A quaint little drinking couple with a camping problem!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Been Kicked Out Of Texas

Howdy and how is everybody this evening?  For those of you in the upper Midwest, I hope you're enjoying the warm weather I have sent your direction.  I wanted to make sure that white stuff was gone before we started back your way.  Just don't forget to cover your pipes if the temperature returns to below 37*.

You may have noticed in the title of this blog. Yes, we have been kicked out of Texas.  In the last two to three weeks, if you have been watching the news, you surely heard about the uprising in Egypt and other locations in the Middle East.  What you haven't heard, at least on Fox News, is the uprising in Houston, TX.  It all started a couple of weeks ago then the weather forecasters started talking about the temperature getting down to 37* and even colder.  Everyone was advised to stay home as it was too dangerous to go outside.  Schools were all closed because the children would have to walk in the cold from the car to the school building.  And of all things, the non-essential government workers were told to stay home and still get paid for the day.  (Here's a point to ponder.  If you have a non-essential someone on your payroll  and you really don't need them, and your business is running just fine without them, why have them?)  Did I remind you to cover your pipes?  Anyway back to what really happened.  Well this weather scare started an uprising in the Houston area.  This is the second year in a row this kind of weather has happened in January/February and the locals were up in arms.  Well, Shari's cousin Jerry just happened to mention in the barber shop the Frantz clan from Iowa were here both winters during the cold and, jokingly mentioned they may have brought the weird cold weather with them.  That was all it took.  Committees were formed to find out about this Frantz clan and where they were located.  We were traced first from Gladewater, down to Tomball, and finally to San Jacinto Riverfront RV Resort in Highlands.  When we were found that's when the protests started.  Again, don't forget to cover your pipes.  The protesters came out by the thousands.  They were unrelenting.  Finally, Sunday morning, the Happy Couple could take it no more.  You folks in stick homes, for you to move you have to find a realtor, list your home, leave during the open houses, accept an offer with the contingency on selling another house, wait for bank approval, and finally the closing.  With this housing market, this may take a year or two.  The Happy Couple, when they want to move, they pack everything away, unhook the hoses and power line, hook up the truck to the house, and away they go.  About two hours max on a bad day.  Fearless Dave always says "If we don't like our neighbor we just pack up and leave".  Anyway, about 10:00 AM, with me leading the way, we took US 90 to Beaumont and got on to TX 12 and snuck into Louisiana.  Fearless Dave told me to stay off the the big road.  Where we ended up is Coushatta Luxury RV Resort near Kinder, LA.  This campground is a very high rated RV park with everything you could want for a hide-away and very inexpensive.  Jesse James would have been proud.  You stay here for 3 nights and get a 4th and 5th night free.  Even the village idiot can spell free.  Anyway, we are here until Friday.  Again, from here, who knows.  It will probably be with whoever will take us in.  Those places are few and far between.

While we were at Highlands, our leader did take a trip to the San Jacinto Monument, located about 3 miles from the campground.  The monument grounds is a Texas State Park where, on April 21, 1836 after the Battle of San Jacinto, Santa Anna surrendered to the Texans, which allowed Texas to declare its independence from Mexico which, 10 years later, lead to them becoming the 28th state of the union.  Fearless Dave says it was a very short battle, about 20 minutes, and thinks Old Santa Anna  just quit fighting because he didn't like the area all that well anyway.  It gets really hot and humid in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter.  Clear down to the lower 30's some nights.  When it's that cold you HAVE to cover your pipes.  While at the park Dave, our resident health nut, decided to take a walk on a nature trail through the marsh land of the park.  This is a 3 1/4 mile loop trail and Dave walked until he reached the 2 mile marker.  Being  tired because he is so far out of shape, and thinking he couldn't finish the loop, he turned around and retraced his steps to the truck.  DAHHHHHHHH  On the return trip he said he turned a corner on the trail and a wild boar crossed the trail in front of him.  (No camera - no pictures)  He said the thing stood about 2 1/2 feet tall and weighed about 250 lbs and was as black as black could be.  Thinking maybe he was seeing things, he asked a park ranger if what he saw was really what he thinks he saw.  The ranger confirmed the sighting was very possible as there are many of them in the park and they do a considerable amount of damage to the grounds.  The ranger told our leader he could take him home if he wanted but, fortunately for us, Dave declined. And we could have had pork chops for dinner.

What did you think of the Super Bowl?  I thought it was a good game but half time has to go.  The NFL should insist there be fewer Black Eyed Peas and more clothing malfunctions in the future.  The commercials weren't even very inspiring this year.  Maybe I'm just getting old.

Yesterday morning I asked the Happy Couple what they were going to do for the day.  Since they didn't have anything planned, I told them to jump in the truck and I would take them on a road trip.  With Driver Dave driving, and me guiding, we went into the bayou country of southern Louisiana. After a lunch stop at a local restaurant in Kaplan (Dave wolfed down a catfish po-boy) I took them to Avery Island where McIlhenny Tabasco Pepper Sauce is made.  You could call it the world headquarters for McIlhenny as it is the only place in the world where it is made.  They bottle over 700,000 bottles per day, 4 days a week, shipping it to 160 countries in the world, with labels in 22 languages.  This stop is very well worth the time if you are ever in the area.  After about an hour and a half of learning and shopping we continued on our road trip on LA-82 down along the gulf in the middle of no man's land.  This highway is a long desolate strip of blacktop in a swamp.  There are a few homes and, also, almost a town but nothing else.  My advice, if you ever drive this route, go into it with a full tank of fuel and an empty badder.  It is about 90 miles from one convenient store to the next one.  It is a nice drive and interesting to see the homes down there that have been damaged by various hurricanes and storms.  A lot of people live down there full time but I don't think the Clan will be moving there anytime soon.  You can be 45 miles from the nearest store and 60 to 70 miles to the nearest Walmart.  You just can't survive without Walmart.  We returned home about 6:00 PM.

Being home by sundown was very important.  Granddaughter Emma plays on the West Burlington Falcons basketball team (17 - 2) and they had a very important game last night.  They were playing Mediapolis in the regional quarterfinals of the state basketball tournament.  The game was being broadcast on KBUR radio in Burlington and the Happy Couple could receive it on the computer.  The Falcons won by 3 points and are now waiting to play Van Buren Friday night at Mt. Pleasant in the regional semifinals.  West Burlington and Van Buren have spilt their two games this year, so this is the rubber game.  GO Falcons!!!  As a junior, Emma does not start for the Falcons but does play a lot as either point guard or off guard.  I think she gets the basketball talent from her grandmother Shari.  I understand Shari was a star as a Crawfordsville Cyclone.  (Or is that Cyclown.  I keep getting those mixed up.)

Today has been kind of a quiet day for the travelers.  Mutli-talented Dave cooked breakfast outside this morning.  It only took 6 eggs to get 3 that were edible.  After cleaning up his mess, the two of them took a walk to a casino which is located next to the campground.  They could have ridden a free shuttle bus but decided to walk over and ride the bus back.  About an hour later, I saw them walking back from the casino.  I asked Stupid why he was walking instead of riding the free shuttle and he said after that experience he was so broke he couldn't afford to ride the free bus.  I tell you things are really interesting around here some times.  Shari and Moe just shake their heads and try not to take anything he says, or does, too seriously.

That should get you up to date for now.  I know I missed something these two have done but right now I can't think of what it could be.  I'm going to have to teach Moe how to write so she can start taking notes for me.  Sometimes the Happy Couple just move too fast for me.

Until next time, as aways. (If it gets below 37* don't forget to cover those pipes!)

Tag

Friday, February 4, 2011

Snow In Houston

We Are In The Tundra!

Hello from the frozen tundra, better known as Houston, TX.

I know I haven't written for awhile, the last you heard from me the Happy Couple had me in Shueyville, IA, but a lot has been going on and I haven't taken time to steal the computer.  As you know, Shari's Dad, John Hamil, passed away January 22 and we made a hurried trip back to Iowa.  More about that in a little bit.

To get you up to date, the Happy Couple spent the remainder of 2010 in the Cedar Rapids area, finishing with a lavish dinner party New Year's Eve at the mansion of Les and Sherry Minor.  In attendance was the usual Friday night support group of the Hawkins, Zahradniks, Minors, and Frantzs but also, Mike and Kathi Benner.  The Benners drove from Sanborn, IA especially to join in the festivities and, for Mike to get a free meal.  A fun time was had by all!

The next morning, Dave, Shari, Moe, and I jumped into the car and started south.  Old Fearless Dave told me my guiding expertise would not be needed that day as he knew where we were headed.  I asked him where that might be and he told me Miami and he knew the way.  So Moe and I jumped into the back seat and slowly drifted off to sleep with visions of warm Florida sunshine, the beaches of South Beach, young ladies in bikinis, and a fancy high rise hotel.  Don't you think Moe would look great in a two piece?  Anyway, about 4:30 PM good old Dave, our on-duty tour guide, stopped the car and announced we were in Miami.  I jumped out of the car and about froze to death.  Then I found out we were in Miami, OK and it was 32 degrees.  No Beach!  No Warm Weather!  No Bikini-clad Ladies!  No Fancy Hotel!  No, nothing but a Super 8 Motel and football games.  YUK!  So much for Dave doing the guiding.  From now on it is me or Maxine (the lady which does the commentary on  Garmin).  We just can't trust him no more.  On Jan. 2nd I took over and we continued our trip to Gladewater, TX and Shallow Creek RV Resort.  After a couple days of getting the house back in order, and seeing Joe and Renee Hanrahan's new country estate near Omaha, TX,  the Happy Couple decided to move to the Houston area.  So on Jan 6th, I skillfully guided them to Corral RV Park in Tomball, TX, which is a suburb northwest of Houston.  The park was a very nice park but Dave and Shari decided it wasn't the area of Houston they wanted to be in so, after a week, we moved to San Jacinto Riverfront RV Resort in Highlands, TX,.  This is a 300 unit park located on the San Jacinto River on the east side of Houston.  This place is great, with a great view of the San Jacinto river out our rear window.  The sunsets are fabulous. 

While here in Houston, the clan has spent a couple of days with Shari's cousin Jerry, and his wife Cheryl, in Kingwood.  Moe loves to go to J & C's as they have a fenced-in back yard with trees which means a lot of great squirrel chasing.  Shari and Dave also like to go visit as there is always a lot of great friendship and great food.  On Jan. 16th, friends Ed and Deb Romeo from Moline, IL. showed up at San Jac on their way to Mission, TX.  With them came a change in the weather.  For the most part, it has been cold and rainy since their arrival.  One day it did warm up enough that Shari and Ed were able to get in 9 holes of golf.  Since the Village Idiot doesn't play golf anymore, he walks along and gives everyone else technical advise.  Shari and Ed said he did up until the 7th hole.  That was when a little high school girl came up behind them and Dave invited her to join them.  Shari and Ed said they never saw much of The Idiot until they got back to the truck.  Sad isn't it?

This brings us up to date to where you received the updates from Shari about her Dad.  Shari had been expecting this phone call since we left Iowa Jan.1st.  She and Dave said their goodbyes to John on New Year's Eve day knowing he would not be with them when they returned in April.  About 1:00 PM on Jan. 22nd, an amazing man returned to his Maker.  John had a great 92 years and through those years raised a great family and made a ton of friends.  He will be missed.  That afternoon we (Shari, Dave, Moe, and I) jumped into the truck and went back to Iowa.  After battling a snow and ice storm in Missouri, we arrived in Washington, IA on Sunday about 5:00 PM to see Shari's Mom, Betty, and her brother John.  After a quiet visit we journeyed on to Burlington where we stayed with Mark and Beth Steingreaber for the week.  The sad couple spent a lot of time going between Burlington and Washington for the next few days with John's funeral being on Wednesday morning.  A lot of tears were shed Wednesday.  A lot because he was gone and was being missed, but also a lot were shed while remembering all the great things he had done in his life.  The man always had a smile on his face and knew how to make others smile.  It was just too bad he always insisted on being a Cub fan.  I asked Dave what most he remembers about John.  He told me it was the way John always said goodbye to him.  He told me when he was leaving John, whether it be at his home, at a restaurant, at a ballgame, after a bus trip, or anywhere, he would always hear John yell "See ya Dave".  Dave said he would turn around and there would be John standing there with a smile on his face.  Dave said he always answered "See ya John" knowing the next time they saw each other, John would still have that smile.  Dave told me that, at the funeral, when he and Shari went to see John before they closed the casket, he could hear John's voice say "See ya Dave" and Dave answered "See ya John".  Now it is my job to lead Stupid in the right direction to make sure those two meet again.

After the funeral and a couple of Emma's basketball games, Dave asked me to guide us back to Highlands which I did Saturday and Sunday.  We got back here to only one day of warm weather.  While all our northern friends were preparing for a little snow early this week, Dave was walking around in shorts on Monday.  I'll tell you that changed in a hurry on Tuesday.  The last two days the highs here have been in the mid 30s which is about 30 degrees below normal.  Talk about cold!  This whole Houston area closes down when it gets cold.  Yesterday the weather forecasters were predicting one to three inches of snow and the whole area closed down.  All government office, schools, businesses are closed today.  How much snow did we get?  None.  We received just a light drizzle thru the night, but by 10:00 AM that was gone.  These Texans sure are a tough bunch, I'll tell you.

What is in our future?  We will be here in Highlands at San Jac until the 12 of February and then who knows.  D & S have talked about the hill country of Texas, Gulf Shores, AL, and the peninsula of Florida.  Your guess is as good as mine.  That is why I write the blog.  To try to keep you informed. When I know where we land I'll try to let you know in a timely fashion.

Until then keep warm.

Tag