Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives

From Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Last night we got home around 11:00pm. When we opened the door to come in, one of our cats, Kaci, slipped out and we had to catch her. By the time we had everyone corralled, it was midnight. I’d had some wine at the park and at dinner, so I was pretty tired. Charlie was our designated driver. At the restaurant, he received free sodas for being the DD.

I called to see if I could get “Sheila” in to the groomers today. We used to take “Chelsi” to Ja-Pen to be groomed when we lived here. It was the only place we’d ever taken her that when we went to pick her up, they had to wake her to go home! I was glad to see that they were still in business, although their old building had been torn down. They moved to another building next door. They told me to bring Sheila in within the hour. Charlie and I took her on down.

“Thunder” was supposed to go back to the vet today for a checkup on his oral surgery and then get an antibiotic shot. When we got back from dropping Sheila off, Mom said “Thunder” slipped out the back door.” He was outside hiding somewhere, so she had to cancel his appointment until he comes home.

Charlie decided to take the RV and get the oil changed for the trip home. We had to back it out to the street from the side yard. Since Charlie gives better hand signals than me, he directs and I drive. I tried to start the engine and it wouldn’t turn over. It just made a grind sound. Charlie got in and tried it and it wouldn’t start. Then he tried it again and it had a little more life, but didn’t start. The next time it turned over and started up. We were puzzled. It’s been setting in the yard for a week and we haven’t started it up, but at home it sets for more time than that without starting.

Anyway, we got the RV out to the street and Charlie took it to Jiffy Lube for the oil change. He was back in no time. They had checked the battery for him while he was there and it was fine.

So in just a little while we decided to go to Little Creek to get some gas and shop at the Exchange for a couple of things. I was going to practice my driving, so I got behind the wheel. The engine wouldn’t start again. Just like this morning. Charlie got behind the wheel and tried his magic, but this time, no dice. It would not start. We looked under the hood and the cables seemed connected, but we wouldn’t know what else to look for.

I called the Auto Club to come out and take a look at it. In about 30 minutes the guy showed up. He gave us a jump and told us that it was probably the battery. Well, I remembered that it had not been that long ago that Charlie put that battery in the RV. He had gone to Pep Boys and bought it.

Charlie has been helping Jan with her insurance claim on her house. He had a meeting with the insurance adjuster and Jan’s brother-in-law, John. John helps manage some of Jan’s business and property. Since Charlie was going to be tied up there, I told him that I would take the RV to Sears to see if we needed a new battery. Mom said she’d go with me.

We told the “Felix”, the Sears guy, about our problem in starting the RV this morning, etc. He said they could check the battery, alternator and starter to see if there were problems. Mom and I waited in the waiting room.

Soon “Felix” and “Chris” came in. Apparently “Chris” had done the analysis and could find nothing wrong. He said the battery, a Bosch, was a good battery. Better than a Die Hard (he works for Sears). He said we should check to see if it needed water. I said I thought batteries were sealed these days and he said “no, look and see if it needs water”. Mom said “How much water should be put in?” Chris said “Doesn’t matter. You can put it in until it runs out. Won’t hurt anything”.

So, we went on out to start up the RV and leave. I got behind the wheel and—grind—nothing. Just like earlier. I went back into the shop and told “Felix” that the RV wouldn’t start.

So then a couple of guys came out and opened the hood and started testing, etc. I called Charlie and since he was through with his meeting, he came on over.

It was such a hot day. We waited and waited. Finally Charlie said I should take Mom home and he would stay and see what could be done. Ja-Pens had called to tell me that Sheila was ready for pick up, so Mom and I went to get her and take her home.

Charlie called later and told me to come over and get him. We had a bad alternator it seemed and it would take a couple of hours to fix it.

We called the mechanics back around 8:10pm and asked how the RV was coming. “Joe” said it was almost ready and we could come back over to get it soon. We went back over. The mechanic was still putting things back together. Then Joe told us that we needed a new battery after all. Seems the one we had had a dead cell and was not holding a charge. He took Charlie back in the garage and explained all the testing they had done. Charlie was not 100% sure that we had needed an alternator and a battery, but at this point, we just wanted an RV that would start.

So, we have the RV back on the street tonight. We’ll be packing up in the morning to leave by early afternoon.

It has been such a good visit here. We have really enjoyed it. The cats and Sheila think that this is where they live now. Jason and Jonesie are playing with the new toy—the one that has the ball on the track that goes round and round and round………..

More later………

Life is just like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts.

From Monday, May 30, 2011—Memorial Day

I woke up this morning to the sound of Jonesie playing with his new toy. Mom and I had gone to Petsmart a couple of days ago. Since Jonesie enjoyed playing with her cats’ toys here at the house, Mom decided to buy Jonesie a toy of his own. It’s one of those round tracks which has a ball to chase. Jonesie has had so much fun with it and now he has his own.

Last night after we turned the lights off, we lay there listening to the cats in the dark. One was eating from a glass bowl, his ID tag clanging on the rim and one was spinning the ball around on that new toy. It sounds like a distant thunder when it goes around. I couldn’t help but laugh. After awhile the cats settled down and went to sleep.

My cold is getting better. I still have congestion and a cough that won’t quit once it gets started. A side effect is that I have lost my sense of smell and taste. I did some research and from what I’ve read, it should be temporary. My nose was really stuffy there for awhile. I checked the side effects of the nasal spray I got from the clinic the other day and it says nothing about causing loss of the sense of smell. I’m still eating, although I don’t have much of an appetite for food this morning.

We went to Doris and Dane’s yesterday (Sunday) for a cook out. On the way, we stopped to get Mammaw. Doris had expected their son, Jerry, and his family, but they had made plans to go camping. Tim came over too.

Everything was very good (I think). Though I couldn’t taste a thing, I ate as much as I would if I could taste it. It sounds weird, but I think it’s because I know what everything SHOULD taste like. I can tell when something is sweet or salty though. I can even tell if something is TOO salty. But, not being able to TASTE my food will get old soon I know.

When we got home we went up to check on the cats. As we opened the door, Charlie said “Oh my, they’ve been busy in the litter box today!” I smiled and said, “I wouldn’t know, I can’t smell a thing!” So there are times when the loss of this sense comes in handy.

“Thunder”, the cat who had oral surgery last week, is doing well. He wants to go outside, but he doesn’t have doctor’s permission yet. We took him out to the yard the other day and walked around with him. He squatted and did #1 for the longest time! I couldn’t believe how long he stood there. What a relief! Mom says he doesn’t like to use a litter box. He still needs to do #2 though. Yesterday while he was out, he jumped the fence and went in the yard next door. Charlie helped to herd him back into the yard so we could catch him and get him back inside.

Mom took “Thunder” out again this morning and he out-maneuvered her this time. We’ll just have to wait for him to come home after he tends to all of his “unfinished” business! He goes back to the doctor tomorrow and maybe he’ll get official permission to go outside then. He’s eating well, even without any teeth.

The resident cats here, “Oliver”, “Toby” and “Thunder”, have total access to the yard and house. They have their own cat door which is in one of the windows to the front yard. Since our cats have been here and are being allowed to roam the house, we have been careful to watch that none of them use the cat window. So far, none have figured it out---until this morning. Charlie said that “Kaci” learned that the window had a cat door in it. So, Mom has removed the cat door until we leave! Now her cats will have to come and go the old fashioned way, ask at the door and hope someone is there to let them in or out. I know “Oliver”, “Toby”, and “Thunder” will be glad to have their house back when we go!

I went over to visit my cousin, Joan, for a little while. She lives not far from here in Norfolk. We had lost touch with each other for years. When Charlie and I lived here from 2002 to 2004, we re-established our relationship. I also got to see Joan’s mom, my aunt, several times before she got sick and passed away. Joan’s older sister, Carol, and I also stay in touch by email. I haven’t seen her in a long, long time though. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Maybe one of these days we’ll get together.

When I got home, Charlie said that Tim had called and asked if we wanted to meet he and Dorothy at 6:00pm for a Virginia Symphony concert at Waterside in Norfolk. That sounded like fun so we went.

The music was great and we enjoyed each other’s company. Then we went to dinner at the beach. Memorial Day weekend finally wound down, but it was lots of fun.

More later………

Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.

From Thursday, May 26, 2011

I’ve fallen behind on my Blog! I didn’t get on the computer Thursday at all. The “cold” has gotten worse. I can only stay up short times and then I have to lie down. Seems like I just want to close my eyes. I’m taking Motrin and that helps for awhile with the headache which is a constant thing. I’ve coughed so much that my throat and chest hurt.

Today, Thursday, we planned to go to visit Dane and Doris (Charlie’s aunt and uncle) for lunch and some pool time. I had forgotten my bathing suit from home, so I went over to Kohl’s on Wednesday evening to buy a new one to use today. They had a good sale and I found at least three that I liked. I was tempted to buy two of them, but thought, why buy two of these suits when all you will do is leave them home! So, I bought one which will probably be the one that stays in the RV.

Doris and Dane live in Suffolk, VA, which is about 45 minutes from here. On the way, we stopped by to see Charlie’s 95 year old grandma (he calls her “Mammaw”). She is in a rest home. She’s very frail and somewhat forgetful. When we were walking to her room, we saw her in her wheelchair coming up the hallway. I don’t think she recognized Mom at first and then didn’t seem to recognize Charlie and I. But, we told her who we were and as soon as it registered, she was happy to see us.

We went back to her room and visited for awhile. We didn’t stay too long because we didn’t want to tire her out and she had Bingo at 2:00pm! She didn’t want to miss that either because she mentioned that a couple of times. We took some pictures with her and left.

At Doris and Dane's we had lunch and then went to the pool. The water really felt refreshing. The air temps were in the 90’s. I think Charlie, Doris and I were in the water for at least an hour. Dane sat on the deck under his umbrella. It was his job to throw the floating devices in the water when we needed them.

We had a really nice visit with them and they are having us over again on Sunday for a cookout! More of the family will be there then too, so hopefully we’ll get to see everyone.

Needless to say, I was bushed from the day at the pool, but happy to have done it. But, the night time is always the worse time for a cold and that night I was so congested and miserable.

Charlie decided to call my brother, Richard, to see if he had gotten over his cold. He had been sick the Sunday before we left NC. We were wondering if he was better or the same. Either way, I wanted to know what meds he was taking.

Charlie talked to him for a few minutes. It turns out that Richard had chills and some stuffiness, but his symptoms went away. He didn’t have this full blown monster cold that I somehow picked up.

From Friday, May 27, 2011

The first order of business this morning was to make a trip to the doctor. Still no better - chest congestion, mighty sneezes, stopped up nose (painful from dryness and stuffiness), and a pounding headache that won't go away.

Charlie contacted our Tricare contact and she sent us to a Patient First urgent care center not far from from here. It was a nice facility, but it was a little weird that the receptionist behind the counter didn't speak to us when we walked up. Then we noticed that there was a computer screen asking for name and address, etc. Even after filling in all the information she didn't say a word, so we went and sat down.

It was only a short wait, and we were called in to go over what we'd entered and get our IDs, insurance info, and a summary of symptoms,etc. We thought we would have to leave without seeing a doctor when we couldn't find Judi's military dependent ID card. Charlie offered his ID card (Tricare uses Charlie's SSN as the main ID), but the girl taking the information correctly noted that it didn't prove that we were married. She found all the confirmation she needed by going online with Tricare.

It was a short wait before I was called in. Charlie stayed in the waiting area. He was going to go through my wallet again to see if my ID was there.

After my weight and temperature (no fever) were taken, I went to a room to wait for a doctor. When he (physician’s assistant) came in, he got my general symptoms, BP, etc. He thought it was more likely allergies causing all of this havoc. I had taken a strep throat swab test and he said he would be surprised if it was positive (I assume it was negative). So, he prescribed cough syrup with codeine (yee haw), amoxicillin, and a nasal spray.

We left Patient First feeling better that I didn’t have a life threatening disease. I’ve probably already suffered through the worst part and it was on its way out. After all, it’s been almost a week now.

My coughing has gotten so bad that when I feel a good, choking, coughing spell coming on, I excuse myself and go outside. I went out to the RV and really felt the need to lie down. I fell asleep on the couch.

Mom took “Thunder” back to the vet for his post-surgery checkup. He got a clean bill of health. Looks like he’s on his way now. His collar was removed. He does have to stay in for a couple of weeks though, until his mouth heals. He has no teeth now. Mom bought him some of those “Fish market” cat foods that is real fish and has lots of juice. He seems to really like them. She said that even when his teeth were so bad, he still would crunch up the hard cat food and treats. I think cats swallow dry food whole sometimes and our vet said that was okay. I don’t think “Thunder” will miss out on much food when he feels better.

“Thunder” was pitiful yesterday when he wanted outside. He kept going to the door or the window with the cat door in it. Mom blocked it so he couldn’t get out. I finally took him back into Mom’s room so he wouldn’t try to get out.

Charlie’s brother, Tim and wife, Dorothy, came over for dinner. I was up when they came in. After dinner, I started coughing and went to the RV. There, I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes for awhile. Pretty soon it was dark outside. When I went back into the house, Tim and Dorothy were gone. But, I will see them on Sunday at Doris and Dane’s. I'm sure I'll also feel more like visiting then too.

I took my cough syrup and went to bed. It knocked me out, along with my Motrin, of course. I slept well until about 3:15am, when it wore off. I took some more, went back to sleep, and didn’t get up until 11:30am!

Saturday, May 28, 2011, 2:23pm

Charlie came in and said “Mom made you some potato soup”. I’m actually feeling much better. Not sure if it’s the drugs or more sleep, but whatever, I’m thankful to feel better.

I got up, took a shower and went downstairs. Charlie and I had a bowl of soup. I’m sure it was delicious (Charlie said so) but, I couldn’t taste it. I could tell it was hot and salty, but I couldn’t taste the potatoes or onions in it. I noticed I lost my sense of taste and smell yesterday. I can tell when something is sweet or salty, but it has no taste. I hope this is temporary.

Charlie and Mom were getting ready to go to Mathew’s (Charlie’s nephew) house. He lives near the beach at Ocean View. He had planned a cook out today. I had said earlier that I didn’t think I would be able to go, but I wanted Charlie to take pictures. We missed getting over there two years ago when we were here. Tim (Mathew’s dad) is also going over and maybe some of Mathew’s friends.

Our cats are in heaven here in “grandma’s” house. There are so many windows to look out and each window has a cat shelf to sit on. Jonesie is in the room next door, dozing, looking out onto the backyard. Jason is in the window in our room, dozing, looking out onto the side yard. Kaci is curled up on the bed in the room next door. They just make themselves to home here.

The windows in the living room look out onto the front yard. Mom has cat shelves in each window, or a table near, so the cats can sit there and watch the birds and squirrels run around. Our cats are going to miss their little “windows of the world” when we leave here. They saw their first squirrel from those windows.

I’ve been sick this week, but I am enjoying our visit here. It’s going to be hard to leave.

More later...

So the storm passed and every one was happy....Kate Chopin

From Tuesday, May 24, 2011, Virginia Beach, VA

We had a quiet day. Jan had gone home. She had a doctor’s appointment and would be gone all afternoon, but was planning on coming back for dinner.

We had a vet appointment set for Jason for 2:20pm. He’s been sneezing for over a week now and we wanted to make sure it wasn’t something that could get worse. The vet examined Jason. His temp was normal, his vitals all sounded and felt fine. His eyes were a little watery. I told the doctor that Jason and his sister had the Herpes virus in which their eyes would swell and tear. They had been on medication, i.e. eye drops and Lysine gel, which helps the immune system. Jason’s eyes have been clear and no outbreaks for well over a year and Kaci’s cleared up soon after. The doctor thought that maybe since we were traveling, Jason was a little stressed out and that was what was causing the sneezing and watery eyes. She didn’t think antibiotics would be of use for this and she gave us Lysine Gel.

We brought Jason home and he seemed to feel better already! The vet visit was just a pre-caution anyway.

Charlie and his mom went shopping. I stayed home. My cold was causing me to be miserable with the cough, sore throat and headache. I was on the computer doing some things.

I noticed that it was getting darker outside and I thought it was going to rain. Then I noticed that the wind had really started blowing. The big trees around the house were swaying back and forth. Finally, I went to look out the window. The wind was really blowing. I noticed that Jeff’s car was parked out front, so he was home from work.

I went downstairs. Jeff was walking from the kitchen. I said “What’s going on with this weather?” He said that he’d been looking out the back door from the laundry room. The awning above the door was about to blow off. He went back out to try to make sure it didn’t rip off. I went out to close the RV door. It was very windy. Debris was blowing and it was starting to rain.

I came back in the house. Jeff was still outside with the metal awning. He was going to get something to tie it down. The screws had just popped out.

I went to the front door. Charlie and Mom had driven up in the driveway. They were still in the car. It was raining hard and the wind was really blowing. Limbs were being blown down the street and across the front yard. A pine tree limb fell just at the back of the car. They thought I was coming out (which I wasn’t!) and told me to stay inside, which I did.

By now the wind was really ferocious. The rain turned to hail. It was beating down so hard against the house. Sheila was running around, not knowing what to do. I called her to me, but she was so nervous. Jonesie was also scared. I was scared. I went to the bathroom door and stood. Jonesie came over. I picked him up and crouched down on the floor in the doorway of the bathroom. I tried to keep Sheila by me, but she went into the bathroom and sat behind me. I held Jonesie tight. He struggled at first, but then he realized that I was as scared as he was and he got still. I thought of going upstairs to our room. I knew the twins were under the bed (which I should have been too!) and I really didn’t want to be near a window. All of this was so frightening, the beating of the hail on the house, the wind, the sounds of limbs breaking. The huge Maple tree across the street lost a large limb. It just split right off and fell into the yard.

Jeff came in and said “It’s going to be fine. It’s just a storm, not a tornado.” He’s fascinated with these storms.

I still remained in my place on the floor. Charlie and his mom were finally able to get into the house. Charlie came and sat with us. He patted Jonesie on the head and praised him for “taking such good care of Mom”. I think Jonesie was glad I had loosened my death grip on him. He could finally breathe!

The hail was subsiding. The storm was passing. It was all in a matter of a few minutes, but it seemed like forever.

Finally, when things had settled down, Mom said “I’d better check on Jan”. She called, but there was no answer. She got up to walk over to Jan’s. She came back quickly and said “A tree has fallen on Jan’s house!”

Charlie and Jeff went with her over to Jan’s. I went outside. It was sprinkling. I looked over at Jan’s house and sure enough, the whole top of a pine tree was on top of the house.

They were gone for awhile. I was hoping that Jan was okay. Finally, Jeff came back and said that Jan’s house had quite a bit of damage done. Jan was not home at the time, but came home just as Mom, Charlie and Jeff arrived. Jan had been at her doctor appointment and various errands. It was the errands that kept her from getting home earlier. She might have been in the house when the tree fell. It fell in her family room near the chair she uses and in the main bathroom. Either place would have been a dangerous place to be.

They brought Jan home with them. She was actually pretty calm. The electricity had gone out while they were gone.

Then Charlie’s brother, Tim, and his wife, Dorothy, came over. They live in Portsmouth and the storm had gone through there, just as Dorothy was coming home from work. Tim had been in the shower and missed all of the excitement outside. Their electricity was also off.

Tim’s son, Mathew, came over. He had just gotten off work. He and his iPhone saved the day. Charlie had called Jan’s insurance company and put in a claim. Then he had to get someone over to get the tree off and put tarp on the roof to prevent further rain damage. Mathew went on his iPhone and found a company to call. Charlie called them and they were there within an hour. He was the first call and they had seven other customers waiting. In just a few hours the tree was taken from the roof, anti-mold spray was applied, a fan was set up, plugged into a generator. Jan’s refrigerator was also plugged in. The quick service was amazing.

The RV came in handy too. We had brought some BBQ pork from New Bern. I heated that up along with Mom’s left over potatoes, beans, etc. As I brought a bottle of wine in, I told Charlie that I should have had it during the storm. He said "If you'd had it, you would have drunk the whole bottle!" I said "Yeah, with a straw!" But, Jeff also had put a bottle of wine on the table, so I know I wasn't the only one who needed to calm down. We all had a nice dinner, despite the weather. Not long after we ate, our electricity came back on.

So, it was an exciting day. Of course, Jan’s day was not very good. She had fallen down in the morning and had a tree damage her house in the afternoon.

Jeff picked “Thunder” up at 6:30pm from the vet’s. Poor “Thunder” went through 4-1/2 hours of oral surgery. He came home with a cone head and a big pain patch. He’s going to stay with Mom in her room. He has to wear the collar for two weeks. He had several teeth which were broken just under the gum. I saw the pictures taken. His gums were in really bad shape. He will only be able to eat soft food. Last night he ate just a little and drank just a little water. He was still coming off of the anesthesia. I went in and sat with him in the rocker. He was purring, but I think it was a combination of being in pain and not understanding what happened to him.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 2:51pm

My cold is getting the best of me. I woke up this morning and really felt miserable. My head hurt, my cough is worse and I’m really tired. I could do without this!

I went downstairs and had breakfast and then went back to bed. It felt nice to sleep and rest, but when I get up, the cold and cough is still there. I hope it starts letting go soon. There are a few more things we want to do while here in Virginia Beach.

I have a cousin, Joan, who lives in nearby Norfolk. I plan on calling her and seeing her this time. We didn’t see her two years ago when we were here. I also have a friend, Glenda, who lives in Portsmouth. I wanted to visit her and her husband as well. Charlie and I also wanted to go to our favorite restaurant one night at the beach. I told him “When I feel better”, which I hope is before we leave here!

I went in to see “Thunder” a little while ago. He ate just a little and we gave him some water from a syringe. When his mouth starts feeling better, he’ll eat more. I’m glad we’ll be here for a few more days and can watch his progress. Mom has some of the sweetest cats.

And our cats have really settled. There is no more snooping. They are at home here.

More later…….

“If you fall down seven times, get up eight”

From Monday, May 23, 2011 New Bern, NC to Virginia Beach, VA

We got up around 7:00am and had coffee. After feeding the cats, they settled in as usual, not suspecting anything. Finally we started getting things ready to move. When Charlie goes out and starts working around outside the RV, the cats know we’re leaving and they go to their respective safe spots.

It was very cloudy and started getting darker and darker outside. The rain was coming. It started sprinkling and Charlie finished disconnecting just before the rain started. We sat inside for a few minutes, waiting for it to let up. I had to take the rental car back to the airport. By the time we got out of the park, it had slowed to a sprinkle.

The airport was east of town across the river. It had not even rained over there. In fact the girl at Enterprise was complaining that the heat and humidity was so bad. She wished it would rain. I told her she might get her wish.

By now it was about 11:20am. We headed north to Virginia. We had expected to run into more rain on the way, but we didn’t and not much traffic either.

We got here to Virginia Beach around 2:30pm—ish. Balloons were hanging from the front of the house. Charlie’s mom and her neighbor, Jan were here to welcome us. Jan has become a good friend of ours as well. She blew up balloons and Mom hung them out front. It was very festive looking. Nothing like a welcome home like that! And she had made two cakes…a chocolate one and a cocoanut one.

Charlie’s brother, Jeff, came home from work. Charlie’s aunt and uncle, Doris and Dane, came over for dinner. Unfortunately, I didn’t save room for cocoanut cake.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 12:10pm

I didn’t think I’d wake up so early this morning because I was so tired last night. This cold really takes a lot out of me. It was 6:00am though. I stayed in bed as long as I could and then had to feed the cats. They were bouncing off the walls. Every time the door would open to the bedroom, there was a cat waiting to run out.

I went downstairs for a little while and then came back up to our room. When I opened the door, all three cats flooded out. I just left the door open and let them go. They snooped around the whole upstairs and then ventured downstairs. Jason was a little more cautious. He stayed upstairs and then went under our bed. Jonesie was running all over the place. Soon he was at home, stretching out on the floor, playing with the other cats’ toys. Kaci looked around awhile and then went back upstairs to be with Jason.

One of Mom’s cats, “Thunder”, had to have oral surgery today. He had infections in some of the roots of his teeth. I guess he had been on medication for awhile, but then the vet said his gums were so swollen and infected, that he was in pain and needed surgery. They took “Thunder” in to leave him for surgery around 7:15am. Since Jason has been sneezing for the past week, I asked Charlie to make an appointment for him. We’re taking him in at 2:20pm today. This is just a pre-caution. Jason is still eating and seems to feel okay.

I was sitting upstairs working on my blog a little while ago. I heard some commotion outside which sounded like dogs barking, some voices, etc. I really didn’t pay attention. Then I heard “Help, somebody! Help!” The dog was barking. “Help, Help!” I went to the window and didn’t see anything, but kind of recognized the voice. It sounded like Jan. She lives on the opposite corner behind this house.

I went downstairs and told Charlie that I thought Jan was in trouble. We all went out and sure enough, Jan was sitting in the grass next to the street in the side yard. She had tripped and fallen. Mom called 911. Jan was fine she said, but she knew we couldn’t get her up. She’s too heavy for us to lift.

Charlie and I stayed out there with her. She was joking and telling us about the fall. Then we saw a police car at the corner. He came over and Charlie told him that 911 had been called. He said he’d stay until they got there.

Very soon, we heard sirens. Then a big, red fire truck was coming down the street towards us, with lights flashing. It all looked so dramatic. By this time, poor Jan is going, “Oh no! Turn off those sirens! This is awful!” I don’t think she was expecting this much attention. I was thinking to myself, if this ever happens to me, I’m going to lie down and close my eyes. All of this service, and so quick!

The fire truck drew up. The paramedics came over. Jan told them she was fine, just embarrassed. They were very nice. They got her on her feet and made sure she could walk, and that someone was with her before they left.

We went into the house and not long afterwards, Jan said “Oh, no! The ambulance is out there!” Apparently someone else had called the accident in. Charlie went out and told them it was taken care of. They had already started opening the back of the ambulance. Then the driver said “It’s okay guys. Back in the truck” and off they went. I must say, the tax payers of Virginia Beach get their money’s worth!

Sheila and the cats, Kaci, Jonesie and Jason now have the complete run of grandma’s house.

More later…….

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” - Thomas Jefferson

From Saturday, May 21, 2011, still from New Bern, NC

We went to the reunion again. This time we were a little later and got there around 7:00pm. Almost everyone was there already. We put our name tags on and found a table.

Tonight was a little different from last night. People had found their old friends in high school and the clicks all sat together just like in high school. Amazing, but that is exactly how it was.

I didn’t really talk to many people who I didn’t already know. I knew some of the names of my classmates, but back in school, I had never associated with them and tonight, I didn’t really associate with them or them with me.

Our regular group, John Henry, his wife Sandy (who is a doll), Jay and Ginger talked. John and Sandy joined us at a table. We enjoyed talking about old times. John has a very good memory. He and I knew each other before high school, so we had lots of things to talk about. He and Sandy live in Aspen, Colorado. They have been to a few reunions, so I’m sure Sandy had heard all of the stories. But, she listens and is as amused as if it’s the first time she’s heard the stories. They are a very nice couple.

I talked to Ginger and her husband, Steve, for a few minutes. Ginger has been very busy. She has written a couple of books with her sister. I’m going to look them up. She has a couple which have not been published yet. Ginger is very spunky, just like she was when I knew her in school.

When I saw Jay I remembered what a cut up he was on the school bus I rode. He’s still that way. He said he would send me a CD of the music that the DJ’s played. I’m going to hold him to it.

We stayed a little later tonight than last night. They gave prizes away. Charlie and I won the prize for coming from the farthest away. It was a carved bear that is holding a sign. On one side it says “Welcome” and on the other it says “Wipe your paws”. It’s cute, but I would rather have had the quilt or the crocheted blanket on the prize table! The people who won the quilt were the longest married couple….they must have gotten married just after high school.

Then they had given us tickets for a drawing. They started calling numbers. John from our table won and he picked out a prize. Someone picked out the crocheted blanket. Not much was left that was good.

I went to the restroom. I was coming back and just before I got to my seat, they called out “028”, which was Alice’s number. She told me to pick out something since it was my class. I went up and picked out a little blue blanket with an American flag on it. She told me to keep it. She insisted. I was getting ready to sit down. Then they called “030” and Charlie said “That’s your number!” I went back to the table. At this point there was not much left. There was a red T-shirt which had “Georgia Bull Dogs” on it (these were all donated items!) and some really weird napkins that no one wanted. Paula had been trying to get people to take them. I chose the T-shirt. It was an X-Large. I asked if Alice wanted it and she said yes. So, I had gotten a blanket after all. It wasn’t the quilt or the crocheted one I wanted, but it was a blanket. I had joked with Charlie that Little Girl Kaci wanted a new blanket. She loves to burrow.

By that time it was approaching 10:30pm. That’s getting late. We decided to say our goodbyes. We really had enjoyed seeing everyone and this reunion was well planned.

John, Jay, Ginger and I declared that we would stay in touch. John had commented earlier that most of the people who were at this reunion, lived either out of state or in another city. The locals had not shown up! Oh well, we still had a good time.

Charlie and I got back to the RV. We had some wine and talked about the events from the past two nights. We had nothing stronger than iced tea at the reunion…….It was late when we finally went to bed.

Sunday, May 22, 2011, 9:50pm

We woke up at 9:00am this morning and got up. I didn’t make coffee because we were going to meet relatives at the park for a reunion and lunch. We went to the KOA office and got (free) coffee instead.

We picked Debbie up and picked up the food. We had the park from 10:00am – 2:00pm.

Debbie and I had gone to the Parks and Recreation Department on Friday to reserve the pavilion at the park. We walked in and immediately the man at the desk, said “Did you see ‘American Idol’ last night?” I told him no, but we had gone online to see who got kicked off. Then “Mel” started complaining that Haley got a raw deal, etc. It was funny. He likes Scotty, by the way.

We told him what we wanted. He got the clipboard and the application for the reservation. We followed him into an office. He looked at the calendar on the wall. I thought he was looking at the calendar to see what date we were asking about. Instead he started telling us about his numerous doctor appointments. He said “I’ve seen 8 doctors in two weeks!” I told him I hoped he was okay. He said he had liver problems and was doing tests. Then he told us that when the guy came around to empty the trash cans, give him some lunch and say it was for “Mel”. When we paid him, he took a box down from the shelf that said “Mel’s” on it.

We got our receipt, etc. I said “Thanks, Mel” and we turned to leave. He said “Wait a minute. What did you call me?” I said, “Mel”. He said “How do you know my name?” I said, “I heard you say it earlier and it’s on the box”. He was still very puzzled. We walked out, Debbie rolling her eyes.

When we got outside, I told Debbie that I paid attention when people mentioned their names. I was having a physical one time. They sent me to have an EKG. The person who signs in to the equipment has their name in there. From the table I was lying on, I could see “Mickie”. When the test was over, I said “Thanks, Mickie”. She looked at me and said “How do you know my name?” I said, “It’s on the screen there”. I guess she thought I was too old to see that far if I was having an EKG! That’s why I really get annoyed by the medical profession in this country. They don’t treat the person, they treat the age. But, don’t get me started on that. If you’re over 50, you will find out for yourself what I mean. Debbie is getting close and she said she already knows.

It was funny. She said when she goes to Golden Corral, they give her the senior discount. Finally, she said “Wait a minute. I’m not even 50 yet!” They said “Well, you saved $.64”. I said if they just give you the discount and don’t announce it over the loud speaker, just take it!

So we got to the park today, set up and everyone was already hungry so we ate BBQ, chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, hush puppies, and I brought 'homemade' baked beans (Bush’s Baked Beans out of the can, heated in a crock pot).

It was all so good. Charlie and I had not had breakfast so we were pretty hungry. It was breezy and we hardly could keep the table clothes on the table. As soon as we were through eating, the wind died down.

We had a nice afternoon though. The kids played on the playground. We packed up at 2:00pm and went over to Debbie’s. Her daughter, Raven, was getting off work at 3:00pm and wanted to see Charlie. I had seen Raven on Friday while shopping with Debbie.

Richard and Alice didn’t make the reunion. Richard called and said that he was sick. Last night I noticed that he was sounding hoarse. He said he had a sore throat this morning and was really sick. They did not even go to church, so I know he was sick!

Charlie and I got back to the RV around 4:30pm and we were so tired. I did a load of laundry. We’re leaving for VA tomorrow! Now that the cats are all settled, we’ll have to get on the road again. Oh well. When we get there, we will move into (Mom’s) house for a week. Talk about being spoiled! That’s when it will be hard to get on the road again.

More later……….

We are always the same age inside

Jason, Kaci and Jonesie watching the birds

From Friday, 5/20/11, still from New Bern, NC

I drove back down to “tornado alley” and looked around some more and took pictures. The cemetery where my parents and brother, Jimmy, are buried had some damage. Some trees had fallen, but there was some cleanup started. Their area was fine. Across the cemetery, a small tree was uprooted near a grave and it looked like the grave was opening. Of course, it was not, but my imagination is fertile. If this was October, maybe I’d have a story to tell.

I went to pick up Debbie. All four of her cats were there, Weebles, a handsome orange tabby; Nibbler, a solid white cat with one green eye and one blue eye; and Scooby and Scrappy, brothers solid gray and white—all boys. I think I finally got the names and faces together, after asking several times.

After running some errands, Debbie and I did some shopping. We are having a get together at the park on Sunday so we needed the usual paper plates, cutlery, napkins, etc.

When I returned to the RV, Charlie was sitting outside reading his Kobo. I gave that to him for Christmas and after seeing how much he enjoyed it, I wanted a Kindle. I kept putting it off and then finally decided I’d wait until we got back from this trip since it wouldn’t arrive in time. It was a surprise when I received it for Mother’s Day from the “kids”.

We got caught up on our day. While I was gone, Charlie had a “lady visitor”. She is our neighbor from a couple of rows over. She was complaining about her campsite and said that their neighbor always came over and started talking to them as soon as they opened the door or sat outside. She complained that the tree they were under started dropping stuff on their RV and she wanted to move. The reason she came over was because she saw our California plates and wondered where we were from. He said that with all the complaining about her neighbor, she had come over and done the same thing-- interrupted his reading for about 20 minutes! He didn’t mind though. She was nice.

We got ready and went over to get Richard and Alice for the school reunion night. Since his car was bigger and he knew where the place was, we rode with them.

This place was way out in the middle of nowhere and I’m not sure our TomTom would have gotten us there, much less back. We did find the place though.

When we went inside I looked around and really didn’t recognize anyone. We were glad that we all had name tags. When you walk up to someone, you look first at their tag and then their face. I recognized lots of names, but really didn’t know many people. Finally, I started seeing people I knew. We started talking and it was really fun to find out what everyone had been doing since school.

My friend Kimball and his wife, Linda came from Reno, Nevada; John Henry and wife Sandy, from Aspen, Colorado and Charlie and I from California. We were the farthest away I think.

Sandy (John's wife), John Henry, and me

After dinner we were sitting around the table talking. A classmate, David, came over and we all talked for awhile. Then his wife, Bettie, came over. David wandered off.

I asked Bettie if she graduated here and she said, “Yes, but I’m a lot younger than these people”, making a sweep around the room with her eyes. I said, “What year are you?” She told me and it was just two years after we graduated! I pointed at my Richard and Alice, and said, “They graduated that year too, do you know them?”

Bettie went over to Richard and tried to read his name tag, squinting, adjusting her glasses, and at the same time trying to tell him her name. He couldn’t hear her. He wears a hearing aid in both ears and with the loud music from the DJ, it made it impossible. So the scene is he is sitting, she’s bending over trying to read his tag, and yelling her name in his ear until she started turning red. It turns out that by the time we got the names straight, Bettie had lost interest in knowing whether they knew each other. She left and we didn’t see her again.

A few people got up to dance and that included us. We had a nice time. The music was pretty good although the young DJs threw in some heavy metal stuff, which Charlie likes, but I don’t appreciate.

We said our goodbyes at 9:30pm. Others we knew were also leaving.

On the way back “to town”, we saw two deer on the side of the road. Richard had to slow down to make sure they didn’t run in front of the car. While driving back, I know we’d never have been able to do this drive alone. Richard is good with directions, but he even almost missed the turn we needed to make to get back. Charlie and I would still be driving around the fields.

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 1:37pm

Jason Bell is still sneezing

We were able to sleep again this morning until 7:00am. I think we’re all settling in pretty well.

My sister, Jean, came by and visited. It was nice to see her after two years. We will see her again when we all get together at the park tomorrow.

Today is warmer than yesterday. I finally had to close the windows and turn on the A/C.

Charlie is sitting on the couch reading his Kobo;

The cats are all asleep; Sheila is asleep.

Kaci in the kennel asleep with Sheila

All is well in the Bell RV.

We’re resting up for another night out at the reunion. Richard and Alice are joining us again. I wonder if 'the much younger' Bettie will be there---

More later……..

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.

From Thursday, 5/19/11, still from New Bern, NC

My brother, Richard, and his wife, Alice, took us to see the tornado damage in the area where my niece lives, about 10 miles east of town. We couldn’t believe the devastation. The trees were twisted or broken off. Most were pine trees. They are all dead now because they can’t be topped like that and survive. There were houses in a new development that were destroyed, their tops ripped off. Lots of roofs damaged and covered in blue plastic. It was amazing that everyone survived the storm that night.

After the tour, we returned to our “quiet” RV to rest. Charlie decided he wanted to go to Ruby Tuesdays for his birthday dinner. We met Richard, Alice, Ginger and Dusty there at 6:00pm. We had a nice time, but it was already 7:30 and we were too tired to go back to Richard’s for Carrot Cake! Now, that’s pretty tired for Charlie.

8:46am Friday, May 20, 2011

We were actually “allowed” to sleep in this morning until 7:00am! Since being on this trip, we’ve been waking at 5:00am or earlier each morning. I think we’re finally starting to catch up on our sleep. I just know it’s the time zone thing.

Charlie crashed and I stayed up a little to read. Oh, did I tell you that Charlie gave me a Kindle? The only book I have downloaded is “Atlas Shrugged”. The story on that is, we brought that book along with us when we made this RV trip two years ago. We decided that we would get it read along the way. I started reading it to Charlie as we drove along.

We didn’t finish it (it’s huge book) and I put it on the book shelf. It didn’t get picked up again. I was going to bring it on this trip, but decided to download it on Kindle. Anyway, I’m reading it to catch up on where I left off two years ago. When I do, I will start reading it aloud to Charlie while we’re driving. I know, wouldn’t it be so much fun to travel with us? “Atlas Shrugged”? Ha Charlie will be a captive audience.

Today I’m going to take the day off, leave Charlie here with the cats and go shopping with my niece, Debbie. When we were out with Richard and Alice yesterday, we stopped by to see Debbie for a little while. Debbie has cats and we got to meet them. I’d heard their names before, but had never met them.

My day is just starting, so I have lots to write about tomorrow. We are going to my school reunion tonight and tomorrow night. Richard and Alice are coming with us. It’s my first, so it should be interesting.

The cats and Sheila are all doing fine. We made sure they had plenty of dry food in their bowl last night before going to bed. I think that kept them from waking us up so early for breakfast. Today is a little cloudy, but I think it’s supposed to be in the 80’s.

More later……..

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.

5/18/11 from New Bern, NC

We went to visit my brother, Richard and his wife, Alice this afternoon. It’s been two years since we’ve seen them. They moved into a new apartment about a year ago. My niece, Ginger and her husband, Dusty, are staying with them.

Earlier this month, Ginger and Dusty survived a tornado. Unfortunately, the house they were living in was so badly damaged that they still don’t have electricity. The house is being repaired, but it’s not ready for them to return. Ginger’s car was totally demolished by a huge tree that fell on it.

They have two dogs and two cats. The dogs usually stay in their dog houses in the backyard. Thank goodness, just before the tornado, Dusty brought the dogs into the house. One of the doghouses was blown away and the other was picked up and moved. The cats were also inside the house. Everyone was shaken up, but safe.

My brother, Robert, owns the house. He sent us pictures of the damage. There were trees down everywhere. Just down the road, my sister, Jean, lives. She had no damage at all. That’s what is so scary about tornados. Your house can blow away and the house next to you isn’t touched.

Ginger and Dusty came home from work and we had dinner. The dogs and cats are still at the damaged house, but Dusty goes out there every day and cares for them.

We had fun catching up on everything.

Today: May 19, 2011 – Charlie’s birthday!

We woke at 5:00am. The cats were calmer during the night, but they still were running up and down. I know they miss having our house to run around in. But, here they have lots of windows to sit and watch birds and squirrels from. Jonesie gets so excited when he sees them.

I haven’t heard Jason sneezing lately, so he may have just had a little cold. He never stopped eating and that was what we were keeping an eye on. We know that when a cat can’t smell his food, he won’t eat.

Jezibel and Ellie have allergies and Ellie has asthma. Sometimes they are both so congested that they won’t eat until we give them medication so they can breathe again.

Sheila is sound asleep in her kennel. The kennel is new on this trip. Two years ago, we had such a hard time with Sheila while the RV was moving. She got excited when we’d stop for gas and tried to get under Charlie’s seat, etc. We had to put up a gate to keep her from the front of the RV. It was just very difficult for me to get up and go back to check on the cats or get sodas, etc. Sheila would press up against the gate and I couldn’t move her easily.

Now, before we start up, we put Sheila in her kennel and she stays in it until we stop for gas. Then I take her out for a walk and she gets a break before going back in. It has been working out well. So, when we’re just sitting around now, she goes in and sleeps in the kennel. It is her safe area I think, which is what we want for her.

I asked Charlie what he wanted to do today, on his birthday, and he said “Whatever we have planned to do”. I think I’ll take him out to dinner!

More later………..

"If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel."....Will Kommen

5/17/11 Candler, NC

We were so tired when we woke up Tuesday morning! We’ve been traveling a week now and have lost three hours in the time change. I thought that by gradually losing the time, we wouldn’t notice it so much. But, when you wake up at 6:00am and your body thinks it’s only 3:00am several mornings in a row, I guess it gets tiring!

We had about a seven hour drive from here to New Bern, so we had to get started. I was going to pick up a rental car there so we could get around and see everyone and not have to use the RV. Once we parked and hooked it up, it would just be easier to leave it while we visited, shopped, etc. But, boy we kicked around the idea of just staying one more day in this campground, which is near Asheville. It was very pretty. The Blue Ridge Mountains are nearby, it’s very green, lots of trees. It was overcast and cool.

After thinking about it and getting further awake, we decided to go on to New Bern on schedule. I felt better after a shower. We decided to not make breakfast, but get something later in the morning. As it was, we didn’t get out of the park until after 9:00am.

As soon as we got to the Interstate, it started sprinkling. We ran in and out of the showers and some pretty heavy rain at times. We drove for several hours before we finally saw blue sky and sunshine.

I checked on the cats occasionally. Jason was asleep in his kennel above us. Jonesie was asleep on his little bed in the corner next to the kennel. Little Girl (Kaci) was on the couch, as usual, under her blanket in her “happy place”. I was a little tired so I joined Kaci and took a nap. It’s nice to be able to do that.

We got to New Bern around 4:00pm and went straight to the airport to pick up the car. Then we came over here to the KOA campground. We had stayed here two years ago on a trip and it is one of the nicest KOA’s that we have stayed at.

New Bern is a historical town, settled in 1710. It's a small town, population about 30,000. It's known for its Tryon Palace which was built in 1767. I've taken the tour before and it's interesting to see. They have people who dress in the clothes of that time and tell you stories of the time. New Bern is also known to be the birthplace of Pepsi! Yes, Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist, wanted a drink that was delicious and healthful, and created "Brad's Drink" in 1898. There is a recreated soda fountain downtown, near where the pharmacy was. You can drink cold Pepsi and browse for memorabilia. (I have been there before). Anyway, there are plenty of things to do here.

I called my brother and told him we’d see him tomorrow. We were so tired that all we wanted to do was rest. We got set up, fed the cats and Sheila. The cats were excited to be able to watch the birds and squirrels through the screen door. The weather was finally warmer and sunny. This was the nicest day, weather wise, that we’d seen since leaving home!

There is a dog park here, so we took Sheila over there for a little exercise. We got most of the exercise, since all she wanted to do was come back to the RV. But, we managed to get her to try out the agility toys. She wasn’t much into it, but we have a week here, so we can try it again.

We have cable and really good WiFi here, so I guess you could say, all the comforts of home. As tired as we were earlier, we got to bed late…….after midnight.

Wednesday morning, May 18, 2011, 6:20am

Apparently Jason has forgotten about the hot stove. You know the old saying that if a cat touches a hot stove, he will not touch a cold one, or something like that? He was sitting on the stove when I got up. There is a wooden cutting board cover on the burners, but still, it’s the stove where he got his fur singed the other morning. Still, when I put the coffee on, I used one of the back burners.

We’re in for a sunny day, in the mid 70’s. This will feel pretty good after our last few days of being so cold. Last night was the first night we didn’t have to have our heat on, since we left home.

Jonesie is on the back of the couch watching a black bird in the grass. We have a little pond near us which has water spraying out into the center. I think the cats will be entertained pretty well today. Time for some coffee and breakfast!

More later………..