Monthly Archives: December 2013

Problem Solved !

or at least it is according to our friend, Dennis Hill.

His solution to our leaking shower is to just stop showering in the rig.

Well, I guess Jan and I could just hose each other off outside the rig. Hopefully the neighbors wouldn’t complain. I mean we don’t wear clothes when we shower INSIDE the rig, so we’ll see how it goes.

We decided to make today a fun day for ourselves so about 11:30am we headed down TX146 to Galveston. Our first stop was for lunch at Sunflower Café. We’ve had Sunday Brunch here several times with Brandi, Lowell, and Landon, but we’ve never had lunch there. And as it turns out, their lunch is just as good as their brunch.

Sunflower Cafe Soup and Sandwich

We both ended up ordering the soup and half sandwich. Jan had the Chicken Salad with the Tomato Basil Soup, while I had a Chicken BLT, also with the Tomato Basil. My BLT, pictured above, was great, with the bacon thick and fried extra crispy. And we both agreed that the Tomato Basil soup was delicious.

After lunch, Jan picked out some cookies to take home from their in-house bakery. And just like what happens when we eat at Cracker Barrel, we spent as much in their gift shop as we did on lunch when Jan found a pair of vintage ear-rings that looked too good on her to pass up.

After lunch we drove around a bit, checking out what’s changed since we were here last year. It’s always interesting to see the old houses being refurbished,

Galveston House 1

and the ones that have already been redone.

Galveston House 2

Galveston House 3

It’ll be interesting to check out the first house in a couple of years and see what it looks like.

Then driving along the Seawall we saw the latest incarnation of Galveston’s Historic Pleasure Pier. It’s been very popular since it opened a couple of years ago. It combines several restaurants with a pretty complete amusement park.

Galveston Amusement Park

Of course this is not the first version of an amusement park located in this location. In fact the first one was built in 1907.

Galveston Amusement Park 1907

Constructed after the previous seedy midway area was wiped out in the Great Hurricane of  1900, this one, ironically, only lasted until the next big hurricane in 1915. So it will be interesting to see how long the new one lasts.

Heading back up I-45 we took a detour through a new high-end subdivision on Galveston Bay called HarborWalk. The area is also the location of the newest Floyd’s Seafood, Floyd’s On The Water. We’ll have to check it out soon.

Floyds on the Water

Those are some really big homes being built out on that island.

HarborWalk

And you know it must be a high-end place if it’s behind a gate.

HarborWalk Gate

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We also saw a lot of birds in the area, including these two.

Floyds Great Blue Heron

Floyds Pelican

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And then there was this sign. Maybe you could feed the seabirds TO the alligators?

Do Not Feed Alligators or Seabirds

Coming back up to Webster we made a stop at one of my favorite electronics/computer places, EPO (Electronics Parts Outlet) to look for those soldering iron tips I need, and I was surprised to see this in the middle of the store.

EPO Model T 1

EPO Model T 2

Richard, the owner, buys and sells a lot of surplus stuff, but it’s the first time he’s ever bought a 1923 Model T Ford.

Later, after a quick stop at our storeroom, we made stops at Starbuck’s for lattes, Kroger’s for groceries, and PetCo for pet stuff.

Finally heading back toward the rig, it was after 6pm so we decided that some Chicken Tortilla Soup from Monterey’s Little Mexico sounded good. And it was.

We started out to have a really fun day and it worked out really well.


Thought for the Day:

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." — Arthur Schopenhauer

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Back to Dreary . . .

This morning we were back to dreary once again with no sun to be seen. A little warmer to be sure, but only in the low 50’s. The only good thing was no wind. Dickinson Bayou in front of our rig was smooth as glass.

But it was a little different up in Fairbanks AK today. We spent 5 months there in 2008, but it was the summer time. But even then it only made 80 degrees one day, and that was the 4th of July.

Downtown Faribanks 2013 12 11

This was taken sundown today at 2:20pm. It was 3 degrees, with a low expected tonight of –11 degrees.

Makes our weather not sound so bad.

About noon I headed out for some errands with my first stop at the Post Office to get some Christmas stamps and mail off the first batch of  Christmas cards.

After that I checked a nearby Radio Shack looking for some soldering iron tips, but they don’t stock them, and it looks like no one else in town does either so I’ll probably have to get them online. Amazon here I come.

My last stop before heading home was to pay some bills. Then after a quiet afternoon that included a nap, Jan and I headed out about 5pm to meet Chris and Linda at Barcenas Mexican Restaurant, right near our house. And even better, Miss Piper showed up since she got off work early.

We’ve been eating at Barcena’s since 1998 when it opened and it’s always good. And tonight was no exception. We spend some time talking about our plans for getting together Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, trying to figure out everyone’s schedule. But somehow we’ll make it work.

Not sure yet what’s on the schedule for tomorrow. But I’ll probably take another look at my leaking shower problem. I have a couple of more ideas I want to try. And if the weather stays halfway nice I want to look at the problem with our step not wanting to retract or extend.

It’s always something.


Thought for the Day:

"Oh how sweet it is to hear one’s own convictions from another’s lips." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

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