Monday, December 15, 2014

Been Too Busy To Post

Since the trip to Sacramento, I have been getting my R/F fixed.  It went out the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  I fortunately didn’t lose too much food in the process.  In addition to that with the rain I have been fighting the leaks in My Spot II.  When the repair guy came out to fix the R/F he attempted to seal the bedroom window.  Last weekend there were high winds in addition to the rain, so I pulled the awning in and there was a leak behind the W/D, I think it is from the dryer vent that was exposed.  I have since taped plastic to the window and the vent.  So far, so good, only a little dripping.  I also pulled in my slide, because it also leaked. 

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There was a built up ledge that covered the pipe and wires that I still need to remove the wet carpet underneath.  There’s not much room to work, so it’s a bit of a challenge.

With the leaking window, the carpet got soaked.  I have wanted to replace the carpet with laminate or tile flooring.  I’m just going to have to do it sooner than planned.  That’s the main reason that I have been so busy, I’ve been removing carpet.  It has been a slow process.  I can only do a little bit at a time, because of my arm and the PT.  So far I have removed half of carpet in the bedroom and bathroom.  Now I am trying to dry out the wood flooring.

IMG_1089 The stack of pillows and linens on the sofa/sleeper are usually stored under the S/S.   Even though I pulled in the slide, I thought it would be better to hold off putting them away until the leak gets fixed.

As you can see I have taken a bit of time to decorate for Christmas too.

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                                                        inside

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                                                         outside

Ever since I have been workamping, I haven’t been able to attend church very often.  Now that I’m not, I have been attending St Stephen’s Lutheran Church here in Santa Cruz.  I even attended their annual Christmas Party.  Below is what I brought,  Grand Marnier Brownies with Cream Cheese Topping.  They turned out really yummy.

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I will continue to remove more carpet and hopefully my leaks will be fixed soon, so that I can get things back to normal.  I will probably wait for new flooring until everything is dry, but that won’t be for a while,as this is the rainy season here in Santa Cruz.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season and stay warm and dry. 

Thanks for visiting

IMG_1055 I like visiting.

Susan and Angel

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Curly Hair, And A Road Trip

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Since my last post, I finally gave in and put the curl back in. Ever since I cut my hair and donated it, I have dealt with straight hair and having to put in a pony tail or a twist to get it out of the way. At least now I will be able to control it a little bit better.  I had it done at The Cosmo Factory, a cosmetology school here in Santa Cruz (SC).  I have no problem going to a school for a hair ct, perm or any of their services.  Sure, it usually take a little longer, but I enjoy talking to the students and instructors, and it is a lot cheaper than going to a regular salon.  For shoulder length hair, the perm was only $35’00.  Even with a generous tip for both girls, it was still cheaper than a salon.  We had a lot of fun.  We all worked as a team.  It was the girls first perm on a person.  Larry, their instructor has 30 years of experience and was there every step of the way.  I think they did an amazing job.  They also took pictures for their portfolio.  (Sorry, but I forgot the girls names)

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Thanksgiving has come and gone,as well as Black Friday.  I spent the time in Sacramento.

Ted picked me up after work on Tuesday night and then we drove to Sacramento, arriving at 11:30 pm.  We both settled in right away and tried to get a few hours of sleep.  I’m sure that Ted was able to do that, however, I didn’t get much.  I had Angel with me and Nicky, their dog, sensed new occupants and had to check us out, and of course that happened just as I fell asleep.  It was hard to get back  to sleep.  Once that initial meeting was over, sleeping wasn’t a problem.  The bed was so comfortable, both Angel and I slept quite well.  Wednesday, after Ted fixed us all some coffee from Verve, (he asked me to pick up a couple of packages from the Roaster here in Santa Cruz {SC}), we headed out to do the shopping for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Before we went to the Grocery Store, we checked out Yelp for a good breakfast spot.  We located one one Greenback, where Ted ordered an omelet and I chose one that was one the small portion list.  What I received, was huge.  I was full quickly and took the rest home, where Kyle and Steve’s teenage son, Spearman, ate half of it and later Steve finished it.  We definitely got our money’s worth.  From there we finished the shopping and headed back to the house.  The rest of the afternoon, Ted took a nap and I watched some TV, (something that I don’t do very often,as where I’m parked in SC,I don’t get any TV reception). 

Not wanting to fix dinner before heading to church for their Thanksgiving Eve Service, we stopped at Jack’s Cafe on Sunrise Ave in Rancho Cordova, where Kyle, Spearman, Ted and I had a quick bite to eat.  Their food is fast and always good.  Steve wasn’t with us, because he was preparing for the service, as he is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran.

After the service we all visited over pie and coffee.  I, of course, had to visit with everyone, because I hadn’t back to my “home” church since I started “full timing” in my RV. nearly three years ago.  When we left, Steve and I met the rest of the family at a house that Kyle has just finished.  She is a Realtor and flips houses and wanted Ted to see the finished house.  The before and after is absolutely amazing.

Thanksgiving Day, most of us slept in.  Ted and I are both early risers, so we got started with some Verve coffee and by the time “The Parade” started, the others started surfacing, anticipating their traditional Thanksgiving Brunch of Bagels, Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Capers, Onions and Tomatoes.  With the coffee, it was great and kept us going until appetizers and dinner later. After a short break, Ted was back in the kitchen prepping for dinner.  He was definitely in his element.  As usual Dinner was wonderful.

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Even Angel was there, biding her time with Nicky under the table, both waiting patiently hoping that they would get some too.  They did but only after when we were cleaning up.  The rest of the evening we relaxed and watched TV. 

Ted would be leaving very early in the morning, as he had to open the store that he manages in San Francisco for the Black Friday Rush.  Later, Kyle drove me back to SC.  Before dropping me off at the RV Park, we went to the Municipal Wharf for some Clam Chowder at Miramar Fish Grotto.  We both enjoyed it.  We didn’t stay long, as Kyle wanted to get back to Sacramento before dark.   I certainly want to give the Krogh family a big Thank You for their hospitality and Kyle for the ride home.  Hopefully we will see them again at Christmas.

I am currently writing this post to the sound of rain.  I looks like it will rain for the next few days.  Last Saturday, my Refrigerator/Freezer went out.  I finally got someone to come out and look at it on Monday. While he was here, he also put some calking around my bedroom window.  I have been dealing with the wet carpet since the last two time that it rained.  So far I think that it stopped the leak.  The part to fix the R/F should in and they will come out Monday to fix it.  In the meantime I need to get some more dry ice to keep the food cold.  Fortunately, I was able to put what was in the freezer into a small electric freezer.  Hopefully I haven’t lost too much food.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and/or friends and that Black Friday didn’t make too big a dent in your finances.

Thanks for visiting

IMG_1066 As you can see I found a warm spot to spend my Holiday with Mom and her great friends.

Susan and Angel

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Where Does The Time Go?

It’s been nearly 3 weeks since the last post.  Since then I’ve been recovering from surgery and started PT.  Stitches are out and no sling.  PT is twice a week, probably through the end of the year.

Ted drove me into San Jose for the stitch removal and when we got back to Santa Cruz we decided to go down to the Municipal Wharf for something to eat at the FireFish Grill and Restaurant.

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It was in between busy times, so there weren’t many people there.  We decided to just share our meal.  It was nice and we will probably go back.

One  of the errands was to go to PetSmart. I have been fighting an ear infection with Angel, since last April.   Hopefully we have it under control.  We also had her nails trimmed.  Her treat was to go visit the birds.

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Now that the former occupant of this site has gotten his shed empty and removed, I can start setting up my outside space.  This is just the start, but I will put out some Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving.

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Some of my time has been running errands, doctor appointments, shopping, etc., but every so often I get down to the beach.  A couple of days ago, I went over near Natural Bridges State Park. That’s where these pictures were taken.

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One of these days I hope to take some time and get some drawing or painting done.  I guess that it would help to leave some of my art stuff in the car.

Next week I will be getting ready to go back to Sacramento for Thanksgiving. Looks like the busy season is about to begin.  I hope that you all have a wonderful Holiday Season.

Thanks for visiting

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Back on Guard Duty, lots of cats to protect Mom from.

Susan and Angel

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Getting Settled In

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Well, here is my site.  It is quite small, but that will be okay once they get the shed at the back removed.  To the right, looking at my rig is the road up the hill to the office and to the left on the other side of those tall bushes is the road towards the entrance.  The whole park is wooded and at the front you cross a bridge over a creek.  Some of the sites are right beside the creek and of course are more expensive.

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Just on the other side of the bushes, is the restrooms and showers with a bit of activity at any time, however it is mostly in the evenings.  The majority of the residents seem to be still working.  I’ve only met a few and they seem to be very nice.

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Since my surgery, I have ventured out to see what I can see.  I’ve been down to the beach several times, just checking out the surfers and points of interest.

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Angel likes to check out the birds, other dogs and the people.  She sits on a bench and and calmly checks it all out.

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At different points along the coast there are informational signs like the one below.

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These surfers are out having fun catching the waves.  I can’t imagine how they do this in the winter.

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Below are some pictures of some points of interest along the coast, lighthouse, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, sailboat near the Wharf and another part of the Boardwalk.

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While on the wharf these seagulls just posed for me.

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Farther north from the wharf are some interesting rock formations.  On the rock on the left are all kinds of sea birds resting for the night.  I waited a while for the sunset, however, since I’m not that familiar with the area to be driving around in the dark, I left just before dark.

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This guy sat there for a long time, I guess just meditating.

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This was the last picture of the sunset, nothing unusual..

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This past week has been quite different from being up on the hill.  I’m still trying to get used to the climate.  It has been rather chilly in the mornings and I tend to stay under covers until late morning when the sun comes over the trees and begins to warm things up a bit.  I have been out and about doing errands.  One of which was to find a VSP eye doctor here in Santa Cruz.  I had thought that I would have to go as far as Los Gatos.  So, I have got that annual exam out of the way before the end of the year.  I have ordered contacts and computer glasses and I should get them delivered sometime next week.  Today I decided to find a Beauty School to get my hair washed and blow dried, since it’s not that easy with my arm still in a sling.

I will be getting the stitches removed next Wednesday.  Ted will be coming to drive me to the doctor’s office and then help me do my laundry.  I want to get all the big stuff, like blankets and such, done, since they don’t fit in my W/D.  I’m so glad that Ted was able to adjust his schedule.  Thank You Ted!

I hope that you all  are keeping warm and dry.  (It has been raining off and on today.)

Thanks for visiting

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Susan and Angel