My Luck Runneth Over

 I awoke this morning to roosters crowing, dogs barking, tires squealing, sirens wailing and some other noises I couldn't identify.  Oh yes, I live in the QUIET countryside.  Can you say SNEEZE TEN TIMES?  It's going to be a bumper almond crop year when the trees look like this.  All this rain has helped tremendously, but that means a very low price for the product.  

I tried to log on this morning, only to find my computer telling me my hotspot could not be located.  Ok, I'll try the Verizons MiFi.  It said my SIM card was locked.  WHAT?  The next message said it would burst into flames and die if I put in the wrong SIM card ID number.  Thankfully AT&T finally decided my phone hotspot would work just fine.  I guess there's a trip to Verizon in my future.

As much as I like to lounge around the morning after Bingo, I was off in minutes to Home Depot.  Jonathan needs some sticks to chew on.

And of course the resident plumber needs yet another set of guts for the guest bathroom since the cheap plastic stuff breaks at the drop of a hat while trying to make adjustments.

I hit up Chase Bank to cancel a bank account I no longer use ... which was a breeze to do ... before heading to Harbor Freight.  I've used rope lights under my RV's in Arizona since forever to keep the rats away.  You know the saying, while the cat's away the rats will play.

Sadly, they don't have the same kind.  My old ones were simple, easy to throw out and flashed.  I don't know what these are going to do, but they were my only choice.  Patsy will recognize my new bread slicing gizzy underneath the box.

Another present came in the mail.  Not my choice of brand, but paying $350 for a tiny handheld Cannon camera was not in the books.  Driving down the road trying to use my phone for pictures is a really bad idea.  This works one handed ... and hopefully will keep me from crashing into something.

All that good luck with fun purchases went right out the window the minute I got home.  This was on my TV screen, and then it said refreshing.  Stand by - refreshing.  It did that for 30 minutes.  I turned it off, turned it on and messed with it for an hour before I screamed.  My bad luck began to runneth over.  

I called Dish, where upon we went through 30 minutes of testing and checking, to no avail.  It all worked fine, but my TV screen was black.  They finally said they would send a technician out in a few hours.  Okay ... that's good service I guess.

I sat on the couch staring at it ... getting mad as a wet hen while missing my favorite rodeo.  Surely I can fix this.  I finally unplugged everything from the fancy dancy surge protector, turned it off and on, then plugged everything back in.  It worked ... sort of.  At least I had TV, even if none of the other features worked.

The nice young kid arrived and I explained the problem.  I think he knew less than I did because he kept calling his boss for help.  Eventually he gave me an entire new box.  We laughed over that one because we both know Dish lies to you.   Let's face it ... none of these are NEW boxes.  They have all been refurbished, as proven by all the scratches on the top when it came out of the "new" box.

Thirty minutes later, between the two of us, we got it working like it should.  I did miss the rodeo I wanted to watch, but YAY I have TV again and several of the features that didn't work at all before, now work.

The afternoon and evening didn't get any better, but I'll relate that story tomorrow.   Right now I need at least THREE cups of coffee to get my brain going.  

The good news is Bingo is having their volunteer appreciation dinner.  For the first time in about five years, the King said he would wait to have the castle celebration until I returned from Arizona.  WOOHOO!!  How lucky am I!  

Until then, I'll be on the couch with my coffee .........

IT'S BACK TO BINGO!!!

 You knew it was coming up today ... I'm BACK TO BINGO!!  Oh yes, back to confrontation, impatience, cheating and screaming.  And that's just ME!!  I'm kidding ..... that's the Kingdom peasants AND me!!  For those that don't read my blog often, the word peasants is used because just like in Frankenstein, where the peasants storm the castle with flaming torches and pitchforks, they do the same at Bingo.  It's a kick in the pants to see them again, and I love them every one.  Well maybe MOST of them!!

So if I'm going to carouse with the rebels, I need sustenance.  CAKE comes to mind, and I just happened to have an angel food mix.  It went into my brick oven that knows not how hot it is.  Yes that's a temperature gauge sitting in there, but its head is a little scrambled too.  I would use the big oven, but it takes 30 minutes just to heat up.  They both need to be recalculated, but no one around here knows how.

I watched it like a hawk.  You cannot under bake these beauties.  It's sitting upside down because I didn't want you to see the very VERY dark brown spots on top.  No matter, it worked its magic and I was sufficiently sugared up to do two things.

The first was make the bed in the rig.  I discovered the biggest problem was the huge comforter that was 3" thick.  It took up WAY too much room.  This nice quilt I made is much better and should be just as warm.  Also, I cheated.  I only used the bottom sheet.  I know, that's weird, but boy is it easier all the way around!!!  I'll see how that works out on my next trip.

That wasn't exactly fun on my back because it brought about a frenzy of switching out bedspreads in the house.  I could barely drag the one king sized comforter to my bedroom, whereupon I discovered it was WAY too big.  Yeah, I had to drag it all the way BACK to the closet.

Time for a little more chocolate sugar before heading off to the Castle.  I gathered up more items to donate to the peasants that I don't need since I have three of everything.  An instant pot, a blender ... just stuff.  I loaded it all in the truck.  It's time to go ... I jumped in the Jeep and took off.  It needed to be driven.  I completely forgot all the stuff in the truck.  Maybe next week.

I was hoping I didn't forget how to control the infernal machine.  Sure enough, it worked just fine, with one small glitch.  They forgot to clear it out last week, meaning the bookkeeper thinks we made $10,000.  With that cleared up, we were off to the races.

And then the most amazing thing happened.  The other Nancy who works through those doors to the left, volunteered to learn the infernal machine for when I'm gone.  You could hear me yell OKAY the next block over.  

She wanted to watch, but there's no better way to learn anything than to just do it.  In 15 minutes she was a nervous wreck, but she did a GREAT job!!  YAY ... another VICTIM .... I mean volunteer!!  I gave her a break, but we were too busy to continue, so she got a reprieve until next week.  The King was a happy camper.  I was smiling ear to ear!

As for the 123 peasants, there were the normal good guys that all were happy I was back, only because I'm fast on the infernal machine, and then there were the OTHERS.  So many people I've never seen before.  Sadly, we have lost a few of our regulars, but there seats have been quickly filled.  

Let's face it ... most of these players are older.  Two young girls came in for the first time and won TWO games.  You could hear the grumbling across the room.  First timers luck we call it.  When the regular gal won two big pots, including $1199, the pitchforks and flaming arrows came out.  If looks could kill!!

I only had one problem ... and she's always a problem ... an elderly peasant who never can make up her mind.  She buys two cards and uses her debit card to pay.  She never gets her PIN number right.  Then she comes back six times and buys one or two more cards, using the same "wrong" PIN number.  After the sale is completed, she'll grab one more of something and we go through the whole rigamarole once again.

The players standing in line don't like it any better than I do.  I admit, I ran out of patience last night.  BAD Nancy!  I'll try to improve next week ... when she will do it all over again!  

Lucky for me the infernal machine balanced, once I remembered I had to borrow cash from the pull tab side in order to make the payouts.  We actually give cash back when buying cards because they will turn around and buy pull tabs.  On this night I gave out so much cash, I didn't have any to pay the jackpots.

I was exhausted.  I had completely forgotten just how much work it was to run the machine, make change, put up cards, deal with people, turn around and grab dobbers and get up and down 35 times.  My back complaineth!  Today you will find me on the couch ... eating angel food cake!!

Death and Taxes

Here we are again, lounging on the couch.  Mr. Cooper gets in lots of sleep in the mornings, probably because his Mom keeps him up most of the night, tossing and turning.  It's weird ... the older I get, the more sleep evades me. 

 It didn't help that I was trying to get fabulous chicken in an ice cream container out of the store freezer while the owner was throwing everything out.  Then my truck got stolen, so you can imagine how the rest of the night went!!  All in my dreams ... or rather nightmares when it involved my truck.

I hit the ground running by reconnecting the battery cables on my Jeep.  I admit, that 2012 Jeep Liberty is one of the best things I've bought.  Never a problem with it, runs like a top, has power and speed when I want it and 4 wheel drive when it's muddy or snowy.

Time to give it a little TLC.  It needs a smog check and an oil change.  It's not just California.  If I was in Tucson, it would still need a smog test.  The problem here is that the smog guy gets to work at 4:00 in the afternoon.  I've no clue why, but that meant a late appointment.

In the meantime, though the weather guessers said sunshine all day, it looked like this.  It's cold and dreary, which makes Nancy just want to sit on the couch.  So that's what I did, phone in hand.  I called Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles to let them know my 5th wheel registration was not due since it moved to California (where it is half price).  No kidding, California charges half price for that registration.

She said I should contact California and have them send the paperwork that it was registered there.  We both got a big laugh out of that one.  No way is that ever going to happen.

Next problem that I have been procrastinating about ... taxes.  You know the saying, the only sure thing is death and taxes.  So I gathered up what I thought was everything I needed and began to sort through it.  Uh oh ... I can't find ANYTHING on the house sale.  How could that be?  

No kidding, I spent the next two hours looking through every drawer and cupboard I could find.  Nothing ... nada!!  I'm hoping and praying it's all still on my computer, but it had to wait.  Time to head to the repair shop with the Jeep.

I waited ..... and waited ..... and waited!  Good grief!!  Finally the guy came in with my air filters in hand, followed by a trail of dirt.  did you know there is one in the glove compartment that cleans the air "inside" your car?  Where have you been, he asked.  These are REALLY BAD!!  

Arizona ... and to be honest, I don't think anyone has ever changed the inside filter, probably because I said no.  The cost for that one was $43.00.  Oil change, smog test and filters came to $243.00.  YIKES!!!  Oh well, you can't take it with you.

THREE HOURS LATER, I was finally out the door.  You can go blind playing games on your phone for an entire 3 hours!!!

Onward and upward, I'll keep looking for those tax records today.  Nancy will be a happy camper if she can just get that monkey off her back!!  Then I have a choice to make.  Clean this house or go shopping at Marshalls and Harbor Freight.  I guess you know which choice I will be making on THIS day!!!

It's SNOWING!!!

 Just kidding ... it's not snowing, but looky here ... it's the SNOW MOON.  In case you were wondering, they call it that because it comes in February when there is the most snow on the ground.  Sounds good to me.  In spite of it being the smallest, it did shine quite brightly here last night.  Note to self:  Close those blinds so my bedroom isn't lit up like a car dealers showroom.

Did it look small to you?  Not really?  Me either, but it is the smallest moon of the year because it is the farthest away from earth at this time.  Who knew?

On with less exciting things ..... it took awhile for Mr. Cooper to wake up on this day.  Not even his smiling fish toy could motivate him.  It didn't motivate me either for the first couple of hours.

At last I got my act together and headed out to the rig.  I'm lucky I don't have to launder sheets very often. There's just me so I can sleep on the other side of the bed!!  Kidding ........ maybe!   I stripped the bed in the rig and grabbed the dirty rugs.

There must be SOME way to modify these beds so it's easier to get the sheets on and off.  My problem is the step up on each side of the bed.  That means you have to bend over and work at knee level.  Oh my poor back!!!  I don't know the answer, but there MUST be an easier way.

I waited until the sun came out, then spread out the rugs on the patio.  Yes I swept it off first.  Maybe I need an old fashioned clothes line put up in my yard.  It sure saves on the electric bill.  I have solar you say?  Yes ... yes I do ... and I love it.  It would be nicer if I had remembered to turn BOTH heaters off while I was gone.  One of them kept the house at a toasty 70 degrees for the last two months.  I'm crying over that one!

Since my fridge and freezer were pretty sparsely populated, I made a trip to the grocery store.  I wanted to stop at three other places, but forgot it was Sunday and they don't open until 11:00.  Who made up that rule?  

I wasn't even in the door when I was accosted by the Girl Scouts.  You just can't say no to four young girls learning about being ignored.  Come of people ... support your local Girl Scouts!!  And so I did.  I bought 3 boxes.  Boy do I LOVE these peanut butter patties!!  

How much are they?  $6 a box.  How many did I buy?  3 boxes.  How much did the sweet girl try to charge me?  $24.00.  Okay, how much is 6 times 3 I asked?  I shushed Mom so the girls would have to figure it out.  They finally got it right, but complained they were having to do ALL the work!  

Back home I messed with the new Hopper ... I tried recording.  It didn't record.  I tried again and it recorded, but it didn't want to play it back.  Next thing I know, I have a black screen with my program running in the top right corner, about 3" square.  Hopper and I went around and around, with no success.  I had to reboot it three times just to get my regular programming back.  Anyone know how to get back to live TV???  I think the problem is I'm using a universal remote so I don't have to use THREE of them.

Frustrated, I decided to try and cook something.  What better way to get even MORE frustrated, since as you know, my chef skills are getting worse by the day.

Here we go ... enchilada casserole in a cheesecake pan.  I took the sides off too soon.  I tried to cut a slice and made the biggest mess you ever did see.  There was casserole all over the counter tops.  Next time I'll make it in a regular dish like I ALWAYS do!!  

In between all of this excitement for the day, I continued to put away and organize the boxes of stuff from the other house.  Yes, I'm still working on that.  Mostly I think I just moved them from room to room, making my back really mad at me.  

At least I got a couple of things off my laundry list ... more of which will get worked on today.  It all involves telephone calls and checkbooks, so I'm not expecting it to be all that much fun.  Still, it's better than the alternative ... becoming glued to the couch with a phone in my hand.

What about quilting?  I have yet to remove all that fabric from the rig.  Maybe tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by and hanging out ... I appreciate the company!

A Day With Used Car Salesmen

 Good Morning California!!  What happened to the sun and warm weather?  Great galoshes, it's COLD!!  Most of my back patio is covered in moss, but at least the entire yard front and back is gorgeous green!!  I'm even shocked that the yard is no nicely trimmed and maintained.  That's a first from THIS gardener!

Once in the door, which I literally had to drag Cooper through, I turned on everything including the heater and the TV.  I have had dish Network for twelve years with very few problems.  Until yesterday.  Oh it came on, but my channels were not there.  That's normal ... I call them, ask for a signal to be sent, it updates the box and I'm good to go.

Let's call the first SALESMAN Joe.  Joe knows nada.  Can you send a signal to my receiver please?  His answer of "what's that?" threw me completely off my game.  He continued on to tell me I needed a NEW receiver.  No I don't, just send a signal.  "I don't know how to do that".  I hung up.

I know, grumpy old lady ... but I've been doing this with both my house and the RV receivers for years.  They should train their people better.  I called back and got another lady.  At least she knew what a signal was.  I then asked for a Tech Guy because I had questions about the Hopper, which records.  Mine does not.

We discussed that ... and then I asked him to change my local channels from Tucson back to Merced.  He wanted to change the address on the account.  No ... just change the local channels zip code.  That brought on an argument whereupon he got so rude with me, I hung up again.  Gosh .... I'm not getting anywhere.

Maybe if I eat, I'll be nicer to the NOT well trained or knowledgable Dish employees.  Sadly, there was nothing in the fridge.  How could that be?  I finally found a can of chili.  Beggars can't be choosers ... I ate half the can.  It's Stagg chili, and not bad, if you like chili.

Back to the used car salesmen once again ... they were all telling me my TV didn't work because I needed a new receiver.  I knew that wasn't true ... JUST SEND A SIGNAL!!  PLEASE!!

One more call ... and I actually got a guy who knew what he was doing.  He sent a signal and my channels came up instantly.  Then we talked new receiver because not only do they no longer provide service on mine, they discontinued it completely two years ago.  One day soon they will just turn it off and I will be FORCED to get another one.

Since he was so nice and seemed to be honest ... he even told me it would mean a new 2 year contract (something no one else mentioned), I decided to go with the Hopper.  It's what everyone else has and I can record shows.  There was no charge for the receiver or the installation.  The appointment was made ... noon to 5:00.

I got a text message ... 11:45 to 1:00.  He never showed up.  How frustrating after dealing with used car salesmen!!  I had to laugh!!  At long last he knocked on the door at 2:00.  This was supposed to take two hours.

Change out something on the satellite dish ... change out the receiver ... and turn it on.  How hard can that be?  Well pretty hard apparently.  He had a new surge protector that my Sony television didn't like.  See the pretty picture?  It took over an hour to figure that one out. 

Now the Used Car Salesmen are telling me I need a new "updated" television.  No I don't.  I'm not buying a cheaply made throw-away SMART TV that is nothing but a pain in the patoo.  My fabulous Sony TV works just fine.  

In the end, it all works, as long as I don't try to change any of the settings, like the annoying bright red and black guide that is so small you can't read it unless you are two feet from the TV.  I did that and my picture ended up being 2" square in the top right corner.  No kidding ... I had to change it back and reboot the entire system.

So why don't I just stream stuff?  Well for one, I like live programs.  I guess I'm just old fashioned.  

It took the guy 3-1/2 hours to do that 2 hour job that he said would only take 90 minutes.  

The good news (hopefully) I don't have to deal with any used car salesmen for the next two years!!  I'm going to celebrate with PANCAKES and REAL MAPLE SYRUP for breakfast!!  

Beware The Chicken!!

 It's DARK!  We are in beautiful not-quite downtown Bakersfield.  It's an almost full moon trying to light up the sky.  Interestingly enough, it's not a DRY night.  There's no rain, just a layer of water covering everything.  It's not really a good thing to walk Cooper in the dark, since he just plows through all the big puddles of water and mud, but walk him I must.

I didn't mention yesterday that the little roadside stop of Ludlow looked like the swamps of Florida.  Every little depression in the sand was completely full of water.  It was like driving through a lake, just above the water level.  They have certainly had a LOT of rain!

I wasn't in a hurry on this morning since I only had a 3-1/2 hour drive.  I was meeting up with bestest friends Barbara and Tom Westerfield along the way.  That meant I had to keep Cooper occupied, which for some reason always involves ME being on the floor.  Just look at this concentration!!

He was of course waiting for me to throw the ball.  He catches it mid air, then holds it in his paws before letting it roll down so we can do it again ... and again ... and again ... you get the picture.

Here he is in action, only this time he got down to bury it in the blanket on the floor.  I definitely give him all the credit for my flexibility!!

At 8:30 I stuffed everyone in the truck and we were off!!  I kept it just above 55 because the Westerfields are night owls, unlike me.  I didn't want to get to Fresno TOO early.  Traffic was awful as usual for a Friday.  I'm glad I wasn't going the other direction though, because there were 10 trucks going south for every 2 going north.  Do you think they were going to the border??

Thank goodness I WAS going North, because the southbound lanes were at a complete standstill from Tulare to Visalia.  That's TEN MILES!!!  This is another one of those epic failures of road construction.  They take 3 lanes down to 1 lane with little or no notice.  It was a parking lot!!!

At last I reached my exit and pulled in to McCoy's coffee shop.  It's one of those secret places truckers stop.  In less than five minutes, in drove Barbara and Tom.  These two full timers taught me as much as anyone about my Class A rig when we drove to Maine and back.  Through pouring rain, tornados and windstorms ... I survived because Barbara is the best navigator there is!!

Husband Tom showed me all the ins and outs of repairing broken cupboards and drawers I tore up along the way.  He's a master woodworker.  We met here because Barbara knitted this beautiful sweater/wrap/coat for me.  She is a knitter extraordinaire and can whip out a sweater top in no time.  She tried to teach me as we worked our way back East, but I never could quite get it!!  I could have used this in Tucson's snow!!

We said our goodbyes (we'll see each other again soon since they just hung up the keys not far from me) and I was off yet again.  Finally the traffic thinned out and it was a good ride home.  My backing skills might have improved just a tad ... or I was just lucky.  I backed in to my dog leg with a curve and a narrow gate in TWO tries.  

Cooper refused to leave the truck.  I literally had to carry him into the house.  He was having none of it.  I uploaded his favorite toys and he sulked on the couch while I cleaned out the fridge.  I searched and searched for something to eat, but hamburger buns and ginger were all I could come up with.

AHA ... I found some chicken tenders I stuck in the freezer.  I do remember there being something on the packaging about HOT, but really, how hot could they be?  I'll just smother them in cold barbecue sauce.  

Out of the air fryer they came.  I took a big bite.  Okay ... a little hot, but not bad.  Next bite ... ooooh that's getting hotter.  I admit by the third bite I was on fire.  GOOD GRIEF!!!  I ran for the faucet and some cold water.  

I was really hungry by this time ... and with nothing else in sight, I thought I would peel the coating off and at least eat the chicken.  OH HECK NO!!  The chicken was drenched in even HOTTER sauce.  

Yup ... I had yet ANOTHER cupcake for dinner.  My tip of the day ..... BEWARE THE HOT CHICKEN!

The next big problem to raise its ugly head was of course DishNetwork ... my TV provider.  It's a long story, so it will wait until tomorrow.  These guys are like used car salesmen!!

The good news is I have less unpacking to do than normal, and I already ran two loads of laundry.  I have to get to the store not only for MY food, but for Cooper food.  Then I will tackle that huge laundry list of stuff I need to do!!!  

It's good to be home!!

That Was A LONG Drive

Morning came once again.  This time with clouds and beautiful colors.  Suddenly I spotted a dog running loose at the end of the road.  OH NO!!  Cooper and I made a beeline for him, hoping to snatch him up.  Suddenly Bill appeared from behind a palm tree.  It was GIBBS!!! (and he was on a leash).

It just got better as I began the takedown.  Time to pack up and hit the road.  I got all of maybe two feet before Cooper began going crazy.  One thing he doesn't want, is to be left behind.  So first things first ... he goes in the truck.  THEN I can begin putting stuff away.

There were too many pictures yesterday to post this beauties.  All day long the clouds floated over our RV park.  How can you not love this!

There seemed to be three different layers.  Mother Nature sure can put on a show.

It looked like you could just reach up and touch them.

Finally just before 8:00, we were all loaded up and ready to go.  I said sad goodbyes to Patsy, Bill and Gibbs and headed out.  This isn't Cooper's favorite part of traveling.  I think he gets rather car sick.  Some times he will sleep, but mostly he lays with his head up ... my poor baby boy!!

Under beautiful sunny no-rain skies, we headed off toward Needles.

It was a very long 4-1/2 hours of driving as we headed to Barstow.  Traffic wasn't bad, so we went along at a good clip.  If you've taken Highway 40 before, then you probably know what this is.  This crazy long train is stopped, I think waiting for another train to pass.  It's much longer than what you see here.

I wish you could see the colors of the hills.  Some are grey, some purple, some black ... the colors are just amazing.

At long last we hit Barstow where I stopped for fuel.  $5.39 was the price for today ... not the most expensive I've found here.  I was hungry and Cooper needed a walk.  He got to smell the smells and stretch his legs while I got another piece of this most fabulous wondrous pizza.  Mostly I wonder what's in it.  If they added more sauce, it would be much better.  $4.00 a slice I think.  No matter, the slices are 8 inches across and it filled the hole in my stomach.

Off we went again ... this time with more truck traffic.  I followed one trucker down Tehachapi Pass for a ways.  He was going really slow ... and every time he hit the brakes, huge clouds of smoke came out from under the truck.  YIKES!!  

Eventually we made it to our favorite Orange Grove RV Park.  I grabbed my envelope taped to the front window and headed to my site.  

Look what I found on the table!  Someone left a big pile of oranges along with a nice painted rock.  I appreciate the thought, even if the oranges aren't the least bit ripe.  I kept a few that I hope will ripen, and am leaving the rest on the table for the next person.  There actually are still some good oranges at the tops of the trees, but I'd rather pretend I'm a rock in my chair.

Oh LOOK!!  CUPCAKES!  I wonder where those came from!!  Just ONE made an excellent dinner!!

Which reminds me ... I have ice cream!!  And so ended the longest travel day.   

I Can Smell It

I was up early.  Not exactly by choice this time.  I could smell it ... the rain was coming.  Cooper and I wandered outside to find lots of black clouds heading our direction. 

A few minutes later the sun started to come up and the clouds spread out of bit.  It was colder than I had felt in awhile, but the rain never showed up here.

It didn't take long ... as the sun moved on up in the sky, Cooper and I walked the park once again.

Suddenly we came to a screeching stop.  See that little white thing under the tripod?  It's a ceramic dog.  Yes, we've passed it many times before, but today it must have been possessed by a ghost.  Cooper would not go near it.  He kept barking like it was going to eat him.  

Okay big guy ... we turned around and headed back the way we came, but not until Cooper gave it what for.

Soon I was off to the clubhouse, not realizing this was coffee and donuts day.  Yup ... free coffee and donuts.  Who could turn THAT down.  Well me ... because THIS is what magically showed up in my rig yesterday.  I'm sure it was the Ghost Dog!  He must like apple fritters as much as I do.

I worked on the puzzle for a bit, actually finding about 10 pieces.  I think that's a record for me.  This was a tough one.  A little while later Patsy and Susan came in to finish it up.  I contributed by handing them the pieces.  Check out Patsy's blog for the final picture.

Just before lunch I headed off for fuel since it's not so crowded at that time.  $3.95 is the going price for diesel.  Another $100 towards Arco's profit margin went flying out of my wallet.

That's when the wind came up and the cool blew in.  The weather just can't decide what it wants to do.  I walked over to the Richards rig and we chewed the fat while being entertained by Mr. Gibbs and his toy "Stuffy" whose name is now "Flatty".  You'll have to ask Patsy about that!  

It's cold ... so let's have some ice cream to finish off a nice day.

It's packing up time this morning.  I'll be on the road once again, heading into the even crazier weather of California.  Hopefully this two day break in the weather will be just enough to get me back to Bingo next week.