What a Surprise

 

Well Saturday morning and Sherri and I both slept in. Yes it was 7:00 am before we batted an eye and Sherri’s eye batted first so she got to make the coffee. I…on the other hand…didn’t awake until the coffee was ready. How is that for timing.

We sat down and had our coffee talked about how soon we could pack up and get out of here. We looked out the windows at the lake as it splashed on the bank and then decided to play on the computers for a while.

We read different journals to catch up to all our friends. We have so many friends out there so many places and every once in a while we have to catch up with them to see where they are and how they are doing. I read where my close friend Jo Wishnie  is not feeling well…Dortha Hall broke a collar bone…and the list goes on. I pray for all of you and hope that good things come of these misfortunes. It is good for all of us to keep up so that our thoughts will be with one another always.

Soon it was time for us to get to work on our expense reports. I had to get the scanner out and get to work scanning our receipts and listing all our expenses that we had incurred over the past month. This is a very time consuming thing but we have to get it done today so we can get it turned in to the home office. This way we get paid for all our travels.

Most of the afternoon was consumed with this task and when we had finished we decided to fix our late lunch. Sherri had purchased some steaks at Albertson’s the day before and she had one marinating in the fridge. I readied the grill outside. I put the steaks on and Sherri fixed us some veggies and a baked potato. We sat down to a real good feast and if I do say so myself the steak was cooked just right.

After eating Sherri put away everything and I did the dishes…paper plates…HE HE. We decided to take a walk when the phone rang. It was my good friend Don Catoe. He started off asking how we were doing and mentioning that we had not talked in some time. I agreed and asked him where they were. He answered by saying if I would look out my back window I might see him….if the trailer he was looking at was mine. I looked and sure nuff there stood Don in the road leading up to our site.

Well…it was not too long we were all together at Don and Cheryl's trailer having the best time. It has been a long time since we had seen Don and Cheryl and it was great catching up with all that has happened since that time.

We had a wonderful visit and then we all loaded up and went to the store to take back our movies. Don and Cheryl bought a few items and then back home. We made plans to meet up tomorrow and head out the the RV dealer up the road to look at RV’s. This should prove to be quite the adventure…

Somewhere in Time

Working in Denton Today

 

 

This is the old court house in Denton….They don’t build them like this anymore.

I do hope this is the last day this week. Sherri and I have been working 5 day weeks…and at this rate we should meet our goal much earlier than expected.

It is real early and I have a little time to drink one cup of coffee before we both hit the road. We will be working up in Denton today and it takes about 30 minutes to get there. Sherri is in the shower now. I have taken mine and turned the coffee on and it is brewing while I type out the first few paragraphs of my journal.

Well the day went rather quickly…We had a pizza set that took us no time at all and before we knew it we were on our way back home. We are just down the street from our home and the drive time was nothing.

Upon arrival we set out to heat up our left over food from Texas Roadhouse. Not bad getting two meals for the price of one and having the company pick up the tab. We finished and then set to task figuring out what we were going to eat the rest of the week.

Before we could go shopping for our supplies we had to do our expense reports. We have to turn them in so we can get reimbursed for all the food and travel that we have done over the past month. This is a time consuming part of our job but a must. If I was more conscientious I would do a little each day and cut my time at the end of the month in half…but…

We got that all done and then took our list of supplies and headed to the Albertson’s. We shopped for all the bargains and ended up only spending $60.00 for food. Is it nice being on an expense report…man you can save some money!

Next week we will be back in a hotel in Denton so we go back on paid time. This will surely expedite reaching our goal and that means we’ll be on the road before we know it.

While at the store we stopped by the Red Box and rented us some $1.00 movies. We watched one and saved the other two for tomorrow. This will give us some time to relax and get ready for the next week of travel and work.

We are really enjoying our time here at the lake and plan on some hiking tomorrow and exploring along the way…

Somewhere in Time  

Packing up and Moving on

 

  We are back in our home for a while. This is at Hickory Creek COE on Lake Lewisville

We slept in this morning. Yes not often do we get to sleep in while on the road. We were up at 15 till 6:00 and Sherri beat me to the shower. I just laid there in bed and waited for my turn.

Sherri was not too long and soon I was clean and shinny. Fresh clothes and a cup of coffee made me feel like a million bucks. We had a spot of breakfast and then loaded into the truck for the ride to Denton Texas. Yes  we were headed to pick up our home but we got a call from our boss who re-routed us to a store in Hickory Creek. Actually this store is right across the street from Hickory Creek COE Park. What luck!..we are only 30 minutes from the dealership and when we get through working we can drive down the street and pick it up and then back the other way to the COE Park.

This all came together just as we had planned and when work was over we were up at the RV Dealership to pick up our home. It sure looked good setting out there on the lot waiting for us.

All the work was done except for a few minor things that we had forgotten to add to our list. Really we had no major problems with the RV just the usual warranty items that most people have after a year of living in their new homes. Carriage comes highly recommended by me and my wife when it comes to quality and durability.

After doing our walk through we hitched up the house and headed for the park. We did not have a reservation so we had to do a walk up only. Lucky for us they had a site open down by the lake. We have a nice view out the Arizona Room windows. The sites down on this end of the park have some of the best views here and we always try to get this loop.

I can almost smell warmer weather coming. The bridge in the background is the I35E bridge.

We got parked about 5:00…just missed the heavy traffic on I 35E. Unloaded the truck…about 2 weeks of motel stays…back into the house and then fell into the recliners for a breather. Sherri mentioned eating at Texas Roadhouse and suggested that we get a move on before the going home traffic jammed up the highway. The recliner was not even the slightest bit warm when I had to drag up and get back in the truck.

The geese are real friendly here but they leave a mark around the trailer that you have to be real careful that you don’t step in.

The traffic was choking about this time and the parking lot at the Roadhouse was overflowing. We were surprised to get seated as fast as we did. I ordered the ribs….full rack and Sherri got the chicken. Needless to say we did not walk away hungry. I have a take home plate that will feed me tomorrow.

We are now back at home playing on the computers. We had first thought we would be off tomorrow but that all has changed. Now we have a short job to get done in Denton and then we have the rest of the weekend off. It will be good to be off on Saturday so I can prop my feet up and relax…count my money and dream of that day we will be headed off to some distant adventure….

Somewhere in Time

Met Richard and Carol for Dinner in Daingerfield

 

We got up got our showers dressed and then headed down stairs to drink some coffee and eat some breakfast. We finished our coffee and got on the road about 6:15.

It was an uneventful drive in and the sun was just coming up. We could see it through the trees as we drove along the highway. The temp outside said 34 and it was dry for a change. I used the cruise going in and just sat back and enjoyed the scenery. Sherri read the map looking for a route to Daingerfield to meet Carol and Richard for dinner. Richard is Sherri’s brother and he lives just outside of Avenger Texas. We do not get to see them very often so this was  going to be a convenient time to meet up with them for dinner and a short visit.

We got off work about 4:30 and called them to let them know we were  getting off 30 minutes early. Being early meant we had to wait a short time for them to get to the Brookshire’s where we had parked to meet them. This gave me time to take a short nap and ready myself for some good food.

They arrived about 10 minutes after we parked and we discussed where we would eat. Richard knew of a good Chinese Restaurant just down the street from where we were so we headed over there.

The parking lot was nearly empty which made me wonder if the food was really that good? Once inside the aroma told me that it was going to be a good place to eat. I was not disappointed either…I ordered the combo plate of chicken and broccoli with rice egg roll and sweet and sours.

We had a real nice visit with them and before we knew it we had to part ways. Hugs were exchanged and so long for a whiles. We have always been a close family and as we all got older we parted ways to live in different parts of the state. Now we look forward to all of us getting back together now and again to visit.

We arrived back at the motel room about 7:30. Sherri took her shower and then we put together a spice rack for practice. Tomorrow we have to assemble several for the spice set at the store. This way we will know how to do it before we get there.

Time to climb into bed now and get some sleep before the trip back to DeKalb. Tomorrow it all starts over for the last time this week. We have one more night to stay here and then back to Lewisville to pick up our home. I can’t wait to get back in my house…

Somewhere in Time

First Day Back at Work

 

Sherri and I were both up at 5:00 this morning and really not wanting to be. We are back in DeKalb working at the same store we were at last week. Not sure how long we will be here at this store but we are both hoping that it will be the last week.

We went downstairs and had our coffee this morning. I had a biscuit with gravy and sausage and Sherri had to show me up by eating fruit and yogurt. I have to have a little more than fruit to keep me going until lunch.

Speaking of lunch Sherri and I had the best BBQ we have had in a long time. We found a place across the street from the store. The name of the place is D&J’s BBQ. Sherri had the one meat plate and I had the three meat plate. She had the brisket and my three meat was chopped brisket sausage and smoked chicken. The BBQ had the best taste and the BBQ sauce was excellent . I would like to suggest if you are ever in that part of the country go by D&J’s and try out the BBQ.

Not much else to write about today. We left work about 5:00 and went straight to Applebee’s for a salad. No we don’t just eat all the time…we actually do other things. Like right now we are watching TV and reading emails and journals.

This is about all for now maybe later I will have a more exciting story to unleash on you…

Somewhere in Time  

 

Back in Mt Pleasant

Arrived in Mt Pleasant just in time to get this much of a real pretty sunset

This morning Sherri was up at 5:30. I was laying there in a comma trying to put together my location. I finally realized that I was in a motel room in Lewisville Texas and we have to get up and get ready to go to my daughter’s house to help her put together a bed and hang some curtains.

We have to drive back to Mt Pleasant this afternoon as soon as we get through with helping Janet. We arrived there about 10:30 and after waiting for a car to show up at the gate…You see this is a gated community and we had no way to get in the gate without riding in behind a card carrying resident. We finally caught one coming in so we burned rubber up behind them and made it just past the gate before it closed.

Janet was not home from work yet but the baby setter let us in and she left us in charge of the kids. We told her good-bye and took over the baby sitting job. The kids were glad to see us and we were glad to see them. We had fun playing with them and then Janet arrived. By that time Sherri and I were hungry so we took Janet’s car to go and get some food for everyone. We had to stop by Wally World before we ate. We needed some grocery supplies and Sherri wanted to pick up a light weight jacket. Kris talked me into buying him some hand cuffs. Yes…hand cuffs! His Aunt Jennifer is a law officer and she has hand cuffs and he wants to be a policeman too.

 

                                                     Kris is ready to do some arresting.

We left there and went to Wataburger to get some food and while there Kris hand cuffed his Maw Maw. He had everyone in the restaurant laughing and Sherri was a little afraid that she would not be able to get out of them. I will have to say it was quite funny. I would have left her there but Kris let her go before we had to leave.

We got back to the apartment and I got started on the things Janet needed done. I put together a bed and hung some curtains. She was real happy getting that all done and I was more than happy to help her out. 

We got it all done by 4:00 and I figured it would take us 2 hours to get to our motel. Sure nuff we left and at 6:00 we arrived at the motel and got checked in. We got the same room back that we had the week before. We liked it so much we felt good about getting back to it. This is now our home for the week. Your correct when you say that not much is going to be going on in this journal this week. I have a tuff time making interesting journal entries when we are working 10 hours a day. I will try to find some tid bit of information that will keep you on the edge of your seat…

Somewhere in Time   

RV Show Here in Dallas Was great

 

Yes Jim and Dee this is your floor plan…don’t know if it is your color but we enjoyed resting in it.

Sherri and I got to sleep in this morning. We got up at 6:30 took our showers got dressed and went down stairs to eat our free breakfast. We had a great cup of coffee…actually two cups and then we went back up stairs to enhance our beauty.

Sherri and I standing next to our new 45 ft. Motor home.

ERRRGH! Eat my dust

 

Sherri admires her new kitchen…when will dinner be ready

We were headed to the Dallas RV show at Market Hall. We love RV shows  and enjoy going and seeing all the new rigs. First we had to stop and get me a new belt at Macy’s. My belt bit the dust yesterday after eating a Red Lobster…OK no wise cracks out there. I was going into the restaurant and my belt kept coming loose and finally I realized that it was worn out. Sherri having been at Macy’s the night before knew that they had some sales going on so she steered me there and sure enough I found an all leather belt for $12.00.

From Macy’s we headed over to the bank to deposit my first paycheck. We had it taken there in an armored truck and I signed it over for deposit only. I kept out enough for the RV Show and some dinner that evening.

Then it was a short trip across the street to get diesel and that was the most expensive trip of the day. We turned out of there went straight to the Interstate and arrived at Market Hall in about 30 minutes. Found a parking spot real close to the front door and hurried up there to stand in line…for just a short time.

We met Becky and Rodney there and they helped us inspect all the RV’s. We found one just like the one that Jim and Dee bought. I am not sure if it is the same color but it is the same model.

While we were there we met up with Cindy and Rick Boase who we met at the RV Dreams Rally back in September. How cool is that…Dreamers everywhere! Also we saw some folks I use to work with at Taylor Publishing Co. It was just like old home week.

Cindy and Rick ran into us at the RV show. They were looking at all the new RV’s. We met them in Kerrville at the RV Dreams rally.

We went to several seminars which were really good. 

We wondered all over looking at RV’s inside and outside…Notice the sun is shinning.

No…we did not buy that 45 footer…I like my house and I will keep it for some time to come. We want to head out of here soon and buying a new RV is not in the plan. As everyone moves closer to being on the road the more we are wanting to break free. I have to keep telling myself…
“Stay the course” All good things come….

Somewhere in Time

We Almost Picked up Our Home

 

Here I set in a motel room without my house.

We were up early and got our showers got dressed and headed down to the breakfast room to have some free coffee and breakfast. We found waffles biscuits ham and all kinds of good food this morning. The coffee has been weak all week long and today was no exception. Still week and needed very little sugar or cream. I don’t know how they do it but they can sure mess up coffee. Now most of the places we stay in…the coffee would eat the paint off your truck but not here.

We finished up our breakfast and downed the last cup of coffee and we were off to Wills Point to pick up our mail and do a couple of loads of laundry. We left about 6:30 and arrived by 8:00. The weather was rainy and the drive was slow. There was a lot of traffic on the Interstate and we just took our time. We hydroplaned a couple of times coming in and I slowed down even more to avoid sliding off the road. Big eighteen wheelers would pass us at ludicrous speed making it even harder to stay on the road. This is what wears me out driving in wet weather. Wet weather is what we have had now for months and driving has not been fun.

We arrived at the post office and picked up our mail and then sped away to the barn to get started on the laundry. We had a weeks worth of work clothes and the prior weeks clothes to boot. We have fallen behind on washing due to the work pilling in on us and the fact that we have been out of town in motels a lot lately. This will put you behind on keeping clean clothes washed. I hope the weather straightens out so we can get everything cleaned up and looking pretty.

After the wash was completed we decided to go to Mesquite Texas and stop at the Red Lobster for their Lobster Fest. I had a big ol lobster and an equally large steak. Sherri had the shrimp medially and it was sure good. We are still on expense so we were getting our monies worth.

While eating my lunch the phone rang and it was Explore USA Service Department. Debra was on the other end of the line with some bad news. She said they took the bedroom entertainment slide motor out and replaced it but the replacement was not the correct one. She said instead of them putting the broken one back in so we could take the trailer would it be alright to hold off until the correct part came in and then fix it. That means I can’t pick up the trailer today. I told her we lived in it and had no where to go tonight or tomorrow night. She said that our warranty would pay for us a motel room for two nights if we would like to do that. So we had no choice…we now have to find us a motel room for the next two nights.

Didn’t I just leave a hotel room? Oh well it could be worse. We will stay in a motel in Lewisville for the next two nights and then leave for another motel room next week. I think I will be moteled out after this coming week and the week that follows that. This will make a month in a motel.

This is the view out our window…MACY’S…now where do you think Sherri is…

Yes that’s her going in the door. I took this from our window. You should have seen the money she saved. I saved a little bit more by not going.

Now I have to comment on this motel we are in now. It is quite the place. We have a kitchen…office…bedroom…living room and bath. Sherri, after looking the room over went to the window and threw back the curtain…I heard her say: Oh Lord I have died and gone to heaven…Macy’s is across the street. Well you’ll never guess where Sherri is right this minute. No she is not here by my side…she is at Macy’s shopping. This RV repair could cost me a bundle!

 

I have some pictures to share with you. You know many of you have these drop dead gorgeous pictures of nature and I show pictures of my motel room. OK OK I know it is not all that great but this is all I have to offer until I get out on the road for real…

Somewhere in Time   

Last Day of Work Here in De Kalb

 

 

This morning we got up at our usual time…but unlike all the other days before this…this one is the last for this week. We had already amassed 32 hours as of yesterday so all we could work is 8 today. We have to add the drive time from the motel to the store and back and then the drive time from Mt Pleasant to our home base. This cut our available hours down considerably. We are really only suppose to work 32 hours a week but we have been pushed over this amount due to the amount of work that has been coming in.

Enough about this work thing. Bridget is on the phone now with Sherri. They closed the deal on their house and will be trying to close the end of March. We are so excited about their news. Sherri is trying to figure out how she can quit before our goal is met. She is so ready and that is why I went to work to help her get that goal so she can hit the road.

Tonight we have to figure out where we are going to eat once more. We are on the company ticket so we eat good. When you eat out every meal…it gets hard to decide where you want to eat. Eating out every meal…you think that could be the reason we can’t lose any weight. We really need to start walking again.

Well let me take a minute to comment on the meeting the President had with the Senators. What a laugh…can you believe those guys. Here we are with no break in the cost of Health Insurance and they are up there quibbling over every thing they can and why should they pass anything…they have their Health Care program. And here is another little tidbit of information that I would love to drop on you. Take a look at this Web Site

http://www.ssa.gov/immigration/ Now if this don’t fry your shorts nothing will. Don’t you just love the fact that you pay into a system your whole life for a retirement that some immigrant can come in and never pay a dime for and get the same thing. They don’t even have to speak English…we have interpreters to help them get this freebee. If we vote any of these buffoons back into office next time we deserve all we get from them.

Sorry for this rant…but I have to let you know what a fine hand we are being dealt. Maybe we can elect some folks to go to Washington that have our interest at heart…

Somewhere in Time

Good News From One of the Dreamers.

 

John and Bridget got an offer on their house! Sherri and I just pulled in from work and went out to eat. We slipped by Applebee’s for a steak and some good sides. We arrived back at the motel and Sherri went straight into the shower to clean up. I sat down and went over my work schedule for the rest of the week. I had just got my page loaded up and the phone rang.

I answered the phone and Bridget was on the other end of the line. I could tell by the tone of her voice that I was about to hear some good news. Sure nuff she told me that they had a offer on the house and they were waiting to see how the counter offer was received.

She was so excited and I was too. I checked in on Sherri and she was just about to step out of the shower. I told her what Bridget told me and Sherri grabbed the phone away from me. She and Bridget talked for some time and we left her with our word that everything we had would be crossed for good luck.

We can’t wait to get back with the Dream Team. We hope that this sale goes trough and John and Bridget are on the road before long. We can’t wait to get all our friends out full timing. We can’t wait for us to get out on the road! I know this will all come to pass…

Somewhere in Time

Working is not all bad

 

Today will be our second day of working at the AWG store in DeKalb Texas. We have had many a good laugh and many an argument about senseless things. I guess when you work together and both have your own way of doing things you will bump heads now and again.

I like to work at a slow pace and then when I get through with my set I like to tweak things to better them. Sherri goes a hundred mile an hour and somehow does it all right the first time and does not need any tweaking at the end. This only opens us up for another assignment that means we have to work hard all over again. I can’t help having this lackadaisical attitude…you know I was in management too long and built up this methodical way of doing things that takes longer and make me look real busy when I am not.

Well this makes her mad and she wants me to keep going at break neck speeds. I will just have to break her in to my way of doing things…what’s that you are saying…you don’t thing that will happen. You would be correct I will just have to live with it for now. We are working for a different set of directors in this store and they have us just cleaning and moving merchandise from on self to the next.  We are not really doing any sets per say so when we get back to Brookshire’s and start working with our folks again I can work by myself. Sherri is a hard task master to follow.

We got home and now it is time to plan for our dinner. We have not decide where we are going to eat tonight so we have to make those plans. It is 5:00 and time to meet up with our co worker . I am hungry but do not have a taste for anything in particular. I am sure something will come to me soon. Well I don’t think it is my turn to choose anyway so we will see who will get to pick tonight.

Laura won the pick and we went to Two Senoritas and I had Fajitas. Sherri had the same thing and I am not real sure what Laura had…it looked good but I could not put a name to it. We stayed there a while after we finished eating and visited. When we left we all noticed that the temps had fallen. They are calling for snow tonight so we will see. I will have a full report for you…

Somewhere in Time