We are so excited! Someone donated a BRAND NEW Class A to us! It is a 2011 Winnebago Via! It is the 25Q floor plan and this is just the right size for us. We didn't get to pick the colors or anything like that but we aren't that picky anyway. Here's a stock photo of the unit we're getting!


It is in San Antonio and we'll have to go there to pick it up. That's not that far of a drive especially when you're going to pick up a new RV. Oh, and more thing.... April Fools. Yeah, I know... no awesome Winnebago Via for us. So was I very convincing? :)

Now for the real blog entry of the day... Our recent trip to South Padre Island also included a stop at the Port Isabel Lighthouse. This lighthouse has been there since the 1800s and it is really neat. You can go all the way to the top but it is a lot of work climbing those spiral stairs. We both went to the top, it is not often you get to go in a lighthouse so we didn't pass up the opportunity. Here's a shot of the lighthouse.


There are tons of neat shops right near the lighthouse and we took a stroll to see them all. There were lots of crafts, some guy making pottery, a fishing pier and much more. We spent several hours in this area and really enjoyed it. Cynthia posed with some of the pirates and there were 2 pirates that I liked but they were on the roof so I couldn't pose with them. See what I mean?


We took lots of pictures while here and they are all available in the picture gallery. We took 3 videos on this trip and we are still trying to edit them. We have Sony Vegas as our editor but it is complicated to use. Once we get them edited, we'll post them on the site and let you know. And again, sorry about the April Fools joke but hey, I had to do it. :p

The expense summary has been updated and is available in the RVer's Library (see menu). We started getting a laundry allowance so that will save us about $40 per month. So just because we won't be showing a laundry expense doesn't mean we are wearing dirty clothes - LOL.

Well, I went up to the VA Medical Facility in McAllen today to get them to take a look at my left knee. I explained to the Doctor what my complaint was; left side of the calf going numb, sharp pains across the front of the knee and also on the left side of the knee. The doctor quickly said this was beyond her area of expertise and that I would need to see a specialist in Harlingen. So now I have to wait for them to call with an appointment. It's a good thing I am not a horse, I'd have been shot years ago.

It turns out CJ is not the innocent dog we thought he was. We left him in the camper by himself and guess what he did... we caught him looking at girls on the internet! So from now on when we leave him in the camper, we set up a password protected screensaver. CJ doesn't know the password and thus won't be getting himself all worked up over something he can't have.

Why do taxes have to be so complicated? We filed our taxes and it was one form after another. I'd hate to see what people who actually have money have to go through. Why can't they just use a flat tax of about 19% and tax on what you spend and not what you earn. You know, tax consumption... NOT production. I know why they won't do that, because it makes sense. The government won't do anything that makes sense.

Anyway, the heat is really starting to turn up here in South Texas. Last week they set a record for 103° in April! It's been averaging in the mid to upper 90s daily so we stay indoors a lot. The A/C does a great job of keeping the camper cool despite the heat outside. The window insulation I put on was well worth the $21 I spent on it at Home Depot.

We saw a great RV online that already has a wheelchair lift in it. This is awesome! We get excited over the craziest things, don't we? :) Here's a pic of the camper. No, we didn't buy it... we just thought it was cool.

OK, state and federal taxes are done and according to Turbo Tax we owed $7.00. Sure seems odd since we made far less than the standard deduction. I guess it is because I don't contribute to any political party. Those that do never have to pay any taxes, or so it seems.

I did a little more riding and stopped by The Border Theater in Mission, Texas. The theater was completed in 1942 and is a fine example of a mid twentieth century motion picture theater. The walls are adorned by southwestern images of desert and cactus resembling a “border town”, hence the name. Designed for up to 740 patrons, opening night featured the Roy Rogers movie “Heart of the Rio Grande”. History is cool.

Cynthia didn't get much sleep last night so she is taking a nap this afternoon, at least she is trying to. Every 15 minutes the phone rings and she has to get up to answer it. It's the office cell phone so it does me no good to answer it. At 5pm we are heading to a friends place to have a little cookout so I'm guessing she'll get to bed after we get back from that. Update: She just got up and said she is not going to try to take a nap. Now you know the phone won't ring again...

I wanted to get in some riding today but it has been very windy. It is usually not too bad but a sudden cross wind can put you into a ditch or the other lane so I'd rather not risk it. There's always tomorrow. We're wanting to go visit the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg and maybe Tuesday or Thursday we can get over there. We're really looking forward to that. Oh yes, we will take pictures for you!

While out on a trip to the grocery store, we decided to take a picture. HEB is so much better than Walmart, and cheaper, too! We went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse one night with a bunch of friends from the park. Here's a shot of us, the rest of the pictures are in the gallery under Mission. And finally, a shot of CJ riding in the electric car. He loves to ride in the golf carts and will jump right in when someone stops.


We're not sure why CJ was squinting. Maybe he didn't want his picture taken that day.

Poor CJ is not doing very well. He has severe tenderness in his stomach area and he just lays around most of the time. This has been going on for 2 full days now. He eats and drinks just fine if we bring it to him but he won't get up to get it on his own. He yelps when he goes up or down the stairs to the camper, the jarring he takes as he does it seems to hurt him quite a bit. We can only scratch his head, any attempt to pet him anywhere else causes him to yelp. We put him on a boiled ground beef and rice diet as recommended by the vet but otherwise, there isn't anything we can do.

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We finally made it to the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, TX. The museum showcases the rich heritage and blended culture found in the Rio Grande Valley between South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. We took a ton of pictures while inside but even with 90 pictures, we didn't even come close to taking a picture of everything. This is a large museum with lots of really good exhibits so be sure to visit if you are ever in the RGV. Below are a couple teaser images, the rest are located in the picture gallery under Texas.


I'm about to hit 400 miles on the new scooter so it will be time to take it in for its first service. Basically, I will let them check the valves and I will do everything else myself. I've already changed the oil once and checked everything for proper seating, wear and tear and so forth. I need to get it done soon as I have a Doctor's appointment in Harlingen which is 55 miles away. I will take the scooter on that little trip. On the scooter it will cost about $6 in gas, in the truck it would be about $35 in gas.

I've been trying to justify upgrading from Libre Office software to MS Office. Libre Office is free and MS Office is about $120 or so. I downloaded the free trial for the new MS Office and have been using it, I already had Libre Office on our laptops. While MS Office does have some nice features and it is pretty, I haven't been able to find the need to use it over Libre Office. In the business world, it would be entirely justified but for the casual use we have for it, Libre Office beats MS Office. I should note that MS Office has a free web version so if you don't care for Libre Office, that might be an option (as long as you have internet).

Wow, really bad storms back home in Alabama. A monster tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa and the surrounding areas and did a tremendous amount of damage and took several lives. Our son at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa saw the devastation first hand, and we are thankful that he came through it OK. Also, our daughter, son-in-law and grand kids are in Tuscaloosa and they are all fine as well. From what we hear, there is no power anywhere in that hard hit area so they will spend the night in total darkness and without A/C! We are so thankful they are OK and our prayers go out to all those affected by the storms, especially those who lost loved ones. See a video of the tornado here.