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Sunday, October 7:

You may think that we were declaring residency at my daughter’s house but you are wrong. We’re back on the road again after almost 3 weeks of visiting the family in Rushville IL. We had a great time visiting with Tina and our granddaughters. Tina and I got to go thrift shopping in Springfield once and then another day we went to Jacksonville to shop. While at Tina’s we enjoyed family dinners with the whole family gathered around the table the few times that one of the girls wasn’t busy with practice or at a function. We played plenty of card games, watched TV together and in general had a good time. Of course, work must be done so we also took care of the business side of life.

We headed out Thursday October 4 to Elkhart Indiana. We’ve wanted to visit the various surplus RV places and shop for some new captain chairs and other items that we may find. We stopped for the night at Wal-Mart Store # 1256 in Joliet IL. Mac went into the store to pick up a few things and while he was gone I got a call from my dad’s doctor down in Livingston TX. From the doctor’s office my dad was taken to the hospital. He is so weak now he can barely walk. The main reason that she called was to let me know that they’d found a mass on his right lung while taking x-rays. Of course, until test results are back it isn’t certain that it’s cancer but the doctor was pretty sure. The doctor also told me that my dad really will need more care than what my mom can give him when he gets out of the hospital.

So, when Mac returned to the RV we had a talk about what to do. We’re so close to Elkhart and getting new captain chairs. It wouldn’t take that long to pick up new chairs, would it? But we decided that the family needs us to be there for them. We can help make any decisions that need to be made and be there to provide support to them during this trying time. Actually, I need to be there for myself too. I need to make sure that they both are getting the best care possible. Mac and I can be there to be their advocates.

I’m so glad that we chose this mobile lifestyle so that we can do things like this. If we still lived in a house and worked at 9-to-5 jobs then we could not be there for our family like we have been. We’ve been able to stay with the granddaughters while daughter is on a business trip twice. We were able to drop everything and “rescue” my parents after Katrina, helping them relocate to Livingston TX, get set up, etc. It has been a blessing that we’ve been able to be there for our families and when not needed we’ve got to see parts of this amazing country that we live in.

Friday morning we turned the RV south and headed for Texas. I did the majority of driving today while Mac worked online and on the phone. Isn’t technology great! We can get internet almost anywhere now while driving down the highway. Previously, we would have to stop somewhere while Mac got online and conducted business. This has really increased the productivity of his time spent as a passenger. Now when we get to wherever we’re going he has more time to spend enjoying and less time playing catch-up at work.

Friday night we stopped at the Forest City Arkansas Wal-Mart Store # 91 and spent the night. We can tell now that we are in the south; it is so humid to us. We had the fan blowing across us at night while sleeping.

Saturday we drove to Bossier City Louisiana and spent the night at the Horseshoe Casino. We could have continued on and made it to Livingston TX today but we’re tired and hungry. So we stopped and spent the evening relaxing over dinner and playing some in the casino. I need some distraction to keep me from worrying. I’ve spent a lot of time crying this trip and this is a much needed break from worrying and thinking.

We’re parked in the RV drycamping lot and there are many other RVs around us. It is very warm and humid, high 80’s and yucky. We opened some windows and the vent for airflow in the RV while we went into the casino to stay cool. Even after we returned to the RV for the night it’s still pretty humid out. Many of the other RVs are running their generators and air-conditioners. We just go into our southern mode and slow down, don’t work up a sweat and blow the fan across us. It wasn’t too bad getting through the night sleeping with the fan.

Why don’t you run your air-conditioner you ask, because it officially quit working back in July while we were in Grants Pass Oregon. We planned on having a new one installed this fall when we got to Livingston. It would be nice to have it right now and the next several days. I’m hoping it won’t take long to get a new one put in when we get there. Usually it’s not quite as hot and muggy as it is this year. Looking back at our blog this is the time of year that we are down in this area. This year summer has decided to extend its stay and make us sweat.

Tuesday, October 9

We continued on to Livingston Texas and arrived around 1:00 Sunday afternoon. After getting the RV set up on the site, having a quick bite of lunch and cooling off with a shower we headed on over to the hospital to see my dad. I felt quite a bit of relief when I saw him. I was imagining him at death’s door but he looked pretty good and was in good spirits considering what he’s been through.

But the best news of all was on Monday; the doctor called with the test results and he does not have cancer. He does have a nodule on his lung that they will need to watch but no cancer at this time. Whew, what a relief! In addition to all of his other medical problems he really does need some rehab. He’s lost a lot of strength and needs more assistance than my mom can provide.

Monday afternoon was spent inspecting two of the local nursing rehab centers and picking one for him to be at. We all agreed on Timberwood Nursing and Rehab. Tuesday morning my dad was discharged from the hospital and transferred over to Timberwood. It’s been a hectic few days getting everything done that needed doing; inspections, paperwork, packing him some clothing, visiting with him and easing his concerns, etc.

It’s been very warm and humid here. Mac had called around about getting a new air-conditioner installed and had an appointment made for Wednesday. Monday evening he was messing around with the controls and turned on the air-conditioner. Amazing! It worked! We have blessed air-conditioning. Mac thinks that when we were trying to use it in Grants Pass while at the repair shop we weren’t getting enough power/electricity to it. We have some fancy control system that instead of blowing the circuit breaker the air-conditioner just won’t cool when there isn’t enough power going to it. So that was a relief to finally figure that out.

This evening we’re enjoying our air-conditioned RV, relaxing after a good dinner that my wonderful husband cooked for us. The next few weeks will be hectic, filled with our regular work, ensuring that both of my parents are receiving the care that they need, getting items repaired or installed that are needed for them, etc.

Readers of our blog now how much I love shopping at thrift stores and finding those great bargains. I belong to a forum at www.thethriftshopper.com  I also use this website to look for thrift stores at the various locations we arrive at. The website also has a monthly online magazine. One section of the magazine features a different “Thrifter of The Month”. I’ve been asked several times to write an article for this section and I finally did write one. It’s featured in the October magazine that was just published. In addition to checking out the great website if desired you can read my article HERE.  Also, here's a link to an article on our blog site about Thrifting.

Wednesday, October 24

We left Livingston on Sunday October 21 around noon. We stayed exactly 2 weeks and felt that we have done all that we can do at this time. My dad was discharged on Tuesday the ninth to Timberwood Nursing & Rehab for some much needed rehab work. He was so weak from being sick and in the hospital but he looks and feels much better now. His goal is to get strong enough to go home and we’re all hoping that he does get strong enough. At this time he requires too much assistance and my mom just isn’t healthy enough to provide the care that he needs.

Mac and I had plenty of chores to do at my parent’s place in these two weeks. We worked at our real jobs, worked on chores, and visited my dad at the nursing center every day. We really worked hard getting everything done and we’re pleased with the results of all our hard work.

While in Livingston we ate out a couple of times. We ate again at Shrimp Boat Manny’s Restaurant and enjoyed it. We also ate at el Burrito Mexican Restaurant once and considered it mediocre, not very authentic or tasty. We probably would not eat there again. We ate lunch twice at the City Grille and enjoyed it. We plan on visiting more restaurants each time we visit Livingston.

When we left Livingston on Sunday we drove to Bossier City LA and parked again at the Horseshoe Casino to spend the night. We played some in the casino and we ate at the dinner buffet. I really enjoyed the buffet. It had so many vegetables on it plus a great assortment of entrées.

On Monday we left the casino and drove to Tupelo MS. We picked out a site at the Tombigbee State Park www.stateparks.com/tombigbee_lee.html  got the car unhooked and settled in for the night. We drove in rain off and on all day and Tupelo was no exception. We had rain occasionally all night long.

On Tuesday we drove into Tupelo to the company office of Pediastaff, www.pediastaff.com  the company Mac works with. We worked in an office setting, something we haven’t done since we started RVing. We both said we are glad we don’t have to commute to work any more. It was great for me to finally meet Keith, Brenda, and Sue.

We ate lunch at Sweet Peppers Deli www.sweetpeppersdeli.com/tupelo/index.html  It was great food too. After lunch it was back to work for a few more hours before Mac and I left to explore a little of Tupelo. It’s been raining today and has gotten colder so we didn’t spend much time exploring, we mostly drove around admiring the downtown renovations. We did manage to find a thrift store and a book store so we braved the weather to check for bargains.

We met Keith and Brenda along with their young good-looking son and his friend at the Fairpark Grill http://www.eatwithus.com/grill/index.php for dinner. It’s a new restaurant that’s only been open about 3 weeks. We enjoyed our meal and felt the prices were extremely reasonable for dinner items.

On Wednesday we again commuted to work at the office. It is really chilly to us; I think the temperature at the bank said it was in the high 40’s this afternoon. For lunch today we all went to Margarita’s Grill, a Mexican restaurant. Again we had a great meal and the price was very reasonable.

After lunch on the way back to the office Keith showed us their church. It’s one of the oldest churches in Tupelo, listed on the National Register, with beautiful wood and stained glass throughout. http://www.fumctupelo.com/ 

After working a few more hours Mac and I decided to head back to the RV. When we got back to the RV our cat was in our bed; he doesn’t like this chilly weather. We’re not enjoying the rain or the chilliness so we’re heading out tomorrow. We do plan on returning to visit again to the area, there is much to see around here, but right now it’s just too wet and cold for us. We’re heading further south towards the coast. We’ll play some casinos, see some shows and hopefully warm up.

Thursday, October 25:

We left Tupelo this morning around 8:30. It was misting, damp and chilly, not nice weather to hook up the car but it makes you grateful for the warm dry interior of the RV when you get inside. Today would have been a great day to curl up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate but instead we have chosen to drive south, so away we go.

Most of the drive today it was misting or raining so our wipers got a good workout. I drove today so that Mac could get some work done. We drove south on US Highway 45 Alt and then got on Interstate 59. We stopped once at a Wal-Mart in Meridian to get some more groceries, and then we hit the road again.

We were going to a “shortcut” from I-59 to I-10 on 607 through the space center. But that is closed to through traffic since September 11, 2001. So instead of being a shortcut it added some miles to our trip. We turned around and got back on the interstate and drove to the end of I-59 and then took I-10 east.

We finally arrived at our destination the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis  around 5:00. We’re parking out in the big main parking lot. We could stay in their nice RV park but we’re only staying one night and don’t want to unhook. After getting everything set up in the RV for the evening we went to the casino for dinner and a little play. We had a coupon for one free buffet and we have enough comps at the casino to have our dinner for free. We really enjoyed the buffet too. I so enjoy the buffets in the south, the buffets serve a large variety of vegetables in addition to many entrées.

Friday, October 26:

The forecast for the next 5 days is in the mid-70’s and sunny, no rain here! This morning Mac worked and I checked out my email and various forums. I soon decided to go and play some more before lunch. We’ve earned enough comps playing last night that we are going to enjoy the lunch buffet for free, and enjoy it we did. I’m so stuffed and could take a nap but no it’s driving time again.

We decided to drive highway 90 to Biloxi today. The Bay St. Louis bridge is open to traffic now; previously we would have had to go back to the interstate to get through but not anymore.

The drive along the beach is beautiful; the beach is manmade of fine white sand. If I look to the right out at the gulf waters I can’t see that there was any devastation from Katrina but if I look to the left I see heartache. There are stretches along the road that nothing is left but trees; all buildings are gone. There are places where a couple of buildings survived and they are standing all alone without their neighbors. But there is also much rebuilding and new construction along the coast. There are several condos being built, some are quite attractive; but I really hope that they don’t overbuild and destroy the unique beauty that was once in this area. Many of the beach areas in Florida aren’t attractive anymore because they’ve been overbuilt with condos and other buildings. The owners of the condos may have a great view of water but the rest of us have only a view of high buildings, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and souvenir shops, no natural beauty has been left.

We arrived at our destination of the Imperial Palace Casino.  There are 2 large parking lots that we could park in and we chose the one on the south side of the casino. There are several RVs already here in this parking lot. After getting the RV set up for our stay we went to the casino for some play. We have some free play and coupons for meals so we’ll be here for a few days at least.

Our coupons could be used for the buffet but the line is so long and we’d had a huge lunch so we decided to eat in the High Tide Café. We love to share a club sandwich when we come here. This café is one of the few places where a club sandwich has turkey, ham and bacon on it. Most restaurants now serve a club with only turkey and bacon and not the ham. I guess it’s another cost saving measure and customers haven’t complained that they’ve ruined the club sandwich. But we only order a club if it has all 3 meats on it and we enjoy sharing it.

As soon as I entered the casino I noticed the noise level, it was extremely noisy in the casino. I checked my fanny pack and thankfully I had some ear plugs with me. I tried playing for a few minutes without the ear plugs but it’s just too noisy in the casino so I put them in. Ahhhh, blessed relief! Mac says that this casino was always noisy but I don’t remember it being this loud, maybe my ears are more sensitive than they used to be because it seemed extremely noisy.

Saturday October 27:

Today was spent playing and playing some more. We ate lunch again at the High Tide Café but this time we split a Rueben sandwich, it was very good too, moist and juicy. For dinner we wanted to eat at the seafood buffet but the line was just too long so again we ate at the café. Tonight I had fried gulf shrimp and Mac had a seafood platter. We both enjoyed our meals very much.

After dinner we went back to the RV and enjoyed the peace and quiet of our home. Well, in the middle of the night the peace was disturbed by some idiot doing donuts in the parking lot here and spraying gravel on the RV! Startled us right up out of bed. Thankfully no harm was done to the RV or car. I hope the driver wasn’t drunk and driving. We soon were back to sleep snug in our beds with visions of royal flushes in our heads.

Wednesday October 31

Since this blog is read by a mix of family, friends, acquaintances, and others I sometimes struggle with a few topics.  We're very open here, and share a lot of our personal lives, but sometimes there are topics that just require too much explanation for a blog.  Like many families, ours has some estrangements due to divorce and other things.  There are some family members that we haven't seen or talked with in many years.  We have learned of a very sudden, tragic event that put one young relative of ours in the ICU, and his condition is grave.  Please pray for Christopher and the family.

Camping expense records year to date

Continue Reading November 2007

What did we do in October's past?  Take a look at:

October 2006

October 2005

August - October 2004