./` On the Road Again... ./`

Continuing on the 2022 Texas Miata Challenge with a trip up to north Texas to get the remaining four courthouses we need.  Great news is that we were already planning a trip up to Dallas to visit with family and celebrate my Grandma G's 95th birthday.

I'm so thankful that RDB will drive me all over creation for various reasons - and even drives while I work in the car (yeah, virtual job!) so that we could actually surprise Grandma on her birthday last week. Two trips to Dallas in two weeks would be crazy for some, but not for RDB and me. 

We had a great lunch with She-B at Stirr in Addison on Sunday, before catching the last of the courthouses and heading home. 

On the road again..... 

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Stop #7: Ellis County Courthouse - Waxahachie

Stop #8: Dallas County Courthouse - Dallas

Oh boy, do we have a number of camping trips in Dallas County, and all of them at Cedar Hill State Park!  This state park is a favorite of ours when we come to visit family while we camp, so we've been here in a few different campers, too. Turkey Trip #5: Into the Holiday Spirit, Fine Art, Family, Food, and Friends, Thanksgiving Part 1 and Part 2, and Wow, What a Weekend!

Stop #9: Tarrant County Courthouse - Ft Worth

We've stopped off at the Arlington KOA over Easter holiday last year at the beginning of a longer trip. And the Vineyards Cabins and Campgrounds in Grapevine is another favorite place to stay when we're up visiting family. 

Stop #10: Denton County Courthouse - Denton

Way north in Denton county is Lake Ray Roberts, and two units of the state park are there.  We've stayed at both, and both times I only did photo posts! Traveling for the Turkey Part 3, and Family, Friends, Fotos.

Bumper sticker, Birthday, Back-in-the-Box, and Buddies

A quick trip to Dallas this weekend to celebrate Bunny’s *ahem*2nd birthday, play games with the fam, and visit with Randshe; RDB put a new adornment on the back of the camper before we left out (and I still need to get the reindeer off from our Christmas trip - though it kinda looks like he's giving a thumbs up about our blog!)

We left out Friday after work and made our way to The Vineyards Campground and Caverns arriving well after dark; we stayed here once before when we came up for Randshe’s Hallowedding. This is Sis & TJ‘s favorite place to stay when they come in to town to visit Dad and Bunny and with a close proximity to Dad and Bunny‘s house, I can’t blame them!  The view from our spot was really great, though we weren’t at the camper much to enjoy it. 

Saturday we all met up at Dad‘s favorite restaurant, Lupes, for lunch to celebrate Bunny, then went back over to the house to enjoy a day of  playing dominoes, watching the Cowboys' late game, and plenty of great conversation. 

I got Bunny a money tree for her birthday and joked that I had promised the tree when I picked it out that it wasn’t coming home with me: Bunny has lots of plants and an incredible green thumb; she’s even rescued several sad houseplants that I have unfortunately brought almost to the brink of death in my care. 

Sis & TJ wanted to teach us how to play Mexican train with the travel dominoes that I had from our camper. It seemed like every other round a new rule - or two - was added to the game. Dad cracked me up at one point when he said “That’s the problem with learning the rules: now you’ve got to play by them.” 

Even little Willow seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the instructions! 

My favorite part of playing dominoes is actually the last round of the night. As a tradition, my family has always played a game called “put them back in the box.” Everyone draws tiles to fill their hand and no pile left over. You start with the highest double, then put each in turn till you are out of tiles - so, 9/9, then 9/8, 9/7, etc.  

If you don't have the next on in order, you draw from someone else's hand while they either try to get rid of one that's _not_ the next in line (if they have it)  It’s part dominoes, part Bullshit, part UNO, all trying to put the dominoes back in the box and not being the person holding the last one. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun bullshitting with our family. And if TJ tells you he has the one you’re looking for, he has it. Indeed. 

Sunday morning we got up and checked out from the campsite, taking the trailer and truck down to Dad‘s so we could park in front of their house, called an Uber, and met Randshe at Winewood Grill in Grapevine. 

Three hours, two bottles of champagne, and one happy table full of friends later we parted ways with plans to get together again next weekend when we’re back up to camp north of Dallas at Lake Ray Roberts. 

Back at Dad And Bonnie’s we just happened to run into Grandma G as she was walking back to her house next door. Of course, we also just happened to bring a six pack of “grandma beer” to put in her fridge.  She may look little, but at 94 years young, y’all, she is something fierce. 

We were in site number #91 at The Vineyards Campground and Cabins. Really great site right up against the water with plenty of space — just be aware of the significant drop off to your passenger side and the backend. If you go off that wall, there’s no coming back.

For just a few more camping pictures, go here. 

Turkey Trip #5: Into the Holiday Spirit

We left out from Palo Duro Canyon State Park late in the evening on Thursday and made our way down to the Abilene KOA Journey, with two thoughts: 1) cut the 6 hour drive to Dallas into tow days (to make it easier on RDB, who's driven over 1000 miles on this week long adventure) and 2) to see D&V or maybe visit the Abilene Zoo.  I think Diesel has had about enough of being in the truck for these long hauls!

We did make it in to the KOA (love that they are so easy to find, right along the highway, and pull thru full hook-ups sites makes them perfect for the stop over) but we didn't have a chance to have dinner with D&V or make it to the zoo (we came in long after the dinner hour and realized the KOA had a 11am check out). No worries either way, we accomplished goal #1 - to break the travel in to two easier days and arrived at Cedar Hill State Park at the perfect time to check in. 

Boy, oh boy, were we happy to have this site! We've been to Cedar Hill SP several times before, the first time with the 5th wheel being a monster of a site to park in, but this one (site 112) is just heaven - easy to park, and look. At. That. View!!  It's definitely going to be one that I keep my eyes on when we book here in the future, as well.

And continue to book, we will, because this campground is such a great place to stay when we're up in the DFW are to visit family.  Friday night Mom and G came over and picked us up and we went out to dinner, then we drove thru Grand Prairie's annual light show.  It was an absolutely PERFECT way to kick off the holiday season!

Saturday we went over to Dad and Bunny's to celebrate a late Thanksgiving and Dad's 70th birthday this past week.  It's always fun to be there as Dad is carving the turkey (yes, in the laundry room!).  I kid you not, he gets his fill while carving the bird and then his plate for the real meal is only side dishes!  This year I was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet little lady in there with him....

That's my 94 year-young Grandma G in there helping out!  I'm so grateful that she's right next door to Dad's and that we get to see her as often as we can when we come up (with a 6-pack of "Grandma Beer" (11 Below's 7-Iron pale ale) in tow).  She giggled with happiness as I placed them in her fridge.  Y'all, find the little things that make your family happy and you'll have joy all season long. 

We had smallish gathering this year - us, Dad and Bunny, D&A, Sis & TJ and Aunt Sissy and Uncle Roy.  After dinner we got down the Christmas tree and decorations and started to get the house ready for the holiday season.  It was sweet to be around family and my siblings.  

Cute then and handsome now. 

Telling the story of Grandpa G and the bread bag wicket invention. 

We called it a night and went back down to our camper; Sunday morning we woke up slowly and enjoyed our coffee and tea and the incredible view out the window of our rollin' home.  A quick text to Mom and G and we coordinated a late lunch - we're kind of stalling the drive back home (for two reasons: 1) it's windy out right now and it's easier to drive when the wind has died down and 2) I don't want this trip to be over!)

But, all good things must come to an end, and so after lunch we packed up and started the trek back home.  It was a wonderful, long, much needed break to have these past dozen days of camping, and we're already looking forward to our next adventure with KD and the Kids for Christmas!

We were at Cedar Hill State Park, Eagle Ford camping loop Site #112 with full hook ups. This site is perhaps one of the best we've been in - great view of the lake (slightly blocked by trees - with the leaves on in spring/summer it might have as good of a view), wide concrete pad to park on, nestled back a ways in the park. Cedar Hill is set between two major roads (I-20 and FM 1382) so there is quite a bit of road noise, but as I mentioned earlier, with it's close proximity to family, the good well outweighs the bad.

For more camping photos, go here (once I'm back on hi speed wifi)

Good News, Bad News

RDB and I are avid cruisers.  Usually for my birthday week, we hop on a Royal Caribbean ship for a 7-day cruise out of Galveston, but with the coronavirus pandemic, and the cruising industry being at a standstill, we took our normal "spring break" a little later in the month, and took off on a week long camping trip.

Darn. ;-)

We're taking the longer timeframe to head to a few places we've not been before - and will even be able to catch up with a few friends that are just getting into RV-camping as well. 

Our first leg north took us back to the DFW area - the Arlington KOA to be specific.  Though we don't think of KOAs as a "destination," we sure do appreciate how conveniently located they are to the things we want to do, and along the roads we travel to get to where we're going.  This KOA was seriously impressive with it's mature trees between sites, and amenities like the swimming pool, corn hole boards, horse shoes, and community fire pit.  We were in too late on Saturday night to get to enjoy the s'mores, but I was seriously considering walking over to the pancake breakfast Sunday morning.  

We spent the better part of Sunday afternoon at Dad and Bunny's - with Grandma G, too!  I had texted them Saturday afternoon on our way up, asking if they would be ok with us bringing over fried chicken for lunch (I know how to bribe - no cooking, no dishes? Instant yes!). It was SO GREAT to be able to see the three of them and, since they're all vaccinated now, to give them hugs for the first time in over a year.   

It was wonderful to be able to hug G-ma G and spend time chatting with her.  She and I have become pen-pals during this last year, I told her: RDB typically brings the mail in, and when her cards arrive, it's "Grandma Mail Day!" and we sit down and read her letters together.  RDB and I brought her an Easter "goodie bag" with few 6-packs of her favorite beer, a new puzzle, some chocolates and other fun things.  She returned back the basket we had left on her front door from last Thanksgiving, when we did the same.  I'll be honest, ya'll, I think her hug, 94 years young and all, was the most intense and strongest of them all.  I'm so blessed to have had her as a part of my life for so long, and so grateful that she lives right next door to Dad. 

All too soon, my phone was reminding me that I needed to take another dose of pain meds - which I had left back at the camper.  We said (hugged) our good byes and spent the rest of the evening back at the KOA.  We were glad to have been able to take Diesel over to Dad's with us, and grateful that the KOAs have fenced dog parks (Kamp K9) where he can have some off-leash time.  We liked the the Arlington KOA had a separated small-dog and large-dog park - though each time we went over it was just us and Diesel playing around.

So, tons of good news this weekend - from a week off work to camp and refresh, to seeing family, getting to hug my G-ma G, a great place to stay over the weekend and good times for Diesel dog.  But you might have noticed the line above about pain meds - and that's the bad news: we had to cut our last camping trip short by a day to get in for an MRI early Monday morning and the results are in: I have a torn rotator cuff and subsequently, since the muscles have atrophied, a winged scapula.  At this point, it's non-surgical (good news!) but it means I'll have to go thru physical therapy for about 6-8 weeks (bad news).  The pain meds definitely help make it bearable (good news!) but they have side effects of their own (bad news).  I had my first PT appointment Friday before we left and met Dale (hi, Dale!) who is also an avid RV'er (good news!) but happens to be retiring next week (bad news - for me at least: he was kind, knowledgable, and really put me at ease about my prognosis).  Thankfully, the exercises he assigned are all things I can easily do while we camp (good news!) but they tucker me out pretty quickly (bad news.)

One final good thing - Dale instructed me to ice my shoulder often (why hadn't I thought of this?!) and it really helps!  I was able to get an ice pack shoulder wrap off Amazon before this trip, and have worn it in the truck as we take off for the next spot; totally worth it!

We were in site #324 at the Arlington (Texas) KOA.  Pull thru site, relatively level, and full hook-ups.  We got a call from the front desk right at noon on our check out day (we were running a few minutes behind) and texts from them before we arrived at the park - lots of great communication, we appreciated that!  We were impressed by the mature trees, all the amenities, and the numerous cabins and tent camping areas.  It's a little oasis in the middle of the metroplex, and we could certainly see using it as a home base when we come back to visit family again.  And get more hugs. ;-)