First Week In Iowa

June 9th, I wake up in Iowa - I'm Here! Can't believe after eating nuthin' but chips and cookies and donuts - drinking sodas - going to Wendy's last nite - my blood sugar this AM was 122! What's with this eatin' healthy stuff!

Cool enough here that I won’t need the A/C for awhile. Worked and struggled trying to open windows. I don't think these windows have been opened! Took a bunch of prying to get them open. Can't say they don't seal good!

Needed to get the plants outside and empty the kitty litter. I love having that little bunk house door when it comes to emptying kitty littr! Found my weather radio!

Poor Tinga has been cooped up since Sunday so I finally let her out for awhile. Can't accomplish much if I have to open any doors with her out!

This 23 ft trailer could probably get really small if it rains all summer! Can't get the oven pilot lite to work, stove part works so it's getting gas, just can't get the pilot to work and I'm to old and fat to be laying on the floor messing with gas!

Found a few "ripples" in the ceiling that I didn't see before (but you always see things when you just set and look around!) Not sure if it was a water leak at one time; no signs of it leaking now and there was enough wind and rain, if it was going to leak, I'd be swiing!

Probably should have taken this thing on a 'shake down' cruise before I headed to Iowa! I can live without my oven (as soon as I get to Goodwill and get me a crock pot!)

I've started a 'repair' list for Deryl to check when I get back to Rockport! He doesn't know it yet!

Having computer problems. Can download gmail email (right now anyway!) but unable to get to websites, therefore no Yahoo mail and no Face Book! What a bummer -- definitly need a repair guy.

Haven't done any laundry since I first arrived in Gatesville. Laundry went up. $2 to wash and 25 cents only gets you 6 min drying time! OK I'm done bitching now -- I'm still a happy camper!

Stopped at GoodWill, Couldn't find a toaster or crock pot, did find some small items I needed and they had a plastic set of 3 drawers for $5 so I got that for storage. Goodwill sure went up in their prices. Couldn't remember how to get to Salvation Army, tried to find it but went in circles so went back to Wally World and bought a small crock pot.

The creek behind the park is out of its banks and up to the back road. That must mean Mary's basement is flooded! Lots of limbs and branches down in the park.

I arrived Wednesday about 2:30 -- by 8PM the rains had started -- by 10PM with winds rolled in and it is still going! Last nite my weather radio went off several times between 7PM and 1AM with alerts for winds, hail, etc. One said to prepare for winds in excess of 70 mph coming in behind the front that was passing thru with the rain and hail. Fortunately, the winds weren't too bad - but I sure notice them more in this trailer than in that big 5th wheel!

OOPS! I have a leak -- not a bad one and didn't start dripping until this afternoon and we have had winds, rain and hail last evening, rain and wind all nite and rain most of the AM. It is around the vent in the bathroom. It is the one with the fan in it -- it's not one I had them put the maxi-air covers on but I think there is a cover of some sort over it. Not sure if it is that the vent cover doesn't seal tightly or if I need to get up there and caulk around it -- but I'm sure not going to get up there while it is wet! Not a bad leak -- I just noticed a couple of drips on my head while I was setting on the pot yesterday! Put a towel down to see how bad it was and it wasn't much. Might just be coming thru the vent rather than leaking around it. The winds are strong enough they could lift the vent cover a little. Putting an RV thru an Iowa spring is definitely one way to find leaks!

Something is wrong with the computer. I turned it on and no matter what I tried to do, it tried to send an email to some strange address and then kept prompting me to make a payment for virus protection. In the meantime, I got a couple of emails from people saying they got blank emails from me.

Dropped the computer off at Staples Saturday AM to have it checked, then headed to Des Moines with Bea for some shoppping. While in Des Moines, Staples called to say the computer was ready – picked it up Sunday! The tech said it had been ‘hijacked’ and removed several virus programs. He suggested I change all of my passwords. Bea and I ate at Hickory Parks BBQ in Ames on the way home.

The credit card company called me Sunday AM asking me if I had made a purchase at some on line place - I didn't recognize it and told them I hadn't made any on-line purchases - I was on the road traveling. So they recommended I cancel the credit card and they would issue me a new number. I can’t believe it – credit card and computer both taken over by gremlins! Fortunately both have been found and repaird without any major financial damage.

Since I've had no further leaks at the bathroom vent, I'm hoping it was just the high winds that blew up the vent and let the water in.

And that is my first week in Iowa!