Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great Merry Christmas and are heading for a great New Year.
Our Merry Christmas did not turn out the way I thought it would. Last Tuesday was a beautiful day in Gladewater, TX. The temperature was 83 degrees; a nice breeze blowing out of the south to keep you cool; life was great. I thought something was weird when the Happy Couple came driving into the campground with a Chrysler Sebring and started packing things into it. I never said anything. Moe and I just sat and watched. The next morning my friend Dave came into the house and hoisted my rear end off the couch and told me I had work to do. I said "Work? I don't do work. I'm retired." He told me he was retarded too but needed me to navigate a trip the family was taking. So Dave, Shari, Moe, and I got into the car and out the drive we went. Naturally, I started guiding south since that is the only direction civil minded people would ever go in the winter time. Good Old Dave says "Whoa, that's the wrong direction, we need to go north." I turned around and looked at him with my best stupid look and said "What the h--- are you talking about? It's cold up north." He told me it didn't matter. We were going to Iowa for Christmas. That was when I knew he was suffering from to much warm weather and his brain had been fried. Anyway, late Thursday afternoon we arrived at the country estate of Carl and Barb Zahradnik's near Shueyville, IA. Carl and Barb have graciously let us use their basement as base camp while we are visiting here for a few days. And, by the way, I was correct. It IS colder than whatever in Iowa in the winter time.
Thursday, on the way to Shueyville, we went through Washington to see Shari's folks. They were getting along pretty good and were looking forward to Christmas. On Thursday evening, the Happy Couple and the Zs (Carl and Barb) met the Hawkins (Ed and Carol) and the Minors (Les and Sherry) at the Dry Dock in Shueyville for food, adult beverages, and bull crap. Luckily, Moe and I didn't have to go. On Christmas Eve the Family (Dave, Shari, Moe, and I) went back down to Washington to have Christmas Eve dinner with Shari's folks. Shari had made some beef and noodle soup that was just fantastic. Moe and I even got to partake. Christmas morning it was back to Washington for brunch with with the Hamil family. In attendance was Shari's brother John and his wife Pat; the Happy Couple's daughter Laura and family, Wade, Emma, and Luke; nephew Derek and his fiancee Natalie; niece Christina, her husband Jared, and children Bryce, Katelyn, and Jenna; niece Bobbi and children Cole and Cheyenne; and of course John and Betty. Moe and I were not in attendance. We stayed with the Z's. Yesterday, my guiding skills were needed again as the Happy Couple wanted to go to Burlington to the Shipley's and also stop and say Merry Christmas to Mark and Beth Steingreaber and their family. WHAT A CHRISTMAS THEY HAVE!!!! So far, everything has been just great. (Except for the weather of course. Did I mention that it is cold in Iowa in the winter?) Today is a day of rest.
What's on the agenda for the rest of the trip you ask. Who knows. Shari is meeting her golfing friends in Solon this evening -- Becky Quijano, Ann Coady and Marilyn Husak. The Happy Couple are getting haircuts tomorrow AM, are going to Washington tomorrow afternoon, will stop in Iowa City to see friends tomorrow evening, and are going to the Hawkins' to watch the Insight Bowl game tomorrow night. What are Moe and I going to do? Try to stay out of the way. I don't know the remainder of their itinerary but I don't think it involves too much sleep. I think this pace is to continue through the week with us starting our return trip to the warm climates of Texas on Saturday 1/1/11.
As things around here continue to unfold, I will be keeping you updated as best I can. Sometimes things happen faster than I can remember them. In the mean time enjoy your week. I'll be getting back to you soon.
As always,
Your friend Tag
A quaint little drinking couple with a camping problem!
