May 25, 2012: EGADS!!!!!! With this much work……sure hope we have fun!!!!!

WHEW!!!!  This will be short…..my body is screaming out soooo loudly that everyone can hear it…without a doubt.  The past two days have been non-stop…….preparations for the upcoming weekend (beginning tomorrow) and which we will return from late Monday night.  Then bright and early Tuesday morning……we hook up the 5er and off we go for the next three weeks!!!

It has not been easy to get things ready for the long trip and at the same time prepare for this weekend……and in some categories they overlap!!!  Big difference???  We will be staying at the Lodge of the Four Seasons for the weekend which is a REALLY nice place to spend a weekend.  As Darrel and Dr. Jeni have their 43′plus cruiser moored their year round, they can get us a discount on rooms at the Lodge……which is great!

http://www.4seasonsresort.com/

It is only about 200 miles over there to the Lake in central Missouri, so we will arrive there about noon tomorrow……and return here to the sticknbrick Monday night.  This Lake of the Ozarks is my home area…….born and raised only 10 miles from the Lake, so it was a good place of employment for myself and many other young people during the late 50′s/early 60′s.  A HUGE lake, held back by Bagnell Dam…….it is 170 miles long, give or take a few miles….and has 1300 miles of shoreline as there are tons of coves.  A wee statement about my connection to this place…..my grandfather operated the ferry which ran across the Osage River, prior to the building of the damn…..the only way to get across the river.

Rachel is with us tonight and will be with us at the Lake.  We went to Cape G this morning…..picked up Becky and Rachel and visited Mike.  Returning to Cape, we did a bit of quick shopping at Sam’s….and then hurried on back late afternoon.  I had not finished everything for the RV yesterday….some last minute tasks this evening…..and a few more last minute things to load on Monday evening.  Then, with any luck, we will be on our way east Tuesday morning, with only a brief stop to let Rachel out in Cape.  She and her mom, Becky, will drive to Myrtle Beach mid-week….arriving on Friday.  They have a condo there and will not be RVing with us….and, with Darrel and Dr. Jeni in their motorhome.  Darrel and Meghan are leaving west STL on Tuesday and will drive down in two days.  Dr. Jeni, along with Ava and Max, will fly down on Thursday……easier to fly down with the two little ones.

Soooo, there you have the plans for the next few days.  Hopefully, I can post some pics from the weekend!!!!!   Never know about these hotels and wifi………unreal how far behind sooooo much of our country is with wifi in comparison with other nations around the world!!!!

Soooo, as always…….

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!…..And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

May 23, 2012: WHEW……these last 2-3 days have been hellishly hectic!!!

Always…..ALWAYS…the last few days before we leave for a journey in the RV are just as I said in the above title……..HELLISHLY HECTIC.   There as been so much to finish up, and I am taking this break at 3pm to write this…..because, I may be unable to get it done this evening.

Monday….I worked around the RV, inside and out…..managing to wax the front end of the RV without falling off of the ladder as it was delicately balanced on the very edge/lip of the driveway.  And……I had to get up one step from the very top to reach the top of this front end…and that was even after I lowered the front end of the RV all the way to it’s lowest point……just a wee bit nerve wracking as my body was leaning on the RV as I reached upwards to get to the top, without LOOKING up.  Had I done that, I definitely would have had a tumble.  BUT….never fear, I had no problems at all.

I did discover some propane fumes located around where the propane tanks are stored, so…..Monday evening I used some liquid soap to make some bubbles and to put them onto the connections and short hoses…..and…..YEP, there was one area where the bubbles got bigger and bigger as the propane leaked out.   Sooooo…..

Yesterday, off I went to Griffon’s Trailer Town north of here about 25 miles.  This is the place that has such marvelous service and that I have recommended to all of you to stop there, or go there, if you need some work completed.  They did have a gas assembly hose attachment, just like what I needed.  Got it home….and, OMG….I could NOT get the old one off!!!!!  I put liquid wrench onto the connections, etc., etc……and, finally had to go out and purchase vise grip and after much struggling(age brings on weaker strength/muscles), I FINALLY got it loose and it then came right off…..and, the new one went on in about 45 seconds!!!

Did I mention that I mowed half of the yard on Monday afternoon, prior to waxing the front end????  Soooo, by the evening, I was exhausted!!!  However……after getting the gas hose assembly, I finished mowing the rest of the lawn yesterday.   Not to mention getting all 68 of my graying hairs cut……..WAAAAYYYYY tooo short.  My normal/usual hair cutter has been transferred from the Farmington Great Clips up the road about 50 miles.  Sooooo, damn it….I had to take whomever the young lady was that was anxiously awaiting a customer.  And………cut away she did!!!!!!!  I now look as if I am ready to raise my hand for the oath to join the US Military!!!!!!   Not to my liking, however……I really do believe that it will grow out…..unless she exposed those delicate 68 hair roots to such intense sunlight, of which they are not used to having happen to them, all snuggled down within my fine wisps of hair!

I began late yesterday afternoon to get things put back into the storage basement of the RV…..and, today I finished the tasks.  Those damn beach chairs do not want to spoon and nestle like my other chairs do…..and so, they take up tooooo much space…..DAMN!!!  However, I believe that everything that is needed to be stored below is almost completed and in place there.

Today….????   It is all still very much a work in progress!!!!  When at Griffon’s yesterday I also needed to purchase a vent cover for the vent which comes out on the roof…and the cover was dead dry from the sun…….gray, not white…..and brittle so that the least touch and it would chip off.  OK…bought a new one and installed it today…..and now have to get a bit of caulking around the screws that used…….but the sun is way too intense to work on that white(??) roof.

Had a neighbor/friend over this morning for coffee….Keven Jenkins of F’town…..and try as we could, we found it impossible to solve the problems of our world….however, he loved the coffee I make and we drank the entire 12 cup pot while he was here (Starbucks Fr. Roast)…and the beans I had ground this morning.

Then as I was working around the RV, I was startled by a male voice….and there stood a former trombone player of mine, who does live here in town, but our “paths never cross”.  Sooo, we had just a super time catching up!!!!  Jeremy Mooney, it was great to see and visit with you!!!

The 1st Lady has stopped in the west part of STL, Chesterfield Valley Shopping Mall….and is purchasing a thing or two for the baby shower of Jay and Anne-maries…….to be held in Washington, DC….while we are in town. Her brother and family live in D.C…..and are hosting the shower.  And…..after just talking with her, I told her to get on down here as we are invited out to the Hanner House for fish sandwiches and to watch the finale of the “American Idol”.    Never stops……go…go…go…go…go…go……always!!!!!!

OH…..I forgot to mention….the 1st Lady had ordered a 21′ x 8′ outdoor patio carpet a week or so ago…..and yesterday it arrived.  Still trying to adjust to it…..and, so are the birds which I have been feeding at the edge of the patio.  Well…..I took the feeder down as I want to be CERTAIN that she likes it and doesn’t want to return it……and so, I didn’t want the bird shit to fly all over everywhere as it normally does when they are dining sooooo wonderfully at my feeder.   Well, the damn birds when they came to for dinner, they were sooooo confused and upset that they couldn’t find the feeder with their dinner inside!!!!   I had “hidden” it over where I keep some brooms, etc ….out of sight, out of mind.

This morning…….hmmmm…..they FOUND the damn thing and there were shells of the sunflower seeds and shit…..quite a messy combination all over our chairs and the new carpet!!!!  PISSED, I was….and still am!!!   I did get it cleaned up, but……not sure where I will put the feeders now.

I took a few pics on Monday…….someone wanted to see the Mountain Laurel Andromeda shrubs which I purchased, so below are a couple of pics, as well as the lovely and sooooo graceful Maidenhair Fountain Grass……of which we have several around the yard.  I could watch these grasses blowing in the winds and breezes forEVER!!!!!   They are just gorgeous in the early evening setting sun, with the dark shadows and the not so intense sunlight on the lawn.   Just REALLY, REALLY love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mountain Laurel Andromeda….a lovely bush with lots of variegated colors.

Three of these bushes along the north side of the house….will get to be 4-6′ tall and about 4-5′ wide

Such lovely movement…..

The largest one in the yard…..(not our trees)

Sorry it isn’t very clear and crisp!

And, albeit they are a bit blurry, as they are quite a long distance photo of a few of the yellow finches that came for dinner, which wasn’t there!!!!!   Sooooo…..it isn’t your eyes going bad….they are just a wee bit out of focus as I didn’t have my tripod to steady the camera for those long shots.

And so……this has been a myriad of topics and subjects from these “hellishly hectic” days I have had!!   I hope you read all of this carefully……as I may have a pop quiz on the next writing and give you a test of your memories….to see how well you understand the subject matter of today’s post!  And….as always…..

LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!…….And, I really hope it is for YOU, also!!!!  (5 more days until we head east!!)

May 20, 2012: Eclipse???? Hmmmm……..to bright to tell!

I really needed a filter, but with the camera which I have……it doesn’t have a place to screw on a filter.  Yep…..as good as this camera is for me with some incredible pictures, there are some very basic items not available for this one.   But…..without seeing the eclipse……I feel certain that I am not alone!  Did any readers get the opportunity to view it???

This has been a rather long day……after a great night’s sleep!!!  I simply puttered around doing some various things that needed to be completed…..such as trimming down…..lowering the top….of a corner bush that is a FAST grower.  And it had reached the gutter on the roof….so, it was past time to bring it back under MY control.

I did a bit of cleaning………prepared the trash for the pick-up tomorrow, including a bag of recycling items.  The place really doesn’t get all that messed up with only the sagging hulk of Me living here for these few days alone.

Watched a bit of tv…….did some reading….took a small nap…..nibbled a bit more than I should have, but just seemed to be in the mood for nothing special, but lots of non-special things that were in the fridge.  Weight gain???   I hope not!

It began to cloud up later this afternoon……and…….wonders will never cease!!!!  We had a bit of rain….not much, probably not even a quarter of an inch…..but it did seem to freshen up things just a tiny tad!   I talked with the 1st Lady a few times today….and it was cloudy almost all day up there.

Late this afternoon Kyle and Audra Bastie came over to take a tour of our RV.  They are contemplating purchasing one for their family……and, so they wanted to view the interior of mine.  We discussed several different aspects of rving….and what is needed for one is different for each family.  However, the over-riding factor is to be certain to get one that is large enough for the family you have…….or, you will soon be wanting to return to your sticknbrick due to lack of space and a wee bit of privacy from time to time.   But…..sometimes anyone who has never spent more than a weekend in a trailer……they cannot get the entire picture for being in a travel trailer….not a 5th wheel…..for any length of time and how the walls begin to move in and squeeze everyone.

We have been using some type of rv since the spring of 1972……yep, FORTY YEARS!!!!   Didn’t think about it that way until just this afternoon……..guess we do have just a wee bit of experience(s) in using them!   Lots to think about, lots to try to understand and know about……before you actually sign on the dotted line.  The more a newbie can talk about rving to someone who has done a bit of it, the BETTER the newbie will become in attempting to make the correct decision as to the size and type of rv to purchase!!!!

I had an interesting email in the past 24 hours from friends out west.  They had been glad that I put the link on this blog yesterday….the link to the rv resort in Myrtle Beach where we will be by the end of next week.  And…..I am going to put one on here this evening as the rv resort where we will be just north of Washington DC.      But, I digress……….the main thought I had was that the 1st Lady and I have traveled soooooo much over this country and Canada……the better part of North America(including our 8 weeks up to Alaska many years ago)……we have seen soooo many places, visited soooo many wonderful and exciting and energetic cities, but also many quaint little places also.  It rather shocks me to realize that this is not the “norm” for many people…….we are just so used to traveling around the country and, the world.

Our great and fun friends have not been to the Carolinas……which makes me wonder if they have not been to D.C.???   THAT is such a fabulous and wonderful city…….one of the very best cities in our country………each time I am there and as we get ready to depart DC, I get a bit depressed because I realize how MUCH we didn’t get to see while there.  Yep….been there at least 10 times….and perhaps more than that……and I just feel cheated when it is time to leave!!!!!  I am soooo excited about being there again….for almost a week this time…..but, I know that I will feel the same way as always…….like there just was not enough time to do everything I wanted to do, including showing Rachel and Ava the wonders of this great city!!!!   DAMN!!!!!!   (And….I am getting old(er) and each time could be the last for me)

I think….I meditate….I “ponder”…..I wonder just how long time will give me to finish up my Life????!!  Do I really want to know????  Of course not!   My only hope is that when my time is “up”…….that I get out of here quickly!!!!!!!!!!!  But…..don’t we all feel that way????   I ran into someone this week that I had not seen in quite a long time….and I was asked as usual….”John….how the hell are you?”    And……as always, I replied, “As far as I know I am just great, but I have not the foggiest about what is going on inside this shell of mine…..don’t know what is happening to my body inside!”   And…..most of us don’t, do we??

I am going to have to begin to make some notes…..each day, as I oftentimes find myself saying mentally that I really do need to “write about this idea/thought”….and, OMG….I forget about it a bit later and cannot recall what I wanted to discuss on here.  Usually it occurs when I am sitting on the patio and having my coffee……looking at the birds going wild over the seeds in the feeder…..and just thinking……thinking…..thinking…..

Much is just about……Life.  I was brought around to this thought again this morning after last night when I watched a DVR’d episode of “GLEE”…..the one that was shown this past week.   In watching the choir director discussing/talking about his students and what he wanted them to know…..not just music/dance…..but about Life and what it takes to actually live Life!!!  And…….that was my prime objective with each passing year of teaching…..and by the last 10 years or more…….that was an even more intense goal of mine.  I only hope that I was able to do that for them…..and, I think I was.

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!…….And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!! (And, I hope you think it is “INCREDIBLE!!!!!”, also)

 

May 19, 2012: Only NINE MORE DAYS…….!!!!

Been stationary waaaaayyyyy tooooo long, so the countdown has begun for our East Coast departure!!!!  Many things left to do, to assign to others, or….to just not get completed.  We’ll see…………….

http://www.oceanlakes.com/  

The above website is where we will be staying at Myrtle Beach……been there many, many times over the years.  However…it has been quite a few years since we were last there so we are anxious to see the improvements that have been made.  Check it out, if you have not been there!!!!!!!

LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!……And, I hope it is of all of you, also!!!!!!

 

May 18, 2012: WOW…..more days have disappeared than should have happened!!!! WHEW!!!!

OMG…….what do I do now?????  I can’t remember what we have been doing since I last posted on here……this is really getting terrible!!!  These damn disappearing days just keep flying by so quickly that I have no idea what occurred of interest…..if there was anything of interest occurring…..that might be worth mentioning on here.

Monday and Tuesday mornings, I was up at the crack of dawn….literally…… and washed the RV…..needing those two hours prior to the sun popping up over the eastern trees to get it finished.  Then on Wednesday morning…..it took me two hours to wash/scrub the 21′ awning that is 8 feet wide when unrolled.  And…by the time I finished…..shit…I was soaking wet from the washing as well as the temps which were rising quickly as the sun bore down on me.  Not only the top side of the awning, but also the underneath side……this is not an easy task, to say the very least.

Each day……I was wiped out for a couple of hours after finishing those early morning jobs.  Then during the afternoons……I began to load the RV with the items that I had removed when we stored it for the winter, which meant all of the liquids and anything that might freeze had to be returned to the RV.  And…..I removed all fishing gear in the basement and replaced those areas with beach equipment!

On Thursday, the 1st Lady began to add her East Coast wardrobe to the closet and drawers in the bedroom…..and, I will do mine on Monday or Tuesday of the coming week.  And then…..yesterday(Thursday), the 1st Lady left for Dr. Jeni’s Dental Clinic for a 12:30 appointment…..for what, I know not!!!  I left after lunch for Darrel and Dr. Jeni’s home as last night was the BIG NIGHT for Ava!!!  She graduated from Kindergarten!!!  I have a ton of pictures, but will only bore you with a few….and, if that is not enough for you, go to the right side of this page, locate the link for Picasa Web Albums, click on it, and you will see the many pictures I took during the big event last night.

Ava….standing beside her own poster which has the things she has done and liked while in Kindergarten

Ava and her friend Ada as they wave to the audience prior to going up the steps to the stage.

Giving a quick look and smile to her Mommy in the front row, as well as the rest of the family that was there.

Doing “her part” in the program prior to receiving her little “diploma”!!

Ava….receiving her “diploma” for a job well done!!!!

Proud she was….and, still is…of her year in Kindergarten. And….she should be!! WE ARE!!!

Following the graduation, Meghan in their garden at their countryside home.

The entire family….along with Sally, one of their dogs…..all in their garden at their home.

I drove back down here….about 125 miles…..and returned to the sticknbrick around 10:15 or so last night.   Having finished off a medium size cup of Starbucks Dark Roast coffee while driving down the highways, I was up quite some time last night, and am paying for that late night…….paying for it all day today and this evening!!!  I DID stay up and watch the DRV’d “American Idol”……and, was a bit upset that Josh was voted off last night.

The 1st Lady went on up to her Mom’s home this morning…..as she had to take her to a Dr.’s appointment this afternoon.  She will remain with her until Wednesday of next week before returning down here.  It will be a month before she has the chance to get back up there……not until we return from the East Coast.

Today…..I just sort of hung out…to dry…..not that I was wet, but just really tired.  Then this evening…..it was off to the HannerHouse for a dinner fundraiser for their grandson, Christopher Hanner.  He has been accepted into some special program at Georgetown University in Washington DC for a month this summer….and is raising money for the necessary $4000 costs, plus airfare.  Chris is SUCH a GREAT young man!!!!!  He has just been elected as the President of the Student Council in Fredtown HS for next year…..and, is not only just an all-round great young man, but also really mature and intelligent, also!!!!  Just too bad he will not yet be in Washington when we are there next month….DAMN!!!!

It was a really fun dinner…….great to see good friends whom I have not seen for tooooo long of a time, as well as the very good dinner which was provided!!!  Sue Hanner is an outstanding chef/cook….and, she had some great help with various dishes from other members of the Christopher’s family!!!  GREAT JOB!!!!!!

Sooooo…..not much to say here for four days having disappeared.  I am simply “reporting” on the activities of our lives here in TheHowserHouse…….and, not philosophizing or predicting or……bitching tonight.   I DO hope to awaken you….each and everyone of you….when we begin our almost four weeks journey week after next.  Sooooo, I am expecting to see an increase of readers then…….at least, I hope so!

And, as always………

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

May 14, 2012: FINALLY……a few minutes in which to think….

OMG…..these last few days have been so hectic around our sticknbrick……and, the next two weeks will become even worse than the past few days as make the preparations for our departure(s).  I am NOT sure even where to begin on here………my mind cannot grasp the activities of our lives!!!

And, because of the mind not grasping, everything becomes a blur!  Thursday thru Sunday…..ugh.   Thursday was a day for mowing the lawn…….which I did get completed with only one “rest” period….the weather was great, even if a bit warm in the sun.  Hell…..can’t beat that, can you?   We also had the 1st Lady’s sorority here at the house that evening, which meant…….as soon as the lawn was finished, I began helping her with the cleaning inside the sticknbrick.  ALWAYS takes more time for this than anticipated as a 1st Class House Cleaning is required!!!

During the time the 17 other members of the sorority were here, I removed my sagging hulk to the Hanner House where Dave and I enjoyed some dark red medicine as well as the results of the previous night’s competition of American Idol.  Sue was off to the city for an overnight trip……so, I didn’t return to the sticknbrick until about 10pm.

Friday and Saturday????  I worked more in the yard…..and also interviewed a young man who lives just two houses away…….talked to him about mowing our yard for the time period that the Goldsmith family will be in Haiti with their mission of assisting the unfortunate people of that still disrupted, earthquake ravaged country.  Believe this young man will do the job with our lawn that I want…..and, he agreed to my price, sooooo……he and I will get together later this week so I can show him exactly the height of the grass that we want when he is finished mowing.  He will be an 8th grader this coming fall so…..I am certain he is learning how to make some money!!  Really seemed like a great young man!!

I did meet Michael Goldsmith for a 1.5 hour coffee drinking and discussion morning at the local coffee shop.  Sure is lacking there for some quality coffee……perhaps I am becoming toooooo damn picky???????  I don’t know…but I do know how I enjoy my coffee and how it must be prepared for that enjoyment!  Hmmmm…….

Now…..all of the above does not seem like it would have made me unable to write here…..but, the mundane things of our daily lives are not being written about here…..however, they DO exist and they ARE numerous!!!

Saturday…..we decided to have the Hanners over for drinks and dinner…….and since the 1st Lady wanted to fix kabobs, it was necessary to unpack my grill(which WAS ready to travel on our journeys this summer)…..and that took more time than I anticipated.  However…….it was all REALLY worth it as the kabobs were quite good…..and the 1st Lady had prepared some wonderful asparagus for appetizers, to accompany the several cold drinks we enjoyed on the patio as the sun slowly sank.  A GREAT Happy Hour(s)…..prior to dinner.

Happy Hour drinks and appetizers with Sue and Dave Hanner on our aging patio.

Two incredible friends!!!!!

Dinner….almost finished

Yesterday……..off we went to Cape G. and then to see Mike.  A wonderful Mother’s Day afternoon we had with Mike, Becky, and Rachel……and the visit was one which included a great meal for all of us!!!!  Returned here about 9pm last night……and both of us were a wee…..well, shit…I might as well be honest….we were quite tired.

This morning????  Up at 5:45AM and out in the driveway shortly afterwards…….attempting to beat the sun as I began to wash the RV.  A bit more than half was done this morning and then the sun popped over the trees to the east of us and I gave up rather quickly after that.  The day is beautiful, but the sun was quite intense about 8AM!!

OK……two weeks from tomorrow we will leave for the East Coast trip.  Still many, many things to get ready and some further decisions about the yard and house are still on the agenda.  We will also have the Memorial Weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks, staying at the wonderful Lodge of the Four Seasons as we enjoy boating with Darrel and Dr. Jeni and kids.  Should be fun!!!

And so….there you have in minute form the results of almost 5 days of not writing on here.  Just the average days of being busy around the sticknbrick…..really busy with many more things done that discussed above.  And, as always…….

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!

May 13, 2012: VERY BUSY…..will post later this evening (hopefully)!!