I found this quiz on line and gacked it over here...

1.) If I were a doll, the accessories packaged with me would be:
diet pepsi, a cuddly puppy like a Morkie and books.
2.) I have an irrational fear of: being murdered, beheading and falling in a green pond, weird crap I know.
3.) What type of food did you eat at your grandparents house? I only had one great grandma and I can only recall fried chicken from the local chicken shack and small sausage sandwiches we bought on Belmont Avenue and were 5 for $1.00. Honest. Oh yeah, she liked to serve spoilt milk...ick.
4.) What weight were you when you were born? All of us McPhillips girls were porkers, um, er Campbell's soup kids...over 8 lbs to answer the question.
5.) What would you do if you were stranded on an island with the person you hate most? When they fell asleep I would bury them in sand....
6.) What would you do if you found out you had been cheated on? Find a good lawyer like Alan Shore on Boston Legal...
7.) Do you stalk anyone on myspace? Snort...why bother?
8.) I find the thought of childbirth: very scary and painful...why do you think I have just one?
9.) Next door to my house is: an empty campsite!
10.) My feet are: incredibly large and ugly...it's that long second toe yanno.
11.) My preferred style of jeans is: Boot cut, nicley stretchy, thinner material, they are much more forgiving and make my ass look less fat.
12.) Why is your 1 your 1? I married him and he's cute to me anyways.
13.) Know how to cook? Yes and rather good at cookies, candy and fruit cake.
14.) I am annoyed with: Ultra conservatives who think their way of thinking is the ONLY way of thinking and call those who disagree unpatriotic or communists....suuuurrrrre. I also get annoyed with all of the talking heads on Fox News...fair and impartial, my ass.
15.) What is the worst way you were dumped? via the telephone from Colorado...
16.) What child-related smell do you not like? Vomit or Poop....take your pick, I can't abide either without getting dry heaves.
17.) What sea creature scares you? Sharks and stingrays. Any biting creature...I NEVER go in the ocean...it's full of fish poop.
18.) What hair color do most of the people you are around have? Around me? Blonde in varying shades.
19.) What object have you broken most recently? Just a compression fracture in my back...oh yeah and I dropped a can of diet pepsi on the floor...horrible mess.
20.) Name one of the Spice Girls. Scary spice Mel B on dancing with the stars.
21.) What was the last thing to make you cry? I had a bad fibro day and was having a pity party.
22.) What are the stems on wine glasses for? You got me there....to swirl the wine in the glass?
23.) My favorite shoes are: My newish blue suede cowboy boots, followed closely by my new eel skin cowboy boots.
24.) Can you use chopsticks? Ummm, I can't use a fork well yet...
25.) Do you prefer beaches or forests? I like both, but I love beaches, because they're usually next to large bodies of water. However, I never enter the water, I just sit and watch it.
26.) What serial killer do you find most disturbing? Jeez, they are all disturbing, I try not to think about the suckers.
27.) Who knows a secret or two about you? Hmmm, any one of my sisters, which scares me.
28.) Have you ever burned yourself? Too many times to count.
29.) Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now? Nobody...well I think nobody!
30.) Who is/are your hero[s]? Hillary Clinton, and anyone who has been to Iraq. Well, that does NOT include the current fool serving as president...so sorry, I think he's a putz.
31.) Do you believe in things that last forever? Nothing lasts forever. Well, except God.
32.) What are you listening to? Josh Groban.
33.) What do you smell like? Me, Smell? I use deodorant yanno.
34.) Are you married? Yep, going on 24 years...
35.) Does anyone regularly tell you they love you? Yep and on a daily basis.
36.) What's most confusing to you? The terrible stuff going on in politics right now...we are all Americans, yes?
37.) Do you have any bad habits? Oh no, I have no bad habits since I stopped biting my nails years ago. Well, maybe I like beer a little too much for my own good and weight?
38.) Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? Yeah, but I decided I didn't really like kids, way to hyper and once they learn how to talk they lose their charm... so I encouraged my son to become one.
39.) What is one thing you've learned about life? It ain't for sissies. And sometimes it hurts.
40.) What's your favorite color? Red
41.) Have you ever been stuck in an elevator? Yes...with a person who was doused in some gosh awful cheap perfume.
42.) What does/did your dad call you? Deedee is the only one I want to remember, LOL!
43.) Has anyone told you that they like you as more than a friend? Ah, yeah...many times, it started in kindergarten and just continued until I met Paulie.
44.) What are you looking forward to? Zack's graduation and the financial relief it will bring...sure...
45.) Who do you miss? Zack, my son, my Mom, my sisters...my dad who passed away a few years ago...my friends from my old work since I am retired. The Chicago Girlfriends, Karen, Eugenia, Roseann...my knitting friends in Springfield, my support group from Springfield, my good friends from our FMCA group, The Cenois Prairielanders, our SKP friends, the folks in Weslaco....I could go on and on but now I am depressed and glad this quiz is over....

Now you know a little more about me and it's crazy kinda stuff!

hugs,

dennise

Prune face...

I don't endorse products on this blog...that may be changing, however. I have found the most wonderful product. It is a mist/spray that is spritzed on face and body. Here is the description:

Non-oily The Natural Moisturizing Factor In Human Skin Twinlab Na-PCA is a Ph-balanced, concentrated solution of the sodium salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, the natural moisturizing factor found in human skin. Na-PCA is synthesized from glutamic acid, a nonessential amino acid. The skin contains natural moisturizers, the most important being Na-PCA. Old skin contains only about half the amount of Na-PCA as that found in young skin. The ability of skin to hold moisture is directly related to its Na-PCA content. It is water, and not oil, that keeps skin soft and supple. Na-PCA pulls water out of the air, moisturizing the skin, improving its appearance, and giving it a moist and youthful glow. This is not a cosmetic cover up; it is a physiological correction of an age-related deficiency state.

Here is a photo...

It is called Na-PCA with Aloe
I have been using this for a few days, morning and night. The change in the texture of my face is truly unbelieveable. Yes, in just two days! I spray it on the legs and arms and they are improving from my normal dry prickly skin. For my face, I spritz the stuff into my hand and then apply. I am really impressed. I had to buy it over the net, from http://www.vitacost.com/. I paid $3.something for each one with aloe...so I got three. I also purchased some other stuff that I can't buy in Branson (or even Texas for that matter...no quality health food stores in the BBQ state). One is a herbal flower formula for Stress...which works well...the other is a Relax and Sleep tablet that really did nothing for me last night. (I am still recovering from the 100 mg of Paulies sleep med from the VA...Trazadone. I slept all day Wednesday, our midweek day off...won't do that again!) I did a search for a health food store and found one 35 miles away in Sprinfield, MO. The price for one bottle was $9.69! I got three for that...and shipping was a flat $4.99. I bookmarked that site so I can order again!

I heard about this product from several gals on my GBIC list and they all reported excellent results. Now, at the ripe age of 55, I am looking for something that will help my poor tired face. I hate the rows and rows of highly priced "wrinkle" creams and serums. Ick. What brand do I buy, and can I convince myself that a $40 jar of goop is gonna work. $3 plus some change is better IMHO! If there is a Vitamin Shoppe in your area, or a GOOD health food/vitamin shop, they may carry it. I don't know the cost at these outlets tho.

Just my little "tip" for the day...oh yeah, and fish oil supplements are good for skin too. So is getting fat, it fills out the wrinkles, but heck, I've been there, done that. Well, at least I don't look like Star Jones, all pruney and mean looking! Ooops...did I just really say that? Jeesh. My bad.

Workamping...

We were off today, but are filling in for another couple tomorrow morning. They have to drive to Kansas City for a memorial service...they lost a nephew in a fatal morotcycle accident. It has been quite busy the last few days, all the Memorial Day guests arriving. The problem has been that many of our guests don't like their spots. I don't know what they were expecting, calling at the last minute...primo spots? The early bird gets the worm...which is a nicer and larger campsite. Grrrr. It is our job to make them happy so yesterday we were moving folks all over the place. This is an older park, built when a 27'er was considered a big rig. Now we have folks driving 45 footers and we just cannot accomodate them. I met a KOA workamper at the Red Skelton impersonator show and told them I was sending the big rigs over to them. I have sent so many, I am thinking of asking for a finders fee!

New Web Site update...

Well, not too much to report. I am still trying to pick the best .com name. I really like JoyofRVcooking.com but I also like about 25 others. All of my choices are available which is remarkable. I want something catchy and easily remembered. I am open to suggestions...here are some of the one's I am pondering....

RVcook.com....EZRVcooking.com...RVfoodie.com....RVcoolcooks.com...TheRVcook.com

RVcookingplace.com...CoolRVcooking.com...RVCooks.com...RVCookingClass.com...

RVKitchenWitch.com...TheRVingCook.com...Just a few...I said the other day I will put up a poll...but I have to narrow it down to 4 for the poll. If for some reaon, Google won't let you post a comment, just send me an email at

rocketmom1985@yahoo.com OR rocketmom1985@gmail.com

Having two emails is great...I just keep forgetting to check them both at the same time!

take care all...hugs

dennise

Wednesday...Paulie has to work for about three hours, but I have the whole day off. I need it! Tomorrow I work in the afternoon and it is my day to clean the bathrooms. Well, Paulie and I clean them together. The weather is beautiful, sunny and warm with a beautiful breeze.

When we finished our shift yesterday, we received a frantic call from Zack. He was checking with financial aide to make sure the student loan funds are available for the summer session. Gee, ya think he's growing up a bit, I didn't even have to nag him this time. Apparently, we did not "e-sign" the promissory note. For those doubters out there, we do all of our banking on line, and besides an occasional "operator" error, have found it to be convenient and easy. We have always made sure the sites are truly secure, and never do the transactions on public open access...well, maybe I forgot once or twice and used the open wifi here at the park. Then I pinch myself and tell me that I have been foolish and if we get dinged by identity thieves, it is my very own fault. We do have a special service on our credit card...more than two purchases a day and they are calling us. Makes it hard when I am on a buying spree (yeah, right, shopping spree, married to The Polish Prince...riiiiiight). OK, so I calm down Zack who has reverted to childish whining and nasty language directed at the Financial Aid staff who has told him at least 5 times (according to the boy...) that his aid package was complete and nothing else was required to disperse funds. He needs the funds not only to pay his summer tuition, but to pay his RENT. Oh yeah. He needs to eat too. Apparently, this has been a bust of a day for my poor Zack. He finds out there is no money to be dispersed, and his new roommate who was to move in and begin paying half the rent on June 1, has now delayed his arrival to mid-August. It seems the kid's dad had been in a bad car accident and he is needed at home. Zack is not sure if this is truly the case or the guy is miffed that Greg, the current roommate didn't move out May 6 like the new guy wanted. Hmmmm. College games. I told Zack to go ahead and put another ad on the roommate match site on SIUE.edu. Unless this Jordan guy comes up with some cash, he may just lose the room. As the old saying goes, a bird in hand...

I will now tell you all what I have been researching and working on. A new website. Not just a personal site, but a site that is a "how to" for cooking in the RV on the road. There are so many quick and easy recipes we can do in the rig kitchen, but many Rv'ers tend to make the same things over and over due to space limitations, limited pantry staples and just plain not wanting to cook after driving, site-seeing or workamping for the day. So, this is my idea. I will cover the rig...what is standard equipment, discuss appliances that perform more than one function and we can't live without (espresso maker comes to mind...Paulie says it is unnecessary and wants to pitch it...I say ok, then pitch the golf clubs we have carried for ten years and you have yet to play golf....standoff!), space saving tips, organization, buying staples, and mainly recipes that are easy, nutritious and quick to prepare. I have been collecting recipes all my life, and I have files and files on line. I have also been doing research on various appliances, what works, what is great to have but space hogs and even solar cooking in addition to traditional camping favorites such as dutch oven cooking. There are so many easy recipes for singles and doubles, rather than the way we are used to cooking...for families. I have a great three step bread recipe that is good and I am going to take step by step pictures as I prepare the dishes. I have a great camera and it should do a decent job. Another area that I want to explore is how to bring a dish to a potluck that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (and doesn't always have jello in it!) I am pondering a site name, and have come up with loads of them. I want a catchy, easy to remember, easy to link to site that can grow along with the educational stuff I want to add. I am going to set up a new poll with a couple of ideas, and tell me what you think. I will most likely do that this weekend. Oh, yeah...I will also be advertising products on my site. I will be hooking up with Amazon and a few others to promote products I talk about, recipe ingredients when I post those, such as King Arthur flour, etc. This should be adequate to pay for the hosting fees. Maybe even enough to buy some yarn!!

Once I get the RV cooking site kicked off, I have already outlined several other pages I can write about...Fibromyalgia and CFS, Meniere's Disease, Gastric Bypass, pros and cons of joint replacement (lots of experience in all of these, lol!)

Each site will have the ability to generate $ by advertising products and other places that sell related items to the subject.

OK, enough information for you today! Keep my ideas in mind and if you have any ideas of site names, send me a comment or an email.

hugs

dennise

We finally had a day off after working three days straight. Not really all that hard, yanno...three hours in the afternoon...well, er, that's for me. Paulie had to work 5 hours each shift. Poor fella. Driving around in that little chug-chug golf cart is really tough. Oh yeah, some days he must water flowers or run the blower to keep the streets clean. He does check bathrooms for me, which is nice. Work camping is certainly not difficult. We are not full, but this weekend for the holiday we are pretty well booked. The RV's are getting bigger and bigger it seems, and we can only handle about 6 big rigs. This little campground was built maybe 20 years ago when a 28'er was big. Plus we are built on the side of a hill, each spot carved out of the landscape stairstep fashion. Many of our guests are just weekend campers and get white knuckly when they see how they must either pull in or back into their spots. Lots of trees, and a tight turn at the bottom of the hill right by the office. I can peek out the side window and see the faces of the drivers and it can be quite amusing. We also get a lot of calls fishing for info on pricing. It isn't cheap to camp in Branson, unless you want to drive a long way. Even the outter lying parks are pricy. The Corp. of Engineers Park at the Lake is beautiful as is the Missouri State Park. Unfortunately, their lakeside sites are underwater and limiting the number of campers they can take. I am seeing numerous cancellations in our books too, no doubt due to the price of fuel. Diesel is like $4.67 here. Ya think it'll go down by the time we leave in August? Nah, we prolly will have to stay here forever.



Since it was our day off, we went off to ride the Branson Belle, the paddle boat dinner show venue. Quite a treat. I will certainly suggest that place to folks. It is a bit pricey...$50 per person for dinner...that hurts. But since Paul and I are work campers and now possess a MO State ID, it only cost us the price of the meal...$25 for each of us. Still pricey to me at 50% off, but then I am a cheapskate at heart. Dinner was a delish beef tenderloin, a nasty chicken cordon blah, mashed taters and mixed veggies, steamed of course. Good bread, great salad with Silver Dollar City Vidalia Sweet Onion dressing. (the Branson Belle is owned by the same company as Silver $, Celebration City, The Ducks, the waterpark and Dixie Stampede, they must own most of Branson....). The entertainment was good...the usual four singers, two guys, two gals who sing and dance well, a good band, and an unusual Russian act. The husband-wife team do a kinda aerial act with what looked like sheets looped on chains. I guess you hafta see it to understand. Very enjoyable. Then the ventriloquist. I hate ventriloquists...along with jugglers, clowns and oh yeah, flying monkeys. Call me nuts, but somewhere in my childhood, I must have had some sort of frightening experience with a clown. I hate clowns. Ventriloquists creep me out...I think I saw a horror movie about them once. I find jugglers stupid. Especially the idiots who toss around knives. Just my luck, I'd see some fool cut off his hand. Flying monkeys are self-explanatory. That damm Wizard.



Back to the show...I will admit however, this guy, the ventriloquist, used real dogs in his act. He had some sort of muzzle on the dogs to do the flapping lips thing. He asked basic dog type questions...like why do you do this or that. The dog answers are hilarious. I laughed the whole time he was up there which says alot.



After we docked, we went off to the Mansion for a VIP performance from Red Skelton. Yeah, he's really dead but the show is a tribute to his comedy. The actor who performs is wonderful. He has all the mannerisms and wandering joke lines Red was famous for. Great show, and really a treat since he never uttered a four letter word or did obscene jokes. I will recommend this to everyone also, however his shows are at 10:00 in the morning!

Well, I have to get dressed and head down the hill to my "job". This morning I work 8 to 12. I will have Paulie bring the camera and take some photos of the place now that the trees have filled in nicely and we are having beautiful weather.

hugs

dee

OK, why aren't you guys voting? Do I have NO ONE reading my blog? Geesh. I am crushed.

I guess I will just have to do more exciting things, eh?

dee

I promised some photos of Zack before and after surgery. I don't have one with the actual incision, but I am sure he will send me one soon...

Here is the boy, all smiley, waiting to go to surgery...

Here is the boy showing off his nifty little cyst. How could he have missed this? It has to be the size of a jumbo egg.

And here is the boy after surgery...the same look I got 18 years ago when he got his tonsils out...like it is MY fault he is hurting. Like a knife to his mother's poor heart....

And, here is a picture of Paulie, going off to orientation at Celebration City. I don't think this gig is gonna last long...on his feet for 5 to 6 hours is just too much for the poor guy.

Hugs



dennise

It's Saturday and Paulie and I are scheduled to work this afternoon. It was also our turn to clean the bathrooms. We can get all four done in 40 minutes...we are a great team. I am just waiting for a few more minutes then I will change clothes and head down to the office. I don't mind the work...it can be fun and then again, there are a lot of goofs in this world. Yesterday, a man traveling with his 95 year old father (sound familiar?) wanted a better "spot" as the black tank wouldn't drain. Now for those of you who don't RV, you NEVER keep the black tank open when parked...the sewer smell will sneak up through the lines and make the whole place stinky. You decide when you need to dump the black, then make sure you close the grey water valve(where dishwater and shower water goes...ick to the black, not so ick to the grey). Then when you dump the black, you can then use the grey water to flush out the black tank. Simple. I am assuming this is simple...however I have never done the dumping before, so I may be talking gibberish. This guy needs RVing 101 school. Well, we all have to learn the hard way I guess.
I brought three packagaes of Jay's Kettle Chips back with me from Edwardsville. I was gonna stop and buy a lot more, but then, heck I don't need the damm things. Just an excuse to overeat something I shouldn't ever let near my lips. Gosh, they taste good after a year of not having them. Ah well, I'll just suffer. I am chowing down on them now...great lunch, kid.
It is a nice day here in Branson. The sun is shinning, no clouds, and the temps are in the 70's. The park is half full. Lots of cancellations lately. I guess gas prices are affecting the economy here. Too bad...I guess it is gonna get worse before it gets better...
Well, I hafta get ready to do my thing this afternoon.
later...
dennise

OK,OK...I know, I know...I have once again fallen behind. However, this time, I have a real excuse. I had to travel to Edwardsville to accompany and comfort my baby while he had his surgery. If you recall, Zack developed a huge mass on his head on the left side which was thought to be a fatty cyst on the temple. It was huge. Who knows how long it was there...the plastic surgeon said easily a year. Well...after the CT scan showed it was a lipoma (fatty tumor) he set up a date to have it excised. May 12. So after I did my shift at Shenanigans on Sunday, Mother's Day, I hopped into the car and drove 5 hours to Edwardsville. Zack took me out to dinner at Pasta House and then we went to a movie, Iron Man. Good food, good movie too.

We had to check into the hospital at 6 am...ugh. He was scheduled for 8 and the doc said it would be about a 30 minute procedure. Baloney. He was in for an hour and 20 minutes, all the while this wuss of a mom was in the waiting room going apesh*t. Finally they get him into recovery and I talk to the doc. It was a cyst, not a fatty tumor, and it was full of gross liquid. It broke open when they tried to remove it, so it was a mess. It was a lot bigger than the CT indicated (this I don't get...) so it was a bit of a booger to clean up and get it all out. When I got to the recovery room, I got the same look from Zack that I got when he had his tonsils out when he was 5. Yep, it's MOM'S fault now just as it was then I guess. He was fine, said he felt like somebody had wacked him with a baseball bat in the noggin. He had antibiotics and pain killers to keep him comfy. Once we got home, he just slept the afternoon away. I tried to nap to no avail. When he got up around 6, we ordered takeout Chinese and had a good dinner. We watched "Dan in Real Life" and both of us hit the sack early. We had to go back to the doc's office to have the dressing changed Tuesday morning. We drove to Litchfield to meet Mom and Cecil for lunch. There was a drain which was left in since it still was oozing a bit. Gross, I know. I have some pictures which I will post as soon as I can get the camera outta the car. Paulie is at Celebration City for his second day on the job...and he took the car.

We are having fun work camping. The job is fairly easy and our co-workers are fun. We did have a scare last Saturday. Tornadoes were rampant in the area, so we had to make all the campers go into the basement of the office when the sirens went off. Scary. The storm actually split in two and Branson was right in the middle of the split. We were extremely lucky and all we got was some very heavy rain and some thunderboomers. 25 people were killed by this storm system...some just a few miles from us here. Again, it was so strange that the storm split north and south of here. I am so grateful for that.

We have been going to more shows and exploring the area. Lots of stuff to see and do. The weather has sucked, lots of rain and it's been unseasonably cool.

I am working on another web page. As soon as I get more done, I will clue everyone in on it's location. Content is top secret at this point. Have I peaked your curiosity yet? Tune in for updates!

hugs

dennise

Oh my...it's already Tuesday, and I haven't posted since last week. Hmmm. I guess we are keeping busy!

Friday was a running around day...picked up the shelving unit from L'boutique Target, did a bit of grocery shopping and not much else. I am surprised at how tired I am after a short three hour shift in the office. I worked again on Saturday as did Paulie. I did the afternoon shift which is the shorter time. But, it was OUR turn to clean the restrooms. Ick. I swore I'd never do this. However, they are not typical RV park bathrooms...they are individual personal bathrooms, just like at home. And, the folks who use them are not pigs. They clean up after themselves. One lady said she thought they were cleaner than her home and she even wiped down the shower walls cause she felt guilty it wasn't as she found it! OK by me. They really are clean bathrooms. Of course, everyone checks them at least twice each shift and keeps them spiffy. Three times a week they are thoroughly scrubbed with bleach or ammonia, floors are scrubbed, etc, etc. I told Paul he had to help me...heck, I can't clean ONE bathroom much less four...! So, I filled all the toilets with cleanser, and sprayed all the shower walls with stuff. He brushed the toilets and then scrubbed the showers with another brush(I checked). He wiped down each shower stall and polished the chrome. I sprayed the mirrors and stuff with windex and wiped down the chrome, tissue and towel holders. The sinks are quickly done and Viola! All that is left is to scrub the floor. I swept each room out, then took the "green" cleaner, sprayed it all over and mopped it up. Easy. I was sweating however. Paul finished up by vacuuming the hallway carpet and we are done. Once a week we must do this. Each workamper team has an assigned day to "do" the bathrooms. It took us about 40 minutes. The other team took over an hour. Lorriane used rags to clean. Nope, not me. I don't do rags...its paper towels or nothing. Too bad if they cost money. I am not using rags for anything. That means putting hands(even with my rubber gloves on...) in water. Nope. Not me. Ok, I am crazy...deal with it. It just isn't gonna happen. Just like these toes will never touch the bottom of a lake, river, ocean or stream, I will not put my hands in water that cleans bathrooms. I refused to go in the pool down in Texas all year because it looked cloudy. Ick. What makes chlorine water cloudy? Body lotion? I think NOT. The filter is not working I think...or dirty people are bathing in it, OR there are no chemicals in it or they are not working....and if that is the case, there are critters growing in there. OH. MY. Ick. Ick. Ick. Paul already has to deal with my goofy idiosyncrasies. Now you can too, LOL!

Sunday was a bust for me...I was only up for a few hours. Terrible fatigue hit mid-morning and that was it. Paul had slipped on the gravel while painting one of the dumpsters and wrenched his knee and jerked his bad hip, so he was hurting anyway. The day off of just sitting around was beneficial for him although he'd never admit to that. Monday morning was my shift to open the office at 8 a.m. Paul had traded with Doug another workamper, so he was gonna work the afternoon. Of course, I get down to the office and there are three campers waiting for me. I open the door, punch my code into the alarm system and you guessed it, the sucker went off...again. Quickly I called Lynn and she gave me a code to punch in and thank goodness it stopped. I think I was a bit short with her (oh no!) cause I said, something like, this is the second time my code didn't work! Of course, Paulie is there, wanting to do our laundry and is asking me for the key...one of the other campers wants to check in and pay since they got in late last night, another camper wants to extend and another guy wants to use the local phone...his truck is acting up and he wants to get it serviced...plus if he does, he'll need to extend. The phone has not been transferred back from forward, so I gotta do that right away so calls don't go to the owner. Geesh. Everyone take a step back and I'll help everyone. Give me a minute to catch my breath. The day got worse as the phone messages could not be retrieved...the local phone company changed the voice mail system and requested everybody to reset the system...I can't do that...the owner needs to do the incoming message, etc. I can't find more reservation forms, or cards and am hunting all over the office. Paul helps a guy out and takes him into town to pick up his rental car. OK...he leaves the laundry which normally wouldn't be a problem...but two other campers come in and want to use the washers and MY laundry is sitting in the machines. Where the heck did he take that guy? I run to the laundry and move our stuff into dryers so the others can use the machines. Run back to answer the phone. Take a reservation. Get the picture? I had hang ups, wrong numbers, reservation calls that demanded certain spot numbers, and again, you can get the picture. Sweat is dripping off my hair I am so stressed. I can't DO stress remember. Finally it calms down and I can get stuff done. Grrrrr. It is never this busy, I gotta get a handle on this stuff. Oh well, this isn't rocket science. It is just crazy in the office sometimes and you are all by yourself.

And so it goes. Paulie is still asleep. I had a migraine last night...I had a mild Meniere's attack in the afternoon, so I knew it was coming. I didn't sleep well last night and got up early. It appears that my attack was triggered by a cool front which is bringing in some rain. Well, at least my radar ears are still working ok. We are off today, so I am not sure what he wants to do today. I need a haircut. I think one of the worst things about fulltiming is that you don't have a hairdresser. Not everyone can cut hair the way you want it. It took me years to find a good stylist in Springfield. I continue to get haircuts that suck. And I PAY these people to make me look stupid. There is no justice in this world.

hugs

dennise

Gee, I can't believe it's been over a week since I posted. We are learning our "jobs" ...of course, The Polish Prince regales me with ways to improve the current system...this is stupid, that is just not doing the job, why do they do this...gets old. I keep telling him, these folks own the place...they do things the way they want 'em done...not some first time workamper who thinks he has all the answers. Give it up already! Also, there is not enough to do around here...no pool, no shuffleboard, cards or games...he is bored. So, he went over to Celebration City, an amusement park that is part of the Silver Dollar City organization, which is just up the street, and applied for a job. They hired him on the spot. He will be a floating ride attendant...working in the evenings. Good for him, now maybe he will be tired. I set off the freaking alarm system this morning. Almost wet my pants, the sucker is so LOUD. Of course, my code number wouldn't accept...after about three tries I panicked, knowing the sucker would erupt any minute. I get sixty seconds to open the locked door and punch in my code before the alarm goes off. Yep...she blew...I ran to the phone and called Doug the other workamper and he came right up...he was able to put his code in there and stop the thing. Meantime, ADT had called the owner....so did the Branson police. And they called ME. How embarrassing! Well it was about time for me, Miss hotsh*t to screw up. I had been so proud of myself. OH well.

We have seen several shows...Yakov of course is still funny after all these years, the 12 Irish tenors were really great, and then we saw The Pierce Arrow show...comedian, 5 guy singers, one gal singer and a great band. We also went to the Circle B Ranch Chuck wagon dinner show. Very excellent food, great entertainers...singing cowboy songs and wonderful guitar and fiddle players. I think we will be able to get to see all of the shows before our three month work stint is over! We are off tomorrow, but we really need to clean the rig. I also want to go to one of the shoppes that I recall from the last time we were here ten years ago. It like ten shops in one...antiques, crafts, gifts and collectibles...my kinda place. I also want to find a small houseplant to put in the bathroom on the corner shelf we installed last year...and find a nice different kind of flower pot to put it in. I am itching to get some outside flowers...they are just starting to get them in at the stores now. Home Depot here I come. I have a rain check for a foldable book case that I want to put in front of the large mirrors next to the island. We need better access to stuff like bread and veggies not stored in the fridge...and I am thinking some nice fabric bins to dress it up. This way digging in the overhead cabinets will be reduced as will the number to times I wack my forehead on the slide ceiling. I really really hate that.

Well, I will try to post again soon, maybe with some photos. I put the camera in the car...just never think to grab it when I see something really kewl. I promise to try harder!

hugs

dennise

Well, yesterday, our day off was a total bust...nothing new with me, however. I was in a coma yesterday...knew what was going on, heard stuff, etc., but could not get up outta bed. Total fatigue hit and there is nothing for me to do, but go to bed. It is amazing to me that I can sleep for 20 hours at a time. You'd think the cat and I were related...all we do is sleep. She has an excuse, she is OLD...going on sixteen years now. I have no such excuse. Poor Paul...he finally got dressed and went to Walmart. Oh well, we have all summer to see the shows, so I guess no harm no foul. The rain yesterday was really heavy. We are expecting more today, severe thunderboomers and flash floods are being talked about. Being in this area, all hills and valleys, that could prove to be exciting to say the least.

I trained with Karen in the office on Wednesday. She is a bit more organized than Lorriane. I didn't know squat after training with Lorraine. I do have a better understanding of things after sitting with Karen tho. Being the critic I am, I think the system they use is ridiculous but hey, I am now just a "worker bee" not the boss so I gotta stop looking at thinks from a management eye...how to do things, better, faster, easier, etc. Very hard to do. The best part of the day was assembling pamphlets for customers...we have some outdated info which with the cost of printing today, necessitates taking a small printed sheet and placing it over the incorrect info with a piece of tape. Viola! Update brochures without costing a penny! I was instructed to the the piece of tape into threes...yup, snipped the piece of tape into three to save money. OK....

Gotta go...am training today with the owner's 85 year old mother who is the "office manager". What a fun day I think I'll have, LOL!

hugs
dee

We were both up early this morning, but were just kinda lazy and laid around in bed. Finally, Paul got up and showered, then I followed when he finished. I had some cereal for breakfast and Paul made a baloney sandwich with ketchup and tomato...yep, for breakfast. I am not sure that would set right with my stomach, but who knows what he's thinking. We decide to go out and explore, perhaps finding a show to see on our day off. Paul wants to see comedy...I am not sure what I want to see. We get our map of the area and off we go. We go all through the main street, seeing all the different attractions on Hwy 76. We end up at The Landing, a new shopping area in old downtown Branson. Very upscale I think. We follow along the "red route" and end up back near Celebration City which is right near our RV park. We head towards Sheppard of the Hills to check out the new RV park at Silver Dollar City. As we continue up and down the beautiful hilly route, we see that there is one hell of a storm heading our way. We quickly turn around and head back to the campground. We had left all of our windows open and this looked like a whopper of a storm brewing. We arrive back at the rig just as the drops start to hit the car. By this time, I am spinning due to the drop in the barometer that comes along with the rain and the up and down of the road through the hills didn't help. After the windows are shut, the downpour begins. I lay down to get my bearings and fall asleep til noon! By the time I wake up the storm has moved on and the sun is shinning. Paul and I decide to resume our exploration. This time we check out the side roads and the outlet malls. We decide we need to have something to eat(while we were home we could have made a sandwich but for some reason, we didn't even think of it!) We stopped at Billy Bob's Burgers and the place was jammed to the gills. After seeing that the service was incredibly slow and all the white hairs in the place were gumming their burgers, and appeared to take forever to do so, we decide that we would best be served by finding another eatery. We hit the Rib Cage right next door. We split a pork sandwich with french fries which was superb. I think I will return to this place!

After our late lunch, we headed over to the theater to see The Twelve Irish Tenors. We produced our "check stub" which proves we are "local" workers so we get in for free or at a reduced price. The Tenors were free. We saved $50 on matinee tickets!

The show was wonderful, but heck, watching these kids made me feel OLD! Such baby faces! Such cutie pies! Very entertaining show, a combination of Irish songs, Broadway stuff, Beatles, Elton John and Josh Groban. We really enjoyed them, they all were so talented and each was featured in specific numbers. If all of the shows are this good, we are going to have an enjoyable summer!

Paul went to a meeting of a group of Viet Vets. The ownerof the RV park, Bill is a member...he was a fighter pilot in 'Nam, and then had a career in the AF. I am glad Paul decided to go. I stayed in and watched Dancing...poor Marlee...it was inevitable I guess. She was incredible anyways...I can hear a little bit, and can't dance!

Well, we both have three hour shifts tomorrow from two til five. I am going to put some chicken in the crock pot so it will be ready when we get off tomorrow. I am also going to try a new recipe for beer bread. Should be an interesting dinner!

Since it rained today, I really didn't even take out the camera. I promise if tomorrow is better, I will take some shots of the park. Maybe Paul will take me in the park's golf cart. I almost had a stroke walking up the hill to the rig from the office on Monday. Talk about out of shape! I was sweating and my was chest a-heavin'...it was embarrassing for heaven's sake. I am not old...but if you had seen me after the little hike up the hill, you'd swear I was dead and just forgot to lay down. Of course, the hips and knees don't work on uneven surfaces to begin with and then ya throw some steepness into the mix, I am screwed. I made a promise to myself...I am gonna walk up that hill every day. If it kills me...and it just may.

hugs
dennise

Well, my sniveling nasty cold took it's toll this weekend and I was wicked sick.


How can such a simple thing like a common cold put a person so low for so long. Thank goodness for my Mexican pharmacy. And Nyquil. I would seriously be in trouble without either of them.

Here are some photos from our trip to Branson. The first one was a sign posted at a place we stopped along the highway to have lunch. Now, after seeing this sign, do we blame me for staying IN the rig and not stretching my legs? The only good thing about this rest area was the free wifi...






We stayed about 33 miles north of San Antonio in New Braufels Texas. A neat side trip was to see this old German town (and eat real German food...yummmmmy) and to go to Groene to see the oldest dance hall in Texas...

We ate in New Braunfels at Friesenhaus and had wonderful Jaegerwrust(OMGOSH the red cabbage melted in your mouth). The food was fabulous. Then we went to a bakery and bought some strudel that tasted like Aunt Anna's and had wonderful bread.

These are some murals in New Braunfels.



Here are some photos of Groene...lots of nice touristy shops with lots of Texas stuff including hot sauces, bear and pecans...what else?


Here is the oldest dance hall in Texas...photos line of the walls of all the country western stars that have performed here over the years...



We had a nice time for the two days we visited...I really like the Hill Country. I guess it's the German influence. With my lunch at Friesenhaus, I had a Haufbrau...very good beer I must say.

We traveled without incident to Branson. Friday night we stopped at a local city campground...Paul's Valley OK. Ten bucks for electric and water, 30 amps. The campground was on the city lake...quite red like most of the water in OK! It was a quiet little place with about 20 RV spots and about half were filled...looked like locals.


We arrived in Branson about 4 pm and got settled. I immediately went to sleep 'cause I was so sick. We went out for a sandwich around 7 and by the time I got back to the rig, I had a raging fever and the chills. I collapsed til about ten on Sunday. We really just rested up on Sunday. The RV park is quite pretty...lots of hills! Can you spell HIP PAIN boys and girls? Hmmm, will be riding my scooter I reckon'.


We both did our first "training" shift this morning. I worked in the office from 8 to noon, and Paulie did some outdoors stuff from ten til two. Their system is a bit odd for a modern campground, but who am I to complain? I need to learn how to know where to put different sized rigs...the spaces here a relatively small...no big rigs here.


We are off tomorrow so I think I will take some photos of the place.

Hugs,

dennise

Sorry about the rant yesterday folks. In a 300 square foot house on wheels, you can't rant anywhere...so I chose to rant with words. We did make a sort of peace last night...and both of us are under the weather today. That rotten cold Paul had is lingering, and now I am doing the coughing along with him, and my chest and ears are hurting for sure. I have a headache and the joints are just screaming. Sigh. We decided to just stay put here at Rio Rafting and RV park. It is a nicely kept park, fairly empty at this time of year and nice and quiet. A day of rest will do us both good. We will take a ride to New Braunfels just to check it out. It had been on my list of wanna see's as it is a part of the Texas Hill country German settlements. Fredericksburg was great and was Comfort. We didn't see Grone or New Braunfels. They have a German bakery and restaurant that I need to check out. Hey, we do need bread!

Will post more later...

hugs
dennise

If tomorrow turns out to be the disaster today was, I quit. I mean it...I quit...RV'ing, marriage, I will even quit talking and that says alot.

We took off about 6:15 am for San Antonio for the VA doc appointment in the ortho clinic. I didn't sleep well at all last night, nothing new there. Was up at 5, and finished the last minute things to lug out to the rig. As we begin to pull out, the break line to the car starts beeping. We stop, and 10 minutes later we try again after The Great Genius looks over the system. We get on the highway and the sucker starts beeping on and off. Then just shuts up. Ok, all is a-ok. We hit construction as soon as we get on 281 in Edinburg. Sigh. I am now ready to go back to bed...so I lay down on the futon and try to get some zzzz's. We arrive in San Antonio, drop the rig off at the Walmart parking lot near the freeway and head over to the VA hospital. After two hours, we see two docs, and find out that total joint replacements are being scheduled way out to September. That's fine...will fit into our plans OK with the Branson gig. So, we find out The Genius needs to have a physical and then a dental appt to clear him for surgery. We can't schedule these until we have a date, which they will have to notify us when that will be. Grrrrr....

We head back to the rig, hook up and head for the campground, Rio Rafts RV park in New Braunfels. The bitch in the box has us on state route 281 instead of I35...talk about traffic...everyone in San Antonio is heading north on 281 and there are lights out the ying yang. After several "exchanges" I decide I will just keep my mouth shut. Nothing I say can break thru The Genius' mental wall. OK.

We finally get to the park. It is after 5 pm and when I had called the park eariler, the host told me to just take one of NINE spots numbered 60-70 (one rig was in a spot in that area...). Of course, The Genius goes the wrong way to the sites...we can't really swing into any of the spots...he wheels around again thru the campground and pulls into the spot right NEXT to the other rig. Nine empties and he takes the one right next to the other people. Then he exclaims "The hookups on on the wrong side." No shit Sherlock...how long you been driving this rig? So, we once again troll thru the campground, diesel engine letting everyone know that we are stupid people and can't pull into a simple pull thru 60 foot rv space. Like I said, Genius. He finally settles on a spot. Under trees. Nine spots and he picks the one with trees. We have Satellite TV...trees are not good. Genius then gets out to start the hook up process. He does the outside, I do all the stuff on the inside, slides, furniture placement....all the fun stuff...he deals with cords and sewer lines...fair trade in my opinion.

He climbs back into the rig and starts to move forward. This was after I asked if I could put out the living room slide....NO he shouts! I yell back OK, take a chill pill....he spits back that all he did was answer my question...yeah, like hell he did. OK, he gets out and then yells for me to start up the rig and move it back more...OK. After I do this, he comes back inside and I again ask him if I can let out the LR slide. OK says the Genius. I hit the button and all of a sudden he starts screaming at me to stop! He says in a very nasty tone, "Did you even LOOK before you started the slide?" Well, like NO, I am at the other side of the rig..." He starts yelling that the fan was in the area behind his seat and would catch in the slide. OK. I stop the slide and turn away and go into the bedroom. He is continuing his tirade of how I never take "responsibility" for my actions. Excuse me? What in the heck is he talking about. I yelled back that if he didn't shut his mouth, I was gonna hurt him when he was asleep. So...such is the first day of our four month odyssey. Grief. Aggravation. The urge to slap someone!

So, I am five feet away from The Genius...and am not talking. Not talking, not looking, totally ignoring. Putz.

And so it goes...another joyful day of fulltiming at it's best yanno? Maybe a good nights sleep will be good for both of us.

hugs

dennise

I was so tired yesterday after moving clothes (well, some anyways), computer and office stuff, music stuff, and my medications that I didn't post. I was supposed to take some pictures of the inside of the rig, but it was such a mess, I decided to wait until later today. We keep loading and loading stuff. But no where near what we brought back with us from Illinois. I am trying to decide what type of clothes to bring. It is warm here, obviously, but who the heck knows what it will be like in Missouri? I guess I will bring two pairs of jeans and a couple of sweatshirts, a light jacket and then my regular summer stuff. I finally bought some new shorts. I purchased a pair of khaki shorts in Michigan three years ago. That's it. The rest are hold overs from when I first bought clothes when I lost the weight. It will be 7 years this summer. Can you believe I haven't bought any shorts in 7 years. Cripes, that must be a record. I do have to say, that for a while I didn't wear shorts...I have a lot of jumpers that I became fond of with a simple tee shirt underneath. I prefer a dress or jumper sometimes when going out. Pants and shorts are fine for casual stuff like a run to the grocery store, but out to lunch or to a meeting, I like to dress up a tad. Summer is perfect for a jumper/tee combo and then I don't have to wear hose. Or socks...just my Berkies. Cooler than shorts and sneakers sometimes.

Paul and grandpa are off to Mexico this morning...Paul to get his crown finished and grandpa to buy booze. Grandpa is driving me nuts...he continues to bring things to me to take in the rig. For heaven's sake, I can't take every fricken' thing he doesn't use...then he asks me what things are...jeez...what do you think round circles that look like CD's are? Have you never seen a three hole punch old fart? Grrrrrr. I live here too...some things are mine that are gonna STAY here OK? Like out of season clothes. Some of my baking stuff...some books, photo albums and my Christmas CD's. Ok, I know I am being a bitch, but NO I am not taking the Kitchen Aid mixer! Where do you think I can put it in the rig...up my arse? It is bad enough that he constantly makes comments like "When youse are gone, I am gonna clean up that desk." "I am gonna go to WalMart everyday and buy what I want to eat" That comment particularly pissed me off...Paul has bent over backwards to make good interesting and nutritious meals for him, keep his cookies well stocked, buying what GRANDPA likes. He hasn't put a dish in the dishwasher (just the sink, grrrr), cleaned anything like all his magazines laying on the table, or done a load of laundry since we got here in October. He lets us do everything, then complains for the most ridiculous reasons...his continual "I can't FIND anything" is BS. Let him eat Raman noodles til he turns into a porker, let him eat sardines that stink up the house and leave the oily can sitting on the counter to attract insects and vermin...let him eat his freakn' cheap polish sausage until he drops over from the fat and cholesterol. I emptied the entire pantry...I even took all the spices...left him some Cheerios and some Ritz and all those stuooopid Ramen things and his cans of sardines....Grrrr...then I went into the Texas room and took EVERYTHING off the desk...pictures, phone book, EVERYTHING except a roll of tape and a jar of pens and pencils and three stamps. I took the stapler and the scissors. I hid the thread and needles in the sewing box. I took all Zack's pictures off the top of the desk. I took the printer. I took all the printer paper. I took all the sharp pencils and the sharpener...I took all the good pens. Heh, heh, heh. Today I will finish the fridge...I will leave him his salad dressing WE brought him from Illinois that he likes a lot and missed...Lonzotti's sweet Italian...I will leave him the milk for the Cheerios, and his creamer. I am going to take everything down to the bread and butter pickles. I am gonna take the bread we like which is a good healthy brand that costs like $2.75 a loaf and he can eat that bread from Walmart that costs 30 cents a loaf and tastes like paste. He can go to WalMart till he croaks. OK, I am thru ranting. I just can't wait until he has to do this stuff himself...of course, he always says he does things better than us, he hates our food, yada yada yada. Go for it old man. And remember, no one will be here to remind you that a soak in the hot tub does NOT equal a BATH. Pfffftt! I feel for the stupid ugly fat dog...he may never get another bowl of water. Oh well, and so it goes.

Well, I hafta go shower and get ready for my doctor appointment. I need maintenance prescriptions for like 6 meds...I have three months which was my last order from the rat bastards at Cigna. I start my Valley Baptist coverage now. Pays better than the rats anyways.
Just hope this is not too much for the doc to write...and too bad if it is! I'm on a roll!

Later...
hugs
dennise

Woke this morning and everything, including my butt, just ached. That's what I get for working so hard in the rig. Oh well, I could be like Paul...101 temp and a bit on the cranky side. I would be too...he wants to get lots done and he feels like crap. Oh well, what do they say in NY...C`est la vie ?

I worked on the bathroom today. Shower was really streaked with some crud that Windex all purpose cleaner wouldn't touch so I got out my trusty squirt bottle of straight up vinegar. The miracle liquid I have to say. Also had some rusty spots on the floor which I liberally doused with Clorox cleaner and let sit. The gold frame is actually holding up well considering how cheap and crappy it is. Paul brought in his undies and some pantry stuff...how does his mind think I wonder? Spices and BBQ sauce and tidy whities? Hmmmm. Still scratching my head over that connection...! I also cleaned the toilet (never again...next time it is Paulies job) and cleaned out the medicine cabinet. Lots of stuff leaked over the summer. Grrrrr. He told me he emptied the damm thing...dried and baked on Vick's green slime all over, even dripped into the lower shelf. Then I had to get the goof-off stuff to get rid of the residual adhesive from the stupid self-stick calendars he put all over the place. I guess he just doesn't get that if it sticks, it leaves stuff behind...stuff that is glue...adhesive that would keep the Shuttle together for cripes sake. (how do you like my brown to represent you know what up above...I am just sooooo talented, yanno?) So after smelling this gosh-awful goof-off stuff and getting high from the fumes, I was able to get the glue off. When Paul came back to the rig I told him if he ever stuck anything with self adhesive glue on it anywhere in the rig again, he would have to lick the crap off the surface. Then he just looks at me and takes something and throws it in the condiment basket I had just reorganized and cleaned out of all the crap in there! Screws do not belong in the basket with napkins, salt and pepper and the sugar shaker. Nor does some little black caplike thingy that he found on the floor, Zack's forgotten contacts container OR the coupon for Popeye's Chicken that is expired (and there is NO Popeye's in the Valley...) Geez...no wonder everything looks messy. Well, thank goodness we are leaving...I have given up cleaning up the crap grandpa leaves on the island in the kitchen. Everything from his hearing aids (eewwwww, I know) to slips of paper with gosh knows whose phone number...an old keyring with no keys, his name tag...the list goes on and on.

Channel 4, KGBT TV in Harlingen called this afternoon. They want to interview grandpa about his parachute jump. Ok. I know I am a bitch, but I have had enough of this for over a week now. I am sick to death of it. Truly tired of watching the video (can we count to 500 boys and girls...grrr!) and he looks at the photos several times a day. This afternoon, he invited the entire park (or what's left of the residents) over to the house to view his masterpiece. I stayed in the motorhome like some sulky brat. I am sorry. I have just have enough. Plus, if I hear one more time that he is a ladies man, dancing machine or karaoke master, I am going to puke. Can you TELL I need to get outta this place. Come on Wed!

Well, since today we were invited out for dinner, I guess I can end my tirade for now. Tune in tomorrow for more of....what pisses me off.

hugs
dennise

Well, it finally cooled off to normal for this time of year temps. 104 and sunshine is nice, but, it can be wilting to say the least. With the continuous breeze, even 104 can be tolerable, but being the wuss I am, I stay in the AC.

With the cooler temps, we were able to get into the rig to start cleaning and packing. Lots of stuff was taken out to the MH but it is sitting all over the place. I need to condition the maple cabinets and the island. I try to do that at least twice a year. Some of the cabinets have scratches and dings from various disasters over the year especially the large sink front. Hmmm. We talked about putting a backsplash around the stove(it's just wallpaper right now.) and are leaning towards stainless steel or tin...they have some great designs out right now, that can be used either as back splash or ceiling, similar to old ceiling tin. Maybe a sheet of the backsplash will be the answer to the sink cabinet door. Hmmm. Keep this to myself...Paul hates when I start "renovating". Putz.

I cleaned out the kitchen sink which got really disgusting over the winter. Ick. Why does dish soap ooz outta the pump bottle when left to it own devices for a couple of months? I keep forgetting to take it in and every year, dish soap has invaded the sink areas. It's like concrete in the heat, so I had to scrape it off the bottoms of both sink sides. Nasty. Then it was on to the fridge. We had put the innards of the fridge in the stupid dishwasher...am I dumb...and two plastic shelfs got warped. Grrrr. I hate plastic. A replacement shelf that slides into the door is like $40. Maybe I will take a heat gun and try to soften them up and reshape them...or do without. $40....pfffft! I think I will be creative and find something to substitute.

I wiped down all the cabinets and woodwork in the living area and the bedroom. Bathroom gets tackled tomorrow. I can do about 10 minutes of work then have to sit down for ten minutes! Then I took the bedroom and dash curtains into the house and washed and dried them. I redid the hems on the bedroom sets as the hemming tape I used was not holding up. I redid the hemming tape and then hand hemmed all four curtains. I had to hunt all over the place to find a stupid needle and thread. Must still have my sewing box packed someplace. I am hurting right now tho...and I am sure I will feel this tomorrow.

I passed on going to the Elks tonight...didn't feel up to it. Paul and I accomplished quite a bit today. He washed all the inside windows and the window tracks...all the vents and the ac ducts. He can barely move his arms at this point. Aren't we a pair?

Well, I promise to take some pictures when we get finished so you can see all the modifications we have made.
hugs

dennise

Last night we went to the Elk's club for Chicken Fried Steak. Really good stuff...salad bar, mashed potatoes, a huge meat patty, good cream gravy and a nice ear of corn. Last night, she brought me GREEN BEANS....OMG... the fat ones, with the humongous seeds in 'em. Ick.Ick Ick. I know, you all think I am nuts. I detest green beans...and peas. Blame my ornery father. He made me sit at the table and tried to get me to eat these cold, congealed veggies (from a can btw...eeeew) that I flatly refused to put near my mouth. One night I sat until my bedtime of 8:30 with those crappy beans on my plate. I wasn't gonna eat them and he wasn't gonna let me get away until I ate the suckers. Nope. Beat me, slap me, yell at me. I ain't eating no canned green beans with the fat seeds. Never. I won. My mother-in-law Catherine, tried for 20 years to get me to eat either peas or fat green beans. She would make beans with some sort of "sauce" from tomato soup! God, is there no justice in this world...ruining a perfectly good can of tomato soup...for FAT GREEN BEANS? She failed. My mother tried that nasty green bean casserole ("These are NOT green beans with the fat seeds, they are french cut skinny beans, and are delicious with mushroom soup in them." )Jeez, that was even worse! Green beans with fungus soup on them? Are you kidding me? Our friend Bev invited us to dinner and made a delicious hamburger and veggie soup. It had beans and fat green beans in it. When we passed our dishes over to her to help clean the tables, Bev says "Hey, who picked out all the peas and beans?" Every eye in the room turned to me. Of course, I got a lecture and to prove a point she put my bowl on the floor and her dog, Misty, gobbled up the peas and fat beans. This proves nothing to ME. Misty is a dog for cripes sake, she eats cat shit if she can find it, and licks other dogs asses. 'Nough said.

I just talked to Zack. He is at work at the putt-putt place in St. Louis Union Station. He attended a "job fair" at SIUE yesterday. He said there were long lines for instant interviews, and the layout of the fair was really poorly done. He said he talked to everyone that didn't have a line. Like Decatur. They were quite interested in him and the one principle of a high school said he would call Zack personally to interview him. OK, I guess Decatur is a possiblity. Like Zack says...a job is a JOB.

Paul went off to Mexico today to have his teeth cleaned. He and I have wanted to do that and just never go around to it. So here it is, 103 degrees in the shade, and gufus wants me to walk around Mexico in the heat. Sure. Be my guest. I will stay here and work on getting stuff together for our journey to Branson.

I cannot wait to get the hell outta here. I have been in one spot way way too long...
Plus, I need to talk to someone under the age of 80...

hugs

dennise

Well, after several hours of fiddling around with my JVC hard drive movie camera, I discovered that the files it creates are not Windows compatible. Crap. I found a video file conversion freeware that I used to convert the MOV files to whatever would work. Grrrrr.

So, here is my latest effort, with titles AND credits, but no background music. Just wanted to get 'er done and uploaded. I will work on audio when I have more patience.

Enjoy....

We are NEVER going to hear the end of this little escapade...

hugs,

dee

It's Tuesday and I am finally posting about our big weekend. Grandpa made his tandem jump on Saturday. We drove to Beeville, Texas, about 155 miles north of Weslaco, near Corpus Christi. We left about 9:15 am. Here is a smiling Gene with his lady friends Dorothy and Jeannie prior to leaving for the day.

We stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Corpus Christi after checking into our hotel. The hotel was quite a disappointment after viewing the photos as listed on the internet. It looked beautiful but is really run down. What do ya want for 6000 points I guess. Other Choice Hotels are like 20000 points in Corpus. You surely get what you "pay" for.

Grandpa was really quiet at lunch and barely spoke on the way to Beevilee. Hmmm, wonders I...is he getting cold feet? Nah. Scared? Perhaps, we shall see! His tandem jump is scheduled for 4 pm. We arrive at 3:10 and the 3 pm jumper is still waiting. Finally after about an hour's delay, the 3 pm birthday girl jumps. This was her birthday present from her folks...she has a rugrat, about three that his Daddy can't handle and the kid acted up the whole time Mommy was up in the air. I have NO patience for bratty kids. We all got neck cramps trying to see the plane and the jumpers. Finally we see them and the landing is very good. The gal seems quite happy. By now it is 4:30. We are instructed to go back to the headquarters just outside the Beeville Municipal Airport. We have forms and forms to complete (these folks are really covering their a$$ from a legal standpoint let me tell ya!) and we watch a film. Gene is signing his name and not paying attention to the film, so Dorothy scolds him and says if you don't watch this movie, you might get hurt. I think he is overwhelmed. The instructor comes in and asks the gal who works there, Misty, how old Gene is. "91?" Alex the instructor is a bit unsettled. He's never had someone this OLD jump with him. He takes grandpa and puts him in a rigging and hangs him from the ceiling like they do jumpers during training. He makes grandpa do all kinds of things. After he does each maneuver, Alex apologizes and says he just wanted to make sure Gene could do all the things he would have to do. He says Gene doesn't look or act 91.

By now, it is like 5:45. I am tired and bored. We are finally off to the airport for the jump. After another 20 minutes, they harness Gene up, the photographer jumper arrives and begins to tape, beginning with a brief interview. Here are some photos of the prep and getting on the plane.

This is Alex, the instructor harnessing him up. Alex is quite a big guy, about 6'6". I wouldn't mind diving with him either..

Gene is trying on goggles to go over his glasses but decided to just take off his specs. Sure hope he can see up there. The other guy is the photographer, can't remember his name, but he too was quite a large fellow.

Getting on the little plane...That's what would keep me from doing this...that plane was held together with rubber bands and duck tape...no way would you see me climbing aboard.

Shutting the door and beginning the taxi.
Well, it took FOREVER to get to the right hight(10000 feet maybe?) Finally we see the shoots of both the photog and grandpa. It looks as if he got quite a ride. We had trouble getting either still shots or movie clips when they were so high up, but we managed a few...

Here we go!

I was able to get some good video footage which I am going to work on uploading next. I should be able to add the video here. I also plan on putting it on YouTube. I am not yet proficient at the video stuff so this should be a learning experience of sorts. Grandpa got up and I think he was in a stupor, he couldn't even talk. The photog who had landed first, hit hard and tore up his leg a bit. We finally unhooked the old fart and off we went for dinner. They told us an hour for the video. After a so-so dinner at Chili's (but the beer was cold...) we went back. Unfortunately, the crew decided to do some free fall diving and didn't return to the office to work on the video. They promised to send it FedEx on Tuesday. Well, it still isn't here, so Paulie called and left a nasty message. You know Paulie, he figures nasty works wonders, the putz.

Well, that's all for now. It's gonna be 100 today and 103 tomorrow. I forced Paul to run the AC...I don't CARE if the nights are freakin' cool, the days will kill ya!

hugs,

Dennise

I am not a happy camper, pun intended, this morning. I went to my Flickr page to upload some photos, and I have used up all my free space. Drats. They want $25 per year to keep using it. Crap. Crap. Crap. I am checking out Snapfish to see if they have limits. I suppose I could delete the older stuff but I like having the pictures on line. I have them all on backup disks, but that is a PIA to find a particular photo.


Paul is off playing shuffleboard with granpda. The numbers are dwindling here this week...everyone is going home for either taxes or for the summer. Hmmm. Today Paulie and I have a birthday. We have decided no cake...we are going to go to Corpus Christi for the weekend. We have scheduled grandpa's tandem sky dive for tomorrow, Saturday at 4 p.m. up in Beeville. That is about 50 miles north of Corpus Christi. We had bonus points from the credit card and got two free rooms, and we will have not only a video of him jumping, but also about 60 photos. The photog will jump with him and the guy he's tandeming with. I can't wait to write about it. I keep trying to convince him to take the dog, and stick his body in the jumpsuit and let his head stick out. We could be rich if the tongue flies outta his face and streams upwards in the jump...America's Funny Home Videos here we come! I am going to put a part of the video on You Tube. "91 year old man skydiving"...look for it!

We have accepted a workamping position in Branson MO. Well, Paul is gonna workamp. I will prolly just do a few hours a week in the office. They have promised this would not be a problem if Paul did most of the work. We have to give them 24 hours of work for a free full hook up campsite. Considering in areas like Branson, full hookups are about $60 a day. Of course weekly and monthly sites are less, but nonetheless, primo in a vacation destination.
We will be getting show tickets that are either free or deeply discounted...this way when folks ask what is a good show, we can recommend our favorites. The campground is called Branson's Shenanigans RV park. Here is the web page: http://www.bransonrvparks.com/
It is a small 40 slot site so I think we will get our feet wet slowly. We had posted our "resume" on Workamper.com and we had 40 potential employers view our info and got 12 offers for interviews. I think that was pretty good, this late in the season. Most campgrounds in vacation spots line up workers sometimes a year in advance. Interesting biz, working for a camping spot. All the govt parks, state, local and national are non-paying and ask for about 32 hours of volunteer work for the host position with full hookups. Same for the Corps of Engineers. But they have the best camping spots, mostly west of the Mississippi. Private campgrounds require like 10 to 12 hours per person for the hookup and then pay $ per hour, ususally minimum wage, for hours after that. But who wants to work 35 to 40 hours a week. We are retired for cripes sakes. This gig will allow us to enjoy Branson for a couple of months with the benefits of the reduced show costs. We would never get to see that many shows or stay long at $60 bucks a day. Plus, we can eat at home, forget those stupid buffets. Eeeewww, they all suck. We will journey to San Antonio on the 16th for Paul's appointment with the VA, then head north. Gee, what to pack? It still is COLD in MO in April. Ick. Paul is confident he can work the job for at least 4 months. We are committed til Sept. 15th. His hip bothers him, but he wants to do the Branson thing. Who am I to argue?

Well, I need to go to the doctor and have some crappy test to see how much urine I can hold with out losing it. Betcha ALL wanted to know that right? TMI.

BTW, it is warm and sunny here...has been all week...beautiful breezes. Perfect weather.
hugs,

Dennise