Saturday, June 28, 2014
Interstate 80
An observation, Iowa needs a lot of help in I-80 surfacing and to this point is one of the worst roads in America. Nebraska on the other hand have the paving down so as to be one of the smoothest roads we've ever traveled! Wyoming is trying damn hard to beat out Iowa but still are a whole lot smoother than Iowa interstate travel. I plan on posting some pics on FB of the I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln, you can tell the cornhuskers and there fans have some pull, the smoothest and only 6 lane I-80 stretch I know of.........this stretch of road can rival any in the country in my opinion?
The 28th.....catching up!
We extended our stay in Davenport until Friday morning in order to see Justin, his wife Kasey and son Mason home between duty assignments with the Army. Justin is the son of our nephew and niece Mike and Teresa Hayes, and Teresa made this great salad for a luncheon Thursday so we could have the opportunity to see Justin and meet his family.
Thursday night was a last night out with friends Dave and Marilyn Naab, a nice dinner a visit to the boat (casino) to drop a few bucks then back to the coach for a short nights sleep before breaking camp and hitting the road in the morning. We enjoy our time at West Lake in Davenport, the price is right at $21 a night and it's ideal for doing all we do while visiting the Quads. Like wise Adventureland in Des Moines is the same for visiting our family there, just a bit more costly.
We made a quick stop in Council Bluffs to visit Harrahs there, had a good but naughty meal and with the help of Bev being extremely hot.........we made a nice monetary addition to our coffers. Bev was due and came through in the clutch. Sightseeing here and there through Nebraska and tonight just inside Wyoming, tomorrow will bw a beautiful day in the beautiful state of Wyoming! I think we'll stop by and say hi to Dick and Liz Chaney while checking out Wyoming. We're still not sure how long or which direction from here, but the mountains seem to be calling and a stream of trout is sounding pretty good right too! The closer to the 4th we get the harder to find a place to park or an RV park that's not booked over that weekend......so we're playing it by ear at present, there's always Wal Mart in a pinch.
Thursday night was a last night out with friends Dave and Marilyn Naab, a nice dinner a visit to the boat (casino) to drop a few bucks then back to the coach for a short nights sleep before breaking camp and hitting the road in the morning. We enjoy our time at West Lake in Davenport, the price is right at $21 a night and it's ideal for doing all we do while visiting the Quads. Like wise Adventureland in Des Moines is the same for visiting our family there, just a bit more costly.
We made a quick stop in Council Bluffs to visit Harrahs there, had a good but naughty meal and with the help of Bev being extremely hot.........we made a nice monetary addition to our coffers. Bev was due and came through in the clutch. Sightseeing here and there through Nebraska and tonight just inside Wyoming, tomorrow will bw a beautiful day in the beautiful state of Wyoming! I think we'll stop by and say hi to Dick and Liz Chaney while checking out Wyoming. We're still not sure how long or which direction from here, but the mountains seem to be calling and a stream of trout is sounding pretty good right too! The closer to the 4th we get the harder to find a place to park or an RV park that's not booked over that weekend......so we're playing it by ear at present, there's always Wal Mart in a pinch.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Day one......alone for the remainder!
Well today is the first day since leaving Phoenix on May 31st that Bev and I are traveling alone. As you all know Lisa and Jack took their vacation time to travel with us for the first three weeks across the USA ending up in Iowa visiting old digs and a lot of family. We put Lisa and Jack on a plane back to Phoenix last night, their going back to work for Lisa and summer camp for Jack and of course brother Matt sister Dayani and Jacks favorite cousin Dalila! Our family is so close that some think maybe too much so........not us though. We all enjoy each other and spend so much time together all the time and already can't wait for next year when the lot of us make the trek to Iowa for reunions and all the things we do together. We will enjoy our alone time from here on out, but you can be sure we'll also miss having Lisa and Jack around at certain times along the way.
It rained like hell yesterday, could not believe there was anymore rain in the clouds after all we've had to this point in Iowa. I was a bit worried for the kids and the flight to Phoenix with the storms stretching from Denver to the East coast and right over the Quad Cities, but just before take off time there was an opening over the Quads and some clearing all the way West from here. I guess they had a few bumps but not what it could have been a few hours earlier. They had safe travels and I thanked the Lord for answering all those prayers I bombarded him with all evening until I heard they landed.
It looks like the rain might just let up for one day and that being Tuesday when I'm golfing with brother Russ and his son-in-law Scott, I will get Bev out and back on the course very soon I'm sure. The knee is doing just great and the exercise will be good for both of us after these two weeks in Iowa............wow, so much eating out and it's costing my weight loss program and I need to get back on track ASAP.
I know weather reports are so boring especially to those that live with this weather, but it's dominated out time here to the point that we might consider coming at a different time of the year even if it means missing reunions.................we're used to 6" a year and not each day for two weeks!
Today is laundry day once more and haircut day for Mike, then some shopping and oh yes you guessed it dinner out with brother Russ and his wife Cheryl (a bit of red meat but no potato or bread just meat and veggies would be nice) at the Outback. Then we'd like another evening with friends Dave and Marilyn and then hit the road for parts unknown at this writing.
It rained like hell yesterday, could not believe there was anymore rain in the clouds after all we've had to this point in Iowa. I was a bit worried for the kids and the flight to Phoenix with the storms stretching from Denver to the East coast and right over the Quad Cities, but just before take off time there was an opening over the Quads and some clearing all the way West from here. I guess they had a few bumps but not what it could have been a few hours earlier. They had safe travels and I thanked the Lord for answering all those prayers I bombarded him with all evening until I heard they landed.
It looks like the rain might just let up for one day and that being Tuesday when I'm golfing with brother Russ and his son-in-law Scott, I will get Bev out and back on the course very soon I'm sure. The knee is doing just great and the exercise will be good for both of us after these two weeks in Iowa............wow, so much eating out and it's costing my weight loss program and I need to get back on track ASAP.
I know weather reports are so boring especially to those that live with this weather, but it's dominated out time here to the point that we might consider coming at a different time of the year even if it means missing reunions.................we're used to 6" a year and not each day for two weeks!
Today is laundry day once more and haircut day for Mike, then some shopping and oh yes you guessed it dinner out with brother Russ and his wife Cheryl (a bit of red meat but no potato or bread just meat and veggies would be nice) at the Outback. Then we'd like another evening with friends Dave and Marilyn and then hit the road for parts unknown at this writing.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Reunion of sorts
After what seems like days and days of rain it seems tomorrow will be nice and sunny and last about two days, and we could use the break if not just to dry out the chairs on our patio. Hard to believe it's already been 3 days since I last post/blogged, but rain or shine we've kept pretty busy helping Lisa and Jack have a good vacation. If you also follow us on FB you've seen photos and status updates from the Field of Dreams to the Hawk shop and dinner and lunch here and there. Myfitnesspal program has suffered a bit but we'll be back on track after this weekend, and it looks like even some golf on Tuesday before we hit the road for parts unknown right now.
Do you believe in fate or divine intervention? Well we do and it showed a bit over the past few days............let me explain. How does one go from one of Bev's cousin to one of his neighbors and his buddy on a front porch in Buffalo, Iowa to a phone call to an old friend of mine living in Florida that all culminated in a reunion of three pallies that got hired the same day by a bread company in Davenport 40 years ago? Dave Naab, Mike Thornton and myself all got hired by Peter Pan bread company (Trausch baking co. out of Dubuque, Iowa) on the same day 40 years ago and became great friends and up until I moved to Arizona did so many things together like brothers. We golfed, bowled, worked, dined, partied, and went way too far many times together for the 12 years I worked with them peddling bread in the Quad Cities. When our union went on strike the only time while there Mike and I even became house painters to maintain some income while striking. I've kept in contact with Dave over the years via computer, e-mail and visits but we kind of lost contact with Mike and Patty when they moved to Wisconsin upon retirement. Bev and I visited Mike and Patty in 2010 in Wisconsin and had a great minnie reunion at that time, but the three amigo's hadn't been together for oh so many years. To get back to the fate or divine meeting, we were at Bev's cousins in Buffalo when a neighbor of his stopped by and after a bit of conversation found out it was Mike's brother who was Bev's cousins good friend. We're talking about how I met Mike etc. when he made a phone call............it was to Mike who just happen to be in the Quad Cities visiting his mother. Mike had moved to Florida a year ago and we have been thinking of a trip there to visit in the near future, but holy cow he's in the area and I'm about to talk to him. To make a long story even longer, I made arrangements for Mike and Patty to meet with me and Bev and I was going to get Dave and Marilyn to join us for a reunion of three guys that laughed together way too much but loved it and each other. Last night was just what I planned, a evening of laughs and reminiscing like the Boss's song of the "old days" only we enjoyed it and it seemed as though we didn't want it to end. I miss these guys and realized what good friends they were and how I missed all the good times and troubled times we went through. Mike leaves for Florida tomorrow, and we'll see Dave and Marilyn again before we leave but last night was as good as it gets for three old amigo's. I now look forward to a trip to Florida to play golf with my old friend, Dave no longer plays but we have done so many other things together. Mike is not a computer guy or a text guys or a FB guy so it's hard to stay in close contact other than phone calls, but I'll try and make that happen more ofter from here on out................good friends are sometimes hard to keep over the years but these guys are the best and I miss them already!
Today it's a trek to find a good Iowa Pork Tenderloin and the consensus is the filling station, lunch there and then a Quad City Bandits minor league baseball game if the weather holds tonight. The sun is shining but still some clouds, hope Lisa and Jack's last weekend of vacation here in Iowa stays nice like it is right now.
Do you believe in fate or divine intervention? Well we do and it showed a bit over the past few days............let me explain. How does one go from one of Bev's cousin to one of his neighbors and his buddy on a front porch in Buffalo, Iowa to a phone call to an old friend of mine living in Florida that all culminated in a reunion of three pallies that got hired the same day by a bread company in Davenport 40 years ago? Dave Naab, Mike Thornton and myself all got hired by Peter Pan bread company (Trausch baking co. out of Dubuque, Iowa) on the same day 40 years ago and became great friends and up until I moved to Arizona did so many things together like brothers. We golfed, bowled, worked, dined, partied, and went way too far many times together for the 12 years I worked with them peddling bread in the Quad Cities. When our union went on strike the only time while there Mike and I even became house painters to maintain some income while striking. I've kept in contact with Dave over the years via computer, e-mail and visits but we kind of lost contact with Mike and Patty when they moved to Wisconsin upon retirement. Bev and I visited Mike and Patty in 2010 in Wisconsin and had a great minnie reunion at that time, but the three amigo's hadn't been together for oh so many years. To get back to the fate or divine meeting, we were at Bev's cousins in Buffalo when a neighbor of his stopped by and after a bit of conversation found out it was Mike's brother who was Bev's cousins good friend. We're talking about how I met Mike etc. when he made a phone call............it was to Mike who just happen to be in the Quad Cities visiting his mother. Mike had moved to Florida a year ago and we have been thinking of a trip there to visit in the near future, but holy cow he's in the area and I'm about to talk to him. To make a long story even longer, I made arrangements for Mike and Patty to meet with me and Bev and I was going to get Dave and Marilyn to join us for a reunion of three guys that laughed together way too much but loved it and each other. Last night was just what I planned, a evening of laughs and reminiscing like the Boss's song of the "old days" only we enjoyed it and it seemed as though we didn't want it to end. I miss these guys and realized what good friends they were and how I missed all the good times and troubled times we went through. Mike leaves for Florida tomorrow, and we'll see Dave and Marilyn again before we leave but last night was as good as it gets for three old amigo's. I now look forward to a trip to Florida to play golf with my old friend, Dave no longer plays but we have done so many other things together. Mike is not a computer guy or a text guys or a FB guy so it's hard to stay in close contact other than phone calls, but I'll try and make that happen more ofter from here on out................good friends are sometimes hard to keep over the years but these guys are the best and I miss them already!
Today it's a trek to find a good Iowa Pork Tenderloin and the consensus is the filling station, lunch there and then a Quad City Bandits minor league baseball game if the weather holds tonight. The sun is shining but still some clouds, hope Lisa and Jack's last weekend of vacation here in Iowa stays nice like it is right now.
Monday, June 16, 2014
June 16th p.m.
Well it's been 5 days since a posting so we have a lot to catch up on. This is in a nutshell what has happen, a well attended Anderson reunion on the 14th, man what a turnout we were all pleased. There were about 60 in attendance and that might be a conservative count on my part, it was good to see cousins, nieces and nephews and even some of their kids. No uncles left, but we still had two aunts in attendance....my Mom at 90 years old next month and my aunt Delores at 93 years old I believe. We are now the aunts and uncles and we're even getting up there in age, and here's hoping the nieces and nephews keep this thing going. After being in Phoenix for 20 years and not making many trips back to Iowa except for the occasional funeral, we started making it a yearly thing about 7 years ago. Back then I got with my sister Nancy and had her arrange a picnic reunion of sorts and thus the annual Anderson reunion was once again a yearly event since that time. Also since then Patty my cousin and her daughter Lynn have helped Nancy get things and keep things going, so yes I hope the nieces and nephews continue this tradition because there is nothing better than family and keeping in touch even over the miles and years.
Friday night was local stock car races at the fairgrounds, a real Friday night staple in Davenport and the Quad Cities for years and years. My cousins Darilyn and Robin have been attending since way back when and with Darilyn being in town from Tennessee for the reunion a few of us got together for a night of modified stock car racing on the old dirt track............what a night and oh how loud those cars are. Bev and I and Lisa actually thought the night would never end, "I think this is the last one"...."no this is the last one for sure"......then another group would appear and then it was "OK this is for sure the last one" and then finally there was a last race. Not that we were bored or anything, just it was late and all the cars looked the same after a while. It was fun just being with the cuz's!
Then it was a BBQ here and a ball game there and before you know it we were to Monday night looking forward to Tuesday and more adventures. With Lisa and Jack being with us for this first leg of our journey it's been eat at this restaurant and that restaurant and any restaurant we don't have in Phoenix and this is killing my diet. I will get back to the routine when they head back to Phoenix on Sunday or most likely be for that if I can make it happen...........and I must!
Tomorrow night I have arranged for a couple of old friends and spouses to get together for dinner, Mike Thornton, Dave Naab and myself all started working for Peter Pan (Trausch Baking) the same day way back 39 or 40 years ago. I left after 12 years for Phoenix, Dave left years later with back problems and Mike hung in there until retirement 5 or 6 years ago. We visit Dave and his wife Marilyn each year we come back and enjoy them so much, but only visit Mike and his wife Patty once while they lived in Bagley, WI. in retirement, and since have moved to Florida. I wanted so much to make our way to Florida this year but Bev thought it would be too hot and since we leave Arizona for 3 - 4 months to get out of the heat didn't think Florida was a summer destination for part of this journey. As luck would have it Mike and Patty are in the Quad Cities this week visiting his Mom and I just happen to meet his brother (for the first time) while visiting Bev's cousin in Buffalo the other night............small world and found this out. It's fate, nothing else just fate that I ran into his brother while visiting a cousin and then calling Mike the arrange for the 3 amigo's to once more break break and talk about the old days (glory days if you will) I am so freaking stoked you wouldn't believe it and just hope we have as much fun as we used to and oh the laughs should really be flowing! I hope tomorrow or the next day I have some real shit to put down in this blog........it's just got to be the way us "pallies" were and can pick right back up once more, we'll see tomorrow night!
Tomorrow I'll drop the girls and Jack off at the Machine Shed for breakfast.......I have to stop that stuff...........and I'll go wash the Jeep and maybe even get a haircut, all I know is I can't have a Machine Shed breakfast, not after today's junk!
Friday night was local stock car races at the fairgrounds, a real Friday night staple in Davenport and the Quad Cities for years and years. My cousins Darilyn and Robin have been attending since way back when and with Darilyn being in town from Tennessee for the reunion a few of us got together for a night of modified stock car racing on the old dirt track............what a night and oh how loud those cars are. Bev and I and Lisa actually thought the night would never end, "I think this is the last one"...."no this is the last one for sure"......then another group would appear and then it was "OK this is for sure the last one" and then finally there was a last race. Not that we were bored or anything, just it was late and all the cars looked the same after a while. It was fun just being with the cuz's!
Then it was a BBQ here and a ball game there and before you know it we were to Monday night looking forward to Tuesday and more adventures. With Lisa and Jack being with us for this first leg of our journey it's been eat at this restaurant and that restaurant and any restaurant we don't have in Phoenix and this is killing my diet. I will get back to the routine when they head back to Phoenix on Sunday or most likely be for that if I can make it happen...........and I must!
Tomorrow night I have arranged for a couple of old friends and spouses to get together for dinner, Mike Thornton, Dave Naab and myself all started working for Peter Pan (Trausch Baking) the same day way back 39 or 40 years ago. I left after 12 years for Phoenix, Dave left years later with back problems and Mike hung in there until retirement 5 or 6 years ago. We visit Dave and his wife Marilyn each year we come back and enjoy them so much, but only visit Mike and his wife Patty once while they lived in Bagley, WI. in retirement, and since have moved to Florida. I wanted so much to make our way to Florida this year but Bev thought it would be too hot and since we leave Arizona for 3 - 4 months to get out of the heat didn't think Florida was a summer destination for part of this journey. As luck would have it Mike and Patty are in the Quad Cities this week visiting his Mom and I just happen to meet his brother (for the first time) while visiting Bev's cousin in Buffalo the other night............small world and found this out. It's fate, nothing else just fate that I ran into his brother while visiting a cousin and then calling Mike the arrange for the 3 amigo's to once more break break and talk about the old days (glory days if you will) I am so freaking stoked you wouldn't believe it and just hope we have as much fun as we used to and oh the laughs should really be flowing! I hope tomorrow or the next day I have some real shit to put down in this blog........it's just got to be the way us "pallies" were and can pick right back up once more, we'll see tomorrow night!
Tomorrow I'll drop the girls and Jack off at the Machine Shed for breakfast.......I have to stop that stuff...........and I'll go wash the Jeep and maybe even get a haircut, all I know is I can't have a Machine Shed breakfast, not after today's junk!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
West Lake Park, Davenport, Iowa
We arrived and got all set up at West lake yesterday afternoon, the rain stayed with us most of the way from Des Moines. There was a small window of just a misting while we got all hooked up but then rain the rest of the evening and what seemed like all night, or at least in sounded that way on the roof. I guess they cut grass when they can because their outside the motor home cutting grass and it's wet as hell, guess what will be tracked in for the next few days! I would love to go out and get the outside things set up but not sure of the weather, forecast says rain the next 3 days with sun on Saturday and then clouds for the next 3 days after that. I'm starting to wonder if I'll get any golf in while in the Quad Cities, please pray for the sun and clouds to go away...thank you.
First thing in town called Mom and arranged to have dinner, it was good to see her and she really looked good for going to turn 90 in July. Mom's mind is still slipping and they call what she has "sun downer" because she and her memory which isn't good at all gets even worse as the day grows into evening. We ate at 5:15 pm and sure enough after the meal she got progressively worse even remembering my name, sad very sad but nothing can be done.
Today is supposed to be laundry day and we'll head that way soon, but right now Bev is tackling a couple of work problems and Lisa is sleeping VERY late..............me I'm doing this and watching Chuck Hagel try and wiggle his and the presidents way out of breaking just one more law in a long line of breaking the laws by this administration! What a joke they have turned our country into, the law means nothing to these folks. Oh well that's for another blog but that's what I'm hearing as I type this.
Looks like the rain has stopped for a few minutes so maybe I'll go out and get the coverings on the front window, don't dare put the awning out in case a storm comes up........what a way to live, sure don't miss the continued bad weather they get here in the Midwest. We've had more rain in this week in Iowa that we get in 2 years in Phoenix, guess we need the corn and soybeans and someone has to suffer for that.
First thing in town called Mom and arranged to have dinner, it was good to see her and she really looked good for going to turn 90 in July. Mom's mind is still slipping and they call what she has "sun downer" because she and her memory which isn't good at all gets even worse as the day grows into evening. We ate at 5:15 pm and sure enough after the meal she got progressively worse even remembering my name, sad very sad but nothing can be done.
Today is supposed to be laundry day and we'll head that way soon, but right now Bev is tackling a couple of work problems and Lisa is sleeping VERY late..............me I'm doing this and watching Chuck Hagel try and wiggle his and the presidents way out of breaking just one more law in a long line of breaking the laws by this administration! What a joke they have turned our country into, the law means nothing to these folks. Oh well that's for another blog but that's what I'm hearing as I type this.
Looks like the rain has stopped for a few minutes so maybe I'll go out and get the coverings on the front window, don't dare put the awning out in case a storm comes up........what a way to live, sure don't miss the continued bad weather they get here in the Midwest. We've had more rain in this week in Iowa that we get in 2 years in Phoenix, guess we need the corn and soybeans and someone has to suffer for that.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Good morning Sunday!
Well a good nights sleep after a good evening at Mark and Susan's............it had to be good because not a word of politics was mentioned or brought up, and that keeps things civil with this crowd. When you have a couple of far lefties and a couple of right leanings and a couple of I don't give a shit's or even know what you're talking about it's best to discuss anything but and that is what we did. No offense to anyone and I'm not even sure who's who in the mix but regardless it was a very good evening. Susan being vegan prepared that kind of a meal and it was really good, I could do that without much a problem as long as I could throw some meat or fish in once or twice a week. I'm sure the meal helped me on my weight loss plan or at least didn't hurt too bad since I had two pieces of some wonderful bread.
Today it's get ready early and make a quick 3 hours trip to Buffalo, Iowa for Bev's family reunion and then a quick trip back after a few hours in Buffalo to Des Moines. We'll come back here to Des Moines for a couple of more days and then on to Davenport and my family for a week or so. It really screwed things up a bit when they moved my reunion to the third week in June, it was much easier when both reunions ran back to back on a Saturday and Sunday as far as our travel plans went. Hey but we just had to come from Phoenix, Arizona 1600 miles away and most of these folks had to come from way across town! Oh no...........sounds like sour grapes, oh well we're flexible and have no time table to keep after these events.
California Chrome.........you talk about sour grapes! This cat needs to shut up and go buy another $9000 pony, yea lets change the rules for him so he can win. What's really nuts is this morning he's talking conspiracy and that the powers that be didn't really want another triple crown winner, dude is a bit nuts if you ask me. Horses have done it in the past and no one said it was an easy feat, you aren't the first to lose it buddy and you won't be the last. Suck it up dude and shut your pie hole, put the colt out to stud and make more millions on the fine looking pony.
Gotta go get things ready for a 9:00 am departure.............see ya all later.
Today it's get ready early and make a quick 3 hours trip to Buffalo, Iowa for Bev's family reunion and then a quick trip back after a few hours in Buffalo to Des Moines. We'll come back here to Des Moines for a couple of more days and then on to Davenport and my family for a week or so. It really screwed things up a bit when they moved my reunion to the third week in June, it was much easier when both reunions ran back to back on a Saturday and Sunday as far as our travel plans went. Hey but we just had to come from Phoenix, Arizona 1600 miles away and most of these folks had to come from way across town! Oh no...........sounds like sour grapes, oh well we're flexible and have no time table to keep after these events.
California Chrome.........you talk about sour grapes! This cat needs to shut up and go buy another $9000 pony, yea lets change the rules for him so he can win. What's really nuts is this morning he's talking conspiracy and that the powers that be didn't really want another triple crown winner, dude is a bit nuts if you ask me. Horses have done it in the past and no one said it was an easy feat, you aren't the first to lose it buddy and you won't be the last. Suck it up dude and shut your pie hole, put the colt out to stud and make more millions on the fine looking pony.
Gotta go get things ready for a 9:00 am departure.............see ya all later.
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