A new baby!

My daughter had her baby! 8 pounds & 2 ounces of tiny healthy baby.

I had forgotten how small a newborn is and I'd forgotten how good it feels to hold a newborn baby!

Grandpa & Hayden

This week I'll finish up my obligations up here and I have been thinking about where to go and what to do...  beyond visiting my friends, relatives, kids & grandkids between here and Arizona.

It will be November next weekend, some place warmer & dryer is calling. As a friend pointed out I'm retired & don't have a timetable for getting to where ever it is I want to go.

Plus I have to replace my '87 Ford van so I've been thinking about that too. I'm leaning towards a Volkswagen again... I am a VW guy.

I'll have a much better idea of what I'm doing by next week!

I'm sure!!

Swapping

I'm here in Washington at my daughter's for a small bit of time, I'm waiting for her baby so I really don't know how much time. 
Waiting for a baby is like that.  

Fall is here too, no doubt about it. I've been wearing long pants for a week now & I thought about shoes & socks once today.  In my book that means it's time to head south!

The leaves are starting to change

I do have time to think, one of my thoughts is about replacing my van. The engine uses a lot of oil & I have no idea show many miles are on it as the odometer rolls over to zero every 100,000 miles. 
It's a diesel so changing the engine is more than a bit pricey.

My current '87 Ford E250

I looked at the money available, what I'm doing with the van I have, what they have on the local craigslist and what "I" want.  

I have a confession to make, I'm a VW guy. I want another Volkswagen van.

My '87 Vanagon, sold years ago

I do have more room in my E250 than I would in a Vanagon, more power, more looking "normal" but I still keep thinking of a Vanagon. 
In the past when the "Volkswagen" thoughts get too much I end up looking for one.

I put an ad on craigslist to see if anyone wants to swap a Vanagon for my '87 E250 diesel powered van.
 It's a long shot but nothing ventured nothing gained!

Once I traded a Dodge pick up for a travel trailer, we were both happy with the deal. Another time I offered to trade a Jeep for a Vanagon but had no takers, I ended up selling the Jeep & used that money to buy a Vanagon, that '87 Vanagon in the photo.

It feels funny putting my home up for a trade....

Medical Miracles

Medical Miracles, everyday stuff to us now but they are still miracles.

I stubbed my toe, no big deal... then a week later it was a big deal, it was infected.

My medical is tied to the Army medical center in Washington, I go there or I go to a local ER. 

I was going back to this part of Washington anyway to watch my grandson while his mom has another baby (I like these grandpa duties!) so coming early to fix my toe was not that big a deal. 


So I drove back to Washington and went the ER at the base hospital (it was Sunday), they gave me antibiotics and I left. 
Three nights later I didn't wake my self up during the night by bumping my toe.  
A Miracle!

I'd say 50 years ago but no, penicillin saved me 55 years ago, so 100 years ago my infection would have been a different story.

 

Rules for traveling

I didn't like my last blog, this is the first time that's happened. Lets try it again.



I spent years traveling from here to there, stopping for the 'giant ball of string' or to smell the roses was not part of the plan.

Since I retired I have tried to change 'how' I travel... Driving long distances & lot's of hours just does not happen any more but I still have to force myself to stop for the 'giant ball of string'.

I have grandpa duties at the end of this month watching my grandson while his mom has another!  After that I'm free to find better winter weather.

My plan is to head south visiting the rest of my kids, grand kids, my cousin & family, my sister and some old friends. Ending up in Quartzsite Arizona come January for all the RV stuff going on.

After that .... I feel obligated to mosey down to the navy RV facilities on Key West. Mosey because I'm "forcing" myself to travel slowly, but do I really have to?

Key West via the coast

In Memphis Tennessee there is a hamburger place where they deep fry them, I saw it on a cooking show & it really looked good.        Dryer's Deep Fried Burgers

I sit here telling myself I cannot just leave Quartzsite and boogie off to Memphis!

Key West via Memphis

Or can I?

I guess as long as my problems are of this nature things are not too bad....