Eating At The Heart Attack Grill

"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. " - Mark Twain

We usually try to find the locations of any "unique" restaurants in towns that we are travelling through. And, there are certainly quite a few places around the area we are currently in. It seems our favorite past-time is visiting and eating. Some fun places are fast food and others are sit-down. When the weather is nice we really enjoy going to the restaurants that offer outdoor seating. The outdoor restaurants and cafes are very popular in Europe so you can close your eyes and imagine that you are anyplace you want to be. Of course, the location for our meal this afternoon wasn't one we would want to imagine being at. It was a hospital .... well, kind of!!

This was one restaurant we had not tried but certainly wanted to. It was the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, AZ. I'm sure some of you have heard about it. It's been on the Food Channel and even the Travel Channel. At this restaurant the waiters/waitresses are attired as nurses and doctors. If you weigh over 350 pounds, you can actually eat for free and if you so desire, for $499 you can buy the annual eating pass.

We all know the more fat on the burger, the better it tastes. We also know that the more fat on that same burger, the worse it is for your heart .... thus, the Heart Attack Grill. The restaurant doesn't use just any fat to cook their fries and burgers. They use lard!! Remember lard? That's the stuff that is really bad for you .... really, really bad. It causes your veins to clog but boy is the food good when you cook with it and then you actually eat it. It's what our mothers and grandmothers used to cook with.

There were six of us who decided this was the place. However, none of us weighed enough to get that free burger (thank goodness!). The patients were Terry and I, Shelley (my cousin), Jim and Sandie and Paul, their RVing friend. We gobbled down our meal and left without a single need to have our heart or pulse checked with their stethoscopes. Of course, indigestion could set in this evening but we certainly hope not. Actually, there was much more to it than that.

The "nurses" were attired in uniforms that we were sure were ordered one size smaller than they actually wore. When we were shown to our seats, the nurse put hospital gowns on us .... just in case. The good part about that is if you were in a real hospital, you wouldn't have anything underneath. Our clothing underneath stayed in place.


No diet drinks are served and the only food on the menu are the hamburgers and french fries .... both to die for but the good part is that we didn't. The menu was in pictures on the wall. Just in case the heavy food was too much for you, there were several wheelchairs handy. None of us ordered the quadruple bypass burger. We all just had the single bypass. So, we figured we were pretty safe.


And, patrons can't say they weren't warned. Signs on the front door indicated that this restaurant wasn't a heart-healthy restaurant.

It was a fun meal and we certainly enjoyed ourselves. Actually, it's fun going to different places to eat. What else would we have to blog about? Blogging about food and travels works best. Our next meal ..... well, the planning is already in the works. We're thinking about the magnificent Friday night seafood buffet at Harrah's Casino in the city of Maricopa. That is one of the best buffets we've ever had and we're thinking we might head there on Friday. Actually, my mouth waters just thinking of all that crab. If we do go, I won't save you any crab but I will take a picture of it so your mouth will water too.

Leaving Portland and back to Phoenix

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain

Christmas 2009 is now behind us. The new year is just around the corner. Everyone is busy taking back gifts, spending gift cards, planning the next event and trying to come up with New Year resolutions. Many folks will just use the same old ones they used last year and the year before. Since they didn't keep them in the past, it makes it easier than coming up with new ones to break.

Terry and I split for Christmas. He spent a few days before Christmas in Washington State with our son and his family and I spent Christmas there. We met at the airport in Portland and wished each other Merry Christmas before we went separate ways. He ran to his plane and I jumped in my daughter-in-law's car. We finished up a little shopping and headed to their home 30 miles north of the airport.

Christmas Day and the day after were fantastic. We had such a wonderful time. From the slow paced gift opening to a magnificent dinner and leisurely afternoon, it was wonderful. The day after we joined all the other people out there at the mall. Justin and Jordan had gift cards to spend and packages to return. We hit the Clackamas Town Center south of Portland since Oregon does not have a sales tax. No sales tax made those gift cards even more valuable.

Eating was an all day event. We started with Lee fixing breakfast, had lunch at Macaroni Grill, early dinner at Wild Buffalo Wings and dessert from Shari's. This was the Day of the Food. On the way home we stopped by my aunt's place in Vancouver and visited with her and cousins from Port Angeles. Their motorhome was parked on the street and they were on their way to Yuma for the winter. We'll continue our visit in Yuma.

How to shop ------>

All in all, we had the most fantastic time. It almost made me want to stay...almost. It was hard to say good-bye but off to the airport Sunday morning. Flying standby over a holiday weekend is normally a very difficult thing to do. I planned on spending most of the day at the airport and figured I'd probably roll from one flight to another. However, I had a seat on the first flight I tried for .... I couldn't believe it!! I was a happy camper.

Back to Phoenix. Terry's father was taken to the hospital by ambulance early Sunday morning. Terry spent most of the day and all night there. We should know today more about what will happen this week. Our guess is another heart surgery but we don't know. We're just glad we were close.

Christmas Eve Eve

"And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth."

Wednesday was the eve of Christmas Eve. With Terry in Washington State, I was left to spend the day in Phoenix with my cousin, Shelley. She wasn't expected to show up until about 11:00 but that still left me several hours to get some last minute things done before heading out to start our celebrating. With plans to catch a flight on Thursday, I needed to tackle the tasks I had procrastinated at. It was last minute bows and ribbons, a few groceries, a trip to the airport for another ticket and so on.

By the time my cousin showed up, I was ready to go. We started with a stop at Fry's Electronics (my favorite all-time store) and then off to lunch at On the Border. This was to be our Christmas luncheon. We hit a few more stores and walked through the mall laughing at all those folks rushing to buy the final gifts. Finally dinner time rolled around. Since we'd already had our Christmas luncheon earlier in the day, we called this our Christmas dinner. We celebrated at the Elephant's Ear Restaurant in Chandler. If you haven't been there, it's quite a place. However, since we were still carrying the remnants of lunch around, we split a meal. It was fantastic.

Christmas Eve started with my alarm going off at 4:00 AM. My tentative flight was at 7:00 but I figured the lines would be long and I'd be stuck waiting in them. By the time I was ready to go, had walked Duchess and was fleeing out the door, everything had been safely packed in it's appropriate place....or so I thought. It was only when I pulled into my prospective parking spot at the airport did I realize I had left something very important behind ... my phone. Normally, this might not be too big a problem except I expect my return flight to be quite a challenge.

My ticket had been issued on American Airlines for my flight on Southwest. It's just how we airline retirees do things. Thus, it meant I also needed to stand in line at Southwest to get my "Zed" ticket processed by that airline. My first thought was I'd get the ticket early because there wouldn't be a line and then rush back and hopefully find my phone and have enough time to zip through security and to the gate.

After a peak at the gate, I decided this wasn't the best tactic as the line was long. I'd never make it. So, back to the car, out of the parking garage and on the road. It was 5:18 AM when I sat down in the car seat to leave. It was 5:31 when I pulled in next to the motorhome. I was glad we were close. And, it was still 5:31 when I left the motorhome back to the airport. I knew I wouldn't make it. Needless to say, I was sure frustrated with myself. I needed a miracle. Whee! At 5:41 I pulled right back into the same spot that I had pulled out of 23 minutes earlier ... only one red light. All the others had been green.

The line at Southwest was long. However, since I had a "special" ticket, I moved into a totally different line ... behind only one other person. By 6:05 I was through security and waiting to board the plane along with all the other passengers. I had a miracle after all.

I love uneventful flights and this was mostly just that. I have a whole book of stories about people I've met or sat next to on the plane. Actually, it had been six months since I'd been on an airplane. That's the longest time I had ever gone without flying in the last twenty years or so. There was a time that I was on these things at least twice a week or more. It's that jet fuel fix I craved. I don't crave it so much anymore.

This plane was full of Christmas travelers and I knew the only thing Southwest would have available for me was a middle - crunch seat. Thus, my particular seat was between two guys close to the front. They weren't fat guys so I knew their body wouldn't overflow onto me. But, why is it fellows always feel the need to spread their wings and occupy both of the arm rests with elbows beyond the space allowed for them? One of my seat-mates sat the whole time watching movies on his iPod. That was great. I like people on flights to be able to entertain themselves.

The other fellow ... well, he was another story. Even before the plane was taking off he was attentively picking his nose and either flicking it in the aisle or wiping on his pants.... oh gross! The only satisfaction I had is that he used his right hand and I was on the left of him. Well, I've sat next to other nose pickers who were much worse than this fellow. At least he stopped after a while.

I'm always in awe of the beauty of Mt. Hood when flying by. This time I thought about the three hikers who recently lost their lives. I wondered why anyone would try to climb a mountain so tall and so full of snow and especially at this time of year when the weather had been so crazy. It's so sad for them and for their families.

Landing was safe and sound. I met Terry at the airport in Portland, gave him the keys, wished him Merry Christmas and then ran to get in the car with my daughter-in-law, Sabrina. Terry was flying back to Phoenix. We were just trading places. Someone has to take care of Duchess.

Portland was very foggy and icy. Bri needed to finish up a little shopping and we ate lunch at Panda Express, on to the grocery and home to see Justin and Jordan. I took Bri's picture but she won't let me post it. We went to a very nice Christmas service at her church and that brings us to the present. My son is stuck working very, very late tonight so haven't visited with him yet.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

HOME is where the DOG is!

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions,
they pass no criticisms." ~ George Elliot

As we travel along the road, we meet all kinds of people. There are tall people, little people, fat people, skinny people. Whether we like them or not has nothing to do with size or shape. We also see all breeds of dogs. There are tiny dogs, hairy dogs, robust dogs, medium dogs, large dogs and huge dogs. Size doesn't determine whether we like them or not either.

Where is the dividing line between a little person and a big person? Is it 5', is it 5'8" or is it 6'? And, with the same thought, where is the division between dogs. When does a dog become a small breed, a medium breed or a large breed? The AKC has it pretty well defined. What is the chance that any of you are going to go up to some individual and say to them .."You're certainly a big person"? Hopefully, the chance is close to zero. Then, why in the world do we occasionally get from an RV'er "that's certainly a big dog." It gets annoying and I'd like someone to come up with the perfect comment back. I just can't think of anything halfway nice that makes a point.

Our dog is a Doberman. We travel with one 62 pound, 8-year old Doberman. Honestly, she's not going to bite you ... well, unless you bite me first! (That's a joke.) The AKC classes it as a medium breed. We have met folks with two, three and four dogs. We have met many folks traveling with beautiful labs and other dogs that are larger than ours. I think it's great that they take their "children" with them. Our "pets" are our family and the last thing we're going to do is give them away so we can travel. I do realize that some folks are afraid of any dog, let alone a dog over 20 pounds. They have a comfort level with small dogs. However, the little dogs are the barkers and the heel nippers. Terry always says he hasn't met a dog he didn't like but not so for people.

My brain doesn't work fast enough when folks say things. I think I'm shocked first at what comes across as rudeness. Oh, it's not just the words it's the tone or action. I remember one park we were at in Yuma last year. Pets were allowed (we always check first) and I was checking in. A very large woman (very large in my opinion -- 350 pounds-ish??) was working the counter at the resort. When asked I told her the weight of our dog. She laughed and made some comment about a big dog traveling. I kept still and didn't say what I was thinking. We just drove away.

What I do dislike are the individuals in RV parks that believe that when walking their dog away from their own site that their dog does not have to be on a leash. Or, those that believe that they do not have to pick up after their dogs. Well, maybe I can't say I don't necessarily dislike the individuals but I do dislike what they do. There are no rules when boondocking in the wide open spaces but in tight spaces of the RV park folks can't move away.

Dogs are welcome in our "home" because we have a dog. It's our dog's home too. Dogs not on leashes are not welcome to walk across our RV patio while out walking with owners we do not know just as we hope people we don't know won't walk through our patio either. But, if you're here to visit, you're welcome to bring your family members too. Our son has a Great Dane and he visits too.

Our home is where Duchess is.

Loving the RV Life

"Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?" Rose Kennedy

Yesterday was another great day in paradise. What more can we say about it? Well, the weather was gorgeous. It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cool and it wasn't snowing or even raining. The evening presented us with the most gorgeous sunset. We had forgotten how beautiful Arizona sunsets could be. We're happy and we're loving it!

We did have a couple not so fun moments. One was at the airport (and I can't think of the second one). Terry is taking off for Portland ... hopefully. Since I'm retired airline, this meant we needed to order a ticket through my company in order to fly standby on another airline. Ticket ordered and off to get my "zed" ticket. My eyes about popped out when I saw what looked like at least a 2-hour wait in line. Flights had been delayed and the line wrapped around the terminal. Oh oh ..... However, after about a half an hour the agent working the line eyed my airline ID and issued the ticket so I was spared the rest of the wait. Whoppee! Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This time it did.

Back to our motorhome to walk Duchess and we were off again but this time to the Mesa Swap Meet. That place is absolutely huge. It is the largest swap meet in Arizona and it was packed. The merchants were selling their items left and right. We made a couple purchases. One was a dual hitch that could snap into the one we currently use for towing our vehicle. Now we can haul the car and a bike rack.

Late in the afternoon we scuttled off to Joe's BBQ in Gilbert. We love this place. It's definitely nothing fancy but the brisket is sure delicious. Our companions were Jim and Sandie -- folks we had met at Mexico Beach, Fl. They also had a tag along (Paul) and he was someone they had met at a rally in the midwest this year. Amazing how many wonderful folks you meet along the way doing exactly what you're doing.

Why is it most of the good times are usually around the dinner table? This was definitely a good time. Our main topic of conversation was about more food and great restaurants to eat at. We're actually going to be traveling with Jim and Sandie when we leave this area and head to Quartzsite in January. Then, they're going to follow us on to the Salton Sea for about a week. We have a feeling that we will be sharing some future travels with these two folks ... unless we scare them off.

We are absolutely having the time of our life. We are loving what we're doing and don't see an end to it anytime soon. Isn't it wonderful to be able to travel like we are and not have to choose one place to stay all year round. We are so blessed. When we are forced to end this ... it will be so sad but hopefully health will hold out and that time is a long way off.

Good Brisket

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain

Yesterday was so wonderful. The only outing I had was the laundry. There were several nice parts to the day though. The first nice part was it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, temperature in the mid-70's with almost no humidity and a beautiful blue sky. Arizona and the deserts of California are definitely the places to be this time of year.

There was even a little time in the day to sit outside and read. What a great day. There might not be a beach to wander on but at least there isn't any rain. The air conditioner was on for a few minutes but mainly just to cool the inside down after the stove heated it up to cook potatoes. Can you imagine that I actually had the air conditioner on? Boy, are we glad to be back here. We miss our friends, Lee & MJ, but we sure like the weather.

Shelley, my cousin, came by for dinner last night. The meal consisted of a tossed salad, creamed peas'n potatoes and barbecued steaks. What a nice evening.

Today we're heading to the airport to pick up tickets for Terry's flight tomorrow since he's "attempting" to fly to Portland. Then, we're off to the Mesa swap-meet and late lunch at Joe's BBQ in Gilbert with Jim and Sandie. We love good barbecue and this place has it. Heck, we love food!

Actually, I've been hungry for good brisket since I ordered it off the daily special menu at Rancher's Grill in Deming, NM last week. That was absolutely the worst brisket I have ever had. It takes someone who understands meat to fix it ... Texas style. Brisket requires slow cooking all day long. Then, it's sliced cross grain and served with sauce. The brisket in Deming was one big chunk of cold meat cut on the grain ... one of the toughest meats I had ever been served. Waitress indicated the brisket is reheated when ordered. It wasn't reheated and it was awful. Salad bar was wonderful and baked potato was piping hot. Deduction for no meat --- 10% of the meat order. Big deal... could hardly cut through the meat, let alone chew it.

Now Joe's Real BBQ is a whole other story. We know it will be good. It always is. I'll fill you in after our visit but won't save you any left-overs.

Blue Skies Again

"Always remember that the future comes one day at a time."

We made it! We made what? You ask. Well, we made it to sunshine and no rain. Isn't that what we're always searching for?

Terry returned from his trek flying from San Antonio to Phoenix via good ole' American Airlines ... not an RV. Tuesday morning at the crack of dawn we hit the road. Errr ... before the crack of dawn really. We left at 6:28 AM and it was definitely still dark and a little foggy. It was the beginning of what would be a very long travel day. Our location in San Antonio was perfect for the early morning departure. We were north of town and our destination was the opposite of work traffic. In other words, departure was smooth.

Previously, I figured we'd travel to Ft. Stockton and stop at the local Walmart for the evening. Then, I changed it to Van Horn. However, we reached Ft. Stockton about 12:15 ----- way too early to stop for the night. Van Horn was only a couple hours later. So, on to El Paso we went. When we traveled this way in November there was snow on the sides of the road but now it was clear, cool and wonderful. After all, it wasn't raining or foggy. We certainly couldn't understand all those RV's heading in the opposite direction. We wanted to warn them to turn around but our speaker system wasn't working. When the clouds start coming in, they'll realize they goofed and should have made a legal u-turn. So, we just continued on our way to Deming, New Mexico. It is amazing how the attitude changes with the blue skies and sunshine. And, I took lots of pictures of the blue skies!

Traveling through New Mexico there are signs warning that blowing dust is possible. Then, a following sign indicating "Zero Visibility Possible" and it is followed by another one that tells you not to stop in travel lanes. My question is if zero visibility occurs, how will you be able to read the signs warning you? And, how will you even read the signs that tell you not to stop in the travel lanes. We've been in near zero visibility before in California but then it was fog and last November a dust storm in Arizona. Believe me you can't even tell where the travel lanes stop and the shoulder begins. There's no way you're going to be able to read the signs.

It was downright cold when we left Deming Wednesday morning. Matter of fact, it was freezing. The temperature -- down to 23 degrees! However, the good side is that the sky was blue and we knew warmer weather was just ahead. We were loving it and by the time we arrived at our first destination of the day it was actually quite warm. Our stop was in Casa Grande and the Blue Beacon Truck Wash. We've used these several times for a good wash job. It's fast, it's easy and someone else does it. What more can one ask for? We left a ton of travel dirt on their cement floor. That task behind us we were on to Mesa and the local Camping World for our overnight stay and appointment Thursday morning.

Amazing how you always find things you didn't realize you needed the last time you were in their store. In addition to having work down, we also made a few purchases including a new swing-away handle for the door and a step. We've had the swing-away handles in the past on our RV's and we really missed it on this one. The step we've discovered is necessary because sometimes that last step (or first one) can be huge.


Camping World fixed our leak. Well, it was actually two leaks. The "experienced" RV technician knocked the filter out of the drinking water faucet. Thus, leak number one. And, he also didn't tighten the new fixture into the sink. Oh well, what an expensive faucet replacement.

We met two new soon-to-be-fulltimers at Camping World and invited them to join all of us at Quartzsite in January. I actually think they will! They are starting out for the very first time in their new motorhome. It's an exciting time for them just as it was for us about a year ago. Meet Ron and Donna! Hopefully, we'll see them again!

Travelin' Florida to Texas

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson

We're on the road again and lovin' it! We pulled out of Mexico Beach, Florida Friday morning. Saturday was actually the day we figured we'd go. Well, that was after we figured the 19th and moved it forward due to the weather and necessary drive to the airport on Sunday. Weather prediction for Friday was dry with more rain expected on Saturday. Normally, Terry tells us his watch doesn't work before 8:00 AM. Friday morning for some reason it was working again because he was out of bed, slides in and we were on the road at 6:15 AM .... that's the time our friends, Lee and MJ, indicated we pulled away.

Another plan was changed. Highway 98 is about 40 miles shorter than heading to I-10. At one time we thought we'd travel I-10. Then, we changed it to 98. However, early morning the traffic was heavy, stoplights caught us almost at every block and the school zone lights were all flashing. Thus, off to the freeway and out of the little beach towns. Alabama whizzed by, then Mississippi with Louisiana just a short drive away. The predicted rain for this area had either already passed through or all we experienced was an occasional drizzle. Driving was perfect and we made good time. About 575 miles later we pulled into our nest for the night -- the Flying J in Orange, Texas.

You can usually expect the Flying J's and Walmarts to have a few other RV's spending the night. This one was no exception and the only curbside spot left was one we grabbed. They usually have a great dinner buffet for about $10. We were hungry and the restaurant was packed. Again, one table available and we grabbed it. Most of the food was good except ..... none of the shrimp had been cleaned. Ick! I hate discovering I've eaten little uncleaned shrimp (you know that little black vein that should be removed).

Saturday's destination was a little questionable because flights out of San Antonio were booked solid but we really didn't want to waste a travel day. The conclusion -- Terry would fly out of Austin (70 miles from campsite) and fly back into San Antonio. The big difference between the 98 mile trip to the airport in Florida and this 70 mile trip was that this one was all freeway. We figured a little over an hour for the drive.

We expected lots of rain on Saturday ... again. We didn't get it. What we did get was low lying very dense fog all the way but it was an uneventful travel day so things were good. We settled into our very wide campsite which even had a cement pad!! WOW! We may never leave. They even have a golf course here!! But, alas, we'll be out of here on Tuesday and on the road again.

If we had thought we were in fog on Saturday, it was nothing compared to the fog Sunday morning driving to the airport in Austin. Once on IH-35 it was easy because we were heading straight north. However, once we arrived in Austin, looking for airport signs was another thing. We couldn't even read the signs until we were under them. And, of course, this was another morning that Terry's watch was working earlier than normal because it was still dark out. However, the drive back was much better because it was light and the fog started lifting in places. Actually, today was a beautiful day ... 75 degrees and beautiful blue skies. Duchess and I had a great day and even had time for a nap.

Tomorrow - well, tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy but no rain. Terry will be flying back in tomorrow evening and we'll be on our way again the next morning. Our destination ... hopefully, Ft. Stockton, TX and the local Walmart we stayed at on the down. Wednesday we'll be somewhere in Arizona ... somewhere (probably Benson) - at least that's the plan for now. And, we just changed it the first time from Van Horn ... due to a higher elevation (5400') and colder night temperature than Ft. Stockton.


That's all folks!

Do-Over Trips

"Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life."

Do you remember your firsts? Well, the first time seeking out a new adventure that is? I remember as a kid we'd travel from the state of Washington to the Hill Country of Texas every couple of years to visit my father's parents. Each time we'd make this trip my father would try to make it a little more exciting than just going there and back. We'd stop along the road at many sites and cross the state lines into states we hadn't explored yet. I would lay awake at night just prior to the trip getting so excited about the next adventures we'd be on. The excitement would bring many sleepless nights before we took off.

It didn't stop there. My first trip across country, to Europe, the first cruise and so on. By the time we left for the trips, I was already tuckered out from lack of sleep. They always say the anticipation (or planning) can be more fun (or exhausting) than the trip itself. Well, I don't know about that but it's kind of like being a kid and waiting for Christmas.

Things haven't changed much as we've gotten older and retired. We take all those plans and the excitement to bed with us. Of course, this means there isn't any sleep.

It's still exciting every time we move. The anticipation of the next stop is still there. What's around the bend in that road? As a matter of fact, it even happens in do-overs. What's a do-over? It's going back and revisiting places you've already been and enjoyed. And, this is just what we're going to do now. We're going to do a do-over. After having been here for a month and remembering that we really have wheels for a reason, it's time to move on ... or move back, I took all my planning to bed with me last night. Instead of counting sheep, I started counting miles and Walmarts or Flying J's. I can do a lot of virtual traveling in those hours in bed.

It's definitely a do-over trip but the thrill is that we're moving again (hitch-itch kind of thing). We still love the thrill of the move. Oh, we don't want to move every day or so. We've discovered it's nice going someplace and staying for a week or two. Usually we're ready to get going after that. A month is a little long at least at this stage for us. I guess it's just that we have wheels and we like them to roll. Maybe that's why we currently have a home on wheels. If we wanted to stay put, we'd probably be in a house on a foundation. We're not ready to just be snowbirds either. It doesn't mean we don't like where we're at. Actually we love the beach! It just means we're ready to roll. Who knows .... we might even have another do-over and come back here to this gorgeous Florida beach town. However, we'd make it a fall or a spring trip instead a winter one.

Sometime after the first of the year we'll end up back in Quartzsite ... definitely a do-over from last January. Terry loves all the activities and vendors there. He's a shop-o-holic! That's a little slang from shopaholic but it's because that "o" in the middle is really an "oh, oh - what do I do with this junk I bought now." And, "what do I throw away to make it fit?"

Everything is in chalk. Right now we're debating on moving closer to an airport for holiday travel. The three airplane trips we have planned in the next ten days would call for 1200 miles (400 miles with double round trips each time) from our current location. We have no mid-way destinations in mind ... just rolling down the road. Of course, weather is an issue right now. Every place is experiencing unusual weather so it might be a slow go. As I said, chalk works best for us.

Global Warming? Huh?

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water. " Carl Reiner

Don't talk about global warming because it sure isn't happening in the southern portion of the U.S. It is chilly ... for Florida. Even worse than that is snow is predicted for San Antonio, TX!! It NEVER snows in San Antonio. On top of that even the Phoenix area is receiving cool weather and rain! What's up here?

Living in the Pacific NW for many, many years and then living in the Dallas area of Texas for another many years, we are really tuned in to weather. Our idea of a great retirement was living someplace where the skies were always blue, no need for a furnace or an air conditioner. Then, all of a sudden all of these really cool southern destinations are chilly and wet. What's with this? I think we've stumbled upon a very unique year to say the least. I guess that's why chalk works so well. We've learned to roll with the flow and change whatever plans we may think we have for whatever plans we need to have. However, right now ... we have no plans. That's probably good.

We've had a couple SKP visitors the last couple of days. Joe is traveling through and on his way to Texas. Sandie and Jim are also traveling through but they are on their way to Arizona. Both of those visits made for an good excuse to revisit the local Fish House. So, adding the two of us and Lee and MJ ... that's where dinner was tonight. Good times, good food and great folks .... it is another reason we really enjoy what we're doing right now.

Storms are over .. we hope. The sun was peeking through with no rain in sight so today was a great day. The surf in the ocean was churning ... a gorgeous view. And, possibly a few more unique seashells will be discovered on the beach. Surfers were out in droves hoping for that perfect wave.

We made a trip in to Panama City and shipped off a couple Christmas boxes via FedEx. In another week we'll be shipping Terry off to Phoenix for a few days.... not using FedEx though. He has a dental appointment scheduled and a visit with his father is on the agenda. His father isn't doing so good right now so he feels he should be spending a little more time there.

Joe on laundry day ------->>

All I know for now ... things are good. We're happy. Floods are receding. Beach is still beautiful.

Sunny Florida ? What Happened?

"Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way." B. Gracian

Sometimes I post daily. Sometimes I don't have time to post. And, that's been the story over the last week. It's certainly not because we've not done a thing. It's because we've been extremely busy and by the time dark rolls around (which happens to be very early) I'm ready to turn in. Now that might mean sitting on the sofa and watching a movie or really turning in.

I also received my Windows 7 in the mail and have been upgrading my computer. Tracking down all the new drivers for the previously installed programs can be challenging and time consuming.

Florida isn't all palm trees, warm weather, white beaches, seashells and sunny skies. For some reason that's what we figured it was. I think that's because we have spent more time in southern Florida than in northern Florida. The northern Gulf of Florida is loaded with pine trees with a few planted palm trees around but not a lot. The gorgeous white beaches are lush with loads of seashells. However, the warm weather and sunny skies are intermittent. We have had more than our share of rain. We have had a lot of rain. Actually, we have had too much rain.

Last night another winter storm hit the area and is predicted to hang around for another couple of days. It brought lots of rain, wind and thunder. This morning I viewed the new lakes throughout the park. Even our screen house is halfway in the water. Wind and more rain is in store for today. What's going on here? I want sunshine and warm weather!

And, this was while there were still roads to travel on .... it got a lot worse. I had to put on sandals to wade

to Joe's place in nearly half a foot of water.....>

We have had sunny days but not an awful lot since we've been here. The other day we took a perfect drive with Lee and MaryJane. We spent the sunny morning sea shelling on the beach and then went into the town of Apalachicola for lunch .... just in time to miss the gray clouds and rain. This is quite a cute little town. It's an old town with unique shops and lots of fishing boats. Here's one I particularly liked ... the Capt. Justin.

There have been some gorgeous sunsets. Tuesday we had another visit at Toucan's... the only restaurant in this town that actually has beachfront dining. We ate dinner and watched the sunset. If your timing is right, you can watch the dolphins swim by. We've only seen them once but it was fascinating.

Yesterday, Mr. Spiker pulled into town. We visited and then took off for the Fish House with Lee and MJ. It isn't all fish or Terry might not be going with us but they have lots of variety in their menu. We've not had a bad meal in any of the local restaurants. Perfect friends, perfect beach, perfect food ... just waiting for perfect weather.

A lot of folks in the park go fishing. The only fishing we're familiar with is west coast fishing and to top that off our fishing poles are still there. So, we'll probably just keep them there. There aren't a lot of activities in the park but a few. The owners pass out a monthly calendar but it doesn't seem that many folks participate. The one thing they do participate in is the Wednesday morning breakfasts. And, that's where we'll head this morning.

There is a group of people that have been coming here every year for hundreds of years (I'm embellishing that just a bit). They all have stayed together for some time. Needless to say, they know each other well. Some are friendly and some aren't so much. They organize an eating-out-event every Wednesday night. It's open to anyone that wants to join. However, not all of their functions are open ... some are obviously private -- and we're right next door -- awkward to say the least. Yesterday the big pot was on as they cooked the brew. They call it "Apple Pie" but believe me it's not apple pie .... 150 proof .. but not apple pie.

We missed the big park event the other night ... a naked man yelling "help" was discovered in the center circle. Actually, he was even one of the Rv'ers who was off his medicine. The police hauled him away and he's still in custody someplace. It'll be interesting to see what happens when they locate the daughter that's supposed to be with him. In the meantime his motorhome is sitting here and he's not. Hmmm.

Not sure what's on the agenda today. It's going to be raining all day so a walk on the beach is out. Right now there's thunder, lightening and lots of rain outside. Sounds like a laundry day.

And, I don't want to hear it, Sabrina!!!