Coming Home

I arrived home Monday night (yesterday) after an uneventful drive on I-10.  The drive was only punctuated by the annoying "Thwap-Clunk" of the pavement panels in sections of the interstate.

Prior to arriving, I stopped at Lazy Days RV Supercenter to check out the new Pulse diesel RV's.

I got 2 complimentary nights at their partner campground during which my salesman totally disappeared.   I helped my self to looking at all the nice new motorhomes and decided that an imbecile must have designed the moho I was curious about.






I had a great time while there as my next door neighbors took me to the high-fallutin' Crown Club with them to eat meals.  You have to spend at least a quarter million dollars on a moho to be a member of that exclusive Club.  Their private upscale campground was packed so my neighbors had to park next to the likes of me!

Next, I went to my RV Dealer to await the service appointment that I had previously scheduled.   While there, I noted that the original RV that I wanted to buy back in June was still on the lot and had been reduced another $5K.  You can guess the rest...

Here is my new RV that I will pick up Sat.  Unlike my current "ailing" gas engine which only got 8 mpg, this new diesel will get "up to 21 mpg", will be tricked out with all new tires, 24V of battery power (usual is 12V), a 32" LCD TV made by the only manufacturer that designs LCD's for mobile applications and several other little goodies!







It is nice to "come home" but the meaning of that is changed.  My home is just a house without Frank.  My homecoming was about reuniting with my friends, the PerkGirls and my neighbors who helped me maintain my home during my long absence.  Joey did an incredible job with the pool and it looked better under his care than I have seen it in years.  My neighbors Jill & Floyd gathered up my mail and Kate and Jack "kept an eye" on the property.   The Perkers met at our namesake restaurant, Perkins, and had a happy reunion today.  

A huge Thank You to you--you relieved me from the worry of leaving the property unattended for so long and gave me the freedom to have my travel experiences.  And, welcomed me back after 3 months as if I had only been gone a week!

Tuckered in Texas!

Attempting to decipher the road network of San Antonio made me feel like I'd been bitchslapped.   After about 5000 miles and surviving one of the most ill-conceived, unsafe exits I have seen in my 9 years of travelling, I felt a little "ready" for San Antonio.  However, I had been there before and was well aware of the IH (locals call them "Inner Hoops" but I call it "Intentional Horror") plan of terrorizing tourists!  But, of course, Frank had been driving and I was covering my eyes, trembling and visualizing a bottle of Merlot....

A few words about the exit ramp in Ozona, it was a one-of-a-kind interstate horror.  When one exits, one usually expects a connector road all to oneself!   NOT IN OZONA TX!  As I confidently exited down a small hill anticipating my next turn, suddenly a car was looking right at me!  I stopped at the bottom of the ramp and, to my amazement, the exit dumped me on a two lane highway with traffic going both ways!  Add to that-the road was not constructed on a 90 degree angle but on maybe a 60 degree angle so there was NO WAY my passenger mirror could see traffic in back of me.  So, I slithered out into the intersection at 2 mph and figured I was bigger and  cars could just stop for me.

My exit was to take me to a place that could change truck lube, check tire pressure etc.  The business name was Two Fat Guys--I figured if they were fat, they might be lazy too and would not want to initiate any extra work on my rig.    They took me right away and the place looked well run and legit, but the worker was not fat.  Then I got the report--my brakes in front are almost shot, my transmission fluid and coolant was the consistency of molasses.

What's a girl to do?   I said DO IT and watched the fluid that was drained and it was indeed, disgusting.  Then I got the bill and watched my bank account also get drained...












At that point, I was only about an hour from my friend's, Hal & Cheryl, house in San Antonio.  As I approached from the northwest, I  was stunned because there appeared to be no awareness of the populace that there was an economic recession going on!    People were zooming around the IH's in cars that were Big and Gleaming (no one goes slower than 70mph),  the Malls were MEGA Retail Citys with NO sign of vacancies and lots of parked cars.  It was a like I was transported back in time to Yuppieville when AOL was splitting its stock every two weeks! 

I arrived without incident at my friends' gated New community--I found their brand new home which was a fabulous 2-story brick on a corner lot.

Here's a pic of my pals, Hal & Cheryl -aren't they cute?

It had only a single teensy flaw which only someone in a motorhome whose freshly-filled containers overfloweth with expensive automotive fluids--it was on an incline of around 30 degrees!  That meant that I couldn't habitate it and I got to stay in a lovely guest room with TV, a remote control, big bed with lotsa pillows and my own bathroom!    Hal & Cheryl spread kitty litter under my RV to sop up the transmission fluid that runneth over onto their nice clean driveway.

Their home was so lovely; they had convinced the builder to save some mature oak trees in the back and had a wonderful fenced-in area with several trees that Cassie was thrilled with.  She also loved the authentic wood floors and had a crazy dog fit running around and sliding into furniture.  Good thing that Hal & Cheryl like dogs; they have two kitties, one of which perches on a cat tower in front of one of the upstairs windows all day and watches the neighborhood  goings-on.  We put the fireplace grating at the bottom of the stairs to keep cats and dogs from coming into contact.

OMG you wouldn't believe the floor tile that was in "my" bathroom!  At first I thought it had golden grout between the tiles because it was all shiny.  But, Hal and Cheryl said that the tile itself had gold bevelled edges and the grout line was actually very tiny dark brown, so that the effect was that of Golden Grout!


We had such a wonderful whirlwind of activities-these two are Very Busy!  Cheryl is retired and Hal will be retiring this June.  We all went to a Jazzercise Class and of course, I overachieved but had a great time until all my muscles reminded me that I had not moved them in the last two years.  We then met the post-class McDonald's group and showed them that old farts can have caffeinated fun with Senior discount coffee (53 cents a cup).  We headed to the Zoo and walked about 10 or 11 miles.  We then went home, let Cassie run and went back out for some delicious Marguaritas and Mexican food at Ennos.

Next day, I ignored my screaming muscles and we took Cassie, her crate and her stroller to downtown San Antonio to the Herb Festival where  Cassie had a wonderful time greeting kids and shoppers.

Then, we headed for the new Riverwalk extension and walked at least 5 or 6 miles or maybe as many as 20 (if you consulted my muscles).








Cassie met children who wanted to push the stroller and one kid screamed his head off crying when we took Cassie away to continue our outing.

There is a neat feature on the Riverwalk which is new called the Grotto.  Very cool and refreshing but also scary as there is a gargoyle face at the top of the waterfall.














Sue finally said "Uncle" and gave in to the discomfort of her sore muscles and tuckered out feet and we went and had a great seafood supper downtown. 

We went home and Cassie just crashed on the floor and Hal brought Sue two cans of Lone Star beer--one for each hand so I would'nt have to move for awhile.  We watched a neat movie called "Ira and Abby" in which Cheryl's daughter appeared in several scenes.

Hal also packed two cans of Lone Star beer in the RV as I readied for departure this morning and extracted my promise that I would not drink them until I was "down" for the night!

Thanks, Hal and Cheryl!

New Mexico Rocks

I LOVE New Mexico!   It has a softness and dreaminess that I have come to love during the two weeks I have been here.

I am now in Edgewood, about 30 miles east of ABQ at Tuna & Laura's home.  The view of the mountains is spectacular!

As I travelled the unpaved gravel road to their home, which is quite remote, I saw all family members (except 1 yr old Christopher) outdoors to greet my arrival.    I first encountered Lil Tee who is a beautiful young girl anxious to help me get parked and directed me to the correct gated entry. 

I parked on a nice level gravel area and hooked up to electric right next to their home.  They are see lots of wildlife in the backyard all the time.







Setting up my RV,  I opened my screen door and was soon visited by the pitter-patter of chipmunks scrambling across the roof of the RV.   Shortly thereafter, I heard an unusual singsong whistle.   Thinking that perhaps Lil Tee had a whistle toy like a dog toy, I called out "Is that you T'resa?"  Immediately, a bird flew out from my doorway to a fence post and began to sing it's little heart out!  I was charmed and delighted!

Entering the house, I was overwhelmed by a smell I have not experienced in a very long time---home cooking!  Laura made a wonderful pork stew with homemade bread.  It was delicious and more so because I had not eaten breakfast that day, so I devoured her wonderful food!  She also made an AWESOME blueberry pound cake.  It had almost as many blueberries as cake.  Laura should patent that recipe.    She sent me off with several portions for my freezer.

Here is a pic of Tuna (Richard) and Laura.

Here's a pic of T'resa and Christopher, who turns 1 year old tomorrow.

 Here's a pic of the Lap Gang.  Richard is a very welcoming daddy and allowed everybody to roost with him on his recliner.  Cassie was not allowed as she was being a little poo-poo dog and at one point, I had to get up from dinner and toss her butt into the RV because she was begging for some of Laura's home cooked food.  I can't say I blame her too much for that--I probably would have begged too!



Laura is a generous and  mature Mom.  She handles all the business of the household and works full time.  She also cooks like an angel.  She has an amazing knowledge of medical matters, and looks after Richard and the kids like a hawk!  She took me and T'resa to WalMart and knows the Greeter and the Popcorn Chicken lady personally, which impressed me.

For RV'ers:  Tuna modified their RV (Hurricane Class A) for the new members of the family and created a bunk bed arrangement where the couch used to be.  It is quite ingenious and attractive.  They have one cool RV for family camping!

Tuna also showed me his paintings,  which are breathtaking.  He has a strong connection to Native American culture and expresses his spirituality through  his painting.   I really was drawn to this one instantly.  I guess you might be able to see why.    This is a fallen Warrior Angel who is dying.   I am encouraging Tuna to put up a website to share his special art with everyone.



Laura cooked a Yankee Pot Roast and a Lasagna dish so I have eaten more in the last two days than I usually do in a week.  I am leaving fatter but happier.  

I am getting ready to depart east on I-40 and then will be heading south towards I-10.  I-10 will take me to San Antonio where I will be visiting pals Hal & Cheryl later this week.

I delayed my departure here so the sun will be high enough in the sky to actually SEE the road without being blinded!  I suspect I will have to do that whenever travelling east for the remainder of the trip.

Glow-Dee-OH!

The GlowDeo of the Special Shapes balloons finally happened!   And it was definately worth waiting for.

However, you are spared many photos.  One really needs to have a swivel-head, an ADD-free brain and lightening-quick reflexes to get good pictures.  However, I accidentally got one of the Cat Balloon.

It was amazing to be among all those balloons going Whoosh at different times to light up.   Some looked much prettier than others; for instance, Darth Vader was a completely black balloon and he had virtually no glow. 

There is a Field Announcer that does a count-down for an All Balloon Light but that just put my brain cells into overdrive when all the balloons whooshed simultaneously.  The Whoosh of the propane burners is a short squirt to prevent the balloons from rising.

Everyone--fiesta attendees, balloon crews, security guys on ATV's, vendors, cops on horses--was down on the Launch Field among the balloons.  The balloons start out neatly-folded up on their assigned grids.  Then the crews start filling them with air. 

Sometimes the Balloon owners provide goodies and special effects; in the case of the Energizer Bunny, they were giving out silly pink foam bunny ear headbands that everybody was wearing.  For the Orient Express train, they had Very Loud Train Sounds that could be heard over the entire fairgrounds.




 Watch the chipmunks come to life!  

In this pic, Chip and Dale are both lying next to each other, resting while hot air is blown into their innards.  I thought they looked sweet lying there together so I planted my chair down and watched the entire process.

  Next, Chip slowly stood up!

Finally, they were both upright; they seemed happy to be facing each other.












The balloons didn't actually FLY for this event; it was more about lighting them up from inside and experiencing an otherworldly vision of ordinary things towering over you and seeming to come alive.  Also, it was about trying to avoid getting tangled in the ropes that helpers were constantly adjusting trying to keep the balloons ON the ground inside their grid.  Everytime hot air was blown inside one, it wanted to lift off!

It was really a lot of fun and I plan to go again tonight which is the last Special Shapes Glow.  I am leaving tomorrow morning to go to a nearby suburb of Albuquerque, Edgewood, where friends Tuna, Laura, T'resa and Christopher are welcoming me for a short visit.

Happy Camper!

Tuesday I was startin' to feel a bit lonely.  Everyone at my "end" of the park had departed and my RV was all alone with the Trash Bin--my only company being the pre-dawn visitation of the City Trash Dumpster.

So, I phoned the RV Reservations people to see if I could get an upgraded site to electric.  I had been running my generator nearly constantly to have have TV and computer Wifi and it was making me sick between the gas exhaust and the noise.  (My inverter is NOT working--another story which I shall pursue with the RV Dealer who installed it).

Apparently the Reservations people were out doing something more important and have still not returned my call.  So, I hiked the 1/2 mile up to the Registration Booth to inquire in person.  The lady there "knew nothing" and said to check with the Volunteer Parkers.   

The Volunteer Parkers are ole geezers who enjoy running around in Golf Carts and being "in charge" of something.  Anyway, I asked the Head Geezer "Matt" and he said he couldn't do anything and to check back at the end of the day.   (The old Brush Off; hmmm, looks like I am losing "it"...)

So, in the meantime, I gave Cassie a bath on the HitchHaul carrier, since there was nobody around to tell me not to and tried not to breathe gas exhaust and failing that, just took a nap.  Geez, only 3pm--so what does a girl do but pour a glass of wine?

Finally, it's 5:30p and again I hike the 1/2 mile to the Ole Geezer Parking Lot.  I found one named "Todd", who had a sparkle in his eye and an engraved Name Pin on his hat.  He took me in his golf cart and helped me relocate to a fairly bad site at the end of the row with 20amp electric service.  This site was too unlevel and "small" to get a big rig into...so Todd winked and said "Enjoy and don't worry about the Front Office"!   He said only if there was some kind of emergency would I have to move back to Standard (no electric).

I was surrounded  by worker staff and while out with Cassie one night, peeked inside the most unusual RV's I have ever seen.  It houses 7 young men who were gathered in every nook drinking beer and rippling their muscles.  There were 3 compartments with up/down bunks and apparently a private cubbie.  I think one person might sleep in the cab. 

So, I am a Happy Camper with electric and water.  Natch, my water is still leaking though not as badly as it did before Sharon's son, Drew, partially fixed the problem.  See the red arrow with my puddle.

Now, it is Thursday morning and a glorious day!  It looks very likely that the Special Shapes Balloon GlowDeo is going to take place tonight as scheduled.  I got up early, fixed the gourmet coffee my brother gave me, cooked eggs and fake Morningstar sausage, showered and took my warm blanky and camera out to watch the Ascension of the Special Shapes.  It was spectacular!

I am dedicating this pic to Frank's godson Cody and his sister Leah, who are both very interested and knowledgeable about the Space Shuttle.  "They" say that the Shuttle Balloon was not able to lift off last year for some technical reason so it was a special treat to see the shuttle balloon fly!  That's Chiquita Banana Lady next to the Shuttle.

Here's another of my favorites--the cactus wearing shades!

I returned to the RV to see how Cassie was doing; I couldn't find her at first!  She had hidden in the shower where she apparently felt safe from the whooshing sounds that the propane burners make as they fly overhead.  I had previously given her some herbal tranquilizer so she seemed pretty relaxed--though wet from pooled water (I'm not level!) from my morning shower.

And, the whooshing sounds were very close!  A total of 3 balloons landed inside the RV campground very near to where we were parked!










This Cowboy pilot nearly nailed a parked car.

This one "just missed" this owner's brand-new rig!

This WonderBread balloon just kept bouncing around looking for a spot; I wonder where some of these pilots are getting their flying licenses.

Hot Air Over Sue's RV

Well, I finally got my balloon thrill--though not in the form that I expected!  A balloon found its landing "off" the target field and came right over the roof of my RV.  I was sitting playing on the computer and suddenly I became aware of a darkness in my peripheral vision.  It was the balloonist frantically trying to raise itself up enough to clear my roof!  I could actually see his face which seemed more like childish delight than concern.  The photo was taken while lying back on my couch to catch the balloon through the window of my RV.

I launched myself outside to see where he would go next and he bumped to a landing about 50 feet from my door.  He almost took out the water main thingy.  You can see that his Chase Crew is running like crazy to get him down and stable.

Yay he's down.  You can see the water thingy better in this pic (lower right in photo).

Here they are doing their balloon transport thing like they have to do with canoes when the stream runs dry.    As the crew guides the gondola to the landing field, the pilot must squirt some hot air into the balloon to keep it slightly aloft and prevent dragging it on the ground.  Too much hot air and he could drag his entire crew up!

Here's the final pic of the people getting their balloon back to the field and trailer so they can deflate and pack it.  That is my RV in the pic.










And here I thought my only excitement today was gonna be my non-shower shampoo!  I needed one badly but knew my shower head would not give me sufficient water pressure for a decent rinse.  So I turned on the heater and decided to stand on my head under the sink faucet, which had way more pressure.  Aside from water and shampoo suds flying everywhere, it worked pretty good!  Cassie  thinks I have lost it.

"Glows" a No GO!

The dang Balloon Glow was cancelled AGAIN last night!  Again, winds too high.  This time, however, instead of lugging my blanket, chair and myself down to the Launch field and paying the entry fee, I watched the busses.  I knew that there would be no "glowing" until almost dark and if the winds were still high, there would be lotsa people coming back on the busses.   Sure enough, my neighbors came back almost immediately and reported that the 2nd of the 3 scheduled "glows" had been cancelled.  The final scheduled Glow is the Special Shapes GlowDeo on Friday night.  I will be somewhat bummed if that one gets cancelled.

There was an balloon accident on the field first thing this morning; someone fell or jumped from a balloon that was descending without control toward the field.  I haven't heard any more details yet but that puts a sad overlay on an otherwise happy event.  It's probably on the news.

Early this morning, I decided to take the Shuttle into Old Town.  I had not made a reservation but just "showed up".  I heard the Tour Person say that the 9:30 bus was full.  But then, she looked at me and said "Are you a single Rider?" and I said "YES!"  So, I got a spot on the bus and found at least one good thing about being single at a place where everyone has a partner!

Old Town is a tourist district with lotsa expensive souvenirs, jewelry and arts & crafts shops.  It was a very mellow morning and quite enjoyable to shop and not buy anything.  I hoofed over to the Walgreen's to see if I could pick up a paperback book.  WHAT HAPPENED?  Have I been asleep?  The paperback books were TEN DOLLARS!!

All the stuff in the Old Town shops was quite expensive and frankly, I have not yet gathered enough good memories of the Balloon Fiesta to want to remember it by buying an overpriced souvenir!    I was tempted, however, by a small Tiffany-style stained glass balloon lamp which even had a little gondola hanging down but it was a bit pricey--and easily breakable too.   Perhaps if I had seen a Balloon Glow or two I would feel differently...

This is a pic of me taken by a strange man who warned me not to give my camera to anyone who could outrun me.  He said I was "safe" with him...

Later, I got a Power Lunch at the Chocolate Factory; in keeping with my preferences these days for fruit, I got an apple dipped in dark chocolate and nuts.   I sat in the Old Town Power Merchant's Square and made animal sounds as I ate.  You can see an inflatable ark and a fountain in the background.







Right now, I am inside the RV with winds gusting all around me to 40 mph.  It looks like a sandstorm outside.   Visability is pretty bad but I can see that most of my neighbors have left.  I already prepaid for the entire time and doggone it, I'm gonna stick it out to the last chance to see the freakin' Balloons GLOW!

Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Getting here was both amazing and frightening!  The ride INTO Denver was the best of the entire trip.  It was over I-70E going through the tony ski towns of Aspen and Vail and over the mountains which were in full fall color!  It was really hard to pay attention to the road amidst such outrageous color.  The drive OUT of Denver was a nightmare!  The day I left was extremely windy and incresased as I travelled south, to where there were 60mph wind gusts!  These gusts just wrenched the steering wheel from my hands and Cassie was nuts with the wind noise inside the rig!  I finally let her sit on my lap as I drove and held her and talked to her as she seemed like she was headed for a heart attack!  I-25 South is a desolate stretch of road and I pushed through to the Walmart at Trinidad and spent the night there.  Didn't feel real good that day.

Now, we are parked on a piece of asphalt at the end of a row, thanks to me schmoozing the parking volunteer.   As you can see in the pic, most RV's are parked on dirt.  The Sandia Mountain Peak is in the background.

Additionally, I am adjacent to the water & electric area and have water available to me!  The weather is mild enough to keep the RV open.  Except the mornings when it is very ccccccold!

The first morning of the Mass Hot Air Balloon Ascension was exciting; the sun peeked in and out and only when the sun was out were the balloons spectacular looking.

One of my fellow RV'ers took this pic of me having my coffee in my bathrobe while watching the dawn ascension at 7am...

I took this pic of Cassie in her stroller.  She was a bit nervous when the balloons came close and make the propane burning sound...  Fortunately, my friend Anne in Denver  told me about an herbal product called Rescue Remedy which I bought and gave to Cassie.  It is a "natural" tranquilizer and worked very well to keep her calm.  I am using it for the nightly fireworks; so far it has kept her from going bonkers.

This one came right over us.  We were positioned between two landing fields.

I am dedicating this photo to Skate, my friend who is right now in the hospital having surgery to replace BOTH knees!  She works for the Bonita Bee, transporting visitors back and forth to the airport.  The little female bee is wearing the pink ribbon for breast cancer.

In addition to the bees, I appreciated the Humpty Dumpty Balloon and the Witch Balloon but thought is best not to "dedicate" the balloons to anyone.

Last night, there was a Balloon Glow scheduled but it was cancelled due to high winds.  There is another one scheduled for tonight so I'll try again.  In the meantime, I got a pretty photo of the moon over the Sandia Mtn Peak.  A  Balloon Chase Crew is in the foreground.







I finally signed up for the 5 day internet "package" so my Magic Jack is plugged in.  The days can be a little long here, as all of the events are early or late in the day, so feel free to give me a buzz!  772-882-6859