2009 Comes to a Close

Along with another fall and winter visit to Nebraska. First off I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. Hope you all have a prosperous and Healthy 2010. We will be leaving this berg on Tuesday to resume our travel and adventures.
I'm ready to say goodbye to the 4 foot snow drift in my front yard and seeing my breath every time I walk outside. I'm ready to put the 5:30 a.m. wake up calls to have breakfast for the hunters to rest. At least I can sleep til 7!
We had our son and his family here on their way back to CO. They went home today. I spent the rest of the day cleaning, organizing and packing things up. I doubt that I make it past 10 o'clock, the New Year will have to ring itself in without me!
Don't do anything stupid, if ya drink, don't drive! We want ya around for this brand new year. We can always hope for some of that change to be for the better, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Have a safe Holiday weekend anyway! See ya down the road!

Digging In

We literally had to Dig our way back in to our house when we made our way home on Sunday after the Christmas Snow in!
We stopped off at both of the Girls house to visit a little bit and drop off their gifts. I was sorry that they couldn't make it but very glad that they didn't get out on the roads. The drift in front of our house is clear up over the steps!
DH hit it with the shovel and then took the snow blower to it to make a bigger path down the sidewalk. He quit because it was really hard and crusty after the wind and way too tall to get through. I fear he was having way to much fun with this! It will just have to melt itself away! I'm not hangin around to watch that process either! I have hunters again this week and two meals a day, because our Steak House is closed for evening meals Mon. and Tues. So I'm on overload....what's new.It truly looks like a winter wonderland this morning out there. We may have another spot of bad weather coming in tonight. Nothing like the blizzard of '09 though. I can't remember the last time the storms were this bad. The size and duration this year is absolutely crazy! This view is beautiful today and that's as close as I want to get!
Drove back to Kearney yesterday....(the roads were 99% better)to get my car serviced and ready to be in the garage for a lengthy stay. I'm going to be cleaning and packing. D Day is 7 days away! Woo Hoo!!!!!

Snowed In for Christmas

The two boys and families made it. The girls and families did not.
We're snowed in yet this morning, the day after.
We had a good time yesterday with lots of food and gifts and fun....however.....with our bunch there's never a dull moment! After the meeting room was cleaned up, I crashed and was awakened at 4 a.m. by someone yelling for help. My littlist Granddaughter spiked a temp, was having seizures and we had to call an ambulance!
Having 2 EMTs in the family helped. Oh boy, red lights and cops in the middle of the night in a blizzard. I bet we woke up this whole wing. I locked myself out of our room barefooted and in my nightgown..!They got to bring her home with medicine and the fever is down. Sinus Infection.
Needless to say have been up all night. Put on DH's boots and scooped a path for the dog this morning. We are going nowhere today. Maybe walk next door to the Steakhouse for lunch later.
The roads are still closed to the east and the crazy kids still think they're going to Michigan. Quite a few stranded here now. Merry Christmas. May go a little stir crazy and hoping there's a nap here somewhere today! It's over. I need to go get more Tylenol, I hurt everywhere!

We may have Dodged a Bullet

We still have lots of snow, about 8" so far. We sat and watched it all day and watched all of the storm warnings on TV. Then this afternoon it kinda let up and we got a ray of hope from the weather forcasters, saying that we weren't going to end up with 14 inches after all, but not to get a false sense of security, because the wind was going to blow and travel is still treacherous. I'm pretty sure that my son will brave the roads and travel tomorrow.
He thinks they are going on from here to Michigan for just a couple of days. I guess the jury will still be out on that one. DH got busy this afternoon late and ran the snow blower all over. We have about another inch on top now. I think by tomorrow we will be able to make our way to our destination if we don't get in blizzard conditions. I have all of the food prepared and am making a list of all of the things to be done to set this up once we get to the hotel. I have catered many events, but this is a solo event for the family and I'm trying to keep the labor to a minimum so I can enjoy the day too! Our mail came today too, and I got through most of the end of the year stuff. Can't believe that 2009 is coming to a close!

Bracing for Another Storm

Winter Storm Warnings already posted. Blizzard warnings and 50mph winds forcast. This is absolutely not called for! Maybe 13-18 more inches of snow on top of what's left. I want out now. We may not even be able to drive the hour on Christmas Eve to our destination, and if we do, no one will probably be able to show up with their families, so our Christmas may very well be delayed! I have finished baking today, and now am making treat bags and candy favors. Lots of fun things if I ever get to put this shindig on!! I'm so ready to go. Want warmth. Talked to the Mgr. at Desert Valley in AZ today and they were having a terrible wind and sand storm, and I wouldn't have liked that either. On the news they said wrecks and 4 deaths and the area looked like I10 not far from our Resort. We were discussing today how long we will spend there this year. No promises. There's so much we have yet to explore. Races, Festivals, a rally in Yuma and then there's Newport Beach CA. They're calling me! It's nice to be loved! LOL. OK...enough of a break. Time to get back to work, and we'll just have to watch this weather to see if we go...or not!

Last Sunday before Santa Comes

The days are getting busier and busier. Yesterday was a really nice day. DH went hunting with a whole crew of guys from Grand Island NE. The TV weatherman and friends came down here and my youngest son came down to help his dad with a big group. A good time was had by all, except the poor weatherman lost his phone and now today DH is back out there hunting, but for a phone instead of birds! I am doing my last round of baking. Will decorate Cookies and deliver a couple of home made gifts tonight. We are forcast to get some more snow about Wednesday. Guess it will brighten the snow up that we already have. We will load everything up and make our way up to our Hotel on Thursday so I can decorate and get everything set up. Got to watch this year's "Thrills and Spills" drag racing recap show this morning. I miss it already, and can't wait til February when we will be at Firebird for their second 2010 appearance. I've got a couple of projects to finish up here, a couple days to clean, store stuff and winterize and it's "Down the Road We go!" I'm almost getting excited. I've had enough snow and cold for a long while. Don't know what's up with it this year. Everywhere having a harsh mess. I may look at a month in Hawaii next year.

In Omaha Tonight

We made our way down Interstate 80 this afternoon and checked into our hotel before the real hustle and bustle of the city got too crazy to deal with. I haven't been in the part of town that we need to go to tomorrow for a few years, so we did a "dry run" so I could remember the way! Things came back really quickly, however, I think they even have more snow than we do at home and the streets and roads are a mess! I was kinda embarassed by how dirty our car is, until I got here and looked around, and now I feel we fit right in! I'm really glad I didn't get to wash it! We really have a heat wave goin' on. It got up to a roaring 25 today. I'm pleased with our accommodations here. We ended up in a suite, when I just ordered a king room. It's a good thing! We both have TVs this way! Dueling remotes, just like at home. When I was the General Manager of a hotel in Nebraska in a past life, I also lived on property in a suite. Not really unlike this one, so feel pretty much at home! We have appointments tomorrow and then if DH feels like it we will go out for supper and head back to the west on Friday. I thought I would have shopping left to do but we finished that up Monday, so guess not much to hang around here for. The weather should be good until that time and they are calling for flurries Friday, so as long as we don't get 6 inches of flurries, we should have a great uneventful trip back home. You all know about the best laid plans, and if ya wanna see God laugh, make plans. Well I'll reserve all "plans" for the spur of the moment! We did make the appointment to get our new tires on the coach the 6th of January. The only thing that will change that will be the weather of course. At least they know we're coming! The next item of business to get through Christmas. More comments on that later! Night now!

Foggy and Slick Tonight

Another bit of bad weather. Planning on a shopping trip in the morning, but may not get an early start if it's slick like they say it is now. Have had a busy few days. Spent all of today and another day,baking cookies and Banana Bread for Christmas. Am getting into the swing of it now and almost done. I had Grandkids down yesterday for a day of sledding on our Golf Course. I fixed them lunch, chili and hot chocolate. They came back later cold wet and hungry, so we had more hot chocolate and desserts. Tonight I am tired. 4 loaves of Banana Bread, pan of Raspberry Almond Bars. Baked Tilapia, Hashbrown Casserole and Mixed Veggies for supper. I fell like an Alcoholic at a Vodka Convention!LOL. Trying to be good and stay on track after 20 lbs. down and I have to be around all this food! Go figure. We're getting ready to make our way to Omaha on Wednesday. My dog isn't acting like her happy self, so will make an appointment for her to go to the vet for a check up on Tuesday. She has lost 9 lbs. and didn't need to. Probably from Hunting so hard, but something that worries me anyway. She doesn't have much energy. We may have to give her vitamins and a beefed up food. Watching a program on National Geographic Explorer about the Iraq War and they are using pics and footage from '03. Wow bad memories of feelings when a loved one in Harms way and the way I would drink in every bit of news 8 hrs a day. Fox News was my friend. So many bad things. Word was today that Heavy Troop Deployment from Nebraska in 2010. They no doubt will be headed for Afghanistan. Hope they get this overwith.

The Diggin Out Process

DH finally got our drifts busted out, the sidewalks and driveway are cleared. The wind blew hard and drifted the snow up on our house and all across the front. I think we ended up with about 12 inches. Did I repeat that "I Hate Cold!" Well tonight the wind chill is supposed to drop to about -30. Not conducive to living in an RV that's for sure, so for this stint I'm glad we've still got the sticks n bricks. This puts me in the mood for Christmas and I got busy and wrapped all I have bought for the Grandkids so far.
I'm ready to get the show on the road and get it over with. Didn't go anywhere again today. How many days does it take cooped up in the house, to go stir crazy?

Let it Snow Let It Snow OH NO!!!

This is the very weather that I said I was done with. All I've done today is sweep off the step and scoop a little bit of the sidewalk and a circle in the grass so the spoiled house frau doesn't have to go in the deep snow.
I've been out doing that about every hour all day! It's about 19 degrees and the winds howling up a blizzard. I have no intentions of going anywhere until this is overwith and things are cleared up. DH worked around here yesterday and made sure that the snow blower would start and we had enough supplies to get through a few days.
With all that done, we just sat around here today and watched some old video tapes. The last Graduation of my old high school, which so happened to be my oldest son's class, and then they moved to a consolidated school. The same tape had a Fort Knox Graduation on it, of my son's M1A1 Advanced Tank Class. That was way before the Current Wars and Overseas Turmoil started. All in 1995. The Army got a trained Tank Operator when this round of the Iraq war began in 2003. Yesterday was the aniversary of Pearl Harbor. Hope you all took a pause to thank a Veteran and remember the day. I always have another reminder, as one of our Granddaughters have a birthday on the 7th. We will ride out this storm. Now we should at least have a white Christmas.

Baby it's Cold Outside!

DH and our weatherman (Kent on the far left Danny next to him) and some friends had a great day Friday out in the fields around here. It was a beautiful day, and now, two days later a big change!Today he's playin in the house, golf and bowling on Wii!
We have been warned before. Nothing much happened but just in case I went to town and got milk this morning so I have enough supplies for a few days. It's 21 degrees and finally about an hour ago, the snow came in. It's really getting with it and the visibility is poor. They say by Tuesday we could have 7 inches. We'll see, but you can bet I won't be out and about. It's a good day to stay in and watch NFL football and eat soup. Got busy and made a batch of home made vegetable beef soup. I'm finally recovered from the 5 gallons of Chicken Noodle that I made last weekend! Our Cornhusker football team went down in defeat last night. By one stinking point to Texas for the National Big Twelve Championship. We scared 'em good anyway and they are Champions in our eyes anyway. Good job Huskers. Now for some RV Related fodder. Some friends of ours are in Elkhart Indiana to complete the sale of their MCI Bus Conversion and figured they'd get some work done on their Winnebago Ultimate Advantage that they moved into this summer. These folks live full time and work out of their motor coach. While parked at the repair facility, someone broke into the motorhome, stole quite a bit of stuff and they encountered one thief when they returned for the evening. Since he is a gun enthusiast, he owns several weapons, which they almost made off with, but luckily were thwarted and fortunately no one was hurt as the thief got away. I don't know what I would have done. There are some scenarios that would have had a much worse outcome for all around. It's given to us as a wake up call to be mindful of your surroundings and try to park in safe places. I feel sorry for them, dealing with the mess that they made, you feel so violated,having to replace what they got away with and cancel buisness things that could be breached. No one is exempt from hoodlums and with the economy being as it is, not that these thugs probably had or ever had held a job, but I think we will see this increase. Put your safety first and don't confront them if at all possible. It sure made me think of things I will do different when we resume our travels the first of the year. Today I'm just gonna try to stay warm!

RV Planning and Maintenance Sitting Still

Well, we've got about a month yet before we hit the road again. It's a lot colder here this week. Today I started researching the latest info that I can find about replacing the tires on the coach. We've gone way past the normal limits on our current tires, as they are original and the numbers say they are 11 years old. Not good, since everyone says the rule is replace at 7 years. We got the two fronts replaced in Grants Pass Oregon this year, and since the garage is in Colorado, I looked at places around there, finding that they aren't the mecca for tires! I started with some RV Dealers. They don't deal with tires on a coach of our size, so they referred me to a Commercial Tire Shop. They recommended Goodyear G670s because they are made from a compound that is supposed to resist weathering and are especially made for RVs. I have read conflicting opinions, some in favor, saying that they were an improved ride, and some lean toward Michelin XRVs. I have even read that the 670s are discontinued, so now what. What ever we decide, I am going to make sure to have the manufactured dates checked before they are installed, so we don't get tires that have sat around for a few years, making the age issue a problem right off the bat. I have put out a call for help on the Escapees forums and they usually shed light on whatever subject I need help with! Thanks guys! And girls! Have been battling a cold and really haven't felt well for a few days. Made one of my "Regular" rediology appointments for PenRad in Co. Springs for the morning of the 6th of January...so it's safe to assume that we will be hitting the road with that out of the way. Could this be the beginnings of "Hitch Itch?" I think it might be!!!