JT and Linda

Off to Northern Ohio via Mill Creek Campground.  Mill Creek is the only Corps park in Ohio and it was on the way to Painesville and Terry and Linda so we stopped for a few days.  OK place except for that ditch that Kat fell into while she was backing me into our parking space.  It was just one of those falls that seem to go on forever.  The kind where you fall about three times before you actually hit the ground.  And of course I was 40 feet away looking out the rear view mirror.  All I could do was cringe and put on the brake so as not to run her over.  But she’s mostly OK except for her pride and a little blood.  But we’re still the best backing in and pulling out team around. We (Kat) has that down.  I just know that most of the guys who see Kat backing me up or checking things for departure or setting up when we arrive, just eat their hearts out for the kind of help I get.  It’s surprising how many couples really struggle with getting in and out of a spot.  Not us, and it’s neat. 
So, JT (but he’ll always be Terry to me) and Linda are well.  We had a good visit parked in their driveway.  Nothing much to report that would knock your socks off.  We just had a good stay.  Played Mexican Train (Dominoes) and caught up again while Terry and Linda spoiled us with food and drink.  

The Ohio State Fair

The highlight of this collage is Lottie Randolph. Among lots of other farm and home activities she was Assistant Director of Agriculture in Ohio for 8 years under two governors and then Special Assistant to the Administrator Farmers Home Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington DC during the Eisenhower Administration. All of that had her elected to the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame. But most importantly she was a nice lady and my Grandma and my only grandparent.   





I have fond memories of Grandma. Singing Christmas Carols to her playing the piano, Hollywood bread and cinnamon toast, her spare bedroom and office with all the neat pictures and paintings where I locked myself in and couldn’t open the door. Dad had to cut the screen and climb in. The backyard swing and a big container of Dominoes, the Tri-Village Café (?) and their picnic tables. Rolf’s market. And the summer of 1960 when I spent a big chunk of it in Washington DC with her. I would ride the trolley down Connecticut Ave to the city and spend days and hours in the Smithsonian or on the National Mall just wandering around seeing the sights and looking at monuments. Eating lunch or dinner at the old Mayflower Hotel and seeing the Broadway production of My Fair Lady at the theatre with me in my white dinner jacket that Grandma bought me for the occasion. Whoahh!!! Going to Arthur Murray dance studio to watch her dance. Grandma spent what some thought was too much on Arthur Murray. I can’t say I ever did. It was her money and she enjoyed it a lot. Besides she never shorted me. One of the coolest things ever at that point in my life and being 17 was driving her 1953 (maybe ’54) blue two-tone Buick Roadmaster through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to DC. Yahooo!!! And here’s a thought I haven’t shared much. I was on the roof of her apartment building one warm summer night and a young (25-ish) attractive women (I was 17) asked me to come down to her apartment for a drink. I was young, shy, going steady with Janie Biggs, so maybe a little noble, and definitely somewhere between foolish and stupid and declined. Don’t think I haven’t questioned that decision a mess of times over the years!!!!



Well, if there is a point to this blog I probably got off of it a while ago. But then it is my blog. What’s the point if I can’t get off it?





  

Does that cat have legs?

We made it and had our usual excellent accommodations at Sandy and Don’s. Some day I’m going to have to look up the rule on apostrophes. Is it possessive or ain’t it? Is it, it’s, its’ or what? Maybe after reading this Sandy will clue me in. I think she wrote something about that just recently. Not directed at me, but maybe it should have been. Anyway we had our spot on the Cul-de-sac with the good electric and one ‘not too far’ trip to the nearest dump station. And after making a few holes and dents in the yard we got properly situated and had a great stay. I don’t see enough of the Ohio family but would the stays be as good if we did it too much? I dunno?

We had the family reunion and I think all who could’a, should’a made it, did. I was personally disappointed that Mike and Garrett didn’t, but I don’t put them in the should’a category. Still it was good. And my Best Man Doug, from the ‘hood’ made it all the way from Georgia. He’s not family but he’s the Best Man and we go back a long way. So far that he use to call me Ray-Ray. 60 + years. Damn!

We went to the fair and the horse races (trotters) ate out a little to often, had Donato’s pizza, bought a new recliner for the coach, but mostly, just visited and enjoyed the family and especially Sandy and Don.

Here fishy, fishy

As did Jade. She was invited in and took advantage of the offer. For a cat that is normally restricted to a 10’ by 36’ RV and a 10’ string outside. Here she was in feline heaven. A whole house and basement with all sorts of places to explore and a fenced backyard with bird feeders and birds. But then came the trains. Jade had not been exposed to trains. And for her, trains are right up there with garbage trucks, bad news without the smell but lots and lots longer. The good news was that it wasn’t too far up the steps, onto the deck, in the garage window, and under the steps. And she became very accomplished at doing it in a hurry. The only downside to the whole house and yard thing was getting her in and out. To let her walk on her string from RV to house takes an eternity. You ever walk a cat? She’s good on the string as long as your going where she wants to go. So I just got in the habit of carrying her in and out. After a week or so of that I’m pretty sure the neighbors got to wondering, ‘does that cat have legs’?

Parked out front

Are we done yet?

And the answer seems to be, no!


Right after the Rally we went ‘jacks up’ as quick as we could and headed for Decatur Indiana and the Fleetwood Service Center. Nice town, nice folks, free parking, but the wait is interminable. A week for the air conditioner and now we’re still waiting for the refrigerator control board and the guy who said it would be a day or two, five days ago. He a sub-contractor or something like that. Whatever; he seems to have disappeared. Even Fleetwood can’t raise him. But that was last night. Maybe today we can get in touch. The air is fixed! They had to put in a new unit and its working good now. So now Kat is playing her favorite game, right after Farming that is. “Freeze Out.” Just kidding, but she does like it cool. Must be all that time in Minnesota? Anyway, we wait. And I didn’t mention the awning. Some trouble with that too. It may be a real kerfuffle. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal even. But I noticed that the supports weren’t quite straight when it retracted and mentioned it. Lots of time and effort later they have found the material is not square and it rolls up crooked and stresses the supports. So they (Fleetwood) called A &E (the awning people) and conferred. Fleetwood wanted to replace the thing, but A & E says it just needs stretched. Fleetwood says HUH? We don’t know nothing about no stretch! We (Kat and I) just want it fixed and to be on our way. I have said we’ll even take it to A & E in Elkhart in September. Well be there for the Escapade and can stop in. So they’re working on that. At least Fleetwood is? They like the idea. Go figure! They don’t know noting about no stretch! I said that didn’t I? VIOLA!!! The fridge guy is here! HOT DAMN!!! OH NO!! NOOOOOOO!!! He pulled away. SEND HELP!!!!!