Week of 2-1 thru 2-8-09

This week began with a typical Sunday for us. We just stayed in the trailer and Stella made us pigs in a blanket for breakfast. Rick and Brenda came over in the afternoon and we went shopping for a new gas grill for them. We finally found one at Sears and then we went to the Sweet Tomato for supper. This is the last time that we will see them until we meet in June. We leave next week for Kerrville and then to the RGV and they are leaving on the 16th for Memphis where Rick will work for his brother.

We went to Dickinson on Tuesday for me to see Dr. Merritt. My A1c is higher than it needs to be and she started me on some new medications, Glimeripride and Janumet. We'll have to see how this works out. Stella had a nice visit with her also before we left. We went to lunch with Kim in the cafeteria and after dropping off my old Sergeant badge in Manvel, we returned to the park. We did get more cheap diesel in Manvel ($1.95)

Our good friends Tommy and Susan had come to the park, so we had someone to hang with. Ricky was busy with his new house, getting deliveries and having things repaired. He found about half of the floor tile was bad and had to be torn out and replaced.

I began my Thursday by painting all the little road dings and scratches on the truck. I got my sliding cargo tray and the stabilizers in on Friday last week but had to wait for the trim kit to be shipped from out of state. It arrived on Wednesday. Tommy and I started putting it together on Thursday and got it set up on the table outside. Ricky came over on Friday morning and we got it all straightened out and installed in the cargo bay. Ricky and I (mostly Ricky) then began installing the stabilizers. They should make the trailer very steady with no shake when we walk around. We got one installed, but found that the installation instructions SUCK!! Ricky had to leave to have his blinds installed at his house, but when he returned, we got the rest done. It was a lot of work but its done now and working well. Thanks Ricky....

We had a small gathering of Boomers scheduled for this weekend's celebration of Mardi Gras. Barbara Spade, Jim Sims, Billy and Carla Clifton and Eddie and Kelly Rogers all came to the park to be with us this weekend. That night, all of them went to a mexican restaurant to eat while Ricky, Susan and Stella and I went to Tai Pei for oriental food.

We were supposed to have gone down and gotten the boys on Friday night, but because of the work that we were doing, we didn't get to go. Stella and I got up pretty early on Saturday morning to go down to Texas City, but when we stopped at the Chevron station on Rayford to get fuel, the truck started blowing white smoke and running rough and it finally died and would not restart. I had to call Milstead Wrecker to come pick us up and bring us back to the park. Tyler and Cameron ended up staying with Cathy for the weekend since we didn't have a truck. I believe that we got some bad fuel that caused the problem, but the shop didn't get a chance to find out what the problem was before they closed and will check on it on Monday. The clerk gave me a telephone number for Chevron to call to check on their liability on the damages to my truck.

We returned to the park and had a good time with the Mardi Gras celebration. I went over and sampled some of the mixed drinks that had been made for the drink contest. My vote might have been for the margaritas or more likely Danna's Pina Coladas made with ice cream. There was a potluck dinner Saturday night but Tommy and Susan fixed some hamburgers and hot dogs, so we ate with them. Michael Maker's band played and it was another great show. After listening for a couple of hours, we built a fire in front of Tommy's motorhome. We had a very nice time and burned up all of my firewood, which I wanted to do because I didn't want to carry it to Kerrville

This was my last gathering as the Boomer leader for the Houston area. Although it was one of the smallest turnouts for a gathering, we still had a good time and I think everyone else had a good time. There were some complaints about the pricing for the park this weekend, but it is a special event weekend with a band.

So long for now,