2010 - Happy New Year!

January 2010 started as December 2009 ended, with miserable weather (compared to my sister in Iowa, it's pretty damn good down here!) But for this locale, it has been chilly, damp and windy. Not why I come to the Texas Gulf Coast!

My furnace has been getting a work out! The one in this RV is a lot quieter than the old one. My propane cylinders are 30 pound and I'm going thru one about every week to 10 days. A cylinder is $21 so I'm not complaining at $3/day (or less) for heating, water heater and cooking!

Thinking it would be a good day to get laundry done, I headed to the laundry room. Was I ever wrong. Maybe it is an RV thing to start the new year with clean clothes! The laundry room was packed on New Years Day.

But, I had my share of black eyed peas for good luck and plenty of football games to start the New Year.

The Dell PC is working out so well for me, I picked up a flat screen monitor so I could get the big ol’ clunky one off of my desk. After all, space is limited in the RV!

When I get the laptop back, it will be for on-the road stuff since I will have to pack away the desk top model for travel. I really like using the desk top model much better. Guess I'm just an old fart that can't learn new tricks!

Not getting much warmer, just less rain and more sun. It warmed up enough for me to set outside and brush Li'lBit. She immediately jumps up on the picnic table to be brushed. She would stay on that picnic table and watch the world go by all day, I believe.

Decided it was chili weather. I thought I had some hamburger in the freeze but I didn't. I did have some left over shredded BBQ pork so I thawed that out and put it in the chili. Not bad!

Saturday January 2nd, my phone rang about 6:30PM. It was Sarah. I first met Sarah and Bill in Gatesville. They are from Midland TX and were staying in the same RV park where I stay every spring and fall. Last year, they stopped here in Rockport for awhile. They love music jamborees and they have quite a few musical get-to-gethers at the RV parks here. They will be here for at least a month. They are just up the street two spaces. It will be nice to have her for visits.

Ruth stopped by to see if I needed anything. I think the word has gotten around I'm "suffering"! Heavens! It's just a cold and some congestion but you'd think I was dying! My neighbor even picked up my mail and brought it to me so I wouldn’t have to go out in this chilly mess. How can you not love and feel welcome in a place like this!

Monday a trip to the office to pay my $2 for the baked potato/soup supper (that covers the cost of the baked potato and all of the trimmings and the beverage), signed up to bring crackers. Looks like there will be enough soup there to float a battle ship, but didn’t see anyone bring crackers. You certainly can't have soup without crackers! This could be a really cheap meal for me. Also time to pay the $59 electric bill. I can't complain. The first few days here, I was using the space heater all of the time. I hadn't traveled with two full cylinders and was running really low on propane. AND, that crock pot goes nearly 24 hours a day!

The case for my sewing machine came. Now I don't have to look at it in that torn plastic bag setting under the table! Such little things bring such happiness!

Sid called to help me figure out why I’m not getting any AM radio stations on my AM/FM/DVD unit. I did find out that there is no antenna plugged into the antenna ports. So now, where to find a replacement AM Antenna. Can’t seem to find anything about the company or the unit on the internet. A trip to Radio Shack is in order.

January 4th it was 39 degrees when I crawled out of bed. Fortunately no wind and the sun is out! I wish all you folks up north would just keep those cold fronts up your way! I don't come south to see 39 degrees on my Weatherbug when I turn on the computer.

By January 5th I was feeling some better, still plugged but mostly sinuses. The nebulizer treatments seem to be working so I’m not too worried. But, damn it's cold! It made it all the way up to 45 degrees! I felt like going up to the ladies coffee. I signed up for Thursday morning crafts. They are beading! I’m sure my numb, trembling fingers will be good at beading! Oh, well, will give me something to do! Looks like it is going to be way too cold to do much outside with Li’lBit.

Nearly ran out of propane. Didn't realize I was getting low but I was using more than I thought with the cold snap and we have another cold front coming through for the weekend. I waited until nearly 5PM for the propane truck, they come like clockwork every Tuesday and Friday. I left the tank out front with a check attached (how small town is THAT!) when I left to go meet Deryl and Elke. We had dinner at Pepitos. I had a quesadilla filled with beef fajita meat, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and cheese filling -- YUMMY! Ate tooo much!

I drove home prepared to spend a chilly night without any heat except my small electric space heater. I pulled in about 7:30, there was the propane truck filling my tank! They had two trucks working the park. I guess everyone is filling up and getting ready for the next few days. I thought I'd just leave the full cylinder set by the RV and set it up in the morning when it was light but when I came in and turned on the furnace I noticed that 'propane' smell and soon there was no heat. So I was outside in the dark putting the cylinder in, hooking it up and switching over! When they come back on Friday, I'll fill the other cylinder and be ready to go. One of these days we have to get some warm weather.

So goes the first week of 2010. Life is Good; I am Blessed!!