I have a headache...

Jan. 13 - ?, 2014

Fort Stockton RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX

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CONTENTS
RV LIFE
BEVERAGES
PETS
CRAFTS
LIFE HACK
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RV LIFE:

I have a headache and feeling down.

Well, our engine ordeal has finally gotten to me. We've both dealt with it quite well, until now. Scott seems to still be doing ok. I would probably feel better if I didn't have a deadline to be in Tennessee on Feb. 8 for Dina's transport to NJ for adoption. That can be changed, but this transport involves at least a dozen different volunteers all working together and giving of their time and gas. I'd really rather not cancel.

Our engine did arrive on time on Wednesday, Feb. 29. Fernandez said it should take 1.5 days to get the engine installed. We were told, hopefully Friday or Saturday we'd have our truck. Well, it's been 3.5 days and now Sunday with no truck. I am beaten down..

The dreary, overcast, cold day doesn't help

Too add to my depression, our Eng Setter Rescue is having multiple issues to deal with. Our rescue has grown quite large, with not the increase in volunteers to help with our expansion. I think many of us are getting burnt out. I'm retired and I feel like I spend too much time doing Rescue work. Most of our volunteers work full time and some are single ladies too. Oh my gosh! How do they find time in the day?

Another added stressor is our consideration of buying a house again.

We were so relieved when our NJ house sold and the  lack of responsibility.

But, I think a big part of the relief was because of the expense of living in NJ and that we hated our house and closeness of our neighbors. Not so much the responsibility. 

Scott is constantly working on things in the RV. There is always some small or larger problem to deal with this house that is shaken, not stirred while we travel. Right now our main overhead living room light does not work. It's not the bulb. The fan (same combo unit) is not working either. It was working just the other day and now it's not. Scott emptied the basement, tried to follow the correct wire, checked the breakers etc. Everything else works on the same breaker. So the wire is interrupted somewhere. 

I truly feel like a "kept woman". I see him cleaning the roof, trying to find the problem with our electric, cooking dinner, grocery shopping, etc. All the while, I'm on the computer or knitting. Life is still good in spite of the crap that we've got to deal with.

What the hell do I have to be depressed about? It will all be dealt with, BUT, I still have a headache, a baaad headache.

I don't have too many friends (by choice). I have ...

friends that are family

friends that I knit with (or used to)

friends on the internet with common interests

friends that I consider close in spirit, but unfortunately physically far.

Right now I miss my close friend, PETRA!!!!!! You know who you are. Petra is an animal lover, like me. Petra is very open with her thoughts and emotions to me. Petra & I have a great time just hanging out together, especially when we drink, get more than just a buzz and just let loose whatever is on our minds. Petra is someone I can just grab and ask for a hug and she'll gladly do that for me. I'm not a huggy person with friends nor family, but Petra is such a comfort with just her presence. I miss you. 

Enough of the "woe is me: crap. I think I'll have to cross stitch this. I like decorating with interesting, funny, thoughtful, sarcastic items. This should be my mantra. Sort of like the serenity prayer for AA. 

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BEVERAGES:

Hmmmm, it's after 12 noon. Will a glass of wine relieve my headache? I don't know, but I'm gonna try. Feel free to join me.

My everyday beverage of choice is water. I prefer that over juice and soda. Although I do crave a seltzer water also. Seems that as soon as we leave the East, seltzer is difficult to come by. And of course, you crave what you can't have. Scott has been searching for seltzer for me during his grocery shopping outings. He picked up club soda. Hmmm. What's the difference? I drank a bottle of the club soda and couldn't tell any significant or really any difference. And what is tonic too? I know that tastes different, but still wasn't sure what it was. So the internet to the rescue! From Askville, "Club soda and seltzer water are essentially interchangeable.  Strictly, seltzer is just water and carbon dioxide (made by pressurizing water with CO2) and club soda may have some other minerals added (like salt).  It's more like the difference between Aquafina and Dasani: yeah, there's a difference, but nobody really cares.

Tonic water is genuinely different.  It's really a soda, since it has sugar as well as carbonation.  The key flavor in it is quinine, which is bitter.  (That's why they added the sugar in the first place.  The point was to get you to drink your quinine, which helps prevent malaria.  These days, there's not enough quinine to help with malaria, and it's just for flavor.)"

Which leads to what is quinine?? It is "a bitter crystalline alkaloid C20H24N2O2 from cinchona bark used in medicine" 

Which leads to what is a Cinchona tree? It is a plant, shrub, small tree found in the Andes in South America. And that my friends is how you surf the web.

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PETS:

Here's a uplifting video...sort of. It's from the Lake Cty? SPCA. Unfortunate, that we have so many animals needing home, but thankful for the staff and volunteers that try to help. Check out this cute video, that took a lot of thought. 

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CRAFTS:

I've started my first sock. Yes, I gave in. Knitting socks is the big fad and I got sucked into it. I have a skein of sock yarn that I think is U-H-GG-A-L-Y!!!!!! So what else am I to do with it? I can make socks. It will give me a new challenge and if they turn out, they can be useful, but barely seen. 

This is Knit Picks Stroll hand-painted sock yarn. Now of course, sock yarn can be used for many other projects. It's a great weight yarn for shawls or decorative scarves and to try your hand at lace knitting without using that oh so thin lace weight yarn. I have the book, Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks! , which is full of great projects using just one skein of sock yarn.

What a difference in length!

I've also fixed the arms on my favorite comfy sweater. I have no problem eating leftovers or wearing second hand clothing. When we were living in NJ, I volunteered at the local SPCA. I would also bring donated items there. So a co-worker, Phil aka "Stealth" (because he was a quiet guy and would just come up beside you unnoticed), would donate his old clothes to their thrift shop. Well, I would check out the items and Scott took a couple of pairs of jeans and I took one of the sweaters. Now Phil is a tall guy and this sweater is BIG, with long arms. The sweater is a dark grey (one of my favorite "colors"), made of cotton & ramie. So it is machine washable and dryable and very durable. Plus it is toasty warm! The problem is, the arms are so long and loose that I need to put hair bands around my wrists to keep the sleeves from getting in the way. I have put up with this for three years. Well, I FINALLY put an end to that annoying situation. No, I did not just cut the ends off. Although that would have worked and then just put masking tape as a hem holder. You'd be surprised how well masking tape works for a temporary fix to hems. I've even washed the masking tape hem and it survived a couple of washings before having to actually sew the hem. Back to my sleeves. I unraveled the sleeves to above the length I needed. I then rib knit the sleeves. Turned out perfect! I will probably have this sweater until I die or it wears out, whichever comes first. Have I told you how much I LOVE THIS SWEATER?????

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LIFE HACK:

Simple and effective. We tried this and works great. Better than folding end down.

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End on a good note:

Let's see, the good ...

I "only" have a bad headache. I'm not sick like Beluga Sue has been. I hope you're feeling better.

The truck IS being repaired, even though slowly.

I have a wonderful hubby who leaves me be when needed.

I have a wonderful hubby who is low maintenance, meaning he is not a needy person.

Dina is getting adopted, although I will truly miss her. She is the only dog on the bed with me in my time of woe.

I have a wonderful hubby who likes to cook and is making comfort food (chili) today.

I'm retired with a decent pension.

I'm fairly healthy.

My future options are wide and varied.

And....

my headache has subsided. Still here but manageable.

The RV life is still good.

Update: Scott just informed me that he does windows also. Yes he does. He used his new squeegee to clean the outsides of our RV windows. Thank you dear.