Settling In

Well, actually, we have been here at the Casa Grande RV Park for about 2 weeks. It has been bitter cold, and windy, and rainy! Finally, the last couple of days it actually got above 60. Should be looking at shorts weather by next week!

We are still setting up. Been too cold to put out any patio stuff yet! Next week!

I had a miserable cold for the whole drive out here. Once that cleared up, last week there was a local car show and street fair here in Casa Grande. It was really fun! Not so much the cars, as cars don't mean much to me other than transportation, but the street vendor part was really cool. We talked to a young man who did the most amazing art with heat on copper sheets. He has perfected his craft well, and had some really amazing things! Since we don't have any walls to speak of, we didn't buy anything. But we wanted to! We walked up and down the street talking to people. As we were leaving, having grabbed a sandwich at one of the vendors, we were passing a food truck where the lady was just so full of life and really, really wanted us to try her fried fish. It was a soul food truck, called Whitty's Chicken and Fish. A real family affair, too! Since we had just eaten, we said not now, but she was determined that we would love her fish. So, she brought us out a piece to sample. It was amazing! Going to have to track her truck down again soon! We were going to show up on Sunday and eat there, but Jeff woke up with the stomach flu. Which I woke up with the next day.... will have to track them down soon! They were from Surprise, AZ. Should be easy to find.

We had to take the coach into Phoenix for something (that the dealership didn't get done... still waiting on that part!). When we got back and backed it in, it just seemed to me like the outside tire on the drivers side was low. Looked low... Right?

I worried. A guy brought over his compressor and checked the air. Said it was great, like 113 psi. Hmmm.... I worried some more. The next morning, I decided we would be taking her in to get the tires checked. Worried all the way to a local tire shop. Wasn't flat. Just not right! So, the guy spent 30-45 minutes checking the tires, finding half of the 6 low, and 2 with loose valve stems! The one I worried about was about 70 pounds! I guess there was good reason to worry. The tires were new. The shop replaced 2 valve stems, aired up all tires, and didn't charge us a thing! They were great. So if you ever need any tires or automotive work done in Casa Grande, Arizona, give Ed Whiteman's Tire Shop a call. They also told me that for a nominal fee, they would have brought the tire truck to me and checked everything at our site. Who knew? We are taking the car into them for an oil change. I just love finding places that have knowledgeable people and are customer oriented!

The RV park reminds me of Robson Ranch in many ways. The people are super friendly, and there are things going on all the time. Pickle ball, water volleyball, water zumba, they serve free waffles and coffee in the clubhouse every morning. There are a couple of meals in the clubhouse each week, also. Pot luck and pay, and there is a mahjong group that meets weekly. And, card games and pool tables, and lots of stuff. We have been meeting people from all over. Not many license plates here from Arizona!

Even at 60 there are people in the pool! Brrr....

We have been looking for some fairly local places to go hiking. Apparently, we are between a rock and a hard place.... nothing really within 20 miles of here! So we are still working on that angle. It is at least no longer bitter cold and windy!

We Drove This in 17 Hours in the Car!

If you saw my Facebook Live broadcast today, you would know that we finally got into Arizona! It is amazing to me how many times we have driven this route in the car, and got there the same day! Let me recap the last few days for you.

Monday morning we left Livingston, heading south for I 10. Luckily, we missed traffic going through both Houston and San Antonio! I never realized how pretty that part of the state was. Once we got past the sauna that Houston was, it was pretty nice. Drove through a bit of rain here and there, but nothing overwhelming. Had a wonderful dinner at Buccee's between Houston and San Antonio. Who knew they had great salads? And they have pretty good sandwiches, and even hot stuff made fresh. I totally have gotten on the Buccee's bandwagon! While there, we talked to a family that was bringing their 5th wheel back from a weekend camping trip. They were really nice to talk to. Great kids, too, who even as teens, loved traveling with their parents and camping. I thought that was so cool. No pic of them.... not sure why! Big oversight. We must get better at this! Jeff did get this pic of a cute sign in the grass at Buccee's....





Tuesday, we drove through some of my favorite countryside in Texas! Anywhere in the Hill Country! But we started out by stopping at an HEB grocery. That parking lot was a bit difficult, and the store was not that much like a Central Market. We were looking for breakfast. Only found donuts. My tummy did not like me much for that!

Once we were on the highway again, just northwest of San Antonio, it was so pretty! Passing by Comfort (hey, Mags!), Kerrville, etc. So pretty! I had never been on 10 past Kerrville before, and thought it was amazing country. We both could see "settling" in that area down the road...

Look closely and you will see the Llano River! Just beautiful!

Tuesday night, which was last night, was spent at a roadside rest area in the middle of nowhere, Texas. Past Junction, but not to the I 10-20 merge, there was no cell coverage out there! Bummer. Got up this morning to foggy areas. No real rain, though. We have left the rain behind.

While in New Mexico traveling on I 10, there is a Petro Truck Stop that is fairly new, and has a Starbuck's. We decided to stop, let the dogs out (they have a real grass doggy area!), and get a brew. There is always an old fire truck parked there, I guess it is their mascot or something. I was challenged as usual finding a place to park the rig and toad. The issue there is that the tow dolly cannot be backed due to the brake assist function. So, I struggle to park even at a truck stop! They are all quite adept at backing those rigs into tight spots. Anyway, I circled around and parked next to the old fire truck. I was really surprised to see how much BIGGER we were than a FIRE TRUCK! Lol...

A short while later, we finally found our home state for the next couple of months! We will finally arrive in the Phoenix area tomorrow. Luckily, I was able to find a parking spot at the TA Travel Center in Wilcox AZ.... we now had a bit of internet. I'm surprised, though, that with full LTE bars on the phone, we aren't both able to do much. This could be a major kick in our plans! Right now, we have boosted to 25 gigs per month to run our hot spot. And our streaming tv system. Hope it works. Wifi at RV parks is notoriously bad!

 On a happy note, the girls seem to be getting past their depression. Zada is bringing us toys again when we come "home" to the coach, and they are both sitting in Jeff's lap while I'm driving.

Yes, all 3 asleep!

Playing nice together in their bed.

So while driving, and there is no one to talk to, I can talk to my beautiful hummingbird friends that are clipped to the fan in front of me. This will always take me back to the Ranch, with my wonderful friends that I miss so much! You can't see them very well but one is bright red, and the other green.

And now I will leave you for today with an Arizona sunset at the truck stop!

Did I Mention Murphy?

My last blog left off with the wonderful surprise going away party. After that, Jeff took me to the Hotel Intercontinental in Addison, where the 2017 Norwex Leadership Conference was being held. And I have to say, it was an AMAZING weekend! I learned so much from top leaders, and heard some awesome testimony to what a great company this is. So I will say, if I haven't yet gotten you started with Norwex, message me and let's talk! This company offers so much freedom! Freedom from chemicals in your cleaning and personal care products, and financial freedom, freedom to stay home with kids while doing your homebased business during hours that work for you! Not using this blog as a tool for that, but you really should check it out!

Lots of room for growth, especially in the south and west!

Of course, this was the weekend of the Blizzard of 2017! All the consultants from the north kept apologizing for bringing the weather down! Lol... it was pretty fun to watch, and to know I didn't need to get out in it! There was only really a dusting, but it did get super cold.

And while I was hanging out in a posh hotel, Jeff was stationed at the Hickory Creek Park on Lake Lewisville. This is a corps park, and very, very nice! There were many camp sites with water views, and in fact, ours was right next to the water! Jeff didn't really care much about that, but it was pretty. The dogs loved it, too. He was out there on the coldest weekend, too! Thank goodness we had gotten the furnace fixed.

Jeff's First Meal

He left the water dripping... pipes were good!

             

See the lake? This is the view!

               


Of course we had to toast to "our" first night in the new home! Thanks to Barb and Gary for sending us off with a great bottle!

Came from Walmart! Some of the best Prosecco we have had!

On Monday, we checked out and headed to the Colony for a Norwex team meeting. It was a great meeting! While there, I had a bit of trouble navigating the parking lot at the meeting, and we had to remove the car from the trailer and back up a bit. I guess I was getting over-confident! After getting out of that tight spot, we headed towards a Walmart parking lot in Plano. We never arrived. I discovered that the only way to know there is a flat tire on that trailer is to hear the sound of the steel ramp scraping on the ground! It was almost 10, and being on a dark road, Spring Creek, I limped into the Kohl's parking lot at Preston. We called AAA, and a guy came right out, after some discussion with the person on the phone. They couldn't seem to understand our issue, so I just told them to send a flat bed wrecker. The guy was great! He pulled that trailer up onto his flatbed, and it was just a tad wide! He balanced the flat side on the rail, and off we went to park at a Discount Tire Store. There was a Sam's/Walmart right next door, and as a bonus, Central Market was across the street! The next morning, bought a new tire. Asked them what had made it flat, but they apparently couldn't figure it out because the tire was too damaged.  Off we went! Heading towards Shreveport.

As we crossed 75 on LBJ, a trucker pulled beside me, motioning towards the car. Not sure what the problem was, I headed for the exit at Skillman. Before getting there, we heard that sound of scraping again! Not another flat! Crap. Pulled around the corner next to the Denny's, and this time called another roadside assistance. Didn't want to wear AAA out. However, it took these people over 4 hours to come. Numerous phone calls later, we finally got a guy who was a real wheeler-dealer! He wanted to tow the dolly to "his shop" instead of the trailer location we had decided on just 3 miles away. Why a trailer shop, you ask? Because the issue was with the trailer! It was making our tires flat. We figure the wider trailer would have been better, but the shop that sold it to us, assured us it would work. We will be visiting them when we get back to Mesa!

Anyway, we went to the Garland Truck and Trailer place anyway. I had already talked to them and they were expecting us. When we arrived, much later than expected, a big guy with a great voice and South African accent met us out front. He had the best laugh! His name was Hardwick, and he may have fixed our issue. Actually one of his guys worked on it. There was a large bolt inside the wheel well that was rubbing the tire. It got so hot that it melted a big bubble in the wheel well, about 1" in diameter. Anyway, a few washers and some bending around of the frame, and it seems to be working. Took until the next morning to get a tire, though. We spent the night at another Walmart.

Hardwick was also able to do a Texas State Inspection on the rig while we were there, too, so that will help when we gather the rest of the crap Texas wants to register the coach. But that is another story!

We made it to Shreveport without further incident. Had a great time visiting with nephew Scott, his wife Mary, and the kids, Calvin and Catherine. Went and watched Catherine's first marshal arts lesson. She did great! And we got to watch Calvin practice with bows and arrows. In school. Elementary school...

Catherine is the one on the left! So cute!

After leaving, we decided to swing through Livingston which is our new mailing address. There is a really nice RV park here, along with the offices for Escapees mail, etc. It was confidence building to drive on the Texas side roads and farm to market roads that we had to take to get here. After all that flat tire stuff, and the parking lot at the meeting, I had lost some confidence driving.

And yes, that is rain!

It is very pretty here, but I doubt we will stay long. We have not had any luck with the errands we were hoping to accomplish here. Registering our rig, and changing the address on the Lincoln. Sadly, we were given bad information in Denton county. It would have worked to get the Lincoln done, though, had Jeff not lost the paper part of his new driver's license. We will now have to wait until the card comes in.

The best thing about our spot is the huge oak tree that shades us! And the sunsets here are amazing, too!

 

             



Buh-bye, Murphy!

Murphy is Alive and Well!

After saying back in November that I was going to blog our adventures, things have been very busy! It takes time to write, and even to try to figure out the topic and what to really talk about! Sorry! I will try to do better! I know there are some of you that really enjoy reading about our adventures.

Last Friday, we closed on the house. We have fully moved out, and are now living in our RV full time! Actually, Jeff got to spend the first night in the coach without me, as I was in a leadership conference for Norwex. He posted pics of HIS first meal.... mind you, this was the weekend of the Blizzard of 2017!

The following night, I took pics of our first meal. And even better, our next door neighbors the Geiser's gave us a going away bottle of Prosecco that was outstanding! We toasted each other and had a fine time. We initially parked out at Hickory Creek Park on Lake Lewisville. This is a beautiful place! Very quiet and right on the water. We enjoyed a few days there before heading out.... but wait, let me back up a bit.


Leading up to the sale, we were feverishly working to get all our stuff sold and the house cleaned out. We found a really interesting couple with 5 kids that needed the van, and they got a great deal! And the kids were so excited about having a "new" van! They all fit, no problem. They are from Eastern Oklahoma, in the mountains, and live in a tiny house, and are pretty much off the grid for all practical purposes. I really enjoyed meeting them.

We also got rid of most of the furniture, much more easily than I ever expected! We made the most of it for a couple weeks, just sleeping on the old mattress on the floor! Such fun! Sort of like when you are just out of college and don't have anything? Zada made the best of it though, by setting her old iMac on a table and using an RV chair! And, the old iMac is gone now, too...

We hired a guy who said he would come the day we were "out" and remove all the rest of the "junk", old mattress, etc. from the house. Since I had to go to Dallas for a much needed haircut, Jeff was there with them. I agreed to pay him $200 for housecleaning and removal. Jeff tried to not hover around them, and spent most of the time outside. After he paid them and went inside, he discovered that they didn't clean ANYTHING! Except they cleaned it out. Even took Elfa shelves out of the guest closet! AND, to absolutely annoy me to no end, they TOOK MY NORWEX! I called them and told them to come back, which they did. They had to dig around in the truck of junk to find my Norwex mop.... They had no idea what they really even had! I was LIVID! And, I made her go clean toilets, as they had taken every toilet brush in the house... and didn't clean the toilets! Didn't clean the kitchen counters, didn't sweep and mop... it was pitiful! I tried to explain to them how important the Norwex, particularly the MOP was! They just didn't get it. After telling them it was the last mop system you will ever need, he said I sounded like an infomercial! Lol... At least I got my mop back!

I can't tell you how stressful that day was! I showed up my my friend Carol's house nearly in tears over those people taking my Norwex... seriously! She answered the door, and my coach was parked outside her house anyway. However, she wouldn't let me come inside. She said that her husband Frank was walking around in his tighty whities (well, maybe she didn't say it in exactly that way!), and I couldn't come in right now. She loaned me a toilet brush (Norwex one!) so I went back to the house to finish up. We are still discovering what is missing. Like our crock pot. But that isn't the point of this part of the story.

Carol was hiding a secret! She and Donalee and Donna, wonderful neighborhood friends of mine from Robson, had been planning a going away surprise party for me! Jeff and I were supposed to come to her house for dinner that night, after all the stress of the day. It had  been planned for a couple weeks, apparently. At some point, she had to let Jeff in on the party, because they were afraid, with my current stress and time problems, I would cancel. Of course, I would have to be sick or something bad to cancel something like a good friend cooking for me! We showed up at the door half an hour late. I walked around the corner, and the whole neighborhood, well, our street anyway, was there! I was totally blown away! I was really feeling down about leaving the neighbors and my friends, although we are totally excited about our next adventure. But this was beyond any expectations I could have had!

 

 

 

 

How sweet is that!? Of course I cried....