Friday, December 31, 2010

Bad weather on New Year’s Eve.

Happy New Year to all our family and friends. Hope this year will be a healthy, safe and prosperous one.

The weather here was mild all day yesterday until early evening then it all went crazy. Heavy trains, thunder, lightening and tornadoes all around us. At one point there were reports of tornadoes close by so we loaded up and headed toward Bob and Marcy’s. By the time we got over there the bad stuff had moved on past the campground so we turned around and headed back. There was no damage to the campground or area directly around it. Some of the streets in the area did have standing water.

Later in the evening John and I went over to firefighter Matt Jenkins’ house for a New Year’s Party in Flora, Mississippi. The weather was better in that area….only light rain when we arrived. We had a great time seeing old friends and catching up with everyone. After midnight the weather there changed. Heavy rains, thunder and lightening moved into the area….but thankfully no tornadoes. We did not leave there until after 1:30 a.m. Of course I was the designated driver. LOL

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Movie night at Annie and Terry’s.

John up early this morning and out to help his friend Minor with the renovations on his motor home.   When he got back home he gave himself a haircut.

I left for my hair appointment at 11:00 and from there met my sister Annie for lunch at Zaxby’s, our favorite salad place. Then it was off to the mall.  Annie was in search of a new purse and a cover for her cell phone.  She was successful in finding a phone cover but struck out on the new purse. 

Tonight we went over to Annie and Terry’s for movie night.    Bob and Marcy also came over and brought banana pudding.  It was yummy.   The movie tonight was “The Hangover”.  We have seen it before but Terry, Bob and Marcy had not.  This is a funny and crazy movie about four guys who take a Vegas trip for a bachelor’s party and, of course, get into all kinds of trouble.  It makes us laugh every time we see it. 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Rain is moving in.

Warmer temperatures today but the rain is moving in.  We are going to a New Year’s Eve party Friday night and the weatherman has forecasted thunder storms that day.  Hope it passes over.  The party will be a New Year’s Eve party as well as a high school reunion of sorts.  It is being held at a classmate’s house and everyone that was invited are former Madison Ridgeland High School graduates.  It will be good to see everyone again.

Tonight we went over to Bob and Marcy’s for some 10 Penny.  Marcy won two rounds and John won one.  It just wasn’t my night.  I think I came in last every game.  Oh well, better luck next time. LOL

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Lunch and a movie with Kay.

I met my friend Kay for lunch at Applebee’s today.  We both had the shrimp and spinach salad with broccoli cheddar soup.  That is our favorite salad.  Kay was able to get her hands on the recipe.  If this is a favorite of anyone out there….here is the recipe:

APPLEBEE’S GRILLED SPINACH ‘N SHRIMP SALAD WITH HOT BACON VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
FOR THE BACON VINAIGRETTE:
1/2 cup light olive oil, divided use
1/4 cup finely minced cooked bacon (3 or 4 slices)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/4 tsp hickory flavored liquid smoke
FOR THE SHRIMP SEASONING:
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground (rubbed) sage
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
FOR THE SALAD:
20 to 24 med shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds
16 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup diced tomato (1 large tomato)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup sliced roasted red bell pepper*
TO MAKE THE BACON VINAIGRETTE:
Combine bacon with 1/4 cup of oil (that’s half of the oil) in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and when it begins to bubble, set your timer for 1 minute. After a minute, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3 to 4 minutes.
Dissolve cornstarch in the vinegar and whisk the mixture into the oil and bacon, along with the sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke.
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of oil into the saucepan while whisking; stir into the vinegar mixture. Cover and chill dressing (it will thicken as it chills).
TO PREPARE THE SHRIMP:
Preheat BBQ grill to high.
Combine shrimp seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Mix this blend with your fingers to break up any clumps of sage.
Pierce 6 shrimp on each skewer. Brush the shrimp with melted butter and sprinkle a little of the seasoning blend on both sides. Grill skewered shrimp for a couple minutes on each side, or until they are done.
Toast the sliced almonds in a medium sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Toss the almonds often so that they don’t burn.
TO SERVE:
Build each salad by tossing 8 cups of spinach with 1/4 cup diced tomato, 1/4 cup red onion, 2 tbsp roasted bell pepper, 2 tbsp toasted almonds, and 3 to 4 tbsp vinaigrette. Toss gently so that you don’t bruise the spinach. Arrange the tossed salad on a serving plate, then remove the grilled shrimp from the skewers and place 10 to 12 on top.
*Roast a red pepper in a preheated 425 F. oven. When the skin blisters, use the bag or ice water bath to remove the skin.
Makes 2 large salads

After lunch Kay and I went to see the movie “How do you know?”  I was disappointed.  This movie had actors like Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon in it so I figured it would be very entertaining.  The way the characters and the conversations were played out were annoying to me.  Oh well, that is just my opinion.  Guess I should have gone to see “Little Fockers.”

John stayed in today and enjoyed playing computer games. 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Dishwasher is working!

Not much going on today.  I did manage to get my Wii workout done and take Fred for a short walk.  My plan is to get back into my workouts on a daily basis or at least a five day basis.

For lunch today I made salmon patties with a parmesan white sauce and some vegetable pasta.  It turned out pretty good for healthy food. LOL

John got the dishwasher running.  Yea!!!!  My hands thank him.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Cold weather and 10 Penny.

Woke up to very cold temperatures and snow flurries. Of course there was no accumulation. The temperature did not rise to the forecasted 42 degrees.

John ventured out to Lowe’s today to get parts to fix the seal on our dishwasher. Seems like there is always something to work on.

Tonight John and I went over to Bob and Marcy’s for some 10 Penny. Marcy won the first two rounds with a low score of 55. Wow..it was her lucky night. I came in dead last with high scores in the 300s. On the third round I won with a score of 95. I can’t believe I finally won a game. LOL

The forecast for tomorrow morning is a cold 27 degrees. I am ready for the warmer stuff.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends.  Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  John and I went over to Bob and Marcy’s for lunch today.  It started snowing as we drove up and lasted for all of five minutes.  So much for a white Christmas.

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My sister, Annie, taking pictures of the snow flakes.  It is so light you can’t see it in this picture.

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If you look closely in this picture you can see a few snow flakes falling.

For our Christmas lunch we had chicken, dressing, green beans, tossed salad, rolls, cookies and pumpkin pie. It was a small crowd today just six of us; Bob, Marcy, Annie, Terry, John and I. 

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Me, Mom (Marcy) and my sister, Annie.  We all accidently wore red today.

Tonight Bob and Marcy came over to play some 10 Penny.  Bob and Marcy tied winning the first round with a score of 225.  Bob won the last round with a low score of 85.  Oh well, there is always next time.

The weather here as turned cold and windy with a low tonight of 27 and a high of 42 tomorrow. Definitely not the kind of weather I like.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails Stay safe.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Lunch with Mom Hatch & Christmas Eve at Bob & Marcy’s.

Merry Christmas to our family and all our friends.  

Today we took Mom Hatch and Aunt Martha to lunch at Penn’s Fish House.  Before lunch Mom Hatch and Aunt Martha came to see our RV. 

001Mom Hatch talking with Fred.  He likes to sit next to Mom.  She usually sneaks him some food. LOL

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After lunch we took Mom Hatch and Aunt Martha over to John’s niece, Mary Beth’s (MB) house for a visit.

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MB’s daughter Brooke.

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John’s sister, Mary Lee and Aunt Martha.

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Aunt Martha and Mom Hatch.

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Aunt Martha and Mom Hatch.

Tonight we went to Bob and Marcy’s for the annual Christmas Eve party.  We arrived early so Bob, Marcy, John and I played a couple rounds of 10 Penny.  Marcy won the first round with a score of 65 and I won the second with score of 95.  By the time we finished the second round Robert and Kelsey had arrived so it was time to eat.  Soon it was time to open gifts.

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John with his throw that Annie crocheted for him.  She included his fire department badge number on it.

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Annie showing off the bird Mom and Dad gave her.  She collects these.

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Brother-in-law Terry with his eagle. 

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Bob holding up this Flag throw that Annie crocheted for him.

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Me holding up my beautiful bright throw Annie made for me.

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Our son Robert.

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Our daughter-in-law Kelsey.

Tomorrow we will get together for a Christmas lunch at Bob and Marcy’s.  We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

10 Penny rematch & visit from MB.

John’s friend Minor came by around 9 this morning to pick him up.  They went to pick up Minor’s motor home that has been in the shop getting a brake job done.

Annie came by and picked me up and we went shopping.  Yes I know….we are crazy to get out in that. LOL  The stores were crowded and the traffic was a little heavy but we managed to get in and out of places without much STRESS. LOL

Tonight Bob and Marcy came over for a rematch of 10 Penny.  John and Bob tied with a score of 40 on the first round and I won the second round with a score of 95.  Sometimes the cards just fall where you need them.

While Bob and Marcy were here John’s niece Mary Beth (MB), her husband Marvin and daughter Brooke came by.  It was good to see them.  We have not seen them since last March at John’s retirement party.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Bob & Marcy’s refrigerator is fixed!!!!!

Up early and back to the dentist to get the permanent crown put it.  So glad it is over.

After lunch I picked Marcy up and we went grocery shopping for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner items.  The stores were crowded.  I hope I do not have to go back until after Christmas.

This afternoon the Sears repairman showed up and fixed Bob and Marcy’s refrigerator. Yeah!!!  Finally after two weeks.  It is now cooling and making ice.

Today John’s friend and former co-worker Nick came by to  fix our wireless printer problem.  Since the change over from 4G and back to 3G we have had problems with it.  In no time at all Nick had it up and running.  We appreciate him so much.  Thanks Nick, you are the best.

Tonight we went over to Bob and Marcy’s for some 10 Penny.  Bob won the first round with  a score of 85 and the second one with a score of 60.  Wow…..I think we need a rematch. LOL

001John keeping score.

002Marcy counting up her points. 

003Bob shuffling the cards. 

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas lights.

Got up around 9 this morning. Are we getting lazy? It was almost like a spring day today reaching into the 70s. Strange weather for December….but I will take it because I don’t like cold weather.

John and I picked up our friend Kay for lunch today. We ate at Biaggi’s, an Italian restaurant. We all chose the half and half lunches where you can choose half of any sandwich with unending refills of soup or salad. John chose the lettuce wedge salad with his sandwich and Kay and I chose the soup with ours. Kay’s husband Bo is at home recuperating from neck surgery and did not feel up to an outing today. Sure hope he feels better soon.

Tonight John and I picked up Bob and Marcy and went looking at Christmas lights. There are certain neighborhoods that have spectacular light arrangements. The pictures below are of the same yard. This man adds new stuff to his Christmas decorations each year. There are so many things in the yard you can’t get it all in one picture. This year he even had a small group of people playing Christmas music with instruments. Cars were lined up to look and listen.

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The next picture is of another yard that has lots of lights in it. We had to park across the street in a shopping center to get this picture so it looks smaller than it actually is. This man only lights his yard up on the week of Christmas.

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Tomorrow I go back to the dentist to get the permanent crown put in. I will be so glad to get that over with.

Also tomorrow, the Sears repairman is supposed to fix Bob and Marcy’s refrigerator. We shall see what happens with that.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Warm Temperatures

Up around 8 this morning to warmer temperatures….in the mid 40s.  Later in the morning the temperatures climbed into the upper 50s so John and I went on a 40 minute walk.   It looks like we will have warmer weather tomorrow the colder by the the weekend.

Spent the rest of the day catching up on laundry and other household chores. 

Tomorrow we are meeting our friends Bo and Kay for lunch.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Waffles for breakfast & the one footed duck.

Woke up to chilly temperatures at Lake Lincoln this morning.  John prepared waffles and sausage for breakfast for everyone.  Later on in the morning Dawg and his family headed for home. They have to work tomorrow and needed to get back early.  We enjoyed our visit with them.

002 John cooking sausage.

While out walking with Fred this morning I saw a duck walking around close to our campsite.  I noticed he walked strangely and was able to move in close for a picture.  Somehow this poor duck was missing one of his feet.

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When Dawg and his family were getting their RV reading to go John and I walked over to see them off.  We noticed the one-footed duck was in the water behind their rig.  John grabbed a handful of dog food and proceeded to feed the duck.

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Before long a group of ducks came by.  I think they were looking for food.

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We were the only people in this section of the campground. 

007 Our site.

008 Dawg’s site.

013 Scenery from across the lake.

020More scenery from across the lake. 

John and I decided to wait until after lunch to head back to Timberlake Campground.  We enjoyed some left over spaghetti and salad then packed everything up and hit the road.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Lake Lincoln State Park

Up early this morning and out of the park by 8:30.  Our destination today is Lake Lincoln State Park near Wesson, Mississippi.  We are meeting firefighter Dawg and his family for the weekend.

057Here is the view from the side of our site.

058Here is the view from the rear of our site. 

The weather was quite cool staying in the 40s all day.  We played a few rounds of 10 Penny and some dominoes.  John fixed spaghetti for lunch and  Dawg made a huge pot of his chili for dinner.  Good times with good friends.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Where’s John’s wallet?

My cousin, Patricia, who lives in Fort Leavenworth, KS had to have emergency surgery today. She is doing well. Her husband is in the military as was stationed in Egypt but was allowed to fly back to be with her. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Yesterday the Sears repairman finally showed up for the “scheduled” appointment to work on Bob and Marcy’s refrigerator. They have been waiting to get it fixed for a week and a half. Bob explained to the guy what type of sounds the refrigerator was making. He told the repairman he thought that it was either the capacitor or the compressor. The repairman agreed and told him he thought the same. He replaced the capacitor and it still would not work so he ordered a new compressor. The compressor is being shipped overnight and should arrive by Saturday; which is good news. But…..the catch is getting Sears to send a repairman back out to install the compressor. The next available date the repairman showed available was December 30th. That is crazy!! The repairman was very sympathetic to their situation and gave Bob and John the name of a man at the local Sears store who is over the techs for the area who should be able to get someone to install it quickly. They will be going to Sears to see him in person on Monday. We will keep you posted on the outcome.

John was busy today. First thing this morning he was on the phone with Verizon trying to get our internet service fixed. He finally had to go to the Verizon store to straighten things out. Then, he was off to the Freightliner Dealership to pick up some parts. When he got back he replaced the cab shocks on the truck. He got some grease on his jeans but that was ok since they are the torn ones planned to throw away. As soon as he took them off I threw them in the trash.

Late this afternoon we took Christmas gifts over to Bob and Marcy’s and then made a Wal-mart run for some paper products and a few more groceries. The traffic was heavy and the store crowded. I am so glad I am finished with my Christmas shopping.

As we were walking into Wal-mart John noticed he did not have his wallet. When we got back home he looked in all of the usual places but it was nowhere to be found. Now, remember those jeans with the grease on them……..well…guess where the wallet was. Yep, in the trash in the pants pocket. I am so glad we thought to look there.

Tomorrow we are headed to Lake Lincoln Park just outside Wesson, MS to meet firefighter Nathan Bell (Dawg) and his family for the weekend.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

3G, 4G back to 3G

Well our new 4G aircard was not compatible with the Cradlepoint router and won't be until sometime in the first quarter of next year so I took it back today and restarted our 3G aircard. But not, I could not get the 3G card to work so I went to the Verizon store and they tried. Nothing. They called tech support and after an hour on the phone tech support said they had not idea why it wasn't working. They said 24-48 hours was there guess on when our aircard would start working. They have there techs working with the other techs to get it going, who knows. This post was brought to you by Bob and Marcy's laptop.

Stay Safe

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

10 Penny and Banana Pudding

John and his friend Minor completed the wiring for the Freightliner today.  Yeah!!!  I know he is glad.

I met my sister Annie for lunch today.  We decided to try out a new Mexican Restaurant called Paco’s Margarita Grill.  The service and food were both great.

This afternoon we got our grocery shopping done.  We went to a Kroger over in Madison that will be closing in January.  They had various items marked down so we decided to shop there.  The store will be torn down and a new bigger one will be rebuilt to replace it.

Tonight John and I went over to Bob and Marcy’s to play 10 Penny and have some homemade banana pudding.  The pudding was yummy.  Marcy and John won the first round by tying with a score of 60 points.   I won the second round with a score of 65.   I know we will be having another rematch.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Just chllin’ in the chilly weather.

Believe it or not…..we did not leave the campground today. I did organize the photos I had taken and downloaded since September. It took me most of the afternoon to finish that. I think tomorrow we will have to make a Wal-mart run cause we are running out of everything.

For dinner tonight I was going to make a turkey pot pie with left over turkey breast that John cooked the other day. I usually use cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup for a base and mix it in with the meat and vegetables but I messed up tonight. When I went to the panty I reached in and pulled out a can of what I thought was cream of mushroom soup. But….NOT….it was clam chowder. It had one of those pop top lids and I opened it before I read the label. Duh!!!! So I decided to use it and save the turkey. I know that sounds gross but it really tasted pretty good. I guess the homemade crust drowned out the taste of the clams. LOL

The temperatures have been warmer today and the winds have died down. I am go glad because I do not like cold weather.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Sears repairman is a NO SHOW!

Up early this morning and over to Bob and Marcy’s to see if the Sears repairman would show up.  He was supposed to be there between 8 and 12 noon.  While we were waiting for the repairman to show up we all decided to play 10 Penny.  John and I tied on the first round with a score of 55 points.  That almost never happens. LOL   I won the second round with a score of 120 and Bob came in second with a score of 125. 

Guess what…the repairman never showed up!!  John called the service number (which is in Arizona) and was told that the appointment had been cancelled by the computer system.  How stupid is that?  The other stupid thing is that they say they cannot send anyone out to fix it until this Thursday.  Very very bad customer service. 

Annie came over and she and I went to pickup some lunch for everyone.  Today’s choice was McAllister's. 

After lunch John headed back to the RV and Annie and I went shopping for a little while.  The stores were getting a bit crowed, even on a work day.  I guess a lot of people are taking off and getting their shopping done.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cold Everywhere

I don’t think it made it out of the 30’s today and the wind was horrible all day long.  Low tonight is 22, high tomorrow 39, low tomorrow night 23.  I sure hope they are wrong.  We stayed inside all day.  Cooked a turkey breast in the crockpot and baked some sweet potatoes for dinner.  Got caught up on laundry (2 loads) dishes and some general cleaning and sorting.  

Stay Safe

Saturday, December 11, 2010

4G Air Card & Bob & Marcy’s refrigerator still out.

This morning we went to the Verizon store for an appointment to talk about eligible upgrades on our account. We ended up getting the 4G air card and a lower monthly rate. Sounds like a good deal.

After leaving the Verizon store we went to Bob and Marcy’s. They were just leaving to go to Sears to talk to someone in person regarding their “piece of junk” refrigerator so we tagged along. Unfortunately, the sales clerk in the store was as useless as the service people. It seems they do not care about service after the sale. To make a long story short, to get the refrigerator serviced, you have to call a number that connects you to a person in Arizona……and a person who may or may not speak English. Sears finally sent someone out Friday morning to “fix” it but all he did was take the back off and say, “I don’t see anything wrong.” He plugged it back up and it started cooling only to stop again after he left. Of course, when Bob called him back to let him know this…..he got voice mail and no returned call. So much for their service and extended warranty. John called the service line after we left Sears to see if he could get someone to help. He finally convince the man to send someone out Monday morning. The sad thing is the service people have been out five times and have never really serviced it or fixed anything.

In the mean time, Bob and Marcy have had to either go out to eat or use an ice chest for their refrigerated items. John has been looking for a small refrigerator to put in the basement of the RV so he went looking and found one today. He brought it over to Bob and Marcy’s so they could use it until their refrigerator problem is resolved.

Tonight Bob and Marcy came over to play 10 Penny. Marcy won the first round with a score of 95 and the second one with a score of 35. WOW …….. it was her lucky night.

Earlier tonight there was a tornado watch and thunderstorms. The temperatures are supposed to drop into the 20s. I dread that.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Radio installed in the Ram for new owner.

Up at 8 this morning.  John had his doctor appointment for his annual physical so he had to set the clock to make sure he got up on time.   Really hate having to set that clock. LOL

When he got back from his appointment he installed the repaired navigation radio in the Dodge Ram we sold last month.  John had sent it off to be repaired when the truck sold so he installed  it for the new owner. 

In the afternoon John’s friend Minor came by to help him with the wiring for the lights on the Freightliner.  I think they have the problem narrowed down now.

Later we made another Wal-mart run for groceries and to pick up prescriptions from the pharmacy.  That is always fun….NOT!!! LOL

John cooked burgers for dinner and then we just chilled out.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Lunch with Annie.

Up around 9 this morning…..Fred too.  He is getting good at sleeping late. LOL

John left after breakfast to help his friend work on his motor home. 

I picked up my sister, Annie for lunch.  We decided to eat at a local Chinese buffet. After lunch I went back to her office to see her Christmas decorations.

002Annie in her office. 

Later in the afternoon I went over to the Wal-Mart pharmacy to get prescriptions refilled.  That is not my favorite errand. LOL

Not much going on today.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Bob & Marcy’s refrigerator died.

Today John went to help a friend who is working on a motor home he is renovating. 

This afternoon I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment.  My neck is giving me problems again.  On my way back I stopped off at Bob and Marcy’s to see what time they would be leaving for the Tea Party meeting in Madison.  While there I went to get a drink out of the refrigerator and noticed that things inside seemed warm.  They had just gotten back from the store so we thought it was the items that had been placed in there recently.  I visited for a little while then went on home to cook dinner.

John and I were about to walk out the door heading to Bob and Marcy’s when she called to say the refrigerator had gone out.  Everything in the freezer had thawed out.  Uck!!!  John brought our large cooler for them to put some items in. 

The refrigerator is covered under the extended warranty but when Dad called for service he was told they could not get to it until December 16th.  That is not good!

After packing some things in ice in the cooler we all went on to the Madison Tea Party Meeting.  One of the speakers was the Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant who, along with our current governor, has done a lot for the state of Mississippi.   He will be running for Governor in the next election and we feel he will be a good choice.

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Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant

After the meeting we returned to Bob and Marcy’s and played a couple rounds of 10 Penny. John won the first round with a score of 60.  Wow!  Bob came in second with 185 points and Marcy and I were in the bottom.   I won the second round with a score of 60, John came in second with  155 points and Bob and Marcy were in the bottom.   Oh well,  I know we will have a rematch real soon.

By the time we finished the second round of 10 Penny it was after 10:00 p.m. so we went back to the RV. 

012 Fred watching me type the blog.  He was sleepy and wanted to go to bed.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

New Aluminum Truck Bed

The new truck bed is on order with a 6-8 week construction time frame from Bull Head Products in Kodak, TN. Nice folks, Jody did the measuring and figuring with so help from one of the guys in the shop. His mom Dotty does the paperwork. They run a 6-8 man shop. If you need a truck bed I highly recommend them.
We were planning on going out to Kerrville, TX at the end of January but the truck bed may not be ready by then. They close one week for Christmas. So, depending on when it is ready we will either head West to TX or East to the coast. Cold here, 20's for the lows and 40's for the highs. It is actually colder in Florida than here, hard to believe. We stayed in today, actually didn't get up until 9, even Fred slept in.

Stay Safe

Monday, December 6, 2010

John on his way back home.

John is on his way back from Tennessee and should be back later tonight. The weather there was very cold…..just like here.

This afternoon I had my dentist appointment for the tooth I broke back in September. It was broken pretty deep and took longer to fix than the dentist first thought. My mouth is very sore. Not my favorite way to spend the afternoon.

Later in the afternoon Marcy and I went to the Mall. She had a $10.00 gift coupon from JC Penny and wanted to look around. After looking around and not seeing anything she wanted or needed she decided to find someone in the store to give it to. She gave it to a lady that we had seen earlier shopping for what appeared to be clothes for her family. She was go grateful and exited to get it.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

It is Snowing

Yep, snowing even as I type. You are getting this blog from Kodak, TN. Tomorrow I will be meeting Jody with Bull Head Products about building the aluminum truck bed for the Freightliner. After the finalization of the truck bed I will head back on the 500 mile trip to MS. Suppose to be 20 degrees in the morning with a wind chill of 10. Not looking forward to that. That's it for now.

Stay Safe

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Cookout for Chandler.

Up early with Fred this morning.  For some reason he has started getting up earlier and earlier.  Once I get up I am usually up for the day so I was on the computer at 7:30 a.m.

I got most of the Christmas gifts wrapped today and put up our miniature Christmas tree.  It doesn’t weigh much and is under 10 inches tall.

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John took care of some last minutes details before he leaves for Tennessee tomorrow morning.  He will be getting the Freightliner measured and will order the new truck bed.  I think it takes 6 to 8 weeks to build. 

Tonight we went to a cookout at  Firefighter Hemphill’s house.  It was a going away party for his son, Chandler who is joining the Navy next week.  We wish Chandler all the best.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Wiring, Oil Change and Shopping.

Up early to get a start on the day. I was off with Mom to “try” and finish Christmas shopping and John was off to see about the re-wire in preparation for the truck bed to be installed. He also took the Freightliner to get the oil changed.

I was glad to get out of the stores yesterday. The traffic and rude people just irk me! It seems like people have forgotten the common courtesy of saying, “please” “thank you” and "excuse me”. Manners have just gone out the window. That is sad to me.

I was glad I had a small roast cooking in the slow cooker because I sure was tired when I got home.

After dinner John and I went out to my sister’s house. We borrowed her large front load washer and dryer to clean our comforter and quilt. Thanks Annie. While there we watched The Hangover and My Cousin Vinny. She had never seen and we like to watch them again from time to time.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

More shopping & dinner with friends.

Annie came over this morning and she, John and I went to Ichiban Chinese Buffet for lunch. I think this is our new favorite Chinese restaurant. The food is good and there is plenty of it.

After lunch we dropped John back off at the RV and then it was off to pick up Marcy and go Christmas shopping again. While we were out I found a small table to put between our chairs in the RV. I had mentioned to John about finding a small table but did not think I would find anything so soon….. I wasn’t really looking. Funny how when you are not looking for something it is easy to find.

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Here is a picture of the small table I found. Awe look, I think John is really enjoying his new chair.

Tonight we met our friends and former co-workers Bo, Kay, Steve and Paula for dinner at Georgia Blue in Madison. This a new restaurant that opened in August of this year. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night they have live music. John and I ordered the Blues Burger with sweet potato fries. It was very tasty.


I am adding a link to Jonathan and Nellie's blog, Nellie is having a contest.

Check them out.

Laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

John has a new chair.

Up early this morning to a COLD 35 degrees.  By mid morning it was beginning to warm up nicely.  Later in the morning John went to pick up his new chair.

007 John’s new chair.

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See the difference in my short people chair and his tall people chair. LOL

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John enjoying his new chair. 

For lunch today John, Annie and I met Amy, Frank, Bo and Kay for lunch at our old lunch spot McB’s.

001  Bo

002Frank

005 Annie

006 Amy, Kay and me.

004 Amy, Kay and Tracy our favorite waitress.

After lunch Annie and I went Christmas shopping.  Our first stop was Kohl’s then Hobby Lobby and finally Wal-Mart.  It was dark by the time we headed home and we were tired.

Laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.