Sunday, September 14, 2014

Trains, planes and automobiles

Trains! We are about a quarter mile, or one block(ish) away from a major shipping line. Trains go screaming thru here about every half hour, 24 hours a day. Horns blasting, crossing dinging. I recorded it via video, you can’t really see the train for the trees, but want to try an audio recording. I do seem to be adjusting to it and slept thru several last night. It still gets my attention tho.


This is an audio recording of one of the trains. This one was actually going the other way, and wasn't quite as loud.

Had another new fish for dinner last night swai fish. A very nice white fish comparable to haddock, but lighter. A definite must have again. Will have the catfish again too. Can't say I am not trying new things.

I think I am here thru Wednesday morning. Tim, Sandra’s husband is going to help me modify Ody’s TV antenna. There is an adapter that can be installed for HD TV. They get a bunch of channels here, but I can’t pick up any on the little flat antenna that I have, so I ordered the mod, and it will be here Tuesday. I cranked up the antenna for the first time yesterday, it is quite large and should do the trick.  And I really need to try to figure out a spot to mount the TV. For now, I just lay it face down on the bed when I travel. Although by having to do that, I might remember to lower the antenna.

I don’t want to over stay my welcome. From here, I will be going to Elgin to see a childhood friend. I have been told I can stay as long as I like, but will play it by ear. That is about a half day’s drive from here. I’m figuring that I have to add an hour to the google maps calculations because I can’t do the 70 and 75 mph speed limits. After that, New Mexico. I still have time to get to the balloon fest in Albuquerque. Something that was on my to do list. There would also be lots and lots of other RV’ers.

Kali Cat will be having limited time out here. I have had to retrieve her twice already, and she wasn’t happy about it and struggled. The neighborhood is very close, and there are other cats in the neighborhood. In fact, her spotting another cat is how I was able to catch her last night. She was so focused on the other cat, she didn’t see me coming. She had gone quite a distance from the rig. If there weren’t other houses and cats, it would be fine. But at her age, I am not taking the chance. She knows cars and enough to stay away from them, but I don’t need her injured in a cat fight.

Sandra’s house is very nice. White brick, single story, nice big rooms. Very solid. I don’t know if there is a basement or not, but it feels like a concrete slab. Nothing moves. :) It is very different here. Hard to describe, but the aura/atmosphere just feels different. Lots and lots of huge pine trees with big needles, pecan trees, and Sandra has a couple of gorgeous holly bushes out front. The leaves are much larger than the ones in the northeast. The grass is different too. Larger blades, not as thick. Even the paving and the earth are different. 

One quick trip to the grocery store is all it took to put me into new food overload. I only bought a few things. I got some corn tortillas, some ham, some seafood chunks and some fruit. Not ready to delve into the southwestern version of cooking yet, but needed some lunch food. Plus, I was out of watermelon. Lots and lots of things to look at tho.

As of yesterday, I have been gone from IP for three full weeks. Seems like yesterday, and at the same time, feels like it was months ago. I have been gone long enough now that the vacation feeling will be ending and new emotions will be emerging. I wonder what they will be. Homesick? Not yet. The sight of snow in the pics online the last day or so still makes me shudder. Frost in IP yesterday. Still shorts weather here.

I was very tired last night. I settled down to watch an episode of Veronica Mars on Amazon Prime last night, but didn’t even make it thru one.  I woke up at one point, put the computer away and off I went again. I did wake up once last night with a cat on my chest. That’s new. I must not have left her enough room to snuggle, so she did the best she could. I slept thru most of the trains.

Not sure what is on the agenda for today. No driving for a change. :) The rest of my destinations won’t require 7 days of driving thankfully. Shorter distances, stopping more often. Tomorrow I will need to walk to the post office, it is basically just around the corner. Although I will have to cross four lanes of highway to get there. I do need to do some walking. My leg/back hurt more yesterday than it has for a few days, but still, no pills or patches. Definite improvement. 

Just about time to get a shower (yay), and get some breakfast. 


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