I'm Back!

Know it's been a while, but all is well.

I had my first shoulder surgery on Dec. 11th - despite the ice storm that hit Sunday, the 9th. The surgical hospital lost power and so they 'postponed' my surgery, which meant I got to spend the 11th fasting, in hopes that the power would come back on and they could proceed. Rather than sit at home, we decided to go furniture shopping while waiting on the call from the hospital.

There were areas throughout the city that did have power, and since the streets were not icy, many folks escaped their cold homes to shop. Thankfully we never lost power, although the neighborhoods all around us did.

But back to our furniture shopping. We were headed to the hospital at 6:45 a.m., when we got the call that the hospital was still without power. So, since we were out and about, we decided to go to breakfast. However, before we got there, the surgeon's office called to say that they were confident that the power would be on shortly, so they wanted me to continue fasting. So I insisted Roger go ahead and eat - while I watched. Went back home and I hit the recliner and was soon napping. About 10:00 I stirred, and Roger suggested we drive over to Mathis Bros. Furniture and look around while we were 'killing time'.

So we did.

We always head to their "As Is" room first. I decided maybe I had better check in with the hospital, so I called as we strolled through the furniture. Learned that the power had just come on at the hospital, and they told me to come on in and they would get me prepped for surgery about 2:00 p.m.

Not wanting to waste a trip, I did some 'power shopping' and we ended up buying a sofa, love seat and desk - all out of the clearance room - at great prices! It was meant to be, for all three pieces fit our decor perfectly. Then we scurried over to the hospital.

They 'kicked me out' about 7:30 that evening. Roger got me home, and into my recliner - and I survived the next few days on pain meds. Obvioulsy the ice storm had delayed our move into our house, and Roger was 'torn' - trying to work on the house - and be available for me.

Thursday morning I suggested that if he could get a recliner and a TV set up at our house, we could 'move in' and I could recover in oblivion while he worked on the house. Which is exactly what we did!

Saw my doctor on the 20th and they removed my staples. He informed me I had to keep my shoulder immobile until Jan. 10th (3 more weeks!) At that point, I have the choice of having the second surgery - or starting rehab. After looking at the time frame, and getting input from my surgeon, we have decided to 'try' to postpone the second surgery until Oct. 2008 - after we finish the 2008 work season. The list of things he fixed in my shoulder is 'greek to me', but essentially it turned out that I did not have a torn rotator cuff, but a torn bicep and other 'messed up' ligaments. What remains to be done is replacing the shoulder joint and repairing a torn ligament that is 'underneath' the bicep.

The Christmas festivities kept us busy, and, with Roger's ongoing help, I even cooked breakfast for our kids Christmas morning. We continue to 'live' among the clutter and unopened boxes of moving in, but we at least got our tree up and decorated, for a few days, anyways!

Murphy's Law - Alive and Well!

Per normal for us, nothing ever goes quite like we think. We ended up staying at home with the 'sick one' - Hayden - Sunday evening so Mom (DeAnna) could go with Hunter for the Christmas music. Hated to miss it, but she had been inside with him for 3 days - and sick herself - so she needed a break. He slept most of the time and when he wasn't sleeping, Grandma was rocking. He was one sick little boy. By Monday morning he was broke out in a rash; didn't look like chicken pox - but Russ had already decided to take him back to the doctor. Turns out is was roseolla (?) The fever is finally gone and he's a bit itchy, but the smile - and his voice - is back in full force. That's good!

Monday was painting day - a second coat on the living room and hall. Roger had me call to schedule carpet, thinking it would be at least a week or so before we could get on the schedule . . . NOT! Turns out it was a slow week - and our carpet comes this morning (Wednesday)! We had to do a bit of scrambling to be ready.

Tuesday morning I think we were both so excited about the carpet that neither of us could sleep. We were 'up and out' by 6:30 a.m., headed to breakfast, for the rest of the house was still sleeping. Back home to put in a very full day of work. Roger stayed busy putting a final coat of paint on the master bedroom and reinstalling the baseboards. About 3:00 p.m. he had 'hit the wall' and was so tired he could hardly function. So we decided to 'switch' to clean-up mode and just do the necessities to get ready for carpet.

And then . . . my newly installed dryer quit working! It was just one too many things to deal with - so we didn't. It's not a new machine (it came with the house) but it's a nice one and had been working great. And, of course, the washing machine has to be moved to get to the dryer! Have decided to call our old friends from the campground days (Terry's Appliance) and just let them fix it. We have enough on our plates at the moment - and we learned long ago that appliance repair is not Roger's talent! :>) Now that's another story!

Today (Wednesday) we have decided we are going to catch our breath and watch someone else work - the carpet layers.

Down the Home Stretch

It's hard to believe that we are actually ready to schedule the carpet installation! Will do that Monday! The rest of the wood floor should be done by Monday afternoon, then a second coat of paint in two rooms and the mammoth task of cleaning up all the construction dust . . . I do believe our moving date is in sight!

Health wise, it's been a rough week for the Hughes clan. I began feeling bad last Monday afternoon and by Tuesday afternoon, I knew I was in trouble with a nasty throat and fever. Headed to the doctor first thing Wednesday morning, and as normal, it was either strep or a sinus infection. Either way a strong course of antibiotic was called for and it was Saturday before I began to fell half way 'good' again. Thursday morning DeAnna came down with strep (most likely got it from me) - and then Hayden by Thursday evening. Hayden seemed to escape the strep germ, but has a whopper of a cold (complete with fever) that has him hanging on to Mom's shirt tail and just wanting to be rocked. Hunter spent the weekend at the other Grandma's house to escape all the 'sick' germs. Thankfully Roger and Russ (so far) have been spared.

Today 'officially' begins the Christmas season for us, with the 3 'big' grandkids Christmas music this evening at our church.

I love this time of year!

MRI Results - and a Bit of Insanity

Heard from the surgeon's office regarding the MRI results - and you know you are in trouble when the gal says, "I can list what's RIGHT with you shoulder quicker than what is WRONG!" She proceeded to tell me that it looks like two separate surgeries will be required. The first to correct a 'laundry list' of problems with the rotator cuff and ligaments, plus remove a piece of bone that is 'floating' around. The second will be to actually replace the shoulder 'joint' - ball & socket. Not sure about the time span between the surgeries, but she set me up for Dec. 11th - unless they can reschedule someone and can get me in sooner. Thankfully it will be 'outpatient', but will be a very long day for the first surgery will be a 3 1/2 surgery. I am so ready for my arm to work 'right' again! This will be surgery # 6 and #7 for me since I turned the big 50! Please tell me the 60's will be better!

On other subjects - our house, for one - we are making real progress! Randy put in 3 evenings with us and, WOW, what a difference! Seems we always work best with a 'deadline' and the company called with our kitchen counter tops, scheduling installation this Wednesday, Nov. 28th. So the 'push' was on to get the kitchen drywall finished. Today (Saturday) is painting day so we can start laying the wood floor and be ready to go for the counter tops! I can hardly wait.

Took time out for Thanksgiving. It was GREAT to have our entire family together. Roger's folks provided the gathering place- and we (the kids and grandkids) provided the grub. Russ and Randy took over the chore of cooking the turkeys - deep frying them! They turned out delicious - so, of course, they are now permanently assigned that task. I'm the official provider of noodles and Judy (Roger's sister) made a 'boat-load' of 'cush' (dressing). The cold weather kept the little ones inside and underfoot most of the time, but a good time was had by all.

No Thanksgiving (for me, anyway) is complete without a 'crisis' of some type. Thought I had my routine with my hot rolls down pat. I 'cheat', using Rhodes frozen dough; put them in the pans before I went to bed Wednesday evening, then up at 5:00 a.m. to bake them. It worked good the previous Saturday for the Peninger reunion, so that was the plan for the Hughes get-together. ONLY THIS TIME I put a turkey breast in the lower oven and set it to come on at 5:00 a.m. (The tureky breast was a 'safety net' in case the boys deep-fried turkey didn't work out.) When I got up at 5:00, I found that when the lower oven came on to pre-heat, the added warmth made my rising dough accelerate! My 'hot rolls' were nothing but a huge 'blob' that was out of control!

What to do?!? I tried 'pinching' off the edges that were hanging down through the oven racks, but realized that wasn't working. SO, I decided to just dump the entire 'mess' into a bowl and punch it down - and start over. I figured I had 7 hours till lunch, so just maybe I could salvage the mess. THANKFULLY it worked beautifully - and the rolls came out even better than the week before! At the same time I had pulled out two more bags of frozen dough and put them out as a back up. So I ended up having to run back home after lunch and bake them, so I wouldn't 'lose' them! Ended up sending them with Russ and DeAnna to DeAnna's family get-together that night.

Another 'memory' - like the year I forgot to thaw out the turkey! . . . but that's another story - for another day!

Although I swore I wasn't going to do it again, Shelly 'enticed' me to set the alarm clock and we hit the streets at 4:30 a.m. to 'catch' the bargains on Black Friday! That is challenging when you are feeling good! So I decided I would be the designated one to 'stand in line' and let Shelly do the running after items. We conquered WalMart with no problem - that store did it right! Target was another story, but we came away with some really good buys. But by the time we got to the mall, I was running out of steam. Shelly dropped me by home and then went to pick up her boys and went out again! Oh, to be young again! I spent the rest of Friday 'sleeping it off' in my recliner.

However, it was a 'toss up' who was the most 'insane' yesterday! Us girls and our early morning shopping - or Roger and Randy as they hit the golf course in 30 degree weather!

A Busy Weekend

Lots of distractions the last few days, and our house took a bit of a 'back seat'. Wednesday Roger and his dad spent the day 'playing in the dirt' in the back yard. In reality they were locating our septic tank and in the process found a line that was beginning to collapse. The result: one 'found' septic tank, one 'repaired' line, one very messed up back yard and a massive blister on the palm of Roger's hand, which brought all other work to a halt. So it goes.

Got a bit of painting done on Thursday, but spent most of the day removing the final bit of wall paper out of the master bath. What a chore!

The evening was taken up with providing taxi service for the grandkids - and finally an MRI for me for my shoulder. Now that was an experience I don't want to repeat! It was an open MRI - which is good - but being stuck with a needle 5 (count 'em - five!) times is not so good. It seems new federal law requires they take blood before they start the MRI if they are going to do a 'contrast' injection. Then they have to put a 'brace' (it's a cousin to a torture device) on my arm to hold the shoulder in the correct position. He starts telling me to position my arm this way and that - and I remind him that's the reason I'm here in the first place . . . my arm/shoulder doesn't move like it should! So he says, "Oh, they should have told you to take pain meds before you came!" Then after I laid there over 30 minutes while they did 9 scans - without moving a finger - the guy comes in to do the contrast injection. After three attempts to hit a vein in my left arm, he gave up and called the tech in. The tech said "Why don't you just use the site where I took blood?"

When it was over, I must have had the look of a 'wounded animal' - for a lady in the waiting area asked if they had 'put me under'. At that point, I just wanted gone! I shared with Roger that all I had been thinking of during the last scan was how good a Braum's 'mix' would taste! Since we had a bit of time to 'kill' before picking up Wes, we found a Braum's and that mix tasted every bit as good as I thought it would!

Hope to have the results by the first of the week and will know what lies ahead for me.

Friday was 'baking day' in preparation for the Peninger Family Reunion near Enid, Oklahoma. Trying to fill my mom's shoes, I decided to take hot rolls, noodles and a German chocolate cake. I make the cake from scratch - and had it baked in no time. I 'cheated' a bit on the hot rolls, and used the Rhodes frozen kind. Put them out to rise all day and popped them in the oven about 3:00. My boys must have smelled them baking for both Russ and Randy rolled in just about the time they came out of the oven. In true Peninger/Phillips tradition, out came the butter and we feasted on hot from the oven bread and butter. There's nothing better!

And knowing how much Shelly and the boys like bread, I bagged up some for Randy to take home for their supper. So now I had to either go buy rolls for the reunion - or make some more. Decided to put out another batch before going to bed and let them rise overnight.

That evening, while making the frosting for the cake, Roger 'caught' me 'sampling' it. He reminded me that if I didn't quit 'sampling' there wouldn't be enough for the cake! I always get nervous when I do this cake, but it always ends up looking just like Aunt Juanita's (but it never tastes the quite the same!), so I guess I do it right.

Up at 5:30 Saturday morning to bake the rolls and make the noodles. By the time we left the house about 9:30, I had put in a full days work. Had made a few too many noodles to fit in the crock pot, so we all had a breakfast of noodles before loading up and heading north.

Ended up giving away my 'secret' recipe for my hot rolls to my cousin, Fontaine. She was lamenting that she couldn't 'knead' bread - and I said "I don't either! I just buy Rhodes frozen dough!" (I think the 'secret' is using Mom's old muffin tins!) Talking to cousin, Barb, and she said, "You know, when the grandkids want my recipes, it's going to be a list of the 'brand names' I buy!" Must be our generation, for my sis (Sandy) always has said, "It's not knowing how to cook, but which box to open!" Which reminds me of the time I called Aunt Juanita to ask for her 'recipe' for her German Chocolate cake. What a surprise, when she told me it was right inside the 'box' of the German chocolate! And sure enough, it is!

Later that afternoon, as everyone scattered, we headed east to Bixby with Russ & family to catch the 2nd round of high school playoffs. Our team has been ranked high all season and we had hopes for winning the state title again, but it wasn't to be. As our other favorite (the Oklahoma Sooners) was losing to Texas Tech in Texas, our Titans also lost. A disappointment - and it made for a long drive back home - but there is always next year. With both of our teams, win or lose, they are always fun to watch! Pulled in to home close to 1:00 a.m. and think we were all in bed within about 15 minutes!

Chose to forgo breakfast and sleep in an extra hour before making it to church. Opted to have
brunch' at our usual breakfast spot after church - and then headed home to spend the afternoon watching football - and for me, a long nap. When I 'rejoined' the world, Roger shared that some friends (KOA owners, of course) from New Hampshire had called - and were headed our way.

What a treat to have them stop. We gave them a quick tour of our 'home in progress' and then took them up the hill to meet our kids, grandkids, and grandpuppies. Then we headed out for a late supper and sat talking until they began to sweep the floors and stack the chairs.

Came home to find a call from Randy that he has 'scheduled' us in for this evening to do some drywall and tile work on our house- so it's back to work for us this morning. He gave us 'marching orders' for what to have done by the time he gets here. Just maybe we will be in by Christmas!

Back to Work . . . on the House

We rolled into our driveway Friday afternoon, glad to be home again, with no plans to travel again - at least until February. I managed to bring home a 'souvenir' from convention - a cold. Oh, joy!

Before starting to work on our place, Roger took time Friday afternoon and Saturday to work with Randy on doing some repair work on the exterior of the home place. Some siding to replace and then to paint. Still the back side and the trim to finish up, but the most of it is done.

Friday evening we took in a high school football game, and Sunday afternoon we enjoyed catching up with family at a birthday party for Ryan (a grand-nephew). So Monday morning, it was back to work on our never-ending renovation project - or so it seems. Our focus was on getting at least one room completed, and so we focused on the office/sewing room. A second coat of paint, then we (or I should say Roger) began the task of laying the wood floor. I'm the 'gofer' - which I guess every job needs one. Got it about half done and decided to let it set up overnight before tackling it again. So we switched our efforts to finishing the 'deconstruction' of the master bathroom, before calling it a day.

Russ called with some free tickets to the OU men's basketball, so off we went. Great seats, practically on the floor level. Turns out we were just a stone's throw away from Toby Keith, who is also a big OU fan.

Tuesday found us finishing up the floor and replacing all the trim, so we have now 'officially' finished one room! We are so pleased with the way it turned out, it just makes us more anxious to get it all done.

After supper last night I looked at Roger and said, "Now, what room are 'we' tackling tomorrow? :>) The other rooms that are getting wood flooring are not ready, so guess we'll take a break from floor work and perhaps do some texturing and painting, giving Roger's knees a break.

Over - With a Bang!

Convention is history for another year! As always, it is pure enjoyment to reconnect with our franchisees and company managers one more time before calling it quits for the winter. This year it was a joint convention with the National Association of RV Parks right in downtown Phoenix.

We landed in Phoenix on Friday, Nov. 2nd about 9:30 a.m. and couldn't get into our rooms until afternoon. So we became 'lounge lizards', along with some of the other teams, exchanging tales of our seasons. Connected with some old friends (former KOA owners) and they met us for lunch about 2:00 here at the hotel. Great food for a hotel restaurant.

That evening we walked over to "The Big Fat Greek Restaurant" (that is really the name) and enjoyed an evening of good food and great company, with all the Field Services Teams together. Our bodies are out of whack for it is a 2 hour time difference, and we were ready for bed long before bed time. As always, the days are full of meetings, workshops - and eating, of course. Our convention planner really outdid herself this year with menu selections. Every meal (other than the box lunches) was superb.

At the Care Camps auction evening I successfully bid on a couple of sets of Tervis insulated glasses. For those of you not familiar with the Tervis brand, they are based out of Florida and have a lifetime replacement guarantee. These are 'pure Floridian', complete with pink flamingos! Oh, well, I can lounge on my new back porch and pretend. And they fit in my suitcase for the flight home. Roger had his eye on a KOA yellow electrical pedestal for our 'personal RV site' at our house, but the CEO of the company outbid him. Not sure just how we would have gotten it home!

The merchandise expo day is always one of our favorites - but not nearly as fun since we don't have a campground. But we gathered lots of information to take back to our parks next year - and ended up ordering an electrical pedestal - and yes, it is KOA yellow! (Thankfully, they are shipping it.) I commented that maybe next year we can pick up a KOA fire ring to complete our own little one site RV park!

The grand finale tonight was great! A very fine dinner began the evening and then we were entertained by three rock and roll groups from the past: The Drifters, The Coasters and The Platters! What fun! A few songs were a bit before our time, but we throughly enjoyed every minute. It's always sad to say goodbye to everyone, but we're ready to get home and finish up the house and get my shoulder surgery scheduled.

It's time to hit the sack for tonight. We'll land in Dallas tomorrow and catch our breath before driving home on Friday.

Power Shopping 101

Well, I have proven that I haven't lost my knack for shopping! Irene and I headed back to San Marcos to the Prime Outlet Mall about 11:00. Made a couple of 'finds' at the Pottery Barn Outlet, but the rest of the stores there were a bit 'upscale' for us. No bargains to be found. There was a Neiman Marcus "Last Call" Clearance shop that we decided to wander through, but found that even at 75% percent off, it was too rich for our blood.

BUT, we had spotted a Marshall's and a Ross For Less as we drove to the malls, so we decided to leave the outlet malls and head over there. Found their Halloween decor marked 75% off and we had a ball! Irene spent just a bit over $5 and I spent all of $12 - and you would have thought we struck gold! Made us late for meeting the guys for lunch, but we were so 'hyped' we drug the guys back so we could do more shopping to make sure we hadn't missed anything!

Even though they were tired from their golf game, I think the guys rather enjoyed meandering through Marshall's. Roger and I have been looking for a bedspread - and just not finding a thing. Most everything these days are comforters and bed skirts - and that just isn't us. As I was wondering down the 'decorator pillow aisle', I spotted a pillow that 'spoke' to me. Irene (the decorating 'guru') overheard us talking. By the time we left the store, I had purchased two pillows (still no bedspread) but now I have my 'color scheme' - and a good idea of just what we are looking for now! All of this for a room that still has only one wall painted - and no carpet as of yet! But I can sure picture it in my head. Thanks, Irene!

Headed back to the condo, stopping by the trailer on the way to 'unload' our finds. Real Italian pizza for supper and we finally loaded up our stuff and said our goodbyes about 9:00. Spent last night in the trailer so we can get an early start this morning. Headed to Dallas to park our trailer and we'll be at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport by 7:00 a.m. Friday morning. We always enjoy the convention, but this year we almost wish we were back in OKC working on our house.

Spending Time With Old Friends

After taking time to do laundry and pack a suitcase, we headed west to find our way to Canyon Lake, Texas. Only made one wrong turn! Our friends, John & Irene Cyburt, had invited us to join them at a time-share in the area. Over the past few years we have had trouble 'connecting' for when we are home they seem to always be traveling. This worked out great as we had a few days to 'waste' before flying to Phoenix for the KOA convention.

We have never spent any time in the Texas hill country and found it to have a beauty all it's own. The first day we just 'crashed', doing nothing at all. The late nights during the Alumni convention were catching up with all of us. We did drive over to check out the local golf course and spotted several deer wandering the course. Irene and I headed to San Marcos to check out the outlet malls and, much to our surprise, we found two sitting side-by-side! 280 shops! We couldn't even begin to do it justice! Irene found some great bargains; I just did lots of looking, although I did buy one Christmas present and myself a new pair of SAS shoes. They are never on sale, but when I can get 3-4 years wear out of them, they are worth the price.

That evening we ventured over to Gruene (pronounced 'Green') to the Old Gristmill Restaurant. This place was just beautiful, built around the remains of the old mill, sitting right next to the water tower. The old town has been restored and before and after dinner we wandered through the shops. Super was great - and worth it - just to dig in to the largest order of homemade onion rings I have ever seen. If you are ever in the area, don't miss this town & restaurant . . . and the onion rings.


A day for sleeping in, as we waited for 10:00 a.m. to roll around so we could sign in on another conference call with the Home Ofice. Then we headed out to explore Fredricksburg, TX. We planned our route through the infamous town of Luchenbach - which has two whole buildings, and a population of 3! Met a couple of interesting characters and a very friendly cat - and snapped our picture in front of the post office. Found our way to the Cotton Gin for lunch - a delightful treat for our taste buds. We dined on seafood gumbo, salad, quiche, cajun chicken, snap peas & rice. At the end of our meal, the very attentive waiter brought us each two 'warm from the oven' cookies! What a lasting impression!

As part of the restaurant complex, they have 7 log cabins which can be rented for a 'get away.' One was open for touring, and we old campground owners found them to be 'over the top', packed with great guest amenities. Then we trekked to downtown Fredricksburg, and spent some time wandering through a very upscale antique store, where John & Irene stumbled across a couple of 'finds'.

After a quick stop at the Wildseed Farm (not much in bloom this time of year), we made it just in time to catch the last bus of the day for the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall, TX. A very interesting tour, even though the Texas White House is not yet open for tours. Lady Bird passed away just this last July at the age of 93. Both she and LBJ are buried in the small family plot under a grove of beautiful oak trees. We found it all surprisingly simple, not what one would expect of a presidential home.


Back to the condo to grill hamburgers and whip up a small batch of nachos (Roger was having withdrawals). An episode of House - and we girls called it a night.

Today finds the guys headed out to New Braunfels to the Bandit Golf course - ranked #5 in Texas. We girls are headed back to the outlet malls and we'll meet the guys at some point for a late lunch/early dinner.

Ain't No Crime To Go Back In Time!

During our 'vacation' from renovation, we've spent a few days in the Conroe, Texas area (just north of Houston), as part of the 2007 KOA Alumni Family reunion. This is a group of former franchisees and KOA employees that gather each year at a KOA The folks here at the Lake Conroe/Houston North KOA have been wonderful hosts - facilities, food, and customer service!

For us it has been a combination of fun and business. On Wednesday the group went to the NASA Space Center, but we stayed behind to get in on a conference call from the Home Office. That afternoon the 'big boss' flew in to be at the reunion for our 'auction' - and we met with him that afternoon. The auction - as always - was a lot of fun and we ended up with some nice stuff. It's all in the name of benevolence, for why else would we buy stuff . . . bring it to the auction . . . and then buy other stuff at inflated prices? Anyway, our group of about 45 folks raised over $6,000 in just a couple of hours, which will go to provide scholarships to KOA franchisees to help them attend KOA training sessions - like convention.

Thursday found me on a shopping trip with a few girlfriends. We trekked south to The Woodlands - what a mecca for shoppers. Have been to my local Marshall's a couple of times, but they introduced me to a Mega Marshall's! Only problem was we didn't spend enough time there! Then on to Ross For Less, Kirklands, World Market - with a couple of hours out for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Of course, that put us trying to get home right in the middle of rush hour traffic - and it was 6:00 p.m. before we finally found our way back to the campground. Roger and 'the boys' were golfing that day and even Roger had to admit he did pretty good!

Yesterday we had a morning 'business' session and the afternoon was antique (or in Roger's eyes . . . junk) shopping. It was very unstructured and we spent some time just sitting and talking with old friends, before our 'grand finale' dinner and entertainment.

The fajitas were fantastic - and the band, "The Grateful Geezers" were even better! However, I was a bit worried when they started setting up, for the drummer couldn't have been a day older than Russ - and if he's a 'geezer' . . . what does that make us???? Their tag line was "It Ain't No Crime To Go Back In Time" - and they played and sang music from the 50's and 60's. Course, some of those songs were hits when we were still in diapers, mind you! But, oh what fun! Think they were a bit surprised when most of the bunch hung around til the very end. Then we got to talking to some of the staff and they had to unlock doors to let us out! We literally were the last ones to leave!

And just the night before I couldn't stay awake to catch the 10:00 p.m. West Coast feed of our Thursday night show "Survivor!" Roger said he tried to wake me several times, but I would just fall back asleep in my chair. (It was all the shopping, I think).

This morning will wrap up the reunion with a "Send Off Breakfast" and everyone will head out across the country until next year. Looks like we will gather in Mystic, Connecticut in 2008!

A Bit of a Break from Renovation

Today finds us kicking back and enjoying our first full day of relaxation - in a very long time. We are 'camping' at the Dallas Metro KOA, enjoying the weekend with our family. Actually they are off having fun at Six Flags today, while Grandpa and I are plopped in our recliners watching football.

Got the first coat of paint on most of the walls Sunday evening, but then Monday morning Roger began complaining of a 'catch' in his back. By evening he could hardly walk, causing both of us some serious concern. I doped him up with anti-inflammatory meds and muscle relaxers and decreed that work on the house would come to a halt until we returned from convention. We (mostly he) has been overdoing it, trying to get as much done as we could. (I knew he was hurting when he broke out his back brace and wore it.)

But, as always, just when we 'give up', the Lord really provided. Russ had to fly to Nashville for some job training for a few days - and the wet weather called a halt to the job Randy was on, which freed him up to lend us a hand. (Roger supervised, and I stained and sealed base trim). Randy got the can lights installed in our kitchen and living room, some needed sheet rock work done, and the 'monster' 72" ceiling fan installed in our living room. Achieving that last one (the ceiling fan) gave him some real 'on the job' training, as after wrestling it around to get it wired and installed from the center beam, it didn't work. So he began problem solving - and it turned out being the house wiring - a left over from the previous owner. It took some doing, but he finally got it figured out - and corrected. What he thought would be a quick 'last of the day' job, turned out to be a real headache - and they ended up working until about 7:30 that evening. But it looks great!

Then Wednesday and Thursday we spent packing up the fifth wheel again for our 3 week outing (Dallas, Houston & Phoenix). Finished up Friday morning and ran taxi service for Hunter to an extra cheer practice, then just hung around waiting for Russ & Randy to call it a day as electricians so we could head south to Dallas - which happened about 2:00 p.m. Of course, that put us approaching Dallas right in time for Friday evening rush hour traffic. Only took us 90 minutes to go about 30 miles! Roger was leading the caravan and with our trusty GPS "Sylvia", we did it without one wrong turn.

"Sylvia" and I got in to an argument enroute - and, of course, Roger sided with "Sylvia". Both of us were 'right', we were just getting there differently. At one point Randy asked if "Sylvia" was going to be the new 'step-mom'. Kids! - you gotta love 'em, even when they are grown men!

I had chicken marinating in the frig, so while Roger and Randy set up camp, Russ took over the chef duties and got supper cooking on the grill. Nobody can grill chicken like Russ - perfect every time.

After supper Shelly walked the grandkids over to the pool. It's not heated and I was surprised when Nick and Hunter lasted as long as they did. Wesley lasted all of about 5 minutes, then ran around with a sweatshirt on (but barefooted) for the rest of the night. We called it a night a little after 10 so everyone could get a good night's sleep and be ready for a day at Six Flags.

We all slept in till about 7:30 (I guess I really am tired) - and then I cooked up the sausage patties while Randy got the griddle going for the pancakes. After the crew left for Six Flags, I took a leisurely shower and then put a pot of chili on for supper and settled in to watch OU play Iowa State in football. I didn't stay settled in for long, as the Sooners were not playing their best, in spite of all my efforts to 'help'. Thankfully, we 'escaped' with a win.

Life is just so much better when the Sooners win!

Turned the Corner

Well, we've been home now for 16 days and each one has been packed full of work on the house. I shared with Roger this morning that it was finally beginning to feel like we have 'turned a corner' on the house. We're beginning to see some progress as we begin to 'put it back together'. For a while there, all we did was 'demolish!'

My tasks are strictly limited to doing things like staining, varnishing, or painting things that are waist high, so as not to aggravate my shoulder. My biggest challenge has been to supervise - and not be critical when it doesn't get done just the way I would do it, which is a good lesson for me. I also pull a lot of clean-up duty. Roger has really been pushing himself, trying to get things done. It's so hard to go home every night to a room in our son's house, when we have a whole house just next door. Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

Last week he had the unpleasant task of removing the old ceramic tile; a job he had been really dreading. Thankfully his Dad showed up and pitched in - and with any job - it's easier when you have company.

Yesterday he painted ceilings; today was a plumbing repair for the washer hookups and then he painted the office, before calling it a day. I made it worth his while and cooked up a huge pot of homemade chicken and noodles for supper. He had been 'hinting' ever since we got home, but I just kept putting it off. Don't know why I don't cook them more often, as the entire family loves them. Everyone's schedule is so busy, that I dished up the left overs to send to Randy & family, for it's too hard to get everyone together on a school/work night.

We picked up the wood flooring today, but it has to acclimate to the house for a few days before we can begin laying it. Still have to rent a floor grinder to remove the thin-set from the old ceramic tile. Roger had planned to do that last weekend, but someone rented it just before we arrived. So maybe this weekend. Of course, Saturdays are always 'short' days, as watching the OU Sooners football game takes priority (even when we lose)! My goal is to be in by Christmas. Seems I have to have a 'deadline' to get anything done.

Did take time out to go to the doctor for my shoulder. When I explained how it happened, he said "I'm not gonna touch it! You need to see a surgeon." Which is what I figured he would say, so will see him tomorrow. I'm sure not looking forward to that! I figure we will put it off until mid November - until after the KOA convention. I've waited this long, I doubt another month won't really matter.

Of course, some of our time is still spent working with our campgrounds. Wrapping up the paper work on the last reviews and getting ready for convention.

But the best thing about our busy 'at home' time is having the kids and the grandkids pop in and out of our lives. Hayden has turned one and started walking in earnest shortly afterwards. It's hard to be around him and not be able to pick him up.

Home Ownership

We hit the ground running when we got home - and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight! And we've discovered - once again - how similar home ownership and campground ownership really are!

Had only been home a couple of days when the electric bill arrived - and it was much higher than it should have been. Actually it had been all summer, but we thought perhaps it was because the boys were working on the house and had the A/C running. Wrong! Having experienced this once before at the old 'home' place, Roger went out to the well and flipped the switch - only to have the pressure tank gauge drop instantly. Seems we've been 'pumping water' back into our well all summer! A call to the well repair folks and by the end of the day we not only had a new well pump, a leak in the piping fixed, a new pressure switch, and water tank. Basically a new well! NOT one of the 'improvements' that we had budgeted for, by any means!

Know this sounds familiar to many of our campground owners out there!

But we've had fun making final decisions on the planned improvements and, come November, it should all begin to come together. Carpet & wood flooring ordered, cabinet tops, sink, faucet selected and ordered. Paint colors chosen - and a bit of it on the walls, with more to follow in the next week. One bathroom almost finished; Roger (with Hunter's help) installed the new toilet just yesterday.

Now the dirty work begins, for Roger has to remove old ceramic tile in three rooms - and grind the floor - before he can begin installing the wood flooring. I'm feeling pretty useless, but spend most of my time lending moral support to Roger. We've decided that - for us anyway - this is definitely the way we like to buy a home. Buy an older home at a good price, that needs updating - and then we get to pick the colors, flooring, etc. that we like! And not feel bad about the expense, either.

We've always been into 'earth tones' - Roger likes the tans, I like the greens. The only 'deviation' has been the main bathroom, which we are making our 'ocean' room - complete with sand, shells and lighthouses. The walls are BLUE! Some say a bit too blue, but we like it! We've been collecting 'coastal stuff' for 5 years now and we can't wait to see it come together. Will have to post some 'before and after' pics once we get moved in.

Will finally get in to see my doctor on Thursday and begin the process of attempting to get my right shoulder 'fixed'. It won't be a moment too soon for me!

Stay tuned!

Home - for the Moment

Pulled into home about 3:00 p.m. Monday evening. 1,556 miles in 3 days is not our idea of fund - unless we have our grandkids waiting at the other end! But, alas, only two were waiting! We got our hands on Hayden - the 1 year old - about 4:30 - and Grandma just sat and watched him toddle around - and soaked it up! It was like a flash back - to when his daddy was toddling around! He reminds us so much of Russ that I went and pulled out the pictures. Incredible! (Hayden's big sis, Hunter (10) , had left Monday morning for 3 days of 'outdoor school' down in the Arbuckle Mountains, so we won't see her till Wednesday afternoon.)

Then Randy, Shelly & Nick (9) showed up about 6:00 (after swimming lessons) - and we got to visit for a couple of hours, before they had to leave and go pick up Wes from a pool party. Now we know where we rate, for Wes (12) thought the pool party was more important than hanging around waiting on us! Go figure! Hopefully, we'll see his smiling face soon.

We got a few necessities out of the fifth wheel and begin settling in - once again - at Russ & DeAnna's house. After the 'high' of arriving home, the tired begin to settle in and we called it a night. We are so anxious to get to work on the house, but we keep telling ourselves we must clean out the 5th wheel first - our least favorite job.

Wednesday found us playing hooky a bit, running some errands and doing some price shopping for a kitchen sink and faucet, before heading over to surprise Hunter when she returned from Outdoor School. It's just so much more fun to shop than unload that trailer! But we got one more load, Roger dumped it on our bed, and then we, of course, had to empty the bed before we could get in it come bed time.

We gave DeAnna's mom an evening off and I provided taxi service for Hunter to cheer and choir, while Grandpa stayed home and chased Hayden. That was the first time I have driven since my fall, and found it to be quite a challenge.

So the next couple of weeks will be more of the same, I'm sure. During our 'breaks' I continue to finish up paper work, working towards wrapping up our time on the road and sorting through 5 months of piled up mail.

It's good to be home, but in 3 short weeks we head south - and west - to Dallas (Fall break with the grandkids), Houston (KOA alumni reunion) and Phoenix (KOA convention). That's just more of 'normal' for Team Hughes.

FINISHED!

YES! Fifty-one reviews, eleven new owner/manager visits, one dislocated shoulder, one campground fire, four mechanical breakdowns and a few other miscellaneous visits - and we are winding up our time here in the North East for 2007! Wow - it has definitely been a season for the books!

After Mystic, CT - we rolled along with stops in Unadilla, NY, then on to Pennsylvania to Delaware Water Gap, Allentown, Pine Grove, Elizabethtown and finally, #51 Washington! The weather continues to be Great - with just a bit of rain - but mostly sunshine and cool days. Hopefully by the time we pull into home, the State Fair of Oklahoma will be in full swing - and everyone knows it gets cold and rainy during the state fair!

Today is Sunday, Sept 16th - and we headed back west to the Gettysburgh KOA for a few days off. Well, for now 'off' means we lost the yellow shirts for a couple of days. This evening we fulfilled our promise to Simone (the 7-yr-old 'owner' here at Gettysburg) and took her out for an early dinner at a Chinese buffet (her choice).

Tomorrow will find Roger at a dealership getting the truck checked out - hopefully. The 'check engine' light keeps coming on, but by the time we stop, it goes off. So, now that our schedule is a bit more relaxed, he will follow up. Tuesday will find him at Penn National Golf Course with John & Emil. My plans include curling up with a good book and resting - for I can't drive the truck with my bum shoulder. But that's ok too.

Our schedule at home is beginning to fill up and it looks like a busy October & November for us. We can't wait to be right in the middle of the chaos!

The Colors, They Are a Changin'

Fall in New England! If we can't be home, then this is the place to be!

Made our way east on Tuesday morning (9/4) along Route 2 from New Hampshire to Maine. Can't believe the absolutely gorgeous weather we are having. Very cool nights (heater weather) and warm days. As we traveled we caught glimpses of color and some of the trees are turning. The locals say it is probably more from dryness - than frost - but when we arrived at Skowhegan, ME, her flowers had already been nipped by frost.

Did our walk-about and visited with the folks here. Wednesday we were up and out - headed further east to Bar Harbor to attend the fall meeting of the New England KOA owners. Thankfully I had put in my jacket, for I needed it as we dined on pancakes packed with fresh Maine blueberries upon our arrival at the Bar Harbor KOA. Open-air dining is always nice up here, but the morning breeze coming in off the water was 'very fresh'!

As the meeting broke for lunch, we borrowed manager Ron's office to join a conference call with the other 8 Field Services Teams. The 10:00 a.m. time frame in Billings works great for them but means it is noon-time here in the East. So while they dined on BQ (what happened to Maine lobster?!) we sat with our ears to the phone. Just as the call ended - in time for the Billings staff to go to lunch - the owner's meeting ended. Got in some more visiting, made plans to make a couple of short visits to parks as we head south the next day and wished everyone safe travels. We then took time to warm up a plate of leftovers (about 3:00 p.m.) before heading back to Skowhegan to finish up the review there. Enjoyed some extra time with Beth from Skowhegan as she rode over to Bar Harbor with us.

Munched on pizza - compliments of Don & Beth - for supper, and visited with them until after 9:00. A long day, as I had awoke at 4:00 a.m. that morning and just stayed up, since we had to be ready to leave by 7:00.

Thursday dawned bright an early - again - and we had to be rolling by 8:00 a.m. to make our stops at a couple of Maine parks - and still get to Mystic, Connecticut before 'rush hour' traffic hit. Stopped in Freeport to check out their new playground equipment - and have a short visit with the new owners there.

As we headed to the Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA about an hour south of Freeport, I reminded Roger of a really rough bridge joint coming up on the interstate. Now it's bad enough that I remember where all the Sam's Clubs and Wal Marts are up here - but now I'm beginning to remember the bumps in the roads! Sure enough, it was a doosey!

We parked the rig in an empty site and was whisked off to lunch. Feasted on a big bowl of New England clam chowder and got in a good - but far too short, visit with Larry & Nancy.

Survived yet another trip down Interstate 495 - around Boston - which is one of our least favorite roads. With roads like that, one doesn't have to worry about 'rearranging' the fifth wheel, for by the time we stop, EVERYTHING has been rearranged for us! Knock on wood, thankfully, nothing broken yet this season - except for the shackles on the fifth wheel. (That happens every season.)

Once we were in Connecticut, Roger plugged in "Sylvia" and she directed us right to a Wal Mart, where we picked up a few supplies before landing for the next two nights at the Mystic KOA. Wish we had time to see the seaport, but just can't this trip. Drove by the famous "FoxWoods" casino - and, yes, it really does 'rise like the Phoenix' out in the middle of the Connecticut countryside. Beautiful complex and it looked very busy. Not our cup of tea, though.

Arrived at the KOA, and as we pulled in to our site, we found ourselves parked next door to Sammy, the Bassett Hound. His owners live in a HUGE beautiful motor home as they travel around the country. The couple are 'horse' folks and the wife competes in dressage. Talk about a 'dog's life'! We made instant friends with Sammy, who reminds us so much of our beloved Myer, who is patiently waiting in Oklahoma for our return (along with Emma & Ellie).



That's the 'girls' - Myer to the left - she's almost 12, then Emma - just over a year old - then Ellie - who they say is going to be a BIG girl, for she's just about 7 months old! Come to think of it, we actually have more 'grandpuppies' than we have 'grandkids'! Oh, well, we love 'em all!

It's Pretty Bad When. . .

. . . you need an e-mail to remind you of your own birthday!

The KOA home office is so good to send out 'reminder' e-mails alerting everyone on staff when it is someone's birthday. So Thursday evening we pulled in, got set-up, and I got 'connected' to see what I had 'missed' during our 530 mile drive that day. When I opened up that particular e-mail, I said, "Oh, Roger! It's my birthday Sunday! The days are really blending together and I had completely forgotten. Not that it really matters, but I did feel a bit foolish.

Last week was indeed a whirl wind of campgrounds and reviews. Once we were back on U.S. soil, we stopped at the first Home Depot we came to in Watertown, NY. We have been searching for some 'Grade 8' bolts that are a necessity for repairing our fifth wheel slide out. It has begun 'eating' bolts every few weeks again. Since Roger had put the last one in, we were feeling a bit vulnerable without a spare.

We had also fallen in love with some Formica we had spotted on the counter top at the Ivy Lea, ON KOA - and wanted to get a sample. Found the bolts, but not the sample. So we headed to the next exit, thinking we would find a WalMart. We did, and also a Sam's Club and a Lowe's. Found the Formica sample at Lowe's and we felt almost 'normal' again, walking the aisles and scheming and planning for our home remodel projects that await us in Oklahoma. Then we stocked up the freezer and frig with bounty from Sam's and WalMart and headed south to the Watkins Glen, NY KOA.

As we were doing the exit review with them Monday morning, their manager arrived to announce that their pool pump had just 'crashed and burned'. Not that we wish 'bad luck' on anyone, but sometimes it is nice to know that we have 'lots of company' when it comes to 'bumps in the road'. They went to take care of business and we headed south to the Gettysburg, PA KOA. A quick one-night visit there, but we promised Simone, the 8-year-old 'co-owner' of that beautiful park, that we would come back when we had more time and take her out to dinner. Roger also plans to get in some golf with Simone's dad and grandpa during our return visit.

On to Philadelphia/West Chester - yet another great park. Lots going on there with a new building about to go up, but we found time to get in a visit over a bowl of fresh peaches & ice cream that evening and before we knew it, it was 10:30 p.m.

Had planned to make an early start Wednesday morning, but as we broke camp, Roger discovered that one of the trailer tires was low - and then the air compressor had developed a leak in the copper line. Something came to mind . . . 'when it rains . . .!'

Of course, better to change a tire at the park - under a shade tree - than along the side of a busy highway, so that's what he did. I sat and offered 'moral support'. (I'm getting really good at that!) When we stopped at the store on the way out to say good-bye to Gary & Lori, a camper commented to Roger that "you handled that tire change really well!". Sometimes you take encouragement wherever you get it!

By that time it was after 11:00 - which put us behind for the day. Pulled into Jonestown, PA (near Hershey) and immediately began our walk-about, so I could get the report done by 7:30 p.m. I was worn out by the time I got the paperwork finished, and tried to wheedle out of the exit review, but Roger wouldn't let me off the hook. By the time we finished, it was 9:00 p.m. and yours truly had 'hit the wall' and will admit to being a bit grumpy.

Thursday dawned way too soon - for both of us - but head north we must. We both had been dreading the day, for we had 500+ miles to go before we slept. The 'bonus' that day was a stop at a Cracker Barrel for their turkey & dressing lunch special. We also made a quick stop at the Brattleboro, VT KOA. The new owners, Beverly & Ernie, had called to give us an update on some changes they had made and we wanted to see them first hand.

Pulled in to the Twin Mountain, NH KOA about 7:30 that evening, but not before Greg & Sue called to see if we were 'alright'. Our late arrival was beginning to worry them. A dish of ice cream at their social for our supper and a short visit with them, but it was still after 9:00 p.m. before we called it a day.

Friday of the holiday weekend, but we took time to do the walk-about at Twin Mountain. It went very quickly, for they offered us the use of a golf cart - and they run such a great operation, we found nothing to 'write up'. We love doing reviews like this one. Greg & Sue invited us to join them for brunch at their favorite breakfast cafe - and we got in a good visit talking about their future plans for the park. They headed back to face the Friday afternoon holiday rush - and we headed about 30 miles south to the Woodstock KOA.

We had planned this visit back in July and booked it early - for we have to be somewhere over the holidays - and we don't like giving our money to the competitors. Have wanted to see this park in full swing over a weekend - and we got our wish. Hunter would have loved it here! Candy bar bingo, a treasure hunt, kick-ball game, pie-eating contest, horse-shoe tournament, glo-stick hay ride, rock painting . . . just some of the activities of the weekend.

Roger even got off lucky and took me to the all-you-can eat pancake breakfast and then the pot-luck supper on Sunday evening - in honor of my birthday! At least I didn't have to cook! Well, I did bake some brownies for the pot-luck. He then offered to take me to the ice cream social, but I was too full from supper for that! But he managed to choke down a bowl. :>)

But sitting still for a couple of days gave us the chance to get a prescription filled, truck tires rotated, oil changed and the trailer tire fixed. Pretty typical 'holiday' whether we are at home - or on the road.

Thousand Islands . . . yes, home of the salad dressing!

We are wrapping up our time here in Ontario and have positioned ourselves to wind up near a U.S. entry port in the 1000 Islands region. This was the 'playground' of the rich and famous during the late 1800's.

We enjoyed two days with the folks at the Mallorytown KOA. A beautiful park and we felt a bit pampered being able to walk over and enjoy breakfast at their pavilion each morning. Their son, Andrew, was getting ready to depart for his second year at McGill University in Montreal and we enjoyed visiting with him. One morning I ordered a 'Western Thing' breakfast sandwich and Andrew 'challenged' me to try it with mustard. I took him up on the challenge, and have to admit it gives an 'egg sandwich' a whole new personality! Had some good old fashioned rain - which we really haven't seen that much of this year, much unlike the family at home in Oklahoma. Got all my paperwork caught up on their excellent WiFi - right from our trailer.

Before leaving, they gave us their business card for 2 complimentary boat tours of the 1,000 Islands region. It was our intention to stop on the way to the next KOA at Ivy Lea (which was only a few miles down the road), but after talking about it we decided to trek on to Ivy Lea and unhook from our trailer. Arrived at Ivy Lea about 11:00 Friday morning - but thankfully our space was vacant. While visiting with the owners here, they made us 'an offer we couldn't refuse' when they asked if we would like a 'personal tour' of the islands. So, we promptly got the walk-about done -left the yellow shirts behind - and headed out for an evening on the St. Lawrence Seaway.



Susan's mom and step-father have a home in the area and a beautiful pontoon boat that they let us borrow. Dave was an excellent 'captain' and we saw several of the beautiful 'summer' homes and the famous "Boldt Castle" on Heart Island. The restored castle - fashioned after a castle in Germany is now the scene of many weddings - and we caught sight of a wedding party as we circled the island.






This out building is the 'pump house'!






This 'modest' building across the water from the castle was the 'boat house', built so the owner's sail boat could exit in full sail!

The tragedy of all this magnificence is that all this was built for his wife, Louise, who died before the castle was finished. Upon her death he left the islands and the castle was never finished.






Check out the 'play house'!








We also saw the 'shortest' bridge spanning international waters, as the house sits on an island in Canadian waters, while their 'backyard' is an island in U.S. waters!




We wrapped up our evening with dinner at the "Boat House" with some authentic Austrian 'schnitzel'! Got back after dark and had a bit of a challenge getting the boat to the dock as the tide was out. Which also created a challenge for moi - trying to make the 'giant' step up onto the dock! But, once again, I laid my 'dignity' aside and - with Roger's help - made it back on dry land, with only a couple of mosquito bites.

Sorry To Leave You Hanging . . .

Yes, we are back on the road again. Got out of Scranton, PA just before noon - but decided to cancel out on my doctor's appointment for we just didn't know how long the repairs would take and didn't feel it was fair to the doctor's office to wait till the last minute. Have decided to just wait till we see Oklahoma again and follow up with my doctor - or whoever he recommends.

A night in Cooperstown and 'stuff' just keeps happening to us. Since Patty is a 'one-woman' show there during the week, we carted our laundry up to do it as we went over the review with her while she manned the store the next morning. Gathered up the laundry and Roger came in with the detergent bag and said "Look at this!" I buy Oxyclean in a big box and divide it up in smaller quantities (usually in zip lock bags). However, the last batch I bought, I had just bought a 'Seal a Meal' vaccum sealer and practiced with a bag of Oxyclean. I remember it sealed it tight as a drum. Well, Roger came in carrying that 'bag' and it had 'expanded' till it looked about ready to burst. We didn't think anything about it, he re-filled my jar and off we went to wash. Had 4 loads, and as usual, I poured the detergent and a dose of Oxyclean in every load. Pulled out my load of black pants to find them looking rather like 'tie-dye'. Our first reaction was that they didn't rinse well, so I put them back through another full wash with no soap. Still came out looking like tie dye. Then I noticed a load of our yellow shirts looked a bit 'washed out' too! The only thing we could figure out is that the Oxyclean had some kind of 'reaction' sealed with out oxygen - and it 'bleached' out two loads of laundry!

If we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any at all! Oh, well, guess I have a good supply of 'grubbies' now for painting, etc. when we get home.

Onward & upward, north to Lake Placid. This place is one of a kind. Had barely pulled in till a yellow shirt on a golf cart rolled up to say that it was "Taco Salad Night" at the campground and Richard & Sylvia had invited us to join them. It was just about over, so we hurried up and feasted on a bountiful and delicious salad. We spent the evening catching up and talking about anything and everything and before we knew it, it was 11:00 p.m! Great folks!

The next day - even with six - count them, six bath houses, we found the park in excellent condition. Sure wish this park was closer to Oklahoma, for we know our grandkids would love this park. The Adirondacks are just a very special place.

On to Canada after breakfast with Richard & Sylvia. Doing reviews like this is the 'fun' part of the job. Listening to Richard tell of some of their 'experiences' had us laughing and before we knew it it was 10:00 am and we have miles to make before we sleep.

This time at the border the line was long. I was trying to make some scheduling calls and was right in the middle of one when Roger pulled up to the Canadian border booth. The agent stated that we couldn't 'do' anything till I got off the phone. I was on 'hold' so I hung up and he proceeded to ask a few questions (never even looked at our passports this time) - and waved us on through. Two stops in Montreal and we trucked on to Renfrew, Ontario.

Our first time here and it is a delightful park. Small with lots of seasonals, but so friendly. We especially liked their 'swimming beach' and state of the art mini-golf and mini-splash park. We ran into some former franchisees who were camping there, and they invited us over for burgers as soon as we got set up. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Roger had to put on long britches and thicker socks - for it's down right chilly! Being my mother's daughter, I can't go to supper without taking 'something' so I scrounged up a bag of Cheetos and Roger's Amish apple pie and chocolate chip cookies from our visits in Pennsylvania. They were a big hit and their 13-year-old daughter even gave me a hug for the 'best cookies ever!' I assured her, I didn't make them, we just bought them. Enjoyed an evening around the campfire, but these late evenings sure catch up with us. I enjoyed not having to cook again. Couldn't believe that we actually ran the heat both nights!

Next stop was Marmora, Ontario. Slipped in on a Sunday afternoon to find that they were winding down from their big "Corn Roast" weekend - and they had bunches left. Dan & Alexandra 'gifted' us with a dozen ears, picked fresh Saturday morning! Enjoyed our short time with them. We were here in 2004 and it's good to see the improvements. And yes, we ran the heat again that night.

Monday was a 'short' day as we only had 50 miles to go to Brighton, Ontario. This is a park we visited in early June (when the Canadian border guard threatened us with arrest) - and it's good to see the improvements made just since then. With the weather still very chilly, I decided it was a perfect night for a pot of beans and cornbread, but I couldn't resist cooking up three ears of the corn. Reminded me of many a supper Mom used to cook up; the only thing missing was some boiled eggs. Have to say it was the best corn on the cob I EVER remember eating! All I did was cook it in water - I didn't add a thing and it was sweet as could be. Yummy - wish you all could have been here to share.

Knowing we couldn't take it back across the border - and Roger wasn't exactly crazy about eating corn every night - so we shared our bounty of corn with Ed & Mari. She, in turn, showed up with a 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper for me, for she has been following my blog and took 'exception' when I said I couldn't find Diet DP in Canada. She even stocks it in her store! Maybe there is hope for our 'neighbors to the north' yet! The second night, they treated us to dinner at Dougal's and we really enjoyed relaxing and visiting. (It's beginning to sound like we're eating our way through Ontario, isn't it?)

So, that brings us up to date. Pulled north in to Mallorytown, Ontario, near the 1000 Islands area. Had a free afternoon, so took the opportunity to do a couple loads of laundry in their brand new laundry. Love those front loader machines! Came back to the trailer to make up a meatloaf for supper. Had it half way made when I realized I didn't have any tomato sauce, so poured the remainder of a jar of pizza sauce in it. Not bad! Course, as usual, I ended up with enough meat loaf for 3 meals! Thank goodness for freezers.

Taking advantage of a second night here, so pulled out the crock pot and put a roast on for tomorrow so I won't have to 'slave' after doing the review tomorrow.

Well, folks, I hear my 'bed' (it's really still the recliner) calling my name so I'm going to wrap it up for tonight.

One More "Bump" in the Road!

I must have jinxed us! Talking with folks at Williamsport, PA and I said, "IF" nothing else happens . . .

And it did!

Left out of Williamsport about noon Monday, trucking east & then north, headed to Cooperstown, NY. The Baseball Hall of Fame induction is over and done with, so things have slowed down in that area. Got north of Scranton, PA and just pulled through a toll booth, when the truck just lost power. Roger went to accelerate and nothing. It was still running, but with the trailer in tow, he couldn't go but 15-20 mph - and that is NOT GOOD on an eastern U.S. interstate! Not good on any interstate, but we limped along on the shoulder.

I thought he would get off at the first exit, but no, he thought it might clear out, so he kept on going. Wouldn't you know it was a steady uphill climb! He kept thinking that if he could just get some speed up, but no chance. We went on this way about 5 miles more, then he called it quits and pulled in to a rest stop. Called AAA and they sent a tow truck.

We unhooked the trailer, and Roger decided to give the truck a try on its own. Got up to 50 mph, but by that time, they called and said they had a second tow truck coming for the truck. If you have ever seen one of the tow trucks, you realize you need more than a 'step stool' to get in to one of those things! With my bum shoulder, it wasn't going to be a simple task for me!

But with Roger's help, I made it in- and out! By the time I did, my dignity was long gone, but thankfully I will never see these people again in my lifetime! One truck headed off with the trailer to the 'yard' of the towing company, and the other truck headed to the nearest Chevy dealership with our truck and us. Got there about 4:20 - just as the service department was closing.

Since it is still under warranty, they called Enterprise for a rental for us. I'm thinking . . . finally something easier for me to get in and out of! Not to be. The only 'car' they had available was a Dodge Ram truck, with no step. With my short legs and bum shoulder, it might as well have been another tow truck! With no choice in the matter, we took it and Roger pulled over to a curb so I could climb in. We drove straight to the tow lot to get enough clothes and toiletries for a night in a motel - and a step for me - before beginning our search for a motel.

If you have never been in Scranton, PA - what a maze! Thankfully we had enough forethought to get our friend "Sylvia, the GPS" out of our truck. Headed to the Days Inn, hoping to find a room with a recliner, since sleeping in a bed is still tough for me. No luck there, so we tried calling around to the various motels. No recliners. Even tried a Residence Inn, thinking a 'longer stay' place would surely have nice comfortable recliners. Nope. But they did call their 'connections' and found a Host Inn in Wilkes-Barre, about 15 miles back down the road.

With nothing but time on our hands, we headed back south. Nice motel, and Roger was just positive he had seen a Cracker Barrel advertised on a billboard just one exit down from the motel. He was set! So finally about 7:30 we headed out on our next adventure. Well, there was not a Cracker Barrel to be found, so we settled for a very mediocre meal at Chili's. Normally we have really liked their food, but Roger ordered a 'country fried steak' and it came with a little dollop of gravy about as big around as a tea cup on the meat! Also had a huge mound of potatoes, and one little 'dollop' of gravy sitting right atop the potatoes. I looked at that and said, "That's all the gravy? We're gonna need some more!" He then came back a few minutes later to tell us that it would be a minute, for they were 'heating' up some more, which means he just opened another can! Oh, there are just some things you miss about the South!

"Home" for the night, and it passed about like any night in a motel. Strange bed, strange chair, strange everything. Our 'home on wheels' may have its problems, but I much prefer it to moteling it every night. Know it would be better if I was feeling better. The thing I'm struggling the most with is my loss of independance. Seems like Roger has to help me with everything from washing my hair to getting dressed. He never complains, but I do.

We're hopeful they will be able to diagnosis the problem quickly and get us back on the road by noon today. Stay tuned.

Angels Wear Yellow!

Or that's what our franchisees in Niagara Falls North think! This is the park that burned to the ground early morning July 27thl It was our first chance to get over there, and when we got there Fran just grabbed us and cried. This is the third park we have been close to over the years that has gone through this, and it is never easy.

The other two KOAs in the Niagara Falls area really stepped up to the plate and pitched in to help Leigh & Fran survive that first horrible couple of days. As Fran was telling us about all their help, she made the statement, "I didn't know angels wore yellow, but they do!" It made us so proud to be associated with a company that has such a feeling of 'family'.

They were trying to work with only two yellow shirts each, so we went back the next day and took some of our ample supply. We also burned a cd of pictures we have taken at their park over the years, and it was helpful as they begin the task of making a list of things that were in their building.

At times like these it can be so tense and emotional, and Fran was sharing how sad it was that she had lost all her 'things' from her parents. She begin to cry and went on to state that she really felt bad, for Leigh's grandparents 'urns' were also lost in the fire. I do not know what possessed me to say it, but I spouted, "That's ok, they've been through it before!" Fran started giggling and so did we. We laughed till we cried, again. Laughter is good for the soul, even in tough times.

The review at Niagara Falls/Grand Island was something. With 61 kabins and a lodge, we had our work cut out Sunday afternoon (but so did the cleaning crew!). Think about 50 of them were vacant and we checked every one! The manager, Ginny, really has her hands full with the park undergoing major renovation. When we arrived on Friday, she had just got the A/C working again in the main building. Then, as we were sitting in her office Monday morning going over the review, the power went down. Seems a transformer had gone down somewhere on the island and the entire park was down. We felt a bit like we were deserting a sinking ship when we left, but knew there was nothing we could do. It's times like this that remind us WHY we are glad we no longer own a park!

Drove south to Westfield, NY and unhooked from the trailer and headed southeast to Kinzua, PA. A pretty little park in the Allegheny Mtns. Needed to do a follow up visit there and didn't want to drag the trailer over those rough roads. It was about 90 miles each way - in the rain - and got back to Westfield about 8:00 p.m. and began their walk-about. Had to stop when it got dark, and finished up the next morning and drove further south. The heat and humidity was a killer, with temperatures in the 90's - and right on Lake Erie!

This stop was Mercer, PA about 130 miles north of Pittsburgh. Waited till it cooled off a bit to do their walk-about. A nice park and we see continued improvement here, which always makes us happy! Had a nice visit with these folks, before heading south once again.

As we drove, we begin hearing reports of a major rain storm that had hit parts of Pittsburgh that morning and predictions of more rain to come. And boy did it. It took us 3 hours to drive 127 miles. It was raining in sheets! Of course, wouldn't you know it, we needed gas. Couldn't find a station - and didn't want to risk getting off on to city streets, so Roger pulls over and stands out in the rain - and lightening - pouring his 5 gallon emergency supply in the tank. He was soaked! That got us on to the turnpike service area, but by that time it was raining so hard, we just pulled over and sat it out for a while. He then backed up to the pump and got gas and we continued on.

The non-stop pace caught up with me (early mornings and late nights typing reports) - and I dozed off. Of course, wouldn't you know it was not a good time! Roger claims I go to sleep always as we are approaching a big city! He would reach over and wake me and I would doze right off again! By that time we had missed our turnpike exit - and the next exit was 20 miles down the road. Needless to say Roger was NOT a happy camper. After fighting that rain and traffic, for 3 hours, the LAST THING he wanted was to drive 40 miles out of the way. You could say it was a pretty quiet evening in the Hughes household last night. The pace is wearing on both of us, and with me still being a 'wounded bird' with my shoulder does not help. We barely got the trailer set up, before the skies opened once again. The third wave hit later that night. We are used to rain storms like this in Oklahoma, but it's been a while since we've had rain like this up here.

Circumstances have mandated that we are here in Madison, PA (southeast of Pittsburgh) for two nights and it has been for the best. A good park here, and we both have gotten some much needed rest. Two quiet evenings here, for Friday nights are not good times to meet with busy owners. Will meet with them in the morning and then head about 150 miles northeast to Bellefonte, PA.

It's Hotter than the hinges in Hades!

That's the new 'Rogerism' we've picked up this year! (Credit for that one goes to Nancy in Augusta, Maine)

So much for coming to the Northeast to escape the Oklahoma heat! Think it's actually cooler in Oklahoma than we have been having here the past couple of weeks. Finishing up here in Vermont for now and headed to Lake George, NY in the morning. A one night stay there and then a long day's drive back to the west side, to the Niagara Falls/Grand Island KOA.

All of the above is behind us - and we are settled in here, once again, in Niagara Falls. A quiet Saturdy evening - in our trailer, anyways . . . but the campground was hopping. We chose to hibernate, though. We often spend time 'cussing and discussing' ideas, dreams, challenges, philosphies, etc. Yesterday was one of the days. It got off to a bit of a 'rocky' start, when we're in the middle of Lake George traffic (kind of like Branson, MO traffic for those of you familiar with that). As we approached the interstate ramps, Roger said, "Which way?" I said "South" and he headed to the "North" ramp! The conversation went something like this: (me) "WHAT ARE UP DOING?" (him) "YOU SAID NORTH! " (me) "I SAID SOUTH! YOU DIDN'T LISTEN!"

We did get on the interstate - headed south - but the tone for the rest of the day pretty much followed suit. One could say it was a bit like having J.C. (Roger's dad) and Delsa (Twylah's mom) in the truck, instead of Roger & Twylah. (Now that's scary!) Seems we couldn't agree on anything!

Guess we need those times to 'let off steam'. Coming off a couple of very challenging visits and I think we put so much of ourselves into this job, that sometimes we just have to 'blow'. But when you are traveling down an interstate at 65 mph, you sure don't have any doors to slam or places to escape too! :>)

All was well by supper time. I mixed up a batch of Okie Taters and Roger says I got a 'really good scald' on them. He 'pigged out' and, bellies full, we had a quiet evening.

Randy called about 9:00 (Eastern) just as I was getting good and settled in my bed (the recliner). He and Shelly had been working on our house and wanted to discuss light fixtures, paint, etc. Got me to thinking, so I was back up and on the computer, checking out the nearest Lowe's & Home Depot. It couldn't have come at a better time, for we'll have a bit of 'free' time today (Sunday).

With the park full, we can't really even begin to do the review here till this evening when the weekenders leave out. So this morning it is laundry and then a visit to Niagara North, that had the fire July 27th. We'll have some Lowe's & Home Depot time after that.

I appreciate all the notes I've gotten with concern for my shoulder. It's better, but have a long way to go. Seem to do all right most of the day, but by about 4:00 in the afternoon I have to 'give in' and take some Tylenol.

Honestly, our life just isn't as 'interesting' since the departure of our granddaughter. But we hear she hit the ground running and hasn't looked back!

From here on in it's pretty much non-stop reviews, rolling every day. Come along for the ride!

P.S. The pictures have nothing to do with anything - that's just Nick & Wes doing the 'glad to be home dance!'

All Work and No Play

Just got chided by my big sis for not writing in a while. Guess it has been almost a week. Since Hunter left, our days aren't near as much fun!

Left New York behind us and headed north to Brattleboro, Vermont. New owners there, so we got to stay still for 3 nights.

The shoulder is still hurting; having trouble sleeping in the bed - just can't get comfortable - so it's back to the recliner for now. Tried taking some of my 'hard' pain medicine left over from my knee replacement, but its just too hard to take that and try to work. So I'm back to the gentler stuff, but it doesn't kill the pain as well. Have found that one thing that really hurts is clicking the computer mouse. Just goes to prove that muscle runs from your finger all the way up your arm!

On to Littleton, New Hampshire to do their review. A short overnight stay and then it's south to Boston. Took Roger over an hour to get his satellite 'zoned' in, but that guy won't give up! A cold sandwich for supper tonite - for we still have to do the walk-about on this park. Have to have the review ready by 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, for we head back north to Freeport, Maine first thing Sunday.

Had some very bad news from one of our parks this morning. Up at 5:15 and checked my e-mail to find that the Niagara Falls North KOA had a fire overnight and their main building was burned to the ground. No idea what caused it yet. A pretty park - and the folks had done so much work on the building. Know it is devastating, but thankfully no one was in the building at the time the fire started (3:00 a.m.). We won't be back in that area for a couple of weeks, but have been in touch by e-mail and phone today. Thankfully they still have power to their campsites, a second bathhouse, kabins and the swimming pool. Hopefully they can salvage the rest of the camping season.

Well, it's off to work - 5:30 p.m. - when most folks are just quitting for the day. That's our life!

Priceless!

Arrived at the Newburgh/NYC North KOA to find ourselves in a very busy weekend. Got in our 'overflow' site and figured Hunter would be ready to explore. But, no, her only focus was to get her suitcase packed and ready for her flight home on Saturday. That suited me, for I was needing some 'down' time.

Saturday morning and the process was still going on, for she kept finding things she had 'forgotten'. We pulled out another suitcase for it became obvious all her treasures weren't going to fit in the one she brought. I'm sure the baggage inspectors had to smile when they found the inflatable alligator float, a bag of rocks, pieces of driftwood, etc. when they checked hers.

Headed to Newark, NJ just before 11:00 and got there in plenty of time, without too many wrong turns. Lots of traffic though!

When the flight attendant called her name, she was up and half way to the plane before we could call out to her to 'be good, give bubba a hug, etc.' She was so excited she was hopping!

Called Russ to let him know she was on her way and we made out way 'home'. The trailer seemed 'empty' without her bubbling presence, but know it's the way its supposed to be. We've got our 'plate full' for the next 2 months, and know the time will pass quickly.

This whole adventure brought to mind a popular TV commercial:

Bicycle - $40
Air Mattress & Pump - $40
Extra Food - $100 +
Various quarters for game machines - $20 +
Tickets for the Newfoundland Ferry - $35
Whale & Iceberg Boat Ride, complete with T-shirt - $140
Newfie Hoodie - $20
Two new outfits - $45
Various Postcards - $5
Day at Niagara Falls - $75

FIVE WEEKS WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTER - PRICELESS!

A Slight Change in Plans

Thursday found us up and moving, although not as quickly as Roger would have liked. We were all a bit slow after our long day at the Falls.

Pulled out of Canandaigua, NY about 9:30 a.m. heading east. Hunter is counting the days till Saturday; she is very anxious to be home. Five weeks is a long time - even when you are having fun.

Drove through rain on and off (more on than off) but decided to go ahead and make a stop at the Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA right about lunch time. Needed to do a follow up visit here, and figured we could stop for a bite of lunch afterwards to break up the 5 hour drive to Newburgh, NY.

A large park, rather spread out, so Roger went one direction and Hunter and I went the other. Our goal was to check to make sure the 30-day items we left with them a month ago had been corrected and basically just touch base with them. As we started out, I hit a muddy spot and found it slippery; I caught myself and cautioned Hunter to be careful. We then chatted how the one thing Grandma didn't need to do was fall in the mud! Checked the kabins first and was pleased to find everything accomplished, so we headed to the satellite bathhouse. One moment I was walking up a slight incline and the next minute I'm face first in the mud! Of course I was carrying an umbrella and so I fell with my right arm outstretched - and knew immediately I had done something very bad to my right shoulder. Tried to get up, but couldn't put any weight on my shoulder and the mud was so slick I couldn't get my feet under me.

I remember Hunter saying, "Oh, Grandma!" There wasn't anything she could do, so I sent her running to find Grandpa, while I sat in the mud and rain. Hadn't even thought to ask Hunter to hand me my umbrella! Not long, here came two work kampers who wanted to try to help me up, but I insisted that I just sit there until Roger got there. One of the men did hand me my umbrella - and the other decided to go get the truck and try to find Roger.

When Roger got there, he moved a picnic table over to me (and almost fell himself) - and we finally got me on my feet. There I stood, covered with mud, soaked to the skin - just as the owner, followed by an EMT unit arrived. Seems they were in the middle of their "Rock & Gem Camp" and are required to have an EMT unit on the grounds. He checked me over and told me that I needed to go to the Urgent Care Center and have my arm x-rayed. I was in so much pain, I was not arguing, but I also wasn't going anywhere covered in mud. Holding on to Roger, I walked myself back to the trailer, where he helped me get into some clean - and dry - clothes.

Meanwhile, Rene had whisked Hunter off to Gem & Rock Camp so she wouldn't have to spend her day in waiting rooms. I got to the Urgent Care Center in Herkimer where they x-rayed my arm - and provided plenty of Kleenex - to dry my tears, which were a mixture of pain and pure frustration at having 'screwed' up!

The PA there indicated that my shoulder was separated, but thankfully nothing broken. However, they didn't have anyone on staff that was qualified to put it back in place, so we drove the 20+ miles to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Utica. They had alerted the ER staff that I was coming and whisked me right in. Even with all the efficiency, it was still over 4 hours from the time it happened until they got the IV in and was able to give me some real pain relief.

Par for the course, the first tries to pop it back didn't work, so more sedation and some injections right into the shoulder joint, and much pulling later, mission accomplished! The doctor wrapped a sheet around me and had Roger and the nurse on one side of the bed pulling the sheet one way, while he was pulling my arm the other. But I was floating so high I was hardly aware of anything - thankfully.

Don't remember much after that - but about 7:00 they got me up and into a wheel chair and rolled me out to the yellow truck. When we got back to the park, Roger checked on Hunter to find her completely immersed in 'camp' with her new friends. He was going to stick something in the oven for supper, but was told that our supper would be arriving shortly.

Well fed and still feeling no pain, I settled into my recliner and promptly went to sleep. Hunter flew in sometime later and grabbed blankets and her pillow and went off to join her friends for the 'overnight' in a kabin.



Rene insisted that we hang around the next day until after the 'ending ceremonies' for the camp. It was very nice and wasn't complete without a parting picture of Hunter and her new friends. As is normal, wasn't much sleep during the 'sleep over' and Hunter was sound asleep in the back seat of the truck almost before we got on the thruway.

Just south of Albany we stopped for gas and Roger went in and got us some 'lunch' . The smell of food woke Hunter and she wolfed down her Quarter Pounder - and went promptly back to sleep.