San Antonio and a Rally

At Travelers World RV Park, San Antonio, Texas...

San Antonio is one of our favorite Texas cities, so we were delighted when our club, the Texas Bluebonnet Allegros, decided to hold the November rally there. An affiliate of the national Tiffin Allegro Club, this group meets eight times a year for fellowship, food and fun at various locations, usually in Texas. We had joined before we became fulltimers, but we keep attending, although it's not always easy in our current lifestyle. This is because the members are great people, and we share a common interest as Tiffin motorhome owners.

Since we have visited San Antonio many times and have already seen the shrines of Texas history located there, we decided just to relax and just take in some local flavor when not participating in rally events, one of which was to enjoy with some club members a Casa Rio dinner on one of the many barges that ply the beautiful San Antonio River downtown:

If you've never taken a boat tour of downtown San Antonio, it is a relaxing way to see one of the premier attractions of this or any other metropolitan area. Here's a photo of the Tower of the Americas taken from the boat:

We also visited a local farmers' market held on the grounds of the old Pearl brewery. Along with the fresh farm products, there were lots of crafty things to see: 

There was even a talented country and western band on hand to serenade us:

Our rally was based at Travelers' World RV Park near downtown San Antonio, which turned out to be a much nicer park than I expected. Although not exactly in the best area of town, it is nonetheless shaded, well-kept, relatively quiet, and the sites are level:

For one of the evening meals, we brought our own steaks to the clubhouse and cooked them over charcoal grills provided by the park management:

Ours turned out mighty tasty, if I say so myself!

Naturally, we are always exploring new-to-us restaurants wherever we go, so we did some of that, too.  Here is a list of those we've tried so far on this trip that will be included in our favorites page linked on this blog:

They don't get any more nondescript than this. Fishland (although the sign doesn't say that) is really less of a fish market than a tiny restaurant with about a dozen tables, where you order at the counter and put your paper goods in the trash when you leave. Making this a favorite is the expertly fried, ridiculously fresh seafood. The catfish and shrimp combo was enough to share; it was delicious and, best of all, dirt cheap! Where else could you get this for just under ten bucks?

We had to revisit an old mainstay, the Original Blanco Cafe downtown, where we shared the deluxe tex-mex combo. This place has the second-best enchiladas ever:

Yes, you read that right--the second best enchiladas. Where do you find the best enchiladas, you ask? Well, they are at El Palenque in Spring, Texas, near Houston. No need to doubt me on this.

Want a fix of excellent Thai food? Try Thai Dee here in San Antonio. Not much too look at from the outside, but very nice inside, and the food is excellent. (Isn't that often the case?):

One little hiccup here: Don't get the Tom Ka Gai soup; it's too sweet.

Loving to visit those eating joints that have stood the test of time, we stopped by the Original Donut Shop on Fredericksburg Road. It has been around since 1954, and for good reason. These people know how to cook a donut:

The donut shop shares a building with a Mexican restaurant that has good reviews, although we haven't tried it yet. 

I would show you a photo of the donuts, but something happened to them before I could snap the picture. Just can't figure it out. The donuts-even though several hours old when we arrived--were crazy good. Now I'm in a quandary, as I'm not so sure Krispy Kreme is the best any longer.

Here's a dish done very well at Pho Garden, a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant close to Travelers' World:

It's salt and pepper shrimp, loaded with fresh onion and jalapeno slices, just as I like them. I loved this dish, but then, I happen to really like onions a lot.   By the way, did you know that a fresh onion is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat? It is loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, manganese and vitamin C. Knowing this as you now do, it appears you have a choice: Nice smelling breath or long life. I would choose long life; you can always make new friends.

Well, there you have it. I think this is the first time that every single restaurant we tried made it onto the favorites list! I hope you find that list and the "Best of the Best RV Parks Page" useful.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

The "Best of the Best RV Parks" Page Gets an Upgrade

At the Dallas Metro KOA, Arlington, Texas...

As we have been winding down our stay here in the DFW area, I have had some spare time to finish an enhancement to the "Best of the Best RV Parks" page linked in the far right column of this blog, just above Sandy's photo. That enhancement is that I have added a website link to each park named in the list.

If you haven't looked at this page in a while, you may not have seen that the list has been refined and expanded quite a bit. I started this page because I couldn't find a reliable web source where I could quickly find the better quality RV parks for those occasions when we wanted a nice place to stay. The Big Rig Resorts website wasn't reliable, as they include way too many lower-tier parks, and they don't keep their contact links current. The Good Sam directory has a starred-rating system, but what about those parks that aren't members of Good Sam?

As I have written previously, we don't consider ourselves prima donnas who only park at luxury resorts. Why, Phannie, because of her age, would probably be turned away from the really gold-plated ones. In fact, when we are on the road, we typically look for the best discounts we can get for our overnight stops, irrespective of the parks' condition (within reason, of course).  However, when we reach a destination for a long stay, we like for our surroundings to be pleasant and appealing with plenty of amenities; we don't mind paying a little extra for that. Pet peeves would be parks that are crowded, junky or unlevel. And the worst offense would be having to  park in dirt or mud. We just wouldn't stay long-term in places like that.

I've spent many hours on this research, perusing all the photos I can find, along with using Google Earth to help determine if a park qualifies. Of course, we have stayed at quite a few of the locations ourselves, so those were easy to evaluate in person. At the beginning of the page, I list the criteria upon which the parks are qualified. Besides the standard listing, those listed in bold letters can be thought of as the "best of the best of the best," where you can count on a really upscale experience (with a price tag to match, usually). 

Surprisingly, some states have no RV parks that--in my opinion--belong on a list of the best in the country, so you'll notice that a few states have no listings at all. Oh yes, and I've listed only those parks in the lower 48; we're not likely to take our RV to Hawaii, and we just don't have enough backbone to drive it to Alaska.

As you check out the page, you should know that it is definitely a work in progress, and here's where you could help:  If you know of a park not listed that should be included (I can't possibly have found them all), consider letting me know, so that I can add it. And if you find a park that you think I have assessed incorrectly, I would really like to know about that, too. Just leave a comment on the blog or send me an email at [mike dot sandy dot mills at gmail dot com]. 

I'm not planning to make this page into a commercial website. (I don't want a job; I've discovered that being "retired" is not much different from being "lazy.") It is offered to Phannie and Mae's audience as a 'thank you' for visiting the blog. Feel free to link to it if you wish but, since this blog is copyrighted, it would not be quite legal for it to be posted elsewhere without attribution. A linkback to the page in your text would also be fine.

So, that's it. I hope you find this list useful, and I hope you will help make it better and more complete with your suggestions. I'll be sure to thank you for your contributions.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Mae Strips...(a Gear)

At the Dallas Metro KOA, Arlington, Texas...

It was bound to happen. I should not have been bragging about how dependable Mae (our Chevy HHR toad and blog namesake) had been all through her life with us. Suddenly, with 80,000 miles on the odometer, she just decided to make me a liar.

I had pulled out of our RV park on Lake Conroe one morning, and Mae's automatic transmission decided not to shift out of first gear. With a little coaxing, however, she would finally relent and begin upshifting as usual, so I thought it was a fluke. The next morning--same thing! At this point, I knew the transmission needed a looksee, so I did a little research and took it to a well-reviewed shop in The Woodlands. I feared the news would be bad, and it was: A rebuild of the transmission would be necessary. They gave me a quote that sounded really high, so I checked with a few other places and found their prices were pretty well in line with each other for this kind of job.  I gave them the go-ahead and began  a mourning period for the upcoming decimation of my funds. 

When I picked up Mae after the transmission job, I noticed a significant crack in the windshield that had not been there before. I pointed it out to the owner of the shop, who said he would reimburse me for the replacement if my insurance didn't pay. (It didn't.)

After the windshield replacement, I noticed one of the headlights had burned out. Replacing the bulb on a Chevy HHR is not all that simple, so I drove to the Chevrolet dealer, and they were able to work me right in. Upon inspection of the headlight, the mechanic found that the assembly--not the bulb--was bad. A new assembly would be required. Who would have thought this job would require a couple hundred bucks in addition to the ridiculous cost I paid to ransom Mae from the transmission shop? Since bad things are supposed to appear in threes, I hope this is the end of the soaking of my poor wallet! You may recall that a brake job had been done on Mae in Colorado Springs a few months ago, but I'm not counting that one.

This brings into focus some judgment calls that need to be made by RVers when deciding what kind of toad to buy and when to replace one. My considerations for buying Mae, besides its obvious eligibility to be towed four wheels down, were that it had low miles (I will always buy a used car for a toad), it was bargain-priced, it got good mileage, it was small and easy to tow and Sandy liked to drive it which, of course, trumps everything. (I wasn't crazy about the red color, but hey--it's easy to spot by other motorists.) 

With that said, there could have been a good argument, I guess, for trading Mae off about this time had the transmission not gone kaput. In fact, I had been thinking about doing just that. We had driven it 80, 000 miles and towed it 40,000 additional ones, so it has given good service over the five years we've had it. Now, however, with the investment in new brakes, a new transmission and the three-year warranty coming with it, it makes sense to keep Mae at least until the transmission warranty expires, so as to help amortize the extra repair cost. After all, a toad's life is hard and is always in peril, so why not buy a used car and get all I can out of it while it's in one piece? Anyway, she's all put back together now and running like new, so I've given her a stern lecture, and I'm hoping for the best.

We've been paused here in the DFW area keeping up with our never-ending medical/dental visits and more happily, visiting with friends. I've been having a problem with facial skin lesions caused by sun exposure over the years. Oddly, my flying career may have had something to do with this, sitting in the left cockpit seat in the bright unfiltered sunlight above the clouds for many hours at a time. The main problem has been on the left side of my face and is mostly treated with cryotherapy. I have also had to have surgery on an area of malignancy. With this history, I have to see my dermatologist quite regularly, unfortunately.

For Sandy's birthday, I had gotten really good tickets for the Broadway touring production of "Phantom of the Opera," and we enjoyed immensely seeing that at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth.

We are not exactly pleased with the KOA here in Arlington. Entry and exit is difficult, the sites and roads are gravel with potholes, and the parking spots are very unlevel. Unfortunately, the DFW area has an extreme scarcity of nice RV parks. The demand is huge, and the parks that are here are always full. I think someone could do very well by opening an upscale park in the area.

We've been doing a good bit more cooking in the coach lately now that we've settled in for a few weeks. Here are pics of a couple of our almost-healthy favorites--taco soup and shish-kebab made with ribeye steak--yum! 

Our next port of call will be a rally in San Antonio in about ten days. Thanks for stopping by, y'all!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Arkie the Cat

At Sunset Shores RV Park, Willis, Texas...

This is an unabashedly feelgood story involving some good friends of ours, Steve and Jackie, who are also fulltiming RVers and Phaeton owners. In fact, they generously give us credit for having influenced their recent purchase of the Phaeton instead of a new fifth wheel, as was their intention. But that's another story. This is really about the goodness in people and the incredible good fortune of a kitten named Arkie. 

Mention cats in a conversation with several people, and you'll find a rather broad spectrum of opinions regarding the furry little creatures. We have friends who absolutely love them and others who believe they are of the devil. I confess that I rather like cats, but that may be due their snarky, nonconformist attitude, snobbishly deciding whether a mere human is worthy of their affection. I guess I just appreciate individualism and eccentricity as interesting qualities in both animals and people--as they are in some of our friends who are reading this right now. Yes, you know who you are; I will be merciful and not name names, though.

I like dogs, too, but sometimes I think they take the slavish adoration thing a little too far. I can't help but think of Dickens' Oliver Twist and his fawning, "Please sir, may I have another [bowl of gruel]"--something any dog would do for, say, a pat on the head. A cat, on the other hand, would probably make an obscene gesture, if it could. (Now don't write me letters--I said I like dogs, too; I just wish they were a bit more cool.)

Okay, back to the story: Steve and Jackie were on a trip in their Phaeton from their home base in Austin, Texas back to Chillicothe, Ohio, where they lived before moving nearer kids and grandkids in Texas. This trip would take them through en route stops in Forest City, Arkansas and Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Tired after their long first-day drive, Steve pulled the Phaeton into a Forest City Wal-Mart parking lot among some other RVs, and it wasn't long after dinner until they were on their way to dreamland in their comfy Sleep Number bed. Just before drifting off, they heard a faint "meow," which they attributed to a cat outside the coach looking for food. Steve made a mental note to share some leftovers with the cat if it was still around in the morning.

They had forgotten about the cat the next morning as they readied for departure, and the drive to Bowling Green was uneventful until they dropped the jacks and extended the slides at their  RV park. At that point, they both heard the same "meow" as they had heard at the Arkansas Wal-Mart parking lot. They looked at each other, and both realized the cat had obviously hidden itself somewhere in the bowels of the coach chassis upon leaving Forest City.

Steve grabbed a flashlight and crawled under the coach on his back, shining the light upward into all the nooks and crannies he could find, looking for the hitchhiker. This was to no avail and, once back inside the coach for a while, he and Jackie realized that they had heard no more meowing, so they hoped the cat had found its way out. They couldn't be sure, of course, and Jackie continued to have the nagging fear that the cat might be injured and unable to move.

After a quiet night, Steve and Jackie got on the road early and decided to stop at a Blue Beacon truck wash in Glendale, Kentucky for a wash job. Steve was quite pleased with the result and was gratified that the attendants washed the underside of the coach thoroughly. Still not sure that the cat had exited, he asked if any of the guys had seen a cat run out, what with all the spraying going on. They replied that they hadn't. His expectations were buoyed, then, that the hitchhiker had indeed left the coach at Bowling Green.

Reaching Chillicothe and extending the slides at their new RV park, they heard the now familiar "meow," which caused great alarm for Jackie, who was wondering how this poor creature had survived the journey with no food or water and perhaps having been injured, all the while avoiding the flood at the truck wash.

So, back under the coach went Steve with his flashlight, but again, no kitty was visible. It was at this point that I got a call from Jackie, wondering if I had any ideas about how to find the cat. I suggested that they first call the city animal control department and humane society--which they had already done, including the fire department, and none of these offered any help. I then suggested that they remove the engine cover in the bedroom and see if they could get a look from another perspective. Steve took the cover off, but again couldn't see the cat's lair.

Jackie put a small bowl of canned tuna on top of the exposed engine, then Steve replaced the engine cover and the two of them left the coach and went into town. Upon returning, the bowl was licked clean. From this evidence, they were relieved to know that the cat wasn't stuck somewhere and could exit the coach if it wanted to, which it, in fact did, as the cat could also be heard in and around a small shed in back of the coach at times. This cat was obviously not going to leave, as it now had a second home in addition to its hiding place in the coach!

Believing it a Divine inspiration for her to rescue this cat in one way or another, Jackie began trying to find a live trap somewhere. She called the animal shelter and tried posting on Facebook, but no help. Finally, Steve's brother came up with one, and they set the trap with another bowl of tuna for bait. 

After a while, they checked the trap and found the tuna gone and the trip plate intact. So, they set the trap again, and this time--success! In the trap was a very scared calico kitten about four or five months old. 

Jackie's plan was to take the kitten to the vet for a cleanup, exam, shots and spay/neuter the next morning, then to look for a rescue group to help find it a home. She was relating the story to a couple in a nearby RV, who said, believe it or not, that they love cats and had been looking for one! They asked to see the cat and fell in love with it, gladly taking it and naming it "Arkie," in honor of its birthplace. 

The new owners of the cat soon left the park and returned to their home in Columbus, sending back to Steve and Jackie photos of its adjustment to the new surroundings, much to their delight.

Now perhaps this story is a little schmaltzy, especially to those who aren't sure why God made cats, but in a world as crass and uncaring as ours seems today, it gave me a warm feeling that we count good people like Steve and Jackie among our friends. For if they would go to such trouble and potential expense to save a mere kitten, I can't imagine what they would do for their friends and loved ones. God bless you good folks; we're so honored to know you!  

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.


 

Calendars, Checklists, Organizers and Cooking Soup

At Sunset Shores RV Park, Willis, Texas...

When we're not traveling, I tend to write blog posts less often--usually around once a week--and then only after a subject coalesces in my mind that I think may be at least mildly interesting to readers. Today's subject was prompted after reading the fine blog of Patsy Irene's. She and her husband, Bill, are newly-retired Canadian fulltimers who are about to embark on their first trip to warmer country as snowbirds. Their excitement makes for a fun read. 

Patsy was explaining their means of organizing themselves using to-do lists and checklists, and that got me to thinking about our own means of organizing our lives. We too, have a to-do list and a checklist, along with a paper calendar. Since we are fairly computer and smart-phone literate for older geezers, we have successfully moved from a paper to-do list to a list on our iPhones. Since Sandy's and my phones are cloud-connected, the to-do list is shared, using the "Reminders" app that is on every iPhone screen. When either of us adds to or deletes from the to-do list, the change appears on both phones. It works fine for us, and it was a relief to get rid of the little pocket notebook I used to carry.

Going to an electronic calendar, however, proved to be fruitless. There were too many changes and too much keypunching to suit us. We finally gave up on trying that and printed our own looseleaf calendar that always resides in the pocket behind the driver's seat. We make entries in pencil mostly, due to the need for corrections as our plans change. There's just something about having the paper calendar in our hands that makes it easier to ponder and discuss our upcoming plans. This has become more important since we began fulltiming, as our plans need to be made farther ahead to ensure we have the appropriate reservations or appointments wherever we go.

As far as checklists go, I definitely use a departure checklist. The importance of using a checklist when piloting an airplane was not lost on me, obviously, because I am still alive after 15,000 hours of flying. Operating an RV, of course, is not nearly as critical as a jet airliner, but it is still a big, complex machine that can humble your pride and your pocketbook pretty quickly if you forget something important. My checklist is nothing exotic, just a printed list affixed to the wall just to the left of the driver's chair, and I refer to it without fail before each departure. So far--knock on wood--this has served me well.

As far as organizing things in the coach, we don't go overboard here because excessive organizing seems to defeat the purpose of being retired; it's like having a job again! We've read about folks who keep up a detailed inventory of every single item they carry aboard their RV; well, that's impressive, but I think I had rather just misplace a few things now and then. The same thing applies to keeping a detailed budget. I admire folks who are that organized, but our budget is to spend money when we have it and not to spend it when we don't. We maintain a modest slush fund on the side to take care of unforeseen expenses and vehicle maintenance and then manage the major investments according to market conditions.

We do have a few helpful gadgets like these stackable trays (Container Store's) in the overhead bins. They pretty much double the usable space:

In the belly, we have in one compartment a pullout tray that slides from either side of the bus and, in another, this plastic drawer unit we found at Target:

In other places inside the coach, we use a lot of these plastic tubs to contain things that would otherwise tip over and roll around when enroute:

Fortunately, Tiffin is generous with storage space, so we don't feel jammed at all. Sandy would say that Tiffin wasn't generous enough with closet space, but I think she would say that if the entire coach were a closet. I will give her credit where it is due, however; considering the closet(s) she had in our stick and brick houses, she has done a remarkable job of paring down her wardrobe for fulltiming, and it's still an ongoing project, as she finds clothes now and then that she rarely wears and removes them.

In the refrigerator, we keep things in these clear plastic trays to keep jars and beverages from tipping over and spilling. We learned the hard way on this one.

All of the important papers we need to have accessible can be housed in this accordion folder (Wal-Mart). Critical documents and valuables are in a fireproof safe in an undisclosed location. Operating manuals for the coach are kept in a briefcase behind the driver's seat.

This chairside table has a lid that opens up. Outside and inside casual shoes are kept in there.

So that's about it in terms of being organized. There is a storage compartment under the lift-up bed, of course, and certain other areas of private access that we don't advertise.

As far as keeping up with Phannie's maintenance schedule, I used to obsess over that a bit, but I have mostly turned that over to Bay Diesel in Red Bay, Alabama or Inland Truck in Irving, Texas, where I let them keep up with it on annual visits. They do a comprehensive analysis and take care of what's needed. I've grown to trust them after nearly six years, and the results speak for themselves.

We had the first cool front of the season to arrive rather meekly a couple of evenings ago. It was just cool enough to inspire me to fix a big pot of vegetable soup. It was really good, but it made a lot. We'll have some to freeze and give away.

This is one of those soups that doesn't really have a recipe. I just clean out the refrigerator and voila'!  This one has tomatoes, onion, cabbage, green pepper, carrots, corn, beans, sausage and ground beef in a tomato and beef broth. The seasoning? Three envelopes: Onion soup mix, vegetable soup mix (Knorr's) and ranch dressing mix along with a small amount of ketchup. Super easy and oh, so good. Wish you were here; I'd give you some to take home.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Enjoying Fulltiming Freedom Near Conroe, Texas

At Sunset Shores RV Park, Willis, Texas...

Over a leisurely breakfast, Sandy and I were talking about our impressions of fulltiming at nine months into the lifestyle. I'm not sure what sparked the subject of our conversation; perhaps it was our beautiful view of the lake out our window or watching the squirrels play in the tall trees nearby in the near-perfect weather. Perhaps it was our anticipation of the grandsons and their parents coming out to the lake for a cookout.

It's probably not unusual for new fulltimers to take an occasional assessment after having changed their lifestyle so radically. It is only human nature to wonder if we made the right choice and whether there are any regrets in selling the house and reducing our living space by 80 percent. I'll go ahead and tell you that the answer is a resounding NO!  No regrets!

It seems odd that our outlook on living arrangements could have changed so radically in such a short time. All it took was a two-month motorhome trip to the Pacific northwest for us to see that continuing to maintain a house didn't make much sense. We were rarely there, and we've already written here about the time, expense, effort and worry that went along with home ownership. It also seems odd that we view differently now the grand houses we drive by whose owners we once envied; we actually find ourselves happy we're not in their shoes!  Why? Because they are walled in, tethered to one spot and not free to be wherever else they would like to be. We realize, of course, that this is driven largely by our awareness that we have fewer days ahead of us than are behind us. Forty years of keeping up a house was enough; now it's time to be free of it and indulge our dreams.

That brings us to our month-long stay near the kids and their visit to our RV park at Lake Conroe. We cherish the freedom to come here and be near them for as long as we wish, careful not to be underfoot so as to create extra work for them in their busy lives. We also try to help them logistically as much we can, our goal being to contribute more than we take away. It seems to be working, as they have not moved away and left no forwarding address. Here are some photos from their visit to the lake and some other places we've taken the boys:

Our spot at Lake Conroe

Our Adopted Family of Ducks at our RV Space

Watching the boats go by

Pryce and his dad, Tyler, doing some fishing

Pryce and Mason relax at our lakeside RV spot

Arriving at Trader Joe's. This store will never be the same.

A crown is a must at Burger King

When spoons just get in the way

So, you can see we're having a grand time; we think this is the best season of our lives. 
Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Ten, No, Eleven RV Essentials for Fulltiming

At Northlake Village RV Park, Roanoke, Texas...

We got through the wedding without any known hiccup or embarrassment (I think). Our cousin, the bride, was beautiful, and we had a good time seeing all the friends and relatives at this joyous event. As anticipated, however, the outdoor ceremony was a trifle warm, with temperatures in the low 90s. Well, let's be clear: It was pretty danged HOT! Now I'm not about to question this venue choice in the summertime in Texas, but being in love and having sound judgment are almost always mutually exclusive, aren't they?

As we visited with friends and family, there were the inevitable questions about our fulltiming gig, and we enjoyed the full spectrum of reactions. Some professed great admiration and a desire to do the same thing, and others looked at us as if we had just shown up in tinfoil hats. And that's fine; they would never get it anyway.

Some who expressed the most interest in the lifestyle were likely to ask followup questions. One guy who already owned an RV but hadn't yet gone full time asked me to name the top ten RV accessories that I would consider essential for fulltime RVing. I had to think for a minute, but I finally came up with it. And these are they, in order of importance:

1. A residential refrigerator. Nothing else we have bought for Phannie makes it seem so much like a home. 

2. The third air conditioner. In Texas, a 40' motorhome should not be without it.

3. Washer and dryer. Happy wife, happy life.

We debated whether to replace the Splendide washer/dryer combo with separate units, but Sandy made peace with it and decided the extra space was more important to her. So far, so good.


4. The Winegard Trav'ler automated satellite antenna. Push a single button and all of Direct TV is yours with zero hassle.

 5. The hard-wired Surge Guard surge protector. No more worries about what kind of power you're plugging into. If it's not good power, Surge Guard will reject it.

6. MCD shades. The old accordion things were a source of constant frustration.

7. The electric power cord reel. This has saved me so much aggravation, it probably needs to be higher on the list.

8. TST tire pressure monitor. Peace of mind when towing Mae. There's no telling how far she otherwise might be dragged with a flat tire. We tried two other brands before we found this one, which is a keeper.

9. Computer desk and easy chairs. Taking out one of the couches and replacing it with these things was smart--very smart.

10. The Breville electric oven. Pricey, but such an improvement over the factory-issued microwave/convection oven.

As I was writing this, I thought of number eleven: Our king-sized iComfort mattress. You should not scrimp on the place where you'll be spending much of your life sleeping. This model happens to be our favorite. 

So, there it is--the top ten, er, eleven. In our mind, these things proved to be essential for our fulltime lifestyle, and we absolutely would not want to omit any one of them. This list would certainly be different for other fulltimers--perhaps significantly--but this is what works for us. 

We are in the DFW area for three more days, then to Lake Conroe and the grandkids. Yay! 

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if don't appreciate it enough each day.

Dropping In On Our Old Stomping Grounds in DFW

At Northlake Village RV Park, Roanoke, Texas...

After catching up with family and friends in Killeen, we relocated back to the DFW area to prepare for attending the upcoming wedding and take care of the never-ending medical/dental appointments and, of course, Sandy's visit to her hairdresser--easily the most important appointment of our stay here. 

While in Killeen, we met up with some of Sandy's relatives--the Boales clan--for lunch:

We also caught up with longtime friends, Rev. and Mrs. John Abbey and some of their lovely family:

Not pictured was a fine steak dinner with Sandy's Uncle Mac and Aunt Janie and a visit with her Aunt Virginia. It's not that I didn't want to include their photos, I just forgot to take them! I really get annoyed at the absent-mindedness that comes with getting old. 

When we arrived in the DFW area, we were still dealing with temperatures in the mid-nineties, as I knew we would face but, in the last few days, the weather has begun to moderate a bit. I think I saw 92 degrees briefly today. Upon walking around Phannie, getting her set up in our new parking space here in the park, I noticed that one of the outside rear tires looked a bit low. I had not seen this before, as I check the tires frequently and have never allowed the pressure to get low enough to see a visible belly on a tire. I hit it with the gauge and found it at 60 psi instead of the normal 100! I summoned a mobile tire service through Coach Net, and the tech found that the valve extension was leaking. I had him remove it, and I'll just make do without it, as I have the backward fittings on my tire gauge and on the inflator I use with the portable compressor. (If you are a guy, you'll probably know what I'm talking about; if you're a gal, you probably don't care.) And, by the way, if it's not politically correct to say that, ask me if it bothers me. (It doesn't.)

We went with Bubba and LouAnn to see the movie, "Sully." I must say that I enjoyed it a great deal, having flown as an airline pilot myself. The technical aspects of the flying depicted in the film were surprisingly accurate--something that can't be said about many films in this genre. However, having perhaps a somewhat unique perspective of a second career with the FAA, I can tell you that the roles of the federal investigators were a bit unfairly portrayed, but I attribute that to the film makers' quest for protagonists for a more dramatic effect. While watching the film, it occurred to me that, except in simulator training, I had never lost even one engine in a jet airliner, much less two at the same time--especially problematic when two is all you've got! Captain Sullenberger is a credit to our profession, and I can only hope that I would have performed so well under those awful circumstances.  

We'll be here another week, then off to visit the grands near Houston. Stick around!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Prisoners in Texas (Prisoners of Air Conditioning, That Is)

At Cicada Springs RV Park, Killeen, Texas...

I knew it would be bad. During our reentry into Texas, my gaze fixed on the outside air temp gauge on Phannie's dash as we crossed the New Mexico/Texas state line. I had already seen 96 degrees at Roswell, so I was fearful that it could get much worse. We cruised through Midland, San Angelo, Brady and San Saba into Killeen, during which the temperature only increased to 99, so at least we didn't make it into triple digits. But 99 was bad enough.

I wouldn't have been so obsessed about the temperature had it not been for our being spoiled by the idyllic summer spent in Colorado and New Mexico, where we often ran the heater in the mornings. But, the longer we're here, the more accustomed I am becoming to being coachbound, as Phannie's air conditioners seem to run incessantly, keeping us from a certain death by heatstroke. Spending any time outdoors is out of the question for a few weeks longer, I'm afraid.

We overnighted in Midland at the Midland RV Park, a dusty, gravelly place with lots of long term trailers and a howling wind that caught Phannie's entry door as I opened it and jerked it out of my hand, testing the integrity of the door stops. They held with no damage, but I looked at them closely to see if anything had pulled loose. The wind had been blowing like crazy out of the south since we left Roswell and, needless to say, Phannie's fuel economy was abysmal. I didn't even check the computer to see what it was; I really didn't want to know.

We are visiting friends and relatives in the Killeen area before heading up to Fort Worth for medical/dental appointments and to attend the wedding that is the purpose of our early return to our beloved state. (Although you couldn't tell from my constant complaining about the weather here, we still love Texas, although perhaps not quite as much from June through September, when it is largely uninhabitable.)

Phannie's windshield and front cap are very bug-spattered after our dash from Santa Fe. In my mind, this makes the coach look unkempt--something like this classy rig:

Okay, that may be a bit overblown, but I notice this coach has its cockpit door open, which probably means that they, too, are in Texas in September.

I'm still working up the courage to go outside and wash off the bugs. On the other hand, I may just wait until we get to Fort Worth and get the mobile wash folks to do the whole rig. That would make more sense than calling the paramedics, I think.

Trapped inside Phannie as we were, we decided to to a little housecleaning. (Well, just to be accurate, it wasn't WE who decided that.) I was put in charge of vacuuming the floor and polishing the woodwork. Here's a photo of Sandy, showing me how it was to be done:

She had to show me over and over, because I was having trouble understanding the concept. She said that I was perhaps the poorest student she had ever had in her 30 years of teaching. I actually took a bit of pride in this, as I really hadn't exceeded any of my teachers' expectations back when I was in school. I finally figured out the process, however, but it didn't take long for this to become a real chore. There is much more wood in Phannie than I realized!

Well, that's enough for now; I have to rest up. Check back in a few days to see if we're still alive.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.

Roswell

At Midway RV Park, Roswell, New Mexico...

This is merely a one-night stop for us, so we were looking for a budget parking space, and we found it. This little park is about five miles out of town and is inhabited mostly by permanent residents. There are several paved pull-thrus with fifty-amp power and water but, oddly, no sewer connections. Fortunately, Phannie's waste tanks were empty, so we didn't need the sewer connection anyway. The rate was a dirt cheap fifteen bucks with Passport America, so we were pretty happy with this find for a single night stay. However, we happened to notice the huge cattle feed lot nearby and considered our good fortune that the wind was from the south, blowing the "aroma" away from us. If it hadn't been, that may have been a show stopper for us.

Arriving here from Santa Fe was a bit of a jolt, in that the outside air temperature had reached 96 degrees as we were parking. We knew we were going to encounter this kind of heat again after our idyllic summer in the mountains, but we thought it would more likely be when we got all the way into Texas. When we left Phannie's cool air conditioned comfort and stepped out into the hellish heat at Roswell, we looked at each other and thought the same thing: "What were we thinking?"

I think Sandy finally had a heatstroke while we were downtown Roswell, as told me she thought she saw a large alien while walking along Main Street. I don't know where she gets these ideas...

Tomorrow night will be in Midland, Texas, on our way to Killeen to visit friends and relatives.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.