Saturday December 30, 2006
We are up and about by 8 and Paul takes grandpa to the shower house to take a shower. After walking Pepi and bringing grandpa back to the rig, we decide to go to the flea market and then the farmer's market. Paul is driving as usual and I figure he knows where he is going. Wrong. We are in Mercedes before he realizes we are not anywhere near the place we were heading. We turn around and backtrack finally finding the place. What a bunch of junk we saw! It is one of the biggest in the area and very very busy. Wow. Socks, T-shirts, shoes, tools, kettlekorn. You name it, somebody had it. While we are walking around, Paul gets a call on his cell from our friend Arnie McMillan. He invites us to drive over to Brownsville and then go to the Island for shrimp. Ok! We won't turn down shrimp! I want to change clothes so we leave the flea market and stop by the fruit and veggie stand. Paul and I pick out some tomatoes, onions and some green peppers. Back at the rig, I make the boys a beef sandwich and have some cottage cheese and saltines for lunch. We change clothes and head out to Brownsville. Traffic is very heavy and it takes about an hour to get to their place. Barb is in the shower so we visit with Arnie out on the deck of his home over looking the resacas that wind thru the resort. It is a very nice place and I like the area. Barb is ready so we take off for South Padre Island. It is nothing like I imagined it would be. I was expecting more of a Florida type atmosphere. There were tons of condos and beautiful homes...a huge county campground and a KOA right on the water. Very different...not as nicely "green and flowering" as Florida. Well, that shows how much I know about Texas! Arnie drives us around showing us the Island. We decide to eat so we go to a favorite place of the locals, Dirty Al's. Just a shack really with a huge bar but a nice view of the water. I ordered boiled shrimp, Paul got fried, grandpa got a combo fried oysters and flounder and Barb and Arnie shared fried shrimp and oysters. It was very very good. The service was a bit slow, but the food was great. After we finished, we piled back into the car and did some more sightseeing, going almost to the end of the Island I guess. Arnie drove us back to his place in Brownsville and we visited for awhile. They have a lovely double wide in a beautiful Resort (I was corrected after I called it a mobile home park, lol!). They gave us a tour of the park, and showed us what was for sale. We may come back and take a closer look later in our stay here.
The ride home was quick and once back at the rig, we just watched a bit of TV. Paul took the dog for a walk, and I talked to Zack on the phone. He is going to a New Year's party in Edwardsville. Then he will go back to Rochester for his appointment with Terri the PA next week. We don't know what we will be doing for New Year's eve...there is a dinner dance here at the park, but we are not sure. Da Bears will be on Sunday night football....hmmm...Bears or dance? Guess what Paulie is gonna choose?
I want to find some shorter curtains to hang in the front of the rig...the ones I have are way too long and I have no desire to shorten them. I don't have a sewing machine so...buying new ones is a better alternative.
I can't believe we have been traveling for 5 weeks. Life is good....
hugs
Dee
The Aluminum Asylum
Our home on wheels
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Friday December 29, 2006
Not much going on here in the Rio Valley Estates...we were up around 8 and had some coffee and bagels for breakfast. Surprisingly, grandpa is better this morning...he is even walking better on that bad toe. His face looks horrible. It's gonna take a while for the shiner to go away. After visiting with Ben for a while, we take off. Ben is off to see the doctor...they finally called about the MRI on his knee. We decide take a ride around Westlaco. We did have to go back to Walmart to order grandpa's glasses, and I needed to pick up some stuff we forgot yesterday. We had also purchased a water filter for the hose leading into the rig which leaked. After Walmart we tooled around for a while, just checking out where things are. We decided to stop for lunch and wanted some tacos...we pull into a taco place and go in. The menus are all in Spanish. Hmmmm, I order the special taco plate which has 4 tacos and some sides...what they are I haven't a clue. We are going to share the meal between the three of us. The waitress brings us three cups of frijoles...what we think is bean soup. We all dig in and wow, were we surprised! A bit of a kick in that there soup! She also sets down some tortilla chips, a very thin salsa and a bowl of lime wedges. Lime wedges? We ask the waitress what the limes are for and she tells us for the chips! Hmmm, ok. Then she brings out the tacos...just sliced skirt steak on wilty taco shells and a huge baked potato with butter, sour cream and cheese. Not your Taco Bell takeout tacos to be sure. They were very tasty and the potato was really good. After lunch we did some more sightseeing and wound up back at the rig. I needed a nap in the worstest way so I laid down. Paul woke me up about six. Uncle Ben will be joining us for pasta. He is now in a brace on his bad leg from ankle to thigh...his knee was broken and it took two weeks after the MRI to get the results. Poor guy. The pasta was good and we enjoyed the food and the company. After dinner, Ben went back home and Paul got the laundry started in at the park laundrymat. He came back and picked me up and we folded clothes together while talking to friends on the phone. After finishing the laundry we head back to the rig and put everything away. By this time its bedtime so another day in the life of RV'ers has come to an end. Don't know whats on tap for tomorrow.
later
dee
Heading South to the Boarder...
We left the Hitching Post right around nine. Grandpa and I talked about sitting shotgun. I quite frankly told him that if we go to Mexico, there is no way I am going to sit by myself in the back of the rig the entire trip. We tried to put one of our new folding chairs in between the two front seats but it was too big. If I have to BUY a comfy chair that fits in that space I will do so. For now, grandpa has agreed to share the shotgun and co-pilot seat. As we make our way south, he says I can sit up front. Grandpa is having a stomach problem so he has planted himself in the bathroom. Sure hope he has good balance...doing anything in the bathroom while cruising down the road at 65 is a challenge. We see diesel fuel for $2.25 and make a beeline to get it. Wow, that's the lowest we have seen for at least a year or more.
Grandpa lays down on the couch and we proceed south to Brownsville. At Brownsville, we catch Hwy 83 and are close to our destination. I was hoping to get in some driving today, but the wind is blowing so incredibly hard, I pass. It is all Paul can do to keep it on the road. There are wind advisory's as the Valley is getting the tail end of the huge storm that is pounding Colorado.
We pull into Rio Valley Estates at 11:45. Uncle Ben is waiting for us. Paul unhooks the car and eases into lot #15, our home for the next month or more. Nice little park. I barely got the slides out getting set up when I hear Paul yell for me to get a towel and washcloth. Grandpa fell down in the street. Apparently the wind blew off his hat and he tried to run after it. He fell face first onto the ashphalt and messed up his face. really really bad. It looks as if someone had beat the crap outta him. There are pictures below. Uncle Ben advises to call an ambulence as the wait at the hospital emergency room would be all day. They arrive and proceed to clean up the old guy. He doesn't need stitches but boy is his face a mess. He also hurt his knee and shoulders with scrapes and we think his big toe is broken. It is huge and purple/black. We get him back into the rig after the medic leave and put ice and wet clothes on his face. It is now almost two and we haven't had lunch so Paulie spreads out the leftover shrimp, and some cheese and crackers. Uncle Ben looks great...he has lost about 50 pounds and seems to walk better. He is waiting on some test results from an MRI on his knee and tells us it is giving him some trouble. Paul and I finally give grandpa a vicodin and lay him down. He is out quickly. We make our way to the office to pay and sign in. There are about 15 mobile homes for sale so I check out the listings on the office wall. Two folks from Minnisota arrive and we chat for awhile. Very nice folks, fulltimers who rest up here in the RGV for about two months each winter. Paul and I go back to check on grandpa. Still out like a light. We get back in the car and head to Walmart to get some groceries and supplies. We take grandpa's glasses which have been mangled in the fall to see if we can get replacments. At Walmart I stop in to have a nail color change while Paul deals with the eye glasses. Afterwards, we shop and can't decide what to make for dinner. Paul and I are sure that grandpa won't be able to eat much...he also has a swollen lip...so we decide on pasta with meat sauce which we know he will eat as it is soft. Back at the rig, he is awake but can't walk. I hate to say this but I am really not looking forward to this...even he admits he is a baby when he hurts or is sick. I just know this is gonna drag out forever. *sigh*. Uncle Ben comes over and invites me and Paul to "happy hour"...a group gets together each day with cocktails and visit for a while. We had a nice time. After it gets dark we go back to the rig and we have a beef sandwich. Grandpa won't eat anything, so we make him drink lots of water. We are watching to see if he needs to go to the hospital...you never know at 90 what he could have hurt for gosh sakes.
I give grandpa another vicodin so he will sleep. Paul and I hit the sack early as we are both tired and just a bit overwhelmed by the events of the day. No rest for the wicked as they say. I think I am going to like it here. We are sleeping with the windows open. The wind is still howling but we don't care. We have no real plans for tomorrow and will see how grandpa feels. Maybe Ben can babysit him if Paul and I go out.
Thursday December 28th.
Heading South to the Boarder...
We left the Hitching Post right around nine. Grandpa and I talked about sitting shotgun. I quite frankly told him that if we go to Mexico, there is no way I am going to sit by myself in the back of the rig the entrie trip. We tried to put one of our new folding chairs in between the two front seats but it was too big. If I have to BUY a comfy chair that fits in that space I will do so. For now, grandpa has agreed to share the shotgun and co-pilot seat. As we make our way south, he says I can sit up front. Grandpa is having a stomach problem so he has planted himself in the bathroom. Sure hope he has good balance...doing anything in the bathroom while cruising down the road at 65 is a challenge. We see diesel fuel for $2.25 and make a beeline to get it. Wow, that's the lowest we have seen for at least a year or more.
Grandpa lays down on the couch and we proceed south to Brownsville. At Brownsville, we catch Hwy 83 and are close to our destination. I was hoping to get in some driving today, but the wind is blowing so incredibly hard, I pass. It is all Paul can do to keep it on the road. There are wind advisory's as the Valley is getting the tail end of the huge storm that is pounding Colorado.
We pull into Rio Valley Estates at 11:45. Uncle Ben is waiting for us. Paul unhooks the car and eases into lot #15, our home for the next month or more. Nice little park. I barely got the slides out getting set up when I hear Paul yell for me to get a towel and washcloth. Grandpa fell down in the street. Apparently the wind blew off his hat and he tried to run after it. He fell face first onto the ashphalt and messed up his face. really really bad. It looks as if someone had beat the crap outta him. There are pictures below. Uncle Ben advises to call an ambulence as the wait at the hospital emergency room would be all day. They arrive and proceed to clean up the old guy. He doesn't need stitches but boy is his face a mess. He also hurt his knee and shoulders with scrapes and we think his big toe is broken. It is huge and purple/black. We get him back into the rig after the medic leave and put ice and wet clothes on his face. It is now almost two and we haven't had lunch so Paulie spreads out the leftover shrimp, and some cheese and crackers. Uncle Ben looks great...he has lost about 50 pounds and seems to walk better. He is waiting on some test results from an MRI on his knee and tells us it is giving him some trouble. Paul and I finally give grandpa a vicodin and lay him down. He is out quickly. We make our way to the office to pay and sign in. There are about 15 mobile homes for sale so I check out the listings on the office wall. Two folks from Minnisota arrive and we chat for awhile. Very nice folks, fulltimers who rest up here in the RGV for about two months each winter. Paul and I go back to check on grandpa. Still out like a light. We get back in the car and head to Walmart to get some groceries and supplies. We take grandpa's glasses which have been mangled in the fall to see if we can get replacments. At Walmart I stop in to have a nail color change while Paul deals with the eye glasses. Afterwards, we shop and can't decide what to make for dinner. Paul and I are sure that grandpa won't be able to eat much...he also has a swollen lip...so we decide on pasta with meat sauce which we know he will eat as it is soft. Back at the rig, he is awake but can't walk. I hate to say this but I am really not looking forward to this...even he admits he is a baby when he hurts or is sick. I just know this is gonna drag out forever. *sigh*. Uncle Ben comes over and invites me and Paul to "happy hour"...a group gets together each day with cocktails and visit for a while. We had a nice time. After it gets dark we go back to the rig and we have a beef sandwich. Grandpa won't eat anything, so we make him drink lots of water. We are watching to see if he needs to go to the hospital...you never know at 90 what he could have hurt for gosh sakes.
I give grandpa another vicodin so he will sleep. Paul and I hit the sack early as we are both tired and just a bit overwhelmed by the events of the day. No rest for the wicked as they say. I think I am going to like it here. We are sleeping with the windows open. The wind is still howling but we don't care. We have no real plans for tomorrow and will see how grandpa feels. Maybe Ben can babysit him if Paul and I go out.
later
dee
