Phannie

Phannie
Photo taken near Monument Valley, Utah

Friday, June 15, 2012

Miscellany

At home in Fort Worth

Sandy and I are more or less tethered to our home base for the next few months as we navigate our way through surgeries to replace some of our parts that have worn out.  It was just last week when brave Sandy had two procedures--a septoplasty and carpal tunnel surgery--done at the same time on the same operating table.  I certainly understand her desire to get both of these over with at once, but she looked pretty beaten up for a few days.  She is definitely a trooper!  


Next for her will be knee replacement surgery, to be done as soon as she has the use of her hand again.  This will be knee number two for her, and she's looking forward to getting relief from the pain.  Next will be a hip replacement for me, but not until Sandy is pretty well mended from the knee ordeal.  


Even with all of this piling up at once, we still consider ourselves blessed, as our medical issues have been relatively minor for a very long time. Many of our friends and acquaintances have suffered devastating illnesses and losses of family members to terrible diseases, so our current issues are almost unworthy of mention.  


However, that will not keep me from whining about not getting to scratch our traveling itch for a while.  Poor Phannie must think she has been abandoned.  I  am faithful to start her up, run through the gears and exercise  the generator every couple of weeks, but this is just teasing her, and I'm sure she resents it.

Sad Phannie
On a happier note, the DFW Metroplex is getting its first Trader Joe's store today, opening in Fort Worth.  We have never had an opportunity to visit one of these popular markets, and we're thinking about giving it a try this weekend, although with some trepidation due to the anticipated crowds.  I know that a number of you have had positive comments about Trader Joe's, and I do know that they offer some unique items.  Since the RV blog community is a very discerning bunch, I would be interested in some of your 'must-haves' from Trader Joe's.
New Trader Joe's in Fort Worth


Finally, I am including some helpful hint videos for your amusement and edification.  I'm sure these are making their way around the web, but I hadn't seen them before--pretty cool tricks, I thought:  1) closing a potato chip bag without a clip; 2) peeling a boiled egg; and 3) getting a cork out of a wine bottle.




15 comments:

  1. Good luck with all your surgeries here's wishing you speedy recoveries. And love the videos, pretty neat tricks!

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  2. We make it a point NOT to shop at Trader Joe's on the week end. It's like being in Times Square on New Years Eve! We love T.J.'s Kalmata olive oil! Such a good flavor. Of course, there is Two Buck Chuck. The Yogurt is fab, shall I continue???? EVERYTHING is good!

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  3. Absolutely try the Two Buck Chuck :) I would wait a couple weeks though. Let the crowds die down.

    Great videos! I need to try that egg one!

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  4. Potato chip bags and hard boiled eggs...LOOK OUT...I've got your secret! Mwaaahaha.

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  5. At some point down the road my wife is going to need both her knees replaced. I got a hip that maybe has another 10,000 miles on it, then it's going to need some closer study. Not looking forward to any of it.
    Hope it all goes well. Sandy is certainly tougher than me. Thankfully I've managed to keep from buggering up anything else. Don't think I'd want all that cutting and stitching.
    Good luck.

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  6. glad to hear that Sandy made it through two out of three already!..hope that her recovery is a quick one and she can get on with the next one!
    the videos are great ideas..except the potato chip one?..he broke all the chips banging the bag around!..lol..have a great weekend!!

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  7. That's fun stuff! I will enjoy entertaining my grandkids with that stuff. Thanks!

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  8. Best wishes for both of you to have raid recoveries from your surgeries. Those are pretty neat videos but I wouldn't want to eat deviled eggs at that fella's house!

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  9. Nice posting about . I remeber I have visited your blog one more time when you have posted something about Camping

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  10. Trader Joe's is our favorite chef! We love buying the prepared meals they make while we're on the road. Can't beat them for quality or cost - we especially like the Chicken Marsala.

    I had Carpal Tunnel Surgery several years ago on one wrist so I kind of know what Sandy's going through with that one. It's great to have 2 out of the way and good luck with the third.

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  11. We just went to a Trader Joe's grand opening in the Woodlands in TX. It was CRAZY! We're going to go back when things calm down. Looks like a really great store. Good luck on your surgeries and heal quickly so you can get back out on the road. Our Phaeton is getting hitch itch along with us after spending a month here in hot, humid Spring, TX.

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  12. I love reading your blog so I've given you "The Versatile Blogger" Award! Your informative videos really took the cake!

    Visit my blog at http://travelbug-susan.blogspot.com/2012/06/versatile-blogger-award-post.html to pick up your award!

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  13. First time reader...saw you on the Bayfield Bunch. Just wanted to say you are indeed fortunate to have a Trader Joe's nearby. Our nearest is a good hour away but we do stop by whenever we are passing anyway. NUTS is one of the best things we prefer to buy there. If you have Whole FOODS too, the rule is to check at TJ's first, then Whole Foods...as if TJ's has it, it will be cheaper there. They have some excellent meat there...Kosher even. The one we go to almost always has some kind of taster going on...so you can try out things first. They have some excellent store brand pop too. They cram so much into a very small space, that it takes time to learn what to get. Good price on Grapeseed Oil which is oh so delightful to cook with. Various yummy noodles, both gluten free and wheat. Some very nice pizzas, fish, etc in the frozen section. We love to cook with shallots, and they are pretty cheap there. You have to watch the fresh section...we prefer to buy USA food, so read the information there if that is important to you. Elizabeth in NC

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