Already Missing My Sweetie!
First off, today is our son Chris and daughter-in-law Linda’s 30th Anniversary.
Congratulations, guys!
And to celebrate they got themselves one of those portable hot tubs for their backyard.
It sits in the place where the firepit normally resides, so now they’ve got both summer and winter recreation.
Of course with all the wildlife in their area, it might also end up also being used as a watering trough for the deer, or even a swimming pool for the raccoons.
We’ll see.
Jan and I headed up to King Food in Webster to meet up with Brandi, Lowell, and Landon, first for lunch, and then so they could take Jan back with them for a spell of Landon-sitting next week.
As soon as we got there, we put in a order for two plates of their Honey Crusted Garlic Wings. We always do this first since they take a bit of time.
Brandi, et al. showed up about 5 minutes later, and we all got our orders in.
Jan and I both got our usual Chicken In Hot Garlic Sauce with Jalapenos,
starting out of course with our long-time favorite Hot & Sour Soup.
Landon’s giving me this look because he was hiding his face until I reminded him that his birthday is in less than two weeks.
While we were there we always reminded Brandi that she was just 5 years old when we first started eating here right after we moved here. And when we were talking with the present owner, who is our 4th, turns out that she knew Mrs. Wu, the first owner.
Which makes sense as I always got the idea that all the owners were related somehow.
Finally I got my last Sweetie hug until Friday, and we all went our separate ways. Then Friday afternoon, I’ll pick Jan up and we’ll come back down to Alvin for this month’s Alvin Opry show.
Looking forward to it.
And to getting my Sweetie back.
Thought For The Day:
August 7, 2009
Woonsocket…where the heck is Woonsocket?
We left our RV park on Cape Cod heading northwest toward Rhode Island. We had a great five days ferreting out our old memories and adding new ones.
About 2pm we arrived at our destination, the Walmart in Woonsocket, RI.
We stopped off here so we could add Rhode Island to our ‘Stayed In” list and pick up our prescriptions. And Jan also wanted to get her hair and nails done.
We dropped off our prescription transfers and headed to grab a bite for lunch. We ended up at a really nice Italian place called Vecelli’s. We both had the Linguine and Meatballs. Really good.
After lunch, while Jan was getting her nails done, I was on the phone with American Coach, our home’s manufacturer, getting some information I needed for a couple of small repairs.
After Jan got her hair done, we napped for a hour or so, and then headed out to a movie, Transformers 2 – Revenge of the Fallen. A lot of fast action. Long, but not bad.
We turned in about 11pm, early since we didn’t set the TV’s up for just one night.
Tomorrow, back to Massachusetts…
August 7, 2011
DeYoung Family Zoo . . .
When I went to bed last night I still didn’t know if we were going to make the trip this morning up to Wallace, MI about 100 miles away, to visit the DeYoung Family Zoo.
The weather was showing a 60% chance of thunderstorms last night, but it was supposed to be clear on Monday. So we could wait ‘til then if necessary.
But when I checked it about 5 am, it was down to 50% chance, and by 8 it was 40%. So we decided to give it go since it looked like things were improving. And it turned out to be a beautiful day, lucky for us.
We headed out a little after 9, stopping in Shawano, MI for Egg Muffins and coffee, and then gas. We got to the park about 11:30, and it was all we hoped it would be.
The DeYoung Family Zoo is owned by Bud and Carrie DeYoung, and has been featured for several years on the Nat Geo Wild channel as “My Life is a Zoo”.
Since we love small zoos and animal parks, it has been on our bucket list for a couple of years.
Just this year along we’ve visited places like Bearizona in Williams, AZ, Out of Africa in Camp Verde, AZ, Cat Tales Zoological Park north of Spokane, WA, and the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch between Tucson and Phoenix, AZ.
One of the first things we encountered was the petting zoo area where Jan tried her hand at feeding the goats.
They had a real mix of animals in this area, including alpacas,
and a zhorse, or zorse, a zebra/horse cross.
First off, you have no idea how hard I resisted saying something about “Lions, and Tigers, and Bears.”
Oh, wait. I just did. Sorry.
They have a little bit of everything here. I’m really just hitting some of the highlights.
One thing we both liked at this zoo was the fact that it wasn’t just all sterile concrete and moats. The animal’s habitats were large and natural-looking, like this grizzly cage.
They have over 400 animals here, and most of them are rescues of one sort or another, including these two beautiful cats.
A little while after we got there it was feeding time for the meat eaters. Here’s Bud flinging a chunk of cow over the fence to the waiting White Tiger below.
Although I could never get a picture of it, when the meat is thrown over the fence, the tigers leap up about 10 feet and catch it in mid-air.
Carrie said they go through three cows a DAY to feed the animals.
They have a new baby hippo who’s in a temporary facility,
until her new pool is ready. Very nice.
Here’s Carrie in the cage and talking about the different breeds of wolves they have.
These are Dingos, the Australian wild dogs, of “The Dingo Ate My Baby” fame, although these are like pets, and kids were hand-feeding them dog biscuits from the box.
This mother hyena is taking her cub back to the den after it got too close to the fence and the crowd of people around.
Besides the baby hippo, there were a lot of other, smaller babies that we could pet, hold, or feed.
This is a baby Wallaby, a type of kangaroo.
And here’s a very young monkey being feed by a little girl.
And here’s a Stripped Hyena, one of Carrie’s favorites, who really likes to be held and cuddled.
Bud came out with these two somewhat older baby monkeys that really entertained the crowd with their antics.
The last area we visited was the reptile exhibit with this Monitor Lizard just hanging out.
Bud and Carrie have really put a lot of work into this place and it shows.
As I said, I just skimmed the surface of what there is to see here. Check it out if you’re in the area.
We left the park about 2:30 and headed home, stopping for dinner at the Cottage Diner in Cecil, WI, about 25 miles from the rig.
We got back about 5:45 and settled in for the night. Tomorrow we’ll head south about 200 miles to Janesville, WI for one night, then Normal, IL for one night, before ending up in Vandalia, IL at Jan’s sister’s house on Wednesday for our family reunion. Brandi, Lowell, and Landon will be in on Thursday.
We can’t wait.
Unfortunately it looks like Chis, Linda, and Piper won’t be able to come. They will be missed.
Vandalia, IL
August 7, 2013
Where Everyone Knows Your Name . . .
Today was another 9am breakfast at Denny’s morning. And although it is a Denny’s, it functions more like a busy small town dinner, where everyone knows everyone else, and people wander from table to table greeting friends and neighbors.
This Denny’s is part of Fast Stop truck stop, and since we need diesel tomorrow before we leave, and since we’re also meeting for breakfast there again, I thought about getting diesel there, but just in case I also checked the Wal-Mart on the other side of the Interstate, and I’m glad I did.
The Fast Stop has diesel for $3.92, and the Wal-Mart has it for $3.75, quite a difference from one side of the Interstate to the other. So we’ll go down early, fill up and hitch up at the Wal-Mart, then meet everyone across the street for breakfast.
After breakfast, Jan headed back to Debbie’s with them, while I headed back to the rig to get some work done. But first I made a quick stop to pick up some Powerball tickets since it’s up to $445+ million with tonight’s drawing.
I spent the afternoon working on a bunch of web stuff, including editing a webpage for a new product my client is going to be carrying. I had set up the page previously using a lot of the verbiage from the product’s website. What was confusing was that we got an email from the company requesting changes in the webpage text because they didn’t like what I had put up there. The confusing thing was that almost all of the text they wanted changed was from their OWN website, not the text I had written. And the reason they wanted it changed was that they thought “it didn’t convey the correct information about the product.”
Huh?
About 5:00 I headed about 15 miles south to meet everyone at the Crossroads Restaurant. Pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, it sits at an actual crossroads, and it’s very busy, especially on Wednesday nights when it’s All You Can Eat Fried Chicken night. So busy that it’s a good idea to have reservations, like we did.
After a great meal of fried chicken, we ended up talking for another hour or so, before saying good night and heading home.
Tomorrow we’ll leave here about 8am to let us get diesel before we we meet for breakfast. Then it’s long 395 mile day to Athens, AL to spent some time with my side of the family.
Leaving Athens, AL heading for Gulf Shores.
August 7, 2014
Last Day with Family . . .
Jan’s still under the weather with her sinus problems so we really didn’t do anything today. She slept and I worked on some things around the rig.
Some of you may have noticed that I’ve added a couple of new photos to the slide show at the top of the blog, The first one is a boat house on a pond near Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia.
And the second one is the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park.
What was really a coincidence is that a few minutes after I added these photos, I found a story online about a tourist flying a camera drone over the Spring and crashing the drone into it. Now they’re trying to figure out how to fish it out, and if they can get it out.
When my family and I moved back from Colombia, South American, rather than go back to Gulf Shores, AL, we ended up here in Athens where my mother’s family lived. I attended the 10th grade here before I went off to Columbia Military Academy for my Junior and Senior years. So, while we were out driving around the other day, I took Jan by the house where one of my past girlfriends lived at the time.
We always called it the “The Parthenon House” because of all the columns, but I didn’t realize at the time how famous the house was. Designed by renowned architect Paul Rudolph, it made the cover of Life magazine, and was written up in House & Garden magazine.
And the inside is just as striking as the outside.
Here’s an interesting video compilation showing what happens when an 11 foot 8 inch train trestle meets 11 foot 8 inch plus vehicles. Several of the RV’s don’t even seem to know anything had happened.
Today is our last day here in Athens, and we’ve had a great time getting to see a lot of family members, but we missed seeing others that we’ll have to catch next year.
Tomorrow we’ve got a 375 mile run down to the Gulf State Park at Gulf Shores for a 7 day stay, before we head on to Houston on the 16th. Really looking forward to it.
Gulf Shores, AL
August 7, 2015
Friday’s Follow-ups and Food . . .
Thought I’d do a follow-up on my new IronMan 601 tires. We now have a little over 2000 miles on them with no problems whatsoever. They feel good on the road, and I haven’t had to add any air in the six weeks they’ve been on the coach.
The only thing new is the sound. As I mentioned right after we hit the road with them, the different tread pattern makes a different sound. Nothing objectionable, and not really obvious. It’s almost subliminal. In fact Jan says she can’t hear it at all.
Hope we get another 60,000 miles out of them like our first set of Sumitomos.
Thanks to a friend and blog reader, Janna Clark, we now have Wi-Fi back in the coach. As I mentioned before, the Cradlepoint router we’ve had for 8 years finally died. Finding Cradlepoint no longer makes small routers like this, I was looking around for a substitute when Janna mentioned she had one she was willing to part with.
It was waiting for me when we got to Athens last Sunday, but it was a couple of days before I had time to set it up. I just configured it with the same SSID and password as my old one and all my devices logged in with no problems or other changes.
So our Kindles and Tab are happy once again. Thanks, Janna.
* * * * *
About 3:30 Jan and I drove up to the Intercoastal Waterway to have linner at Lulu’s at Homeport. Lulu, better known as Lucy Buffett, Jimmy’s older sister, has had a very popular restaurant here for over ten years. And it seems to get bigger and more popular every year. Lulu’s is one of our Don’t Miss places here at Gulf Shores, and today’s visit just reinforced that.
We went early hoping to be able to get a table on the water and lucked out.
They even have large play areas for the kids, including this climbing area with tightropes and swings. (and safety harnesses.)
The place was crowed as usual, but we got seated right away. During really busy times we have waited as long as two hours. It’s that good.
As usual we went with our favorites. Jan got her Blackened Shrimp Tacos with a side of Guacamole,
while I started out with a cup of Gumbo
and a Half and Half Seafood Platter with Blackened Shrimp and Fried Oysters.
Like Desoto’s where we ate last night, everything from the salad dressings to the tartar sauce to the seafood, is prepared in-house. And it certainly shows
Another thing prepared in-house, that we never miss, is their Krispy Kreme Doughnut Bread Pudding.
No matter how full we are, we always find room to share a piece. In fact I didn’t finish all the fries with my dinner so I’d be sure and have room, and Jan, likewise with her chips.
Since they still had some open tables, we sat around for a while just enjoying the view and our time in Gulf Shores. Even got to see a couple of porpoises in the Canal, though they were too fast for my camera.
Next Thursday, when we leave, is coming too fast.
Gulf Shores, AL again this year too
August 7, 2016
I Triple Dog Dare You . . .
And there’s not a frozen flagpole in sight.
Well, we lucked up today with the scheduled rain not showing up. And even with the sun out, it only made it up to 90 degrees. Nice.
After our coffee this morning, I spent most of the early afternoon looking at a DirecTV problem that started a week or so ago with a couple of symptoms.
The first problem was that sometimes it wouldn’t record two problems at one time. One of them would just be blank. And the other thing was that every few hours we would get an on-screen message saying that the DVR had not received any guide updates for 1, 2, or even 10 hours. I had already tried a power-down reboot with no luck.
My first thought was that one of the twin RG-6 cables running from the satellite dish to the receiver was bad. But replacing the cables with a spare set didn’t fix the problem.
Next I wondered if there was a reason that someone threw away this Winegard CarryOut Dome. Regular blog readers will remember that back in May while we were staying at the Lake Conroe TT, I found a Winegard CarryOut dome on the ground outside one of the dumpsters at the park.
Superficially it looked OK so I grabbed it and threw it in the backseat. Jan just shook her head, since she’s used to my dumpster diving. But as it turned out, though I was thinking I would just keep it for parts, when I got around to checking it out it worked perfectly. So since I had swapped it out with my original one, I just started using the new one as a long-term test.
So maybe it was possible that one of the two outputs on the CarryOut was flakey, and that’s why someone threw it away. So I tested each output separately and both were working fine.
Now the only thing left was the DVR receiver itself. So I pulled both cables off the DVR and then plugged one into the Tuner 1 input . . . and got nothing. So I plugged it into Tuner 2, and got a good signal. Back to Tuner 1, and nothing.
Next I went into the DVR’s Setup menu to check the actual signal levels, and I was showing 95% on Tuner 2, but nothing on Tuner 1 when I plugged in the that one. So it was definitely a Tuner 1 problem.
But as I was stepping through the menu, I noticed something else. The DVR’s system software had been updated on July 27th. That’s about the time that the problem started.
Hmmm!
I guess I could call DirecTV, but I doubt they could get me a new DVR before we leave here on Tuesday morning. So I decided to check the Satellite Dish Setup on the receiver. It was set to 18” LNB, MultiSwitch, and Dual Tuners just as it should be.
Hmmm!
I wonder what would happen if I set it to Single Tuner, which should make it only operate on Tuner 1. And since Tuner 1 wasn’t working, what would happen? So I changed it to Single, and then rebooted the DVR.
And when I tried plugging into Tuner 1 this time, it now worked. So that means the circuitry itself is working. Of course this leaves me right where I started – with a single Tuner input. So now I reset it back to Dual Tuners and again rebooted.
And this time both Tuner inputs now work fine.
So the only I thing I can figure is that something glitched during the system software update, and setting it to Single Tuner and then back to Dual fixed the problem.
This taken care of, about 4pm Jan and I headed out for dinner. As we talked over where to go, Jan mentioned how much she enjoyed her Chicken Sandwich at Hooter’s the other night, so back we went.
I of course went right back with my 10 wings, naked, all drums, but this time I bumped the sauce up to Triple Dog Dare, their hottest sauce, from last time’s 911. I got the feeling not many people order this, because our waitress looked at me with wide eyes and said, “It’s really hot!” and I said, “I hope so.”
The sauce on the plate is a side of their Chipotle Honey, since I like a little sweetness with the heat.
Triple Dog Dare is hotter than 911, but I’ve had hotter, like Buffalo Wild Wings, Blazin’ sauce, or the several places that I had Ghost Pepper wings. But they were good.
And even Jan liked it since she kept rubbing her sandwich in the Triple Dog Dare drippings on my plate.
Later in the evening, about 7pm, Jan and I drove down to the main intersection and walked out on the beach with our chairs to watch the sunset. And it was certainly worth it.
I’m constantly amazed at the light-gathering capacity of this Panasonic Lumix FZ270. When I took the photo below it was so dark that we could hardly see this kayakers as they paddled in.
Got to talking with them, and they started about a mile west of here and then the wind kicked up and they got blown down the coast. Since they weren’t where they were supposed to be, they borrowed my cell phone to call their wives to let them know where to pick them up.
Home in Santa Fe, TX
August 7, 2018
Lied To . . . Again!
Today being Tuesday and not a work day, it sure seems that I did a lot of work-like stuff.
After coffee . . . oh, I’ve got the mixture of the Café du Monde coffee and our regular flavored blend (either Crème Brûlée or Hazelnut) down perfect. It’s one heaping scoop of the Café Du Monde and two level scoops of our regular blend. Smooth, not bitter, and still with the definite chicory taste.
Anyway, after coffee I headed out about 11 with a bunch of errands on my list, First up was a stop at the storage place for settle up on the new unit and get the number/location. And that’s when I found I had been misinformed, deceived, hoodwinked, hoaxed, duped, taken in, misled, or just plain lied to.
I was assured yesterday that I could get a unit right next to our present one. But then this morning I found out that not only was our new unit not right next door, it was in a whole ‘nother building.
Bummer.
But I did confirm that I only have to give them 10 days notice when we want to vacate.
Next up was WalMart where I returned some stuff and bought some new stuff, including a combination lock for the new storage room.
My next stop was the house to go ahead and load up some stuff to take down to the new unit, but when I came out of WalMart, it had started to sprinkle. And by the time I got to the house, it was raining cats, dogs, and other small mammals. So much so that after 45 minutes, I gave up loading up anything to take to the storeroom, and headed back out.
Except for a couple of lights left on, I saw no sign that anyone had been in the house checking things out like I was told there would be.
Heading back toward I-45, I made a Sam’s Club stop for a prescription and another bottle of Focus Factor, the supplement that I’ve been taking for the last year to ‘enhance memory’. I had noticed that as Jan and I watched Jeopardy, I knew I knew the answer, but it just wouldn’t pop out.
All I can say is that it does seem to work. At least on Jeopardy, anyway.
The other big memory-enhancing supplement is Prevagen. Their big deal is that it contains a protein found in jellyfish. But since jellyfish don’t have a brain, or a central nervous system for that matter, exactly how is it supposed to help me? Doesn’t seem to help the jellyfish.
Then after a quick stop by the office to update some prices, my next stop was at a local small electronics store to try and find some cable to hook up my Digital Voltage/Amp Meters. I need 4 wires for each meter. Two for the voltage connection and two for the current-sensing coil. And I found exactly what I need. And all in one cable. It’s 8 conductor antenna rotor cable used to control a TV antenna rotor on top of a tower.
It’s rated for 200 volts, fine for my 120 volts, and neither the voltmeter or the coil draw much current, so no problem there.
Should work just fine.
August 7, 2019
Let It Ride . . .
Right after 9am this morning, I put in a call to Cummins to order my oil filter gasket, but while I was on hold I was also checking out another Cummins part house, Diesel Parts Direct, to see if they had the gasket. And they did.
It was $8.59 with $14 UPS Ground shipping.
And when I heard from Cummins, there’s was $17.12 with $9 shipping.
So I ordered it from Diesel Parts Direct. Hey, $3.53 is $3.53, right?
Much of work today consisted of ordering parts for a lot of machines that came in lately. My client buys a lot of used electrolysis machines, mostly on eBay, and then I get the ‘fun’ of reconditioning them, cleaning them up, checking them out, and then putting them up for sale on our website and in our paper catalog.
I put ‘fun’ in quotes, but I actually enjoy it. Every machine is different – broken knobs and switches, damaged cabinets, and of course, dead ones.
Normally, I wait until I get about 10 machines in and then I sort through them logging the problems. Then I’ll start ordering parts, usually from Amazon, or Allied Electronics if it’s something really specialized. Then once all the parts are in, I’ll set aside a couple of days and start working my way through them.
Fun Times!
I left work early today, about 1:45, for a appointment with my ophthalmologist for my 6 month checkup to monitor the progression of my Fuch’s Dystrophy in my left eye.
He said that my condition had worsen somewhat and that I should consider having the corneal transplant to fix the problem since it was only going to get worse. He said that I should also take care of a couple of small cataracts there too.
Kind of like when you’ve got your engine torn apart, you go ahead and replace the oil pump, I guess.
And then before I could blink, I was in another room and they were trying to schedule the operation.
WHOA!
First off I can see fine. Yes, my left eye is blurrier than my right eye, which is 20/20 corrected. So when I finally got them slowed down from trying to schedule the procedure, I asked 3 questions.
1. How much is this going to cost me out-of-pocket?
$500-$600. OK, no problem.
2. What will be my recovery/downtime?
1 week with no heavy lifting. OK, no problem.
3. Since I can see fine right now, with no problem seeing distant signs, etc., is there any downside to waiting until I feel I need the operation?
And the answer, after some hesitation, was NO.
And since I had to go through and initial this long form listing all the possible problems and complications from having the surgery, I.e. everything from blindness in both eyes, to death, I decided to just let it ride until I actually notice a problem.
Tomorrow, if the weather holds, I’m going to take a look at the rear brakes on the truck, but I may have waited too long. Between a lot of bad weather, my simultaneous attacks of sciatica and BPPV, and just life in general, I may be at the point where I’ll have to also replace the rotors as well as the disc pads.
So I’ll pull a wheel, take a look, and then decide what I need to do.
August 7, 2021
It’s Dead, Jim, errr Jan . . .
Several people let me know that the two Immersive Van Gogh videos that I posted in last night’s blog wouldn’t play. Turns out since the last time I uploaded a video to YouTube, they now default to Private and not Public. So I could see them, but no one else could. But they’re Public now, so I’m posting them again.
And I was able to reschedule one of our immersive Van Gog performances, the one that was set for our Anniversary on September 28. When I went online I was asked for 3 possible dates, October 25th, which is Jan’s birthday, the 24th, the Saturday before her birthday, and Sunday, the 31st.
So of course, our tickets are now scheduled for Tuesday, November 16th.
When I upgraded my S8+ phone to the new S21 Ultra, Jan got upgraded from her S5 to my old S8+. And we all lived happily ever after.
Well, no.
Yesterday Jan’s new-to-her S8+ died. Well, not really died all the way. Just the display. Well, the display and the associated touchscreen part. The phone would still receive calls, you just couldn’t answer them. Or do anything else really.
So last night I went online to try and switch Jan’s phone number from the slightly-dead one back over to her old S5. But though the Verizon website allowed me to try, it couldn’t find the S5 anywhere in their system, even though I gave them the IMEI serial number.
So this morning I called Verizon Support and tried it that way. Again with no luck. The system still couldn’t find the old phone. So then I sat on hold for 42 minutes until I finally got to talk with a real person. And for some reason she was able to easily find the old S5 and switch Jan’s number over to it.
One complication was that I had to power off the S8+ before she could make the switch. But that was a problem, since after I held down the power button, I was supposed to click on the Power Off icon on the screen.
Oh, wait.
So while the nice Tech Support lady waited, I used my knife to pry off the back and then pretty much just ripped the battery out. All very difficult since the S8+ is not supposed to be opened up, and the battery is not supposed to be removeable. In fact it’s glued in place. Very strongly, in fact.
But with enough force, ANYTHING is removeable.
And a couple of minutes after that, I powered the S5 off and back on and we were in business. Jan still wants an S8+ with its larger screen, so I may try to buy a used one on eBay.
About 2pm Jan and I drove over to Spring Creek BBQ for lunch, our first visit in a good while. The place was really crowded with two large family groups, but they had already gotten their food, so it was clear sailing for us.
Jan went with her usual Baby Back Ribs with Beans and Beans,
but I decided to mix things up with their Brisket and Hot Pepper Sausage.
Like Rudy’s, Spring Creek offers their Brisket either Lean or Marbled, and with or without Bark. (Bark is the charred, crispy, crunchy outside of the brisket.) So I always get mine Marbled with Extra Bark.
Jan’s normally a big rib fan, but when I gave her a taste of my brisket, she said next time she’s getting Ribs AND Brisket.
Thought for the Day:
“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” — Thomas Jefferson
