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Jan and I were on the way by about 10 am this morning, after dropping off a big garbage bag full of ex-freezer stuff at the park dumpster.
After a smooth trip, with no slowdowns, we got to the El Palenque Mexican in the Spring area, about 11:20, to find Debi and Ed already there.
One of our favorite places, Jan got her usual Garden Fajitas, with a little bit of everything, plus a lot of veggies.
I tried something a little different with the Hugo’s Special, which, according to the menu, was supposed to be a beef skirt steak with 3 grilled shrimp. But turned out to be Beef Fajitas and Shrimp.
Pretty much the same thing, just sliced up.
And all very good. And we both had leftovers to bring home.
Always a great time, and it never seems to last long enough. But if we don’t get on the way home by 2 pm, we’ll hit all the going-home traffic.
Coming home, we made a QT stop for coffee, since we didn’t have any this morning, and so Jan could check out all their salads and fruit combos.
And it was nice to see that I’m still getting the 25¢/gallon discount on QT gas when I pay using their app.
Nice.
* * * * * * *
Jan wants to be sure that all the Patricia Cornwell fans out there know about the new series, Scarpetta, that just premiered last night on Prime Video.
It stars Nicole Kidman as Scarpetta and Jamie Leigh Curtis as her sister, Dorothy.
The reviews are pretty good, so check it out.
* * * * * * *
Tomorrow evening we’re attending the Alvin Opry for the first time in a number of months, preceded by dinner at the Kelley’s in Alvin beforehand.
Thought For The Day:
Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
But then, so was yesterday, and look how that turned out.
And Now On To Today’s Retro-Blogs.™
March 12, 2009
Pensacola Road Trip…redux
Today was another Pensacola road-trip day.
I wanted to pick up an additional color backup camera from Sam’s, and Jan wanted to check out a gift shop we’d been to before called Artesana. We’ve been going there for about 30 years or so, and Jan wanted to check it out again.
We talked about having lunch at Sonny’s BBQ again, but didn’t want to get burned out.
Jan asked for a lunch recommendation at Artesana and was told about Dharma Blue. It turned out to be a quaint little cafe on Seville Square in the old-town part of Pensacola. And when I say old-town, I mean old-town, since Pensacola dates from the mid 1500’s.
We ate outside overlooking the square and had a great meal.
Jan had a homemade chicken salad sandwich made with Granny Smith apples and roasted pecans, along with homemade potato chips and a salad.
I had a grilled hamburger steak with mashed potatoes with the skins in and fresh green beans.
Definitely recommended!
Coming home, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand to buy some fresh strawberries that we had for supper, and also picked up a new tow bar hitch extension/riser that I’d ordered last week from a local RV place. Hopefully, this will make towing our truck a little smoother.
March 12, 2010
Wrapping it up…
Today was for saying goodbye to friends, old and new.
We had coffee and donuts from 7:30 am to 9:00 am, and then most rigs started heading out. Although some left last night, the majority left this morning.
Pretty much everyone was gone by noon. We had a gun show coming in right behind us, so the fairgrounds people didn’t want us hanging around.
But a few of us were allowed to move back over to where we were parked last week before the rally started. We plan on staying for 3 or 4 days to just rest up.
And I want to check out the gun show for new toys.
Still aren’t quite sure where we’ll go next. Maybe we’ll just flip a coin.
I’ll have some pictures tomorrow…
March 12, 2011
Doing the Electrical Dance . . .
It was really nice to be able to sleep in this morning. Although Jan got up about 8, I slept in until about 10. But then she fell asleep about 10 last night, and I didn’t come to bed until about 1:30 am.
I fixed coffee, and we had the pumpkin spice muffin tops we got at Kneader’s Bakery yesterday. It was great not to have to be anywhere anytime soon, to just sit and talk, and enjoy each other’s company. We didn’t even turn the TV on.
But a little later, we did once again have to engage in, as Jan calls it, “The Electrical Dance”. It’s kind of like the Hokey Pokey, but instead of putting your hands and feet in and out, you turn appliances on and off. Like “You put the A/C on, you turn the water heater off, you put the coffee pot on, you turn the clothes dryer off.” “Then cross your fingers and hope it doesn’t blow, that’s life here at 20 amps.”
“All together now, You put the . . .”
The outside temperature was starting to push 80, so we turned off the roof fans and closed the windows, then started the A/C so it wouldn’t get too far behind as the day heated up, since it’s supposed to be in the 88-89 range today. Just to be on the safe side, I also turned the water heater off when I turned on the A/C. I just have to remember to turn it back on before my shower later tonight.
A little later, I dug out my scanner and made a copy of a Fry’s Electronics receipt to email to our daughter Brandi. The Canon camera we got them for Christmas has developed a problem, and they need the receipt to get it repaired.
About 12:30, Jan and I headed out to run some errands, but our first stop was a nearby McDonald’s for lunch. Then it was on to Sam’s Club to pick up our prescriptions and a few other items.
In what turned out to be one of those strange coincidences (cue Twilight Zone theme here), I wanted to find out why my Wal-Mart online pharmacy history showed that I had picked up a prescription from a Sam’s Club pharmacy in Knoxville, TN, last month on February 7th.
Now we haven’t been to Knoxville since the Fall of 2008, on our way back to Houston from Alaska, so I wanted to know what was going on with my account. (As far as how we ended up in Knoxville, TN, on our way back from Alaska, what can I say? We just wander a lot. Nothing good ever came from taking the shortest distance between two points.) When I talked with the pharmacist about this, I told her that we probably had picked up prescriptions there two and a half years ago, but not recently. And with a little checking, the pharmacist found out what happened.
Someone with my same name and my same birthday had turned in and picked up a prescription there. Although he had a Knoxville address, since they found a name and birthday in the computer that matched, they put his prescription history into my account instead of creating a new one for him. Don’t know about the middle initial, since mine is not on my account, I guess anything of his would have been a match.
Weird!
Heading home from Sam’s, we stopped off at Wal-Mart to get a small step ladder so I can put up the RV Quick Shades solar screens that I bought at the Rally. I carry a larger extension ladder in the back of the truck, but I wanted something small and light so I can quickly put them up when we park. Since these shades install on the inside of the windows, you’d think that it wouldn’t be a problem. But, because of the screen door on the entry, the shade on the outside door can only be installed from the outside with the door open, and I need a ladder to do it.
Getting back to the rig, we found a new photo of Landon with his Flying J Froggy waiting for us in our email.
He’ll be 7 months old next week and is growing taller like crazy. Brandi said they’re going to have to get him a new car seat because he’s about to outgrow his old one.
As an example, here’s Landon at about two months. Big difference!
About 4, we headed over to downtown Yuma for a final visit to Da Boyz Italian Cuisine for another great meal of pizza, spaghetti, ravioli, salad, and bread. Really, really good. We’re going to miss Da Boyz when we hit the road.
And not only do they have great food, but they were nice enough to give us three gift certificates for rally door prizes.
And as with our last visit there, we had a lot of nice leftovers to have another time.
We got home a little before 7 pm, and then around 8 pm, the outside temp had dropped to about 72, so I turned off the A/C, opened the windows, and turned on the vent fans. Then I also turned the water heater back on.
“You put the A/C . . .”
That’s about it for today. Tomorrow morning, we’re going down the street to the Arizona Market Place, an outdoor flea market/ swap meet facility. It’s supposed to be pretty nice, and we want to check it out.
March 12, 2012
Short, but Sweet . . .
Jan was up about 8 this morning, but I was still making up for lost sleep, so I didn’t get up until 10, taking it easy and still nursing a sore ankle.
It was nice to do pretty much nothing all day. After coffee and muffins earlier, Jan fixed lunch about 12:30, which segued into an afternoon of also doing pretty much nothing. Jan read on her Kindle while I worked on website stuff for clients
About 4:30 Jan and I headed out to the Lucky Wishbone, a great local chain that serves chicken, fish, steak fingers, and shrimp. We were introduced to the place last year, and we always enjoy going back again.
We finally headed back to the rig about 8:30 to wrap up a very nice day.
March 12, 2013
Saddleback Mountain RV
We arrived at Saddleback Mountain RV Park near Balmorhea only to find that the Verizon data service is almost non-existent, and has been for a couple of weeks.
So probably no blog posts until we’re in Las Cruces on Friday.
March 12, 2014
What a Difference a Day Makes . . .
Yesterday we had a high of 76 and a low of 60, but today we had a high of 62 and a supposed low of 35. But at least it was still nice and sunny.
Jan and I once again had a couple of these croissants for breakfast to go with our coffee
In case you want to try them for yourselves, you can order them here from Amazon.
100% Butter Frozen Croissants – Unbaked -12 count
Chocolate Frozen Croissant – Unbaked ““ 12 count
Later, I set up some of our small tables outside to start going through the bins and sorting things into categories. I have to have somewhere to put things until I empty out enough plastic bins to start storing stuff away.
The only problem was that the very strong winds kept blowing things off the tables and even blowing the tables over. In fact, Mister, who likes to lie out in our chairs, got blown over and thrown out twice, before he gave up and went back inside for the day.
Later in the afternoon, I called Fantastic Vent and ordered a new fan motor for our kitchen vent fan. They said it will be a simple four-screw drop-in from the roof, but I’ll have to take off the covers first.
Hopefully, it will be here pretty quick, so I can get it installed before we head north.
About 3:30, we headed back down south on I-45 to have dinner at one of our favorite places, Rudy’s BBQ. It’s so good that I always order extra so we have some to bring home. Love their Jalapeno Sausage.
After dinner, we then drove back north to the Conroe area for a Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart visit. It took a good bit longer to come back north, because we were now hitting the going-home traffic. In fact, we didn’t get home until almost 8 pm.
March 12, 2015
Moving on . . .
About 7 miles down the road.
While I slept in a little, Jan headed out to catch the movie about the life of Kay Peterson and her husband, who founded the Escapees RV organization in 1978. Then, after coming back to the rig for coffee, she headed back out again for the Escapees Pet Parade, and then the Chili Cook-off.
She later said there were some really good chili’s and some really bad ones. And some she didn’t dare try at all. But they did raise about $11,000 for CARE (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees), the Escapees adult day care program.
While Jan was out gallivanting around, I was getting us ready to roll. Around 3, we’re going to move about 7 miles west over to the Voyager RV Resort for the next week, before heading up to Apache Junction.
We pulled out about 2:30, and looking back, as we got on I-10W. Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to the guard house at Voyager and getting checked in. Although we couldn’t get parked next door to each other, we’re only 5 spaces apart from our friends, so it works.
After getting parked and plugged in, the first thing Jan did after turning on the A/C (for the first time in a week since we’ve been on 30amps) was to get started doing a week’s worth of catch-up laundry.
About 4, we headed out for dinner at Poco & Mom’s, where Jan and I just ate a couple of nights ago. But it was good enough (great enough?) to go back again. Even better, our mutual friends, Tom and Barb Westerfield, were meeting us there.
We’ve known them for years, but tonight was the first time we’ve had a chance to get together at this rally.
Jan and I both had the same Combo Plate, and we both agreed that, if anything, it was better tonight than last time. And it was great last time.
Luckily, by getting there at 4:30, we got a table for 4 right away, because about 30 minutes later the place began to fill up. And as usual, when RV’ers get together, we spend longer at the table just talking afterward than we did eating to start with.
It was really good to see Tom and Barb again. Hopefully, it won’t be so long next time.
March 12, 2016
Oil Can Gregory . . .
We did get in our walk this morning, the first one since Monday, what with the bad weather and all. But we did have to dodge a lot of mud puddles and soggy spots along the roads.
Coming back, we sat outside to have our coffee, while Karma stayed at the screen door, meowing. So I bought her out on her leash for a while. And like every time we do this, she gets a little calmer. Shirley, her previous caretaker, came across the road to say ‘Hi’, and although Karma was a little skittish, she did allow herself to be picked up.
Coming back in for a while, I drilled a couple of holes in my prototype Slobber Can collector and headed outside and under the rig to figure out how I was going to install it.
Once I got under the rig and looked everything over, I decided to push the tubing up over the slobber tube, bend it away from the oil pan and then hang the can by the coat hanger so that the can supports the vinyl tubing and keeps it from falling off.
It does look a little kludgey, but it’s just a test model so I can see if this fixes the problem, or if the problem is still occurring at all. I hope we’ll know more tomorrow after our trip back to Lake Conroe.
Now that I had the slobber can in place, I wanted to top off the rig’s oil level that I discovered was down a little after our trip over from Lake Conroe two weeks ago. But I quickly discovered that the gallon jug of 15W40 Engine Oil that I thought I had in one of the bays was actually a jug of truck antifreeze
So now it was off to the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in Columbus for a couple of gallons. And lucky for me, Rotella 15W40 diesel was on sale for only $14 a gallon until the end of the month, so stock up now.
Getting back, I got a funnel out to help me add the oil to the rig. And it’s not exactly easy.
Even using a funnel only helps a little since the tubing and large hose behind the filler port means that the funnel is always tilted and that makes it hard to pour in the oil. In addition, because of the low overhead it can be hard to tilt the jug up high enough to drain it completely.
But I got most of one gallon into the engine without too much spillage, and then let it sit for awhile before checking the dipstick. Finding it just a hair below the full line, I closed everything back up and called it done.
Next up, I started dumping the black tank and then checked the truck oil and added a quart to it. Coming back to the water bay, I closed the black and opened the grey valve, while I disconnected the shore water hose and stowed it away. Then I finished up by putting away the sewer hose, and I was done with that too.
I try to always do as much as possible Saturday afternoon, which means that much less to do on Sunday morning before we leave. And of course, it also helps since we’re going to have our usual breakfast buffet at Schobel’s down in Columbus before we leave. And even better, we’re meeting our friends Jim and Peri Dean there at about 8:15. Really looking forward to it.
March 12, 2017
On The Road Repair . . .
Today was a day of repairs, with two known and one popping up at the last minute. But since we only had a 3-hour trip to Las Cruces today, I had plenty of time to work through a couple of them.
First up was a problem I put on the back burner for a couple of days. Last night, when we left the coach to go eat next door at the Van Horn Steakhouse, a loud clatter came from the rig’s step as it extended. And then again, as it retracted. Sounds like a broken gear in the drive motor.
I replaced that gear about 5 years ago in the original steps. But now we have an entirely new step system due to our blow-out in May 2015. So now it looks like I’ll need to do it again. But since it’s still working, I’ll probably wait until Benson to investigate further.
The most pressing problem was that the trim strip over the rig door that covers the joint between the roof and the sidewall had come loose and started to peel back due to the wind while we were traveling.
So I had to drag the big step ladder from the back of the truck and climb up there. Found that the rivets had pulled out along the strip. I didn’t have any Pop-Rivets of the right size, so I used some galvanized sheet metal screws to tighten it back in place for now. Then, just in case, I put a piece of clear Gorilla Tape over the end to keep the wind from catching under it again.
So finally, about 11:00 am, we were pulling out of the park and on our way.
For about a quarter of a mile.
That’s when I realized I had another problem. Luckily, I found a nice place to pull over and check it out.
And a quick look confirmed my suspicions. Although the front airbags were inflated, the rear ones were not. And from past experience, I was pretty sure what had happened.
So, taking a flashlight and putting down a pad over the gravel, I stuck my head underneath the rear of the rig, right behind the rear tires on the driver’s side.
And this is what I saw.
The rod that runs from the airbag proportioning valve to the frame had come loose. This valve ‘proportions’ the air supply between the front and rear airbags to keep the coach level. And when the rod comes loose, no air gets to the rear bags.
But to get to the problem, I had to put the coach up on the rear levelers so I could get under there. So I cranked back up and raised the rear of the coach as high as it would go. Then, with screw driver in hand, I crawled under the rig.
Now, before everyone starts telling me I shouldn’t be under the rig when it’s supported only by the hydraulic levelers, the only dangerous part is the few seconds it took me to crawl under the outside edge of the coach. Once I was fully under there, the coach could have come all the way back down, and I would have been safe, since there was plenty of room for me.
Of course, I would be stuck there until the coach was lifted back up, but hey, nice time for a nap.
The last time this happened, it was the grommet itself that had deteriorated and come apart. So when I replaced that one, I bought a couple of spares.
But this time it looked like the rod had just pulled out of the grommet.
So it was pretty quick work to loosen the small hose clamp, insert the rod until it bottomed out, and tighten the clamp back down, really tight this time.
Back in the rig, I cranked up and raised the levelers, letting the rig come up on the airbags, before I went back out to check and found everything back to normal.
So 40 minutes later, we were back on our way, and had no more problems with it.
Several people suggested taking the Transmountain Expressway around El Paso, but since it was Sunday noon when we were going through, we decided to take the route straight through town.
And it worked out fine. We did 60mph the entire way, never slowing down at all. Just whizzed right on through with no problems or construction.
Since we got back the hour we lost to Daylight Saving Time when we entered the Mountain Time Zone, we got into Las Cruces and were parked at the Coachlight RV Park by about 1:30.
I’m going to wrap this up now, and continue with our dinner at La Posta de Mesilla in tomorrow’s blog.
March 12, 2018
Ouch!
Work was about the same as usual today, as I slogged through the server tracking down stuff and taking a lot of notes as I stumble across things I’ll need down the road.
Coming home, I stopped off at the Rudy’s BBQ in Webster to pick up dinner for Jan and I. Jan got her favorite Jumbo Smoked Potato with Chopped Lean Brisket, as well as a side of their Creamed Corn.
I took the simple path and just got 8oz of their Moist Brisket,
as well as a container of pickles, onions, with some pickled jalapenos and carrots. Really good, and Jan has enough left over for another meal.
Tomorrow, the first payment for this next year’s rig/truck insurance with National General is due. But when I went to pay it today, I found that rather than the $10-15 yearly jump I was expecting, it jumped $64 per month. OUCH!
Right now, we have a $500 deductible that I’ll probably up it to $1000, since in 8 years with them, we’ve only had one claim in that time. And that was our blowout in Arizona in May 2015.
I’ve been trying to locate a replacement glass for the light on my side of the bed without much luck. I checked with PPL, CW, and online, but came up empty. So I thought I’d throw it out to our readers.
There’s no manufacturer name on the base or the glass, so that’s no help. The glass is about 7″ wide and shaped like you took a soup bowl and cut it in half.
So, has anyone out there seen something like this?
Recently, my Garmin 1490LMT has been intermittently showing a Low Battery indication even though it’s plugged in and getting power. At first, I thought it might be a bad connection, or even a flaky power cable, but a little Googling told me different.
It seems that the built-in battery starts to age and then won’t hold a charge. I guess I’ve gotten my money’s worth on it since it’s going on 7 years old. Since the battery is not considered to be user-replaceable, the conventional fix for this is to send it back to Garmin, and for $125, they’ll send you a refurbished one with a new battery. OR . . .
you can order a kit like this for $15,
complete with the tools needed to open the case. You can get the battery alone for about $7, but since it’s not Prime, it has $5 shipping. So for a few bucks more, I get new tools to play with. Yay!
I did look into just getting a new one, but I was looking at $100-$200 with no real step in new features. So $15 it is.
While I was at it, I ordered a new set of toilet seals for the Sealand toilet in our RV.
It stopped holding water recently, and I’ve tried cleaning several times with no luck. So since the seals are about 3 years old, it’s probably time to swap them out.
Tomorrow looks to be a little busy with lunch up in Webster, dropping off some clothes at the Salvation Army in Nassau Bay, picking up our last new window awning for the rig in Kemah, and then some groceries at the Victory Lakes HEB.
Busy, busy, busy!
March 12, 2019
Rig Work . . .
Jan and I headed out for brunch at our favorite Snooze AM a little before 1 pm. Jan got her BRAVOCADO Toast with scrambled eggs and dressed greens,
while I got the Classic 3 Egg Breakfast with Bacon, Fruit, and an English Muffin.
Then it was on to Wal-Mart for a few things. And, as has been our habit recently, we stopped off at the Pharmacy to see if they had gotten any more Shingrix Shingles vaccine. We were already on the call list, but we lucked up this time, and we were able to get our second and final shots. Glad to have that out of the way.
This past Sunday, I finally got a chance to get outside and catch up on some chores. First up was to finish upgrading our rig’s windshield wipers.
The rig originally came with 26″ Denso wipers, and that’s what I used to replace them with after our first year. But then, after that, I found that Denso no longer made the ones that fit our wiper arms. So I improvised something, but it was a pain in the butt.
The new style was only set up for the ‘J’ hook arms, and my arms were configured so that the wipers fit between the flanges with a bolt passing through to secure the blades.
But the new blades were wider and didn’t have a hole for the bolt, so every year I had to heavily modify the wipers by removing the ‘J’ hook mount and then drilling a hole through, which was not easy in this hardened steel frame.
It also didn’t help that the new blades were wider, so they didn’t really fit between the arm flanges.
Then, a few weeks ago, when I was buying new Rain-X blades for the truck, I noticed that these blades not only had the ‘J’ hook mount, but also had a hole for the pivot type of mount.
So, getting some new hardware, I came up with this mounting system, which will now only take me a couple of minutes next time to replace the blades.
I also upgraded the arms from 26″ to 28″ ones, giving me this.
And no, there’s not a problem with the arm on the right side. Due to the way the articulated arms work, that side is always lower.
Feeling I was on a roll, I decided to crawl under the rig and do a trial loosening of the rig’s oil filter. So I dug out my filter wrench, extensions, and ratchet handle, and gave it a go.
This is what it looks like from underneath.
Fitting my wrench around the filter, I tried to loosen it. I was happy to see that it wasn’t loose and took some effort to break free. But once that was done, I decided to keep unscrewing it to see how it acted. And then suddenly it was free in my hand.
So now what to do? I hadn’t really planned for this, so I tried to just screw it back in. But, trying for about 5 minutes, I was unsuccessful. Due to the electrical cables running beside the filter, I really couldn’t get it lined up and started.
So I carefully pulled the filter out from under the rig with me so I didn’t spill the oil inside. Then I crawled back under and stuffed a shop rag up into the mount to keep it clean.
When I’m ready to install the new filter, hopefully, this weekend, I’ll use some large Tie Wraps to temporarily hold the cables out of the way.
Grabbing a bucket, I propped up the filter and took a look.
There was no obvious damage that I could see, even when I pulled off the black gasket ring. I all looked OK. But then the problem is supposed to be debris on the mount, and not the filter. At least according to Cummins.
I’ll know more this weekend, I guess.
March 12, 2020
Don’t I Feel Special!
I headed out about 10 this morning to retrieve my wife. She had been Landon-sitting up in Katy since Sunday because Landon was out of school on Spring Break. But now it looks like that retrieval is only temporary.
I met Jan, Brandi, and Landon at the Cheddars near Brandi’s work for a nice lunch. Jan had her usual Key West Chicken and Shrimp, while I got my usual Vegetable Plate that included a bowl of their Chicken Tortilla Soup.
I mentioned a few weeks back that while we were up in Athens last month, I found out that one of the girls I dated there back in 1967 had died last March. So I had been trying to track down her younger sister, Anne, to pass on my condolences. So I had to do a deep dive into the Net trying to get in touch with her.
And after going through eight phone numbers, I left her a voicemail, telling her I was a voice from the past, but not giving my name.
Well, during dinner she called me back. But for some reason, the call(s) wouldn’t connect. So she texted me, wanting to know who was calling. So I sent her this.
Let’s see. I dated your sister Jane back in 1967 and even took you out once when Jane was grounded. I think that might have been your first date. Plus you, Jane, and your mother used to wrestle me and try to pin me down. Remember?
She texted back, “Can’t remember back that far.”
So I told her my name.
Still nothing.
Well, Don’t I Feel Special.
So I sent her these two.
NOW she remembered. Thank goodness.
Once my identity was established, we had a nice chat about old times.
It was really good to hear from her.
After we got home this afternoon, we got a call from Brandi saying that Landon’s Spring Break had been extended for another week. So I’m only getting to keep Jan until next Monday. Then I’ll have to give her back.
March 12, 2021
The Checks In The Mail . . .
Well, Day 1 without Jan, and the cat and I are still alive.
So far, so good, I guess.
But now it looks like Jan’s petting/house-sitting may be extended a few days. Brandi got an email this afternoon saying that due to the very heavy winter storm coming in, their flight to Denver tomorrow morning has been canceled. So now they’re thinking about driving, which will add a couple of days to their trip.
Oh, well.
Tomorrow, first up on my chore list is to really get into my AC problem. I’m going to try and short around the control box to see if I can start the AC manually.
I’m still kind of confused why the A/C just quit working, and then 3 or 4 days later, burns up the power wire feeding the compressor relay while I’m just looking at the control box after taking the cover off. I had not touched anything yet.
But there was a Snap-Crackle-Pop, and then all the magic smoke came out
So we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I’ve already kind of halfway resigned myself to buying a new unit, but maybe I’ll luck out.
My babysitter, Patsy, has a new book out, and Jan says it’s really good. I just haven’t had a chance to get to it yet.
It’s called The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, and it’s a sequel to her Fried Green Tomatoes.
In case you haven’t figured it out, Patsy’s professional name is Fanny Flagg. But when I was growing up in Gulf Shores, AL, she was Patsy to me, because her real name is Patricia Neal, and yes, she was my babysitter.
Our parents were good friends, and Patsy, being about 4 years older than me, often got stuck watching me.
Sorry, Patsy.
Jan says it’s a great book. Get it!
March 12, 2023
Hungry, Hungry Hippos . . .
And Mean, too!
Jan and I drove over to League City to have brunch at Denny’s once again, both of us having the Ultimate Omelet as always. Along with Fruit and a Grilled English Muffin.
And as far as the ‘ultimate’ part, I don’t know what more they could stuff in here. It’s got ham, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cheese.
Then it was on back across the Interstate for our HEB stuff for the week.
And home by about 3:45.
* * * * * * *
Colombia, South America, has too many hippos. Well, actually, one is too many. In Colombia, anyway
And why does Colombia have too many hippos?
Well, blame it on Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug lord, and his private zoo. Located at his Hacienda Napoles estate, he had lions, rhinos, antelopes, elephants, exotic birds, giraffes, ostriches, zebras, flamingoes, bison, ponies, and of course, hippos.
And though the zoo was dismantled and most animals sent to Colombian zoos after Escobar was killed in 1993, the four original hippos were considered too dangerous to handle,
So, over the years, the four became eight, and so on, and so forth. And now they may be approaching 200 in number.
So why are these slow, docile animals now a problem?
Well, they’re not slow and docile. They’re very territorial, fast, and mean.
They can outrun a human on land, and outswim a person in the water.
And did I mention they’re mean?
Very mean.
Though they’re herbivores, they will attack anything that gets too close to them or their babies. At least I guess you can call it a baby, even when it weighs 100 pounds at birth.
In fact, a hippo had been seen biting a full-grown crocodile in half.
Yikes.
In fact, though it seems that no one has been killed by one in Colombia, they kill around 2900 people a year worldwide, and are considered the most dangerous animal in the world. And their closest living relative is a whale.
Puts a whole new slant on the ‘I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas song’, now doesn’t it.
March 12, 2024
And Now They’re Coming For Pizzas . . .
After I got thoroughly caffeinated this morning, I was outside working through my chore list. Some of it trip-prep, and some just stuff that needed doing.
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- Washed Jeep Floor Mats
- Cleaned Out Jeep For Trip
- Set Up Alexa In Jeep For Trip
- Reinstalled Missing Jeep Wheel Trim Ring
- Checked Oil Level In Jeep And Truck
- Cranked Up Truck And Let It Idle For About 15 Minutes –
- Next week after our trip I’m dropping the Jeep off at Joe’s to get the Lower Control Arm Bushings replaced, so I wanted to be sure the truck was ready to go. I Keep A Float Charger On The Battery And Sta-Bil In The Gas Tank So It’s Always Good To Go.
- Rehung Patio Flag
- Put Out Terro Ant Traps Around Patio
- Set Up Fallen Flamingos In Flamboyance
- Replaced Loose Rig Door Solar Screen
- While I was outside this afternoon, I got a chance to talk to Rob, our park owner, who said that he’s just waiting on the final electrical inspection, and waiting, and waiting … to open the new sites.
Now They’re Coming For Pizza
NYC burns pizzerias with new rule cutting smoky pollutants by 75%
New York City has quietly approved a controversial green plan to require pizzerias and matzah bakeries using decades-old wood- and coal-fired stoves to cut their smoky pollutants by 75%.
Mayor Eric Adams‘ Department of Environmental Protection said the fresh edict takes effect April 27, with some city businesses having already coughed up more than $600,000 for new smoke-eating systems in anticipation of the expected mandate.
Grimaldi’s Coal-Fired Brick Oven
Businesses using wood and anthracite stoves can apply for a variance, but need evidence to prove they are unable to comply with the mandate.
Grimaldi’s Pizza, which has coal-brick restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, has or is in the process of installing the smoke-eating systems at all three locations, said co-owner Anthony Piscina.
It is costing Grimaldi’s at Limelight in Manhattan $50,000 to install the filtration system because of added costs to protect the integrity of the historic Gothic structure that was once a church before becoming a nightclub, Piscina said.
“We have to do it. We can’t cook pizza any other way,” Piscina said.
He said the ovens have to reach a temperature of 1,200 degrees to properly cook the slice, and only coal-fired ovens do that.
Hopefully this doesn’t move to Houston.
March 12, 2025
Scrubbed . . .
A little before the 6:48 pm launch time, SpaceX scrubbed today’s Crew Dragon Crew-10 Falcon 9 launch, due to a problem with the launch pad, not the rocket.
The problem was with the massive clamps that hold the rocket down until all the engines are up and running at full thrust. Then the clamps release and off it goes.
They’ve rescheduled the next attempt for Friday, starting at 7:03 pm. The launch window is much tighter on these ISS missions since they have to be in the right stop to rendezvous with the Space Station.
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I couldn’t find the new Coke Zero Orange Cream locally, so I ordered a 12 pk from Amazon, and found that I could actually buy the regular Coke Zero about 50 cents cheaper from them compared with our local Wal-Mart.
It got here in time to have with dinner tonight, and I really like it. It’s much better than some of the other Coke flavors.
I’ll be ordering it again.
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Following up on the scheduling for our upcoming Fredericksburg/Kingsland the end of April, I booked Jennifer, our office manager, to cat-sit Karma while we’re gone.
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Tomorrow morning, we’re heading up to the Spring area to meet up with Ed and Debi Hurlburt at El Palenque Mexican Restaurant for our monthly get-together.
