Shopping Day!!

August 31 -  Happy Birthday Jared!  Yes, I gave birth on this day, 42 years ago! 

What a fun day today, it felt like it was my birthday!  Our neighbor, Pam, that Bill walks with most mornings, and I went shopping today.  We left at 10 and got home around 5.  She hadn’t been to a mall since April and wanted to go with a lady as everyone knows how husbands are about shopping!

She had never been to Ollie’s so I opened her eyes to a new store!  At first she didn’t get a cart but then her arms got too full to carry her selections and she went back for a cart.  We have Ollie’s close to where we live and I go rather often.  If you buy something there that you really like after you try it, you better high tail it back right away and get more as they get a lot of one shot deals! 

I made a quick stop at Joann’s and then we headed to the Buckland Mall.  I’d been there once so kinda knew the layout and since it’s 2 levels and I got confused about where I went in and out last time. I picked to park at Barnes and Noble and walk thru to the stores.  We decided since we were near the food court to go ahead and have lunch.  We had Chinese and it was good but they sure give you a lot!  The mall was much busier than when I came before.

We did our shopping at Bath and Body Works and JC Penney but went in a few others.  We were walked out by the time we got back in the truck.  Pam wanted to stop at CVS so we found the closest one and she did her thing there and then we were both in the mood for some soft serve custard and we found a Rita’s where we had huge servings and sat outside on a bench and thoroughly enjoyed our treat for the day.

The ride home was uneventful, which is always good and I think the guys thought we got lost!  Pam was very pleased with her “bargains” for the day and just getting out with another lady is different than with the husband!

I gave Bill a choice of eating out or leftovers and was shocked that he chose leftovers!  That was simple enough and I really wasn’t interested in getting back in the truck!

He had put away most of our outdoor decorations and lights to get ready for our trip Thursday to take the RV back in.

Party Time

August 30 -   We ended up with 3 of us on for a part of the afternoon shift so since I came in

The ladies that I work with

first they sent me home.  It was great so I could get the rest of the food ready.  I did a lot of finger type foods and buffalo hot dip along with broccoli salad and an apple salsa with cinnamon/sugar pita chips.  I do love to cook and take care of my friends with food.  I also had been working on sets of my craft items for everyone so I made 8 sets of everything and they each had a turn to pick first.  I can’t tell you how many times they thanked me for doing all the food and gifts.  Most had asked several times if they could bring something and I only asked them to bring their own beverages and a roll of nickels and 3 - $1 bills.

Most of the spread

Something for everyone

As my foods set up in the fridge and my appetizers were in the oven I carried things over  
and started setting up.  I own up to being an anal planner as my friends will attest to but if you’re going to do something, you should do it right!  They were blown away and then when we got to the games, only one of the ladies had played Left Right Center and she ended up winning the game but they all had a ball and some wanted to know where to get the game.  Then we played Nickel Bingo and it was a laughing hoot!  Once they got the hang of it they really got serious about it!  Of course it’s the luck of the roll so you have no real control.  We ended up playing twice and 2 different ladies won so we spread out the wealth!  They loved it!  We laughed so hard as I continually rolled 7’s and so did another player.  I would finally get to one open number left on my card and then roll that darn 7!!  Everyone helped clean up for the evening and thanked me repeatedly for all the work and fun.  I think it was well worth it to hear the laughter and jesting that took place.  One of ladies tries to get everyone to come play a regular game night and she borrowed my Nickel Bingo sheets for the next game night.  I’m pretty sure she will make copies for down the road!

I will say I was exhausted after the last 3 days and super ready for a good night’s sleep!

Not much happening but rain.....

August 28 and 29 - These were both pretty slow days for both of us.  With lots of rain coming and going we had quite a few cancellations.   That gives me very little to do in the office and Bill can’t really do much mowing or clean up outside.  I’m hosting a ladies gathering tomorrow evening after the office closes and all the ladies are free to attend.  So before and after my shifts I started baking Lethal Layer Bars, and made Truffles for Sunday.  I prepped all I could and made sure I had all the ingredients I need for the rest of the food.

Fruity day!

August 27 – Bill did a short trip into town to fill his truck with gas and do a bit of grocery shopping this morning.  I did the housework and the usual laundry.  Once he got back from the store, he left to for Buell’s Orchard after calling to make sure they still had peaches.  He came home with 5 pounds of them and a 6 pack of blueberry donuts.  This is after I made a zucchini bread, so we’re good for breakfast items for a few days!

We had dinner in Mansfield at a recommended Mexican place, Coyote Flaco.  The food was excellent but service was pretty slow.  Looks like they could have used a couple more servers and cooks! The cool thing is all of the condiments, like sour cream, guacamole, refried beans came out in appropriate size flour tortilla fluted little cups.  Then once you used the condiment or side, you could eat the cup as well.

Days off are over so we just relaxed and rested up for our next 3 days!

Made good headway!

August 26 – Nothing much on today’s agenda!  Just to where to really go.  Today Bill sat out for quite a while after he mowed an overgrown site for something to do. 

I spent most of the day finalizing our travel plans home.  I’m happy to say it’s done and I

Bill and his baby!

have arrangements to see 2 of my childhood friends when we get to Virginia.  We made our last reservations in north Florida where we will meet up with friends, Bruce and Sharon, for our last 2 nights on the road.  We get home on October 2, a few days sooner than we had allowed.  It gives me some time to get settled before doctor appointments and my Christmas shopping started.

Bill had a 5:30 appointment for his acupuncture so while he was gone I made a batch of peanut brittle from a bag mix made by Betty Crocker.  There is nothing easier than that!  You grease a cookie sheet or pan, pour the bag of mix on it and pat into an 8 inch square and bake it.  When I took it out I did use a spatula to pull the outer parts that ran a little in to the 8 inch square, then let it cool.  It doesn’t make a huge amount but it sure is full of peanuts and is very good.

Then I put my meatloaf in the oven and made a one apple Waldorf Salad to go with the meatloaf and some steamed zucchini.

I had just finished my dinner when Bill got home so I sat with him while he ate.  He enjoyed his meatloaf and had some peanut brittle for dessert with his rice pudding.  I’ll have to see if Ollie’s still has it my next trip into Manchester!

Lunch out and sightseeing!

August 25 – Another day of not really doing much!  We did go to Pomfret to The Vanilla

Great lunch!

Bean and used the balance of our gift card and had a nice lunch.  I went with a lighter lunch of Quiche and a salad with fruit garnish.  I did share a few pieces of my fruit with Bill, who had a regular hamburger.  The service was a little slow but we hit the peak lunch time.

We had stopped at the post office on the way so took a different route home.  We planned to stop at Frog Rock but it was closed, so we stopped at a family veggie booth where I got some delicious tomatoes, both large and grape size.  We didn’t need peppers or squash so will see what they have next time.

We took a little drive in Eastford that Bill had explored on his own

one day.  We went to the birthplace of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in the Civil War.  All that is left of the house is the chimney, but it’s a pretty unique chimney.  It has fireplaces on 3 sides.  The main cooking side has 2 small “ovens” along the side of the fireplace.  The property has some of the original stone fences as well.  This area has lots of stone walls about 2 feet tall, they are even all through the woods here.

Molly and I sat out for quite a while.  It was very nice along

The kitchen side

the shady side of the RV.  It was a rather relaxing day but no sight seeing!

We grilled our steak tonight since we ate ice cream last night!   Yum!

Time to myself!

August 24 - Bill had a bad night but went for his morning walk with Pam.  He said he wasn’t going 4 laps today and didn’t tell me how many they did.  While he was gone I cooked some sausage and cut up his peach and blueberries and I went ahead and had mine.

With breakfast out of the way I gathered my belongings and left for town.  I’m hosting a ladies night next Sunday and made my food list so wanted to see what I could get locally before we go to “the city” later.  I knew a few things I hadn’t been able to get at Wal-mart so I went to Stop & Shop which is on the level of Publix at home.  I got the 2 things I knew to get and picked up a nice steak for us to grill for dinner.  Then I stopped at Aldi and got another box of their fancy cracker assortment along with some fruit and veggies and on to Wal-Mart.  There I finished the list for the most part and of course added some veggies.

I was hungry for a Wendy’s chicken salad so I called Bill to see if he wanted anything and he ordered a $1 hamburger and senior coke.  As soon as we brought in the groceries we ate out lunch.  The Apple Pecan is my second choice of salad but since they are done with Strawberry/Blueberry Salad I was very happy with it, down to the last piece of pecan!

Once the groceries were all put away, Bill got out his book and later took a nap.  I got on the computer for a while and called Winnebago about a replacement door window shade.  I was on hold for 20 minutes and the conversation only took 2.  He gave me the part number and said I needed to order it through a Winnebago dealer.  Well, I looked up the part and found it on line and could get it shipped tomorrow we could have it back up before we leave.  Found it was less expensive than a dealer.

We were supposed to grill a steak tonight but around 5 we decided to go to Bucks Soft Serve in Eastford for ice cream.  Bill heard from one of our campers how good it is.  Well, it is soft serve but they have so many mixer combo choices and they are all through the ice cream.  I had an Almond Joy and it was loaded with coconut, sliced almonds and chocolate.  Bill had Emily which was chocolate syrup with mini peanut butter cups and peanut butter.  Needless to say we were not hungry for supper.  It’s a drive through area along side a residence and there’s no parking so I ate mine on the way back and Bill ate his once we got back.  It was super!!!

Laid Back Sunday

August 23 – It was a laid back Sunday!  I made red velvet waffles to go with our blueberries and peaches.  Good start for the day.

Bill and Pam did extra walking this morning, totaling 2 miles.  He was a tired puppy when he got back in.  Good thing he had a good breakfast to keep him going.  While he was out and before it got too hot, I made a 9 x 13 pan of Blueberry Crisp for the group gathering this evening.  Then I put together a simple chicken salad to go with fancy crackers.

I did 2 loads of laundry and cleaned my carpet and floors.  Then it was computer time!  I managed to make another reservation for the trip home but after that one it was tough finding a place for the number of days I wanted and eventually I decided to give it a rest! 

The gathering was at 6 in the Rec Hall.  There was plenty of food but a real lack of veggies!  One of the guys made Shrimp Chowder that was very good.  There were stuffed jalapeños, spicy sausage, Chocolate Trash, cookies, chicken wings, Caprese on a stick and ice cream in addition to my 2 dishes.  No one left hungry for sure.  Once the meal was complete a few left but the rest stayed and played a version of Bunko.  I haven’t played in years and this didn’t ring many bells for me but I caught on after a couple of rounds.  Of course I didn’t win but it was fun!

Rough Work Week....

August 20 – Back to the grind, but not until 3, so we had the late shift until 8.  Ugh!  We didn’t do much before that.  Bill cleaned the grill and tidied up some things outside and in the compartments while I did some laundry and baked a Blueberry Crumb Cake with the last of our “old” blueberries. 

There were only a few check ins today and one had cancelled and one called that it would be after we closed at 8, so I only had 2 to actually check in.  Lots of phone calls and seasonals still coming in to do their paperwork for next season. Thankfully that is not within my pay grade!  I can give them contracts but that’s all I can do.  Terri worked before me and had done her half of the cleaning so I had the kitchen and dusting in the rec hall.  It does make the time go faster.  Pam and I balanced early and were over $11.29, but couldn’t find it.  It’s for all shifts so who knows.  At least it was over and not short!  After she left Bill came up to keep me company as it was getting dark and really nothing he could do outside.  Chris, the owner’s son, was on so he told me to go home and he’d wait for the last RV.  As we were walking to the RV they pulled in so I was glad he didn’t have to wait as long as expected.

We were both pooped!  We didn’t even turn on the TV tonight, just got ready for bed and read our books til we were relaxed enough to go to bed.

August 21 – This was not a fun day!  Bill was asked do work a split shift, which he does not mind at all.  He went in at 9:30 to get some mowing done before the 23 arrivals this afternoon.  Then he was working 6 to 9 with me.  I went in at 4, which means super exhaustion and luckily we work 12:30 to 5:30 shift tomorrow!

Our pizzas

After emptying the gray tank after Bill left, I did a load of laundry, put the vent cover part back on the fridge for the umpteenth time after cleaning it, made mini pizzas for our dinner tonight, caught up on my blog and tidied up a bit.  I did a thorough cleaning of the microwave but left the dishes for Bill.

Today was my grandchildren’s first day of going back to school after the “at home” prepping.  Tasha sent some photos of them dressed and ready to start off a new year.  Shiloh will be in 7^th and Jude in

Shiloh and the "Hambone"!

1^st.  We hope they both do well, make friends and stay healthy!  I know it was a hard decision for them but Shiloh was missing her friends and activities and Jude will be learning to read this year and they think he needs a professional.  He’s EXTREMELY active!  A Jared “do over”!

Bill didn’t have as much time off as he was scheduled as some glitches occurred and he ended up going to the hardware store twice.  He did get a 2 hour break between shifts so took a nap and relaxed with his current book.

It was 9:30 when I got to leave!  What a swamped day!  Then there was a problem balancing due to all of the seasonals coming in and paying deposits, changing sites, asking to change sites.  Well, luckily that was not my job but I was the one checking RV’s in, answering the phones, ringing up the sales and answering questions.  I was very happy to go home!

August 22-  Today was much better since I worked the middle shift.  For the first half of my shift I did the same as yesterday, then the seasonals slowed down and it was Bingo folks, kids and ice and wood purchases.  Bill called Bingo today and he enjoys it but said some of the ladies are super serious about it.

We had agreed when we went in that we’d go out to dinner tonight so he left about 10 minutes before me and was finished with the bathroom when I got home.  After my quick shower we drove to Mansfield where we were told there was a good Mexican place.  They were very busy when we arrived so we had a 10 minute wait to be seated.  The place is Coyote Flaco.  The food was great, but service was a bit slow.  They needed a couple more servers.  They make tiny corn and flour tortilla cups that they serve the guacamole and sides in them, then you can eat the bowls!  I had a duo meal and left my chimichanga to bring home for Bill’s lunch tomorrow.  This was definitely the highlight of my day. 

We made a stop at Dollar Tree and then headed directly home to some relaxation!

Enjoyable day off!

August 19 - It looked to be a beautiful day today!  We started breakfast with a blueberry donut, which was moist and delicious, then we had an omelet and peaches.  Looks like we will have a steady diet of blueberries and peaches for a while!

Bill went for his morning walk with neighbor Pam and I worked on reservations for Williamsburg, VA on our way home.  We are meeting our good friends, Paul and Jean, there for 4 nights.  I know it will be a great time for the 4 of us.  Bill and I love that area and haven’t been in a while and this will be their first time and they are excited about going.

Once I sent Jean the info so she could book her spot near us, Bill and I left for town for our grocery run and a couple other errands.

I had to replace 2 Ink cartridges in my printer this morning so wanted to get the empties to Staples and pick up replacements.  So that was our first stop.  I did pick up a few small items for stocking stuffers so it was worth the stop!

Since we got a late start from working on our trip this morning, it was lunchtime when we

Lunch time!

left!  Bill said he had a place for lunch and I was trying to figure out where on Earth he was taking me!  It dawned on me that we had driven this way to get Molly’s prescription food and passed a place that was packed that day.  It was packed once again!   A sure sign it’s a good place to eat (or it’s really cheap!)  It’s called “The Main Moose” and there is all outdoor seating so you can eat there or get your food to go.  Bill dropped me off to get in the long line while he parked and I was still a ways back when he found me.  They have

Seating along the road

a lot of seafood dishes but I went for the Reuben which came with slaw and fries.  Bill had a cheese-steak sandwich that also had fries and slaw.  It was a huge meal for lunch!  Just as we sat down we could see the huge dark cloud forming.  Then it was a light pitter patter of rain, then the skies opened up and people ran for cover under the exterior of the building!  All of the tables have umbrellas but it depended on the direction of the rain and where you were seated.  I quickly moved to the other side of our square table.  I got as close to the table as I could but poor Bill was getting it, so he left for the shelter in front of the ice cream ordering.  It left as quickly as it arrived but not before getting a lot of folks wet!  I finished my meal at the table and Bill finished his standing up.  That was our excitement for the day!  Very good food, will have to go back!

The rest of the day was rather routine!  We stopped at The Fish Market for some large shrimp to grill on the Barbie, then he dropped me at Aldi while he gassed up the truck at $1.89, then picked me up for our final stop at Wal-mart.  I had a pretty long list today as I’m going to host a ladies evening on the 30^th and made my list for that as well.  The plan is to play one game of Left Right Center and then some Nickel Bingo with food in the mix!

Bill had an acupuncture appointment at 5:30 so he left for that around 4:45.  I looked up some campgrounds for our trip home.  As I was getting ready to peel the shrimp and skewer them, Bruce and Sharon called and we had a nice long conversation, catching up and them and us.  We sure miss seeing our friends while we’re gone but lucky to have them!

I planned to microwave some corn and do another side but truthfully, after that huge lunch neither of us was really hungry by the time Bill got back at 7:15.  I went ahead and grilled the skewers using Yoshida marinade sauce and we just had that with corn on the cob!  It was delicious but we only ate 2/3 of the shrimp.  Guess I’ll have it cold tomorrow on a salad for my lunch – lucky me!

Now for a good night’s sleep as we head back in to work tomorrow!

Blueberries and Peaches

August 18 – After breakfast Bill wasn’t feeling too well so I left for Buell’s Orchard in

Good to go for a while!!

Eastford.  Bill had called to see if the peaches were ready and they were, so I picked ½ of a peck for eating and then picked several pounds of blueberries.  The peaches are excellent and the berries aren’t at large as last time but very good as well.  The last time we were there they were out of Blueberry Donuts but today they had them so I picked up a bag for Bill, well, for us!

It was pretty hot out this afternoon and I didn’t want to heat up the RV as we received our first electric bill (which we were not expecting) and are making an effort to have a much smaller one next time! 

I thawed a small London broil and put it in my marinating dish with an assortment of sauces etc for it to soak in.  When cooking time came around I sliced 2 potatoes in thick wedges and oiled them and put them on the grill long before the London broil.  I kept brushing the meat with marinade to keep it moist while cooking.  Topped it off with a nice salad and, Voila!  Bill really loved the meat, he gradually ate the final pieces as he clean up the table and the dishes!

TV time and we did some planning our exit from CT.

Nice day trip!

August 17 -   Today was road trip time!  I wanted to go to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island to see Point Judith Lighthouse.  It’s our first time in RI this trip and it was also a good time to get some good seafood for lunch.

We had barely gotten on the road when Bill said he wasn’t feeling very well and asked if I’d drive.  I have no problem driving but as I’ve said before, I do not like driving that truck!  I can’t see over the steering wheel without towels in my seat and even then I’m not comfortable with the head rest banging into my clip in my hair.  But, I sucked it up and drove!

First view of the Coast Guard station and lighthouse

We went right out to the point and it was a gorgeous day!  No rain in sight and beautiful sunny skies.  It was quite windy at the point.  The lighthouse sits to the side of the Coast Guard Station which also has a light on top.   The current lighthouse was built in1857 and the light has been automated for several years.  It has a Fresnel lense that lights 5 seconds on and 2 seconds off.

It was an awesome view from the small park adjacent to the station.  The waves of the Atlantic were crashing ashore and

It's a Grand Ole Flag!!!

there was a variety of boats on the water.  Bill sat on a bench for a while and watched what was happening around him while I took photos of the Coast Guard Station and the lighthouse.  We could not have asked for a nicer day!

To get a better angle of the building since it was gated and we could only get so close, we drove out and around to the side facing the old lighthouse.  The coast there had HUGE boulders in place to prevent shore erosion and we could see further along the coastline a nice looking beach area with a man made breaker.

There were guys surfing, but we couldn’t understand why as there were no waves at all.  We joked that they need to try Florida for some “real” waves.

Better View

There is a memorial up a short hill between the parking area and the lighthouse so we walked up and you got a much better view of the lighthouse and the Coast Guard Station.  Over the edge of the hill you could see down to a boat anchor of mass

Hope Anchor

proportion made from huge rocks.  It was  a very nice memorial with benches scattered around it.

Before

After

Time for lunch!  Bill did his homework and found a seafood place that’s been in the same family for 100 years and had great ratings.  It’s Aunt Carrie’s.  They offer pick-up or dine in

and we went with dine in.  We ate in and had plenty of space around us.  I had my first whole lobster on this trip.  It came with delicious sides and thick cinnamon bread!  Bill had a big platters of fried clam strips and fries.  After he was done and watching me slowly but surely breaking down my lobster,

The tail just waiitng...

it dawned on him that it would take me a while to pick every dab of meat from each and every part of it.  I will say I was stuffed when I finished and it was delicious!

I drove us back home and it seemed like we got back faster than the drive over.  When it was time for dinner we agreed we were not overly hungry but had a few things from the fridge and went to our respective sofas to read and watch some TV.

Not a fun day off....

August 16 – It turned out to be an ugly day of rain, all day!  So I decided to do  housework including laundry, the bed, the floors and whatever else needed done.

I decided to try another new recipe for Red Velvet Cookies.  They really taste like Red Velvet Cake but you put chocolate chips in them and you use cream cheese frosting.  I make little plates of 4 for the workcampers but it was too rainy to deliver them.  Actually, that is Bill’s job!  It didn’t make a huge amount so I worked it that Bill got to have his share of his favorite cake!

It was way too ugly to go out for dinner so I used some cut up chicken to stew up and mixed it with Bill’s leftover spaghetti sauce and spaghetti and he was happy.  I made mixed rice and put my chicken in it and made salads for both of us.

Once the weather settled down we just watched TV and read.  A pretty boring first day off!

4, count 'em, 4 work days!

August 12 -  Back to work!  Bill went in at 9:30 and I went in at 10.  Actually the day went rather fast!  It wasn’t all that busy but I spent the first hour cleaning the rec hall and it was time for seasonals to stop in for their renewal papers so I did hand out some of those.

Before I knew it, it was 2 and Terri came in for her shift.  I left at 3 and Bill was already home as he had a acupuncture appt. at 5:30.  So I had some leisure time and did a load of laundry.  I made spaghetti with meatballs, traditional style for Bill, and for me I used a white pizza sauce that I added fresh grated parmesan to it and some meatballs.  I was just finishing mine when Bill got back so I warmed his and dished it up.  We had salads as well.  That is one of Bill’s favorite meals so he was happy!

We watched some Perry Mason tonight and RV Connection. 

August 13 – Today we didn’t go in until 3 so once we had breakfast I went into town for a spell. As I was leaving Bill joined our neighbor Pam in her daily walk about the park.

I did a short stop at Wal-mart in hopes of finding yarn the colors I wanted and batteries for Bill’s pedometer.  I only found 1 skein of yarn but I did get some fresh corn then I headed on to Micheal’s.  Nextdoor is Dollar Tree and I found the right size batteries there.  I did find my yarns at Michaels and a marked down T-shirt for me for next year July 4^th!

Bill said he had a good walk and was getting his lunch when I got home.  I put my purchases away and got on the computer.  I’m still dealing with Century Link from June and I have some other calls to make relating to Bill’s cancelled credit cards.  It’s frustrating and impossible to just get a live person anywhere!  I updated my expense log and caught up on email.  I took a break for a quick lunch and got back on the computer.

It was a busy afternoon  as the weekenders start coming in on Thursdays and it  is the time of year when the new contracts for seasonal folk go out, so they come in with there paperwork.

Bill brought in some warmed up leftovers for my dinner and he ate his at home.  He has a bit more freedom than I do in the office.

August 14 - Today was 10 – 3 which is better!  It was swamped in the office with arrivals and seasonal contracts.  Still pretty hot out! 

After work and showers I wanted to go to Target in Dayville and we decided to have dinner

Dayville's Gut Bustas!

while we were there.  We ate at “Gut Busters” BBQ.  Yuck!  They do NOT know how to make BBQ, were out of several things and they DO NOT make brisquet! We shared a pound of tasteless pulled pork and since they were out of slaw, Bill had fries that, seriously, had the texture of leather and I had beans with pork in them and they were the best of the meal!  We brought home a bit of the pork.

We stopped at Target but they didn’t have a little square pan and I had asked before we left if anything was needed for tomorrow’s ice cream social or activities.  They gave me a list of 5 things but I only found 2 at Target so we stopped in the same plaza at a grocery and got the rest.

We will be working tomorrow a shorter shift to help out with “Camper Appreciation” weekend.

August 15 – The busiest day so far!!  I didn’t get to read a word or crochet a stitch today!  I barely got to have a drink of water.  We were scheduled from 9:30 to 1.  It was cooler out today and the campground was packed!  We had a lot of traffic in the store area and there was BINGO, well, 3 different kinds of BINGO.  Since it was cooling down we sold a lot of firewood and there were a lot of tent campers so we went through a bunch of ice as well.

I went home and was beat!  Bill decided to go down to the pavilion to hear/see the comedy act.  He really enjoyed it but I was too pooped and just wanted to chill by myself.  After he got back our neighbors built a fire and invited us and another couple over so we visited and swapped stories til about 7:30 and I was getting hungry and really should not eat so late.  I seasoned and fried 2 boneless pork chops and microwaved 2 ears of corn and called it a meal!  The chops were good but the corn was awesome! 

We read a while and hit the hay!

Busy day!

August 11 - Bill and I neither one slept well at all last night.  I gave up at 6:30!  Once we were both up and breakfast out of the way, we did some inside RV cleaning.  Later Bill left to go to the post office, the grocery and Home Depot.

I reorganized all the stuff under the bed and re-packed things we’re getting rid of, which created much more space.  Now out of site but not out of mind!  I made some phone calls and held for ages and resolved a couple of things but still have to get back on the phone during my off time this week.

I feel better since my floors are done, my cabinets all cleaned, my laundry is all done and my AC is working!  Once Bill got back he vacuumed out the truck so we’re Mr. and Mrs. Clean today.

I made my pickle steaks for dinner with mashed potatoes and steamed zucchini.  Yum!

I’m caught up with my journal which is good thing since we head back to work starting tomorrow!

Rough day!

August 10 – Although  we  were  a  bit  pooped  when  we  got home  last  night, we  started packing up the inside of the RV to take it in for the generator review today.  We were up at 7 and needed to be on the road by 8:15 to be in Bolton at 9 for our appointment. 

Silly me, I thought we’d drive the RV up, he’d take a look and we’d drive back.    Good thing Bill had a different viewpoint, as he drove his truck and I drove the RV and we were right on time.  Our tech asked what all we wanted done in addition to assessing the generator and we had a list.  So we headed off to Manchester where we do our real shopping and I had no idea that it was going to be an all day affair!  Poor Bill and Molly stayed in the truck ALL day and he dropped me off at various stores and the mall.  Molly did fine in the back seat and Bill ran the truck some to cool it off.

I did some Christmas shopping and some treats from Trader Joe in addition to perusing a few places in the mall.  Since it wasn’t what I had planned for the day, I really didn’t enjoy it and it was VERY hot today!  We stopped at Boston Market for lunch and had to eat in the truck as we can’t leave Molly in the heat.  Poor baby, she was so good and did great!

Bill took me to Wendy’s for a Frosty as I didn’t care for my lunch and that improved my spirits.  The tech called twice about the RV, one was to tell me they were taking the generator out of the RV since we have to live in it and they will need to order parts and can access it better out.  $$$$

Molly loves being outside

We headed back about 3:45 as I was shopped out and we were all tired.  The tech had just finished repairing the under cabinet lights in the kitchen and he didn’t know about the ones in the bedroom but said he’d do those next when we come back to have the generator put back in.  He put a BIG set screw in the loose side mirror and if it works, I’m happy as it’s over $300 to get a new one, but as soon as I get home I’ll be using some spray paint to make it blend in with the mirror!  He ordered a new front AC, yaaaay and got our faulty GFI working again!

So we left there at 5 for home and I lost Bill along the way.  We stopped for me to fill up the RV and he gassed as well, but once I got on the road he said there were 12 -13 cars before he could get out and then he got a phone call about his allergy serum that he had to pull over and give his CC info to get it sent here.  So I arrived long enough before him to start backing in and Doug came over and got me in, then Rex came and they put the jack pads down to I could level.  Then Bill arrived to hook up the electric, water and sewer. 

We had heated up leftovers as we were both tired puppies when we got back!  And to think, we have to do it again once all the parts come in!!!

And Jude lost his first tooth!

Our granddaughter, Shiloh (2nd from left) out to celebrate
her 12th birthday!

Life after electricity!

August 9 – It was so nice to sleep with our AC on!!  Hope there are no more storms on the horizon until we get our generator back! 

I kept busy today with laundry and baking!  I couldn’t do much without AC as it warms up pretty quick inside.  So I made 2 new items today!  One was Viking Cookies which is a recipe from a murder mystery book series that I read.  The main character owns a coffee and cookie shop so there are sometimes 5-7 recipes in her book.  This one made 10 -12 dozen cookies so I made only half and that took a while without my double ovens!  The main ingredient is white chocolate chips, but you really can’t tell that they are in there.  Then I made Frosted Peanut Butter Brickle Brownies.  I will admit I had a box mix of peanut butter brownies but decided to add heath toffee bits and then put peanut butter frosting on once they cooled. 

We had been told there was going to be a “freezer thaw dinner” at 6 in the rec hall for all the workcampers.  They said to cook up anything that thawed or you thought needed to be cooked after the no electric ordeal.  I wasn’t sure what that meant as I didn’t have anything that didn’t stay frozen but everyone else has a propane/electric fridge and they aren’t as efficient as electric.  So I made a batch of my marinated cole slaw and packed all but 6 of the brownies (it only made an 8 x 8 pan) and I cut them about 1 x 2 inches.  Then I took 3 dozen of the Viking cookies.  I was the only one to bring dessert so it was a good thing!  The brownies were gone in a heartbeat and I brought home close to a dozen cookies.  Several people asked about the slaw, so I gather they really liked it.  There was plenty of food and no one left hungry.

Following the clean up we migrated outside to Doug and Laurie’s site. They have a huge fire pit with a gigantic metal bowl that was piled high with wood scraps from renovating their kitchen in the RV.  Everyone brought their own chairs and Doug lit the fire and we had a great evening visiting and swapping tales.  This is a very nice group of people and they jump to lend a hand all the time.  I don’t hesitate to ask one of the guys to do something for me if Bill isn’t around.  The only thing missing was fireworks to celebrate “life after no electricity”!

Once the fire was about out the group folded up their chairs and headed for home.  What a great evening we shared with our co-workers!  I should have taken some pictures!

We've got POWER!!

August 8 - No change in the electric situation.  We’re told it could be another week.  I was tired of being penned up and we decided to call Traveler’s Restaurant in Union to see if they were open.  It’s about 20 minutes there.  They were back open so we ended up riding up and seeing the trees on the lines and cones still in the road along the way.

I had a lobster roll (no I haven’t had my fill yet) and Bill had a wrap of some kind.  We sat out under an umbrella table and enjoyed the lunch.  This is the place that lets you go in and pick 2 books each but we have bags at home now so we didn’t get any books today.

On the way back we took a different road that went past Buell’s Farm and it was a narrow winding road.  We just can’t get over how hilly it actual is here.  The farm store had just closed at 3 and it was 20 after by the time we drove by so no stopping today. 

We did see some trucks to cut trees to prep for the linemen.  We were hoping since we were near Eastford that they would be prepping for our area issues!

The guys realized they were plugging in the fridge, not into the receptacle so Bill didn't need the parts he bought to adapt.  Our neighbor that was going to letting us use his generator for the fridge had gotten his generator up and running so we now had the fridge back on.  The batteries were still at a decent level but the lowest they’ve been so far.

We brought Molly out again and she sat in her crate this afternoon for a long time before she wanted to be leashed and let to roam a bit.  Bill and I were ready and Pam came out at 5 and announced to our row that the power was back on to the campground but we would need to shut off the generators as they didn’t want anything to happen as they turned on different sections one at a time.  We were all one bunch of HAPPY CAMPERS by 5:30!  It was 4 days and 2 hours of misery for the most part but we all survived!  Now Bill and I have to hope the generator repair is a simple fix!

We still grilled our dinner out since that was what I planned tonight!, but we got to eat inside in the AC!  I think Molly will miss her daily outdoor time but I will have to be a good mom and take her out when it’s not so hot!

2 steps forward and 3 steps back!!

August 7 – The saga continues!  We ran the generator a couple of hours while we ate, showered and got ready to go into town for groceries.  It was expected to be a nice cool day so we left Molly with all the windows open.

On the way in we stopped at Home Depot to get 2  5 gallon gas cans to refill our diesel as it was down to ½ tank this morning.  No cans available.  None at Walmart.  So we did our shopping and I brought ice packs today as we didn’t know how many stops we’d make.

Bill dropped me at Aldi while he filled the truck tank.  Then we stopped in downtown and had a nice lunch.  He had a BLT and I had a delicious bowl of corn chowder with chicken.  The 2 post offices we passed going in to town were closed for counter service due to no electricity, but the one downtown was open and I took a package to mail.  Then we left for Bolton to a specialty vet store to get Molly’s prescription food.  Bill called a local vet in town as we normally get it from a vet if there’s no PetSmart and they said all the vets in the area require to see and examine the cat.  Well, we were not paying for an office visit on top of $30 for a bag of food.  She told Bill about the specialty vet store so we stopped there and it was quick and simple.

We passed Pam’s son’s RV place and turned around to stop in and check the status of our AC and side view mirror but he was busy with someone and we left word for him to call. 

On the ride home we saw tons more orange cones in the road and many, many downed trees and trees leaning on wires.  We did see 3 power trucks from NY turn on to the road so maybe they were finishing one area and moving to the next.

It was pretty warm in the RV when we got home so we shut it up and turned on the generator and once it was up and running, turned on the AC.  That lasted about 5 minutes and the generator shut down with the same code.  I called Bill over from chatting with the neighbor and it was leaking fluid, he thinks it’s antifreeze.  Crap, crap, crap!  It was 4:45 when we called into the RV place and got Eric, the owner.  Bill went over what had transpired and we have to pack it up and take it in on Monday morning.  What a huge bummer!

I cooked dinner on the grill and our neighbor attempted to run a cord from his generator to our fridge but the cord needed to be male on both ends!  Bill is going in the morning to get a new cord and a replacement plug and turn it into males on both ends. 

Are we having fun yet?