And a very Merry Christmas to you too!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all my friends,

I hope this holiday season is finding y'all healthy, wealthy, and wise.  As most of you probably know, the Happy Couple have migrated to Texas for the winter.  After Dufus finally got the blessing from the doctor to travel after his brain surgery, and after many hours, or was it days, of discussion and research the Happy Couple finally threw a dart at a map and it landed on San Antonio, Texas.  That was the destination but, believe me, it was not a direct flight.  The trip had to be planned around Iowa Hawkeye football games.  On November 11th the trailer was hooked up to the truck and we made a beeline for the south.  Now, if you have ever ridden with the Village Idiot when he's pulling the trailer, making a beeline for anywhere is at the breakneck speed of 55 MPH on a good day.  Usually he is driving out on little two lane highways and driving even slower.  I asked him once why he likes taking two lane highways and his answer was he drove over the road for 26 plus years and has seen the rear end of all the trucks he cares to see.  That, and the fact that the food is a lot better is small Mom and Pop cafes than it is on interstates and big cities.  He also said he wasn't in a big hurry as he doesn't have anywhere important to go anyway.  Back to the travels, on November 12th we made it to West Memphis, AR where we stayed for three nights.  Remember, there was a Hawkeye football game on the 14th that needed to be watched.  On the 15th we traveled to Savannah, TN to stay with Larry and Diane Frisbie at Green Acres RV Resort.  Diane had called earlier and asked Dufus if he could come down and help them at the park for a couple weeks which he gladly accepted.  While we were there, Norris and Mary Schuman showed up so there was lots of good food to eat.  Of course, there were two more Hawkeye games to watch.  When we arrived at Green Acres the Hawks were 10 and 0.  When we left they were 12 and 0!!!!!  On November 29th it was a flying three day trip (825 miles) from Savannah to San Antonio.  We arrived at GreenLake RV Resort for a month long stay on December 1st.  At first the intent was to stay for, at least a couple of months at GreenLake, but after a week of driving and shopping in the San Antonio area the Happy Couple made a decision the big city life was not for them.  Moe and I liked that decision because that meant rode trips to the Hill Country to find a place to move to.  On December 31st we are moving to Riverway RV Park in Llano, Texas.  The rv park is a rather small rv park with about 40 sites but is very well maintained and nice people that operate it.  Llano has a population of about 3,300 people, no interstates, and a lot of wide open spaces in the Hill Country. Dufus will be in hog heaven. Hopefully, we can get the Village Idiot out of there next spring without wearing cowboy boots with his shorts on.

How's the clan doing you ask.  They are doing fine,  My favorite girl, Miss Shari, still has her hands full trying to keep Dufus in line, but that is nothing unusual.  When we were at Green Acres the ladies had a night of crafting and wine drinking.  You can probably guess what got done the most.  Since we have left Tennessee the crafting has slowed down considerably, and, besides that, my girl hasn't got an outlet for them.   Hopefully, that will pick up a little when we get to Llano.  The wine drinking is still doing fine for her. Dufus is still Dufus.  He couldn't work at McKinney Fall State Park this year as the surgeon didn't want him driving Mules and Gators around on the rough terrain.  The surgeon didn't want anything bouncing around in his empty skull.  So he is just doing his thing of getting in Miss Shari's way.  He did clean the truck and trailer but now we have to find something else for him to do.  Moe Jean is just fine as always, except when she had to go out at 5:00 AM a couple days ago!  That is very unusual for her as she normally stays in bed until at least 8:30.  Everybody is hoping this does not become a habit!  Me, I just sit on the sofa or the dash of the truck and take it all in.  Sometimes the world is very interesting from my observation point.

This pretty well takes care of what the clan has been up to.  The clan is anxiously waiting for the Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day as it is a perfect way for the Hawkeyes to finish a great football season.  Win or lose, I know the Happy Couple will be proud of what Caption Kirk and his staff have accomplished this season.  Speaking of great accomplishment, the Happy Couple would like me to mention that grandson Luke was named to the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper all area football team.  As a high school junior he lead Iowa Class 2A in tackles as a linebacker for the West Burlington-Notre Dame Falcons.  His sister Emma is in line to graduate from Western Illinois University in May and has been accepted to grad school at Western for a Masters degree in the Communication program.  The Happy Couple is proud of them both.

Well this wraps it up for now.  The clan wants to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.  God bless you all and we would love to hear from you.

Thanks,

Tag

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Unknown

Howdy folks,

Remember me, the faithful guardian of the Happy Couple and their guard dog Moejean?  I know, I know, it has been awhile.  I have noticed, with the invention of Facebook and texting, that anything I write about is old news so I just laid back until things happen that I can give you my prospective of what really happened.

I don't know if you have been around when the Village Idiot's cell phone has rung but it plays the theme song from the movie "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly".  For some unknown reason that is his favorite movie of all time and it just drives my sweetheart, Shari, nuts.  When the Happy Couple got married 41 years ago and Laura was a sweet little thing of about 7 years old, Dufus would tell Laura that movie was about the clan.  He would tell her that he was the "Good", Shari was the "Bad" and she, Laura, was the "Ugly".  That is when the argument would start.  Anyway that is the theme of this post, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, plus The Unknown.

THE GOOD!

Back in mid-June the Frantz family had a cousins' reunion in Wapsipinicon State Park in Anamosa, Ia.  There was a sister, a brother, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, second cousins, an aunt, a lot of spouses, and a few dogs all of which were related to the Village Idiot.  (He says he doesn't remember any cats in attendance.)  All totaled, there were probably at least 50 to 60 people in attendance.  They came from all over the country.  The function was supposed to be on a Saturday, but the adult beverages started flowing on Thursday and quit sometime on Monday.  Dufus tells me the sad part about the whole affair is his Grandparents did not consume alcohol and really looked down at people who did.  From what I saw, William D. Frantz (grandpa) had a lot of looking down to do.  He probably had to go to a chiropractor to get his neck straightened out.  Dufus said it was great to see everyone; some he had not seen in 30-40 years and some spouses and second cousins he had never met.  For the ones who could not make it, because of prior commitments or didn't want to be seen with the wild bunch, you missed out on a good time.  A lot of laughs and a few true stories told.  The OTI (other than Iowans) in attendance had to have pork tenderloin sandwiches and I imagine they probably got their fill of them.  I think the Happy Couple should have had them come to Oakland Mills to Butch's for a real tenderloin but I don't know if SE Iowa would have been ready for all that.  I kind of had to laugh after it was over.  My best friend, Shari, was talking to a cousin of hers and the Hamil clan is talking about having a cousins' reunion next year in Mount Pleasant.  They put an invitation out on Facebook and put a response box in the invitation asking if you would attend.  The choices were yes - maybe - no.   Dufus checked maybe.  You can bet your bottom dollar Ms Shari will see to it he is there!

THE BAD!

This spring after we arrived back from Texas, the Happy Couple went on their semi-annual trip to Cedar Rapids to see their favorite doctor, Dr. Nancy Angenend.  Dufus calls her his veterinarian.  During his appointment, the Village Idiot asked Dr. A. if maybe he shouldn't have a stress test since it had been about 7 years since he had done that.  She asked if he was having problems and he said no.  Just being cautious.  Well, since she didn't have to do the treadmill, she thought it was a good idea.  An appointment was set up for the following week. On appointment day the Village Idiot shows up and they did an EKG, stress test, and an ultrasound.   After the tests were over, the cardiologist read the results, came in to the exam room and announced "It looks like someone is a little out of shape."  The old heart rate went right up to the target rate about 10 seconds before the treadmill was turned on.  Other than that everything else was normal.  The Doctor prescribed exercise, and an additional blood pressure pill.  The Happy Couple returned to Mt. Pleasant, Thanks to Carl and Barb Zahradnik, Dufus now has himself a bike.  He says he feels like a prostitute; pedaling his ass all over town.

With all this my best friend, Shari, decided maybe she should do the same thing, so an appointment was made and back to Cedar Rapids they go.  They looked at her previous medical records, checked her blood pressure, took her off a pill she was taking and sent her on her way.  NO-EKG, NO TREADMILL, NOTHING ABOUT EXERCISE.  The Village Idiot has been calling foul every since.  He's thinking about a discrimination lawsuit.  I don't think it will make the Supreme Court but who knows.

THE UGLY!

I mentioned in the GOOD section that Dufus had a brother at the reunion.  That was his brother Ed  who was 3 years younger than Dufus and lived in Sioux Falls, SD.  On July 26, which was 6 weeks after the reunion, he passed away at the VA hospital, in Sioux Falls.  Ed had may medical problems, and had them for much of his life.  He probably spent as much time in the VA system as anyone.  I was talking to Dufus about Ed and he said, except when they were young and in school, he doesn't remember much time when he wasn't sick with something.  Dufus doesn't know for sure but he thinks cancer was the final blow.  Everybody was happy that Ed, and his wife Nancy, made the effort to come to the reunion.  I know, from what I heard, that had to be a lot of work for Nancy.  She was such a trooper to do so.  I know he will be missed by the Frantz family and the VA system.  Over the years, Ed volunteered at the hospital in Iowa City and Sioux Falls and accumulated over 35,000 hours. 

THE UNKNOWN!

The Village Idiot has a new adventure coming up in his life real soon.  About 5 to 6 weeks ago he was in the house with me, turning on the air conditioners.  In doing so, he had to close the windows.  When he was closing the window at the end of one of the sofas, which is located inside one of the slide-outs, he had to crawl up on the sofa.  After he closed the window, he started off the sofa, and thinking he had cleared the ceiling of the slide out, he stood up.  Unfortunately for him, he is 5' 8" and the ceiling is at 5'.  He grabbed his head and sat down on the sofa. He sat there for about 5 minutes, holding his head.  Sitting in my usual spot on the on the back of the sofa I got to witness all of this and thought, OMG, he broke the watermelon.  I yelled at him "Are you okay?"  His response was "I think I hit my head!"  My thought; Well no shit!  We talked for a few minutes about what to do and he decided he was going to be fine, got up and continued to go about his business.  Being the tough guy he thinks he is, he never bothered to tell my friend, Shari, about what happened.  A couple days later I asked him how he was feeling and his response was he was feeling fine.  No bump on the noggin, no headaches, no nothing.  About three weeks ago, the Happy Couple were out walking Moe one evening and Shari asked him how come he was starting to shuffle his feet when he walked.  He responded he didn't know, but he did mention that he was starting to have trouble with his balance and he was fatigued all the time.  After a week, these things were starting to get worse, so the decision was made to go see the aforementioned,  Dr. A. The next Monday Dr. A. decided that a MRI was in order so one was scheduled for Wednesday morning.  After the MRI, Dr. A. called Dufus and told him he had an appointment with a neurosurgeon, Dr. Howard, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City that afternoon at 2: 30 PM.  During that appointment Dr. H showed the Happy Couple what the problem was.  The MRI showed his brain was surrounded by blood.  Beer or Black Velvet, I could believe, but blood? Dr. H told Dufus he couldn't do anything immediately because part of Dufus' daily pill intake was a baby aspirin, which is a blood thinner, and he wouldn't risk surgery until that was out of his system.  So after 9 days of pre-surgery testing and waiting, surgery is scheduled tomorrow, 9/11 at 3:45 PM.  From what Dufus tells me they are going to hit him in the head to put him asleep, drill a couple holes in his skull, put in a couple drain pipes with spigots so when the red stops and the gray starts they can shut off the flow.  I don't think I would want Dufus as my surgeon. They don't want to drain to much out as there isn't a whole lot up there.  I did ask the Village Idiot the other day if maybe he wasn't a little concerned about the MRI, that maybe they wouldn't find anything inside, that maybe he has just been carrying around an empty ball on his shoulders.  He said he was concerned about that and he asked Dr. A about this very subject.  She said she knew for a fact there was something inside the skull because he was breathing and his heart was beating and that is where the control mechanism is.  He then agreed to the MRI.  The reason I titled this as The Unknown is this is the first time Dufus has ever had any surgery of any kind.  So far he seems to be handling things well.  Actually he is currently napping on the very sofa that he was on when he hit his head.  He sure does snore loud.

I know my best friend Shari has told a lot of you she will be updating you after surgery, but just a soon as I get the word, I will be sending out a short up-date,  In the meantime I know Dufus would want you to follow the Most Interesting Man's favorite advice.  Stay thirsty my friends...


Tag

Post election syndrome!

Howdy Y'all,

Do you have post election syndrome?  I do.  I know I have it because my head is full of political ads and I am looking forward to seeing Viagra ads on TV again.  That last part won't last long but it will be a welcome change for a day or two.  The Village Idiot was up until midnight last night watching election results and now we can't pry him out of bed.  My best friend Shari is thinking about shoving him outside into the rain to try and wake him up.  I have noticed it is nice a quite around here without him yapping his trap.  Maybe we should just let the sleeping dog lay.

Well, did the election results meet you satisfactions?  I noticed in Iowa the state lost a long time politician, but, unfortunately, he will probably return from Washington and get back into his law practice.  I haven't figured out which is worse, losing a politician or gaining another lawyer.  Kind of a toss-up. 

The Happy Couple have had some happenings lately and they weren't all happy.  About 4 weeks ago they lost one of their best friends.  Long time Burlington friend, Mark Steingreaber,  had a massive stroke and passed away two days later.  The world lost a great gentleman.  I personally have been shocked about this as, without Mark, I would not have existed.  Mark, and his sweet wife Beth, were the ones who were instrumental in getting the Happy Couple into the RV life.  Mark had been talking to Dufus for years about getting a RV and enjoy the wonderful world of camping.  In 2005 the Happy Couple bought a used motorhome and, on one of their first trips, they journeyed to Davenport, IA to meet the Steingreabers and Ken and Judi Weinreich for the weekend.  While there, the group went on a little shopping trip to Kohls in Bettendorf, which happened to be where I was living at the time.  After Dufus took one look at me it was love at first sight.  He picked me up off the shelf, placed me on the dash of the motorhome, and we have been pals ever since.  If it wasn't for Mark I would have never known the Happy Couple, would never have been to all the great places I have been, would never have seen all the great things I have seen, and, most of all, would have missed the opportunity to have all you great people as friends.  Thank you Mark.  You truly are missed.

Things have gotten a little happier for the Happy Couple lately.  On October 22 the clan started the migration south by going north out of Mount Pleasant.  (I wasn't in charge of the GPS)  We traveled to Mount Vernon, IA and spent a couple nights in a state park.  While there, the Happy Couple went to Cedar Rapids one night for dinner, beverages, and jokes with the Hawkins, the Minors, and half of the Zahradnik clan.  (Carl thought farming was more important than eating.  Foolish guy.)  The next night the Couple went to Bata's Restaurant in Cedar Rapids and had dinner with the Quijanos and Shirley, of the Tony and Shirley Bata family.  (Tony joined us occasionally but was working.) Great food and great times were had by all.  The Village Idiot told me that all the stories told both nights were true stories.  Yeah, right.

From Mount Vernon the Happy Couple headed east (what happened to heading south for the winter?) to Long Grove, IA for two nights, staying at Scott County Park.  On Saturday they attended a wedding in Davenport of Cole Housman, a great nephew of Dufus.  The Happy Couple really enjoyed the reception as they got a chance to see Dufus's brother Ed and wife Nancy and all the Kimm kids and their spouses.  From what we heard later, the reception set a new record at the Blackhawk Hotel for the number of kegs of beer served at a wedding reception.  Just think, the Village Idiot was part of history.

The next morning, the truck was hooked up to the 5th wheel and we finally got to head south.  After a overnight stop in Illinois, I masterly guided the Happy Couple to Green Acres RV Resort outside of Savannah, TN where we are for about ten days.  The Happy Couple stay here as they really enjoy the hospitality and friendship of Larry and Diane Frisbie, the owners of Green Acres.  The two couples have taken a couple side trips as they went to the Rattlesnake Saloon out in the boondocks in Alabama and to an Amish settlement near Ethridge, TN.  After lunch in Ethridge, the couples went on a short detour to a shop that sold quilts.  My friend, Shari, wants a new quilt for the bed and she finally found a quilt shop.  After looking at all the quilts, she finally found what she wanted.  She yelled at the Village Idiot to get up to the cash register and pay.  I thought he was going to have the big one right there on the spot.  Fortunately for him, the lady that ran the shop noticed that the quilt was for a queen bed, the Happy Couple have a king bed, and the lady didn't have a king quilt.  Old Bozo lucked out again.  Larry was not as lucky. Diane found one she liked and Larry got to pay.  The Village Idiot did get a free bag of popcorn out of the deal.

If it quits raining here tomorrow as it is supposed to, we are going to continue out trek south.  I guess our plans are to land at Cajun Palms RV Resort near Breaux Bridge, LA for the weekend.  This will give the Happy Couple a chance to watch the Hawks and Gophers play football Saturday and indulge in some Cajun food.  From there the plan is to wander over to Texas and, after a stop in Houston, end up in Austin on November 16th.  If November 16 date sounds familiar, it is a national holiday.  It is my best friend, Shari's, birthday.  Being the gentleman that I am, I will not tell you how many years but will tell you she was a war baby.  You just have to figure out which war and which year. 

The reason the Happy Couple are going to Austin is the Village Idiot has taken a job at McKinney Falls State Park for the winter.  When he applied for the job he told them he could work anytime between November 15th and March 1st so they scheduled him to work from November 17th to March 1st.  So much for having part of the winter off.  The bright side is this will give the Happy Couple many opportunities to see the friends they met in Austin two years ago when my friend, Shari, was having her hip replacement.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  Before I leave I want to pass on a comment I just heard about the new Chicago Cubs manager and their team for next season.  The comment was "to have a zoo you have to have animals".  I think the person that made the comment, and he is a Diehard Cub fan, feels like there is nothing in the pens.  The Village Idiot always says that the Cub fans wear their blue clothing all the time because, deep down, they wish it was Dodger Blue.

On that note, I will say good day for now, and you'll be hearing from me on the next go around.

As always,

Tag

bad dog - Bad Dog - BAd DOg - BAD DOG - BAD DOG

The above title says it all.  BAD DOG!!!!!!!  I think I am catching the lazy way of life from the Brain.

Well, how is everything going with you fine folks?  I hope you are healthier, wealthier, and wiser than the last time I wrote.  I am healthy, never been wealthy, but I am still wiser than my buddy.

As most of you probably know, the Happy Couple are once again in Mount Pleasant, IA.  The clan arrived in mid April after spending a wet and cool winter in Alabama, Florida, and Texas.  I guess Texas wasn't all bad as the weather was nice and dry the month of March in the Hill Country.

The Brain is again working at Crossroads RV Park doing his usual thing.  Nobody has figured out what his usual thing is but I am sure somebody is applying for a government grant to study what he does.  Actually the old boy has to work a little harder this year.  The park is running at about 80% capacity this year which means more work keeping the sites clean, the grass mowed and trimmed, the building clean, and answering the phone.  The park has been full quite a few nights and have had to turn people away.  The Village Idiot thinks this is all caused by his pleasing personality, his great demeanor on the phone, and his professional greeting to customers when entering the door.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there may be other factors involved.  The main factor that may have caused this influx of business is a $1.7 billion dollar fertilizer plant being built in Wever, IA which is about 30 miles from here.  Of the 34 sites available at the park, 24 of them are reserved for workers and those sites are generally full all the time.  I think I just burst the old boy's bubble.

You folks may want to be sitting down when you read this next paragraph.  The Happy Couple just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary about a month ago.  I know that is hard to believe but it's true.  My best friend Shari needs a medal for that accomplishment.  I am sure there are a lot of people that knew the Village Idiot when he was young and would have bet big money that he would never reach his 40th birthday, let alone be married for 40 years.  I asked him on their anniversary how this was accomplished and he say he attributes it to two things; the first was he learned to say 'YES DEAR" early in their marriage, and the second, he says, was because when he got married he was a 31 year old virgin.  With that statement I dropped my drink, fell off the sofa, and rolled on the floor in laughter.  Actually Moe is still laughing. I've heard him say some rather stupid things before but I think he just raised the bar.

You're probably asking yourself; "What did the Brain get his sweet, beautiful, loving wife for their 40th wedding anniversary?"  Well, besides a beautiful bouquet of red roses, together they bought a new 5th wheel to live in.  Now how many of you got a new home for your 40th wedding anniversary?  Or any anniversary for that matter?  Yup, they traded in there 2008 Montana Big Sky and bought a 2015 Montana Mountaineer.  It is really neat!  It is more like a small house than a trailer.  It has a separate front living room, separate kitchen, separate bathroom/laundry, and a separate bedroom.  The Brain says now he doesn't feel like he is watching TV in the kitchen or my friend, Shari, cooking in the living room.  The living room has two sofas, a recliner, and a big HD TV.  Even with all this room it is still cocktails for six, feeds four, and SLEEPS TWO.  The Happy Couple have a friend named Lester who would have said that last sentence a little different but this is a family show.  When the Happy Couple were moving from one trailer to the other, the clan thought we had lost the Village Idiot.  To make it easier to move into the new unit, they unloaded everything from the old unit into the meeting room at the RV park.  One day the Village Idiot thought he was having a heart attack.  He was carrying stuff to the meeting room and suddenly had terrible chest pains.  It was kind of warm that day and he had been making a lot of trips.  On this particular trip, he was carrying things from the kitchen and in his hand he had a small crock with utensils in it.  When the deep pain hit he got wide eyed and about dropped everything.  He looked down and saw a small meat fork stuck in his chest.  He pulled it out and the pain went away.  I never did find out how well he was cooked.  It's the little things like this that make me happy to be around these two.  You just never know what is going to happen next!

For those of you that are interested, Moe is doing just fine.  She gains about a pound a year and is about to go up another bra size.  That is what the Brain calls her halter she wears when she is outside.  She did have a sore on her foot and the Happy Couple had to take their free dog to the vet.  $87.00 later she came home with a bandage on her right front paw.  For five days she really hammed it up.  When someone was around to watch her she would walk with her sore foot in the air and walk three legged.  When she thought nobody was watching she would walk normally.  I'm not sure but I think she is a mite spoiled!

My best friend, Shari, is doing just great.  She has been busy all summer trying to keep the Brain in line, working on the itinerary for the Red Flag Tour, which is coming up in next week, helping around the campground, and making her coasters and lighted wine bottles.  The hip she had replaced eighteen months ago is doing just great.  Actually she is getting hard to keep up with.

From what I understand from the Happy Couple the winter plans are pretty much in place.  The clan will be leaving October 23 to go to Davenport, IA for three nights to go to a wedding on October 25th.  On the 26th the trek south will begin.  The first stop will be a week at Green Acres RV Resort in Savannah, TN to see Diane and Larry Frisbie.  From there it will be overnight stops ending in Austin, TX for much of the winter.  The Brain decided he needed something to do this winter and, through friends, got in contact with McKinney Falls State Park outside of Austin.  When he contacted them he told them he would be available any time between November 15th and March 1st of next year.  When they contacted him back about a month ago they said they had him scheduled to work from November 15th to March 1st.  The Happy Couple decided that it wouldn't be that bad even though the Brain had only planned to work for a couple months.  They have a lot of friends in the Austin area and will have a good time.  During the month of March the plans are to go back to the Hill Country of Texas.  The Village Idiot still thinks he wants to be a cowboy and is looking for the right ranch.  I imagine next summer we will be back in Iowa.

The Happy Couple have seen a lot of old friends this summer but not as many as they would like to have seen.  With the work schedule at Crossroads they really haven't had a lot of free time.  For the ones that got missed, they say they are truly sorry but thank the good Lord for social media!

Well that is about it for now.  I would say next time it will not be quite as long between updates, but who knows.  If I keep the Village Idiot as my mentor anything could happen.  Have a good fall and I will be back sometime.

Tag

Tis the Season!

Hi everyone and Merry Christmas to ya'll!

We are in the sometimes warm and, like today, sometimes cold L.A..  That is Lower Alabama to all you Yankees.  How cold is it you ask.  Last night it got down to 34* and tonight it is supposed to be all the way down to 28*.  YIKES!!!  The Brain may have to turn on the old heating pad to stay warm.

The Happy Couple have been just fine.  We arrived here in Foley on December 2nd and have just been relaxing.  The Brain has even done a little work on the house that needed to be done.  As my favorite girl would say "It's about time!".  It wasn't anything major but some things he has been putting off for about a Carnie Burke were here this morning for brunch and all four of them could sit at the table and had room to spare.  The Burkes got sick of the cold weather in Iowa and stopped here overnight on their way to Destin, FL.  It was great that they came to the campground so Moe and I could see them too.
year now.  With the holidays here, Shari has slowed down on the craft making and we can actually see the table again.  In fact Jack and

I guess we leave here on January 2nd and start moseying our way to Texas.  The first question that comes to mind is, "Where in Texas?"  Well that is one heck of a good question!  Other than a few days in the Houston area, no one knows.  We have to be in Austin on February 27th and in Kerrville on March 1st.  It looks like I'm going to get to take the clan on a road trip.  If I'm guiding, they will just have to go where I lead them.  This should be fun on my part.  I might take them on one of those covert missions like I went on last year.  That would be fun!

This is going to be short this time.  My best friend Shari wants to do a little writing to you so I conceded to her.  One stipulation was that the Village Idiot was not to come close to the computer.  I don't trust him!  From me, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!  Don't forget to cheer on the Hawks at the Outback Bowl.

As always,
Tag

Hi everyone!  I can't believe I actually get to write - what an honor. Most importantly, I want to tell you how much Dave and I, and Moe and Tag value your friendship; some of you we see frequently, some occasionally, and some of you we haven't seen for months, even years.  But, honestly, we feel blessed to have you as our family and friends and we certainly enjoy letting Tag update you on our adventures throughout the year.  Our plan is continue this routine during the coming year. 

So for now, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!  AND, from our home to yours, best wishes for a wonderful 2014!!!

Love to all,
Shari and Dave

We're Going on Further South!

Hi Ya'll

And how are things going in your part of the world? Our part of the world is cold right now.  We are still at Green Acres RV Resort near Savannah, TN and it was just a little cool last night.  It was down to 22 degrees with only a high of 38 today.  YUCK!!!!!!!!

And why are we still in Tennessee you ask.  That my friends is a very good question.  Larry and Diane (the couple who own the campground) are a great couple and I don't think The Happy Couple can bear to leave them.  That, and the fact that Larry and Diane asked the Brain if he would watch the RV Resort a couple of different times for them while they went on road trips.  One week they went to Knoxville to a campground owners' convention and another trip was to Nashville for shopping and visiting friends.  So, being the nice guy the Brain is, he agreed to stay and do some work for them.  Being a nice guy was not the only reason he decided to stay.  He found out there was going to be a nice Turkey day feed going on here and he can't resist filling up his belly on home cookin'. 

I have had a few inquiries into who is The Brain, Dufus, The Village Idiot, and all of the other names.  Well let me tell you a little bit about our little family which, by the way, consists of four different members.  The first, and I might add, most important member, is my best friend Shari.  She IS the leader of the pack.  Number two in command is Moe Jean, the faithful and loving mascot of the group.  Moe's responsibilities include, but not limited to, meet and greet at the front door, Head of Security at night, and cleaning up any food that may hit the floor.  I, Tag-A-Long, better known as Tag, am number three in the pecking order.  My job is trying to keep peace and order to the pack, guiding on road trips, and reporting to all of you, when I deem necessary, to keep you updated on our location and the happenings of the group.  Then we have the fourth member, known to most of you as Dave.  When I first joined the clan about 9 years ago, I too called him Dave.  After years of being around him I have learned his true identity.  He is as about as easy to keep track of as the numbered balls in the Lotto drawing machine.  Have you ever tried to keep your eye on one ball when they are drawing the Lotto?  Try it and you will end up just like the Village Idiot.  Anyway I change his name to fit the situation.  Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, he will do or say something that is about normal and he becomes the Brain.  Then he will turn around and do or say something that will makes your eyes roll and he becomes Dufus.  But normally he just acts himself and you look at him and say "What the h--- was he thinking?"  That is when the Village Idiot comes out.  An example was a couple years ago when he was in Bandera, TX and wanted to buy cowboy boots and a cowboy hat to wear with his shorts so he could become a cowboy.  My friends that was the Village Idiot at his best.  So, when you see me refer to someone in the clan that is not Shari, Moe, or myself, you can bank on it that I'm referring to you-know-who.

The Happy Couple have been having a great time here in Savannah.  The campgound is nice and will become nicer as Larry and Diane, along with their nephew Travis, are making a lot of changes and upgrades to it.  With a pool, the ideas they have for changes to the park, and the tourism in the area, it will become a destination park.  It will be a place where RV'ers will want to come and spend some time.  The Happy Couple are glad they have spent as much time here as they have as they say they really like the area.

One thing you want to do here in west Tennessee is learn to slow down a bit.  Dufus says he has figured out how slow they are around here.  He said the first couple times he went to Walmart (Yes there is a Walmart here or we wouldn't be) he would run into the automatic doors on the way in and out.  Well, he decided to stand back and try to figure out what was going on.  He stood back and watched the locals come up to the door and, at their pace, the door would open just as they got there.  Then he started walking with them in the store and noticed his pace was much faster than any of the locals around.  Then he figured out there was a delay in the door opening.  He went to the Customer Service Counter to inquire about the delay in the door. He was told that the locals are so slow they had to put a 6 second delay in the door opening because the store was losing all their air conditioning during the summer.  The cause was the amount of time it took for people to get to the door after the sensor started opening it.  He asked how Walmart figured out it was 6 seconds and not 5 or 7 and was told they got a $1,275,000.00 grant from the government to study the situation and that's what they come up with.  Isn't it amazing what links this country will go to to save energy.

So what are the future plans of the Happy Couple?  From what I'm told by the Brain we are leaving here Saturday November 30th and working our way to Johnny's Lakeside RV Resort near Foley, AL for the month of December.  We have been there a couple different times and like the park.  While there the Happy Couple will be going to Destin, FL for Christmas dinner with Jack and Carnie Burke.  The Burkes go to Destin every winter and the Happy Couple like to go pester them every chance they get.  In early January the trek will be made to Texas with a stop in the Houston area for a few days to see the Dusenburys.  After that, who knows.  My friend Shari has an appointment in Austin in late February to see the surgeon that did her hip surgery, and the Happy Couple have a reservation at Guadalupe River RV Resort in Kerrville, TX for the month of March.  That leaves about a month or so that is undecided.  I'm sure Dufus will come up with something to get us in trouble. 

I hope life is treating every one just fine.  The Happy Couple are glad to see the Iowa Hawkeyes playing a little better in football and are looking forward to see what the upcoming basketball season may bring.  Hopefully the results will be better than last season.

The clan would like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.  Try not to overstuff yourselves like I know Dufus will.  There will be another update from Alabama to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Until then, just try to behave.

Tag

Preparation For The Migration South!

Hi Ya'll,

I said Ya'll because I'm practicing for when we start south.  I had this chance to use the computer so I am going to give you a quick update.

I got on the computer as my favorite girl Shari is out and about doing some work for a group here in southeast Iowa called the Red Flag Tour.  The group is a bunch of old guys that drive old cars and  need somebody to coordinate things for them.  They have hired Shari to do this for them and she really enjoys it.  Duffus says this helps keep her out of the bars. I think Duffus is out jogging.  He says he is in training to enter one of those Iron Man competitions.  That is a contest where you swim a long ways, ride a bike for an even further distance, and then jog home.  I figure by the time he gets in shape, people will be living on Mars and dying there of old age or the Cubs will win the World Series, which ever comes first.

I know we are getting ready to make a big move from Mt. Pleasant sometime in the near future.  The Village Idiot has started to make little repairs to the trailer and getting the truck cleaned up and serviced.  The water heater quit working on the electrical side this summer and I'll be darned if the Brain didn't figure out what was wrong with it all by himself.  The weird part of it is he fixed it by himself also.  And it works.  Miracles never cease.  We have a roof exhaust fan in the trailer that hasn't worked for more than a while and I'll be darn if he didn't get that running again.  The guy just amazes me.  He had one little problem that he didn't tackle himself.  The rinse system on our black holding tank quit working and he had to clean it out manually.  I think he using Shari's toothbrush and sticking his arm down the hole and scrubbing the inside of the tank with it.  He swears up and down that this was not true, but you never know.  Anyway, he bought a part and had a repairman come to the campground and install it for him. Now Shari's toothbrush can come back out of the lock box.  He took the truck in for a physical last week and the vet (or mechanic) says it is in tip top shape and ready to go.  Just a process of getting out the Dri-Wash N Guard and getting it cleaned up.  From what I understand we depart on October 13th and start heading south.  The Brain wants to get a head start on the snow birds as he doesn't fly as fast as they do.  I'm going to start sharpening up my navigational skills as Garmin is not that reliable.

The Happy Couple have had a great summer in Mt. Pleasant this summer.  The RV park has been busy all summer which keeps the Brain in the office and doing park maintenance as well as out of Shari's hair.  Shari hasn't played as much golf as she would like but enjoys knowing she has clubs in the trunk of the car just in case someone asks her to play.  The Village Idiot doesn't play golf anymore, which is a good thing for the golf courses, but occupies his time cheering for the LA Dodgers and rooting against the Chicago Cubs.  You do know the Dodgers are going to the play offs and the Cubs are going home to wait for the 2016 season don't you?  As you can imagine, Bone Head has turned me into a front runner so I'm cheering for the Dodger Blue this year.  Besides, Dodger Dogs are darn good.  The one thing the Happy Couple do agree on is their love for the Hawkeyes.  The Brain told me last night the Hawks finished their preseason 4 and 1 with a loss to Northern Illinois, and victories over Missouri State, Iowa State, Western Michigan, and Minnesota.  Michigan State comes into Iowa City Saturday which marks the start of the real football season.

Moe is doing just fine and she says "Thank you for asking".  She again has gained a little weight this summer.  This is not a good sign as she always gains weight in the winter.  I think she and Duffus are having a contest to see who can gain the most the fastest.  My best friend Shari insists that the two of them not get on the scales at the same time.  She doesn't want to have to buy a new one.  Moe has done a fine job this summer doing her job.  Jeff has hired her to be in charge of meet n' greet, and as head of security.  She has done both in remarkable fashion, although some people in the park think she may be a little on the spoiled side.  She insists on going everywhere the Happy Couple go or she goes up into the bedroom and pouts.  That, and she sleeps in until 9:00 AM, even though Shari makes the bed a lot earlier.  Shari just has to work around her.  At least the Village Idiot is already up!

The Happy Couple have most of their doctor stuff done.  They both go to the same doctor in Cedar Rapids and both needed to get their blood pressure checks so they could get their meds for the winter.  To do this, they made an appointment to get this done together.  Everything was fine; Shari's low and Duffus' high.  When they were getting ready to leave the exam room their doctor gave them both a big hug.  Duffus wants to know how many of you guys get a hug from your doctor after an appointment? 

The Happy Couple are finishing up getting together with many of their great friends before they leave.  They are having their camping buddies come here to Crossroads today for one last get together.  Then they are making trips to Washington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Burlington this week and next to see some more.  They plan on getting a couple of more trips to West Burlington to see grandson, Luke, play football.  Luke's football season hasn't gone as planned but the Happy Couple enjoy watching the games anyway.  Granddaughter, Emma, is a sophomore at Iowa and, according to all reports, is doing fine.  She is living off campus with some other girls, which can be dangerous, but they haven't made the police blotter yet!!!!  The Happy Couple are sure that won't be a problem.


Well, as you can see, the Happy Couple lead a very exciting, and fast paced, life.  They can be awfully hard to keep up with.  "NOT"!!!!!   I suppose that is to be expected at their advanced age.  Moe and I wouldn't want it any other way.  All we ask is they just keep us in food and water and take us out once in a while to do our thing.  Another thing I would like is for them to quit knocking me behind the sofa.  It gets lonely back there.

I better be getting off this thing.  The Brain should be back from his daily morning jog shortly and he will probably want to check the police log to make sure he wasn't caught speeding.  I'll keep ya'll updated on what happens to us this fall and winter.  I have heard we are definitely going to Green Acres RV Resort in Savannah, TN first, but after that, I, nor anyone else, have any idea what will follow.  It is always good to plan ahead.  Until I get back to you, have a great one!!!!

Tag

Howdy folks,

It's me, Tag.  Do you remember me?  I'm the great little guy that travels around the country with the Happy Couple.  That is, when they travel.  Lately it has been sit and work.  More about that in a few minutes.  Where have I been?  It is a very long story.

We, the Family, left Austin March 30th and traveled to Highlands, TX.  On the way trough Houston we went by a company called Halliburton.  Just for idle conversation I asked the Brain  (who happens to think he knows just about everything) what does Halliburton do?  He said they were a big international contractor that works all over the world.  After we arrived at San Jacinto Riverfront RV Resort I was sitting on the couch thinking about Halliburton and the possibility of traveling the world instead of guiding the guy, who knows everything, around the same old roads.  One day when they took a trip to Kingwood, TX to see Jerry and Cheryl (Shari's cousins) without me, I decided to make my escape.  I got out on I-10 and thumbed a ride to north Houston and the mysterious world of international espionage.  After a very long interview, an in-depth background check, and a little training, I was inducted into a very secret and covert unit and sent to the Bahamas.  Due to the secret nature of the mission I am unable to divulge what, or where, our mission led us as it was highly classified.  You know what the policy is;  "If I tell you then I'll have to dispose of your body."  Besides, what happens in the Bahamas stays in the Bahamas.  Anyway, we completed our mission and our unit was sent back to the States.  After a very intense debriefing, I was put on an unscheduled jet and flown to Mt. Pleasant, IA to rejoin the Happy Couple.  They were so happy to see me again that they forgave me for my actions in very short order.  Don't bother trying to get any information out of the Happy Couple as they know nothing.  I did tell Moe but she has sworn to silence.  I think she wants to join me on my next mission.

As for the Happy Couple, they have returned to Crossroads RV Park in Mt. Pleasant.  For some reason, Jeff asked them to come back for another season.  I understand their return trip was both fun and also sad.  They met friends Ed and Debbie Romeo in Natchez, MS for a couple of days of sightseeing and then up to Vicksburg, MS for 4 days of intense touring and eating.  During that time they had a great time and had way too much food.  The day they left Vicksburg disaster struck.  About an hour north of Vicksburg an elderly gentleman pulled his pickup out in front of Ed and created a deadly accident.  Ed, Debbie, and their dog, Claire, survived unhurt physically but took the event rather hard emotionally.  The man in the pickup died of his injuries.  The Romeo's pickup and trailer were totaled in the accident.  As of this writing, they have given up RVing but, hopefully, sometime they will give it another shot.

The Happy Couple arrived in Mt. Pleasant on April 13th and started working at the RV park on April 15th.  Other than a few quick trips to Cedar Rapids for doctor appointments and trips to Burlington to see the grand kids and friends, they have been staying pretty close to Mt. Pleasant.  I think Duffus is afraid to venture too far away without me telling where to turn.  This happens to people when they turn 70 years old.
The Happy Couple have had many friends stop by the RV park this summer.  Some of them even brought RVs to stay in.  The ones that did not were reminded of the 10:00 PM curfew.  The Happy Couples' RV only sleeps 2 1/2.  Moe is the 1/2 and, because of my superior training, I stand guard at night.  One group that showed up were 5 couples that were at La Hacienda RV Resort last winter.  One couple even drove here from eastern Kentucky just to be in on the fun and excitement.  Actually, from what Moe told me, there was a lot of eating and afternoon naps.  The only down side of the weekend happened on the last morning.  One lady got into her motorhome to check the lights when she slipped on a throw rug, caught her leg under the driver's seat and broke her hip.  It was an ambulance ride to U of Iowa Hospitals instead of a leisurely drive to Clarion.  The last the Happy Couple heard, Ev is home and recovering nicely.

The Happy couple did have big bummer news this past Monday morning.  They got a phone call that a good camping friend, Al Hirschman, from the Chicago area, passed away Sunday night.  Al loved 2 things that the big Duffus really likes.  Camp fires and cold beer.  Al would get up early in the morning, light a campfire and sit and drink coffee, eat cinnamon rolls and tell stories to anyone who would listen.  Then comes the PM part of the day when it was cold beer time.  He loved the Bears, the Cubs,  the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and his wonderful wife, Pam.  Al will truly be missed.  Damn cancer anyway.

That wasn't the only thing that my best friend, Shari, was bumming about after the weekend.  Her beloved Cubs got swept by the Mighty Dodgers over the weekend at Wiggly Field.  Not only swept but shut out the last 2 games.  She was so despondent, she called her brother, John, to see if she could move in with him and his wife Pat.  John turned her down, reminding her that she married the Village Idiot and she was going to have to pay for her mistakes.  Or, maybe it was because the Cubs aren't playing well this year anyway and they were done for before they ever played the Dodgers!!

Other than all this, not much else going on except a lot of work for Duffus in a much busier park than in the past.  The plan is for the Happy Couple to be at Crossroads (they were overheard remarking about the nice summer they are having working this year - lots of nice people stopping in) until early October and then who knows what.  I heard they are going to Savannah, TN to stay at Green Acres RV Resort.  A couple, Larry and Diane Frisbie, who they meet in Austin last winter and were here for the La Ha reunion, have purchased the RV park.  Duffus wants to go snoop around and see if he can learn any new tips on how to better do his job here at Crossroads.  After that it will probably be off to Alabama or Texas or a combination of both.  Shari has to go to Austin in January or February to have her hip checked. (It is doing just great, by the way)  The Happy Couple will also be spending a month in Kerrville, TX as the have a month of camping paid for at Guadalupe River RV Resort.  They just love that area and may spend more time than just one month.  Duffus still wants to be a cowboy.

This is about it for now.  Unless I am sent out on anther secret mission, I will be keeping you updated in the near future.

As always,

Tag

Hi Everyone,

Yup, it's me again in all my glory.  We are still in Austin where the weather is just great compared to what a lot of the rest of the country has been getting. How great you ask.  It is normally sunny with highs in the mid 60's to mid 70's every day.  Since the Happy Couple brought Moe and I to Austin the RV park has only had two inches of rain.  That is 2 inches of rain during their rainy season.  The locals think this may be a long hot year.

The Happy Couple are generally getting alone just fine.  The Village Idiot has his moments every once in a while.  My girl Shari is getting along great with her new hip.  The in-home physical therapist was here today for her final in-home therapy session.  She starts a month of outpatient therapy on Tuesday and has her final surgeon visit on March 27th.  When she gets through with those two things she should be a new bionic woman.  She is off pain pills and just uses a cane occasionally.  When she walks around the campground everyone tells her how great she looks and how great she is doing.  That sometimes gets under the skin of the Village Idiot.  He says when a woman has a baby, no one ever asks how the father is doing.  They are always concerned about the mother and baby.  He says the same thing is happening to him now.  Everyone is concerned about Shari, they tells Moe how sweet and cute she is, but nobody shows any concern about the SPECIAL CAREGIVER.  Old Moe and I just sit on the sofa and laugh when he gets into one of those funks.  What he needs to do is go find a job.  Something to occupy what is left of his brain.

The Happy Couple really haven't been out adventuring much lately  They have been enjoying their new friends and the activities here at La Hacienda RV Resort. There is always something to do almost everyday if they want to take it all in.  Shari is getting back into doing more but the Brain says a lot of the activities interrupt his afternoon nap.  That might be part of the reason he has gained a little weight this winter.  That and BV and coke.

I told you last time that I would tell you one of the adventures the Happy Couple and the Powells had in January when Ron and Vi were staying here. Near here, northwest of Austin, is Mansfield Dam on the Colorado River; not the one that goes through the Grand Canyon but the small one that goes through Texas, and forms Lake Travis.  Lake Travis is a flood control reservoir, which right now is 53 feet below normal.  It is surrounded by million dollar homes, yacht clubs, and a few Travis County parks.  Shari and the Brain were out on a road trip in November and entered a county park to see what it was all about.  They found out that all the Travis County parks have an entrance fee except for seniors over 62, who are admitted free.  One day the weather was cloudy and cool with the wind blowing and temperatures in the low 50s, so the Powells and the Happy Couple went on a road trip to see the sights around Austin. As the Brain was driving around Lake Travis he saw a sign pointing to Windy Point and Hippy Hollow.  Not knowing what they were about he asked everybody in the car if they wanted to investigate.  Everybody said sure.  So up and down and all around they made their way along the lake and the first park they came to was Hippy Hollow.  The Brain pulled up to the ticket taker booth where a young man was sitting inside.  The Brain rolled down the window while observing that there were not many cars in the parking lot....a few but not a whole lot. The Brain promptly informed the young man that everyone in the car was over 62 but was told there was a $2.00 charge to get the car into the lot.  As the Brain was getting his money the young man asked "do you know what kind of park Hippy Hollow is?" Everyone responded in the negative.  He said it is "a Clothing Optional Nudist Park".  It is the only public park in Texas where nudity is officially permitted.  It is also a very popular place for the liberal, countercultural, and  and gay-friendly Austonians. After a short moment of shock from the four in the car, the Brain told the ticket taker he didn't believe they would be touring this particular park after all.  But the Brain asked him who the heck in their right mind would be taking their clothes off on a beach in this kind of weather.  The young man said he didn't know and was not about to go down there to find out.  He just collected money.  With that, the Brain just rolled up the window and drove back out to the main road.  The Brain told me later that little incident gave him a whole new view on visiting county parks in Texas.  As they say down here,  "Keep Austin Weird"  This place makes Iowa City look very conservative.

How is Moe you ask.  Well she is just fine.  She, like the Village Idiot, is putting on a little weight this winter.  She and the Brain go out for a walk every morning.  They walk about a mile or so and, after Moe does her thing, they stop at the office where the Brain checks for mail and Moe checks out the selection of dog treats.  The dog treats are making her bra (halter) fit tight.  She has found a good hairdresser down here so the Happy Couple take her in for a trim about once a month.  She thought of a new trick last night.  She got my friend Shari out of bed at 1:30 AM because she thought she was a little hungry and needed a drink.  After her cocktail hour was over and dinner was through, she thought a little walk would be nice.  The conversation around the breakfast table this AM was how the Happy Couple may not be too happy if Miss Moe think this is going to become routine.  I don't blame them.  It woke me up too -- all those lights that were on.  It didn't bother the Village Idiot any.  He just keep snoring.

The Brain told me the plans are to leave here on April 2nd and start working north via Houston.  That is if he can afford to fill the truck up with fuel.  That, and if it ever quits snowing in Iowa.  You folks up north better get the weather thing straightened out if you want to see us again.  The four of us are really starting to think nice things about nice weather.  Just keep that in mind.

I guess I have bored you long enough.  The Brain yelled at me to get off the computer.  He says he has got to start working on taxes.  I hope my friend Shari takes Moe and me out for a nice long walk so we don't have to listen to the language that will be coming from the house while he is doing that little job.  He can get nasty.

I'll be back to you some other day.  In the meantime, have a great one.

Later,

Tag

Her's finally has a date!!!!

Hi ya'll,

Just a quick note for now.


Yup, my great friend Shari finally has her hip surgery scheduled.  It is scheduled for February 5th @ 2:00 PM at Seaton Medical Center in Austin.  The surgeon is Dr. Shelby Carter, considered one of the best hip surgeons in the country.  She is really looking forward to it to get rid of the pain.  She told me the doctor said she would be pain free when she left Austin.  I asked her what was she doing, "Are you leaving the Village Idiot in Texas and going back to Iowa alone?"  The Brain is really happy about the scheduled time.  He was afraid it would be at 6:00 AM and he would have to get up at 2:00 AM or maybe even earlier.

After surgery, Shari will be in the hospital for 2 to 3 days and then will have 2 weeks of at home rehab.  She should be out and about without a cane in about a month.  If it works out that way, it will be great.

This is all for now.  I will be writing again soon.  There is a little thing I have to pass on to you about The Happy Couple and the Powells and their adventure to Hippie Hollow.

Later and have a great weekend.  (Oh by the way, the temperature in Austin is suppose to be 71 on Sunday.  Dang, I hate it when it gets that hat.)

Tag.

HO! HO! HO! from Santa Tag

Merry Christmas to everyone,

I know, I know........ You have been saying, "What the h___ happened to our buddy Tag?".  I will tell you right now, it has been a very long story.  11 months ago I was with the Happy Couple and Moe along with Ron and Vi Powell and their dog Spike, in Matagorda, TX having a great time on the the beach.  As all things happen, there came a time where we had to continue on, with the Powells heading south to Rockport and us heading north and east to Foley, AL via Kingwood, TX.  The trip toKingwood was okay and visiting the Dusenberys' was great but from then on all HECK broke loose.

When we left Texas the Brain decided I would be just fine riding in the trailer instead of the truck.  His reasoning was he had been across the route once and he had total recall.   I ended up being delegated to my perch on the back of the sofa.  Now, since I wasn't up in the truck, I do not know exactly which is correct, but either the Brain was driving in the ditch across Louisiana or on the second roughest road in America. (Some day I'll tell you about our adventure on the roughest road in America.)  Anyway I got bounced off my perch on the back of the sofa to a spot behind the sofa.  I was wedged between the sofa and a heater the Happy Couple carry back there.  That my friends is where I spent a good share of what I thought was going to be the rest of my short life.  Since I can't talk like the Brain does (nobody can talk like the Brain does), and since I have been taught never to bark (unlike Moe), I had no way to communicate with the world about my dilemma.  It was a long spring and summer. 

In October I finally got a break.  Sometime during the summer my buddy, the Village Idiot, sat his no-butt and fat belly on the sofa and broke it beyond repair.  When I heard the crash I had the feeling my luck was going to finally change.  I could hear the Happy Couple talking about getting a new sofa.  I wanted to do back flips but I still couldn't move.  In October I could feel we were on the move again and after a couple of hours of driving we stopped.  A little later I heard a couple of strange voices in the house and then all of a sudden the sofa moved.  I looked up in disbelief.  I was finally a free man (or dog).  My friend Shari and Moe were more than overjoyed to see me again and showered me with hugs and kisses.  The Village Idiot just looked at me and his oldtimers kicked in.  He asked Shari if that was really me.  He said it had been so long since he had seen me he forgot what I looked like.  I swear, if he could take his brain out and play with it, he would.  Anyway, even though I am much thinner, I HAVE RETURNED!!!!!!

We, The Happy Couple, Moe, and I, are at La Hiacenda RV Resort in Austin, TX for the winter.  We arrived here November 2nd.  As many of you probably know, Shari is having trouble with a painful hip so the Happy Couple came to Austin to get it replaced by one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country.  She is at the top of their cancellation list and think they can get her in in January.  Nobody but the Village Idiot is complaining.  He complains because some days the high temperatures only get into the low 60s and it never rains.  He wants it to rain occasionally so cars will get dirty and he can sell some waterless carwash.  He's always thinking of himself.

I am going to sign off for now.  All of us want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  If disaster doesn't happen to me again, I will be updating after the new year starts.

Happy Holidays,

Tag

Welcome to 2012

Hi everybody,

I told you it may be next year before you heard from me, and sure enough, I was right.  I tell you, time really does fly when you are having fun.  We are now in Matagorda, TX which is a place we visited a couple of years ago.  Shari wanted more sea shells so over we came.

We had a very busy, and wonderful, time in the hill country.  Before Christmas the Happy Couple were e-mailing back and forth with the Dusenberys in Kingwood, TX.  Much to our delight,  Jerry and Cheryl invited us over for a few days.  Good old Dave checked around and found Enterprise had a cheap rate on rental vehicles during the holidays so he rented a car and away we went to the Houston area.  We left Christmas morning, after Santa found us, and we arrived mid-afternoon.  I think the Happy Couple had this all planned out in advance as Jerry and Cherl had a Christmas turkey and all the fixings waiting for them when we arrived.  The way Dave ate, I am sure it was delicious.  Over the next two days, the four were non-stop.  There was a trip to Seabrook to get fresh seafood and lunch at Frenchies, a small Italian restaurant.  The next day was a trip to the farmers market, a Mexican bakery, and, of course, Spec's Warehouse.  Also, included in that trip was a stop at Niko Niko's, a Greek restaurant, to have lunch with Jerry and Cheryl's son, Steve, his wife, Megan and son, Jack.  They had come over from the Austin area for the Christmas holidays.

Sadly, as always, the fun had to end.  On Wednesday AM we repacked the car and I skillfully guided the Happy Couple back to Kerrville for more adventures in the hill country.  And adventures we had.  When we arrived back at Guadalupe River RV Resort, Ron and Vi had arrived along with Moe's new best friend, Spike.  The Happy Couple now had someone they knew to bum around with and bum around they did.  There were trips somewhere about 5 days a week.  There were many trips out into the hills in search of wild game, trips to many small towns for little places to eat, and, of course, many trips to H.E.B. for more food.  And good old Stupid can't figure out why he can't lose weight.  I think it may be the chicken fried steak at the Old Spanish Trail Cafe in Bandera, the monster hamburgers at Alamo Springs Cafe at the Old Tunnel State Park, or maybe, just maybe, it might be toddy time with hors d'ouvres every afternoon.  One great thing for my girl Shari is Vi likes to do water aerobics so the two of them were at the pool every morning at 9:00 AM getting healthy.  While there the two of them met a really nice couple from Dickinson, ND by the name of Joe and Nancy.  Joe is a, soon to be, retired brick layer and Nancy bakes bread that is out of this world.  How do I know about the bread?  Moe has taught me the fine art of begging, that's how I know.   They fit in just fine with the other four as Joe likes toddy time and they both love to eat.

We almost lost Stupid to he hill country of Texas.  He just loves it there and we took many trips out into nowhere.  One day we were driving around when he spotted what he thought would be HIS FUTURE.

The start of it all!!!!!

The ranch house located in a gated community!!!!

I would like to introduce you to what he thought he was sent into this world for.  That is, be a cowboy and raise longhorns.  Shari looked at him with utter disbelief and Moe and I just rolled with laughter in the back seat of the truck.  Shari said "okay, if your going to be a cowboy there are a few things your going to have to do to get started."  He said "I know.  I'm going to have to get some cowboy boots and cowboy hat."  She said "No, you are first going to need a ranch and you don't have a ranch."  Old Stupid told her he had that covered.  He found a place when he was out by himself one day. 


This is the little fixer upper he came up with.  I am not even going to give you the address yet as I don't know if this thing is going to fly.

As you can see, it is a little rugged out there but he thinks it will be okay.  After all he is going to be a real cowboy.

This is one of the pastures for his herd.  He thinks a little fertilizer will help.

This is one of the watering holes.  The only thing missing is water.  He thinks if it rains it will come back.

This is part of the herd that comes with the ranch.  He says they all look healthy considering they have been eating rocks and cactus all their life. 

If you look closely, you see part of his exotic animal collection.  I asked him what it was and his reply was, it is definitely not a pheasant.  So much for his knowledge of exotic animals.

Possum in a half shell anyone?

The subject came around to: "How are you going to get around to check your fences and check on the herd?"  Let me introduce to Silver.  This isn't quite what the Lone Ranger rode, but we are on a tight budget here until the ranch gets going.

 Next came the selection of a thoroughbred cow to start the herd.  He says "Meet Old Granny.  She is all I can afford right now.  She'll have to do."

Shari had one more little concern.  "What about the 5th wheel and truck?"  "Well" he says, "I got that all figured out.  I need the truck for the ranch.  Every ranch has a truck now days.  As for the 5th wheel, we will trade it in for a slightly used motorhome.  I figure with a little duct tape and some Dri-Wash and Glaze I sell we can get this baby fixed up in no time.  Then we can go out buying cattle in style."





Well it does seem that he has been thinking this through a little bit.  Not much, but a little bit.  So Shari finally agrees to go to the next step.  She reluctantly says he can go out and check on getting some cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  After a flying trip to Bandera to the Cowboy Store he walks into the store in a tee shirt and shorts.  The nice lady asked if she could help him.  He says "Sure.  I'm here to buy some cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  I'm buying a ranch and I'm going to be a cowboy."  She told him the first thing he was going to have to do was to buy some jeans as you can't be a cowboy and wear shorts.  Well, he became quite indignant about this new hurtle.  He has been wearing shorts for years and was not going to have some young hussy tell him how to dress.  She said okay, but he would be the laughing stock of Kerr County, Texas.  She reluctantly sold him the boots and the hat, he put them on, and out the door he went.  He didn't make it a half a block and he had the whole town of Bandera rolling in the streets.  When Shari saw him she, for the first time in her life, jumped in the truck and took off down the street.  Well Old Stupid got on his cell phone, called her and asked "Where you going?  Haven't you ever seen a cowboy before?"  Her answer is not printable as this is a family blog.  But, when the conversation was over, he turned around, went back into the Cowboy Store, got a refund and left by the back door.  His cowboy days were over.  No ranch.  No herd.  No Silver.  No new motorhome.  After Shari picked him up, he returned to Kerrville, opened a Coors Lite and now the world is all better.  He won't even talk to anyone about it.  Actually, I think it's because he can't remember the ordeal.  He's getting old you know and can't remember nothing.

The Happy Couple have had a great time with Ron and Vi.  One day Ron and Stupid took a road trip to Fredericksburg to the National Museum of the Pacific War.   Super Dave says it's a great museum to go through, but, if you do go, allow for at least a full day.  If you want to read and see everything plan on a second day.  While the guys were gone on their little journeys the ladies went on their own little trips.  What they did was called shopping.  As my friend Dave would say; "YUK."  If I were the guys, from now on I would take the car and all the keys for the truck.  At their age you can't keep them bare foot and pregnant, but you can take their keys away from them and keep them home as it is too far to walk to go shopping.

Well we finally got asked to leave Kerrville.  Last Sunday I skillfully guided the Happy Couple and the Powells here to Matagodra via Goliad, TX.  Goliad sounded like a real interesting town, especially since they have a hanging tree on the court house lawn.  Back in the day, if a person was convicted of a capital crime which carried the death penalty, there was no 5 year waiting period for appeal.  The sentence was carried out as soon as the judge's gavel hit the table.  It was out the door to the court house lawn and to the first available low hanging branch.  Justice was swift.  No wonder there was no over crowding in jails during that period.  The area looked interesting and I heard the Happy Couple say they would like to spend more time in Goliad.  I guess I had better put that in my places to take them some day.

We arrived here late Sunday afternoon.  Monday morning everyone hit the beach to look for sea shells and nobody was disappointed.  Even Spike and Moe had a great time as they got to run in the surf.  The weather was great the first two days but turned ugly today.  It was nice and clear but the temperature got clear down into the low 60's.   If this keeps up, we are leaving. 

Actually we are leaving tomorrow.  The Powells are heading to Rockport for a couple of months and the Happy Couple are going north to Houston for three nights and then further north to Livingston, TX for three nights.  My friend Shari has an appointment with a dermatologist for a checkup Friday morning.  Early next week the Happy Couple want to go to The Rainbow End in Livingston.  It is the national headquarters for the Escapees RV Club.  From Livingston, it will the be across Louisiana and Mississippi to Foley, AL, arriving on February 1st.  At Foley the Happy Couple are meeting up with the Steingeabers and Eddingtons  to spend a couple of months having fun in the sun.  The three couples all promised not to over eat, laugh, or have any fun.  If you believe that statement, I know where you can buy some prime ranch land in the hill country of Texas.  They may even throw in a slightly used motorhome.

Well, I suppose I better sign off for tonight.  It is 9:00 PM and well beyond my bed time.  I hope everone is keeping nice and warm this winter.  I know we are.  Until next time, have a great one.

Tag

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