On to Baytown, TX

We drove just over 200 miles today.  There was a lengthy stretch of construction just at and past Beaumont Texas which slowed us down for about 20 minutes.  Other construction areas did not slow us up too much, and traffic as moderate to light for most of the day except in Beaumont.  

Last night (Friday night) it was a bit too humid for my liking, and it was hard to sleep until after midnight.  Still we got on the road, after coffee percolated, by 8:45.

I mentioned before that our Continuous-Duty SPST Series Solenoid Relay  (which are designed with single-pole, single-throw (SPST) circuitry) may be on the brink of going out.  I got one from Amazon just before we left.  So far, when I check if the engine is charging the house batteries, the light has been green.  Today, it was not green.  We drove about 4 hours today, and for half of the drive the light was not green.  Finally, I clicked the storage/use button (again) and this time (after the fourth or fifth time) the light went green.  The only problem is that without it going green, the house batteries do not charge...which means we are limited to how often we can park at a Cracker Barrel, Rest Area, or other place without hooking to electricity, or running the generator.  I have the part...just don't want to put it in while on the road if I can help it.

 

We last stayed at Bayou Bend RV Park in Baytown Texas back in early December 2021.  It is a Passport America park, and is a newer park, cost $25 a night, and is clean, friendly and pet friendly.  Called last night and gave them all the info, and when we pulled up today our info was in a mail box near the door with everything we needed for our stay.  I even used their nice shower in their public bathrooms, and boy, did that feel nice!  

When I pulled into the assigned camping spot, known as a "pad" in some circles, I encountered something strange for the first time ever.  I unhooked the car, backed into the spot, and immediately started to hook up the electricity and power.  Just as I was getting ready to connect the cord to the motorhome, I sense the motorhome is moving backward.  I hurry to the driver door, open it up while yelling "what did you do", and put it in park (I thought Marcia might have been putting up the window covers and accidentally hit the stick shift).  Now both Marcia and I KNOW I had it in park previously...and Marcia was reading the packet of info from the park, and there is Indy with her paws on the steering wheel driving the motorhome!  We guess that when I put it in park and engaged the brake, that it was not fully in park.  Indy must have hit the lever, and pulled it into reverse.  Even with the brake on, it slowly moved the motorhome to move backward.  Luckily I was able to re-put it into park and stop it before it hit the fence behind us.  We always leave the engine going with full AC until I get the power hooked up and get the house AC going...perhaps we should think about that for the future...

To "TOP" matter off, after I get everything hooked up and went inside to put the slide out, I was a bit disoriented, and sat down to enjoy the A/C which was kicked in full blast.  About 30 minutes later I look out my window and what do I see?  Our car, sitting in the street still, waiting to be moved into its parking place!  I have never done that before either.

I KNOW this is April 1st...it is my dad's birthday...he would have been 95 today.  NONE of this was or is an April Fools joke.

Before taking my shower, I went over to the local H.E.B. store to pick up a few things.  WOW, that store is HUGE.  They sell gas there, but I plan on visiting another Buc-ee's tomorrow, but their prices were $3.03 for unleaded, and $3.47 for diesel.  I have seen a few diesel prices as low as $3.35 today.  H.E.B. is HUGE by the way...reminds me of how big Fred Meyer stores are.

Tornado update:  21 dead, dozens injured in 6 states after the Arkansas tornado outbreak.  I think 6 died in Arkansas, perhaps more.  After seeing the damage and the video of the tornado, I would have though it would have been in the hundreds!  It is going to take years to recover from this tornado, and hats off to the authorities in Little Rock (Mayor, Police, Fire Department) and to Governor Sanders for all they are doing to assist those affected.  During the news conference last night that I say, Sarah Huckabee Sanders stood there with all these "guys", most of whom stood a foot higher than her, yet she was not intimidated, and all of those officials who were there were very complimentary of not only the Governor, but all the other officials and how they have been handling this terrible ordeal.  Hats off to them all...and prayers for all those who have been affected.

 

Dad Would Have Been 92

 

Dad would have been celebrating his 92nd Birthday Today (April 1st).  The picture above was taken two years ago at Sandy and Arny's house.  It was a Sunday, Easter Sunday.  It was the last birthday I would have with him because last year my son graduated from a Chiropractic College in Missouri and we just could not make both.  I wrote this in the blog back then pertaining to his 90th Birthday:

Easter has fallen on Dad’s birthday only four times in his lifetime, 1934, 1945, 1956, and 2018…and will do so again in 2029, but dad says he does not want to be around ‘that’ long…which is understandable. 

Well, he did not even make two years...and I KNOW he does not mind, although many of us do because we miss him so much.

 

Dad was musically inclined with his voice, but playing any instrument just wasn't his thing...but he did enjoy fiddling with a Ukulele now and then.  I think it got put in, and taken out, of more than one yard sale...no telling what ever happened to it.

 

Dad had one brother, Leroy...we affectionately called him Uncle Red, even though his red hair turned white a long time ago.  Above is a picture of Leroy (right) and mom and dad before they got married.  Dad was in his navy uniform.  My guess, it was 1947, perhaps 1946.

Both dad and Leroy were very jovial, even to the point of being jokesters.  Leroy was the king of the two, older child and all...he dished out many a good joke...and was the receiver of many too.  Dad, well, being born on April 1st, had many a joke played on him just because he was born on April Fools Day.  As a young child I remember someone at church giving him a large, nicely wrapped box for his birthday.  By the time he got down to the sixth or seventh box (open the big box, a slightly smaller box is found, open it, and another slightly smaller box is found, etc) each nicely wrapped, he got down to the last one which was the size of a ring box...just to open it and find a piece of Bazooka Bubble Gum.

 

I couldn't wait for him to open it just so I could read the short little Bazooka Joe Comic found on the inside of the wrapper of each piece of gum. 

 

On June 5, 1948 mom and dad married in San Jose by candle light at 7 pm.  Grandpa Burdick performed the ceremony, and that is him standing behind mom and dad.   Uncle Red was at the far right.  Mom's sister Aunt Mary was next to mom, and on the far left is future Aunt Mary Lee, who later married mom's brother Kenny.  I 'think' everyone else in the picture has passed now except for mom and Mary.  Others in the picture were friends of mom and dad.

 

My brother Bob sent me this picture the other day.  It is the wedding of our cousin Marlene, around 1950.  That is mom standing to the left of the bride (Marlene), and Bob's first mother-in-law, Anne, is standing next to mom.  The interesting thing is...the wedding dress that Marlene is wearing is mom's wedding dress...and the dress mom is wearing is one of the dresses her bride's maids wore...most likely the one Aunt Mary wore.

 

This is, I think, the last picture that all of us were in together.  It was taken December 2017.  Look at that smile on both mom and dad's face!  A very precious moment.  FYI: Back Row L to R - Jim, Roger, Dave (me);  Middle Row: Patti, Sandy, Bob; and Mom and Dad in front.

 

Four years ago, on dad's 88th birthday, Mom decided to give up drinking, and was handing her Bud Light to Arny.  It was about time, we were all getting worried about her!  (Honestly, neither mom nor dad drank or smoked...she was teasing Arny who had left his beer sitting around and she grabbed it while he was not looking...I just happened to have the camera ready to get the shot.)

I am so thankful for the many times over the past ten years that Marcia and I were able to celebrate things like Birthdays, Father's Day, Mother's Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving,  Christmas and of course, Wedding Anniversary days with both Mom and Dad, let alone other times that we gathered at Sandy and Arny's for a meal or just a good get-together.  For a few years mom and dad lived right next door to Sandy and Arny, so when we were 'Backyard Camping' it was very easy to visit them.  

The irony is, had dad been alive now, there is no way we could have made his birthday this year.  CoronaVirus prevents "group gatherings", and right now mom (and dad had he survived) is in total facility lock-down.  "IF" a resident leaves the facility grounds for any reason, even a doctor's appointment, they will be under strict 14 day quarantine in their apartments to be sure that they don't spread the virus if they caught it.  So far, the entire facility is virus free...thank the Lord!  Of course, we wouldn't even attempt to drive to California right now...with our luck, we would get in the middle of west Texas and have some State Trooper make us park and sit it out.  (Actually, have not heard stories of RVers being stopped, but many state and federal parks are closed, as are some commercially owned parks.)

So today (April 1st) I will miss my annual phone call, won't be able to visit, can't celebrate a wonderful day with dad...so we will just have to celebrate it without dad.  In a way, he will be there, in the hearts of each child, each grandchild, each relative, and especially a spouse who loves him so very much.  Happy Birthday Dad...this one you get to celebrate with your mom and dad and brother and countless friends and relatives who we also miss so very much.  Have a nice Heavenly Birthday!

Ninety Years Old

At Sister’s House in Citrus Heights

   

Both mom and dad have birthdays in April…dad’s was on Sunday, an April Fools baby.

To celebrate the occasion, we thought “wild turkey” would be in order…but alas, them critters are hard to catch….so….

Black Angus was our secondary choice.  Saturday late afternoon, before they are too busy, those children and spouses who were able to attend, took dad there for his favorite…Prime Rib.  Pictured left to right are Marcia, sister Patti, sister Sandy, Arny (behind Sandy), mom, dad, Rochelle (Roger’s wife) and just out of the picture to the right, brother Roger. 

    

On Sunday we gathered again for an Easter – April Fools – Birthday dinner.  Easter has fallen on Dad’s birthday only four times in his lifetime, 1934, 1945, 1956, and 2018…and will do so again in 2029, but dad says he does not want to be around ‘that’ long…which is understandable. 

We asked permission from the Fire Department to put 90 candles on the cake…but they said ‘no way’.  I think there are 90 sprinkles on it instead…

    

In the upper left picture are dad’s brother’s two children who were able to attend, Richard (far left) and Barbara (next to Richard), along with Richard’s wife Marci, and Roger’s wife Rochelle.  Barbara lives in Italy, and I had not seen her for many years, and it was the first time she had met my wife Marcia.  In the upper right picture is my son Michael (far right behind dad) and his wife to be Anna (July wedding) to the left of Michael (his right, picture left).  In the bottom picture is Arny’s mother Euleda (left) along with my mom and sister Patti.

Above, Sandy and Arny, whose home we all gathered at, enjoy talking to Marci and Richard, who live in the Santa Cruz area…and Marcia and I plan to go over to their place in early May for a few days as part of our May excursion. 

   

And now that I got these two in the blog, I think I got a picture of everyone, although Roger only got his arm in a picture.

When I took mom and dad home, mom asked me to get a picture of their front door…the Independent Living Facility had decorated it for Dad’s birthday…so sweet of them. 

Unfortunately, Sunday also brought with it some sad news.  Marcia’s cousin, through her first husband, Sophie, passed away.  The above picture is from October 2016.  Every year we have driven through Fort Smith to visit with Sophie, who was 95 years old.  She will be missed, but we know she is no longer in any pain, and with our Lord.  Prayers to her family and friends who are mourning her loss.  We still plan to stop in Fort Smith to see her son Jim and wife Pat later this summer/fall.

Day After Fools Day Birthday Party

Mom and dad were the first to arrive, and mom got a hold of one of Arny’s beers, and just about didn’t give it back to him.  (Her and dad are non-drinkers)

      

By 3:15, everyone had arrived.  Hoovering over pictures will tell you who everyone is (left to right).  Ten adults, no kids, four dogs…

Patti and her two dogs, Parker (on lap) and Charlie.  They were from the same litter, and she has had them for around six years now.  Donna lives in Patti’s house, and helps take care of them.  All four dogs get along real well.

Last year Michael graduated with his Masters from U.C. Berkeley.  When I graduated with my Masters Degree in Library and Information Sciences, my mom and dad gave me dad’s grandfathers Railroad Pocket Watch.  I forgot to bring it out to Michael last year, but this year I remembered, and I gave it to him today.

Read this May 2012 blog post for the history about the watch, and read this May 2015 blog about Michael’s graduation.  Told Michael that he needed to be sure to have someone who he could hand it down to some day too (hint, hint).

We had New York Steaks, Chicken for non red meat eaters, baked potatoes, salad, bread, etc.   It as “so good”, and everyone went away stuffed.  Sandy’s short cake with strawberries and blackberries really topped it off.  Arny did all the cooking on his two barbecues, and he really out did himself, again.  YUMMY!

After dinner, and after Patti and Donna took off, it was time to sit around and let things settle a bit.

   

Well, we thought there would be entertainment…Santa, Elvis…the Duke.  But alas, I guess that was just an April Fools thought.  Dad had a wonderful birthday celebration regardless.  Happy Birthday Dad!!!!

An April Fool Birthday

I can’t remember when the last time was that I saw my dad on his birthday.  Mom’s birthday, yep…didn’t make them all, but have made many of them.  Dad’s, which is 24 days before moms…not very many at all.  But this time, nor rain, nor hail, nor wind…nothing kept us from being here this time!

Dad has faced many years of “Jokes” on his birthday.  I remember as a young kid him getting a large present from a friend or family member (outside of us kids or mom), and he opened it, to pull out another, nicely wrapped box, which he opened, to pull out another, nicely wrapped box…until he got down to a small little wrapped present which turned out to be a piece of Bazooka Bubble Gum.  He said that something similar happened a number of times from when he was a young child, through adulthood. 

Today there was no fooling around…no jokes that I became aware of.  Marcia and I took him out to one of his favorite steak restaurants (Black Angus) for lunch, and he had Prime Rib.  Mom was feeling a bit down, so she stayed home and slept…but when I left there house this evening to walk across the street to the motorhome, it sounded like they were going to split a Prime Rib Sandwich for dinner.

Tomorrow we are having a family BBQ for him…the sisters will be there, my son Michael and his girl friend Anna will be there…just a nice gathering.  Of course, we will have a few special people there…

         

Santa and Elvis will be singing together…

And the Duke, John Wayne, will show up too!