HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEN!!

Boohaaaaahhhh BOO!!  Oh yeah, it's my favorite holiday ... HALLOWEEN!!  I admit, I usually do it up to the nines on this day every year, but this time I passed.  For several years now everyone is doing the trunk or treat thing.  What a letdown for the kids who don't get to go door to door and say BOO!  They just collect candy from the trunk of your car.  That's no fun at all. 

Up until the day I retired, we celebrated Halloween every year at work.  Everyone in the office was required to dress accordingly ... from witches, to ghost brides, to Stepford Wives ... you name it, we did it.  On this particular year I was Jack Skellington.  

This year there isn't even a pumpkin sitting outside anyone's door.  On the other hand, it's supposed to rain.  Have you ever trick or treated in the rain in a gunny sack that held itchy oats for the horses?  With chicken feathers stuck in your hair?  Oh yeah .... fun I tell you!!

Here's my costume of the year ... and if I ever dress up again, this is what I'm doing.  Cutest costume EVER!!

I forgot to mention at Bingo on Tuesday, we were treated by one of the volunteers to a dessert extraordinaire.  I love pumpkin desserts, and this Pumpkin Crunch Cake was AMAZING.  I found the recipe today and will try to recreate it in the next day or two.  

Maybe I'll get lucky this time!!

In the meantime, because I had to wait for a trip to the store for pumpkin, I whipped up a batch of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.  Oh yes ... there's an entire $11.00 bottle of nuts in there!!  No one said they would be cheap.  I also found these Nonni's biscotti ... salted caramel.  They probably have fewer calories than these cookies!!!

I spent the rest of the morning at the Senior Center deciding on the menu for our Senior Christmas Dinner.  110 of them to be exact, so I will once again be manning the ovens in December.  The problem remains that no one likes green bean casserole, or carrots, or corn, or anything considered a vegetable.  Seniors can be picky!  Unless it's the pumpkin pie .. they LOVE that!!

Next up a haircut appointment, where I once again got scalped.  Honestly, when you say just a little, it means two inches disappear behind you before you can throw up your hands.  

This morning I am once again off in the rig to the RV Repair Shop.  That shade I pulled down that unraveled all the way to the floor requires repair.  Hopefully they will remove it, get the numbers they need and I can return home until the order comes in.  No telling how long that will be.  Maybe before Christmas?

So steer clear of those ghouls and goblins, and don't let the bed bugs bite ... or is it vampires?  Maybe put on the Corpse Bride or Beetlejuice to get in the mood for the candy giveaway.  Oh yes, I got candy just in case ... full size Snickers Bars.  With my lack of trick or treaters however, they will be mighty tasty from the freezer as the year goes by!!

Another Rousing Night of BINGO!

 Ooooweeee it's a chilly 42 degrees this morning here in cloudy overcast California.  There was no transition period ... just BANG and it was winter.  Time to turn up the heat a bit.

Basically I did nothing all day long in preparation for the return to huge crowds moaning and groaning over their loss of cash.  I would do the same.

I arrived in time to sign checks like I was Rockefeller.  I expected lots of Halloween costumes, but alas, the King put the quash on that idea.  There were a few flashing light necklaces hanging around, but no ghouls or ghosts.  It's enough that the peasants have pitchforks and flaming torches.

Sadly for me, my Lady in Waiting, though she said she would be late, did not show up at all.  It's okay because my Fairy Godmother gets me through the worst of the line in record time.  She can count faster than I can tap buttons on the infernal machine.  The problem arises when she leaves to play some of the early games for big bucks.

Thankfully my previous replacement came in to help out.  She said if I ever took off again I would be drawn and quartered.  It seems the infernal machine did its magic on her fingers, causing a $500 received on account, which amounts to a $1,000 shortage.  Yeah, that would make me panic too!!

Here's our setup ... the pink packets on the right are Early Birds, five games.  Then comes the blue packets with twelve games, interspersed with the big green meanies (a hard one to play), the big blue borders where you get twice as many chances to win, followed up by the small green ones closest to me and two even smaller speed games.  These are called much faster, so you better be on your toes.

For $34 you can play every single game.  Most folks spend an average of $60 with some going up as high as $95+.  That's right ... every single Tuesday the peasants dump money on us in the hopes of winning  the $250 prize for each game.  

The OTHER game going on is called Hot Ball.  Each person pays $1.00 for each hot ball game we have (which is two), and they get their hand stamped.  The Hot Ball Number is picked before the game starts and posted on the board.  If you win any Bingo game with THAT NUMBER, you win my $250 pot and the Hot Ball Pot, which can vary in amount up to $1,199.  Never EVER wash your hands, because without that stamp, you do not get the molaah!!

It happens that for the last five weeks, no one has won the Hot Ball pot.  It's unheard of.  Until tonight.  $1,449 was handed out to the screams of the peasants.  I'm not sure if that was happy screams or MAD screams because it wasn't them.  No worries, our SECOND Hot Ball pot is ALSO $1,199.

The screams erupted before the number was even called.  The SECOND pot went bye-bye and another $1,449 was handed out.  Suddenly there were even MORE screams when the first winner won yet ANOTHER GAME!!  You can imagine these were not happy screams.  

Winner winner chicken dinner!  That gal took home $1,699.  Can you imagine?  She probably spent much more than that over the previous weeks, but it's a nice haul just in time for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas.

I finished out the night showing my stand-in what caused her infernal machine problem and how to fix it.  I cleared the machine and asked for a grand total.  WAIT!!  WHAT??  It said I should have made $1,999 dollars?  That CANNOT BE!  I hate this machine!!

Further investigation into its guts determined that my stand-in did not erase its memory from last week.  Whew!!  That was scary!!  No problemo .... I erased it with relish and mustard!!!  TAKE THAT!!  I also showed her how to do the same should it happen again.  

And so ended another night of peasants screaming and crying over lost milk.  The good news is they were also smiling, so we were safe ..... until next time!!

A DESIGNER I AM NOT ....

 Good Morning World!!  It's a lovely 50 degrees in the country on this day, heading on up to a whopping 65 this afternoon.  Now THAT is good weather!!  We've been waiting all hot summer long for this, so I'm hoping it hangs around for a few weeks.  I put my flannel sheets on the bed in the hopes of helping it along.

I was up and at 'em early yesterday.  Only three things on my list ... Smart and Final, the Vet's Office and my prescription for eyewear.  But first ... here's why I should NOT buy fabric unless it comes in a kit for a quilt.  I have no sense of color or design.  None.  Zero!!

I love the pattern, HATE the fabric.  

Well actually, I LOVE the fabric, it's just not the least bit well suited for this quilt.  Not the colors and not the pattern of the fabric for the pattern of this quilt.  I hereby declare I will ONLY buy kits from now on!

You can see the obvious difference between this one and MY selection!!  I never said I was talented when it came to such things, but I can sew like a backhoe operator!!

But let's take a break ... I was off to Smart and Final for my all time favorite classic dinnerware ... paper bowls.  It costs me less to use recycleable paper bowls than it does to run the water or my dishwasher.  Walmart has them for about 50 cents each.  Smart and Final has them for 12 cents each.  It's a no-brainer, except for the storage part.  You need lots of cabinet space to hide them.

Then it was off to the Vet's office for the Kid's worm medicine.  I didn't think much about it ... Cooper has been on this stuff for six months since the last visit, which included other stuff.  I should have paid more attention.  SIX MONTHS = $180.00.  I almost had a heart attack.  ARE YOU SURE?  What about my senior discount?  I checked ... it cost $100.00 six months ago.

Well senior discounts don't count in dog medicine.  That's crazy ... and $30 A PILL!  I love my kid to death, but that's outrageous!  I'm going to see if I can get it in Mexico cheaper because I'm certainly not buying it at the Vet's office any more!!

Next stop ... get my prescription for glasses from the expensive doctor so I can go to Costco and get cheap frames for a backup pair.  Come to think of it, I might just go to Mexico and get those too!

I drove by Costco, but good grief!  Never EVER go on a Monday.  There was not one open parking spot in the entire lot.  As you know, I have no patience for that ... so back home I went.

 Once there, I stared at this quilt STILL on the machine after three weeks.  Though I tried to be different in stitching this one together, my choice of patterns leave a lot to be desired.  Truly I don't have a lot to choose from, but still ... it didn't turn out all that great.  Each border has a different stitch.  I usually pull up the previous workspace, but for some reason the pattern got tweaked ... the circles were no longer round.  RATS!!  No worries, it will make a nice doggy blanket!  Or I'll put it behind a rail far away so you can't see it up close!

Needless to say, it was a boring day.  No critters roaming the house, no thunder and lightning, no screaming neighbors (thank goodness) and no LaBamba music from across the street.  Heck, there weren't even any lawn mowers going wild.

But just wait ..... it's BINGO TIME!!!  And Halloween in two short days!!  

Weird Signs

Ohhh there was a chilly breeze in the air this morning, making the clouds look ever so weird, almost like a tornado.  I keep waiting for the boot to fall.  Surely this weird weather will bring on an earthquake or something weird.  

Just as Doug mentioned, the leaves are still on the trees here.  I can count the number on my lawn on two hands.  I guess that means I don't have to brave the ladder of doom and clean out that front gutter.

Thank you all for the "Dan" birthday greetings.  Oh the stories I could tell of riding motorcycles on snow covered passes, the garbage bags to keep out the rain, the flat tire run in pouring rain behind tomato trucks, the cow's birthday in the bar, Buffalo Chip ... and the list just goes on!  It was the best years EVER!

I know he appreciates it as he's off on another backhoe job.  I have to say he's darn talented in that respect.  Having been involved in construction for many years with some of the best backhoe operators on the planet (ones who can cross a ditch or a fence and not blink an eye), I know talent when I see it ... and Dan's got it!

Chef Patty on the other hand can take a vegetable, a chicken leg and eye of newt, and make the best food you've ever tasted ... every single night!!  I never cooked once on that entire trip to Alaska and back!  Best friends are worth their weight in gold!!

This guy included!!  After waking me up with his not-so-sweet little snores, and having tasted THREE treats, he gets to sleep next to me while I'm wide awake.  Last night was another of those nights I would rather forget.  Terrible nightmares, one after another, with maybe two hours of sleep?  There must be a pill for that!!

Speaking of signs, like the leaves not falling, what's up with this?  I went to let Cooper out and I find this little guy lounging in the kitchen.  It's probably a good thing Coop's eyesight isn't so great any more.  He walked by TWICE without seeing or EATING the little guy.  

I imagine he wandered in when I left the door open while letting the kid outside.  He's probably starving because any food dropped on the floor is immediately vacuumed up by Cooper.  Luckily I was able to grab him before he scuttled off under something.  I dropped him on a shrub outside and he instantly moved away.  At least this visitor doesn't bite, sting or otherwise try to kill you!! 

I'm afraid to get my credit card bill this month as I ordered a few more things from Amazon.  A mesh laundry bag and some fancy dancy ear plugs.   I also decided I'm probably never going to actually COOK in the rig, so I can get rid of all those baking pans I put there, making for a little more room.  The idea of stopping at a store or restaurant along the way and grabbing pre-cooked food sounds like easy peasy to me.

I checked on the solar setup to see if it was still keeping the batteries at 100%, to find the answer was NO.  It's been overcast and the sun seems to be on a new trajectory.  I plugged in and went to flip the breaker.  There was a loud POP!!   

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!  What the heck was THAT?  I turned everything off, checked every single connection ... and nothing.  Good grief ... I know better ... use the EMS system, even while at home.  I plugged that in, waited a few minutes and finally got the nerve to turn on the breaker again.  YAY!!  I have power.  I have a big bucket I put over the connection between the two cords, and I think it just settled in on one side, hitting the concrete and making the noise.  At any rate, everything still works and I don't see any smoke ... a good sign.

Most of the afternoon I watched Drain The Oceans.  What a cool show.  It showed how they find shipwrecks, both historical and recent, then drain the water so you (and they) can see what happened and why.  Fascinating stuff.  It kept me busy while I stitched the binding on this, one of my favorite quilts. 

Done at last.  This is why I buy kits ... other people who have talent, pick out the fabric and make the patterns.  Me?  I'm absolutely terrible at that, as will be shown to you tomorrow.  I just want to savor this one as long as I can.

More weird signs appeared as the sun went down.  Little black puffy clouds floated across the back yard like puffs of cigar smoke.  It is actually supposed to rain three days this week, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm off to check the rig again and make sure everything is copacetic!  I see three days on my calendar that may be open to travel.  We shall see!!

WHAT? ANOTHER BIRTHDAY?

 There are some people in this world that you meet for whatever reason, and they just become part of your life forever.  Two of those folks are Patty and Dan Chance.  We met way back in the days of motorcycles, drinking and carousing.  I will never forget the day we were heading down the I-5 Freeway close to King City when we stopped for a slug of peppermint schnapps because Nancy was cold.

To my horror, I dropped the bottle and it smashed on the ground.  Though I thought I would be left on the side of the road, Mr. Chance, Ronnie and Scooter just laughed it off.  My husband, not so much, but off we went to the big party and I did not get left behind.  

A few years later I found Patty on the internet after having just purchased a fifth wheel RV.  I drove to Lake Havasu and parked in their driveway before heading off to a Yuma Arizona rally of a different kind.  It was there that Dan did the negotiations for me to purchase a big rig.  We haven't looked back.  He taught me everything, was ever so patient as I radioed him constantly that my tire pressure alarms were going off, and let me follow them to Alaska and back.  AMAZING TRIP!

So here's the SECOND birthday of the month ... it's Dans birthday today!!!  I'm wishing him the best of days and many MANY more to come!  Thank you for always answering my crazy questions over and over again.  I hope my parking spot is still available ... I'll see you in December!!

Can you believe it?  October is almost gone with the wind.  The weather is still fabulous around here, which I have never experienced in all my many years.  I keep waiting for the hammer to drop.

Mostly I've been shopping for various things ... two more leveling blocks, though they only come in a pack of 8, a smaller laundry basket, a spill-free dog water bowl, a hanging organizer for the back of the couch, though I think that probably won't work when the back moves down flat to make the bed ... just stuff to make storage easier.

And then I came across this bike someone just purchased.  It can go up to 50 miles on one charge, but boy are they pricey.  Of course there are 99 different models out there, so who knows which one is the best.  For me, it needs to go up steep hills, and the rack on which it will ride needs to swing out so I can get in the back doors, not to mention a thirty pound chain to lock it up.  

It was pretty much a lazy day of do nothingness.  I worked on this latest quilt a bit, not the least bit happy with what I was doing.  I ran out of the white fabric ... the black doesn't go and I was out of ideas.

So let's start ANOTHER one!!!  This is a 3-yard wonder called Bear Claw.  Chop up three yards and fabric, stitch it back together and voila!!  You have a pretty quilt.  Not these colors mind you, but I have plenty in my stash to get started.

I think I mentioned I actually found a huge pork loin for $1.99 a pound.  I chopped it into three big pieces and froze two.  I wish I could say I found a fabulous marinade, but I did not.  This one that I made came out terrible, but the pork was delicious straight out of the air fryer!!  Dinner was served.

Ohh yes, Cooper got his share from the very middle ... the best part without the honey-soy marinade.  Did he get any new toys?  Heck NO ... I'm already stepping on six every day, not to mention the five balls rolling around the kitchen floor.

Thank you everyone for his birthday wishes!  He was very appreciative ... bark bark.

I spent the rest of the evening watching the World Series.  There are probably not too many baseball fans out there, because I don't think you can become a fan of such a boring game unless you GO to many games.  It's truly the fans that make the game.

Of course it's much more fun when your team is IN the World Series, which mine is not.  It's the Dodgers (booooo) against the New York Yankees (not my favorite either).  I admit, I finally changed the channel to watch the more interesting Deadly Women.  

And so ended another gorgeous day in central California.  This next week should interesting ... 65 degree days and 50 degree nights with the possibility of rain.  I may just have to turn the solar off on my van and plug it in!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COOPER!!!!!

 Okay all my friends ... today is Doggy Overload Day!!  My little kid is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD!!!  Here he is on day one ... a little fluff ball that came to my office, was put in my hands and immediately hugged my neck with both front paws.  How could I not fall in love instantly!!

Behind him is Miss Jessie ... an extraordinary Jack Russell terrier that was a one man dog who hated ALL dogs.  It was a struggle for the first year, but eventually they got along, though Miss Jessie ruled the roost.

First haircut!!  

When not playing with the B A L L, there were lots of naps.  All of these pictures with his toys?  He almost always slept with them to be sure no one STOLE them.

He spent ten of his fifteen years riding all over the country in my big rig.  He's been from Skagway Alaska to Bar Harbor Maine and back again.  These two were the best little travelers I could ever have asked for, though Jessie always tried to EAT any other dog within 200 yards.  Mr. Cooper picked up that bad habit of course, and so to this day, I still have to be careful around other puppies.

I laugh every time I saw him sleeping with his toys.

As I said, puppy overload.  

How could you not love this sweet face.  It gets him lots of treats.

This is where he rode in the RV ... right behind me.

Christmas always brings more toys!!

And MORE toys!

Though he doesn't play the ball game for hours on end like he used to, he has the sleeping game down pat.

I can't believe it's been this long since I adopted this bundle of joy.  He makes me laugh every single day and never causes any trouble.  I'm the luckiest gal that he picked me for his "Mom".

HAPPY FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY my little kid ... here's to many MANY more!!!!!

Oh My Aching SHINS!!

 I am not talking to you.  I am NOT talking to you!!  This the face of my sweet boy who wanted yet another morning treat after already gulping down THREE.  

We are still hanging out in the 80's during the day, but the forecast is for highs in the 60's all next week.  It's going to be a shock to my system.  Maybe it will help with my aching shins.  Oh yes, two days after hard exercise, the real pain arrives in spades.  When I was running 15 miles a week in training, it was always the second day that I downed all the aspirin and a gallon of gatorade.

I had three things on my list.  Hit up the Elks Lodge to be sure I didn't have any checks to sign, drop off my VOTE at City Hall and head on over for some groceries.  I now have white chocolate macadamia cookies on the brain.  Thanks Whole Foods.

I scored on the groceries since Save Mart (I think now owned by Kroger) has an app where you can get coupons and free stuff like Safeway in Arizona does.  A huge pork loin showed up for $1.99 a pound.  SCORE!!  It is interesting to note however that I doubt TWO entire aisles of chips and crackers will sell, not to mention the half aisle of fabulous foreign chocolate bars from all over the world.  This is welfare city folks!!

I was even able to pick up a command hook to hang this on the bathroom door.  Yeah, it's not hung up because the hook is too big for the clip.  I'll try that again on another day.

Out to the truck I ran, listening to the bongos of the guy outside and enjoying his music, when I hit the open button.  Nothing.  Wait .... this is a white truck.  Is it MY white truck?  Yup .. it's got stickers in the back window.  I hit the button again.  Nothing.  OH GREAT!  I'm stuck in Save Mart parking lot!  Lucky for me, I actually have an old fashioned keyhole in the door, unlike the van.

I was able to open the door, but the key fob was dead as a doornail.  Surgery was required.  Normally I would have ordered another one for something like $50 bucks.  Instead I got out three screwdrivers and went to work.  I seem to use a lot of those little batteries and had several hanging out in the fridge.  

I really wasn't expecting it to open the lock, but back outside ... click ... AND IT WORKED!  YAHOO!

Next up ... see about getting the shade in the van fixed.  I'm pretty sure it can't be repaired, so a new one will need to be ordered.  That means a trip two towns over, take it off, then come back and wait for it to come in.  

He says they are difficult to remove.  Just give me a screwdriver ... I'll get it off!!!  They are very busy since it's the opening of the ever so popular duck hunting season this weekend.  Everyone has their rigs in for repairs before they park out in the sloughs along the rivers.  I'm scheduled for next week.

With several quilt projects waiting in the wings, I finished up this one last night.  I'm not sure what the backing will be, but I have lots to choose from.  Or gee whiz ... I might have to head back to San Juan Baptista!!

I'm going to go soak my shins in some nice hot water now in hopes of stopping the aches and pains.  Hopefully next time I remember not to do that again.

Some New Finds

 

COFFEE ..... I HAVE COFFEE!!  How could that be you ask?  Because I'm home again, home again.  Well that was a short trip.  Truth is it's a very popular spot for Elks campers, most staying the maximum two weeks in one of only 11 available spots.  You can dry camp, but it's VERY unlevel, not to be confused with the unlevel spot I had.

This was an interesting find you may or may not know about.  I set my i-phone down on the table with the hold-it thingy on the back sticking out.  It fell sideways and this popped up.  Woohoo!!  A clock that I can see in the dark to know how many times I woke up.  It's actually a good thing so I know not to let Cooper hang out too long before going for a walk.  A nice find!!

He was a very good boy this entire trip, even if I did have to lift him up on the couch.  Though I have a step for him (and a ramp), the couch is taller than at home, so he is hesitant.  Getting down ... same problem.  Getting in and out of the van?  Same problem.  Not that he wouldn't jump, but I'm very leery of his bad eyesight and his age, which will be celebrated in a few days.

He dealt with all the cussing and water cleanup well, and stayed on his side of the bed at night.  Mom just has to move in slow motion to allow him time to get out of the way.  As you can tell, he was happy just to snuggle.

Early morning brought fog.  Though July and August are their usual foggy days, this year is different everywhere.  In no time we were socked in with no sun in sight.  

My plan to hit the coast for some gorgeous ocean pictures went in the dumpster.  Though I tried several times to re-up for another day, it was not to be.  Even though there is a camp host here, you are required to make reservations on-line.  AND ... they must be paid in advance, no refunds for any reason.  Not a single spot was available.  

Most folks stay for the two week maximum and make reservations 6 months in advance.  I'll remember that next time.

Why so popular you ask?  Well for one, it's Monterey ... Carmel ... land of the rich and famous with gorgeous ocean views and amazing food.  The lodge also has a pool, a huge and complete gym, an inside hot tub and a SAUNA!!  This picture from when I did a walkthrough of the not new but very fancy building.

I was sad to be leaving, but WAIT ....... did someone say QUILT SHOP?  We packed up in no time, put everything away and headed out about 10:30.  It's a good thing I hit the navigation button.  I would have completely missed not one, but TWO turnoffs!  So easy to get IN, but so difficult to get OUT of that area.

I was headed for San Juan Baptista, home of a gorgeous mission.  I didn't stop there, but headed straight to the quilt shop.  I was in HEAVEN.  Sometimes you walk into a store and say ... ugh, I don't care for these fabrics.  Then sometimes you walk in and say THIS IS MY STORE!!  It was the latter.

The Owner showed me around while I oohed and awwwed at the gorgeous fabric.  I should have brought a pattern book with me.

No problem ... I'll just buy one!!  So here's a book, a Halloween kitty panel, three different pieces of fabric and my favorite find ..... a fold up bag for all things hair and makeup to hang on the bathroom door.  No more deodorant hitting the floor and living there.  All the pockets are see through, so I know where stuff is.  Hopefully this will be a time/space saving addition to the van.

With my wallet a little lighter, we drove home through a construction zone that went on for 30 miles.  Whoever is selling round-de-rounds just needs to stop.  Here we were, out in the middle of farmland for as far as the eye can see, and they put in TWO with another one on the way.  The worst part is big truck traffic.  There's no way they can get through them without taking up both lanes and half the concrete center.  Traffic was backed up for miles.

At long last we pulled into the driveway and backed up straight as an arrow.  But just to be sure, as we pulled underneath the cover, I opened the drivers door to check.  YIKES!!!  There was a jolt and the engine just died.  WHAT THE HECK?  

Apparently you are not allowed to open ANY door while backing up.  It jammed it in park and shut it down.  There will be NO backing up while looking out the door.  Okay then ..........

Mr. Cooper, though he was happy to be OUT of the van, was acting a little weird.  I opened the house door and he refused to enter.  He ran straight back to the van.  I guess he thought I might leave again without him.  A little later, he finally crashed on the couch.  

And so ended my second trip in the camper van.  The best part was only taking out TWO loads of stuff instead of twelve, most of which was food.  Apparently I took enough for ten days instead of three.  It could have had something to do with the clam chowder, which I finished off for dinner.  YUM!!

I've come up with a few more ideas for storage that should help on my next trip, all of which involve Amazon.  

The main thing I learned this trip is that RV'ing without a tow vehicle will be a different animal.  Instead of stopping at noon and sightseeing the rest of the day in my truck, I will be checking things out as I go, scheduling stops along the way, then stopping in the late afternoon to spend the night.  It's not bad ... just different from what I'm used to.  I'll remember that for the next trip.