The Corps

That’s corpse if you speak Obamaese. To steal a line, “I don’t care who you are that’s funny there”. We have a president who can’t pronounce ‘corps’. How would Dan Quayle or George Bush be treated if they said corpse for corps?????? Ya’ think!!! But I’ll drop it there. You all probably know where I stand on all of that.

We have spent the last couple of weeks in Alabama and now Georgia at Corps of Engineers parks. Isaac Creek, Six Mile, Holiday. In Alabama it was the Alabama River Lakes system which is 245 miles long with 35000 acres of water 12000 acres of land and now in Georgia its West Point Lake, right on the Georgia/Alabama border. All of it is pretty nice and peaceful and we’ve met some real nice folks. Just another segment of living the RV lifestyle.

We stopped in Montgomery too see Uncle Charlie and Aunt June. Charlie was 96 just a little short of 97 at the time and doing OK. Aunt June requires in home care now but they are managing. We took Charlie out for lunch and had a good visit. Charlie was studying the menu and trying with some difficulty to pick something healthy and I had to think to myself, “Holy Cow Charlie you are 96 years old, does it really matter”. “Eat something totally unhealthy!” But then I had to reflect on my own circumstance regarding smoking. Way back maybe 20 years ago when I quit, I said that when I reach 65 years of age I would start smoking again and have steak and eggs fried in axle grease every morning for breakfast because 65 was old enough, and besides it would probably take another 10-15 years to do me in anyway. That’s plenty old enough! Well I passed that benchmark a couple of years ago and still don’t smoke and eat more granola for breakfast than steak or bacon. Maybe Charlie has the right idea?!

Stitch removal in LA

Got’em out two days ago. But I still get a little squeamish when I pick up the hammer. Kat had the medical duty that day so she took them out. All went well except for that last one in the worst spot in the middle of all the carnage that was my left index finger. She yanked twice on that one because it was stuck and she wanted to make sure that my first scream wasn’t just for practice but the real thing. Then she figured out that last stitch wasn’t cut which, I can tell you, makes them easier to get out. But all is better now, if not peachy. I still get frustrated at being pretty much one handed for anything requiring actual strength and dexterity. Yesterday I got mad at myself when trying to tighten our hose to the motorhome water inlet and let a couple of expletives fly about my finger and its shortcomings. I got in trouble for that because there were kids walking by. I maintain they didn’t hear a thing until I got smacked up side the head with a broom handle by Kat. So if they were offended it was her fault and most likely they were not. I probably don’t cuss near as good as most 3rd graders today.

I need to clarify a point that may have some of you confused. Or it would if anybody read this, but I’ll mention it anyway. I have written somewhere I think in this Blog of Kat’s medical ability. Specifically, that she can reattach a thumb with two Band-Aids and some wood glue. Ah ha! You say. Then why did you have to run to the doctor for your finger. Well, that is simply the difference between smashing and making a clean cut of something. Kat has only been medically qualified to deal with woodcarving wounds, the clean cut variety and stitch removal. So there it is.

We had a good visit at cousin Shirley’s. Kat learned a few more things about her family and Shirley’s Grandson Jarred fixed us a nice Tequila chicken meal. We went out for some good Florida Barbecue which really was pretty good and actually was in Florida, unlike the Hawaiian place that we went to in Gulf Breeze that I maintain was either in or awful close to Mississippi. Shirley says it wasn’t that far, but I’m pretty good at direction, time and distance, or maybe I was just hungry. Mostly it was just a good relaxing visit with Shirley, Jarred and three pretty spoiled pups. Bo, Sugar and Toto. (Poodle-poodle-silky in that order) At times there may have been a couple more running around. Shirley loves animals and she’d be the first to admit that hers might be just a little on the spoiled side. Bo is not sure if he has legs he gets picked up so much. But it was a good visit and the only one really ready to leave was Jade. I think she was thinking cats didn’t fit in real well.

I titled this segment Stitches In ‘LA’ probably giving most of you pause as to where we really are? You thought we were in Florida not Los Angeles. Well some of the folks in the Pan-Handle of Florida prefer to think of themselves as more like Alabamans than Floridians, I suppose justifiably so. Sooo…. Here ‘LA’ refers affectionately to Lower Alabama. Ya’see! How ya’ gonna’ learn all this stuff if you don’t read my Blog.
At Shirley’s we were right next to Eglin Air Force Base and near Hurlbert Field, home of Air Force Special Operations. Her property line borders the woods that extend almost to Alabama and is Air Force property. They were conducting some kind of exercise and we were privileged to listen to it a couple of nights. It was aircraft, ordinance, and ammunition. What I affectionately refer to as the sound of peace. Those on the left might think it the sound of war, I beg to differ.

We didn’t get to see Shirley’s black bear. She has had one coming through the fence recently and causing some damage. Yes they do have bears in Florida! Maybe they think it’s really Alabama. Must be that ‘LA’ thing.

And we got the frig fixed.

The Gulf Coast 2010 Edition

We skipped some of the Gulf Coast to go to Livingston and pick up our mail. Mostly we wanted to get my mail order VA meds. We were thinking we’d just get the mail on Monday and be on our way. But the mail room was open on Saturday when we got there so we got our mail and left early Monday. It was about 200 miles down the road we realized that we got no meds in the mail. Crap! You’ll remember our intent was to especially get my meds. I don’t know, CRS, oldtimers, just impatience, whatever, it seems to happen more these days. So Kat called to find out they had come in that afternoon and had them sent on to our next mail stop.

Because they were in our line of travel we chose to stay at a couple of casinos, one of which was pretty good and one I don’t know that we’d go back to. Unless the reefer was working properly, which it is not, and we could just use the parking lot for free. Lots of folks do. But the frig is not working real well on LP right now. We have maintenance scheduled tomorrow so we should be ‘good to go’ for a little boondocking as necessary and appropriate down the road.

We bypassed New Orleans this time and didn’t get back to the coast until Mississippi at Bay St Louis. I think it is safe to say that Katrina is mostly cleaned up but the coastal area is still a shadow of its former self. Lots and lots of vacant lots and naked pilings. There were a few areas where more homes than not had been rebuilt but my impression is that they were the more affluent areas. The less well to do areas are still very sparsely populated and there are many ‘for sale’ signs. We looked at one large lot right next to the beach in a nice area. But the 1.4 million price tag kind of scared us away. We did wonder what the other places were going for? But it was ‘just’ wondering. And how long will it be before the area fully recovers and what’s keeping everybody? I’m told a lot of the problem is insurance. Many insurers went broke and it’s just not doable. Still sort of depressing. But the roads and beaches are good and Waffle House, Lowes, and Home Depot seem to be doing well. Time will heal things I reckon.

Our mail, and my meds even, beat us to Mary Esther, Florida, and cousin Shirley’s. She is well and we are enjoying our stay.