The Meaning Behind The Electric Eye Dryer......

Friday, September 30, 2011

You guys will NEVER know how comforting it was to see how many of you were as baffled over the picture above as I was.  I know I'm blonde and over 50, but it seriously caused me to scratch my head for a few minutes........But to those of you who are still wondering what it means, I thought I'd help you out.....

"This Electric Eye Dryer Will Malfunction If Any Object Is Within 36" Below Unit"

The key here is to separate the word "Electric Eye" from the rest of the sentence.  The error of our ways was that we were reading it this way, "This Electric Eye Dryer Will Malfunction If Any Object Is Within 36" Below Unit" as if Electric Eye Dryer was one item......Are you having an "Ahh Haa...." moment right now??  Yep, I totally get where you're coming from.......It's okay....there were many of us highly intelligent faux-blondes over 50 who read it that way....

Auto Dry Your Eyes......With The Electric Eye Dryer!!!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

While at the Paris Veterans Clinic this morning, I came across this in the women's restroom.....

An "Eye Dryer"......hummmmmm......I'm embarrassed to say it took me a good 60 seconds of staring at this  sign to "get it"..........

"Pardner, kin yew show me to the 2-holer?"

Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Longview, TX



Today, we saw Chuck's VA doctor for the first time.......

Back before we went on vacation this summer, we scooted over to a Tyler store to check on getting a wheelchair lift for the back of my car for Chuck's wheelchair.  While there, we noticed they sold gently used conversion minivans where he could drive his wheelchair right up into it.  The dude told us that if Chuck was a veteran, which he is, then the VA would PAY for the conversion part of the van.  WhooHooo.......

But first, we had to get him enrolled in the VA.  So, after missing the first 3 appointments while on vacation, we had our first appointment this morning.  Right off the bat, the day started off freaky.  I had forgotten to put gas in the car yesterday, so I was practically on empty and had an hour drive on country roads ahead of me.....AND......we were running late.  Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........

We coasted into the VA Medical office on fumes precisely at 9:30, our appointment time.  Everything seemed to be clicking right along; even with a reception area full of people, they called us back first.  We were then introduced to Dr. Ravi Edular......

It took approximately 3 minutes to know that this was going to be interesting......Chuck in his sweet east Texas draaaaaawl says something like "Howdy Doc" and Dr. Ravi said, "क्या?" (That's "Huh" in Hindi) in his best Indian accent.  Chuck then says "Wert??" (That's "What" in E. Texas English) and then Dr. Ravi says "क्या?" again.  I think it was about this time that Chuck said "Pardner, kin yew show me to the 2-holer?"

Yep, things were going south pretty quickly when Dr. Ravi suddenly belched....BELCHED LOUDLY.

But I think my favorite part was when Chuck, sitting in his electric wheelchair, was asked by Dr. Ravi, "So, Mr. Etheridge, why do you think you need a conversion van?"

Home-Sweet-Home.......

Thursday, September 16, 2011

Mt. Vernon, TX

HOME * SWEET * HOME

We made it home safe and sound late Sunday evening to the view above......

About 100 miles from home, we stopped to take a "Butt-Break" and stepped outside the RV to 100 degree temps.  At that point, for the rest of the trip home, I bribed.....I begged.....I offered kickbacks......to Chuck to let me "turn around" and drive back to Colorado......to a constant answer of "NO".....AGHHH......I swear, if only he would have taken a nap, I would have turned that bus around and headed west......I bet I could have gotten to New Mexico before he realized we weren't headed home!

But it really is good to be home......other than the first two days of 100+ temps, we are now feeling cooler, nippier temperatures.  I can feel Fall right around the corner......But if anyone from E. Texas would like to send us a gratuity for bringing this cooler temperature and rain back with us, just send to our home address.  LOL.....

Anyway, today was "Mother-Daughter Eye Doctor Day".  Since Mom and I have the same eye doctor, we always make this doctor visit together and we surprised Mom with Debbie meeting us there!

After the appointment, we ran across the highway (not literally) to Valley View Mall in Dallas.  I felt like we had arrived in the Twilight Zone cause we were practically the only customers in the entire mall.  Although my Sci-Fi side thought it was pretty cool feeling like the entire world had disappeared and we were the only ones left, it was truly freakish.

So Deb and I did what we usually do with our lovely Mom and that is dress her up with the latest winter apparal, as well as show you how we were "stylin" with our special Night-Vision, Undercover Agent (Dilation) Sunglasses our Counterspy eye doctor gave us that we proudly wore all afternoon.

Awwww......such a lucky girl I am to spend my afternoon with my two favorite ladies......

DAY 69: Halfway Home......

DAY 69:  Central City, CO to Amarillo, TX
TEMP:  High 80 / Low 38

We are halfway home.......

AMARILLO

After a long 9 hour drive, we have left the mountainous beauty of Colorado and arrived in the flat, stinky-cattle smelling Amarillo......

Town of Central City, Colorado

This was our view from the RV last night in Central City, Colorado.....

This is the view from the RV tonight in Amarillo...

And this is what it looked like IN the RV as we traveled towards home.....

Tomorrow.......HOME!

DAY 68: Don't Delay.....LIVE

DAY 68:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
TEMP:  High 66 / Low 42

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed 

by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. 

So throw off the bowlines, 

sail away from the safe harbor. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

– Mark Twain

Today marked the final day of our journey............Tomorrow we set out for home.

 

It was a bitter sweet day........part of me is sad to be leaving the "adventure"......the "unknown"..... the "wandering wherever the wind blew us".....such a blessing we have been given to be allowed to experience such a ride.   The other part of me is looking forward to being home.....resting my head on a pillow that doesn't have wheels beneath it.......to see my family and friends that I've missed so much......getting back in my routine.

When I tell you how blessed we have been to experience this, I'm not just writing empty words......I truly, profoundly mean it.  Most people only dream of being able to travel like we have for the past 4 years.....having no set itinerary.....just going until you feel like stopping.  It's truly been a spiritual experience for me.  

But we would never have made the decision to travel like we have, had we not been facing a debilitating disease.  That forced us to see that we may not have all the time in the world to do this later in life.....that life, as we know it, could end tomorrow.  

 

We needed to live for today, not tomorrow or yesterday....but just for today.  

Friends, we don't have unlimited resources......we aren't wealthy people.....but what we are, are two people; many times resembling Lucy and Ricky Ricardo;  with our two needy dogs and one-claw cat who love being together and storing up memories......good, bad, funny, frustrating, sad, scary and forever memories.

We are nearing the end of this chapter of our lives and I must admit, not sure I'm ready for the next chapter to begin.  It's the unknown.....the blank pages that are waiting to be filled that is scary....but if I could leave you with anything I have learned from this closing chapter it would be to not delay.....don't wait till you have enough money; till your kid graduates from college; till the house is paid off; till you retire........you may never have enough money and your kid may move back in with you after college......

So, throw caution to the wind.......live your life NOW.......

 

You just may not have tomorrow.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel 

until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” 

– Lin Yutang

DAY 66: "Spotlight on Today"......

DAY 66:  Central City, Colorado....Burrrrrrr
TEMP:  High 48 / Low 39

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........I think it might have snowed today!

Not sure though, cause we had a lot of dense fog and rain, but I "think" it just might have snowed a little on us today.......

Anyway, as I'm sitting at my desk doing some business work this morning, I suddenly hear our RV horn honking......I turn around to see Kruger the 1-Claw Cat sitting on the steering wheel and each time she moves her butt, she honks the horn.  I swear.....Chuck has been feeding that cat too much.....I bet she's gained 5 pounds in the past two months on the road.....She never used to be able to honk the horn with her butt.....

Since it was COLD and RAINY outside (I knew we should have stayed in Manitou a few more days!!),  we took Debbie and Brady's Jeep and headed down the road to Evergreen, Colorado to an awesome thrift store our neighbors took us to last week.  Since my sister has a brand smackin' new rockin' figure these days, she has really enjoyed shopping for clothes.....and so has Brady, her husband.

We had finished shopping when we realized Brady was missing......turns out, he had found himself a treasure chest of record albums.  We waited.....and waited......and waited a little longer.....Pretty soon, we just decided to all take a nap while we waited.....

And tonight......tonight was "Game Night" with my brother-in-law Brady.....also known as 

Mr. "A"

(Type A Personality)

Let me explain.....while playing Mexican Train dominos,  his recollection of the rules were completely different from Debbie's and mine.  So, to prove us wrong, not only did he whip out the instructions, he placed this little spot light on his head like he was on the Amazing Race or something to light up the instructions........It was quite entertaining watching him....

Too bad LIZ WON........BRADY LOST.........

WhoooHoooo.....

DAY 65: Goodbye Manitou Springs......I Will Never Forget You.....

DAY 65:  Moved from Manitou Springs to Central City, Colorado
TEMP:  High 56 / Low 46

Old Friends are gold...... 

New Friends are diamonds...... 

If you get a diamond, don't forget the gold....

Because to hold a diamond, 

You always need a base of gold. 

I just love the saying above......I have been blessed with good friends.....wonderful girlfriends that I know have my back; that love me unconditionally; that would be on my doorstep at a moments notice if I needed them to be......that are pure GOLD to me....

Today was a hard day for me.......

Hard, because we left our friends Marge, Chris, Mary Jo, Kerry, Tom and Israel that we have grown to love very much.  I think what made leaving them and this beautiful place at the base of Pikes Peak called Manitou Springs the hardest, was the uncertainty of whether we would ever be able to return to it or see them again.  

It's always been hard for me to leave this place every year when it was time to return home, but this time, its different.  Chuck's health is not getting better; it is getting more and more difficult for him to manage the steps up into the motorhome, so we have made the incredibly tough decision to put the motorhome up for sale when we return home from this trip.  Traveling is getting harder for him; not easier.  We always knew this day would come; that's why we started traveling in the first place 4 years ago......we knew we needed to do this while he still could and I am so thankful we did......

And here we are; nearing the end of that journey....and what a wonderful journey it has been.  Words cannot express the blessing we have been given to experience what we have; to meet the people we have met.......the Lord has dropped people in our laps everwhere we have been that have either encouraged us, loved us, irritated us, made us laugh or strengthened us throughout this voyage......the gratitude I feel is impossible to convey on paper..........

But these dear people above have been such good friends to Chuck and I......greeting us each year with arms wide open, 

......helping Chuck get around, 

....forgiving us when we ran over stuff, 

.....and  just letting us know they were near if we needed them.  These are good people......and I know from experience you don't find people like this everywhere you go.  

I am eternally grateful to them for their love, kindness, warmth, big-heartedness and friendship.  I pray, I PRAY FERVENTLY that we will one day be back here in this little slice of Heaven on Earth to once again feel their arms around us.

But for today....with tears running down my cheeks and a pain in my gut......We have to say good-bye to Manitou and our friends.  

Thank you for being so good to us......

DAY 64: "Glad They Had A Subway In This Place....."

DAY 64: Air Force Academy, Manitou Springs, CO
TEMP:  High 78 / Low 48

 Today was our last day in Manitou Springs.......I've got to tell ya; my heart is sad........I love this place; I love these people......I love how I feel when I'm here.  This place will always have a grasp on a special corner of my heart.......

 For our last day here, we decided to do something I've always wanted to do; head on over to the Air Force Academy for a tour.  We loaded up in the Jeep and found our way to the Visitors Center, only after attempting to break-in through the wrong gate.....

And how excited we were when we saw they had a subway system through the miles and miles of Academy.......My feet were already thanking me!!!

And how bummed we were to find out it was the Subway "Fast Food" that was here on the base.....UGH....there actually was NO train subway system......

We proceeded on to the magnificant Air Force Chapel.......

Did you know:

* That the exterior  of the Cadet Chapel, made of steel, aluminum and glass, has 17 pointy spires resembling fighter jets soaring up to the sky.....

* There is a 1,200 seat Protestant chapel, a 500 seat Catholic chapel and a 100 seat Jewish chapel all under the same roof......

* Around the curved steps of the alter are 12 kneelers done in needle-point by officers wives' clubs throughout the Air Force.

* The pews are carved so the end of each pew resembles a
World War 1 airplane propellor.  The backs of the pews are capped by a strip of aluminum similar to the leading edge of a fighter aircraft wing.

* The Jewish Synagogue is shaped like a circle within a square, representing the global mission of the Air Force and the everlasting presence of God.  The surrounding foyer is paved with 1,631 pieces of Jerusalem stone donated by the Israeli Defense Forces.

This was an incredible place; a place of beauty, reverance and awe.  What a priviledge just to be able to enter it.....

And imagine our surprise when we saw THIS as we were leaving......

DAY 63: "Obama and Pet Soul Therapy....."

DAY 63:  Manitou Springs, CO
TEMP:  High 69 / Low 50

Awwww.......there's nothing like waking up to 43 degrees in the morning and hitting a sunny high of 69 degrees!!  AND.....not feeling a tinge of guilt telling this to my friends in Texas who enjoyed a cool front today as well!!   WhooHoo.....

Today we made our way down the street to a local art festival here in Manitou Springs where we saw a little bit of everything including a mirror that made me look to have 8' legs and a 50" butt.....

Caught my sister trying to trip the Stilt Lady....

Found Obama's scary book thrown in the discount box for $0.50....

Found a couple dogs with an attitude....

Found Murphy and Molly hiding from the dogs with attitude....

And "soul therapy" for them in case they had any residual effects of the 

mean dogs and/or Obama's book......... 

(which WASN'T covered under Obama's Socialist Health Care Plan, BTW)

and many, MANY gorgeous, colorful, stimulating, flowers everywhere!

It was a very good day.....

Oh ya, I just wish my brother-in-law, Doug, would have had as good a day as we did...

LOL