I'm glad I only have 1 dog, though.
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Created on 01/02/2008 07:18 PM by bridge
Updated on 02/03/2008 07:08 AM by bridge
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