Classes of 2008 and 2009

[IYQ]

Yesterday I finally couldn't stand it any longer so I took my laundry to the Launderette where they will wash and fold it for you. It cost me $16. Today I went over to pick it up and when I got it home, I had to refold everything. The pants were folded like ladies fold their pants. The hanky's were just folded in half, The T-shirts were folded in the middle then folded the opposite way in the middle like a wash cloth. The wash clothes were not folded at all, but just spread out flat and about half my shorts were folded inside out. The big double sheet that goes in my Travel Sack was actually tangled. I spent all day getting all the stuff re-folded and put away. Of course I did a lot of messing around, drinking coffee and taking cowgirls out to lunch inbetween folding sessions. At least I could do all the folding in the comfort of my own rig and not in a hot, noisy laundry room.

Edited September 24, 2012 by IYQ

[Onthego]

Don't go to any movies, eh?

 

We probably won't go to the movies, eh. Our plans have changed a little. Tuesday we are going to Chatfield State Park in Littleton instead of Cherry Creek. The following Monday head for Albuquerque. Later.

 

Tina and Jeff

 

Mike, it's near New Braunfels. Sent you a message.

[steved44]

We are parked at a place that has electric only so I've been running my water pump quite a bit lately. I noticed the pump was coming on every so often for a few seconds so I suspected a leak somewhere. The last time I went to fill the water tank, I noticed a dripping from the drain under the hydro-hot. It stopped after I filled up so I didn't check it again for a while. Yesterday we were getting ready to leave the bus and DW said "look, there's water running out of one of the bays". Ran over and opened the bay door and was greeted by a soggy mess. It's the bay door that you use to acess the hydro-hot and we were storing cleaning rags in there. The reason the water wasn't running out very fast was that the rags and towels were soaking most of it up. Sham Wow sure can hold a lot of water. Turns out the pex fittings that come out of the hydro-hot were the culprit. Now it was Sunday night and no pex store in sight!! Those things are hard to find anyways. They had some push on type fittings at Lowes, but they were too big for the space I had to work with. I finally found a stainless mesh 1' hose with the 1/2" fittings on both ends and it fit perfectly. It's made for a home toilet connection. I would have had to get 3 pex fittings and some line to do it the way Tiffin had it plumbed. I think this solution will be better in the long run. At least we now have hot water inside the bus. Never know what you're going to run into with these rigs. Hmmmmmmm Steve

[IYQ]

I drove all over town today trying to find a barber shop open. I forgot that most of them close on Monday. Why can't businesses of a like kind take different days off so some one will be open every day. It would seem like good business to me. If my competitor is closed for a day I'd open up shop and steal all his business. Oh Well, I did get my grocery shopping done and I got stocked up on vitamins and minerals. I've pretty much decided to leave here the 11th or 12th of October and go to the Slabs. One of the cowgirls and Yours Truely are planning a surprise Birthday Party for one of the Cowgirls who had to stay at the Slabs all summer and indure the 117 degree temperatures because her rig is in such bad shape she was afraid to take it out on the road. If it get too hot for me I'll go to Fountain of Youth and get full hook ups and swim in their pool every day. I'll probably contaminate it. All that sugar you know.

[IYQ]

We are parked at a place that has electric only so I've been running my water pump quite a bit lately. I noticed the pump was coming on every so often for a few seconds so I suspected a leak somewhere. The last time I went to fill the water tank, I noticed a dripping from the drain under the hydro-hot. It stopped after I filled up so I didn't check it again for a while. Yesterday we were getting ready to leave the bus and DW said "look, there's water running out of one of the bays". Ran over and opened the bay door and was greeted by a soggy mess. It's the bay door that you use to acess the hydro-hot and we were storing cleaning rags in there. The reason the water wasn't running out very fast was that the rags and towels were soaking most of it up. Sham Wow sure can hold a lot of water. Turns out the pex fittings that come out of the hydro-hot were the culprit. Now it was Sunday night and no pex store in sight!! Those things are hard to find anyways. They had some push on type fittings at Lowes, but they were too big for the space I had to work with. I finally found a stainless mesh 1' hose with the 1/2" fittings on both ends and it fit perfectly. It's made for a home toilet connection. I would have had to get 3 pex fittings and some line to do it the way Tiffin had it plumbed. I think this solution will be better in the long run. At least we now have hot water inside the bus. Never know what you're going to run into with these rigs. Hmmmmmmm Steve

Or I could just follow Steve around and swim in the puddles he leaves behind.

[mskay]

We are on the last leg of our 6 month Canadian stay.

 

Today we traveled from the Walmart in Merritt to Langley (a burb of Vancouver). We had to stop in Merritt to pick up our mail as our final pay cheques were in it AND payment for my article in Escapee magazine. You guys will probably all see it before we do. Please save your copies so we can see it. I will have to figure out how to order extras.

 

We will be here for 32 days. We have counted out the days that we were in the US in 2012 and although we should be clear to leave October 18th, Doug doesn't want to take any chances so we will stay until October 20th.

 

We are all set up on our new friends farm and the weather is beautiful. At this point we are only getting one channel of tv but we have become accustomed to none, so... We have Wi Fi in the rig on Doug's computer and I will go try mine outside.

 

[[[[[[HUGS]]]]]

I just got my mail and the Escapees Mag, way to go on the article...nice picture too! Will save my issue for you!

[mskay]

We are set up in Co. Springs for a few days, actually it's Fountain Co. at the KOA....nice place, convenient and familiar. Dan has a golf date....I have a imaging appointment at Penrad... have some shopping to do. Seems weird that my son and family doesn't live out here anymore. We still have a good hunting buddy and our Financial Advisor is here. Thursday we will be on the road again. Not really looking forward to the overly warm temps of the desert, but looking forward to Yuma.

[palamine]

I just got my mail and the Escapees Mag, way to go on the article...nice picture too! Will save my issue for you!

 

 

Thank you.

 

We have a couple more articles in the works.

[Wanderin]

I drove all over town today trying to find a barber shop open. I forgot that most of them close on Monday. Why can't businesses of a like kind take different days off so some one will be open every day. It would seem like good business to me. If my competitor is closed for a day I'd open up shop and steal all his business. Oh Well, I did get my grocery shopping done and I got stocked up on vitamins and minerals. I've pretty much decided to leave here the 11th or 12th of October and go to the Slabs. One of the cowgirls and Yours Truely are planning a surprise Birthday Party for one of the Cowgirls who had to stay at the Slabs all summer and indure the 117 degree temperatures because her rig is in such bad shape she was afraid to take it out on the road. If it get too hot for me I'll go to Fountain of Youth and get full hook ups and swim in their pool every day. I'll probably contaminate it. All that sugar you know.

Actually I think the Fountain of Youth RV park is quite nice. In the past we had actually thought about booking it for a while. The biggest problem is that it's a long ways from anything.

[Guest coldsmoke]

well in the morning we will start the long journey out to the lower 48. 1st stop spokane, then heading east to ny then sc then texas.

snowed here yesterday, so it is time.

will be initiating internet silence starting tommoorrow night, (canadian rates are so stupid , same with phone) same for their fuel cost !

mike and deb and smokey

[Sandie & Jim]

well in the morning we will start the long journey out to the lower 48. 1st stop spokane, then heading east to ny then sc then texas.

snowed here yesterday, so it is time.

will be initiating internet silence starting tommoorrow night, (canadian rates are so stupid , same with phone) same for their fuel cost !

mike and deb and smokey

 

Safe travels you guys.

[IYQ]

I finally got my ears lowered this morning. Feels a little breezy. While at the Barber a 2 yr old boy was putting on a show about not getting in that barber chair. His Grandfather was trying to shame him by calling him a sissy and a little girl which only made matters worse. Finally they gave up and Grampa went out to the car While Grandma stayed with the boy and called his mom to see if she would come to the shop and help control the boy. The Barber call me to get in the chair so On the way I stopped at the little boy and thanked him for letting me go first and told him it feels so good when the Barber cuts my hair. All the time while I was in the chair I kept a big smile on my face and the little boy just staired at me with big eyes. When the Barber was finished I bent over and thanked the boy for letting me go first and put on a little show about how good my new hair cut felt. He walked over to the Barber chair and crawled up into it without a word. His Grandma was flabbergasted.

This evening 4 of us went out to the Adobe Deli and I had one of their 2 inch thick pork chops. Boy are they good. Now I'm stuffed. I guess I won't be going out for Pizza tonight.

Tomorrow morning is the airplane ride. I told the Cowgirl that is going with me that they had the big long ladder rolled up and stowed in the truck of the Airplane. Somehow I don't think she believed me. LOL

Edited September 26, 2012 by IYQ

[mskay]

I finally got my ears lowered this morning. Feels a little breezy. While at the Barber a 2 yr old boy was putting on a show about not getting in that barber chair. His Grandfather was trying to shame him by calling him a sissy and a little girl which only made matters worse. Finally they gave up and Grampa went out to the car While Grandma stayed with the boy and called his mom to see if she would come to the shop and help control the boy. The Barber call me to get in the chair so On the way I stopped at the little boy and thanked him for letting me go first and told him it feels so good when the Barber cuts my hair. All the time while I was in the chair I kept a big smile on my face and the little boy just staired at me with big eyes. When the Barber was finished I bent over and thanked the boy for letting me go first and put on a little show about how good my new hair cut felt. He walked over to the Barber chair and crawled up into it without a word. His Grandma was flabbergasted.

This evening 4 of us went out to the Adobe Deli and I had one of their 2 inch thick pork chops. Boy are they good. Now I'm stuffed. I guess I won't be going out for Pizza tonight.

Tomorrow morning is the airplane ride. I told the Cowgirl that is going with me that they had the big long ladder rolled up and stowed in the truck of the Airplane. Somehow I don't think she believed me. LOL

Have a wonderful ride tomorrow! We want to hear all about it!!!!

[Onthego]

well in the morning we will start the long journey out to the lower 48. 1st stop spokane, then heading east to ny then sc then texas.

snowed here yesterday, so it is time.

will be initiating internet silence starting tommoorrow night, (canadian rates are so stupid , same with phone) same for their fuel cost !

mike and deb and smokey

 

Come on down!

 

I know about the fuel costs. The cheapest we paid for gas was in Edmonton at $1.08 a liter. We took a side trip to the Columbia Icefield in the Jeep and had to buy some gas in the park. Only bought about 20 liters at $1.69 a liter. Yikes!

 

Be safe in your travels. Later.

 

Tina and Jeff

[palamine]

well in the morning we will start the long journey out to the lower 48. 1st stop spokane, then heading east to ny then sc then texas.

snowed here yesterday, so it is time.

will be initiating internet silence starting tommoorrow night, (canadian rates are so stupid , same with phone) same for their fuel cost !

mike and deb and smokey

 

 

Holy smokes! That's a BIG plan.

[palamine]

I finally got my ears lowered this morning. Feels a little breezy. While at the Barber a 2 yr old boy was putting on a show about not getting in that barber chair. His Grandfather was trying to shame him by calling him a sissy and a little girl which only made matters worse. Finally they gave up and Grampa went out to the car While Grandma stayed with the boy and called his mom to see if she would come to the shop and help control the boy. The Barber call me to get in the chair so On the way I stopped at the little boy and thanked him for letting me go first and told him it feels so good when the Barber cuts my hair. All the time while I was in the chair I kept a big smile on my face and the little boy just staired at me with big eyes. When the Barber was finished I bent over and thanked the boy for letting me go first and put on a little show about how good my new hair cut felt. He walked over to the Barber chair and crawled up into it without a word. His Grandma was flabbergasted.

This evening 4 of us went out to the Adobe Deli and I had one of their 2 inch thick pork chops. Boy are they good. Now I'm stuffed. I guess I won't be going out for Pizza tonight.

Tomorrow morning is the airplane ride. I told the Cowgirl that is going with me that they had the big long ladder rolled up and stowed in the truck of the Airplane. Somehow I don't think she believed me. LOL

 

 

That is a fabulous story! The kind of story you read in "parenting" magazine. Wisdom, Lee, that's all it took. Good for you!

[Wanderin]

I finally got my ears lowered this morning. Feels a little breezy. While at the Barber a 2 yr old boy was putting on a show about not getting in that barber chair. His Grandfather was trying to shame him by calling him a sissy and a little girl which only made matters worse. Finally they gave up and Grampa went out to the car While Grandma stayed with the boy and called his mom to see if she would come to the shop and help control the boy. The Barber call me to get in the chair so On the way I stopped at the little boy and thanked him for letting me go first and told him it feels so good when the Barber cuts my hair. All the time while I was in the chair I kept a big smile on my face and the little boy just staired at me with big eyes. When the Barber was finished I bent over and thanked the boy for letting me go first and put on a little show about how good my new hair cut felt. He walked over to the Barber chair and crawled up into it without a word. His Grandma was flabbergasted.

 

 

Cute. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a little psychology. I bet those grandparents have a problem no matter where they take the little one. And, it's not the fault of the little one!!

 

Wish we were heading farther south than we are. That's what we had planned. However, the decision is up to Terry this year. He wants to be within a few hours of his mother since his father passed. Maybe next year we'll get to venture someplace else. Maybe?? We're getting things ready to go. There's lots to do but we're thinking in a couple weeks or so that we'll be on the road. We still don't know how we're going. I wish I could come up with someplace halfway in between to spend a couple weeks while we waited for the weather to cool down farther south. I think we've done this route way too much to be excited about it.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Wanderin'

[steved44]

Good for you Lee, that used to work on me too (when I had hair)

[mskay]

Sounds like a lot of us are getting some serious road miles in....I thought going from Montana to Indiana and back to Yuma all within a month's time was crazy! We will head out of C. Springs in the morning and try to make Albequerque by night. We are still on schedule to be in Yuma next Monday. I just wish it was not quite so hot yet. There's snow on Pike's Peak today, so winter is on it's way! Everybody travel safe and have fun with some new and different experiences this year. Looks like IYQ is going up in the air to woo the Cowgirls today!Hope you're all having a great fall week!

[IYQ]

The Airplane ride was super. We took off a little before 10 AM and climbed to about 5000 feet heading north. Our first scheduled fly around was at City of Rocks State Park. I was going to take pictures but my camera showed an error every time I turned it on so I just turned it off and became a "spectater". I thought that City of rock was a unique rock formation dumped by a volcano eruption over near Hatch, NM but I found that just north of City of Rocks there are many out cropings like that. Some are twice the size of City of Rocks. Beautiful. Then, it was on to the Copper mine just south of Bayard. NM Boy is that a big operation. The rows of tailing were of evey color in the rainbow. Some of the runoff ponds were brilliant green and some deep blue. The big earth moving trucks and equipment looked like ants down in the pit. From there we flew around Cook's Peak. It's an 8300' peak that comes to a very sharp cone shaped peak. We went around the peak so close you could see individual tufts of grass sticking out between the rocks. Then we headed south toward the Florida (Pronounced "Floor EEDA") mountains. We flew very close to the peaks, which are very rugged, looking for Ibex. There are about 1200 of them in the Floridas. We only saw one but the piolet told us that he sees them about 7 out of 10 times he flys over the mountains. They are transplants from Europe. They are a little smaller than a pronghorn (american antelope) with long swept-back horns. They are a little hard to see because of their size and color. After the Floridas we flew over the Low-Hi RV ranch where we are parked then made a 'with the wind' landing because there was very little wind. The Cowgirl I took with me is usually very talkative. She didn't say one word through the whole flight untill she saw the Ibex. Then all she said is "there's one". We came back to the ranch to refresh outselves then took off again in my truck for Silver City, NM. passing the drain reservoir for the copper mine again. This trip was to talk a 90+ year old friend of ours to let us come up next week and drive here rig back to the ranch for her. She can't see much at all and my friend followed her one time and she was all over and off the road. We took here to a restaurant that has a menu very much like a health food restaurant but the owner insist it isn't a health food place. I got her talking about Italy. She was a concert pianist and traveled Europe when she was in her prime. It was easy to get her to agree to let us go up next week and my Cowgirl friend will drive her Motorhome and I'll follow in my truck. We got back just as happy hour was starting. After Happy Hour, I came back to my Rig and was sitting outside when I saw the Manager and another friend of mine, who I haven't seen since last year at the Slabs, heading my way. They wanted me to go with them to the Adobe Deli. There is no way I can refuse one of their 2 inch thick Pork Chops so off we go to the Deli. We sat there talking for about 1.5 hours while eating our dinner and got back to the ranch just as it was getting dark. All in All, it was a very pleasing day. Good night folks.

Edited September 27, 2012 by IYQ

[donf888]

We (early Sunday) beat tracks from NYC back to Toledo to visit Mom -- she began a rapid descent a couple days earlier.

 

Mom passed quietly, in her sleep at 05:20 EDT Wed; she'd been made very comfortable, especially the last 8 weeks, by the caregivers at ParkCliffe Community, the Hospice attendants & their nurses... didn't need Adavan at all (so, minimum/negligible agitation), was given morphine for the first time on Saturday -- that is what made it clear we needed to be back in Toledo. We visited with Mom all day Tues, into the evening, planning to spend all of Wed with her -- but, she was so ready, she left once she knew all her kids were nearby!

Love to all,

-Don

[Sandie & Jim]

We (early Sunday) beat tracks from NYC back to Toledo to visit Mom -- she began a rapid descent a couple days earlier.

 

Mom passed quietly, in her sleep at 05:20 EDT Wed; she'd been made very comfortable, especially the last 8 weeks, by the caregivers at ParkCliffe Community, the Hospice attendants & their nurses... didn't need Adavan at all (so, minimum/negligible agitation), was given morphine for the first time on Saturday -- that is what made it clear we needed to be back in Toledo. We visited with Mom all day Tues, into the evening, planning to spend all of Wed with her -- but, she was so ready, she left once she knew all her kids were nearby!

Love to all,

-Don

 

Don and Fannie

 

I'm glad you were able to spend the day with your Mom and to let her know it was alright for her to go home. It's so hard even though we know its the right thing, to say goodbye. Hugs to both of you and your family.

[sandsys]

We (early Sunday) beat tracks from NYC back to Toledo to visit Mom -- she began a rapid descent a couple days earlier.

 

Mom passed quietly, in her sleep at 05:20 EDT Wed; she'd been made very comfortable, especially the last 8 weeks, by the caregivers at ParkCliffe Community, the Hospice attendants & their nurses... didn't need Adavan at all (so, minimum/negligible agitation), was given morphine for the first time on Saturday -- that is what made it clear we needed to be back in Toledo. We visited with Mom all day Tues, into the evening, planning to spend all of Wed with her -- but, she was so ready, she left once she knew all her kids were nearby!

Love to all,

-Don

My sympathies to you and all your family.

 

Linda Sand

[IYQ]

We (early Sunday) beat tracks from NYC back to Toledo to visit Mom -- she began a rapid descent a couple days earlier.

 

Mom passed quietly, in her sleep at 05:20 EDT Wed; she'd been made very comfortable, especially the last 8 weeks, by the caregivers at ParkCliffe Community, the Hospice attendants & their nurses... didn't need Adavan at all (so, minimum/negligible agitation), was given morphine for the first time on Saturday -- that is what made it clear we needed to be back in Toledo. We visited with Mom all day Tues, into the evening, planning to spend all of Wed with her -- but, she was so ready, sheeft once she knew all her kids were nearby!

Love to all,

-Don

The Whole group feels your loss as most of us have lost our own parents. Now we will offer comfort in the knowledge that your mother will no longer feel the pain nor have to endure the hardships of growing older. I'll offer this poem that my wife left where I would find it when she passed on.

 

Miss Me - But Let Me Go.

 

When I come to the end of the road,

and the sun has set or me.

I want no rites in a Gloom filled room,

Why cry for a soul set free!

 

Miss me a little - But not too long'

and not with your head bowed low.

Remember the Love that we once shared,

Miss Me But Let Me Go!

 

For this is a journey we all must take.

And each must go Alone.

It's all a part of the Master's plan

A step on the road to home.

 

When you are lonely and sick of Heart,

Go to the friends we know.

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.

Miss Me, But Let Me Go.

 

Author Unknown

Edited September 28, 2012 by IYQ

[IYQ]

Now much going today, I'm still recovering from yesterday. I got my mail from SD, so did bookwork most of the day. This evening after happy hour, 4 of us (3 cowgirls and your's truly) went to the Savoy Truck stop for dinner. It was excellent. Then we played 31 when we got back home. I only won 1 game tonight. I must be slipping. After card we sat outside a gabbed for a while. It was a very pleasant night.