Christmas Greetings from the Frantz Family

I had to beg Tag to let us use the computer for just a bit and he finally relented.  WHEW!!!!

It is Christmas, that wonderful time of year when our hearts are filled with gratitude for our good friends and loved ones.  Naturally we thought of you!!!

It is our wish for each of you that your home be filled with happiness, your hearts with love, and your days with joy at Christmas and always. 

Shari, Dave and Moe

YIKES!!

Yikes, I just looked to see when I updated this blog and I just realized something.  I HAVEN'T!  I understand how time would fly by if you are old and gray like my buddy Dave, but I'm not that old and I am certainly not gray.

Well, as promised in the last update, we have left Iowa and have made our way all the way to Texas.  It only took us 6 weeks to make the journey.  After a couple of nights in North Liberty and a night in Osage Beach, Mo. we made it to Branson.  Stupid's highlight of Branson was eating at Famous Dave's BBQ.  He says if you ever eat at one, make sure you get the mac and cheese.  He says it's to die for.  We stayed at Branson for 11 nights and the happy couple never went to one show in a theater.  The tightwad took Shari to a couple free shows at the Branson Mall.  One day he took her to see Johnny Cash and another to see Elvis.  He said they were great because they were free.  I did tour them around quite a bit to see Christmas lights and eat and shop. 

After leaving Branson, I guided them on a trip through the hills and hollows of Arkansas to Hot Springs.  My friend, Dave, asked if there is a better place to spend Shari's birthday than in Hot Springs?  He did manage to take her out for her birthday to a great BBQ restaurant called McClards.  This place has been in business since 1922 and they both said the food was fantastic.  After 3 days of sightseeing we moved on down to Mt. Pleasant, TX.  While in Mt. Pleasant the Happy Couple spent a fair amount of time at the Marks' compound at the End of the World.  The Marks' compound is where Joe & Renee Hanrahan have built their vacation cabin.  The Happy Couple were there for toddy time a couple of times, for steaks one evening, for Thanksgiving dinner, and again to watch the Iowa - Nebraska fiasco.   The Happy Couple want to thank Joe & Renee and all the Marks' clan for their great hospitality. 

On November 30th the Happy Couple rented a car, loaded it to hilt with about everything they had, and headed to Iowa.  The purpose of the trip was to watch grandson Luke wrestle, granddaughter Emma play basketball, and see as many family and friends as possible to wish them a Merry Christmas.  The trip was a success.  Moe and I did have a complaint or two.  Moe's complaint: while in Iowa she had to go get a haircut.  My complaint:  it was darned cold.  "How cold was it?" you ask.  Well, one morning I was out and about and I came upon a Snowy Owl.  I said "I thought you birds just spent all your time up in the Arctic tundra. What are you doing down here in Iowa?"  The owl's answer, "There isn't any difference between winter in the Arctic tundra and winter in Iowa so we just thought we would come south for the winter."  With that I convinced Super Dave that enough was enough.  We left the next morning and the temperature was 4 degrees.  We didn't even bother stopping overnight.  Straight through all the way.  It is warmer in Texas.  I want to really thank Carl & Barb Zahradnik for putting up with us for a week.  Moe and I had a great place to stay in from the cold and my friend Shari had her own bedroom and didn't have to listen to Stupid's snoring all night.  Moe and I did find something out after the trip was over....it seems that Hertz has a policy which states pets are not allowed in their rental cars.  If anyone ask, Moe and I are just little people that walk on our hands and feet.

When we were in Mt. Pleasant, Stupid came into the house one afternoon, just more than a little upset and grabbed his camera.  I asked him what had his undies all uptight and he said he was going to go take a picture to show me.  When he came back he had the above picture in the camera.  He said if this doesn't get your fire started then your wood is too wet.  What it is is a picture of a banner hanging on the Mt. Pleasant, TX post office. I ask what was wrong with it and he replied, "Why is a government agency encouraging people to send money to Mexico.  If the people sending money to Mexico have money to send there why don't they first pay  their own health care, schooling, auto insurance, housing, etc, and, if they have money left over, then send their money to help the Mexican economy?  Why are we, as American citizens, paying their way so they can send their earnings out of the country?"  I thought it was a couple of good questions.  Another thing about the sign that jerked his chain was it is written in Spanish with English in small print.  He wants to know which country's tax payers are paying the postal services' losses.  Once in a while old Dave does get his dander up and I think this was one of them.

After returning from Iowa and unloading the rental car, we packed up the trailer and the truck and I skillfully guided us to Kerrville with an overnight stop in Lampasas, TX.  We arrived here on Dec 13th.  We are at Guadalupe River RV Resort which will be our home base for a month.  It is a beautiful RV park with a lot of things to see and do in the area.  The Happy Couple are really happy about the park.  Shari is happy because they have activities such as crafts, water aerobics, etc.  Stupid is happy because they have a bar on the property.  Actually it is about 100 yards from our site.  At least, we know where to find him at night.  One of the first thing everyone noticed when we got to our site was the deer droppings all over the place.  We have found out where they came from.  There is a herd of about 30 deer that make their residence in the RVpark.  They are fun to watch and Moe likes to bark at them.  I just sit and watch.

We have taken a few road trips since we have been here.  I guided the couple to Fredericksburg one afternoon.  Both of them were very disappointed.  As my friend Dave said, the town is an adult tourist trap.  A lot of gift shops with a few high priced stores mingled in.  I doubt we will be spending much time there.  Friday, the couple wanted to try someplace else so I took them to Comfort, TX.  It is a small town that was settled by German settlers in the 1850's.  It was a neat place to visit and may be worth a return trip.  Yesterday, I outdid myself.  Stupid asked me to lead them to the hills and I took them to Bandera, TX.  The route from Kerrville to Bandera is a narrow, hilly, winding road through the hill country.  There is very little traffic on the road so you can just take your time and admire the beautiful scenery.  Above are a couple of picures to show you what it was like.  Bandera is a very interesting town.  It is truly a cow town.  During the Old West era it was a town where a lot of cattle drives were started to take cattle up to Wyoming and Montana.  Bandera is known as the cowboy capital of the world.  It is a place where good old Dave wants to go spend more time.  He'd have to get his shit kickers on first.  After leaving Bandera I took them over to Utopia and back to Kerrville via Hunt.  It was about a 70 mile drive through nothing but ranch country.  The road was up, down, and around every cedar tree in Texas.  It was a great drive.  We saw all kinds of wild life up to, and including, a bunch of wild hogs.  As Super Dave was driving along, I heard him tell Shari that he had been in this state a number of times, but this was the first time he had ever really found Texas.  What we saw yesterday was what he always thought Texas should be.  I think the couple was happy about the route I took them on.  I'll probably get to take them back there again.

While we were driving, Moe spotted this buck and doe in the wilds.  Dave stopped and asked them to pose for a  picture.  The couple wasn't anything special except for the size of the rack on the buck.  It was huge.  That couple was impressive to watch.

What's in our future?  We will be here until the 12th of January. The Happy couple will be joining many other people in the RV park for a Christmas potluck at the club house.  Ron and Vi Powell from Burlington are coming down for a couple weeks and the two couples are going to a New Year's party at the club house.  I am sure, during our remaining time here, we will be doing a lot more sightseeing.

As a close I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and the happiest of all Happy New Years.  I am sure this would be the same wishes from the Happy Couple and Moe, but this isn't their trip journal so you will  have to wait and hear from them.  I have no idea when you will hear from me again.  It may be tomorrow, next week, or next year.  Who knows.  Until then God's speed.

Tag

The End Of Summer Is Near!

Hi everybody,

Actually the end of fall is near also.  With the end of summer our season at Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant is at the end.  We have had a great summer here but all good things must come to an end.  The Happy Couple are in the process of getting everything cleaned up, packed up, checked up, and ready for the migration south. 

So what has the Happy Couple been up to?

With Shari, she went to see a dermatologist in early September and the doc found a small spot on her arm which turned out to be melanoma.  So it was off to the hospital and physicians for all kinds of tests and a physical and then surgery on October 14th.  Everything for Shari turned out just great.  The melanoma was isolated and was all removed.  Lymph nodes were checked and proved negative.  It is just a process of keeping an eye on her that it doesn't pop up somewhere else.  That's the part that Stupid is looking forward to.  Both the surgeon and the dermatologist suggest the Happy Couple take full body pictures of Shari.  What this entails is Shari removing all her clothes and Stupid taking pictures of her complete body and then doing it again annually to see is there is any change in any spots on her body.  Stupid is enraged.  He wants to know why this wasn't started 37 years ago.  The pervert.  This whole thing was funny in one way.  While Shari had her arm wrapped after surgery Stupid turned in to head cook and bottle washer.  I don't think I ever saw his finger nails so clean.  It is amazing what a little soap and water will do for a body. 

With Stupid, not much.  He's been selling his Dri-Wash and Guard and, as he claims, has been slaving away at the campground.  Actually, the campground has been kind of slow lately, so he is getting his nap in every day.  He had a good day Monday.  He went to the dermatologist and got an A+, went to the doctor and cholesterol and blood pressure were both down, and had the brakes checked on the truck and they are good for another 50,000 miles.  He says life is good, except for the head cook and bottle washer gig.

Are you ready for a little funny?  The Happy Couple have a mutual good friend that got a little mixed up a couple weeks ago.  It seems she put her medicine and a pill for their dog out on the counter and, by mistake, took the pill for the dog.  She panicked a little and checked on the internet to see if this dog medicine was going to hurt her which, as it turned out, would not.  Her big mistake was she told her husband and Shari.  Shari in turned told Stupid and the word spread.  Stupid asked her husband if there was any change in her and he said she has been growling a little more lately and wants to bark at him all the time.  He says the really bad part is she always wants to go outside the go to the restroom.  He say the scratch marks on the door are the worst.  He is thinking of taking her to a vet to get her medicine changed.

I would like to advise everyone to be a little cautious about eating Famous Dave's dutch oven cooking.  We took a little trip to Storm Lake in September and one day Stupid did some dutch oven cooking for Mark and Beth and Cousin Mary and Bob.  On the day he was doing his cooking it was windy so he took all his cooking gear (and his beer cooler) and set up behind a dumpster partition.  That day he was cooking a pot roast and a caramel apple crisp.  After he had the pot roast made and cooking, I notice he had his head stuck down into the dumpster.  I yelled at him and asked why he was dumpster diving.  He said he was looking for something else to add to the roast.  I said, "Surely you didn't take anything out of the dumpster and add to the dutch oven did you?"  His response: "You'll never know."  YUKKKKKKK!  I'm glad I just eat dog food.  Moe wouldn't touch the roast and she'll eat about anything.  Luckily nobody got sick.

What's in our future?  Next Tuesday the Happy Couple pack up the house, hook it to the truck and head NORTH.  What are they thinking?  You're supposed to go south when it's cold.  Actually we are heading to North Liberty for a couple of nights so Shari can go to the dentist and then a trip to the surgeon to get released so we can head south.  The Village Idiot is going to his hair dresser to get a haircut.  He says he wants a mohawk this time.  On next Thursday, it is the migration south.  The plan is for a week in Branson, about 10 days of who knows where, and end up in Mount Pleasant, TX to spend some time over Thanksgiving with Joe and Renee at their winter mansion at the End of the World in NE Texas.  From there it will be the Dallas-Ft. Worth area for a couple of weeks and then to Kerrville, TX for a month.  While we are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, the plan is to rent a car and come back to Iowa to watch Emma play 3 basketball games in her senior year and visiting some family and friends.  Since I will be along with the Happy Couple, I would appreciate it if all you people from Iowa would have the weather nice so I don't get too cold.  I am very fragile you know.

As some, but not all, of you know The Happy Couple are not returning to Crossroads RV Park next season.  Even though they have really enjoyed the last two years working for Jeff and Linda Krug, and have met a lot of nice people, some who have become good friends, they felt it was time to move on and try something different.  Starting April 8th of 2012, the Happy Couple will be working at the Amana Colonies RV Park near Amana, IA.  Shari says the down side of going there is she also has to work.  She will work in the office 20 hours a week while Stupid will work outside 20 hours a week.  They will be working the same shift on a rotating schedule.  The rotating shift will sometimes give them 3 and 4 days off in a row.  That will give them time to pester friends and relatives in the Cedar Rapids - Iowa City area.  Consider yourselves forewarned.

Well, I guess I better get off here.  It's getting about lunch time and the old Grump will be coming in to eat.  He doesn't mind me using the computer like that kid's mom on the E-Trade commercial does but I don't want to push it.  I don't like solitary confinement and I'm not very good at singing "No Body Knows".

See you later.

Tag

Mom's service

The plans for Mom's Celebration of Life have been made.  They are Friday morning at the Jones Eden Funeral Home, 116 East Main Street, Washington.  Visitation is at 0930 and the services at 1030.  A private family interment will be at the Crawfordsville Cementery immediately following the service.   All are invited to the luncheon at the United Church of Crawfordsville following the interment served by the women's group of the Church. 

Memorials are M.L. McCreedy Home and the First Responders of Crawfordsville.

Thanks to all of you for your care and concern.  Mom was such a wonderful person.

Shari

Sad news

Once again, Tag, thanks for letting me use this blog site.

My brother, John, and I lost our wonderfully sweet caring Mother this morning.  She is in a much happier place now as she has joined Dad in heaven. They both will be missed so much.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

I AM ALIVE!

Hi,

I know yu'all think I died, or got shot, or the Village Idiot threw me out the truck window, or he grounded me and wouldn't let me close to this writing machine, or something stupid like that.  Nope, none of that happened.  Nor are the rumors true that I've been in jail, I joined a monastery, or I have been on maternity leave.  Nope, none of that is true either.  What happened was when we got back here to Iowa I got so cold I froze up and went into hibernation.  Finally, yesterday, my buddy Dave took me outside and down to the creek beside the campground to see if the ice was gone yet.  Sure enough, it finally got warm enough for the ice to melt and the water is flowing again.  Now I can get out of my longjohns and start enjoying life again.  If it warms up enough I may even get out of my long pants and put my shorts on.

As probably everyone in the world knows, we are back at Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant, IA.  We arrived on March 31st for the Happy Couple to start working on April Fools Day.  The past 3 months have been the same as last year.  Shari has Stupid working while she tells him what to do.  I don't know how she does it, but she cracks the whip and he jumps.  He doesn't jump nearly as high as he used to, but he still jumps.

The first order of business when we returned was finding a replacement vehicle for the one that was totaled out when Shari had that accident last fall.  They bought a '04 Pontiac Grand Am.  It's a nice little car that gets 28 MPG and has a sun roof.  That was a must for The Boss.  Dave likes it too.  The next order of business was finding a second A/C for the 5th wheel.  The Village Idiot found one at Thompson RV in Davenport and installed it himself.  The Boss loves it and Dave likes it too.  Only major problems with the trailer so far this summer has been a leaking gray tank (a trip to Ottumwa to get that fixed) and a recall on the new cooling unit for the refrigerator (another trip to Ottumwa to get that fixed).  Unfortunately, the recall didn't come in until after the first to Ottumwa was made.

We did go on a little vacation in June.  6 couples (Mark & Beth, Ken & Judi, Ron & Vi, Ed & Deb, Al & Pam, and of course, the Happy Couple) went to Lake Rathbun near Centerville for a few nights and then to Red Rock Reservoir @ Pella for a few nights.  A great time was had by all.    We have also taken 2 short trips to Colony Country RV Park at North Liberty to see friends.  Currently the Happy Couple have 2 more trips planned.  One in a week to Cedar Falls to nephew Derek and Natalie's wedding and one in September to Altoona, Storm Lake, and, of course, Sanborn.  A summer is not complete without going to Sanborn and terrorizing Budda at the golf clubhouse. (Oh, and to see Mike and Kathi Benner too)  After that, it will be working for ol' Dave until October 31st.

We have had friends come and stay at Crossroads with us.  Ken & Sara Hoenig were here for 2 weeks in late June.  Gerry & Mary Eddington (friends from Illinois)  were here for a week in July plus Tom & Helen Seacrist (friends from Florida) have been here a couple of times.  Their have been all kinds of old friends of the Happy Couple that have stopped by during the summer.

How's Moe Jeanne you ask. Let me take this opportunity to tell you how Moe is.  If I would have had a video camera when we were in North Liberty last weekend, she would have made You Tube.  The Happy Couple took her over to see Ken & Lynn's dog Sunny and the 2 dogs started to do there normal sniffing around. Now Sunny is a male poodle just a little bigger than Moe.  Moe promptly rolled over on her back and stuck all four legs in the air for Sunny, and the whole world, to see her privates.  It was pure dog porn.  It was gross.  I only hope Sunny is mature enough to understand that not all women are like that.  If the Porn Cops would have been around she would be on the sexual predator list. That's why the Village Idiot calls her a "belly slut".  She is always doing things like that.  Other than that she is just fine.

I would like to warn all of you right now, watch out for the Village Idiot.  A couple of months ago a couple came into the campground selling Dri-Wash and Glaze which is an amazing way to clean, polish, and protect the painted surface of vehicles without the use of water.  After a couple of hours of looking at and asking questions about this product he decides not to just buy some to use, but to start selling it.  And selling he is.  I'm telling you now, if you come around with a dirty vehicle be prepared.  He has decided the best use for water is with Black Velvet, ice cubes, and an occasional shower.  (I wish he would use a little more water for the latter.)  He thinks there is no use wasting so much water washing vehicles when there is a better way.   You have been warned.

Well, I guess that is about as up to date as I can get right now.  I do promise to not make it so long of time before the next update.  In the mean time keep those cards and letters coming.  Next time though, put money into those cards and letters.  Times are tough you know and, with the political climate we are in right now, it is most likely to get tougher.

As always, and with love,

Tag

The End Is Near!

Hi gang!

Hope everybody is healthy, wealthy, and wise.  We are still in LA (For those of you with short memories, or over the age of sixty, that stands for Lower Alabama.) but our time is getting short.  In fact, very short.  The Happy Couple have spent today getting the house and the truck ready to move.  Tomorrow is the dreaded thing we all knew was coming.  You see, tomorrow we start the trek north.  It's back to Iowa, and for my friend Dave, it's back to work for the summer.

I would say we have had, for the most part, a good winter.  If it had not been for the passing of Shari's dad, it would probably qualify as a great winter.  The weather has been decent with only a few days of cold weather.  The amount of rain has been exceptionally low and the temperatures here at Foley have been great.  In fact I just yelled at the Village Idiot to see what the temperature was now and he reported it was 78* as I am writing this.  With a nice NW breeze and low humidity, that ain't bad folks.  It's so nice that Shari and Moe are outside sunbathing in the queen's chair.  Dave says he's outside working but he seems to come inside quite often to get a cold beer.  He says the neighbors came over and are drinking all his beer but every time I look out the window he is sitting in a lawn chair and nobody else is around.  I think he is trying to get up his nerve to tell Shari that he doesn't want to leave.

What has the Happy Couple been doing the last month here in LA?  Well, enough to put 1800 miles on the truck.  It seems I have had to guide them all over and there is a lot to see in this area if you dig deep enough.  One day, the two of them had lunch at Lulu's in Gulf Shores.  Lulu's is a restaurant, lounge, marina, outdoor recreation place owned by Lulu Buffet, Jimmy Buffet's sister.  The food was a little expensive but great on the tasting side.  And no, Jimmy wasn't there, although he does show up unannounced occasionally.  Twice, the rather Unhappy Couple rolled out of bed early in the morning (before 8:00 AM) and went to Pensacola to see the Blue Angles practice only to not to see a performance.  The first time it was the Blue Angles' first day back from California and they had to do fly overs to learn their landmarks. Yesterday they did not practice because of low clouds in the area.  The pilots did do some flying both days but not their show routine.  All my buddy Dave could say is "Wait till next year."  Sounds like a Cub saying.  The Happy Couple made a couple trips to Pensacola to Joe Patti's Seafood.  If you have never heard of Joe Patti's don't feel bad.  The Happy Couple never had either.  But they say, they won't come back here again without going to Joe Patti's.  This seafood shop is the #2 tourist attraction in Pensacola and ranked #7 in Southern Living Magazine:  "10 Things We Love About Florida!"  It is a great seafood shop.  To learn more go to  www.joepattis.com  Another great find was The Roadkill Cafe in Eberta, AL.  When you have a cafe with the motto "You Kill It - We'll Grill It" you know it's got to be good.  They're open Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM until they run out of food.  This is authentic southern food served southern style.  The Happy Couple had lunch there yesterday and Dave came out with a bright orange t-shirt and his stomach stuck out in front of him about a foot more than normal.  He could hardly waddle across the street.  I wish I would have had the camera.  It would have been great on YouTube.  I could go on with this forever but I know you have other things to do so I'll probably bring up some of the other things at a later time.

The Happy Couple have met a lot of nice people during the month they have been here.  Actually, most of the people they met were through Moe.  The Couple would take Moe for a walk, they would see people out walking, the people always want to talk and pet Moe, Moe would do her normal thing of "Meet N Greet", and then they would say to Shari and Dave "Oh, by the way, who are you?"  One couple is Joe and Carolyn from northern Indiana.  Joe is a golfer and wants to go play a round with Shari next year.  (Golf that is.)  Another couple is Paul and Karen from Michigan.  Paul and Karen are bike riders and the Happy Couple hope to do some riding with them next year.  A third couple is Jerry and Mary from south central Illinois.  There is not a whole lot about cooking that Mary and Jerry don't know.  Mary is a professional cake baker and bakes for numerous weddings during the spring, summer, and fall.  Jerry is great guy but hard to describe.  To give you an idea of what he is about, he has a sandwich he makes that starts with rye bread. You put on a thick slice of garlic baloney, a slice of super sharp cheddar cheese, a thick slice of sweet onion, and crunchy peanut butter.  Try it!  You'll love it!  A fourth couple is Marilyn and Duane from the St. Louis area.  They were originally from the Wapello area and really know their way around SE Iowa.  My only concern about them is if Moe ever disappears, I think I would know were to go look for her.  M and D watch Moe when the Happy Couple are out touring and Moe has decided she would like to go live with them full time.  It has something about the animal crackers they feed to her all the time.  Last evening the Couple took Moe out for her evening walk and she walked right to M and D's motorhome and started right up the steps.  I heard she was looking for the doorbell when Dave pulled her away.  Now there are times when I would help pack her suitcase if she really wants to move.  But I don't think The Happy Couple would go for that.

Even though The Happy Couple are going to miss south Alabama and the new friends they have met, they are looking forward to getting reunited with their family and old friends back in Iowa.  The plan is to leave tomorrow and travel to Natchez, MS to meet friends Ed and Deb for the weekend.  On Monday the 4 of them are going to Tunica, MS for 3 nights and meet up with friends Al and Pam.  Ed and Deb have been in south Texas for a couple months and Al and Pam are coming over from the Atlanta area.  Next Thursday, the trek north will continue with another overnight stop and arriving at Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant on Friday, April Fools Day.  From what I have heard about the long term weather forecast, I think the joke is going to be on the Happy Couple.  I haven't seen Dave in long pants for about 5 weeks.  It ain't going to be pretty folks!!!!  If there is anybody that would like to take Moe and me for a few weeks until it warms up, we sure would appreciate it.  Call me on Shari's phone.

I do have a little trivia question to ask before I sign off.  Without using Google or any other search engine, can anyone name Elizabeth Taylor's 7 husbands and which one she married twice?  The Village Idiot has trouble remembering all his wives and he has only been married once.  There may be a valuable prize for the first correct answer.

Well I guess I had better quit for now.  I think stupid is about out of beer so the fight over going back to Iowa or not should be starting shortly.  We may, or may not be back in Iowa.  Just depends on who wins.

Later,

Tag