Texas Anyone?

I can't believe we leave for Texas in only about a week. I'm barely recovered from the 3200 mile drive for thanksgiving day, and not looking forward to forcing my body to do that marathon again.
I am trying to decide whether to take the truck or the Toyota. I guess it depends on the weather. I probably won't make that decision until we are on the verge of loading the vehicle.

Holiday Spirit

I wouldn't be surprised if Mom asked me to put the tree up on July 4 one of these years. She loves getting ready for Christmas. This year a condition for going to Texas for Thanksgiving Day was the tree had to be up before we left. I managed that, but we broke a water pipe in the yard which required two days of attention to repair. Consequently the tree was naked when we walked in the door after Texas. A few days after getting home I put the lights on it, and then Mom did her thing with the rest of the decorations. We reminisced about our families having a tin foil tree with either blue or red balls (very late 50's), or a flocked tree when we were kids. I was IMing with Jamie and she reminded me of the time we came home and the tree had fallen over in our absence. It did that twice due to cheap tree holders and off center natural trees. So I made a super-duper tree holder out of a car wheel, which we still use today. We made a few of our own Christmas memories back then.

T-day Texas Style

We are home. We did a long day Sunday, overnighted in Deming, NM, on the road again about 6AM and sort of like a horse heading for the barn pulled into the yard at 2:35 PM Monday. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight!
I thought I left my camera on the kitchen table at home for half the trip. I accidentally discovered where I put it on Thanksgiving Day. Here are a few of my favorite pix of what followed....

Above: Preparations for the BIG dinner. Everything was great. Good to see Tom and Mercy, and Brian and Jen too. I think Brian spent half his day trying to sort out a file transfer problem for me. Thanx Brian.

I was changing clothes in our bedroom and heard a little noise. Then I saw two tiny fingers come out of the armoire. I spied a little more and there sat Nora. The closet is just "Norah" size. She sits herself down, pulls the doors closed, and seems content in the security of that box. She has such great motor control that she pulls the doors closed on herself without pinching those little fingers.








After dinner I tried to get a few pictures, mostly candid. Here the ladies realized they were being "framed" and hoisted glasses.





Computer savvy Jayden at his perch in front of the iMac. At times a grandparent wonders if he will lean back tooooo far?



My morning ritual was to have a bowl of Cheerios. Grace always seemed to sense when the pantry door opened and would come running. Several bowls is as easy to make as one and Grace and Norah liked to join me at the table for the first course of breakfast. When Grace finished skimming the Cheerios off the top she walked away and I called her back saying she needed to finish the milk too. To that she picked up the bowl, put it to her lips, and slurped it all down in one long chug.


Then she put the bowl down, and, knowing I was trying to capture the moment, smiled up at me with that impish "I did it" smile.

We greatly enjoyed the time in Houston. The five days flew by too quickly.

FYI

I filled up the car today in Houston. A fillup cost a little under $20 @ $1.59 a gallon. I smiled.... but Houston is worried. The economy here is hinged to oil, so if the price falls like this folks might get laid off.

Having a great time spoiling grandkids. I'm all bruised from tussleing with them. Jay almost broke his arm (no kidding) coming after me this morning.

Heading for Texas... 11 hours and counting

The car is half loaded. The rest goes in tomorrow morning. We have had a busy week with unexpected events. A plumbing pipe bust. ( got to rebuild a sprinkler box so it won't happen again. That took about two days. The rent check didn't come. I had to drive to Orange County this morning and get it. Between these two events I'm a bit tired.

Two grandkids were going to accompany us to Texas as a surprise, but one got sick, including a fever, the day before we were to leave. So between the parents and kids it was decided it would be best not to go. That give us a bit more room in the car. On the other hand we were prepared for them to come along and the pullout was bittersweet.

On an up note I tanked up with gas in California for $1.85 at Costco. It's been a while since we saw gas below $2 a gallon in Calif. Usually Calif is about $.40 cents above the rest of the US due to higher taxes.

Nothing of Interest

I know this won't interest most of you, but last night I got yet ANOTHER buggy. This one is somewhat unique in body style. The guy first told me to just come get it. But I gave him a little something for it. He was walking away from his house, had to get rid of it, knew I do restores, said he would rather see someone like me have it if possible.The car is a total mess. I think I have pix of JJ in every buggy so far. It wasn't intended that way, it just sorta happened with the first few buggies by accident. We hope he is able to meet this one too some day.

I know it's ugly. On the positive side it was so unique when it hit the market that Dune Buggy Handbook gave it two whole pages. And manufacture happened right here in San Bernardino in the late 60s. Like I said, It's ugly ...but a swan is in there somewhere. My friend Richard said I should tell people it's a retired Disneyland Autopia car. LOL.

Little Lobbyists

We linked up with Houston on skype yesterday. It's amazing how kids love to see themselves on the screen. There we were wanting to talk to them ...but all the while kids were vying for camera time so they could stick their tongue out, make funny faces, or look at their tonsils. Then Gracie started telling secrets on the internet. She was too stinking cute, even with J holding up fingers behind her head. Gammie was hanging on every word. What with all their lobbying looks like we are heading to Houston for T-day.

A day with Thomas

My friend Marvin volunteers at the Orange Empire Railroad Museum and told us Thomas was back for five days. What better way to spend Veterans Day than with grandsons riding and viewing old railroad trains. Click on any pix to enlarge it.

First stop was at an old flatcar with a crane on board. Micah was delighted when I hoisted them up top. Seth was a little less sure-footed and looked for something to hang on to.



Then we wandered up to "Grizzly Flat." Sound like Disney's California Adventure? It should. There is a ¾ scale train engine there made for an early Disney Exec to take his grandkids around his back yard, which has now been donated to the museum. Here OUR grandkids are in front of Baldwin Locomotive #2, a full size locomotive. The ¾ scale engine is out of view.



Next, to the Trolley ride around the park. Compared to a modern amusement park the rides are tame. The trolley pitched and rolled like trolleys do when tracks are uneven. Here the boys are disembarking on their own. Seth is getting taller and becoming the master of the "Big Steps."



First glimpse of Thomas as the little engine backed the passenger cars up to the loading platform. Don't get too excited Jayden!



Gammie and the boys with what Seth calls, "The blue train."



Our heroes riding high in the caboose train. This was Seth's favorite. When we asked which he liked best he said, "The yellow train." I couldn't figure it out at first, until I realized this caboose was yellow. He seems to take his cues form colors. If Seth was color blind I don't think he could explain the day.



Last stop was the fully functional old steam engine which they still use to pull visitors around the museum grounds on occasion. Seth wasn't too sure about standing on the tall step alone, so Micah gingerly sidestepped over and put a reassuring arm in front of him. Way to go Micah.

The grandsons were very well behaved for us. At one point they sat down on the trolley in the first available empty seats. The next empty seats for us grandparents were about five rows behind. I thought about switching with Seth, sending him back to Gammie, but decided to leave the two alone up there. The conductor said everyone had to stay seated while the trolley was in motion. They were perfect gentlemen.

Being Veterans Day, on the way home I asked Micah if he would like to see where my parents are buried, fully prepared for a no answer. This was a bit confusing to him and he said they were in Heaven. What followed was a simple discourse of how we die when our spirit leaves the body. The spirit goes with Jesus, and body stays here and gets buried until Jesus comes.I suspect the concept was a bit much for him to comprehend, but he acknowledged with an, "Oh." Once we found the grave site we explained again this is where my parents bodies are buried, but they are in Heaven with Jesus, took this picture, pointed out all the flags decorating the cemetery and explained Vets day. I also showed Micah how to find his great-grandparents grave sites. Which tree Micah?

Let your Yes be Yes

I know some folks who planned a get-together at their house and had RSVP responses. They bought food for respondents. The day of the event only about half of the folks who replied showed up. The spread was awesome, but the open-house folks had to deal with all that extra expense and food.... and the disappointment.

We put an event in the bulletin and the outing was announced publicly. Enthusiasm was high. 32 guys took the time to find the sign-up list. I emailed or called everyone who signed up two days in advance. The day of departure I received six cancellations. That left 26 for the outing. The evening we were to leave we arranged to meet in a parking lot. Only two of the remaining 26 showed up. I waited extra time for late comers in the event some were delayed. No one else called or showed.

Perhaps I'm old school but these things trouble me. I was raised that a man is only as good as his word. Am I wrong to expect we should be different from the world around us? Give me your thoughts.