Need Food! No Power! - Mon., June 10

The cupboard was getting bare. For the last few nights we've either brought pizza in, bought take out, or gone out to eat.

On the way to Costco, there is a $5 drive through exterior car wash with free vacuums. Now that the rain seems to be over for a while, it was time to clean the Escape pod.

Then I took action on filling the bare cupboards, refrigerator and freezer. I went to Costco in the middle of the afternoon so it wouldn't be too crowded. I had to pick up my repaired hearing aid. They never tell me what's wrong with them, but when you buy hearing aids at Costco, repairs are free under warranty or $135 out of warranty. Way cheaper than having to buy a new hearing aid! I had to wait for them to reprogram my hearing aid, so while they did that, I ate lunch (hot dog and water), then went shopping. By the time I finished all that, my hearing aid was ready. Checked out, paid, and headed for home.

Once home, I lugged in all the Costco purchases and put them away. Next stop, Walmart. I think I walked 3/4 mile because I hit all four corners of the store. This was a big shopping trip. Loaded up the car, got home, put all the groceries away and realized I forgot to return my too-small rain boots. Oh well, next trip. Walmart is only 1.5 miles from here.

Once home, I chopped up garlic, onions and red peppers to start a pot of chili. When the chili was simmering  and the timer was set, I sat down to play Scrabble on the computer. A few minutes later I looked at the timer on the microwave and it was dark. Sherlock Susan Holmes went into action. The lights were still one (but they would be running off the battery). So I looked further. The alarm clock in the bedroom was dark, the TV and DVD player didn't work. Yep, power was out. The A/C was not working. It was 90 degrees outside. This could get ugly real quick.

I called Bob, but he was busy. He said he'd call me right back. I took the phone and went outside to see what the status was of our big surge protector. It, too, was dark. No power coming off the post. Hmm, could it be that the whole park was without power? I knocked on our neighbor's door and asked him if his power was out. Sure enough, it was. Then I saw other people coming out of their trailers saying they had no power. (Sad thing to have no power. LOL.)

The park maintenance man was by the office so I walked down to talk to him about the problem (in case he didn't know--but he did know). The whole park was without power.

Another park resident gave me a ride back to the 5er in her golf cart. Such nice people here! I opened all the windows of the 5er and waited. Luckily, I was cooking chili on the propane stove and I had switched our refrigerator to propane so dinner preparation was not interrupted. About an hour later, the power came on. I was then able to finish dinner preparation.

Bob worked until 10 pm (all day at his full-time job and in the evening on one of his consulting jobs). Now he's crashed out in the recliner.

Speaking of crashed out in the recliner...on Sunday afternoon, Bob, Randall and I wanted to watch the Spurs play-off game at a restaurant. We tried a sports bar at City Base but it was packed. Instead we went next door to the City Base Diner. Their TV was on the fritz. The only way it would get a good picture was if Randall sat next to it and held the antenna or put his hand on the wall by the antenna. No fun for Randall.

After we ate, we went back to the 5er and the guys sat down to watch the Spurs and the Heat. Here's what watching sports looks like in this house...

Randall and Bob claimed they only slept during halftime.

When it was obvious Miami was trouncing the Spurs, Bob drove Randall back home to Austin. In all fairness, I took a good photo of them too!

Bob and Randall in the 5er kitchen.

That's what's happening here. How about you? Any good stories lately?

Travel Bug out.

A Declaration -- Fri., July 20

San Antonio, Texas:

I declare I intend to eat healthier. With all the hiking we're about to embark upon, I'm thinking the pounds have to start melting away.

What good fortune came our way today. I needed a few items and tooled down the road to buy them at Super Walmart. While there I checked out their fruit and veggies. My, oh my. Good stuff...so I stocked up. Cantaloupe for $1 each, fresh ripe peaches, Washington state Bing cherries, bananas and golden Delicious applies. I found some very fresh broccoli and cauliflower and bought those too. Our little 5er fridge is chock full of healthy food. 

My plan is to use the fruits as my "go to" food when I have a craving for sweets. As soon as I made my way back home and washed the fruit, I had cherries and a slice of cantaloupe. Yum. 

For dinner we're having Sloppy Joes on whole wheat buns with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Guacamole is on the menu too (found just-ripe avocados and tomatoes at the store) which I will serve with "Food Should Taste Good All Natural Multigrain Tortilla Chips" from Costco.

The 5er repair guys were supposed to return today, but apparently one part has not come in. They've got Monday to finish before we skedaddle to points west. I know they'll show because they said they'll collect payment when they finish! They can't collect payment if we're not here.

Tomorrow we will do another Volkswalk, we're thinking the one to four missions which will probably take a good portion of the day by the time we read all the history and I take a mess of pictures. Temperatures are supposed to reach 98 F.

On Sunday, I want to do the Broadway neighborhood Volkswalk which spends some time in Brackenridge Park. I'm thinking shade under the big, old trees. Temperatures are supposed to reach 97 F.

Bob found some glitches in his work's 2011 year-end report yesterday and spent until 2:00 a.m. at work trying to sort through the books and find supporting documentation. He was hoping he'd have everything worked out with the accountant and the report would be finished today. The accountant leaves on a two-week vacation tomorrow and we leave for six weeks on Tuesday. At least Bob will be available by phone and internet.

Today I received one of two FedEx boxes I've been waiting for. It's a bird feeding pole which has five arms for hanging bird feeders, suet, and a water dish. The other package I'm expecting has a bird feeder and a shower squeegee. Here's hoping it makes it before we leave. 

Somewhere in our 5er basement I have a hummingbird feeder that has lived down there since last October. Finally, I'll be able to hang it up! Who has a good recipe for hummingbird feeder nectar? Please share.

Bob is finally showing some excitement about our upcoming trip. Maybe working until 2:00 a.m. knocked some sense into him.

Before we leave on Tuesday, we will make one last Costco run for bottled water and to stock up on dry cereal. Oh, and a Petco run to stock up on Sunnie's wet food. (Sunnie and Bowie eat different wet food and each doesn't like the other's wet food. Spoiled rotten fur-kids.)

For those of you without RVs who are thinking of full-timing, here are a few pics of a lived-in 5th wheel.

Our kitchen with the slide out.

Slide out wall of kitchen.

A slide out pantry--wonderful, wouldn't be without one.

Washer/dryer closet--used for cat box, mops, brooms, vacuum.

Kitty play time:

Gozer gozerian. ("Ghostbusters" reference)

 

"Shall we take this outside?"

It's so fun to watch them play. They leap over each other, fly over the stairs and go at it for about 10-15 minutes. Very entertaining.

Travel Bug out.

Wanderlust, Workamping and Walmart

Kerrville, Texas:
Wanderlust to me equals traveling for the fun of traveling, getting "lost," making new discoveries, wanting to see what's around the next bend, making friends along the way, finding good places to eat, and learning interesting history and facts. Bob likes to go on "walk-about" or long wanderings.

Workamping, for those of you not familiar with the term, entails working in places you travel to or traveling to places to work and living full- or part-time in your RV. Working while you're RVing may be out of financial necessity, or to keep from becoming bored, or even to volunteer. You can learn more at workamper.com. Many RVers are workampers. We workamp because we cannot afford to completely retire. This gives us the best of all worlds--working, camping and traveling.

Walmart, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. You are nationwide
2. Good pricing
3. You allow overnight RV camping (at some locations)
4. You have almost everything an RVer could need including:

• RV supplies
• Groceries
• Medicine
• Clothes
• Kitchen stuff
• Music
• Books
• Shoes
• Delicatessen
• Cards
• Gifts
• Sundries
• Puzzles and games
• Pet supplies

What else? Part of our wanderlust has brought us to the RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville. The seminars are informative, practical and witty. Having lived in our RV for six months, we are learning what questions to ask. Many of our questions are being answered here about wi-fi internet, RV maintenance, satellite TV, insurance, helpful gadgets, workamping, budgeting, and full-time RV strategies.

Here are some pictures of Buckhorn Lake Resort where the rally is being held.

The private club where RVers have their own cottages.

Bridge and waterfall--private owners' club

Our site

How closely we're packed in.

Ours is the second RV back.

Nice touches--windmill, tractor with flower cart.

The exercise building

Back deck of exercise building overlooking lake.

Ponds

River on property

River with white picket fence

Patio cafe.