Friday and Saturday Snow Trip Drive

We're on the road

Friday 2/23/18 Cold Nasty Day 

We had a long day, drove 500 miles. We started from the house at 8:30 am and stopped at 7:00 pm. We started out with rain and ended in sunshine at Amarillo, Texas. Most of the day it stayed around 38 degrees. When we stopped for lunch at a Subway in Cisco there was snow on the ground. What a surprise in Texas!!!

Snow by the Subway in Cisco

The drive was very nice. The only wildlife we saw were a few hawks and lots of dead skunks. Larry drove most of the day. I drove a couple of hours when Larry was tired. I did take a few naps during the drive. What a great day.

Saturday 2/24/18 Beautiful Day in Colorado

We finished driving to our destination. Where are we? We're in Salida, Colorado, where we'll stay for a few days.

We drove another 386 miles and were in Salida at noon. We started the day out with the temperature at 32 degrees, wind and thick fog and ended the day with the temperature at 28 degrees, wind and blue skies.

Larry drove for six hours and I napped most of the time. While driving through New Mexico we saw a few herds of Pronghorns and a couple of coyotes. The two coyotes were very healthy, they almost could pass as wolves. As we were driving in Colorado we saw snow along the highway and on the mountains, the closer we got to Salida the more snow we saw. We saw a couple herds of bison on private property. The owner had signs all over the place warning people not to approach the bison because they are dangerous. If Larry didn't wake me up I would have missed them. The drive was very relaxing.

Beautiful day for driving

About 40 miles from Salida we stopped at Subway for lunch. When we arrived at Salida we stopped at a snow ski shop and got our skies waxed. Whenever we go skiing before we hit the slopes we get our skies waxed that way they will glide better. We usually have to drop them off and come back the next morning but today the gentleman that took care of us waxed them while we waited. Great customer service. Now our skies are ready to hit the slopes.

We had a beautiful cold day.   

 

Thursday 2-22 We're Ready

I'm ready to hit the slopes

Once again it was in the mid 30s this morning and it barely got to 40 degrees. We had another day of rain. 

Yesterday, we were notified we had a package at the UPS Store. After breakfast we made a quick trip to town for the package and a couple of other items. 

In the afternoon I did my weekly housework and packed for our snow ski trip. I worked on some Sudoku. Larry checked the tires on the car and found they were a bit low so he put air in them. When the mailman came he delivered a cover Larry had ordered for the motorcycle. Late in the afternoon we had another package arrive via UPS. This package was our new ski goggles. That was fast, they came in over night. 

I'm ready to clean the house

Larry and Patricia met up with us to go to the Sundancers weekly A dance. We had enough people for exactly three squares. Once again, Bob called a few tips. When he called three couples had to sit out. We had a fun night of dancing to tapes and a caller and with friends.

When we got home we watched the Olympics. Our old ski googles had straps that were quick release. You push in on a tab and the strap separates, this makes it easy to get your goggles on and off. The new ones did not come with the quick release straps so we took my old strap off and put it on my new googles. It took a little time. We had to remove the straps from both pairs of googles by removing the stitching from the straps. Then I sewed the old strap onto the new goggles. Now my new googles have a quick release strap. When we get back from our trip we'll work on Larry's googles. 

Now we're ready to go snow skiing. LIFE IS GOOD.     

Wednesday 2-21 Cold and Rainy

Cold rainy day

The cold and rain have arrived. It barely got in the 40s and it rained on and off all day. It felt colder considering there was a north wind.  

Larry has found a rack for the back of the motorcycle that will allow him to mount a tote box, with that we can carry a few items with us as we ride. Unbelievably it is not available via Amazon, it is manufactured by a gentleman in California, if you pay him via a Postal Money Order he will take 20% off of the price. This morning we went to the Post Office and got a money order then we stopped and paid for the Minnie tags. 

We haven't been snow skiing in a couple of years so we decided it was time. When we got home we got our ski equipment out. The ski bag was filthy so Larry cleaned it. While checking out the equipment he found that our ski masks were falling apart. To Amazon he went to find new ones. He was in luck, we should have new ones tomorrow. Next piece of equipment was our boots. The cushioned liners are beginning to fail on Larry's boots and they are a bit tight. You certainly can't buy any snow ski gear anywhere nearby so he will have to live with them or rent something. When he was cleaning the boots he found that the bottom of my boots were missing a couple of pieces, it won't hurt anything, they have probably been missing for years. We will see if we can find replacement pieces at a ski shop in Colorado. All of our equipment is clean and ready to go on the trip.

We spent the evening watching the Olympics and YouTube videos. We're excited about going our snow ski trip.  

Let's hit the slopes

Tuesday 2-20 Rainy Day

Rainy Day

We woke up to drizzle and by the afternoon there was thunder, then the rain came down hard but the downpour didn't last long. The drizzling continued the entire day.

In the morning before the rain got heavy we went to town to do errands. Before doing our errands we stopped by the Little Bohemian Bakery in Belton. They have terrific cinnamon rolls and they had a few left over from Saturday, they sold us two for $1.00. It didn't matter that they were not today's since we were going to heat them up in the microwave. Next we stopped by the UPS Store to get our mail, we hadn't picked the mail up for about a week. The next stop was at Belton Locksmith to get a couple keys cut for the tote box for the motorcycle. The last stop was at HEB to do our weekly grocery shopping. 

A cinnamon roll from Little Bohemian Bakery 

Grocery Shopping

Once our errands were done we went home. Larry had finished coating the intercom wires with liquid tape so he reinstalled the system in our helmets. We tested the system out and it works perfect. The new keys for the motorcycle and the tote box were metal so Larry dipped the heads in the liquid tape, now it's easier to hold them, they won't get hot in the sun and they look good. 

The motorcycle keys coated with liquid tape

  

While Larry was finishing up the intercom project I did some Sudoku puzzles. Larry called his mom and wished her a Happy Birthday. We spent the afternoon and evening watching the Olympics. When the Olympics weren't on we watched YouTube videos. We had a wet day and the rain is suppose to be around for a few days. That's ok considering we need the rain. 

Monday 2-19 Motorcycle Carrier

2010 Yamaha TW-200

We had an overcast windy day but it didn't stop us. 

In the morning we had to go to Seton Medical Center in Harker Heights for an appointment I had for a mammogram. Then we swung by Lowe's to pickup a couple of things for Larry's motorcycle projects. We also stopped at In 'n' Out Burger for lunch.

The coating on some of the wires of the intercom is flaking off leaving wires exposed and easily damaged. Larry did some research and found that liquid electrical tape could be used to re-coat the wires. We picked up a bottle at Lowe's. The bottle came with a brush but it was huge so he used a small artist brush. He puts on a coat and has to wait for it to dry and then he puts on another coat. It is going to take quite a few coats.

Liquid Tape

Now that we have a motorcycle we needed a motorcycle carrier for the Minnie. Larry ordered one from Amazon and it arrived this afternoon. While the liquid tape was drying Larry decided to assemble the carrier. The reviews on the carrier said the directions were terrible and they were but Larry figured them out. I helped when I could. After the carrier was assembled Larry put it on the Minnie and loaded the motorcycle on it. It's going to work great for our travels. It only took about an hour to assemble. 

Assembling the motorcycle carrier

Front tire of the motorcycle goes on the carrier

 

The motorcycle carrier on the Minnie

In the evening we watched YouTube videos and the Olympics. Larry had another busy day of doing projects. 

   

Sunday 2-18 Finishing Project

Smile and be happy

Larry worked all day finishing up replacing the foam in both of our motorcycle helmets. We tried the helmets on and they fit perfect. After finishing the helmets he cleaned up his work room and vacuumed the floor, I then washed the floor. The next project on his list is to finish the intercom system. Great job, Larry. 

Motorcycle helmet project

What the inside of the helmet looks like after the foam was removed

Larry cleaning the glue off the helmets and foam he can reuse

While Larry finished the helmets I did some Sudoku and worked on my annual book. My allergies were acting up so I laid down for an hour.

For dinner I barbecued pork ribs on the gas grill. In the evening we watched the Olympics. Larry had a busy day and I relaxed doing Sudoku. Smile and be happy. 

Saturday 2-17 Mardi Gras Dance

Mardi Gras Dance

We had a super day. It was a little cooler than yesterday but the sun did come out. 

Larry continued working on finding an adhesive that will work correctly with our helmet foams. All of the tests he did yesterday failed, even the adhesive we bought yesterday that was made for foam failed. Today Larry got a couple of ideas from a YouTube video where a lady tested a bunch of adhesives on foam board. So off to Walmart we went to pick up some Gorilla Glue and a adhesive spray. When we got back home Larry played with the Gorilla Glue, it failed. He tried the spray adhesive and it worked great on our test foams. Tomorrow he will try it on the actual helmet. While the adhesive was drying Larry worked on the intercom project. It is not quite complete but it works excellent.

Every year the Coryell County Squares have a Mardi Gras Dance. They invite Dave Vieira to call and Michelle Vieira to cue the round dancing and line dancing. We decided to go, we hadn't danced with a lot of the dancers for over a year. They had seven squares and a few line dancers and round dancers. At the beginning of the dance they crown a new king and queen. Then last year's king and queen do their final walk around the hall. Then they crown this year's king and queen. We had a fun night dancing to Dave and I line danced to Michelle cuing. Most of all it was nice to visit with old friends.

Crowning of the king and queen

People enjoying each other company during the dance

Friends having fun dancing to Dave

Dave calling the dance and Michelle getting ready to cue

  

Friday 2-16 Trying New Diet Cokes

We had another awesome day with 70 degrees and wind. It started out being overcast but the sun came out in the afternoon.

It has been a long time since we owned a motorcycle but we kept our helmets. Larry got our helmets out and discovered the foam that provides cushion in them had deteriorated. Yesterday, he took one apart and decided that he might be able to fix it. He needed some foam and adhesive to glue the foam in. We found foam at Hobby Lobby. Larry spent part of today working on the helmets. He had to remove the old foam and adhesive using Goo Gone. He is experimenting with different adhesives trying to find one that will work correctly, unfortunately most adhesives will melt styrofoam and the inside of the helmet is lined with styrofoam. As of yet he has not found a suitable adhesive.

We have an intercom system installed in the helmets so we don't have to scream at each other when we are riding. The coating on the wires has deteriorated and the rechargeable battery would no longer charge. Larry thinks he can fix it.

We went to Michael's and purchased a glue that is designed for foam. Then we went to Harbor Freight looking for heat shrink for the repair of the intercom system, they did not have the correct size and neither did Lowe's. The next stop was O'Reilly's considering the last time we needed heat shrink we got it there. They had a kit with the correct size. At Walmart we found a battery pack that Larry can modify to fit the intercom and a coiled wire that he will use in the repair of the wiring.

We have been watching the Olympics and Coke has been running a commercial about the new Diet Cokes they have. While we were at Walmart we found they had the new flavors (Zesty Blood Orange, Feisty Cherry and Ginger Lime). We bought one of each. I tried the Feisty Cherry and Zesty Blood Orange. I like the Feisty Cherry the best but I prefer the regular Diet Coke. The new Diet Coke cans are taller than the old Diet Coke but they have the same amount of Diet Coke in them.

New Diet Cokes

New Diet Coke can on the left compare to the old Diet Coke can

When we got home Larry replaced the battery on the intercom system and it works. He played with the adhesive from Michael's. It looks like it might work but we will have to wait to see tomorrow. Larry and I are very excited about the intercom working and he may be able to fix the helmets. He is very good about thinking things through and figuring things out. He also enjoys doing it.

While Larry was working on his projects I worked on my annual book and did some Sudoku. In the evening we watched the Olympics and YouTube videos. We had a great day.            

Thursday 2-15 Getting the Motorcycle Legal

Super day of fun

Today it finally warmed up, it got to 70 degrees. There was a lot of moister in the air, the front sidewalk and driveway were dry but the back porch which is covered was so wet you would have thought someone washed it down. Very strange, it doesn't normally get wet even when it rains.

We started the day out by going to the dentist to get the stitches removed from where they removed Larry's implant. Next stop was Jiffy Lube to get the motorcycle inspected. The motorcycle was in the back of the truck and Larry was glad they could do the inspection without unloading it. There was a Walmart in the neighborhood so we swung by and picked up root beer water flavoring. It is very difficult to find and the Walmart stores we normally shop at never seem to have it. Next stop was Bell County vehicle registration to transfer the title of the motorcycle. Now the motorcycle is legal. It is great being in a small town, things like this are so easy here. 

After having lunch we unloaded the motorcycle from the truck. Then we put the bed cover back on. We had to to remove it so we could transport the motorcycle. 

Afterwards we went for a ride on the motorcycle to see how it handles two people. It handles us both very well. 

When we got back to the house I did my weekly housework. 

Weekly housework

In the evening Larry and Patricia came by to ride with us to Sun City to dance our weekly A dancing with the Sundancers. We had fifteen people so we were short one person to make two squares. One of the dancers there tonight was a square dance caller and he wanted to call a couple of A tips. He ended up calling three tips and the other tips were from tapes. We had a fun time dancing to the caller and tapes. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!  

Wednesday 2-14 Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope everyone had a great day.

We have been traveling and camping with our small RV for about twelve years, it is so small it can fit almost anywhere. A couple years ago we bought a car dolly to tow our car behind the RV. Sometimes we travel to a square dance and the dancing isn't where we're camped and we need a car to get us back and forth to the hall.

When we go on our two month camping trips we don't tow the car but at times it would be nice to have something besides the motor home to drive. Larry has been looking for either a small motor scooter or motorcycle that we can put on the back of the RV. He did not really care to buy new, he did not want to spend that much money for something that will not be used that often and quite possibly will get dinged up. He has been looking for a used Yamaha TW200 and has been finding a few located quite a distance away but today a 2010 model showed up in Lago Vista (in the Austin area). This morning we drove down and bought the bike. Now we have a motor cycle to take with us on our long trips.

2010 Yamaha TW200

For dinner I baked a pizza. In the evening we watched YouTube videos and the Olympics. We had a super Valentine's Day.

     

Monday 2-13 Having Fun

A fun day

It was cold and drizzly all day but we still had fun.

Larry worked on our taxes. He is almost done but he is still short one 1099. While he did the taxes I did some Sudoku.

Last week when we were watching the GizWiz, Chad did a review on a product called Perfect Drink. It's a product that comes with a scale and shaker to make different types of drinks. It was inexpensive and looked fun so Larry ordered one. It came in this afternoon so we played with it. First you have to put two AAA batteries in the scale, then you download their application to your smart phone or tablet. The app. has a 100's of different drinks and tells you what you need to make the drink. You can also enter in all the drink ingredients you have laying around and it will show you what drinks you can make. Once you decide on a drink you put the shaker on the scale and the app. will walk you through the process of making it. It shows you how much of each ingredient you need and as you put each ingredient in the app. display shows you pouring the ingredient in the shaker, once the right amount is in the shaker it will beep. Then you add the next ingredient until all the ingredients are in the shaker. Than the app. will tell you what to do next, like to shake the drink, pour the drink in the glass or put the drink in a blender. Larry doesn't drink sweet drinks but I do, the drinks came out perfect. If the drinks don't come out to your taste you can edit the recipes on the app. We had fun playing with our new toy.

Perfect Drink

Perfect Drink parts

Larry making me a Tequila Sunrise

The finished product

Mainstays Personal Blender

Because we wanted to make frozen drinks we needed a blender. We rarely use a blender so we got rid of ours many years ago. After looking at reviews we went to Walmart and bought a Mainstays Personal Blender for $10. It's a small blender and it works perfect for one person.

While hanging around the house and playing with our drink maker we watched the Olympics and YouTube videos. I also worked on my annual book. We had a fun day.      

Monday 2-12 Bundle Up and Keep Warm

Today was a little colder than yesterday. It didn't get above freezing until late in the morning and officially it only got to 43 degrees. We spent most of the day indoors keeping warm. 

At lunch time we went to town. We could of waited but we were tried of being cooped up in the house. We started off by having lunch at Freddy's before going across the street to Walmart. Then it was back to the house. I worked on my annual book and Larry read.

On Monday's we usually go to Sun City to square dance with the Sundancers but it was cold and the Olympics were on so we stayed home. We had another relaxing day bundled up under blankets to keep warm. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!   

 

Sunday 2-11 Icy Cold Day

We woke to 27 degrees and wind. It's cold outside. Honey, what should we do? Absolutely nothing. We didn't leave the house.

Last night when I was getting ready for bed I realized I had forgotten to take the last loaf of bread out of the freezer. Before climbing into bed I put the loaf in a bread pan and coated the piece of plastic wrap with non stick spray. By the time I finished doing this it was 1:00 in the morning so I knew it wouldn't be ready when Larry got up. This morning when Larry checked on the bread it hadn't started to rise at all. The bread finished rising at noon. I heated up the oven and baked the bread for twenty minutes. It came out great. We snacked on freshly baked bread all afternoon.

Freshly baked bread

While hanging around the house I worked on my annual book. Larry read. When the Olympics came on we watched it. During the two hour break we watched YouTube videos and news. 

It has been cold all day and in the afternoon it started to rain. Larry went out to check the temperature inside the Minnie and discovered it was so cold that icicles had formed on the Minnie. Wow, I was glad that I was inside. A couple hours later the icicles were all gone.

Icicles hanging from the Minnie

More icicles on the eaves of the house

For dinner I grilled some HEB Jalapeno cheese and sausage poppers. We spent the rest of the evening watching the Olympics.

Watching the Olympics

           

Saturday 2-10 It's getting colder!!!

How cold will it be?

This morning we woke to 61 degrees, by 11am it was in the mid 40's and at bed time it was 37. Along with the cold temperature there was a north wind. We were in a winter weather advisory over night.

We spent most of the day in the house keeping warm. I worked on my annual book and Larry read. We watched the Winter Olympics in the afternoon and evening. The two hours in between the broadcast of them we watched YouTube videos.

Larry surprised me today when he suggested we have pizza for dinner. We hadn't had a frozen pizza for a long time. We always keep frozen pizzas in stock considering I use to bake one almost every Friday. When Larry suggested pizza I had three to chose from. I choosed Mama Cozzi's Mexican Pizza. I baked it in the oven on my cast iron pizza pan and it came out perfect.

Mama Cozzi's Mexican Pizza

It was cold today but tomorrow it's suppose to be colder. That's ok we're prepared for it. We're planning to stay home and watch the Olympics. Go USA.  

      

Friday 2-9 Another relaxing day

Laugh and have fun

It was overcast all day, however it warmed up to almost 70 degrees. 

We spent most of the day hanging around the house. We did leave to do our weekly grocery shopping at HEB. We also stopped by the Dollar Tree to pick up cookies and bleach for our septic system. While grocery shopping we came across a new chili made by Vietti, we tried it for lunch, while it tasted alright it was more like beans with pork and green chilies instead of chili. We probably won't get any more of it.

Weekly shopping at HEB

For the rest of the day we stayed around the house. I took a nap and worked on my annual book. Larry read. 

In the evening we watched YouTube videos and a few more episodes of Black Harbour. We had a very relaxing day. 

Kick back and relax