Texas - Friendships, Healthcare and Connections

 Ah what would one do if it wasn’t for having friends or family that have your back?

I know I repeat myself in saying this but I keep being surprised how often one gets help when just asking. Asking for help us a crutch of mine as I of course feel I should be able to manage it all in one form or another.

When we started our move we admittedly did planned many things but ignored the area of how health care would continue. Ron being on Medicare wasn’t a concern in regards to him traveling as it works everywhere. Shortly after we arrived he had a video conference with his doctor on his iPad. His doctor told him he can have his script send to any location we give his office. Easy, right? 

Well mine was a tad more tricky as I had not a good insurance to begin with. I had a wacky HMO (I know - big mistake) with Blue Anthem fur $400 a month. I couldn’t even see the doctors I wanted or get the treatments they recommended. When needing to see a dermatologist the closest one they said I could see was 1 1/2 hour drive away. So long story short I wasn’t to concerned to give them the boot and find a new one. When calling them they even confirmed that my coverage would not work outside of Colorado anyway - figures 😉

Now Ron was due for his refill on his meds and I was due for mine since the coverage on my end still exists until March 31. Well well, that sounded still easy for us until the pharmacy here in San Antonio called us to inform us they can not refill or fill a script out of state that is considered a schedule 2 (or something like that). Well my sleep aid, Ambien is part of this of course…..

So of we went figuring out how to get this done but no matter what we thought off, new doctors, heading up to CO (Ron’s meds were running out and his are needed badly). So I figured finally why not just ask on my FB page if someone be willing to pick something up for us and ship it down here. I learned that everyone can pick up meds as long as they have some personal information about the patient which was very helpful to us!

Enter my wonderful friend Anna who responded right away in offering to do this. A few days later, another friend (wonderful Laura) jumped in saying she was on her way to SAT and if she could help. This made Anna and Laura connect and our meds were picked up, and flown down to SAT the next day. How amazing is that???

On top of it I got a couple of hours to spend with my friend Laura and we got laughter and hugs in. I was thrilled. Oh and I even got to shop at the BX with her and her partner and darn if I didn’t save a lot of money. I found NUTELLA for $3!!!! And they sold See’s Chocolates!!! I guess it’s good I don’t get to shop there as I would be battling a weight gain again…

Oh and my health insurance is also going well as I start my new one on April 1, 2022. It’s a program I have to learn about but it seems to fit my needs wonderful. I found it through a group of full time RV Insurance brokers that work in brokering they best for people that are on the move. So no matter where I am I can now find coverage and I pay less then before at $376 a month. 

As to my weather watch we are suppose to get a little bit of some of the storms up north and last night we had some rain. It has been pretty warm and humid lately so we are grateful for the tel A/C units we have on top of Lucy as they seem to work very well.

Texas - Supply And Demand

 Yesterday we ventured out with a shopping list of items needed for Lucy and since the closest RV store we could located was in New Braunsfeld, TX, we took of for the 1 hour drive north. Admittedly the store wasn’t what I expected, rather small and not much selection but heck, who cares as long as they have what we need. Well let’s say we got some stuff, but not to much of our list. We do now have an outside carpet, 4 tire covers that don’t fit, silicone spray (that they didn’t carry but we found at Walmart along with distilled water), tire pressure tool, hitch lock and not much more. They did carry some funny doormats however so I had to take a picture of one of them 😉 We still need a water pressure regulator and water filter. So I guess I have one more trip up there to exchange the tire covers……

We also picked up our new eye glasses and I could say that I finally see but even that one is weird as everything is crooked. I see everything slant to the left.

So the other part that will get interesting in a week and a half when we move on to the gulf coast is the fact that I happily created a ‘basement’ for things I can’t find homes for in Lucy. The weather here has been so great that I just pushed plastic bins under Lucy. The problem will be if we get ready to move as in where I will then relocate my 

I have been however been getting better with watching the weather and it has been a consistent warm here as in high 80°F (30°‘s in Celsius). Next week another storm system should come our way. We are now so much more responsive to weather patterns of course as living in Lucy does not provide much protection from the elements. So my first education in reading the weather came in 1993 when I was send by Northwest Airlink to the weather school in Minneapolis. Since I stopped working there I ignored weather patterns but I am now better dusting off those skills.

Texas - Uncle Sam Wants You and a Nature Hike

 This morning (after a nice warm/hot shower 😉) I took the boys to go for our first official hike here in Texas. 

Yesterday when I talked to Nicole, the German lady, she gave me a map to the Nature Preserve by the airfield. She gave it to me with a warning of not hiking there alone due to the wildlife dangers. This of course started an internal dialogue in my brain ‘what dangers? I just moved from the wilderness in Colorado and have hundreds of miles of hiking under my belt. Bears, Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Deer, Elk, Coyotes, Foxes, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Owls, Eagles, Hawks, free range Cows etc etc etc. What could scare me here in Texas???’. Well it’s good I kept my mouth shut as her next sentence was ‘watch out for the snakes! Especially close to the water as we have lots of Water Moccasins’. So say no more…. I hate and dislike snakes like no other animal. So heck yes she had my attention. Not in stopping me from hiking but from going towards the water at all! Nope, we stuck to the very dry trails. She did say they have a pack of coyotes and an Elk. Those did surprisingly ;) not worry me one bit however.

She also mentioned to always look for the old water tower so I wouldn’t get lost. That also made me smile. I hiked in the Tarryall Wilderness Area many years with hardly any marked trails, but I do take the advice happily as I indeed can be directional challenged. So on my itty bitty 1.5 mile ‘hike’ due to staying away from the creek and the snakes I had a visual of the water tower at all times. Thanks to there being no obstructions as in trees or mountains 😉

As to ‘Uncle Sam Wants You’ I can tell you if you are younger and still in some kind of shape you might want to ask yourself if you don’t want to join the military! Listen, I never thought I be saying this but darn I drove by the gas station on the base and I had to do a double take. They are getting their gas at prices I haven’t seen in a while! $3.75 a gallon and $4.06 a gallon for premium! I tell you go sign up!!! 😂 sadly for me, heartbreakingly so they do not sell diesel on base! So we are unable to benefit from it. Oh well, we can’t have it all I guess.

Texas - Making Connections

 We had neighbors here in the Campground that are from Minnesota but come down to Texas every winter. The husband kept telling me to go to the Recreation Center on the base as there was a very lovely German woman he wanted me to meet. I guess since he brought her up several times I figured I should take a drive and meet her in person. That drive on its own was challenging as the map I had was not an easy read for me. I think the scale is way off and I kept getting lost several times. At one point I entered a neighborhood, by the golf course that creeped me out instantly. Rows and rows of manicured, pastel colored houses with white picket fences. No life visible except some open garage doors that showed items in them. But no items on the front yarn or anywhere. A perfect large playground that except for two kids in a sand box was deserted. No moms or dads in sight. Just two kids were the only humans I saw when passing through rows and loops of that place. The image  of the ‘Stepford Wives’ came rushing into my head. Very unsettling and creepy and not a place I would ever want to call ‘home’.

Well back to my trip to the Rec Center. I finally located it by the airfield and was happy to finally meet the other German on base. Nicole was indeed very nice and informative. We talked for a good hour, parts of that was me playing customer service representative for American Airlines however. Turns out she has a strong dislike for AA but a newfound love for United. I did my best to listen as in a way I of course know the game well 😉. I left Nicole with the goodies she handed me as in a map for the base, a trail map for the nature reserve on the base where I can take the pups for a hike. She also wrote down a recommendation for a gas station that has diesel once we head out again. 

So overall it was a fun afternoon. I also took the boys for a walk towards the parade grounds but turned around once both did their business. I do not care to hike to far when I have to carry two baggies with me.

So off to having an afternoon snack now, or in German, Kaffee ☕️ und Kuchen 🍰, coffee and cake. One has to keep up their energy after all ♥️

Oh and the photo I took at the Rec Center which rents our campers, trailers, boats, fishing equipment, bouncy houses etc etc

Texas - Our Pups and RVing

 I know I brushed on the part of our four legged babies and living in an RV before. We are of course just under three weeks in on our new life but so far I can say the boys, Keetna (or known as ‘little’ K) and Oliver, have been incredibly adaptive. They love being in Lucy and like watching from the windows as in what is going on around us or their second favorite past time: napping. 

I have been wondering a bit however in how much walking they used to get when we still lived in our home, plus the 22 acres we had. They would go outside several times a day but I have no clue how far they would venture out. Now that this is not an option of course they depend completely on us taking them for walks. So far I fell into the pattern of walking them between 4 to 5 times a day. They love their walks and sniffing about every inch on those walks. On my own I could walk the area, which by the way is beautiful trails and grass areas, in about 10 min. With the pups it takes a lot longer. Of course I also have to carry my collection of poopy bags with me and I aim our walks towards areas that I know have garbage cans close. Nothing like walking and having people wave at us and me waving back with those full baggies in my hand 😉.

Another really good benefit that comes from those frequent walks is my exercise levels going up quiet a bit. When we were living in a house I hardly ever closed the rings on my Apple Watch. Now I close the exercise ring every day and most of the time the others as well. And all without much effort. I love it!

One new area however we have to work on is little Oliver’s ‘king of the hill’ attitude he is developing. He is such a brave pup when lounging on the top of the sofa. Every outside threat has to be addressed. Once outside however he is scared of every shadow of course.

Oh and I want to mention the older gentleman across from us who has this precious relationship with his cat. He walks him or her on a leash and she goes with him on his outings in the car as well. We did hear that there all all kind of combinations of pet companions in the RV world. Pet pigs, birds, snakes, lizards etc etc. I figure at this point where there is a will there is a way. The RV world is as diverse as the brick and stationary world. 

Weather Reports And Searching For Things

 Well we are definitely not in Colorado anymore. We have been faced with some very nice warm temperatures and it even reached 30’ Celsius yesterday. The A/C is definitely beneficial on Lucy at this point and I can see why many campers around us are starting to pack up to make their move north. Our neighbors here at JBSA left us today as their have a cabin up in the north of Minnesota to get to. It is thanks to them that I also learned that we need to get much better on keeping our eyes on the weather patterns. They were suppose to leave three days ago but waited it out due to the severe storms that were heading towards the route they were going to take. North of us here in TX there were Tornados which would not be fun to face in a Motorhome. So last night I went to download several weather apps which is always a path down the rabbit hole. I have so many RV apps, driving apps, and now weather apps that I have no clue anymore as to what I am suppose to look at……

And then I had to fill up Rosalina, and since she is a diesel I could say it was painful. I send a screenshot to Ron as her 15 gallon were $70. So Rons responds came quick to bring me back to earth ‘Well just think how you will feel when we fill up Miss Lucy.’ Indeed, 100 gallons will not be pretty…….. 

Ron left today for Colorado to pick up Maggie Mae, so Oliver and little K are taking their jobs serious now in trying to protect Miss Lucy 😉 I in the meantime are trying to reorganize Lucy as thanks to my husband we found more storage room in the bathrooms. We each have medicine cabinets behind the mirrors. Darn, it just took us a few weeks to figure it out 😂 now I wonder what else she is hiding. It literally  took us 15 min this morning to locate a box of vitamins. So yes, one can misplace items even in 398 sqf….. I am proof of that.

I am off now to find a couple of more boxes I thought we had packed…. 

Texas - All About Great Engineering

 Today I was reflecting how amazing those humans are that design and construct RV’s. It is truly very fascinating to consider how much living space is turned into 398 sqf. Every item, cabinet, light switch, power outlet are just perfectly fitted to get the best layout or access. This morning I am sitting in our ‘dining room’ and I was fidgety because I felt the light was to bright over the table. Not one to like and move as I was snuggly fitted with my pillow, blanket and coffee I turned and looked over my shoulder and ‘voila’ there was a button for me to click and the lights went off. Just plain perfect, It took no effort on my part. Of course one might say in a small space like ours everything should be easily accessible but let me tell you that is not true in some of the smaller lining accommodations I have seen. Just like there is a difference in car models, the difference in RV’s is wide. This all, however, plays in my love for engineering. I am in awe what humanity has accomplished, from architecture, to roads and bridges, cars, trains, airplanes…. 

Us humans are really an incredible species and hence why I am super excited of the first race of the F1 season today. Another engineering marvel. New cars this year, mostly the same drivers (Go Sir Lewis) and we should have another fun season ahead. Again I am thrilled my husband got the TV set up as the only place where we can watch it is on ESPN 3.

Oh what a race. It was a nail biting race down to an incredible shift in the last two laps. Ferrari got the win 1 and 2 which was well deserved. And our beloved Sir Lewis got 3rd. So Mercedes’ pulled of a podium after a challenging training and qualifying.

As to life in Lucy it’s been a beautiful day in the ‘neighborhood’. We met now a couple of other campers and everyone has been so very interesting. On the weekends there are Graduations happening so we see lots of young Air Force cadets  and their families who some also camp out here.

Texas - All That A Girl Needs

 Today was the kind of day that explains a bit why we did this journey from a house to an RV.  Catching up with family and friends. I admit I have been beyond lucky in the friends I made over the years. I am an introvert at heart and don’t bond easy with others but when I do it has always been amazing.

Today I spend the afternoon with my friend Trudi, who I met when we both got hired with AA and went to the Academy. 96/01! We have been friends for 26 years now, which included us being roommates for a short time in Miami. Now we do not talk often and haven’t even seen each other in person for a few years and still, we do not miss a beat when we do get together. I got spoiled with a yummy lunch and desert and we talked for 3 hours without a break. It was heaven. I am really so grateful to have incredible humans in my life. From my family to my friends they are all amazing people who make this world a better place. 

So today was just beautiful ♥️

Texas - Starting To Feel Like Home

 We are now living in Lucy for 16 days and in many ways it feels like forever and then come the moments when I feel like we are  so far from having figured it out ;)

Yesterday, under the pressure of our beloved Formula One Season start date (this weekend!) my husband got busy to finally figure out how our TV works. Yes indeed, since we have been on the go we never turned on the TV’s. I am thrilled to say that my husband figured it out, which entailed taking the TV down, fiddling with plug ins and cables (we use ROKU). Now working on anything on our Lucy takes a lot more attention to detail then in a house as everything is snugly put into places that make for no place for wiggle room and you don’t have space to waste of course. So we are one TV down, two to go……

Then we had the ‘fun’ of having appointments to get our eyes checked out. We figure with us planning on driving more, plus the need to get new drivers licenses sooner or later we should be up to date on this. Well, it seems we are both going to be styling some glasses soon and the world around us can be safe again ;)

As to weather down here in SAT it is fascinating. We feel like we need the heater on at night, but the ac during the day. Rather silly and I admit I forgotten what spring feels like in TX.

Texas - Hot or maybe warm shower? NOT for this gypsy….

 Today I went with good intentions to the camp shower building to get a nice warm, or possible hot shower. Admittedly I am not one for showering on Lucy or even using her toilets for anything other then going pee. No, no worry I have been showering since we got on the road but it has always been at Niki’s house.

So off I went, with a bag of fresh clothing and my toiletries. My husband had already showered here at the camp so he told me to start up the water right from the time of me getting there as it would take a bit to get warm water. This i did, and I waited and waited and waited but no warm water appeared. Then my ‘logical’ thinking kicked in and I wondered if the shower next door might magically have all the warm water so I wrapped myself in the one towel I had and jumped with all my belongings into the next stall. Of to waiting again and again no warm water in sight. So on to my next thought that maybe being on a military campground they think we need to toughen up and I should be taking a cold shower? After all I also read plenty of books on people who do take cold showers on a daily basis as in ‘The Iceman’. So I held my breath, hoped my heart would not give out and went and stepped in that very cold water. Right when my hair was getting wet I heard a voice from outside asking ‘do you have warm water?’ I peeked out from the curtain, chattering my teeth and seeing it was a woman in the toilet across the room who was talking to me. I replied ‘no warm water here’. She responded ‘you should go to the gym building, they have warm water” to which I responded ‘well I am kind of wet now”. Her question came quick as in ‘do you need a hairdryer to warm up with?’. I thought very considered but at this point I just wanted to catch my breath,  get dry and dressed and rush back to Lucy. So I guess not everyone on base takes cold shower just crazy me 😂

We were also getting braver and even pulled out our outside chairs today and we are carefully entering the outside world in front of Lucy. We have seen other campers doing this but admittedly one does not easily shed their introvert selfs and steps out if their comfort zone but it is very nice.

So I am clean and getting some Sun. It’s a good day after all ♥️

Texas - Happy Birthday 🎂

 It was my first birthday on the road and it was wonderful. I loved talking to family in Germany this morning as well as Alex who called.  Then tonight Ron and Niki as a surprise took me to one of my favorite restaurants ‘Pappadeaux’ where I can always count on getting my crawfish food coma. Yummy yummy yummy. I had a sangria and for dessert we were treated to Key Lime Pie. Those who know me know my love for food so to come back to this restaurant after 16 years was heavenly. Darn Texas truly does deliver in catering to a lot of my food loves. So thank you Niki for this gift as well as thank you to my husband who helped organize the surprise and who also gave me a gift that will challenge my brain. 

Those of you who know we are aiming to go boondocking as part of our RV lifestyle might have heard that it is very beneficial to know where to go and to check out locations before entering any BLM land or national forest areas. It can be hazardous to pull in with a 60 foot long vehicle when there might be no places to turn around. So enter my gift today: A Drone. I admit I am obviously getting old(er) here and learning new gadgets is a tad interesting. This drone i got has an instruction manual that is quiet extensive. So more adventures are to come now in me trying to fly that thing. Stay tuned 😉

Oh and how could I forget that I also received yummy chocolates! Connor called as well tonight and it rounded up everything that matters to me: I felt the love from family and friends! I was gifted great company, yummy food and drinks, plus my gift that will be a part of our new life. I am lucky and I am soaking it all in. 

Life is short and I believe strongly in Memento mori. Embrace what you have as tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

Texas - It’s a plane! Planes and more planes

 So I talked about our walk around all the airplanes yesterday but I didn’t have the photos uploaded yet.

One thing I can say is disregard me saying I would go on runs with Keetna. I tried some ‘jogging’ today and it was exhausting to say the least. This body of mine is once again not keeping up with what my mind thinks it can do. We had temps in the 80’s today and it was warm! Shorts and tank top warm. I haven’t seen or worn those cloth in probably 10 years 😂

I also started walking the pups separately as they truly do not walk in sync, one is full throttle forward and the other in reverse. 120 lbs forward, 20 lbs back. Not a very comfortable walking position if one cares about their shoulders.

Today we had to conquer paying bills and trying to straighten out other financial stuff. It follows one even when on the move.