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
A quaint little drinking couple with a camping problem!
Friday, January 18, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, December 24, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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.
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
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!!!! |
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.
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
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas Greetings from the Frantz Family
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
Sunday, December 18, 2011
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
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.
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.
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
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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
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
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