Halloween and Dish

Halloween!  Not that it means much to us as we have no Trick or Treaters here in the RV Park.  There is a pot luck dinner at the club house, but we don't attend pot lucks as once I got very sick after one.

The Dish Satalite man finally came, it took him no time to aim our dish and set up the TV.  Now we have many choices of what to watch!

We went to Bushnell for dinner at Beef O Brady's, had a good hamburger.

Waffle House and Ice Cream

We went to Waffle House for breakfast.  This Waffle House had NO customers a couple years ago, someone cleaned up the place and lowered the prices so now there is a waiting line.  The food was good and served fast.  Our waffles had a lot of pecans in them.

In the afternoon we went to the Ice Cream Social at the Club House.  Turns out it was a going away party for the summer mangers with cake (I had a good cherry chocolate bundt cake piece) and ice cream.  Was good to see our long time friends and feel we are back home, at least our winter home.

I talked to our kids in the evening.  Nothing on TV so we just did sodakas etc.

Afterward we went to Walmart for a couple things (or more).  They have Christmas Stuff all over and Halloween isn't even over with.

Dish Satellite problems again

The Dish Satellite person that was suppose to be here by 5 PM to set up our Dish called about 5 PM asking were we were located.  Turns out he was in Mobile, Alabama not Bushnell, Florida.  They had put down the wrong zip code.  So another day goes by that we have no TV.  Actually two days as they can't get here until Monday.  Why would I even expect Dish to be any better, they never can get it together.

We are still doing stuff around the motorhome, lots of little projects.  Don got the front debugged, window washed and sun screen put on, now we can open the black shade and see across the campground and it doesn't seem so dark in here.

For dinner we brought home food from our favorite Chinese place.

Dish TV hassels

I thought I would sleep like a baby last night but turned out to be a fussy baby.  Too tired to sleep!  We are getting things set up in and outside the motorhome.  Went to 10:00 coffee at the office and saw a few old friends.  We turned on the air conditioner about noon as the heat and humidity were rising,

Don called Dish to get back on to using the satellite.  That part, which we thought would be a hassle like last time, was easy.  We need to get the Dish aimed, used to be able to do it ourselves but now the HD signal makes it more difficult.   Part of the contract says we get the dish aimed once a year for $10.  Don was transferred to someone who just could not understand what we were requesting (even though English seemed to be her first language).  He was shouting at her NO NO NO that is not what I want.  Finally she gave us a number of a local Dish dealer, Don called and they would only do it for $100.  After some convincing the person said she would check and call back.  Never did call.  Don finally called Dish again and got someone who understood what he wanted and would get someone out tomorrow for $10.  We will see----

In the evening we went to town to get gas in the almost empty car and pick up a pizza.

Of course I do, no dishwasher but me in the motorhome:

Sumter Oaks - Florida

We got up early and were on the road at 7:30 AM headed for Florida.  The trip went well despite some heavy traffic, hot weather but no motorhome problems.  We got to our leased site about 5 PM and set up as much as necessary for overnight - there is always tomorrow.  We are really tired and just need to relax.  It is really good to be here!

No parts until who knows when

Again Don continues to wax the motorhome, big job, big motorhome!  The weather is day and cool so good chance to wax.  I do stuff around the inside.

In the afternoon we went to Camping World to see if any parts came, what a joke.  Nothing was in and nothing expected for at LEAST a week.  Last week they told us they would be in this week.  So we made the decision to leave for Florida tomorrow.  No use sticking around any longer, who knows how long that could be.  They will send us a couple things but hold the leveling jack until we come by next spring.  Maybe, can't believe anything they say.  The old jack still works and we add hydraulic fluid now and again.

Ate one last dinner at Shrimp Basket, they have great fresh shrimp.


Always been my personal motto, what comes around goes around.  The best part I can sit back and just watch it happen, and it does happen!!!

Slooooow day

A slow day.  We went into town to CVS to get Coke which is on sale - of course they were out.  Stopped by McDonalds for a lunch hamburger.  Don continued to wax the motorhome in the afternoon, I made spaghetti for dinner.  Like I said, slow day.

Cotton field ready to pick.  Lots of cotton fields around and pecan orchards.

Parts

Cleaned the motorhome today.  If we do get to finally move this week, it won't stay clean.  Nice weather, cool nights and warm days!  We ran a couple errands and stopped by Camping World to check on the parts which were suppose to be in today.  NOW they tell us Thursday at the earliest.  Needless to say we were not happy.  I will be so glad when we get the things installed and leave.

Daughter and her new friend!  Such a good picture, I had to post!

Sunday, breakfast, newspaper and wax

Sunday - so we went out for breakfast.  Went to Cracker Barrel again.  Then stopped by Walmart, we only needed a couple things but I decided to go in just to get some walking time.  For once we came out with just the two things we needed.   Came home and read some of the Sunday paper and then Don took the sheets to the laundry while I washed a load in the MH and did some other things.

In the afternoon Don started to wax the outside of the motorhome, a big job!  He got one side done.  We grilled steak for dinner.  Talked to both daughters.  Talked to Brenda as she was waiting for a plane in Houston to take her home to Minneapolis.


All the time -  been having a real rash of this lately!

Hard working man!

It really cooled down during the night, had to turn on heat this morning.  Don decided today was the day to power wash the motorhome roof.  Then he put a sealer on.  A once a year maintenance job to keep the roof in good shape.  The dirt from the roof came down over the sides of the motorhome so then he had to wash the motorhome.  He just washed it a couple weeks ago so now it is really clean!

We brought some fish home for dinner and watched a DVD we had in the cupboard.  It wasn't very good, about put us to sleep.  We stayed up to watch Saturday Night Live which started with a mock of the last presidential debate.  Funny.

Dauphin Island Trip

The long expected weather front came through in the middle of the night with some wind which blew the acorns off the tree over the motorhome.  Sounded like we were getting bombed!  The cooler air and low humidity feel great.

We went to Dauphin Island today.  To get there you have to travel through Mobile so it is a fairly long trip but worth the time.  The island has lots of houses on stilts, beaches, a aquarium, campgrounds, an old fort, etc.  Lots to see.  We had a nice day with perfect weather.  Seas were rough so we chose to go back the same way we came and not that the ferry.

Heat and Humidity and Shrimp

Another hot day, the last of the heat and humidity if TV weather is to be believed!  We did some stuff around the motorhome.  Don washed the inside of the front window - it had a rough film on it.

We ate at the Shrimp Basket again.  They have good shrimp and other food.

Grandson Zach is on the Rosemount team!  Congrats to him on a GREAT game and a winning team.

Trip to the Gulf of Mexico

I didn't sleep well last night, don't know why.  Also don't know why Don got up early this morning waking me up.  A nap looked  good this afternoon.  The heat and humidity continue today and forecast for tomorrow then a cool down at last.

We took a drive east to the Gulf of Mexico.  Lots of houses and parks around the area.  We stopped at McDonalds for lunch and then went on to Camping World for a check to see what if anything or our replacement parts has arrived.  Nothing has arrived but is expected Monday or Tuesday, good news!  Then we went to Walmart for a couple of things and got much more than a coupe.

Also we picked up a couple Gyro's from Arbys for dinner so we can watch Survivor on TV and then the Trump/Clinton debate.

Krispy Kream with heat and humidity

We went into town for a Krispy Kreme donut and coffee today just for something to do.  While there we talked to a couple who blew a tire on their motorhome causing a lot of damage to the MH.  They have to wait six weeks for repair parts.  Good reason to use our Tire Minders.

It is a hot and humid day, only had the windows open an hour or so before AC time.

I fixed dinner for a change, good to eat at home and relax.



Field by our Florida RV park, makes me even more anxious to get there!

House cleaning and Logan's for dinner

Don took the sheets to the laundry and I cleaned the inside of the motorhome and washed clothing and towels.  It is good to have it clean again, gets disheveled when we are moving it around.

For dinner we went to Logan's Steak House.  I think this is the first time they haven't tried to seat us in the bar, where due to past problems, we will not sit.  We must look like bar flies!  They had a special:  2 meals for $15.99.  I got the salmon which turned out to be very good.  It was "blackened" served with lemon butter.  I ordered a salad and a grilled vegetable skewer which was great.  Both came with the price.  Don had a steak, he paid $2 extra for that and then he ordered salad and sweet potato - which was huge.  For what we paid, we got a great dinner worth much more.

Sunday, Sunday

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, just beat the crowd.  Needed a couple things at the nearby Walmart and of course got more than a couple.  Don picked up corn candy and trail mix.  I got the groceries!  We left the windows open on the motorhome while we were gone and when we got home it was hot and humid inside, good it doesn't take long to cool it off.

I've had a stomach ache for a couple days, doesn't seem to be getting any better - don't know why.

We grilled marinated pork chops for dinner, I wasn't really hungry.  I talked to both our daughters in the evening and watched some TV.

Saturday at home - and that is good!!!

It was good to stay home today.  We got things settled in to where they belong and I did some wash.  Then it was a good nap, guess we were more tired than we thought.  It rained a little in the afternoon, ocean effect rain.  It was enough to spot up our car, that along with the tree sap and dust, the car needs washing again.

For dinner we went to Panda Express, a favorite and new to this area.  Not many people were there although it is a nice looking new design.  The food was good.  We came home and watched an old DVD we had in the motorhome.  It was fairly good.

Describes the campground we are in.  Lots of crickets and frogs singing at night!

Reclaimed motorhome after a long day of waiting.

We slept good at the motel, but not like home (motorhome).  Had their breakfast and delayed leaving until about 10:30.  Then stopped at a couple places and went to Camping World to see if the motorhome was finished.  Hardly, they estimated it would be 4:30.

They have good popcorn so that is what we had for lunch and then watched television, etc. to pass the time.  The MH was finally ready and we pulled out about 4 PM.  What an exhausting two days!  It was good to pull into our site and turn on the AC.

We ran into town for Five Guys hamburgers for dinner.

Motorhome at Camping World - AGAIN

Got up early again and got the motorhome to Camping World for the big paint job (four screw holes inadvertently drilled when they installed the side awnings).  Told the motorhome goodby for a couple days and went to to Waffle House for breakfast.  Love their pecan waffles!

Then it was to Old Time Pottery for some serious shopping.  I spent a lot of time and about $8 for a couple small items.  From there we went out to the gulf coast to look around.  Their big Shrimp Festival is going on and a lot of people around .   Not hungry at noon so stopped for an ice cream cone.  Then time to find a hotel, we decided to try Hampton Inn, they had one room left at a decent price (Camping World is paying so not too concerned).   It is a nice place, clean, smells good.  As long as we have to stay in a hotel this is the place.

Went next door for dinner at Cracker Barrow.

Camping World again

Camping World again, this time to make an appointment to get the holes painted that were inadvertently drilled in the outside of the motorhome when the side awnings were in stalled last spring.  This sounds like such a simple thing to paint four small screw holes, but no nothing is simple with a motorhome.  It will take two days with primer, paint and drying time.  They will pay for our hotel.

We have decided to wait a couple weeks for the new jack to arrive.  Found there is a 3 year warranty on the motorhome dash air conditioner so that gives us some time to get it fixed even through we may have to suffer (or turn on the generator and roof air) on the way to our place in Florida.

Too tired to go out for dinner so ate leftovers.

Day of the motorhome

It was up early to get the motorhome to Camping World by 8 AM.  They evaluated our problems and fixed some that didn't require parts. Had the oil changed and a fill of propane (propane at no cost).  We got home about 2 PM, ate Camping World's popcorn for lunch.

I had seen a commercial on TV for a eating place called Shrimp Basket so decided to try it out.  It was very good, I had blackened shrimp - just the right seasoning.  Probably will go back as it looks like we will be here for a couple weeks waiting for parts.  Oh well, there are worse places to be than Gulf Shores.

We went for  donuts and coffee this morning after dropping off the MH:

Camping World and salmon

Right away this morning we went to Camping World to start to resolve our problems with our motorhome.  They seemed to want to works with us probably because of our call to national headquarters.  We have to take the motorhome in tomorrow to have things evaluated and get an oil change and propane fill.  Then find out how long it is going to take to get parts and if we can or want to stick around the area until the parts come.

Got home and Don took the sheets to the laundry while I cleaned the house.  When we travel the MH seems to get even more dirty than when we just are one place.

We grilled salmon for dinner and stuck around home.

Breaux Bridges, Louisiana to Summerdale, AL (Gulf Shores)

We got up early to beat the heat to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  We pulled in our campground, Escapees Plantation, about 1:30.  Interstate 10 was busy and busier so good to get off the highway.  We have stayed at Rainbow Plantation, an Escapees' Park.  It is nice, treas, large sites and not expensive.  Makes us glad we belong to Escapees to be able to take advantage of their parks.

We always go to Zaxby's for dinner the first night we are in Gulf Shores, so that is what we did.  They have chicken fingers and wings.  Got home in time to talk to our daughters and then watch the second presidential debate.  It drove me crazy but had to watch.  Clinton kept her cool even as Trump loomed over her trying to intimate her.

A bridge on I 10, this was the most steep but there were others close.

Livingston, Texas to Breaux Bridges, Lousania

Today turned out to be shorter time on the road than we thought.  We decided to divide the long trip to Gulf Shores into two days, got to our stop about 12:30.   We are in an old campground, but OK for a night.  It's right off Interstate 10 so will be easy to get on tomorrow for the second, somewhat longer, leg of the trip.

We stopped for gas in Orange, Texas, we had stopped at that station a few years ago.  I remembered the trick to getting back on I 10 but had a hard time convincing Don.  Finally he went my way and worked slick.

We are back in Waffle House country and there was one by our campground so we went there for a sandwich for dinner.

Day off of travel

There is a Jack-in-the-Box in Livingston, we always like them for breakfast so we went there this morning.  Still a good breakfast!  Then we went to Walmart for a "few things"  got over $40 worth including "prison shoes" for Don at a cheap $9.  Came home and started the first of two loads in the motorhome washer and Don took the sheets to the campground laundry.

It was good to have a day off of travel.

Sherman, Texas to Livingston, Texas

It was a shorter day in hours but the travel in Dallas was awful, bumper to bumper.  Not fun in a car, awful in a motorhome.  We made all our turns OK and finally got out of the traffic.  The rest of the day traveling went fine.

We are visiting the Mother Ship - the campground at the headquarters for Escapees.  It is a nice campground and not expensive at all.  Took a nap when we got here and went out for some chicken to bring home.  The car was about out of gas so drove on fumes until we could get in a station.

Thinking of our friends in Florida while glad we are not there yet.

Pres. George W. Bush Library

This was the day to visit  President George W Bush Library and Museum in Dallas.  It was about an hour drive from our campground all on Interstate.  A very busy Interstate in the down town area.  One place had 5 layers of bridges!

The Museum was very well thought out and put together.  There were several short movies to sit and watch.  It was informative and enjoyable.  Before we left we ate at an attached place called Cafe 43.  Most people, men and women had suits on so we stuck out in our jeans and knit shirts!  The food was great especially the fruit that came with our sandwiches.  There were strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, honey due melon and pineapple.

It was a hot day, 90 degrees, the sun really beat down.

Abaline Kansas to Sherman Texas

It was a long and hard day.  Storms were forecast in Kansas and Oklahoma for the afternoon and because we don't want to visit Oz, we got up early in order to get through Oklahoma and into Texas.  Problem was there was a thunderstorm about the time we were ready to leave. so we waited around for it to pass.

Most of the trip was on Interstate Highway, the good part.  Bad part it was over nine hours on the road, heavy head winds that made it hard to keep the motorhome on the road, it was hot and humid and our motor air conditioner quit working.  We finally turned on the generator and ran the house (roof) air conditioners.  That helped a lot.  Also had heavy traffic and Oklahoma City to get through.  What a day.  Got to our campground which has lots of long time people, look like construction workers.  The cable TV is a joke and WiFi is a myth.

Too tired to go out to eat so had a frozen entrees and watched the vice-president debate.

Eisenhower Museum

We went to former President Eisenhower's museum/boyhood home/library/grave today.  Spent about 3 1/2 hours there, it was very interesting.  He went to West Point and graduated an officer, from there.he became a General of the Army and shortly during WW2 became the Commanding General of all the military.  He was know for his good planning and decisiveness.  When WW2 was over he helped settle the Korean Conflict.  His war efforts were admired by people in many countries especially the USA.

The Democrats and the Republicans both tried to get him to run on their ticket for President, he choose the Republican Party with Richard Nixon as his Vice President.   He was elected to a second term, after that term he had heart problems and died. in 1969.  He had married Mamie from Boone, Iowa shortly before going to war.  They had two boys, one of which died as a toddler.  He also had four grandchildren, He named Camp David after a grandson.  David married Julia Nixon.

After that big day, we came home and cleaned up the house, gets extra dirty when traveling for some reason.  We may have our Camping World problems solved after talking to the corporate office.  Let's hope.  It is a nice but windy day.

Grilled some steak for dinner, will get up early tomorrow to hopefully beat bad weather.

Kearney Nebraska to Albaline Kansas

Not such a long day, in fact a short day.  We left Kearney by 8:30 headed east through Nebraska.  The plan was to stop at exit 312 for gas at one of Don's favorite stations.  Pulled off the road, no stations in site.  Of course the MH was getting thirsty because yesterday he only got enough gas to get us to this exit.  We got back on the Interstate and the next exit had another brand so pulled in, it did not have RV lanes so had to go with the cars.  The first try got us too far away to get gas so went around the pumps again and got close enough.   Went done the highway and at exit 342 there was his station!  Someone made a mistake.

Shortly after turned south on a four lane road that led us to Kansas Interstate 70 and in a few miles went to the campground Don had planned.  It is an older campground, some squatter people with their assortment of junk, but will do for a couple nights.  The internet works and the cable TV is very good.  A train nearby but seems most RV Parks have a nearby train...

We went to Sonic to get our favorite sandwiches, they didn't have them, so we ordered something similar.  They didn't have that either.  Ended up with cheeseburgers.  We brought them home to eat.

Forgot it is Sunday so didn't call the kids, Sheila called me about 9 PM, too late to call Brenda.

Moving on: Rapid City to Kaerney NB

Time to leave Rapid City.  It turned out to be a long day on the road.  We got up at 6:30 thinking we would be pulling out at 8 AM  but no it was 8:30.  Went a short ways to a gas station where Don has a company card that requires a pin number, he forgot his pin. We both looked through his box of junk for a small yellow post-it note with the magic number but could not find it.  Then he went inside the store to see if they could help, finally we got gas with another card and they gave him his discount.

Then it was on the road south into Nebraska, didn't realize Nebraska has such rolling hills so it was up and down.  We came to an area where 2 sets of parallel train tracks ran by the highway.  I don't know how many coal trains we saw full and empty on these tracks!

Time for more gas, I had found the pin on the computer so all was well except Don just got the minimum amount to get us to the next station that was a few cents cheaper.  (I call all this his Gas Games).  Finally 10 hours after we left Rapid City we pulled into a campground in Kaerney, NB.  It was a nice campground, pull-thru sites, concrete pads.  Somewhat expensive.  Don plugged in the electricity, turned on the air conditioning and off we went to find something to eat.

We decided to go to the first place we came across.  It was a Red Lobster, more dinner than we wanted so a bit further we found a Perkins.  Not a favorite but we tried it and turns out it was good.  Our side salads were nicer than we have seen at high priced places.  All the food good and service fine.

Getting back to the motorhome I found the campground WiFi was off and on and very slow at best.  So I tried our Jet Pack but could not get cell service.  Forget getting on the internet!  We were tired anyway.

Rain over Rapid