TAG your it.

Sandra a fellow RVer tagged me and here it is.

Random/Weird facts about me:

When I was younger and had a figure I like to dress like Mrs. Cleaver.
It was I that set fire to the woods behind the house.
I have REAL fear of driving in snow. If two flakes fall, this flake falls apart.
I wanted to name my children Autumn, Edwina, and Herbert. Fortunately they are (in the same order) James, Scott, and Hannah.
I never thought I would be driving something as big as a bus and pulling a car.

Top 5 Seen/See Again list - there are so many beautiful places it's hard to choose:

Copan Honduras – I especially liked the place where the Mayan women would go to give birth on giant frogs. It was a spiritual place. This is the place where I learned to hitchhike, found taxi drivers that would put New York cabbies to shame, and learned to strike out on my own in a foreign country.
Tikal – There lies my heart.
El Ceibal – Despite the heat, humidity, mosquitoes and the hike it is a place of great beauty. It is located on a hill overlooking Río de la Pasión in Guatemala. I found out after a long boat ride, a long hike it is accessible by vehicle but I wouldn’t have missed it in the world. It was there I tasted sweet corn roasted on an open fire doused in lime juice.
El Remate Guatemala –I spent a week there. Catching buses to Flores and Tikal, nearly drowned in Lake Peten, and the sunsets are spectacular. Just a wonderful place to relax. One word of warning…. The kayak’s paddles are made of industrial strength steel and will sink the minute you drop it.
Belize – That is where I would live the remainder of my life if given the opportunity.


I can only come up with four people that might do this tag.

Whimsy
Lynilu
Robin
Zach

Christmas Day

Mom and I decided to take a drive on Christmas. We had no destination in mind and so we ended up in Garfield New Mexico and found a beautiful cemetery.

Click Here For Garfield Cemetery.

Location: Garfield New Mexico

You Asked And I Did It

This is a beautiful morning. I am looking at the Organ Mountains, my little roadrunner buddy is sitting on the fence, and my old friend is snoring. It doesn’t matter that my pipes are frozen; mom and I need a bath, and Surely did a “no no” on the rug this morning. What matters is right now. Peace – quiet – a view of the mountains.

What a week it has been! My daughter and her boyfriend, Robert came down. There is nothing like having family members visit you. I consider Robert a son. I have called him with problems, called him for advice, and for comfort. He in turn has always come through for me and has tolerated my ignorance with patience. I love these people and my grandpuppies.

The visit started with a Christmas party and ended with us taking off our shoes, rolling up our pants, and jumping on a sled. The rest of the week was a blur of activities, laughter, and love. Robert and Hannah’s friend, Josh joined up midweek and that only liven things up more, if that was possible. We toured Mesilla – several times. Ate at a haunted restaurant, shopped at the Purple Lizard, and toured two Air, Missile museums. It was a learning experience. It left mom and I thoroughly exhausted but happy.

Thank you Robert and Hannah for the wonderful gifts and memories.

Mom and I are now independent. Our house on wheels has been equipped with all the necessary equipment to tow the car and we are giddy with excitement of where we will be next. We can leave anytime, we have our freedom back, and we are EXCITED. I know that losing my freedom is what brought on my sadness and silence from the blogging world. Las Cruces is beautiful and it is a great town to explore but I still wanted to be able to take off when I wanted. Now I can.

I updated my webpage. It took two days because I was so far behind but pictures are online. Below are the links to my pictures. ENJOY

Click Here For Rockhound State Park

Click Here For Mesilla

Click Here For Purple Lizard

Click Here For City of Rocks

Click Here For Double Eagle

Click Here For White Sand Missile Park

Click Here For Sledding Fun

Click Here For Christmas

Location: Las Cruces

“Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final fatal role of the young would-be black man," Obama wrote. Mostly he smoked marijuana and drank alcohol, he wrote, but occasionally he would snort cocaine when he could afford it.

Hilary is now attacking Barack Obama about his drug use. This is interesting. Wasn’t it President Clinton that said, “I smoked pot but didn’t inhale?” He also said, “I didn’t have sex with that woman.”

Don’t hang out other people’s dirty laundry on the proverbial clothesline until you take a look at your own.

Hibernation

I am silent because I am hibernating until January 2nd. Like a grumpy bear I will emerge from my cave after the holidays to avoid verbal altercations and road rage.

I was born in the time of baby boomers, person born between 1946 and 1964. I am not sure what they are calling people born in the 1980s but I call them 80 babies. I feel the majority of people born in this decade are very self centered and don’t have a clue about customer service. They were given awards for just about everything which they did not earn or deserve. I believe the reasoning for doing this is to boost their self esteem. I would venture to guess that none of the people were ever given a spanking. They have been pampered and over nurtured. Now, they are adults in need of an attitude adjustment. It is not “customer service” it is “me service”.

The latest example of dealing with a twenty something sales clerk was the other day. I went into Circuit City to purchase a much needed photo printer. After waiting 30 minutes for a group of 80s babies to finish their personal phone calls, one of them decided to help me. She asked me to go to the next aisle and find a sales clerk. I could feel my blood pressure rising. When mom finally found one, the clerk had to let me know that I was inconveniencing her first. I told what I wanted and showed her a display that had the printer. She looked at it and said “we don’t have it in stock.”

My response: “Excuse me, could you please check to make sure or check the computer to see if they have it in stock at the other Circuit City.” She just stomped off.

I can hear her now in the break room. “I had to take care of a real bitch; she demanded that I do my job and expected a professional salesclerk that knew about customer service. I just won employee of the day award for showing up for work so what does she know?”

These are the same people that drive an interstate as if they are competing in a race. Zip, Zip, Duck, Dart, BRAKE, and oh here is your award for killing more people on an interstate in a single day.

Then there are the Born Again Christians sale clerks. They will let you know they are born again and give you a brief lecture on becoming born again. Not enough to get fired, just enough to irritate you. They end the transaction with “God Bless You.” When you come home with your purchase to find it defective and call to request repairs or replacement, you get an ear full. My usual response is “Excuse me, could you please remove the knife you just plunged into my back so far that it protrudes from the other side. Thank you and God Bless.” These are folks who hide their ugly side with biblical quotes and God Bless You. I guess it will insure them a place in Heaven. “Listen God for every person I took advantage of I quoted a passage from your book and that forgives me for my transgressions.”

As angry as I am, when I come home I am surround by caring, fun people. I have two great neighbors; in fact I have a wonderful neighborhood. Folks that reside here enjoy talking to each other and sharing great stories. All of the women have no problems sharing their husbands and that is a feel good moment because it is great to see a relationship without fears. I have a resident roadrunner that sits on the fence in front of the RV, a wonderful view of the mountains and the city. I have found my solace, my peace from the rat race. When I feel like venturing out again to enjoy Las Cruces I will be posting more often.

Location: Las Cruces

Home Sweet Home

Click Here For Pictures of My New Home

Clicking on the small pictures on the left will bring up a larger picture, or you can wait ten seconds and the next picture will appear. ENJOY

Location: Las Cruces

The Dance

Holiday season is upon us and perhaps that is what triggered thoughts of my brother. I don’t think of him often enough, time has a way of doing that when someone close to you passes. Memories have a tendency to creep up on you when you least expect them. Perhaps a smell, a picture, a song triggers that memory. Yesterday quite the opposite happened.

A nostalgic feeling passed over me as I was driving to Staples Office Supply. I felt my brother’s presence. Memories came back to me, which is a rare occurrence since most of my childhood memories are lost to me. Did you know he buried my favorite pair of shoes in a sand pile that was taller than me? Even though I was only 6 or 7 years old at the time I never did find those shoes.

My brother was quick with words and bad puns.

Ray: Pepper, do you know what really REALLY burns my ass?
Pepper: No what
Ray: Grass fire this high.

The last year of his life he started calling me more and more. We would talk for an hour or more. I knew he was unhappy in his marriage, he didn’t have to say it in words, and I never asked him. I miss those late night talks. I would talk to him of my problems and I will never forget the story he told me when I first started “emoting” to him. A lesson I still follow today.

Once upon a time there was a nonconforming sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold that he reluctantly started to fly south. In a short time ice began to form on his wings and he fell to earth in a barnyard, almost frozen. A cow passed by and crapped on the little sparrow. The sparrow thought it was the end. But the manure warmed him and defrosted his wings. Warm and happy, able to breathe, he started to sing. Just then a large cat came by and hearing the chirping, investigated the sounds. The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird and promptly ate him... ~~
The moral of the story: ~~
Everyone who ****s on you is not necessarily your enemy
Everyone who gets you out of **** is not necessarily your friend.
And, if you're warm and happy in a pile of ****, keep your mouth shut.

In a weird way thinking of him and our life stories that we shared, I never felt sorrow. It was more of a longing to talk to him once more. I made my purchase and left the store.

Driving home I flipped on the radio and the first song I heard was the song that makes me think of my brother. That is when the tears came.

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance

No pictures of the RV we are still unpacking and sorting.

Location: Las Cruces New Mexico

MY EX

Don’t freak out kids, I promised myself I would say only nice things about your dad. I kept my promise, with the exception of calling him a Teletubby; I will continue to do so now. I will be politically correct. I honor his love of his pet rats and field mice. I have honored his need for seclusion. I understand his paranoia and can even empathize with him. I will continue to honor him.

Back to my daily rant, like Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, my ex has become an artist. He has an exhibit at Drury College and a kind soul even wrote a book about him and his art.

Even though, I closed my child support case against and do not want compensation - the State of Missouri has not. I hope he will have enough cash to pay them off.

I am so happy that he found his medium and he has accomplished something that his children and grandchildren will talk about with pride.

Here is the websites if you wish to see his work.


The Book

Drury College

Website

In all fairness, I do hope he does receive some compensation for the book. I do mean that sincerely. It is his life, his work, his memories and even though you cannot put a monetary value on that, he should be compensated.

Nuff said.

Location: Las Cruces

Changes

I am stoic. Just ask my doctor, it is in my personal records. When I hurt I don’t’ complain. Sneezing and the flu is a different for me. I am not in pain I am miserable and I want the world around me to share my misery.

Somewhere between lifting dad and heavy boxes at work I did a number on my back. Now it is pretty much a daily pain. On good nights I will sleep on my mattress on the floor, on bad nights I sleep on the couch. When I drive I keep a pillow behind me but I can go only drive for a couple of hours before I have to stop and lay down. One of the problems is I can’t reach anything. If it wasn’t for the extensions I wouldn’t be able to drive.

Then there are a few issues that I won’t discuss in my blog regarding my home. I will say this all maintenance records are on file both in a cabinet and computer. It is the same with all vehicles. On that note I will say….

It is with a heavy heart that we say good bye to our Holiday Rambler.

We really wanted to keep our home for a long time. We started and have a lot of memories here. It has been more of a home to both mom and I than our home on a foundation. There is a time to throw in the towel and let go.

We take possession of our new home on Monday. It is only a foot longer. It drives like a dream. With a captain seat made for a person of “short stature.” No extensions, no reaching and stretching, and no gadgets. In fact this home is gadget free. We all know what that means…… fewer gadgets less maintenance. It also has four levelers instead of three so there is no worry about getting this one in a bind and popping out the windshield.

I can maintain the motor without the aid of a ladder. The roof is not rubberized. When we put out the slides it actually seals, keeping most cold air out, but more important it keeps us dry. The motor is FINE. The basement is smaller but I can deal with that. The levels are virtually maintenance free which means less crawling under the house.

The kitchen is a littler larger with more counter space and it has a very small oven. I call it a biscuit oven but mom loves it. It has a microwave which is great. I can use a microwave, I can’t use an oven. It also has bunk beds in the hallway. I will have a bed. This will definitely help my back. I will have a little tiny space to call my own and if Surely Not starts taking up most of the bed, well I can pitch her up to the top bunk. Mom will still have her own room. There is separation. The bathroom is bigger but the shower is not. It is the same size. There is also more storage in the actual living space. I wonder if mom will let me bring in my tool box….. Nah

We have been busy trying to pull this together and work out an agreement that suits us financially. Now we are in the process of packing. Most of what we owned is already contained but there is the loose stuff and the cleaning.

When we take possession I will be taking pictures and posting them.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Location: Las Cruces New Mexico

Brrrrrrr

I am still amazed at my daughter’s determination to camp out while visiting us in December. The average December temperature in Las Cruces, at night, is 27 degrees. Not exactly warm, sometimes they see snow, and I have a feeling Hannah and Robert will be bunking with us.

Yesterday was cold damp and a much needed rain had fallen. Mom and I had to turn on the heater and layer up, so to speak. Surely Not and I took a walk late afternoon and the mountains are spectacular. It made the cold weather tolerable.

I am a fan of Trace Atkins’ music. Last night I was watching one of my favorite shows, Glenn Beck and to my surprise Trace Atkins was a guest. What I did not know was he had written a book about his personal viewpoints. I almost died laughing when he compared terrorism with genital herpes. I am definitely going to check out his book. I was also surprised when he said he would support Mike Huckabee's campaign. Of course at the end of the show during Rapid Fire when asked if he would rather be a vegetarian or a liberal, his response was “I’d rather eat grass.” Amen Brother Ben.

On that note……





Location: Las Cruces

Front Window View

Where To Go For Calendars

Lilli, I go with Kodak or Shutterfy. I know WalMarts will make calendars. There is also Photoworks.

Right now I like the different options that Shutterfly has. I will probably go with that.

Yipee!

We are in New Mexico! It was a pain in the butt to get both car and RV here but I am happy we are here. It is a wonderful park with cable TV, and internet. I had to back the RV into the spot and had a little problem with a tree. The owners and employees came out with a saw and a chainsaw. They gave the Mulberry tree a trim and then directed me in. It is a nice spot with a concrete pad, picnic table, and a place to park the car. Happy happy, joy joy.

Every year friends and family receive a calendar from me. I try to remember what pictures (that I have taken) they comment on and make calendars. This is going to be interesting with Rusty aka James because the only comment he has made is on the picture mom took of the tire after the blow out. Last year Hannah received a cemetery calendar and my sister received flowers on her calendar. There are several good websites that I can upload my pictures to and I use their formatting. They come out pretty good, no one has complained and every year I receive requests.

I am so happy to be out of El Paso. Starting around 3:00 and ending around 7:30 the traffic backs up. The park we were staying was by the interstate and the noise would be so loud that it would block out the TV. It was really odd. Mom and I never stopped sneezing and coughing the whole time we were there. You could look out towards Mexico and see the pollution. They kept saying the air quality was fine but I have my doubts. There is not much Texas can do because Mexico’s laws governing air quality is not the same as the US.

What I found fascinating was the drive back to Las Cruces tonight. The wind had picked up and you could see the dust in the lights. It was eerie but in a beautiful way.

Thanks for all your comments, they are appreciated.

Adios El Paso

We are moving, come hell or high water.

I finally found the real cause for the brake failure and who is responsible for the damage done. A claim has been filed and I will be reimbursed.

We found a park in Las Cruces and will be there for a month. It will give me time to create my Christmas Calendars and update my photo albums.

Hopefully tonight I will be posting from New Mexico.

Until Later.

To Answer Your Question Lynilu

We are still in El Paso. We picked up the car yesterday afternoon. It still needs two back tires so we are cautious about driving it. Hopefully tomorrow we will have that repair down.

I am planning to drive to Las Cruces Tuesday, find a place to stay, and then return. We haven't figured out all of the details on how to get both the RV and car to New Mexico. I am hoping to have that resolved tomorrow.

The car now has four brand new tires, new brakes, and an oil change. It is running great. Rusty, there was no front end problems. I will also find out how much of this is covered by insurance.

It is a comforting feeling to look out the window and see my car. I absolutely feel helpless without it. Of course I could always drive the motorhome to WalMarts but it is not the same.

All in all we are in good shape for the shape we are in. We are both wanting to get back on the road again which is healthy.

The is the first time I have been able to get on the net today. The internet service at the park is iffy.

I will keep everyone posted on what is happening. Hopefully we will be in Las Cruces by the end of the week.

Living On Carmex and Tums

The car is still in the shop. They are going to have someone else look at the brakes.

This afternoon, when I called, I was told something about the brake oil overheating but I was distracted because I was digging through my purse for Carmex and Tums.

We will be staying here for another week.

Concordia Cemetery

Today, mom and I went to Concordia Cemetery in El Paso Texas. 65,000 people call this cemetery “home.” Filled with broken crosses, cracked concrete, trash, and one scrawny cat, it was a place of sadness because of the lack of care.

The history of the cemetery is interesting. In 1854, a chapel and cemetery were built on a ranch owned by Hugh Stephenson. The first person buried at Concordia was Hugh’s wife, Juanita. She was gored by a pet deer in 1856. Mr. Stephenson lost his ranch after the civil war but his son-in-law was able to purchase the property. He divided the property equally between Stephenson’s heirs. By the 1880s, various groups interested in establishing cemeteries were contacting the heirs. The city of El Paso bought its first part of the cemetery in 1882 as a burial ground for paupers.

By the 1890s, sections had been purchased by different groups and were designated Jesuit, Catholic, Masonic, Jewish, Black, Chinese, military, city, county and other ethnic and social groups.

Some of the residents of the cemetery are: Reverend Joseph Tays, an Episcopal missionary who found El Paso’s first Protestant church, Carlos Pinto, founder of five Catholic churches, James H. Bigg, WWI aviator for whom Biggs Field is named, to name a few. However, it is the grave of a gunfighter, John Wesley Hardin that gets all of the attention. It has been said that he killed more people than Billy the Kid and Jesse James.


Enjoy The Pictures

Four Hours On The Road

We spent four hours on the road, or rather on the side of the road. We were going to Las Cruces New Mexico from Van Horn Texas. When I crested the top of the hill, all was fine. It was just seconds after I started the descent that my brake light from my brake buddy came on. I pulled over.

The front tire was smoking and I heard the second one going down. I tried not to panic. I couldn't figure out what happened. In emergency situations I try to figure out why before I react. When I realized that thinking was not the solution I called Good Sam Roadside Service. One hour later I received the call that a tow truck was on its way and would be there in twenty minutes.

The tow truck driver's english was so poor. He wouldn't talk to us, and when he did he said "take tires be back in 40 minutes. I was floored. I figured they would tow us.... somewhere..... anywhere but not leave us on the side of I-10 with no front tires.

I called Robert, Hannah's boyfriend. Not only did I received sound advice but just hearing his voice calmed me down. I called Good Sam and told him I was concerned about the brakes on the car. I told him about the tow truck driver poor english skills and then.... I lost it.

My children will tell you I am not the kind of person who cries.

The gentleman at Good Sams was so calm, he gave his credentials and told me what to do and how to do it.

An hour or more the tow truck driver came by with two new tires and he brought his boss. His boss was very calm, spoke in that wonderful thick accent that I love, and said "brakes are fine, braking system doesn't work."

The tires were then put back on and I drove carefully down the rest of the incline.

We pulled into a park in El Paso. All I wanted to do was level the RV, set up camp, then curl up in a fetal position with my blanky and thumb.

Then the levelers started acting up and I was so close to a nervous breakdown, I was thinking seriously about guzzling Surely Not's knock out medicine. My neighbor came over and he was so helpful. The hour I spent with him I learned so much about my motorhome. Then he asked me "was that you stuck on I-10?"

Then we spent another hour going through by braking system. He showed me how to dismantle the power cord and check the contacts, then he checked my braking buddy. He then picked up my braking system and explained how it works. When he was talking to me, it suddenly went off. If the clamp was on my brake it would have put the brake on. That my friends was the problem.

We are fine. The car will be going in for a check up this week, the braking system will be replaced, and we will be on the road... eventually.

Now I need to go find my blanky and curl up in fetal position. Internet is poor so it will be sporadic posting until we leave El Paso.

Attack Of The Bee

Click Here For BEE ATTACK!

Today's Pictures

Click Here For Big Springs State Park

Click Here For Vietnam War Memorial

For 15 years Surely Not has lived without a leash, most times without a collar. She was fortunate to live where she could roam free and enjoy being a dog. It wasn’t until we moved into our little house on wheels that she was forced to wear a collar and leash. I was surprised when she took to this restriction.

One of her greatest pleasures in life is the opportunity to run without the leash. With her eyesight and hearing diminishing, I found giving her this opportunity difficult to do. I have lived with her for 17 years; I know her habits, and her little quirks. I know when she becomes confused at night when her eyesight is at its worse she will walk around in a circle. I know when she loses sight of me she will search for me. I also know when she is tired she will lay down even during a hike. Because of her failing eyesight and hearing, I decided to purchase her a cat collar with a little bell.

At night, while I am starting to drift off I can hear her walking around. I did not know, until the bell, how much water she drinks at night. When I put her outside for her evening constitutional, without a leash, I can hear the soft chime of the bell and can zero in on her if she gets a little confused. It is usually dark and she never wanders to far from the door. As I stated earlier I know her quirks and habits.

The bell turned out to be a life saver on our hike in the Rockcap Canyon State Park. It was a long downhill hike to the little river. As usual I stayed close to her with leash in hand and helped down a few small ledges and around a few prickly pear cacti. Because of her size I would lose sight of her but I would hear her little bell. In a matter of seconds she would pop out of the high grass and I swear she would have a smile on her face.

We tried the hike around the canyon where the trail was easier and a little flatter. I think she put all of her energy into bounding and leaping because about a ½ mile down the trail I stopped hearing the bell. She is most times ahead of me but this time she was behind me. When I turned around, I saw her, she was in the shade stretched out and resting. I sat with her and enjoyed the scenery. I felt a little sad because of what I saw, knowing she couldn’t see it. She is never more than two feet in front of me or behind me yet that bell was the smartest purchase I have made. As long as I can hear the bell I know where she is, when I can’t hear it I stop. I am well trained, just like Surely Not.

I know some people would consider this an act of abuse or neglect. Some believe all pets should be restrained, others would think that an older dog should be leashed or kept home. I am always aware of Surely Not when she is outside. If she suddenly gets the urge to run to far from me, I will put the leash on her which has not happened but I am prepared. She is 17 years old, she is a grand old lady, and I don’t know how much time she has left. With supervision I want her to have her freedom and enjoy the world around her. When I lose sight of her in tall grass or whatever I can hear the bell.

Today we are in Big Spring Texas; Surely Not is heading out for another adventure in a little park in town. She will have to wear her leash but she will have another grand day. Tomorrow we will head out looking for a warmer climate. Robin I have tried to get a picture of a prairie dog but those little buggers are faster than they look. I am still trying to get a picture. I have a mission. Until later.

I Don't Think We Are In Missouri Anymore

Click Here For Caprock Canyon.

Click Here For Unexpected Roadside Attractions.

The Cat On The Roof Story

There was this guy who was taking care of his friend’s cat while she was on vacation. On the third day of her vacation, her friend called and said “Hey your cat died.”

Grief-stricken she cried, “Don’t you ever give someone bad news like that. You have to build up to it. Instead of calling me and saying my cat died, you should say you cat is on the roof. Then the next day call and tell me my cat fell off the roof. And then the third day you can tell me my cat died. I would be prepared.”

Her friend apologized for his lack of sensitivity.

Later on in her vacation, she received a call from her friend.

He said “Your mother is on the roof.”





Pictures have been posted - Lubbock City Cemetery

Uh Kids.....

Your mama is on the roof.



It was time to caulk the roof. For reasons I cannot explain, I cannot climb in shoes. I always fall off. So I was barefoot.






Saw this, took a picture of it, and thought of you, Hannah Banana.

Planes, Trains, and Prairie Dogs

We have arrived in Lubbock Texas. Right outside our window is a "herd" of prairie dogs. Surely is excited. She is going hunting.

Hannah I will call you tonight.

The internet is once again iffy but I did update my webpages.

George Washington Carver Monument, Diamond Missouri

Llano Cemetery, Amarillo Texas

Palo Duro Canyon, Canyon Texas

Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan Restuarant, Amarillo Texas

Windows Vista Stinks!!!

I had a day where every one I know and love called me. The first was Hannah and she was laughing about the email I sent Robert. See Below.

This phone call was followed by other phone calls from family. With each phone call I was asked "how are you doing?" I just laughed and said "Well...." I told everyone about my email and how I dumped on poor Robert.

Well folks here is the infamous email.

I was on the Internet for a long time yesterday but this morning I started having trouble again. It is a Windows Vista problem and my advice is "DON'T BUY A COMPUTER WITH WINDOWS VISTA!"

I have two errors on my web page. You can view most of the pages by going back to "where we have been."

Until later

The Infamous Letter

Subject: IPV6 connectivity limited with Windows Vista
To: "Robert Weber"

I have done a lot of research on this. I took the "easy" way and disabled IPV6 and that didn't help with my being able to access the internet. Most if not all, public WI FI uses IPV4 and their IPV6 is limited.

I decided to contact Dell Support and spent two hours on the phone with a tech who finally agreed with me. In short I cannot get on the net because of Window Vista.

You can google this and see that I have not lost my mind. I need to be able to access the internet not only for personal reasons but for professional as well. I am so screwed.

We will be in Lubbock Texas in less than a week. I will send you their address so you can ship my old computer back to me. It is frustrating to have a computer that meets my needs with the exception of not being able to access the internet.

Things have been super crappy. In Oklahoma City, the roads are so bad that the whole RV was being shook. I am so cautious driving, I check my mirrors repeatedly and thank god I did. Right in rush hour traffic one of my basement doors popped open on the driver's side of the vehicle. I managed to get pulled over and get it closed without being killed by crazy insane drivers. It was my "propane" door, one without a lock, and I don't use it very often. The rough roads could have popped that open.

Water pressure at various parks is giving me a fit. I have blown two hoses. At this park I put the water pressure regulator on the faucet and another on the RV. Still leaking. I just keep the water turned off until we need it.

Then my camera lense broke..... Surely is having problems in the poo end and I have to shave her butt which means I have to sedate her. I tried to get out of my door this morning and it jammed. I thought I was going to have to climb out the window to get out. Relatively minor fix but aggravating. I am still dealing with our hot water problem and I need the freaking internet to set up my reservations for the next two months. Can you tell I want to hurt someone badly? :-)

Other than all of that I am hanging in their by my toenails.

Thanks for letting me emote.

I Am Back On The Net

I am back on the net. Don't know if it will last. I updated my photo blog and will provide links later on.

this could turn ugly quick

We pulled into…. Hell I don’t know, somewhere between Clinton OK and Elk City OK yesterday. Just out in the middle of nowhere and land as flat as bologna. The park was clean and had a few trees, plus cable and internet. After setting up camp, I turned on the TV and tuned into the weather channel so I could find out about the winds.

The weatherman said, “This is the worse I have ever seen it. The weather situation is ripe for spring tornados but this is fall. Folks, this could turn ugly quick and I suggest that you all take cover or find a safe place. For those who don’t have a safe place I would suggest you start digging a hole as fast as you can because you only have two and a half hours to do so.”

Mom and I just looked at each other with our mouths hanging open. I knew it was windy but I didn’t see a dark cloud in the sky. Since I only had a dust pan to dig with I knew we were done for. I went to the park office, which didn’t have a storm shelter and paid for another day.

All through out the evening mom and I looked out the windows like rubbernecks at an accident site. We were waiting for the hellacious storm the weatherman had forecasted.

We waited, then waited some more. Then we checked the internet and the TV and they forecasted storms but nothing of the magnitude of the dooms day weatherman. Is this an Oklahoma thing to do? Scare the bejesus out of their audience.

We spent the day doing laundry, organizing, and reading. There was no storm, just a shower, and all is calm. We will be in Amarillo Texas tomorrow.

The Chores Are Done

Friday night Hannah spent the night in the little house on wheels. Saturday we went to George Washington Carver State Park. Sunday was the day to tackle my jobs.

The house has been washed, top to bottom. The levelers have been wiped down with oil and greased. The level oil has been checked and filled. The car has been wash and the oil has been checked. I replaced the cap on the generator, cleaned the basement, fixed two hoses, washed and oiled the hitch. I also checked the fluids on the RV. Two women came over and told me to cut it out or their husbands will expect them to do the same jobs I was doing. I explained that it was either my mother or me climbing ladders and crawling under the RV. They smiled but I am sure they had a few things to say to their husbands. You know men, the minute you pop the hood or open the compartment to the motor they come in droves.

This evening I put away all of my toys, I am sorry I mean tools and loaded mom in the car and went to a casino. Robert, feel free to call me anytime I am at a casino because I won enough to go through the Oklahoma toll road 8 times with 5 axles.

Needless to say I feel like Surely Not (see below) and yes, Robert I will get the pictures of this weekend uploaded and on my webpage…. Maybe tomorrow.

Good night and we are heading for Tulsa tomorrow.

Uncle Yegi

Even though most of my childhood memories are gone, there are a few that stay with me. Those that have made an impact in my life. One of my childhood memories was of a man who I called Uncle Yegi. He was a delightful person who lived in Kansas City and sold oriental rugs.

What fascinated me about him was the two large scars located on the side of his face that stoled his dimples. He had stories about his two scars but they were stories of his own creation. I remember a hint of sadness when he told his tales that made me aware that these stories were fairy tales. Still I loved hearing the stories and I regret now not being able to recall them in it’s entirity.

It wasn’t until years later, when I was older and could understand the cruelties of war, that my mother told me what little she knew of Uncle Yegi’s past. Mom knew a lot about his life in the United States but his past was clouded in mystery. For reasons lost in the past he talked to my parents about his past. He was Armenian, as a child he was a part of the “death march” and he was shot in the face. The bullet entered and exited through his mouth.

Was it genocide or was it a massacre during a chaotic time, not an organized campaign of genocide as Turkey claims it to be?

If time allows read the following article and you decide.

In June 1915, the Turkish government ordered the deportation of all remaining Armenians from Turkey into the deserts of Syria and Iraq to the south. During the deportation, some Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and government officials aided and even hid Armenian families. But most of the Muslim population cheered the expulsion of Turkey's largest Christian minority group.
When the Turkish authorities assembled Armenian villagers for deportation, they often immediately shot to death any able-bodied adult males. The women, children, and elderly men were then forced to travel hundreds of miles, mainly on foot, into the southern deserts. The Turkish government provided them with little food, water, shelter, or protection.
Along the way, outlaws, local people, and even the police guarding the deportees attacked, robbed, raped, and murdered them at will. Minister of War Enver created a paramilitary unit called the "Special Organization," made up mainly of convicted criminals released from prison. Its mission was simply to attack and kill Armenians.

Kurdish horsemen also raided the Armenians, robbing them and sometimes taking women and children as slaves. The Turkish government did little to discourage such acts.
The Reverend F. H. Leslie, an American missionary in Urfa, a city in southeast Turkey, wrote:
For six weeks we have witnessed the most terrible cruelties inflicted upon the thousands . . . daily passing through our city from the northern cities. All tell the same story . . .: their men were all killed on the first day's march from their cities, after which the women and girls were constantly robbed . . . and beaten, criminally abused and abducted along the way. Their guards . . . were their worst abusers but also allowed the baser element in every village . . . to abduct the girls and women and abuse them. We not only were told these things but the same things occurred right here in our own city before our very eyes and openly on the streets.
The forced deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians led to their mass destruction by murder, starvation, and disease. At most, 25 percent of those who were forced to leave Turkey reached Syria and Iraq. But most of these people were finally massacred or left to die of thirst in the desert.

At times, the Armenians resisted. In 1915 on a mountain called Musa Dagh (Mt. Moses), located on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast, Armenian villagers defied the government's deportation order and took up defensive positions on the mountain slopes. For 53 days, they fiercely fought against the Turkish army. Finally, more than 4,000 Armenian men, women, and children escaped by ships to Egypt where they lived in refugee camps until the end of the war.
Many foreigners witnessed the destruction of the Armenians, including diplomats and missionaries. In May 1915, Great Britain, France, and Russia jointly issued this warning to the Young Turk government:

In view of these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization, the Allied governments announce publicly . . . that they will hold personally responsible [for] these crimes all members of the . . . government and those of their agents who are implicated in such massacres.
On July 16, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Henry Morgenthau cabled the State Department that the deportations were increasing and "a campaign of race extermination is in progress."

Abandoned After the War
On the losing side at the end of World War I, Young Turk leaders Talaat, Enver, and Jemal fled the country. A new sultan, hostile to the Young Turk regime, formed a temporary government. He set up military courts to try members of the Young Turk government for war crimes. Talaat, Enver, and Jemal were prosecuted even though they had escaped the country and were absent at their trials.

The Turkish war crimes trials of 1919 documented "the massacre and destruction of the Armenians." The defense attempted to show that the Armenian minority was disloyal and a threat to Turkey during the war. The prosecution, however, showed that most Armenians remained loyal to Turkey and did not threaten its war effort. The prosecution also presented evidence that the executions, deportations, and massacres had been part of a premeditated "centrally directed plan" to get rid of the Christian Armenians in Turkey once and for all.
The Turkish war crimes courts found the defendants guilty of planning and carrying out the destruction of the Armenian people, a crime against humanity that would later be called "genocide." Talaat, Enver, and Jemal were sentenced to death while lesser officials received prison terms.

World War I ended the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a war hero, formed a Turkish republic in 1923. He ordered the release of all those held for war crimes. Armenians seeking vengeance later assassinated Talaat and Jemal who were living in exile in Europe.
The peace treaty between Turkey and the victors of World War I called for the creation of an independent Armenian republic formed out of Turkish territory. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson pushed this idea and even asked Congress to authorize an American trusteeship to oversee the newborn nation, but this never happened. The short-lived Armenian Republic collapsed when Ataturk attacked it and confiscated "abandoned properties" that had been owned by the Armenians before the deportations.

In 1923, the final peace agreements that formally ended World War I abandoned any support for an independent Armenia. The agreements also ignored the right of Armenian survivors to return to their homes in Turkey and be compensated for the loss of their property. The Soviet Union carved out a small area for its Armenian citizens.

Greetings

Tuesday was my big day out! Usually I wouldn't be wearing my leash on my day out but I did a bad doggie trick. Instead of staying by human mom's side, like I usually do 99% of the time, I decided to take a little stroll when she wasn't looking. I walked all the way down a steep hill and I saw another dog! I barked and barked and barked! Being a little deaf I didn't hear my human mom calling for me. When I looked up the hill, there she was on her way down and I mean on her way down. Fortunately she regained her balance and didn't roll all the way down. Knowing my time without the leash was limited I decided to run all the way up the hill, pass my human mom, and wait for her on top. She was not a happy camper. But I was!

Click Here For Carthage Missouri Cemetery Pictures.

Click Here For Webb City Missouri

Click Here For Carterville Missouri Cemetery

Click Here For Mt. Hope Cemetery, Webb City Missouri

Click Here For Fairview Cemetery, Joplin Missouri

Define Procrastination, Pepper

Am-I-Dumb.com - Intelligence Test

60.9/100

Rate My Life

RateMyLife.net - Find out if you suck at life

Joplin Missouri

Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be?
We made it to Joplin, Missouri. I noticed that my hitch was covered in a thick, oily, black substance that stained my hands. Since my little house is a diesel pusher, I started checking fluids, mainly the oil. By the time I was through my hands were black. I admire anyone who works on diesel motors. Everything I checked looked fine so I have an appointment with a Cummins mechanic. It is probably nothing to worry about but since it has never happened before I just want to make sure.

Camaraderie
I found out that once I opened the back of the motor home to gain access to the dip stick, men came running. An instant friendship formed over a discussion of what was wrong which led into a discussion of gas versus diesel. I was even more pleasantly surprised when the women folk didn’t come running out to claim their men. One even gave me a sympathetic look but I was enjoying the conversation. I learned a lot from the pow wow.

Cable TV
When we first arrived I was told that the cable was being installed and I should have it by the evening or the next day. To my surprise a gentleman showed up to finish digging the trench and do the installation at the box by my site. He accidentally cut through my power. It didn’t affect anyone else but me. The next hour was spent trying to figure out why I didn’t have power when power to my box was restored. We checked the fuse box and checked the outlets. I check the gauges inside the house and check the little black box outside. We could not figure it out. Then it dawned on me… the inverter/ converter doohickey. I went out and looked at it and pushed a button. I had lights. Needless to say we all did a little jig on that one.

Web Page Updated

Click Here For The Renaissance Faire

Click Here For Elmwood Cemetery.

Later folks, Mindy I will get those pictures sent tomorrow.

Last Night In KC

When Scott first moved to KC he moved into a retirement home. The apartment had Bingo Night, Pot Luck Dinners, Quilting, and various activities for its tenants. We teased Scott about his apartment. After a year of "retirement living" he decided to move and he promptly left his retirement home and moved into a chicken coop.

Yes, I said chicken coop. It isn't a typo.

Fortunately he isn't nesting with the chickens or gathering eggs. At one time this place was a working farm. As time went on the farm was converted into apartments with fewer than 15 tenants. The pasture land was left untouched and became a large yard with deer grazing at dusk. It is a pastoral setting, a rare piece of ground for being in a large city. What is even more amazing is the rent is reasonable, there is no paperwork to fill out, and you don’t have to give up your first born son to rent it. When an apartment becomes available the owners just hang up a sign. The tenants that live here have been there for years. Scott was so fortunate to find such a wonderful place.

The tenants are all laid back and no one complained when Scott and his friends held a cookout and brought out their musical instruments and started to play. It was the perfect ending for our time in Kansas City.

Renaissance Faire

Family and Friends

Good Food

The Fortune Teller

I asked “Will there be someone to call my own. Someone who will say my name like a prayer, and look at no one but me? Someone who will take away my fears at night and will follow me in my travels? Someone kind, someone strong… someone.”

He dealt the cards and gazed upon them. I heard a sigh. I saw confusion. Should he say what I wanted to hear or say what the cards tell him?

He said, “No.”

My Children, Scott and Hannah

Don’t Ever Give This Man A Lighter!



The Battle

It was intense. The men clad in armor, carrying their shields, their weapons, and calling insults to one another. The horses pranced nervously knowing that either evil or good will prevail. The ladies lined up to shower the two men with ribbons or kerchiefs. The battle commences. Evil prevails.


I will be posting pictures as soon as I can and I will let you know when they are available. It was a fun day.

My daughter called this morning trying to plan out the events for this evening. We are going to have a girlie night – she is going to dye my hair. Then we are going to have take-out for dinner and ice cream for dessert. Robert taped all of the “My Name is Earl” shows we missed so we can catch up with Earl. I don’t know why I like the show, it defies explanation. Then she plans to cap off the evening with games, like “Apple Apple” or Skip-Bo.

My response to her enthusiasm….. “Hannah I am having one of those days when I just want to sit on the floor and cry.”

I guess to much has hit me in the past month, year and it is all catching up with me at once. I don’t understand depression because of my way of thinking is “If everything is going right then why do I feel this way?” I am having a bad hair day… which by this time tomorrow will be grey free, I hope. I am not doing a permanent color. I can wash it out in 12 shampoos. So if I don’t like it I can spend a half day in the shower washing my hair and wasting enough water to take care of a third world country.

I am going to focus on being around positive people, stay away from less judgmental people. I have been fortunate in my life to meet all kinds of people from different backgrounds, different beliefs, and have found a part of me in each of these encounters. I pride myself on giving my children the opportunity to share the same. I know some of you are wondering what brought this about. It came to me this morning when mom was trying to find a chip for her camera. On each of the chips were pictures taken a long while back, pictures that I had taken on another camera. I looked at the pictures and it brought back so many warm memories. I remembered my attempts to find a place where I could live with myself and build up resistance to people who were so quick to judge and people that were…. Well mean. The place I worked was so sad, so depressing, and sometimes my co workers were difficult, to say the least. I never found that place until I quit my job and moved into my little house on wheels.

Perhaps it is a residual effect. I haven’t been able to shake off the sadness and meanness I encountered in the years I worked at this particular job. Perhaps I never will but in the meantime I will focus on positive to off set the residual effects. It is a good plan, one I will implement immediately.

I am now off to work on the levelers and the water hose leak.

Pictures were taken yesterday at the Plaza in Kansas City. Click here to view.

Epilepsy In Older Dogs

The main sign of epilepsy is seizures, which can be categorized in three ways. Intracranial causes of seizures have detectable defects, such as a tumor, inside the brain. Extracranial causes of seizures have metabolic or toxic changes that are outside the brain but affect the brain to cause a seizure. Seizures of unknown cause form the third category, calledidiopathic epilepsy.

Since Surely’s seizures started one month after her 17th birthday, she falls into the third category. Epilepsy is a functional abnormality in a neuron that causes an abnormal neurologicexcitation that generalizes to the whole brain. It is similar to a lightning strike on a house that sends abnormal current through the normal electrical system. Recognizing a seizure is important and often difficult. A seizure can be minor and show as only slight loss of muscle control (called a partial motor seizure), or it can be severe, with the dog paddling on the ground completely out of control (called a grand mal seizure). In general, a dog will lose bladder and bowel control during a seizure, will be unaware of its surroundings, and will appear abnormal after a seizure.

So far, Surely’s seizures have been mild. When I first noticed her having seizures, it occurred when she was resting or in mid walk. If she is standing then all she will do is sway back and forth, become disoriented, and it takes a while for her to come around. I only saw one seizure where she tried to walk and it was like she was moving in slow motion. Finally she just stopped and swayed. During each of her seizures I talk to her, touch her, and let her know that I am there. Last night she was nesting at my feet. I was lying on my bed and I heard and felt her rooting around, digging, snorting and then she became quiet. That was the only time I picked her up during a seizure and just held her. She ended up sleeping against my chest, under the blanket, and it was nice hearing her snore.

The vet said that most dogs will pass on at the age of 11 and I am so grateful for the extra 6 years. I am hoping that I will have many more. The first line of treatment for epilepsy is a barbiturate, usually Phenobarbital. That is what Surely will be taking.

Arrived

We have arrived! I was singing “Kansas City Here I Come” all the way here. Mom and I checked out fine with our physicals, we are good to go for another year.

I am so excited. There is a possibility of catching two of my children in the same place tomorrow. I wish I could have all three but I am thrilled to death with two.

Why We Arrived A Day Late, And A Dollar Short
Monday, after my visit with the Doctor, mom and I picked up Doris and took off to Booneville, Missouri. Common sense was definitely sitting in the trunk because three women in a casino mean trouble. Party hardy! Time slipped by quickly and before we knew darkness had descended. Of course we didn’t know that because we were inside having a grand time. Finally when our $40 stopped paying off, we decided to leave. As we all know there is always a buffet at a casino and like a moth to the flame we followed the delicious smell. After a splendid meal and wonderful conversation, it suddenly dawned on us….. What time is it? Needless to say we got in late and woke up hung over from all the fun. Mom and I decided to sleep in and stay another day. I am glad we did because it was storming all over Missouri. Today was a great day to drive.

No phone, no pool, no pets I ain't got no cigarettes
The park we are staying at has no amenities but pleasant smiles. That is fine with us. We cranked up the antenna and put up our satellite. It is a cool night with a beautiful full moon shining down on us. The windows are open and I can hear the noise of the interstate. It is a good night to curl up under a blanket and with a warm puppy and sleep.

Just For Fun

1,303,260How Many Germs Live On Your Keyboard?

Good night.

Had A Great Visit With Mindy

I was able to witness the first time her Lab Puppy went swimming!

And witness the pup sinking!

She popped right back up!

Good Friends, that is what it is all about.