Bustin' Loose...

 

If you said, "A movie from 1981, starring Richard Prior," you get 100 bonus points.  I'm impressed - not one of Prior's best roles.

But, today, the bustin' loose is about getting our motorhome back from Winnebago.  After taking 3 times longer than the said.  Of course, about 10 days of that was because they decided last minute to close over the holidays.  We were originally told the coach would be ready between Christmas and New Years, then January 3rd, then January 10, then... who knows?

But, today was the day!  We left John's this morning just before 7:30.  It was cold, and the snow got heavier as we headed north and east to Forest City, Iowa...

 

It was 19º when we got there just before 11:00.  They take lunch between 11:00 and 11:30, but the team that worked on our coach said they'd put lunch off and bring the coach out for us.  We walked around the outside - everything looks good.  Then, moving inside, they went over all the work they did.  There are some differences compared to what it used to look like, all for the good.  The padded ceiling fabric is just a bit creamier colored.  The air conditioner venting looks a bit whiter.  All new lights and speakers.  This powered antenna looks similar, but seems to work much better (newer technology).  A new switcher box for the TVs.  The only thing we could find that needed attention: a black plastic nut that holds the on/off switch for the vent fan in the bathroom was missing; they brought one out while I did the paperwork and gave them $$$$$...

 

Decisions: stay the night and check everything out more thoroughly... or: start heading south and west.  We decided to make some miles - there is a winter storm that will move along our route home.  We can get as far as we can before the storm comes up behind us.  We were planning to take our time heading home, but that isn't going to happen... or, we will be waiting it out somewhere along the way.

Joan drove separate with the Equinox, me piloting the Aspect.  The coach is quieter... well, it should be, considering the busted out skylights (taped over) and seriously wounded roof.  But, it seems even quieter than before the hail damage.  There was an unfriendly quartering headwind for most of the drive... and you notice the higher profile compared to the sleek Equinox.  I missed all the wiz-bang features in the Equinox.  Older technology with the Aspect, plus... it's a truck chassis.  The seats in the Equinox are heated, no so with the Aspect; but, the Aspect driver's seat feels like home.  Plus, I was able to drive the motorhome 65 to 70 miles per hour... couldn't do that after all the hail damage.  And I don't tow that fast when double towing.

As we rolled south, the snow along the road decreased in depth...

 Joan has the built-in nav in the car and Apple maps on CarPlay.  I have the Rand McNally RV GPS in the coach, the portable Garmin, and my Apple Watch connected to Maps...

We stayed to Interstates, except for the trek from Winnebago to I-35.  South on that, then west on I-80.  We skirted Des Moines, Omaha, and Lincoln.  Just outside of Omaha, we were treated to a striking evening sky...

Rufus rode with me in the coach.  He was unsettled in the car on the way to Forest City... after having the run of the place at John's house.  He napped most of the time once we left Winnebago, occasionally hopping up on my lap.  We stopped a couple times so he could have his usual meal schedule, but drove well past dark to get as far as we could.

We'll get up early and do it all again tomorrow.  Straight south.  And now to get a bit moved back into the motorhome.

Memories...

 

If you said, "From the song, The Way We Were, by Barbara Streisand, written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch, 1973, made famous in the movie of the same name," you get 20 bonus points, mostly for that run-on sentence.

As families are wont to do when gathering, we looked through some photos while here at John's.  Some, I haven't seen for decades.  Hope you can indulge me on this look back; my sisters, my Mother, and little ol' me...

 That's Connie on the left, Joan on the right.  Joan and I were very close; she was certainly an important part of my upbringing.  Joan and Connie...

They were 11 months apart.  And then I came along almost 13 years later.

A photo of Joan in her later years, with Nikki the cat...

And this photo that makes me remember my sister as the fashion plate she was back in the 70s...

I often joke about being poor and having to wear hand-me-downs.  I did not look that good in hot pants and go-go boots.  (rimshot)

We lost my sister Joan in 2006.  I miss her terribly.  John worshipped her.  I wish they could have had these "golden years" together.  I don't take for granted the years my Joan and I get to share.

Sleeping triple in a double bed...

 

If you said, "The song by Barbara Mandrell, 1978," you get no bonus points.  Close, but that title was Sleeping Single In A Double Bed.

Settling in at John's place last night.  We have our own bedroom suite on a different level in the house.  The bed, however, is a double bed.  We are used to a queen size bed.  Rufus has plenty of room between us, down by our feet.  At home.  This was snug... especially so when Rufus decided to take "his half" entirely on my side.  We were all tired; we all dealt with it.

Rufus and John have hit it off nicely.  When my sister was alive, she always had cats, so John is certainly accustomed to their presence.  I don't think he was prepared for how sweet Rufus truly is.  And Rufus is having fun, looking all around the house.  We offered to keep Rufus in our room, but John has allowed him the run of the house... and he keeps commenting on how nice Rufus is... and how he thinks Rufus would like "spending the winter" with him.

"No!  Bad John!  Rufus stays with us!"  ;-)

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The Dam Tour...

When Steph and I were here last month, John took us on the newly built dam on the family farm property.  John was the impetus behind that, and worked with the government from start up to the end of the project.  We enjoyed the tour, and John offered to take us out there again so Joan could see it...

 This time, we were able to bundle up and walk around the area.  We'll need to come back sometime when everything is green - it's a pretty, rural, setting.

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What is this?

Rufus has been getting a good "work out" while here at John's - it's a flight of steps to get to our bedroom.  The big furry boy will sometimes get the momentum going and nearly go rolling by the time he gets to the bottom of the stairs.  Joan suggested an outdoor walk this afternoon.  I put on my winter coat and got Ruf leashed up to head out; he was anxious to look around when I opened the front door.  The street in front of John's house has traffic that is going by at a pretty good pace; well, compared to the 10 to 15 mph traffic on our island.  Rufus is not a big fan of cars going by, fairly close.  He handled it.

It was chilly in the shade, so we walked to the sunshine - that felt better.  I don't Rufus has been in the snow before.  45º outside, and what I call "Iowa snow"... it has had a chance to set up a bit, so is mostly crunchy, not soft and powdery.  He marched across the snow like it was just white colored ground...

Not sure what I was expecting - maybe some paw shaking or sniffing the snow - but, no, he just walked right out on it.  Didn't really pay that much attention to it, other than the fact it was covering the grass.  When he found some bare grass, I think he was disappointed that it was brown... and dry.  Nothing like the tasty green grass he is used to at home.  Still, a good outing for his first time walking about in an Iowa winter.

Made it...

 

I am getting too old for this crap.  In order to be able to spend more time with my brother-in-law, John, we drove all night to get from south Texas to Iowa... 5 states, over 1,300 miles... in 24 hours.

We used to do stuff like this in our younger years.  I'm talking like 40 years ago.  These days, when traveling in comfort in the motorhome, we generally do 250 to 300 miles a day... then, settle in early and kick back.  This week, we are working with a weather related "deadline."  We're picking up the motorhome from Winnebago on Monday, plan to spend the day checking out all the stuff that was done in this extensive repair, then haul southward on Tuesday... to get outta Iowa before the next winter front moves in.

As it is, we saw lows of 14º in the past 24 hours.  We haven't seen that kind of temperature since we lived in South Dakota many years ago.  Don't want to see it again.  That said, we ran into a bit of rain, a couple snow flurries, but mostly c-c-c-cold.

We left our home in the Tropical Tip around 2:00 yesterday afternoon.  Our plan was to roll through the worst of the potential traffic crush in the corridor between San Antonio and Fort Worth during the night.  For the most part, that worked out.  We didn't plan for the truck in the lane to the right of us hitting something in the road and blowing apart a wheel!  We dodged flying metal and sparks... and came through unscathed.  Unfortunately for about a half dozen other vehicles, including a UPS truck, they blew out tires and suffered other damage.  This happened between New Branufels and Buda... no way to safely stop to render help in that traffic.  Seconds after I was able to unpucker my ass from the seat, we are already several car lengths beyond the fray.

The other heart-in-throat moment happened this morning when passing a semi... the driver must have fallen asleep (this was before sunrise), and the truck swerved into our lane.  I saw it coming and pulled hard to the right, onto a fairly wide shoulder with an imposing concrete barrier separating it from oncoming traffic.  The driver abruptly swerved back into his lane and picked up speed.  I had no intention of trying to finish the pass I started.

All that aside, it was mostly the rigors of trying to stay awake... we took shifts driving... and checking on each other.  Shut-eye didn't happen, but we did stop regularly; for gas, pottying, and feeling that cold blast of air to help keep you awake.

We will likely "pay for this" in never catching up on lost sleep, but the Equinox did an admirable job; comfortable, secure feeling and handling, and power on tap with that 2.0 with the turbo and 9 speeds.

We pulled into John's driveway just before 2:00 this afternoon.  He got the opportunity to meet Rufus.  Speaking of Rufus: this is his first ever long car trip.  I probably haven't mentioned this before, but he is a good boy.  He did fine with new situation.  Although, he seems real happy to be in John's house.

A few photos of the excursion...

No trek across Texas is complete without a stop at a Buc-ee's (or two)...

 Even in the middle of the night, traffic can come to a stand-still in that corridor...

I had my doubts when Joan suggested we do this in one day.  No way would I have tried this if running solo.

We did get a short nap in before supper this evening.  And to spread the love around, Rufus spent some time on John's lap.  "No, John - you cannot have Rufus."

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Oh, I forgot my favorite part of the trip: we stopped for a sandwich at Chick-fil-A.  No, that's not my favorite part.  When paying for the order, the girl at the window exclaimed: "Is that a cat?  Oh, my god, he's SO cute!"  (Rufus was sitting on the console between us.)

I said, "His name is Rufus and he's a pretty social boy."

"Oh, hi Rufus!  You are so handsome!"

Within about 10 seconds, there were 5 Chick-fil-A employees squeezing in around the window to see the cute cat.  Yes, Rufus likes the attention.  Especially from the girls.  Besides being a good boy, he is a chick magnet.  ;-)

Confirmation...

 

The new Supreme Court nominee?  No, that name hasn't been announced, yet.  Hopefully, that process goes fast and easy.  One final confirmation with my buddy Michael at Winnebago to confirm that the work is done and all the test/checks have been done.  Yep.

We are loading the Equinox for it's first road trip.  First big road trip not in the motorhome for Rufus.  He has watched the gathering and stacking, so he knows something is up.  The boy is pretty intuitive.

We have a route; we have a plan; Mother Nature, as always, will have her say in how it all plays out.  Wintertime in the mid-west... can't say I am excited to make the trip, but I am really looking forward to have the motorhome back.

See ya down the road.

One more check...

 

You mean like "the check's in the mail"?  No.  There was one more thing I was looking to try on the scoot... we haven't ridden together since I received the molded earplugs; I wanted to see if our helmet communicators would be functional with those earplugs in.

Now, for full disclosure, I could have done that by putting the earplugs in, putting on the helmet, turning on the communicator, and linking it to some music.  But, where's the fun in that?  This was an excuse for getting out for one more ride before we head to the frozen northland.  Plus, a "bonus weather day" today: the weasels were calling for precip today; I woke up to some lovely sunshine.  Got out on my bicycle.  Took Rufus for a walk.  Then decided to take Joan's Xmax out for this "sound check."

I probably ride 5 days out of 7 if the weather is cooperative.  Joan saves her riding for when we are in places where the riding is more fun.  I get that.  But, I do try to ride her bike once in a while... I'm thoughtful that way.  Considering the weather forecast from last night, I didn't think I'd get another ride in.

Cool (63º) and mostly sunny when I headed out on the Xmax.  A good outing, and the Xmax is fun to ride.  I could hear the sound from the communicator just fine (put on a YouTube video so it would be "talking").  When we're ready to ride together again, there should be no issue.  Joan did get one of the molded earplug kits, but better to do that right before she's ready to use it.  My earplugs made it delightfully quiet, while still being able to hear the ambient sounds around you and the helmet communicator.

We are gathering and planning.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

 

If you said, "A 1966 Italian 'spaghetti Western' film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood," you get 40 bonus points.  The title refers to the three main characters in the film played by Clint Eastwood (the good), Lee Van Cleef (the bad) and Eli Wallach (the ugly).  If you can whistle the theme song to that movie, you get 3 more bonus points.

This post is about: the good - I got out on the Vespa today; the bad - the weather weasels lied again; and the ugly - I used a GoPro.  Now I remember why I haven't used the GoPro since getting the Insta360 cameras: the GoPro sucks ass.

"Why would you say that, Jim (referring to the GoPro?"  Thanks for asking; I do appreciate your curiosity.  The GoPro has been unreliable since I bought it.  I upgraded the operating system in it, thinking it might help it.  It didn't.  This PoC (Piece of Crap) GoPro is what made me buy that first Insta360, a One R.  It was so good, I bought another Insta360, a One X2.  Both of those cameras just work.  Plus, you can decide the view after you shoot, instead of the fixed view of the GoPro (yes, I knew that about it before I bought it).  The Insta360 cameras are a delight to use compared to the GoPro.

"Well then, why did you use the GoPro today?"  Again, thanks for asking.  It takes time to edit the Insta360 video, because you are able to look (literally) every direction... so, you have to "look around" to decide which view you want.  Today, the GoPro lost connection with my phone (I use the phone as a remote to operate the camera) 6 times.  No, there is nothing wrong with my phone - it works fine will all my other apps.  Yes, I did download the latest update for the GoPro app before I left the house.  And, the GoPro locked up twice... you have to pull the battery out of it and start it again to be able to use it.  Which means pulling over on the scoot and getting off because you need both hands to open up the GoPro.  Oh, and all this was in the first 30 minutes of my outing.

On one of those pull-overs, I tested the camera by taking a selfie photo (instead of video)...

 I did shoot some video, but it is a yawn compared to the 360 video I usually shoot.  I may splice together the bits of video that the camera allowed and post it here later.

The "Bad": the weather weasels were predicting "sunny, a high of 74º"... it didn't happen.  As you can see from the photos above, it was a pretty solid overcast.  Oh, we did have a few minutes of sun, but the temperature climbed up to 61º and stopped there.  Wind out of the north at 14 mph.  So, yeah, it was cool.

The "Good": I was happy to get out on the scoot.  The weather has been chilly, windy, and drizzly the last few days.  The Vespa and I were in need of some time together.  I put a fleece vest under my recently acquired riding suit, and was perfectly comfortable.

While riding on the island, there were quite a few people walking and riding bicycles on Gulf Blvd; some were definitely headed for the beach.  I feel for those people if this is "their week" that they get to be here - not much in the way of our typical tropical weather this week.  More drizzly forecast for tomorrow through Friday.  It beats shoveling snow, but that north wind is chilly... no fun to be out on the beach in that.

Today was my day to get in some riding.  I spoke with my guy at Winnebago this morning, and he assures me our motorhome will be done "Wednesday or Thursday"... they will keep it inside until we pick it up on Monday the 31st.  We have our route, stuff gathered for the car, and will be rolling north soon.

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A relatively quick edit, and here's the video...

 

Is Kevin there?

 

Most of the time, we don't answer calls from numbers we don't recognize.  Back in the good ol' days, the spammers didn't call cell phone numbers.  Really?  Damn, Jim, how old are you?  Really old, thanks for asking.

With our "situations" with the motorhome, replacing cars, the Vespa vs deer incident, and the occasional medical dealings, we turned off the "block unknown callers" feature on our phones.  Oh, the phone still warns me occasionally of "potential spam" call.  Still, we let most of those calls go to voice mail, then block the number.  Yes, we are aware that the spammers use spoof numbers for Caller ID, but it just feels good to block the number.

I've tried different ways of dealing with what I expect to be a spam call.  I've tried saying, "just a moment," then putting my phone down 'till they hang up; wasting their time.  I've tried, "Please remove me from your solicitation list," but you know they don't.  I quite enjoyed answer the phone a time or two with: "FBI Field Office, Phone Fraud Division."  They hang up real quick.  I've used the, "This is the caller, officer, that has been making obscene calls to us - trace, trace, trace!"

Today, I took one of those calls.  A very pleasant female voice on the other end said, "I'm sorry for the delay, is Kevin there?"  "Sorry for the delay" just means they have a robo-caller trying a bunch of numbers at once, and the person switches to that line when they get someone who answers.  And for some reason, someone at the University of Spam decided that "Kevin" is a non-descript name that won't put you on edge.  If you say, "I'm sorry, you have the wrong number," they will come back with: "Oh, sorry - as long as I have you on the phone..."

Same bullshit, different approach.  This morning, when she asked for Kevin, I gasped and said, "Kevin's dead!  Is this your idea of a sick joke?"  She gasped, stammered, then apologized.  I said, "Don't call again."

Am I sick and twisted?  Yeah, probably.  Do I care?  No, not a bit.  It is rare that you are able to get a live person on the phone when calling for Customer Service for any product, so why do people have to stoop low enough to making unsolicited spam calls?

Don't tell my Mother that I'm a robocall operator - she thinks I am a piano player in a whorehouse.  That's a joke.  I don't play piano that well.  Oh, and Mom's dead.

She would appreciate that joke.  I got my sarcastic sense of humor from her.

They run and hide their heads...

 

If you said, "The second line from the Beatles' song Rain, released in 1966 as the B-side of Paperback Writer," you get 30 bonus points.  If you said, "It's raining again in the Tropical Tip?" you would be mostly right and no bonus points.  More of a drizzle than a rain.  Not to make this blog a daily weather report, but weather plays a part in what fun stuff we do.

I did get out for a bike ride this morning, in a very light mist.  Other than taking garbage or checking mail, we have been home-bodies the last couple days, thanks to Mother Nature.  On the bright side, it isn't blowing like stink or OMG degrees.  It was 60º when I first got up, and it has shot all the way up to 61º this afternoon.

And, this is why streaming movies and series was invented.

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Good Grooming...

Me?  I do what I can.  This afternoon, it was time for some singing/playing/grooming: I play guitar and sing, Rufus gets brushed.  As soon as I brought the guitar into the living, he came out of his "man cave" and went over to get on Joan's lap... the boy knows the routine.  He likes the routine...

It looks like his head is being forced up.  Nope.  Joan's hand is there for support.  I think getting his chin brushed is his favorite part.

And when Joan was done brushing, he hopped up on my lap, tucked alongside the guitar.  The boy likes his music.

Well, that hurts...

 

Another shot?  No, it's the weather again.  This is "winter" in the Tropical Tip.  It was 34º when I got up this morning before 6:00; the wind is still blowing like stink.  The wind chill is: OMGº.  Intermittent rain.

We didn't leave the house yesterday; too damn cold.  Today is uglier.  Joan informed me that she was going to need to make a trip to the grocery store today... to get some supplies for baking.  Baking?  That's a bright spot.  I suggested picking up some lunch at WingStop while we're out; another bright spot.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, it was still drizzling and the temperature had shot all the way up to 38º.  Wind?  Yeah, still out of the north, still blowing like stink.  The Equinox has heated seats - this is one of those rare times they'll get used.

I was outside from the house to the car, the car to Wally World, Wally World to the car, drive to WingStop, and back out into the weather for about 20 steps to their door.  My fingers are stiff and achy, the fingertips are burning.  Yes, I was wearing gloves.  My blood has definitely thinned.

When we got home, Rufus was at the door, wanting to go outside.  I figured he'd stick his head out there and say, "Oh, hell no!"  I was wrong - he wanted to hang out in that freezing cold.  Until I herded him back to the front door.  Because: my hands are aching and I want to go inside and eat my WingStop.  If I can get my fingers to bend enough to pick up the fries.

It is supposed to get back into the 60s tomorrow.  Still colder than I care for, but I'm hoping to get some feeling back in my fingertips before then.

My guy at Winnebago called today: they will have the motorhome done "sometime next week, probably Thursday"... we're tentatively planning to pick it up on Monday, the 31st.  Weather permitting.  'Cause it's real damn cold up there.

 

Thar she blows...

 

Not looking for whales.  Right on schedule, the norther blew in overnight.  Warmer so far than what the weasels were predicting, with 63º when I got up at 6:00 this morning.  Temperatures will be falling all day, expecting a low in the upper 30s overnight.  That's at the coast.  Inland, even just a few miles, freezing temperatures are expected.  For this area, this is some serious cold.  Of course, the local news/weather people feel the need to explain wind chill, as the winds are currently 29 mph out of the northwest, gusting higher.

We prepped for it before going to bed last night.  We already had the sun screens rolled up; strapped down the cover on the patio furniture and took down our US flag.  That's our equivalence of "battening down the hatches."

Warnings for "A Wintery Mix" of precip overnight.  Everybody sing: "Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."

I'll be taking a pass on riding the bicycle or scoot for a few days.  Yesterday, I got in four 2-wheel rides: e-bike, Vespa, Xmax, e-scooter (twice).

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Watching local news/weather at noon, there is a "Winter Weather Warning" for Brownsville - only the 5th time that has happened.  Climate change... 

Breaking News...

 

This just in - I just got a call from my buddy Michael at Winnebago (he is not the one who couldn't be troubled to return a phone call or e-mail)... they have received the hood from Ford, opened that package, and it all looks good.  That is the last thing needed to complete the repairs, but they have been holding the fenders until the hood came in so they could paint them all at the same time and assemble everything to make sure the fit is good.

This is ahead of the last estimated ship date.  So, there is work to be done, paint to be done, assembling to be done.  I was told to expect a call on Friday or Monday with a completion date.  The end is in sight.  Hopefully.

Weather in the frozen northland is seriously bitter right now, with overnight lows well below zero... when we get the completion date, we will look for a good weather window.

Quiz...

 

A pop quiz?  Did you study?  In this morning's e-mail, I received my weekly Adventure Rider newsletter.  It's the forum I participate on... the scooter section (Battle Scooters) is a very small part of a much bigger forum.  Today's newsletter had one article that caught my eye: "Quiz / Could You Pass The MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Motorcycle Operator Manual Test?"  It's like the written test you have to take to get a motorcycle license.  In most states, if you take an MSF course, you can use the certificate from that to get your license; no further testing.

Back in the olden days (when I was in college), I did a research project on how much the average driver knows about riding a motorcycle... it was a survey circulated through the college mail boxes, then assembled and reviewed.  The result: most car drivers don't know jack about riding a motorcycle... which also translates to those drivers being an increased danger to motorcycle riders.  Yes, even back in those days I was an enthusiast.

So, I took the test.  Not to brag, but I got 100%.  After 54 years of riding, I should have accumulated some knowledge.

How about you?  Could you pass the test?

https://www.advrider.com/could-you-pass-the-msf-motorcycle-operator-manual-test/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=01_18_2022

See you out on the road.  I need to get a good ride in today - another cold front (this one is supposed to be stronger) will be blowing in overnight tonight.

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I got out on both bikes.  The wind is building, blowing about 20 out of the south.  That makes it a crosswind as you ride across the causeway... you notice that.  A good ride on each of the bikes, though.  When I got back from riding the Vespa, I was feeling the need for a bit more... what the heck, I'm already "suited up" so it's easy to roll one in and the other out and go for another ride.  And when I say "suited up," I wasn't wearing the one piece suit today; warmish and humid, I went with the light colored mesh pants with armor and a mesh jacket.  I'm feeling I have all the weather I'd care to ride in covered different gear options.  Joan's Xmax is a fun ride, as well.

More on the anticipated cold front: this one will be the strongest norther so far this season.  The weasels are calling for wind out of the north at 20 to 30 mph, gusting to 40.  Temps dropping overnight into the 30s, daytime high in the low 40s.  That is considered winter weather around here.  By comparison, it is 78º this afternoon.

The Wolf Full Moon...

 

That's the name of this month's full moon - based on the fact that wolves are the most active this time of year.  Clear and a million (pilot saying) last night - this was the view from just outside our front door...

 So, if you heard any howling last night... yep.  It is also called the Center Moon in some Native American cultures, as this generally marks "the mid-point of the cold season."  Don't trust that - Mother Nature has been a terror this past year, and looks to be doing more of the same this year.  Last year in February, Texas experienced the coldest month on record.  The southeast had a dozen tornadoes two nights ago.  Don't turn your back on her.

It was a beautiful clear night - just right for getting this photo.

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Reality bites...

The nearest Honda motorcycle dealer (in Brownsville) has a couple motorcycles I wanted to check out.  A nice outing.  When we got there, I excited to "test sit" on an NC750X... I've read a lot about it - a lot to like.  One concern: the seat height.  It's about an inch or so more than my inseam.  And then I got on the bike.  Sorta.  Oh, I could touch with the balls of my feet, but it was a struggle to get a leg over the seat.  A reality slap upside the head.

Next to look at a cruiser model; nice low seat height.  Easy to toss a leg over.  Comfortable.  Now to put my feet up on the footpegs... grunt... grunt.  Yeah, I got 'em there.  I have mentioned how I can "toss a leg" over since the hip replacement... but this is using muscles and making moves that I haven't done in a long time.  Then, whacked my ankle on a peg while putting my feet down.

Damn, maybe this old dog isn't up to new tricks?  Maybe I need to stretch more?

The tall one...

A bevy of cruisers...

The one I like...

I took a photo of Joan on this one...

Knees bent with her feet flat on the floor.  Although, her legs are longer than mine.  I think I heard a gasp when the owner gave me the out-the-door price.  Apparently, Honda has added "a surcharge" this year.  Not an insignificant amount when it is totaled up.

I didn't go home with a new bike.

Survey Says...

 

Yes, another survey.

If you said, "What the host of the TV show Family Feud says," you get 3 bonus points.  If you said, "Richard Dawson was the first host, Steve Harvey is the current host, and there have been 6 hosts in the history of the show," you get an additional 25 bonus points.  (this was also listed in a post a month or so ago)

I got an e-mail survey today from the Nielson folks, on behalf of Vespa USA.  Seems they wanted to know about my Vespa ownership and what factors played a part in my buying decision.  Yes, I filled out the survey, in hopes that there would be a comment section where I could express my dissatisfaction with how long I have been waiting for a new front fender.  Nope.  That caused me to look up the Vespa US website and try to contact them.  Their phone goes right to voice mail and when you try to leave a message, you get the dreaded "Mailbox is full" and the phone hangs up.  That is essentially the same as: "We don't give a shit about you, so don't leave a message and bother us."  Well, that's how I interpret it.

I composed an e-mail to send to the address they had on that site.  It bounced... "Not deliverable."  Well, that's fun.  I kept digging and found a "contact form."  I left a message on that, asking "Why is it taking so long to get a front fender?"  Realistically, I don't expect anyone to respond to it... it is what I have come to expect from anyone whose job description is titled "Customer Service."

Don't get me wrong - I like my Vespa.  A lot.  It is great fun to ride and is still rideable, even without a front fender.  BUT, it looks ugly... AND, if you go through a puddle or get caught in the rain, that front wheel throws water everywhere without a front fender on it.  I think the dealer (AF1 Racing in Austin, TX) is as frustrated as I am.  I have been calling them monthly to get a delivery date on the fender, and each time Vespa misses that date.

 

I have been a pretty enthusiastic Vespa owner.  This situation is causing me to re-think that.

On the bright side, I have been getting a "weekly update" from Winnebago on that repair... well, the last time it was just to say, "We're still waiting on Ford for the hood," but at least they're keeping me informed.

And the beat goes on.

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There's a full moon tonight.  It brings out the weirdos.  Scientific fact.  More on the full moon, probably tomorrow.  Back to the weirdos... our neighbor was getting a load of lumber delivered to his house.  He knocked on our door and said, "Just a heads up - they are going to be unloading that wood off the truck; you may want to move your car so it doesn't get damaged while they're doing that."

I thought that was mighty neighborly of him.  I moved our car.  Back in the house and the next thing we know, there's a loud crash outside.  Joan and I both went to the door and saw that the lumber truck was in our driveway.  Well, in our driveway, over the brick trim on the side of it, and making ruts in what little bit of grass we have.

What our sneaky neighbor didn't say: he wanted me to move our car so the lumber yard could get a straight shot to his driveway.  The crashing noise wasn't the truck - it was the lumber coming off the back of it.  We went out and saw that the truck had cracked the grout in our brick trim, left ruts, and hit the post on the side of our driveway.  Three times.  If the neighbor had said, "Can you move your car so we can drive that big truck over and off your driveway?" I would have likely said, "No f**king way."  Or, at the least, I could have stayed out there to stop the driver from doing the damage.  But, no - the neighbor was trying to do things the easy way and figured the truck would get in and out before we realized it.  That didn't happen.

Instead of saying, "I'll pay for any damages," - he didn't make that offer - he said, "The lumber yard will pay for those damages."  And then things got ugly.  It didn't have to happen.  He could have been honest about it, but then he lied and said, "You said it was OK..."  And, things got uglier.

The manager of the lumber yard came out, looked things over, apologized for his driver, and said he will have someone out in the next day or two to get everything fixed.  Easy solution.

I don't give sneaky people a second chance; they have already showed their intent.

I waited around for the lumberyard manager, instead of getting out for a scooter ride.  Joan said, "Go for a ride - leave the frustration behind - go enjoy this beautiful day."  Good advice.

The ride was good.  Beautiful day; sunny, nice temps, and light breeze, and low humidity.  I did get stopped at our bridge to get back on our island, and took a selfie while I was waiting for the bridge to close...

You can't see it, but there is a smile on my face under that helmet.  :-)

In the nick...

 

Shaving?  No.  The weather weasels were calling for the next norther to blow in here by 8:30 this morning.  I got out on my bicycle an hour before that, got it put away, and settled in with my morning smoothie.  The wind was blowing about 13, westnorthwest.  65º.

At 8:20 the sky got dark.  By 8:30 the wind had shifted to the north and picking up speed.  By 8:40, it was blowing 30.  Glad I was able to get some exercise in... I think we'll be cocooning the rest of the day.

--------

I spent some time today recording several tracks: a scratch track, bass, drums, guitar, and a couple vocal tracks...

I sent the tracks off to Mark to see what he wants to do with them.  In the meantime, it keeps me out of the bars and the pool halls.

Taking advantage...

 

This time of year, the northers blow in, stick around a couple days, then generally move out.  It was a glorious day today (after a foggy morning) - got up to 75º, sunny, and a bit of breeze.  We need to take advantage of these lovely days, between the northers.  I may be misremembering, but it seems like these northers are coming in at a more rapid pace than in years past.  Climate change, or just Mother Nature messing with us?

This lovely weather gave me a chance to try out the new riding suit in slightly warmer conditions.  I started out the ride with the vents open... it does a very decent job of pushing air through the suit.  The "Big Air Vent" (yeah, that's the name of it) under the main zipper lets in plenty of air; two zippered vents in the back give that air a way to flow through and get out.  Unzip the cuffs on the sleeve and air moves up your arms.  Seems to be a good design.  You can tell the vents do their job: when I got back home, before taking the suit off, it felt pretty warm with no air moving through the vents.  Shorts and a t-shirt underneath.

Oh, and the ride was good.  Nobody pulled out in front of me and the traffic was reasonably light.  You can tell the winter visitors are here... by the northern license plates and the slow-driving rubber-necking.  Yes, I remember being that person when we first came down here, 27 years ago.

Another way of taking advantage of this lovely weather: lunch out on the deck.  Followed by Monopoly Deal (cards) out there (Joan won, 3 games to 2).  Rufus, of course, joined us on the deck; but he has already done a couple walks today.  That is going to change... the next norther is supposed to blow in tomorrow morning and will last... a couple days.

I may have to do some recording over the weekend.

--------

The early morning fog when I got my bicycle out to go for a ride...

First Ride...

 

 

Cool and sunny this morning, with the wind out of the north at 12 mph.  How cool?  57º, and thanks for asking.  It was a good first test of the Joe Rocket Survivor suit.  Being cool, I wore a long sleeve T-shirt and jeans under the riding suit.

 

It has been a long time since I've done any video, so it seemed like a good time to put the Insta360 One X2 on the Vespa.   I shot some video while riding, then when back home, downloaded, edited, and put some music and a voice over on the video.

Here is the finished video...

Impressions on the riding suit: it is comfortable.  The sizing runs small, but is pretty true to the measurements on the Joe Rocket site.  It seems to be well-made.  I haven't had the opportunity to try it when it is warmer, but I will get another ride in this afternoon or tomorrow; I had the vents closed this morning.  The suit has vents in the front and back to move air through.  Some people say it is cooler to wear this than jeans and a t-shirt... that remains to be seen.

Like my other motorcycle jackets, this has armor in the shoulders, elbows, and knees; those areas also have a second layer of RockTex (their version of Cordura).  You can close it down at the wrists to keep air from getting in, or open that and let air flow up the arms.  There are double action zippers on the legs, so you can open them from the top to act as additional venting.  The RockTex is supposed to be waterproof, although I do my best to avoid riding in the rain, especially since the Vespa doesn't have a front fender, still.

There was one comment on the scooter forum, where the guy said he smirks at riders he sees wearing a riding suit.  I used to feel the same way.  The first bit of technical riding gear I bought was back when I had a BMW R1100 RT.  The joke back then was: I can afford the bike, not sure I can afford the surgery to get my nose turned up.

Apparently, my computer is aware that I bought a riding suit.  When I opened it this morning, it said, "Would you like to look at BMW motorcycles?"

I surprised myself when I said, "Why, yes, I believe I would."  ;-)

--------

Out again this afternoon, at the warmest part of the day... 69º, so not quite up to our typical high for the day this time of year.  This time, it was shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt under the riding suit, and it was just fine.  No need to open any vents.  Takes about the same amount of time to put it on as it does a pair of riding pants and a jacket.  So far: good.  No photos or video this time out - just enjoying the ride.

Those 3 little words...

 

I love you?  Well, sure, that's nice, but I'm thinking: "Out For Delivery."  Isn't tracking great?  Joan has some kind of UPS tracking on her phone that tells her where the truck is, so we know when it's getting close.  We're pretty much at the end of the UPS routing through our community, so we can see the truck go by us on the main roadl; twice before it actually gets to us.

What are you tracking?  Thanks for asking.  It's the one piece motorcycle suit I ordered last week.  I have become more safety conscious the last couple years with gear while riding on the scoots.  Better, safer helmets, armored jeans and pants, and been wearing decent armored jackets for years.

I'm anxious to try out this one piece suit - hopefully, it will be easy to get on and off.  It is designed to be worn over street clothes, so shorts and a t-shirt when off the bike, full protection when on.  I am thinking: James Bond stripping off a wetsuit, with a tux underneath.  Hoping it won't be: giant baby onsie that is a pain to get on and off.

We'll see.

I do have a set of coveralls that I've used when crawling under an RV or bottom painting a boat.  Functional, but not a lot of room from the crotchal area to the shoulders, so I need help peeling them off.  It's gonna suck if I have to say, "Honey, can you help me get out of my motorcycle suit."  ;-)

--------

Angry...

Me, because UPS hasn't delivered my scoot suit, yet?  Nahh; it'll get here when it gets here.  Joan said she'd like to get out of the house and suggested maybe going to Brownsville for a chicken sandwich.  Before leaving our island, she said, "Or, we can go to the island, pick up something for lunch and take it to the beach."

I'm in.  Going to the beach today would mean: just looking at the beach, 'cause it's cold and windy.  I suggested we try a KFC chicken sandwich (I've seen the ads on TV) - we picked it up and made the short drive to the beach.  The sandwich was good, the Gulf water looked angry...

The weasels were originally calling for clearing conditions, decreasing wind for the afternoon.  Nope.  But, it was good to get out of the house for a bit.

Assuming the new suit gets delivered today, and it fits, I will be anxious to give it a try.  Tomorrow.  When it is supposed to be sunny and less windy.

--------

The rest of the story...

If you said, "Paul Harvey's signature sign off," you get 20 bonus points.  If you said, "Who's Paul Harvey?" - get off my lawn ya damn whippersnapper!

The Joe Rocket suit showed up just after 6:00 this evening.  I had pulled something in my back earlier this afternoon, and I'm moving a bit slow.  Joan brought the package in and opened the box; she handed me the suit, wrapped in plastic... it was heavier than I expected.  I spread the suit out on the kitchen island; it is a bit stiff, but what I expected from a cordura type fabric.  It feels good and looks really well-made.  Opening the suit up... there is no thermal liner inside it.  Yes, there is supposed to be a thermal liner.

I bought this from Amazon as a returned item, significantly discounted from the full price.  There was no mention that anything was missing from the suit.  They didn't have any new suits in stock in my size, nor did any supplier I checked.  It has all the tags and the little bag in the pocket with spare items.  There is no indication it has ever been tried on.  Just no thermal liner.

Assuming I'd be sending it back, I thought I'd at least try it on to see if the size was right...

Fits me like it was made for me.  I wore it for a bit to see if it was comfortable... yep.  It feels like it is going to cut the wind, and is supposed to be waterproof.  It has venting to allow air to flow through it when it is warmer.  I walked around outside, where it was 60º and the wind was out of the west at about 15 mph.  I opened the large front vent and could feel the cool air flowing through.

When I came back inside, Joan asked what I wanted to do - I said, "Let's call Customer Service (yes, a chill went through me when I said those words) and see if they will allow something off the price since it doesn't have the liner.  Realistically, I can't imagine needing the liner, since we don't generally ride when it is cold and crappy, but I did pay for a suit that is supposed to have the liner.  Right now, it feels plenty good without the liner."

She got put on hold for a short time, then spoke with a young lady who said, "Ma'am" at least once per session.  She and Joan discussed options: send it back for a full refund or keep it with some allowance given for the missing liner.  The young lady spoke with her supervisor and came back with an allowance offer... it wasn't as much as what I told Joan I'd accept.  Joan counter-offered.  Back to the supervisor, and when the young lady came back, we did the deal.

As warm as the suit felt outside in 60º weather, I would think it would be rare I'd use the liner.  If needed, I have a zip out liner from one of my other jackets.  I consider this a good resolution.

A Day Off...

 

From what?  You're retired.

I sometimes take Sunday off from a blog post, but that moved to Monday (yesterday) this week.  The weather was cold and windy, and I went down "the black hole" of YouTube.  I started by looking at a couple motorcycle videos, which turned into "a little kid looking at the Sears Toy Catalog" at Christmas.

I can picture myself on most two-wheel conveyances.  Some make more sense to me than others, but it doesn't really matter... one bike at a time for me and I'm not ready to give up the Vespa; it is just easy and fun.  Which led me to looking at DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) bikes, which means: Honda, 'cause they are the only ones using that technology on motorcycles.  Fortunately, Honda dealers are not able to get their hands on a Honda 1100 Rebel... well, not fortunate for them, but it works out for me.  I'm afraid if I ever got a test ride on one, I would be seriously conflicted due to that "one bike at a time" situation I'm in.

Doing more YouTube diving on the DCT, led me to the Honda CTX 700... which came out in 2014 and was available with DCT.  Hmmm... that looks interesting; similar technology on a whole different kind of bike... the fairing looks nice, good wind protection... the DCT technology is dated compared to the latest versions.  Doesn't matter, 'cause: one bike at a time.

Oh, look - a BMW GS.  That's a big, heavy bike designed for off road use that costs about the same as a typical compact SUV, and much like that SUV, it isn't going to taken off road.  What?  BMW makes a "little GS"??  Oh, look at those videos.  Hey, that makes more sense.  Well, except for the part where it has no onboard storage and you lose that carefree idea of a DCT.  But, you can take it off road for some adventures and it will still do highway duty... yeah, that's cool.

In the meantime, due to the crappy weather yesterday, I only got out for a walk late afternoon.  So much for "adventure."  ;-)  Well, there was a bit of adventure when I took Rufus out for a walk in the wind - he surprised me by actually taking a bit of a walk.  No, I got him out the door before it was deemed necessary for him to put on a sweater.

All the way up to 64º today, still some gusty north wind, but not as strong as yesterday.  There may be some two-wheel time.

 

Timing...

 

The timing is conspiring against us.  We got a call from Steph last night, and there will be a change of plans: due to the rapid upsurge in Covid in the Phoenix area, it looks like we will be postponing our trip there... pushing things back.

This may give Winnebago time to actually get the fenders and hood (that should have been ordered a lot time ago) in their hands, get them painted and replaced.  I will visit with them again tomorrow; the service rep we have been dealing with should be back from vacation tomorrow, and I won't have to try to get anything done with guy filling in (whose normal job is estimating and working with the insurance companies).  This fill-in guy has proven to be less than reliable in following through on what he says.

And the beat goes on.

The call back...

 

Yes, the guy from Winnebago did call back late yesterday afternoon.  After they were closed.  When their closing time passed, I figured he just didn't bother once again, but now I think he was waiting until there was no one around to hear even his end of the conversation.

I asked for a date and time, he said I could pick it up (with the fenders and hook replacement not done, since they have no idea when the hood will actually be coming in) next Friday, the 14th.  I said, "Absolutely not - you think you'll turn it over to me right before you close for the weekend?"

He said, "Oh, I understand your concern.  How about Monday the 17th?"  That's Martin Luther King Day.

Again, "Absolutely not.  Thursday, the 13th.  I will stay in your parking area that night, and if there are no issues, I will leave on the 14th, and we won't have to deal with each other again."

"Um, OK, we can do that Thursday."

I said, "Then, why didn't you offer that to me to start with?"  No response; I do not trust this guy one bit.

So, with an actual pick-up date, we can now start prepping to head that way.  Discussions are underway.

 

On and On...

 

If you said, "Stephen Bishop, 1977, from his debut album Careless," you get 50 bonus points.  If you asked, "Your dealings with Winnebago?" you are right on, but no bonus points.

Things came to a head this morning.  The guy filling in for the guy who is our service rep at Winnebago, wanted to hide behind his keyboard and try to deal with me via e-mail.  I insisted on being able to talk, so he couldn't conveniently leave out answering any of my questions.  It took him a while to work up to the phone call, but he did... I was fine until he repeatedly apologized for all the "misunderstandings"...

"First of all, don't apologize, just do your job - if you do what you're supposed to do, there should be no need to apologize.  Since you didn't do what you were supposed to do, you aren't sorry about it, just sorry you are being called on it..." and then I got good and mad.

They are trying to blame the new hood not being in on "supply line chains" - if they had ordered the hood and fenders when I made the appointment, there would have been no issue.  They dropped the ball.  Then did nothing to expedite things to make up for it.  If anything, they put us aside.

So, we have a new plan: we are going to pick up the motorhome at a date and time they set next week, and everything except the hood and fenders will be done.  I won't be paying them for the hood and fenders, and, at our convenience, we may set up another time to get those replaced.

They have not replaced the windshield.  We want that done before we pick up the coach.  So, I am waiting to get that time and date.

Today.

He promised.

We'll see.

If I had a job...

 

I'd be going back to it this morning.  Two winners in the Powerball drawing last night, neither of which was me.  Not a single number.  What are the odds of that?  According to my past history: pretty good.  ;-)

So, back to my job as trophy husband.  It's a lot more work than most people think.

 --------

I heard from Winnebago today - indirectly, as they were responding to an e-mail from our Progressive Insurance rep, and she was inquiring as to why they weren't keeping me in the loop.  Not sure if it was actual concern for us, or if she wanted something in writing to say this hold-up wasn't Progressive's fault, but it got the Winnebago guy off his dead ass.  Seems that his "filling in" for the customer service rep who is our Winnebago guy, who happens "to be on vacation this week."  He had several vague excuses, but no reason why they weren't keeping us informed.  Since he seems to not answer his phone (the lady from Progressive has the same issue with this guy, but said he generally responds to e-mail), I sent him an e-mail, outlining the problem, being very specific with "dates given to us by Winnebago as our completion date" that have come and gone.  I also wanted to confirm that other repairs we had asked for (not insurance related) were being taken care of.

He responded with another excuse or two and the promise that they will be more forthcoming on keeping us informed.  We'll see how that plays out.  I have sent him two other e-mails today, with no response.

--------

Joan figured I'd need a decent lunch out and some time away - we drove into Harlingen to get some food for Rufus, pick up a few things for us, and lunch out.  Lasagna for me, chicken parm for her - a nice change of pace.

Back in time to get a very pleasant scooter ride in - mid-70s, sunny, a light breeze.  I think the ride was better for my blood pressure than lunch out.  Well, that and some Rufus time.  :-)

Feeling ignored...

 

By Rufus?  Never - that boy likes attention.

Seems that my friends at Winnebago are ignoring me.  I've left 2 messages now, no returned phone call.  Our insurance contact sent us a copy of the correspondence between her and the guy who does the scheduling at Winnebago... today, he told her it would be "another two weeks" for the repairs.  If they would call me back, I would like to confirm that.

We were originally told "2 weeks" when we dropped the motorhome off with them on December 10th.  Then, it moved out to January 3rd.  Then, January 10th.  IF it would be done on the 10th, we can still (just barely) make it to our first reservation in Arizona.  After that, the dominoes will begin to fall.

Winnebago has been good to work with on all our past dealings - this "radio silence" from them is something new.  Yes, I know the world is a different place these days.  I'm old fashioned enough to believe that when you give your word to a customer, you meet that obligation.  And, if circumstances mean you aren't going to be able to live up to your word, you contact that customer right away and keep them in the loop.

Ah, the good ol' days.

 

Can you hear me now?

 

Another "sound check" today.  Well, a reason to get out and about on the scoot.  The norther that blew in a couple days ago is mostly gone - low 70s today and the wind was down to 15 mph or less most of the day.

After clearing out a bunch of stuff in the storage area under the house, it was two piles: stuff to toss, stuff to take to the thrift store (Whiskers) that helps fund the local animal shelter.

Late this afternoon, I was feeling the need for a ride.  I wanted to try out these new molded earplugs with my Nolan helmet, and see if I could hear my helmet communicator through those earplugs.  I put a video on my phone, with the sound being sent via bluetooth to my helmet.  I could mostly hear it, but it was still pretty quiet, even with the volume turned all the way up.  It may be different when Joan and I are talking via those communicators... but it is a testament to how much noise those molded earplugs block.  And once again, wind noise was barely a whisper.

I got back home a few minutes before Rufus's supper time.  There was quite a bit of bellering when I came in... "Where have you been?  It is 15 minutes before feeding time, and I was worried sick about you!"  That is cat-speak for: "If you are late in feeding me, I will poop on your pillow!"

Just kidding.  Rufus doesn't poop on my pillow.  Because... he's such a good boy!  ;-)

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While out today, I saw a Mustang Mach-E; first one I've seen "in the wild."  It is a good looking car... um, SUV... um electric crossover.

That is a file photo; I didn't have my camera with me.  I did get the opportunity to see it front, back, and side... very nice!

BFR...

 

My alternative title was: "Something died in here..." but, that sounds a bit too ominous.

Remember the "little Johnny jokes"?  Yes, he was the foul-mouthed, filthy-minded kid who was the basis of all those jokes.  Never substantiated, but many said the kid was based on me.  I still deny that, as Jimmy and Johnny don't sound anything alike.

This joke: The teacher asks the kids to think of a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet.  She cringes each time Johnny raises his hand, and calls on other kids: "A is for apple, teacher." "B is for ball, teacher," who is sure she dodged a bullet with that one by not calling on little Johnny.  They finally get to "R" and little Johnny is the only one with his hand raised.  The teacher is going through anything vulgar that starts with "R", can't come up with anything, and finally calls on little Johnny.

Little Johnny says, "Rat."

The teacher breaths a sigh of relief and says, "Very good, Johnny."

Then, little Johnny adds, "A big f*ckin' rat - a beady-eyed bastard."

Yes, I have many more that I won't relate here.

Coming back from my bicycle ride, I said to Joan, "I think something got into our underneath storage, and either shit or died in there.  I looked around, but didn't see anything obvious."

She went to work on it, removing everything from underneath, putting it all out on the dock...

We have a dock box under there that hasn't been used for anything but storage in years.  I was working on bicycle maintenance (they were moved out onto the dock, so it seemed like a good opportunity) when she stepped out and said, "I found the culprit, but I'm not going to be able to move it."

That's my cue for: "You need to kill that bug or scrape off a dead critter."  That's for those of you who think a trophy husband doesn't have any useful skills.

Yeah, something died in that dock box.  There is a reason we put Decon and other lethal stuff in that storage area... and this critter probably had a chunk of that for lunch and died before it could get out to look for water.  Odds are pretty good it was little Johnny's rat.  May have been a raccoon or a water buffalo.  It was stinkin' to high heaven, which attracted other little bug things, and... well, I've probably put enough dots in there that you can connect them.

Joan has been wanting to "clear out" stuff we don't use in that storage area.  This was a definite stimulus.  A real strong-smellin' stimulus.

This one's on me.  I opened the door a day or two ago, to get my e-scooter out and forgot to close the door.  That must have looked like an open invitation to whatever got in.  No, I won't do that again.

Who left the door open?

 

Someone in the frozen northland left the door open - yesterday it was 82º and a south wind at 25+ mph.  About 5:00 am the norther blew in... wind went from the south to the north and got even stronger... gusting above 40 mph.  So, that's fun.

I got my "annual blog book" archived; yep, a series of PDFs containing all of 2021's posts.  Not sure why, but it's what I do.

Joan did some cooking.  Well, Joan always does the cooking.  I do the eating.  Together, we watched "The Story of Late Night," about all the hosts/shows of late night television.  We lived through most of it, so it was a fun walk through all that.

The apple crisp is outstanding.  (burp)

Happy New Year...

 

Happy New Year!  Good-bye, 2021; not going to miss you.  2022 looks to be more of the same at this point.  Not being maudlin, just an observation. 

That's the thing about "the new year": it holds the hope for better things to come.  Come on, 2022 - we're all counting on you.

Speaking of the new year: I know I mentioned the Rufus desk calendar in a post last week.  I have really enjoyed looking at those "then and now" photos on the cover...

It has been hard for me to give up the cover photos: the one on the left is what Rufus looked like when we first saw him; the image on the right is one of his current "glamour shots." If not for the cool ear, it might be hard to believe this is the same cat. The boy has definitely blossomed. In that image on the left, he looks like, "Please, take me home!" That is a confident boy on the right.

 

Yes, eventually, I am going to have to flip that cover over to show the January page.