A Repeat of Yesterday

Just check yesterday's entry and you will know what today was like :-(

Cabin Fever hits sooner when you are in such a small confined space.  It is pouring down rain right now, but is supposed to stop by morning.  Certainly hope so.

Rog spent the day with his puzzle and books - both audio and hard copy.   

I'm a sucker for last minute deals, so today I spent the day downloading new geneology software.   With the slow WIFI here, it took most of the afternoon.  I've been looking at this program since Ancestry said it wouldn't support the one I was using anymore.  So, I'm taking a chance I'll like the new one.  It does connect with some of the other geneology websites and is rated pretty highly, so, what the heck.  Also signed up for a website for half the cost of Ancestry.  New avenues to explore!

We are discussing what to do next winter.  The cost here has become pretty darn high.  So, now, we are thinking that we will leave here early and spend March this year and hang out in different places in Arizona trying out RV parks.  We aren't cancelling any reservations here for next year yet, though.  A bird in the hand....   

It's a new year tomorrow and like most of all the people in the Western world, it's time to get back on the diet wagon.  I haven't weighed yet - been afraid to.  Rog has gained 3 pounds. So, back to behaving, counting calories and logging meals.  We ended the year with a blueberry pancake breakfast because it will be a while before we do it again without measuring butter, syrup, etc.  It was yummy!!!  

Best Wishes to All for a Happy and Healthy New Year! 

They Were Right - It Rained Today

Laundry and Sunshine

We finally squeezed into line at the laundry room today.  Those machines sure don't sit empty for more than two minutes. Apparently lack of machines and the cost is a constant complaint here, but nothing is being done by the new management.   We are now set with enough underwear and socks for another week!

The sun was out, the temperature climbed to 80 and so we spent the day sitting on the patio between Maggie's business walks.  It's supposed to start raining tonight and we could see the edge of the clouds coming in before it got dark.  Tomorrow it is predicted to be 60 and rainy.  We figured we needed to take advantage of the nice weather while we had it.  We don't expect anymore days like yesterday and today for a very long time.

I mentioned yesterday I had ordered some yarn to make a rug.  Well, I got the email notice today that it had been shipped from JoAnn Fabrics' warehouse - to the Sparks PO Box.  I was sure I checked the box that said the delivery address was not the same as the billing address because I remember getting up to find the piece of paper for the UPS store mailbox.  Oh, well.   With any luck it will get forwarded to here and I can talk to the folks in the office as ask them to make an exception to accepting "nothing bigger than a shoebox."  This ought to be a lot of fun!

No backache for me today, but Rog had one.  We will keep working on the bed's numbers.  

A Beautiful Sunny Day

We had summer-like weather today, and expect the same tomorrow, before a big cold front with rain comes in on Friday. It was mid 70s and great for being outside. Maggie and I walked down by the lake nearest the campground. There weren't many ducks but we did find this pelican and an egret.  No coyotes, thank goodness.



Rog and I spent time sitting outside on the patio - Rog working on his puzzle and me playing "Words" and reading.   We talked with neighbors as they came by and it was a pleasant afternoon.

We attempted to do laundry. The laundry room was full all day. Maybe tomorrow we'll have better luck getting it done.  

I still have a backache today, but things are better bed-wise.  I even woke up once last night and thought "this is nice" before going back to sleep. The instructions for the bed say give it five days on one setting you think will work before changing the firmness.  We think we have what we want as far as firmness goes, unless, of course, we both loose sleep and wake up feeling all crippled up again. 

Picked up some books and movies at the library today.  I now have my book club choice and hope to get it read and send in my "book report" before they meet in January.  It's amazing how much more reading I'm doing now that the TV is pretty much off most evenings.  I've no crochet project going right now, so books are it after checking the news and emails on the iPad and playing WORDS.  Will watch a couple movies this week, though.

I just ordered some yarn for a bathroom rug.  The bathroom is weird shaped and no regular rug purchased in a store will fit properly.  I made one a few years ago but the colors are yucky and it looks dirty all the time.  The rug will be hexagonal with "cayenne pepper" and "vanilla" being the color combo.  Striped, I'm thinking right now, but we will see when I start working on it.  It'll take me a while to make it but, hey, what else have I got to do with my time?  (Actually, I do have a writing project I need to get busy on.)

No plans for tomorrow except to enjoy the day - and maybe do some laundry.

We Are ALMOST There!

The saga of the bed continues, but we think we are getting closer to a comfort level.  We hope. 

We inflated the air mattresses last night to a number below what we use at home - different brand and it felt firmer so we went with the lower number. 

It felt like sleeping on cold concrete.  We both lowered the amount of inflation a couple of times during the night, but we still had firmness issues.  Both of us woke up this morning with sore shoulders and hips at the pressure points when sleeping on one's side.  I've had a backache all day.  

Today we put the memory foam topper which had been in storage back on and made the bed once again.  The amount of foam and the thickness of the cover that came with the new bed was not enough to keep out the cold from the air in the mattress, nor was it thick enough to provide cushioning for old bones.  

Good news - no rolling to the center and onto each other since we had our individual little "beds."  That is a major plus!  

Maggie slept like a log in her little bed at our feet.  She liked it.

Tonight - foam topper plus lower numbers.  Gotta keep trying until we get it right.

It was sunny and warm today and we got some errands run in town.  Maggie and I got a nice long walk but did run into a couple of coyotes.  Once I saw them, I immediately turned us around and she and I hustled back into the RV park (we had gone on a trail just outside the park) with our necks on swivels checking behind us to make sure those critters weren't following. They are pretty intimidating looking, for sure.

Just as I was thinking this afternoon that it is time to start behaving diet wise, our neighbor came over with a plate loaded with Christmas cookies to thank us for helping her take down her decorations yesterday.  Her husband was gone for the afternoon and she wanted to get it done so he wouldn't have to do it. (Her husband is the one in the wheelchair that Maggie loves so much.) So, another day or so before we start behaving. 

We Are Ready to Try Our New Bed Tonight

We woke to sunny skies, cold, but sunny.  A good day to get rid of the old mattress.  Up until now it has been to rainy to take outside.  I called the Salvation Army store here in Santee and they said they would accept it "with no rips/tears and no stains."  OK.  We are good there.  

Roger opened the box with the bed parts in it and spread them out in the living room.  We figured that we needed to build the new bed and make sure it worked before we got rid of the old one!  










Next was to pull the old mattress off the platform in the bedroom and move it to the living room!













Then we assembled it.  As we have a similar bed at home, we had no problems figuring 
out how it all went together.  







We inflated one air bladder at a time, then put on the foam top and the cover.  Voila, a new bed!




So, then the challenge.  How do Roger and I get the old mattress out of the RV and into the back of the truck.  We had lunch while we pondered this problem.  Mattresses are unwieldy and heavy and have no handles to grab.  I noticed while we were eating that across the street were two guys in their 30s (I don't know - I have a hard time with ages).  They and their families are here to camp for the holidays.  So, I just went over and asked if they would help.  Sure enough, they came over, picked up the mattress as if it were nothing and put it in the truck for us!  Once we got to the drop off, the workers there removed it from the truck.  Piece of cake!  

Now we are all set and hope we like the new one because the old one is gone and Roger cut up the big box the new one came in.  Stay tuned!

Christmas Day for us was very quiet.  Too quiet.  It was partly sunny but with a brisk wind.  Roger sat outside in the sun, blocked from the wind as best he could, for about an hour.  He was happy to be outside after so many rainy days.  We did connect with our children and sisters by phone but other than that not much happened.  

We made a special dinner - pastry puffs filled with vegetables simmered in pumpkin.  We topped it with some tomato sauce and had a cuke/mozz/tomato salad to go with it.  Roger had made a blueberry/lemon pound cake earlier in the week, so that was dessert.  A very nice vegetarian Christmas meal.

We put away "Christmas" this afternoon and got the RV back to normal for another year.  It's nice having everything in it's proper place.

Maggie and I got out for a long walk today.  Wow, we've been slacking and I sure could notice it. Feet and legs were talking to me by the time I got back. We are going to have to start back to a routine, but when the rain comes it messes us up.  I think we are good now for clear skies until the weekend.   Maggie did her "I don't want to go that way" routine this afternoon.  Some guy sitting outside of his RV witnessed her behavior and had a good belly laugh.  His comment was, "That dog certainly has a mind of its own, doesn't it?"  Yep!!!

No real plans for tomorrow, but we shall find something to do as it will be sunny and warm!  

Merry Christmas From Santee Lakes

A Day With Steph and Pierce

What a fun day!  It was so great seeing the kids again.  We spent the afternoon just yakking, catching up with their lives, them listening to stories about the old days, eating and opening presents, of course.










Maggie had fun, too.  She got two new baby tennis balls! She couldn't decide which one to play with and wore herself out chasing both of them. 





From the time Stephanie was about three until after she went away to college we had "cookie day" at our house the week before Christmas. Grandma and grandkids made Christmas cookies while Dad and Grandpa put the Christmas tree up and ate cookies!  We enjoyed it as much, if not more, than Christmas! For my present this year Stephanie made me a wreath made of Christmas cookie cutters.  So special! I will treasure it always! 



We were able to FaceTime with Pam and Ben in Colorado this afternoon.  Steph and Pam are so alike and they just have so much fun together, it just makes me smile.  We hope we will connect with Mike, Erica and Tony the same way tonight.  





Happy Christmas Eve! 

Gray and Dreary but no Rain!

The clouds lifted somewhat today and you could see the top of the hills around Santee but it was still very overcast and quite dreary.  We did get out for a proper walk this morning as we didn't have to dodge rain drops. It felt good - clean air and being outside and stretching our legs.  Maggie didn't even object to the walk.   

We decided when we got back from the walk that we had to get out of the RV and the park today.  It's been several days now of being inside.  Knowing that the traffic was going to be awful and parking would be sparse we decided to go out anyway.  We stopped and had lunch on the way to the mall in El Cajon.  As long as we didn't need to buy anything we didn't need to get in long lines and we could people watch.  It was fun. No problem finding a place to park the truck.   We found a bench inside the mall and parked ourselves there and just watched the shoppers coming and going.  After half an hour we moved to another bench in another part of the mall.  We did that a few times. There were some sights to see!  People seemed to be enjoying themselves and didn't seem harried at all.  There were lots of dads with kids probably shopping for moms.  There were some older folks who were mall walking and dodging the foot traffic as they went.  I noticed that of the women I saw today about 95% wore sensible shoes for shopping.  There was one woman I felt sorry for and wished there was something we could do for her.  She had an infant in one arm and was dragging about a 2 year old along behind her.  He was resisting - kinda like Maggie - he just would sit down on the floor.  I couldn't figure out how she could shop at all or why she was even trying.   Other mothers with small kids had them loaded in shopping carts from the Wal-mart that is one of the hub stores at the mall.  It was an entertaining few hours.  Young and old dressed for the holidays.

We turned on all the lights in the RV so we could see to clean house and got that done in quick order after we got home.  It's supposed to rain all night and all day tomorrow, so we will be inside with the "kids."  Lights will be low and I'm sure they won't even notice if the place was cleaned up or not, but we feel better knowing we made the effort.  

We have a entertainment system in the RV and we are supposed to be able to play music from a jump drive/mp3 player/whatever.  We can't figure out how to make it work.  I want Christmas music for tomorrow.  Guess the young people will have to show us how to do it.

No calls on the mattress.  Monday I'll call Goodwill.  

We Have Our New Bed.....

....It's in a huge box that weighs 54 pounds and is currently stored in the "basement" of the RV. (That was a trick getting it in there.) Now all we have to do is get rid of the current mattress.  Rog put up a sign in the laundry room offering it for free to anyone who will pick it up. We shall see if we have any takers.  I'm guessing there won't be too many people in the laundry room over the next few days, so we will wait for a while.  Then, Plan B - find a charity who will accept it and pick it up.  It may be a little while before we get to try out the new one, but we are half way there!

It rained all night last night and almost all day again today. Roger baked a blueberry lemon pound cake in our little toaster oven and it came out pretty good.  Judging temperature and time in the little oven is a bit tricky, but seems to be acceptable. That kept him busy for an hour or so.  We didn't get the puzzle inside for him in time, so he needed something to do and he loves to bake. Our limited space and appliances limit what he can do, but he made the most of it.  Having a treat to eat makes it even better.

I'm reading a good "who done it" by Jo Nesbo, so that kept me occupied this afternoon between forays outside (between the rain drops) with Maggie.   I was going to clean house today since we are having company on Saturday, but it was too dark and dreary in here to see what I was doing.  That's ok - there's always tomorrow.  And, if it rains all day on Saturday, as it is predicted to, it'll be dark and dreary and the kids won't even notice if I don't dust and vacuum!!  

Nothing else new.  I've recovered from the fall - except I find myself holding onto the wall as I go down those three stairs! 

Stiff and Sore

When you are our age, the body just doesn't take abuse like it used to.  I've been stiff and sore all day thanks to a fall last night.  There are three steps leading from the kitchen up to the bedroom.  I got up during the night to come to the living room and missed a step despite night lights everywhere. Landed hard on the floor on my left side. Skinned my left knee and elbow and just upset a lot of muscles and joints.  I couldn't go back to sleep right away - my whole body was tense from the fall and I kept thinking about how much worse it could have been. That, and the rain dripping somewhere over my head which sounded like a dripping faucet, were enough to keep me awake.  So, Maggie and I moved to the couch after I took a muscle relaxer. That worked and we slept pretty well the rest of the night.  I wonder if Roger got up and moved to the living room if Maggie would follow him and curl up next to him for comfort.  Not sure whose, though, hers or mine?  I'm feeling lots better tonight and if I can stay on my feet, will be just fine.  

Fortunately Maggie wasn't in the mood for any long walks today so we only made trips outside for the necessities.  

We did laundry this morning and made groceries this afternoon at the local market to pick up special items for Saturday's company.  

We got a package in the mail from Mike and Erica - and it was, indeed, in a shoe box!  Good job, kids!  

Here in California one pays for plastic and paper bags at the store - 20 cents apiece.  I save those bags to use for the bathroom trash and I was very close to running out and figured I'd have to actually buy trash bags soon.  Well, a bonus in the package from Reno was that they used store bags as filler around the presents!  Ah, lagniappe at it's finest :-)  We are all set now for the duration!  

That's our excitement for today.  It's been very warm - mid 70s but has rained off and on all day and the rain is coming down pretty steady right now.  Looks like a few more days of this coming.   

One Very Busy Day

We discovered this morning, thanks to a loyal follower, that no entry had been posted for Saturday.  We wrote one.  When I checked, sure enough it was still in the draft folder.  So, either operator error on our part when we went to post, or the WIFI conked out at that moment.  We'll go with the latter reason :-) I did publish it this morning.  Thanks, Tica, for checking up on us.

No entry for yesterday.  We were so exhausted by the end of the day and our brains were fried, so I'll catch up tonight.

We both woke up yesterday with achey backs and tired from a night of tossing and turning and not sleeping well.  For some reason this year, the mattress is driving us crazy.  Maybe because we spent over a year sleeping on our Sleep Number bed at home and this mattress is just a mattress.  We tried putting a memory foam topper on it.  Worse.  So, in the middle of the night I decided that for our Christmas present (we don't exchange gifts any more) we would buy a Sleep Number bed for the RV.  Rog did not disagree.  He's been as uncomfortable as I have.  I've also my newly repaired back to consider!

Phone calls, web research, wondering what to do with the current mattress, and figuring out how to get the new one delivered had us pretty wound up.  A few days after we arrived we were notified that the office would no longer receive packages for campers unless they were "smaller than a shoe box."  So, how do we get the new bed (in how many packages?) to us?  

I called Camping World's main number as we found a brand of air mattress designed for RVs (a Sleep Number clone called DreamAire) on their site and they had an internet special going on.  We wanted to order it and have it delivered to the nearest store for us to pick up. Nope.  Not allowed if you want the special pricing deal.  

Then I called the local UPS store as UPS is the shipper.  Sure, they would accept packages for us, but we had to rent a mailbox.  That entailed paperwork so we said we would come down later in the day and we went ahead and ordered the mattress.

After lunch and a quick walk for Maggie, we drove to the base for groceries.  Us and a bazillion other people.  About half way through the store, Roger noted that the checkout line was all the way to one side of the store, made a turn down the last aisle and ended at the back wall. Because we were in sort of a hurry - I had to get to a haircut appointment - he got in line while I ran up and down the aisles getting what was on the list - and then some. I certainly got my walking miles logged yesterday.  Crazy!  The express line was only half as long.  We did made it  through checkout in a fairly decent amount of time considering the backup and had an hour until my appointment.  We got home, put away the groceries, and then went out again.  Maggie thought we had really deserted her yesterday.  She had a major pout attack when we finally got home.

I did get a good haircut, surprisingly, while Roger went to the library and returned some DVDs.  Both places are located in the same strip mall.  Getting a decent haircut when we are away from home is always a challenge.  I think I got lucky this time.

From there we went to the UPS store in downtown Santee. Wow, now there was a crazy place. First of all we had to park all the way across the large parking lot.  We never park near where we are going, but this was really not near.  We were about 10th in a line of holiday shippers, then more people came in behind us and the line ended up serpentining throughout the store. And those stores aren't very big.  Those poor clerks.  No let up in sight for them, but they maintained their cool and were polite and helpful. Most of the people didn't even have their stuff boxed - so those clerks really had their work cut out for them. The young lady that helped us was glad for a break from logging in packages, but she kept looking at the line and I think wishing she didn't have to do so much paperwork for a mail box.  We had to rent a minimum of 3 months, which works out timing wise, but not sure how many packages we will need receive to justify the cost.  We will need to go on an internet spending spree!   To top it off, though, she only had the store key for the box and couldn't give us one unless she went out and across the street to Lowe's and had one made.  We told her there was no hurry and we would pick them up when we came back for the package.  

We got home in time to reheat some leftovers for dinner, walk the dog before dark and the coyotes appear, and collapse on the sofas and watch Antiques Road Show.  We are not used to being busy all day long!  We must be getting older.  That's why no entry yesterday.  

Today, we stayed home.  I finished my Christmas "card" emails and did some financial stuff on the computer.   Rog puttered around with his bike and worked the jig saw puzzle.  Maggie enjoyed having us around and getting her several walks in.  A very calm day for us after yesterday.  

Our granddaughter, Stephanie, called last night and asked if she and her boyfriend, Pierce could spend Christmas Eve Day with us.  Of course!  They are in Long Beach and it's about a 2.5 hr drive, so it is wonderful of them to take the time to come visit the old folks.  It will be a fun day.  We are forecast for rain, but, we will make do.  

The weather has been goofy the last few days.  I mentioned the freezing night on Friday.  Saturday, again, the temps dipped below freezing. Last night it was in the low 40s but we hit almost 80 degrees this afternoon!  It's not going to be that way the rest of the week, though, as it will cool off into the 50s and low 60s during the day, with rain forecast for the 24th. Merry Christmas. 

Frosty Morning

If we had pumpkins there would have been frost on them this morning!  It got below freezing here last night, which I don't think happens often. The furnace was working overtime during the night. It was a bit nippy taking Maggie out for her early morning pee - lucky Roger!  The sun came out and warmed us up and we don't expect any more freezing temps, but we do expect some low 40s during the next week and some high winds tomorrow.  

Rog sold the Tailgater!  First person who called yesterday came by today and said he'd be back with the cash tomorrow. Another couple stopped by but we had to tell them we were holding it for someone else.  We pulled our ad from the laundry room right away so we wouldn't be getting more calls or people stopping, although it's nice meeting people here and learning why they are here and where they are from. 

The couple that stopped by today live only 300 miles away - north of LA - and come here for the holidays and for time in the summer as they have a grandson in the area.  The guy that bought the equipment has been full-timing it for a year and lives here in the park (according to the rules that after 6 months you have to leave for two weeks and then can come back).  His wife still works and they have two grandkids with them. Everyone has an interesting story.  

I got some reading in this afternoon sitting in the chair with my back to the sun so that I was all nice and toasty.  Then I came in and started writing my Christmas emails. I got two done. Roger sat in the sun listening to his book, so it was quite an enjoyable afternoon.  

We need to go make groceries, so we went out for dinner tonight as we didn't want leftovers again.  We did find a little Thai place in a strip mall and got brave enough to try it.  It was lovely.  Small, decorated for Christmas, great service and good food.  It reminded us of the place we go at home.  We will go back, for sure.   Such a nice change from our last eating out adventure.

Tomorrow's events will be a trip to the base commissary and a haircut for me later in the afternoon.  I gave Roger his monthly haircut this morning.  Even I can do his hairstyle!

It's been a month today that we moved into the RV.  Seems just like yesterday - only longer :-)    It's hard to believe we've been here two weeks already.  Time flies.....    

This is one of Maggie's ways of telling me she wants to turn around and not go where I am headed.  I get "the look."  

We Are Pretty Well Dried Out

We woke to sunshine today, as promised, although it did rain a bit during the night.  It was about 15 degrees cooler than yesterday and a little breezy, but we won't complain - especially when we hear from family who are in the cold and snow.  The sun dried us out pretty well today.  We got the patio put back together and the jigsaw puzzle back out on the picnic table.  Maggie wanted to go on walks all day after being cooped up yesterday, so that's what we did.  Us and everyone else in the park!

After that long bout of rain we have discovered a leak.  It's under the bedroom slider on my side of the bed.  I had stuck a towel in there because of drafts, but apparently the hole was big enough for the rain.  The towel was soaked this morning.  Rog got to fix that today.  It's been a few days since he's had a Mr. Fix-it job and he was wondering what was next!  

It felt good to have our meals at the table today.  We are not used to eating in the living room with little brown canine eyes sitting in front of the chair staring at us.  A friend emailed an excellent idea for next time we have to bring the puzzle in - put another board over it and cover it with a table cloth.  Duh....   simple, yet effective.  Why didn't we think of it?  

Rog got a call today from someone interested in his Dish Tailgator.  The guy is coming tomorrow to look at it.  Hope he takes it.  

A person I "met" through Ancestry has emailed that he will be in Salt Lake City in January and is willing to research anyone I want in the Keith line (his son-in-law is a Keith and he and Roger share the same great, great grandfather) at the LDS Center.  So, I've got to figure out what/who I need more info on and get him the names and pertinent information.  That would be so cool if he can get me  past some roadblocks in my research.  This could be exciting.

We are staying put this weekend so as not to get caught up in the shopping/traffic frenzy so. . . will probably be a slow news day tomorrow.  

Some Rain and a Lunch Adventure

As promised by the weather people, it rained today. Lots. We left Maggie's outside water dish out to catch the rain and see just how much it collected. (We always empty it at the end of the day so as not to attract critters at night.)  It was full by this afternoon. About two inches. Lots of rain!

As I've mentioned in previous posts over the years that we have had our sweet dog - she does not like the rain or getting dressed to go out in it. 

It takes a lot of coaxing to get her outside and across the mud to a place to do her business.   She would much rather spend the time all cozy on the couch.

That's also where we spent most of our time today. Watching the rain, reading and working on the jigsaw puzzle, but surprisingly, no nap taking. 

We did decide we needed to get out for lunch.  Mistake.  We waited until there was a break in the weather - around 11:30 and then went in search of a Thai restaurant.  There are two in town that we know of.  One we've tried and in the past the food has been ok, but the service leaves something to be desired. We first tried the other one where the parking lot was full and people were waiting outside - in the rain.  So, we went to the one we knew.  Lots of places to park and no waiting.  In fact there was hardly anyone there. Does that portend something, you think?  Then the owner came out of the kitchen, pointed to a table and said, "sit there."  OK.  I found a veggie rice bowl on the menu and Roger was looking at some other item when the guy came back.  Rog started to ask about his choice and the man said, "we don't have that anymore, you want same as her.  Two vegetable rice bowls," and off he went to the kitchen.  Our meals came out and sure enough it was a bowl of rice with some vegetables on top.  But, there was a brown sauce on it, so I was a little leery of it after I tasted it.  I asked a person who was waiting on tables what the brown sauce was.  "I don't know, I have to ask my father." Well, "dad" came out and said "Teriyaki sauce," and left again. I didn't like the taste and by now I wasn't sure what it really was, but I managed to get the vegetables down.  Rog ate a little rice, but not much, with his veggies.  We paid our $12 with no tip and left.  We came home and fixed our regular fruit portions that we have at lunch followed by two Dove's chocolates.  Needless to say we won't go back there for a meal.  The only thing we accomplished on the run into town was getting the truck dirty!  

Supposedly sunshine tomorrow so we can set up the patio again and Maggie and I can enjoy a nice long walk and Roger can get a bike ride.  

The Calm Before the Storm and Decorating for Christmas

It's about 6:30pm as I write this entry.  The rain is here. I'm listening to it pitter patter on the roof.  It's supposed to last about 24 hours.  This morning was nice and calm but you could feel it coming. The lakes were so serene and the waterfowl were relaxed. It was a lovely walk with Maggie.  

This afternoon we spent some time putting away the outside furniture, covering the bike and getting ready for wind and rain. After we were done, Roger still could not bring himself to sit inside when he could be outside.  Bundled up with a cup of coffee and a book he stayed outside as long as he could.






We were able to get the puzzle inside for him without dropping any pieces. We just have no table for eating until the rain stops. We had dinner sitting on the couch tonight.  It really confused Maggie - we always eat at the table so she thought she should be getting some of it, too. When we told her no, she didn't understand.  










In the meantime, I went ahead and put up our few Christmas decorations. HO, HO, HO.  

Two Wonderful Weather Days

We've had two days of glorious weather and today we even put on short sleeves and short pants!  It's coming to and end though, as tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and they are forecasting 100% chance of rain Thursday night and all day on Friday.  We took advantage of the lovely weather and sat outside most of both days and soaked up the warmth to tide us over the storm.

We spent yesterday afternoon going back and forth to the laundry room, but never did get a chance to wash our clothes. Last Tuesday afternoon it was dead in there so we figured it was typical.  Silly us.  We went early this morning (for us) about 9ish and there was no one there.  Got that chore out of the way for another week.

Roger has figured out how to do jigsaw puzzles while he listens to his books.  There's absolutely no room inside to spread out, so he bought a piece of fiberboard and put it on the picnic table. When he's finished, he covers everything with plastic and then the table cloth.  He then bungees the whole thing so the wind won't blow it all away.  We are trying to figure out how he can get it inside for use on Friday without disturbing the pieces.   We'll let you know how that goes.  We just may leave it out there and he'll have to entertain himself some other way.   

I made (crocheted) some Christmas garlands last year for our kids that had mittens and snowflakes.  I had made an extra set of each for us, but never put it all together.  Roger found some perfect ribbon for the garland when we went looking for puzzles, so yesterday I assembled the whole thing.  I will decorate the inside for Christmas probably Friday while we are stuck inside.  I'll post pictures.  It's going to look super.  

We took the movies back to the library today and got some more.  We picked up seven and we were afraid that was too many so we asked the librarian how many we could check out at one time. 50.  Yes, 50.  Now tell me how many people can watch 50 movies in one week (that is the length of time you can have them)?  So, our measly little seven videos didn't raise an eyebrow.  Hope we got some good ones.  This last week we had six and four were good, one was just dumb and the other not to our taste.  That's not bad odds. 

There is a beauty salon in the same shopping center as the library, so I ventured in today and made an appointment for a haircut on Monday.  It's always so scary to go to a new place.   When I got my last haircut I took pictures to show the new person in hopes it will come out similar.  I'll let you know how it goes!

So, an unexciting, but relaxing couple of days walking the dog and just enjoying being here.  

Printer Problems

Monday after a stay at home weekend required a trip to town today!  Groceries - we were out of bananas, apples and oranges.  That was it, but enough to warrant going to the Sprouts!

Roger is putting his Tailgater Dish satellite up for sale.  We really are ditching the cable!  He cleaned it up, gathered the peripherals and took pictures to post in the laundry room. Something as simple as that, but it turned into an all afternoon project.  Why?  

Well, you have to print out the picture to post it.  We pulled our trusty old HP out from under the desk and plugged it in.  Just because the poor thing has been sitting for about two years without being used, it complained.  I had taken out the toner cartridges and put them in sandwich bags hoping to keep them from drying out.  Well, what with the heat and cold and all kinds of temperatures in between over that two years, they leaked all over the bags.  We tried cleaning them off, and the color cartridge acted as if it might try to work, but the black one was not even going to.  Roger tried cleaning them, the inside of the printer, and anything he could find that might help but to no avail.  We ended up taking his photo card down to a Walgreens and getting a print of what he needed to make the For Sale poster.  

Now, the issue is, do we spend the $ to buy new cartridges that, if we can find them - the printer is at least 10 years old - or do we invest in a new printer?  The cost will probably be the same. We could probably get a good deal this time of year for a simple little printer. Or do we even really need a printer?  The one we have has a scan function which I can still use, but in the next five months what will likely be the amount of printing we need?  We are going to have to think this through for a few days.  

Coyotes are yipping again tonight.  They were quiet last night. Maybe it's the full moon?  Maggie doesn't stay out long when she needs to do her business after dark, that's for sure.

We were prepared for the water shut off - jugs of water everywhere and a full fresh water tank.  But, did they shut off the water?  NO.  Maybe tomorrow?

Weather - sunshine and 70 today.  Just lovely.  

An Even Quieter Sunday

It's bedtime, we just finished watching a really dumb movie, and I realized I had not written an entry for today.  Mostly because I have nothing to write about.  

I finished a Christmas present for Stephanie and I finished a very long audio book, so I guess I did something other than walk the dog today!  The book was 27 hours long - I usually only listen when I'm at the gym but not in class.  So, that's maybe 40 minutes a day.  I can't remember when I started it - it has been so long.  I've recently started listening while I crochet if I don't have to worry about a pattern.  So, now I'm done and will start a much shorter book when I start my next project.  Maggie and I got our miles in today and I did some weights/bands exercises.  What a fun day!

Roger puttered around today so he could be outside.  We've been notified they are turning off the water tomorrow so he drained the fresh water tank (the water had been in there for a month), sanitized it and refilled it so we have water for flushing, washing, etc. tomorrow.  Rog got some bike rides in - he had to stay in the top half of the park, though, because today was the Christmas extravaganza in the day use area of the park.  I noticed on my walk that the traffic was quite heavy on the main road so he stayed clear of the area.

We are noticing more and more young couples in the monthly sites.  We think they are military (we know one is for sure) and living in an RV is better for them financially than renting an apartment in the area.  Maybe they are here on temporary duty or something, but it is unusual to see so many young people in a "snowbird" location.  

Weather - well, we woke to sunshine, but by 9am we had dark clouds and a threat of rain.  Most of the day the sun was intermittently peaking out from between the clouds.  Temps were in the high 60s.  

A Quiet Saturday

Not much went on today.  We stuck around the old homestead except for walks and bike rides. I got some crocheting done and we both spent time listening to audio books.  Lots of campers filled up most of the empty sites in the park and the air smells like firewood smoke tonight.  

We have made a compromise with Maggie about our sleeping arrangements.  Night before last we allowed her up on the bed when we went to bed and she snuggled right down between us and hardly moved the whole night.  She was putting out so much body heat Roger wanted her against his back and I wanted her away from me.  I didn't sleep much again - She took up too much room, she was hot, I resented her winning the bed game.  

I spent yesterday pouting about no longer being the alpha female and knew that when she looked at me she was gloating. Roger assured me she was not, but he couldn't convince me.  I stayed mad at her most of the day and tried to come up with a win-win situation.  If we insisted she stay in her bed on the floor she would be up several times during the night scratching at the bed begging to come up and I'd lose sleep, too.  If we let her in the bed, I was the unhappy one.  So, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, if we put her car/truck bed, which is smaller than her regular one, on the bed at the foot that she would sleep in that.  

After a few minutes of trying to convince her that was where she belonged, she crawled in, I covered her with her afghan (she likes sleeping with her head covered), and we waited.  She slept through 'till about 5am, didn't get up and move around, and when she did get up, she just curled up in a tight ball behind Roger's knees without waking us up.  I think this might work out.  It is warmer up there than on the floor and she is near her people.  She seems to be so much more needy this trip - maybe that's what's driving this behavior?  Anyway, hoping for a repeat of last night and not the night before.  I've made peace with myself and with Roger's counseling I'm not feeling resentful of her "winning."

Weather - foggy morning, sunny afternoon, high temp of about 73.  We spent most of the day outside.  

We Got New Exercise Equipment Today

Roger's hip has been painful so he's not able to do the long walks with me and Maggs without hurting.  He needs a cardio workout - so he got a bike today.  (He's usually on the bike at the gym while I'm on the treadmill or in class.)  Riding the bike works better for him than walking and he's outside.  (And he doesn't have to stop and start while "little one" sniffs and then pees on every leaf she sees.) We are at the far back of the campground and it's the highest in elevation.  Not by much, but enough to make you huff and puff when returning from the lakes whether you are biking or walking.    

Since I'm the one putting on the miles walking.....   new shoes! Poor Maggie, she just has to make do with her own equipment of four feet.  She, too, has got her tongue hanging out when we get back, though, so it's a good workout for her as well. 

A comment from last night after viewing the charts - actually a question - was how do people find us to read the blog?  I have no clue.  I guess people just find blogs to read so they find out about how others live?  Learn English?   It's beyond me, as I don't follow social media or blogs of any kind.  I do know that a website called FeedSpot carries our blog.  It's a site where you pay to choose what you want to read about from many sources and they are all in one place and you don't have to go from site to site.  Right after we first started this blog, the owner of the site emailed us and said that they were giving us a free year because our site was generating traffic for them.  Whether that is still the case, I have no idea, but that may be a link for some of the readers.  I just love the idea that our adventures are being read, let alone by people in other countries. 

It's Friday night and the short term campers started coming in about noon today with the weekend campers.  The smell of campfires is in the air.  This Sunday Santee Lakes is having a Christmas Celebration - mostly for kids.  Santa will be here and the place will be packed if it is anything like years' past.  

Roger got his new glasses today.  They look good and suit him beautifully.  The young lady who he worked with certainly got it right.  He can even see better.  They used the same lenses but they seem to sit better in the frame for his field of view.  So, that worked out nicely, as the pair that broke sometimes caused him to have trouble reading.  They seem to have fixed that.  We owe them $20 plus postage.  They certainly do take good care of us and have great customer service.  We are certainly glad we didn't have to go out and buy new ones for him.  

Weather - I think it hit 70 today with intermittent sunshine and a slight breeze in the afternoon. How can you not love San Diego in the winter? 

Maggie Won

I hate to say it, but Maggie won last night.  After waking me several times and pawing at the bed incessantly, I caved about 2am.  The coyotes were yipping and I did not want another night on the couch.  I had to wake Roger up, as I'm not allowed to lift the dog, so he could bring her up to join us.  She snuggled down between us and went right to sleep and not a peep out of her the rest of the night.  Rog, unfortunately didn't get back to sleep for a few hours.  We are going to try tonight to start her in her own bed, but we shall see how that goes.  I know, pushovers.  Yep! That's us.  But, those coyotes ARE scary!    (I did see one in the park yesterday afternoon on the road and then it scurried back into some bushes around the maintenance guys area.)  

We had a busy, but not an exciting day.  Went for our walk, did not do our exercises, went to the library, Rog put a coat of wax on the truck and I baked an applesauce cake and made a veggie stew for dinner. 

I bought Christmas lights for the outside of RV when we were at Target.  They looked pretty dumb everywhere we tried to put them, so they went back in the box and we will return them next time we go to town.  

I got several great lists of books at the library today.  So many I want to read.  As it was, I picked up two books, Roger got one and we got some DVDs so we can watch movies for the next few nights. We are watching over-the-air TV here - their cable reception is pitiful - besides, Rog and I are weaning ourselves off of satellite/cable TV which started at home a few weeks ago.  It's begging month on PBS, but we have been enjoying the CreateTV channel from PBS.  We have never seen it because cable or satellite doesn't carry it.  It's got some good stuff!  

I was playing with the blog pages yesterday and found something very interesting.  They give you stats on who and how many people are reading your blog and when they read it. It's so cool. Who other than family and friends would care about our adventures?  Why are they reading this? We'd like to know. Maybe someone out there would leave a comment and tell us?  
Here are two screenshots of the stats over the last month.  It's even more interesting when you look at "all time."  Puts the pressure on even more to write something fun or interesting and to watch my grammar and spelling!!! (Although Roger usually fixes that when he edits before we hit the publish button.)








Weather - almost 70 and sunshine with slight afternoon breeze. Yaaaay!