Driveway docking, Tijeras, NM
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RV LIFE & Ranting:
Feel free to skip this part.
Let me start off by saying, "I'm in a 'pissy' mood". As our driveway host Tom would say, "I'm broke" (meaning broken). I've gotten so spoiled by this laid back lifestyle, that all this activity and socialization is off putting.
Stress #1: It started with the stress of finding our reservation dog a couple of weeks ago. Such a sweet girl. The sad state of our nation with the idiot mentality of not neutering and spaying, which produces overpopulation of dogs and cats. (Yes, generalizing). Which leads me to the people who won't foster, because they can't deal with the heartache of letting their foster dog leave and be adopted and live a great life. Well, to those that have the room and time, but the lack of heart or not a strong enough heart to foster, why don't you go to a shelter, kill or non-kill and first look at all those dogs and cats stuck in a cage day in and day out. Better yet, why don't you ask the volunteers at the kill shelter what dogs won't be there tomorrow because they will be killed, sometimes STILL BY GASSING! So you can deal with a little heartache and a GREAT REWARD by fostering a dog or cat and knowing you helped them find a warm, loving, adoptive home, or you'll have to deal with knowing you just let a dog die to save YOURSELF a little heartache.
Stress #2: Scheduling all these vet and Dr. appointments so close together. I've given up on the Dentist. I will go into Mexico for a Dentist, while down in Deming, NM. Scott always makes a face when I mention that. I'm not his Mama, so if he doesn't want to go into Mexico, he can make his own Dentist appointment. (I said I was in a pissy mood!!!)
Stress #3: Socializing. This is where I'm really "broke". I just can't take too much socializing. Tom has been a wonderful host. His dogs are also fun to be around. But, I'm used to being alone much of the day. Scott & I do our separate things many times. Scott is a pretty quiet guy. We don't need to talk when we are together. Tom had to put one of his dogs to sleep while we were here. I'm glad we can be here to get his mind off of the loss. But for me to socialize is still work. I feel I have to put on that smiley face and be attentive, of course. So, hopefully, this blog will give me my alone time while passively being social and give me a chance to "let it out".
To family, friends, readers, & Tom, if you read the above, thank you for letting me vent. Now onto to better subjects.
My stress and pissiness are fleeting. I feel somewhat guilty complaining about my stress. If I stepped outside of myself, I would be saying "Stress? You think you have stress?"
Smack myself upside my head!
Give myself a kick in the butt.
With that silly transition, I know how fortunate I am. It's near Thanksgiving. Let me give thanks.
I'm thankful for my health.
I'm thankful for my wonderful husband.
I'm thankful that although we are not well off, we have enough to enjoy life in moderation.
I'm thankful Scott & I had steady jobs and able to retire by 55.
I'm thankful our dogs are healthy.
I'm thankful my husband is healthy.
I'm thankful for the internet and how it has opened up the world to me. Through the internet, I have met many friends, or someday friends.
I'm thankful Tom has opened his driveway to us, his heart to us, his home to us, his humor to us.
I'm thankful I had a decent childhood and was taught the value of money.
I'm thankful my husband knows how to deal with my pissy moods.
I'm thankful for all the things I take for granted and will think of after this post.
Ya meet the nicest people in New Mexico...
I have been so impressed with New Mexico. Last year, while in Deming, NM, we were welcomed at the RV park, loaned an ATV for the day, & got a dog adopted.
This year, here in Tijeras, NM besides Tom being so nice, he has directed us to a vet who gets down on the floor with the dog, instead of making the dog go up on the stainless steel, high exam table.
The family practice Dr., who made me feel like I was talking to a friend.
The Dr.'s office receptionist who took the time to get mine and Scott's appointments set up and referrals and directions to other medical facilities
The cashier at the feed store who put up with Tom's joking. Tom told her I was from Kentucky. The cashier didn't catch on. Me? From Kentucky? with my Jersey accent?
It has really been pleasant staying in this area. Even the drivers seem to be somewhat considerate. No cutting off on the highway, and a car pulled over so I could pass her! In NJ, that same driver would have slowed down to annoy me. (And no, I was not tailgating)
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DESTINATION REVIEW:
NM Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque, NM
My rating 5 out of 5 $7.00 per person admission
What a well thought out museum. The $7.00 admission is well worth it. The theme rooms exit out and flow into the next and the next and before you know it, you are on the second floor via display floors gradually rising via ramps.
Lots of dinosaur bones, skeletons, fossils. Rooms for animals of New Mexico, historic aquatic life, volcanoes, rock & gem formations, astrological displays and more. They have interactive displays to keep the kids interested also. Really nice museum.
I happened to look on their events page and they were giving a gem/stone wire wrapping class to make jewelry! Wow! Only $35. including all material. There was a 1/2 hour lecture about how the different rocks and gems are made and excavated. Very interesting. Then a class teaching us how to make a pendant, bracelet, and earrings. The teacher, Camille, from Creative Wire was very generous with her supplies and attention. A really great class. Check out her website if you're in the area. She will hold classes for a group or individuals.
Here is what I made!
Old Town Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM
My rating 3.5 out of 5
Free, but there is public parking lots for a small fee. Nice touristy place to go. Lots of jewelry & art shops, as well typical touristy shops. A few restaurants & cafes. The best part is when you are IN the shops to take notice of the outside and inside of the buildings themselves. I was in a candle shop and he had an old adobe fireplace warming the store. The Cat store was a cozy odd shaped room amid a little hidden circular, cozy outdoor area. If your man doesn't like to shop, leave him home.
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BUSINESS REVIEW:
Gabby's Homemade Soaps, Old Town Albuquerque, NM
My rating 4.5 out of 5
This would have gotten a perfect rating if the soaps were slightly cheaper and there were more exfoliating soaps.
The owner has a huge selection of nice sized soaps and unique scent and content combos. A lovely shop with not only soaps, but lotions and a sense of humor. I picked up "Nasty Ass" soap as a host gift for Tom. There is a homey adobe fireplace in the shop which the owner had a toasty fire glowing in. Very nice touch. The owner was nice and helpful without being overbearing. If the salesperson is pushy, I just walk out. But this person subtly showed me what I mentioned and before you know it, I bought 5 bars of soap for $20., which is a good price. Individual soaps I believe are $5. each. I don't like to pay more than $4. for a bar of soap. The vanilla oatmeal is oh so wonderful! He also sends mail order.
Onyx Expressions, Old Town Albuquerque, NM
My rating 5 out of 5
I did not purchase anything here, but his products are beautiful and reasonable priced for the workmanship. There are wine goblets, lamps, candle holders, wine cooler, furniture, etc. All made out of onyx. We already have onyx wine goblets we purchased at the mineral show in Deming, NM last year.
Very nice owner. As you walk in he says, "feel free to touch, and if you break it, you don't have to pay for it". How refreshing. I hate those signs that state, "you break it, you buy it". He also mail orders.
And as a bonus, we got to talking about traveling and Dr.'s. I mentioned needing a Dentist and he suggested going into Mexico since we would be in Deming. He said that is where he goes and he's been very happy with the price, service and work.
Fiber Chicks Yarn Shop, Old Town Albuquerque, NM
My rating 3.5 out of 5
Again, I didn't buy anything, but this shop had a decent assortment of yarn including locally spun and dyed. I am in no need of yarn, so I resisted. But the nice "little ol' lady" and I had an enjoyable conversation about knitting vs. crocheting and techniques, etc. She had a lot of display samples hung throughout the store that she made. Stop in and say hello if you are in the area.
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RV LIFE on the hill:
Now that it's a couple of hours later and I've been laying on the bed in our quiet bedroom by myself, except for the company of ALL three of our dogs, I am feeling better.
"On the hill" is the expression used for this area. I was surprised how easily I referred to that when giving my cell # to the Dr. I said up on the hill, we don't get reception. They knew what I meant.
1 vet visit, 2 Dr.'s visits, 1 bloodwork visit down and 1 more vet visit, 1 more Dr. visit, 1 more bloodwork visit and a mammogram to go.
Tom has been a wonderful host. Even though his heart is aching over the loss of one of his dogs, Shadow, he still manages to keep a beautiful smile on his face.
Scott cooked a roast and red sauce over angel hair pasta for us all the other night. Since our RV kitchen is so small, I cooked the pasta in Tom's kitchen. But after a glass of wine, I was a little tipsy. I forgot the pasta box was open and picked up the box by the wrong end and all the dry pasta fell all over the kitchen floor. We were bombarded by the dogs. Lyla loves dry and cooked pasta. Tom is trying to wade through the dogs to get a broom and he's slipping all over and lands on his scrawny "non-butt". The dry pasta acted just like roller skates. Tom was trying to do a balancing act like he was log rolling! He still had a smile on his face throughout.
I will again be quoting what Tom posted on our English Setter Yahoo group. You can see his side of the story. Tom has a beautiful 1957 Chevy Belair that he took me for a ride in while Scott went to get bloodwork. This turquoise beauty runs beautifully. Since we were all gone, that meant all six dogs were in the house together. Hope all goes ok in there. Here's Tom's thoughts...
"Scott returned home alone to find the water cooler laying on its side and of course the table was floating and bobbing all over the place. Of course he was more than eager to display his domestic abilities and promptly mopped it up. He handles a mop better than Hilda handles a broom I dare say.
Scott, I moved the cooler into the front room as it too needs a good mopping and you are the man for the job."
Which leads me into the subject of pets
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PETS:
The reservation dog saga continues...
Dina is still a gem of a dog. No mistakes in the RV other than acting like superman and jumping on the dining table in a single bound. We are on 5 acres that are sort of fenced. Meaning a dog that respects fences would probably be ok. We have been (really, just me, Scott is more protective) letting Devin off leash. So far he has not jumped over, squeezed through, or crawled under any part of this old horse type wire fencing. Devin has been having a blast running, and digging holes in search of the ground critters. Since Dina seems to be a velcro dog, I let her off leash this morning. Freedom! She ran around with her back end tucked under for a more aerodynamic form. So nice to see her running. While on a long lead, all I have to say is "Dina, Come on" and she comes to my side. Well, when I say that off lead, she looks back, just like Devin and keeps going. But unlike Devin, she DID crawl under the fence gate and into the neighbor's yard. Out here, most folks carry guns. My worry is that Dina is on their property and she's going to be shot. Other than that, I'm not too worried. She knows the RV and I have faith she will return. I find Devin sniffing for cats under the deck and finally get him leashed and go back to the RV to wait for Dina. I open the RV to let Devin in and Dina is right behind him! Good girl, but I don't think I'll be letting her loose again.
Our other problem with Dina is still the doing her business on lead. She takes "forever". Many times we give up and she goes 20 hours. I suppose if she really has to go, she will.
We have set up the crate and put a dog bed in it. Dina goes right in, but as soon as we close it, she starts to feel closed in and panics, looking for a way out. So again, we will do this in baby steps. We will feed her meals in the crate and close the door during meals.
And the other progress for Dina and regress for us is...
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She has made it into not only the bedroom, but on to the bed with us and our other two dogs, all snuggled in for the night. Good thing we have a king sized bed.
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