Year 4, Day 1
First off, to recap yesterday, we started off with lunch at the Texas Tea Room with Landon’s other grandparents, Lendell and Sonja.
And, as usual, Landon charmed everyone in the place with his big blue eyes.
Brandi and Lowell left early Friday morning for a long weekend in Colorado, so Lendell and Sonja had driven down from Oklahoma to Landon-sit for the weekend. We couldn’t do it since we were leaving the next day.
Of course, the fact that it was –29 in Oklahoma a few days ago didn’t hurt either.
Reluctantly leaving Landon, Sonja and Lendell, Jan and I headed over to Wal-Mart to stock up for our upcoming travels. Next, we went by a locksmith to get some keys made, before heading over to a client’s office to pick up a final check (always fun).
Finally it was time to head home and start packing to leave tomorrow. Since it was really nice outside I spent the rest of the afternoon working around the rig, packing the toad, and tidying up the site.
At 5pm we drove up to T-Bone Tom’s for our last dinner in Houston. I got a order of Armadillo Eggs, but since I also got a steak, I was only able to eat 1 egg of the 4. These things are Big. They’re made by slicing open a large jalapeno, stuffing it with chopped BBQ Brisket, battering it in 3 different coatings, and then deep-frying them.
Delicious! And leftovers, too.
After dinner we drove over to say goodbye to Chris and Linda. Of course, being Friday night, Miss Piper was missing in action. But we had said goodbye to her on Tuesday night, anyway.
Getting home about 8 we continued to put away stuff and get set up to travel. When you’ve been parked for 5 months you spend a lot of time trying to remember where everything goes.
The last time we were in one place this long was the 5 months we spent in Alaska in 2008. Normally we’re only in Houston for two months or so, but Master Landon’s arrival changed things this year.
I finally got to bed a little after midnight, early for me, but I wanted to get up around 7, 7:30 or so.
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Today . . .
I did manage to get up about 7:30, leaving Jan to sleep for awhile longer. It was 27 degrees outside, and everything was covered in a light frost. We even had an icicle.
I started by packing away the sat dish, and stowing our solar lights that line the driveway.
Then about 8 I went inside to gently awaken Jan by putting my ice-cold hands on her feet that were sticking out from under the covers.
I did say ‘gently’, didn’t I.
I told Jan I thought either all the wet weather we had the last month or so had shrunk the coach, or we bought too much new stuff.
Finally, about 10am Eldy and Jeannie came over to say goodbye. They’ll be here a couple of more weeks before we’ll see them again at the Gypsy Rally in Yuma the first part of March.
We pulled out of Galveston Bay RV Park, our home for the last 5 months, about 10:30, with Jan following me in the toad.
8.4 miles later we made our first stop . . . at Monterey’s Little Mexico in Dickinson. It’s been our ritual for 4 years now that we always stop here for lunch before we hit the road. We really need that one last bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup.
It also makes a convenient place to hookup the toad and check things out.
While we were eating lunch, our daughter Brandi called from Colorado. She said that they were having a great time, and that Lowell had won $1300 playing blackjack at the casino. Of course Brandi had lost $300 on the slots, but hey, they’re still up $1000!
She had earlier sent this photo from Colorado. Beautiful country!
We got back on the road about noon and made our next stop at the Buc-ee’s in Luling about 3:30 to get coffee and also some pastries to take to Gina.
We got to the park a little before 5, got set up and checked in with our friend Gina, who we are visiting here.. She said she’d already had a sandwich, and wasn’t feeling well anyway, so she didn’t want to go out to eat.
So we said we’d see her tomorrow, and about 6, Jan and I headed over to the Italian Garden Restaurant right down the street. Always great.
Getting home about 7:30 I set up the sat dish and we settled in for the night.
Another cold one at about 29 degrees.
And, of course, more tomorrow.
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Thought for the Day:
The problem with the Internet, you’re never sure of the accuracy of the quotes. ~ Abraham Lincoln, 1866
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