We arrived back in Houston for the holidays, to visit family and to get any Doctor appointments done we needed plus do some maintenance on our RV and finalize our retirement. We planned to be here until the end of January and then hit the road for our trip around the perimeter of the United States which we figure will take us from February to November. We found an RV park we love in New Caney, Texas which is close to family and got settled in. We figured we would have everything done in no time and may even be able to leave toward the end of January. Unfortunately some an unexpected problem with our motor home and filing for Social Security slowed us down and kept us in the area longer. My daughters didn’t seem to mind having us a bit longer. We loved being able to spend a little time with the grandchildren. We were able to help the baby remember who we were. Get to see our granddaughter perform in her piano recital and attend our granddaughter and grandson’s art fair.
In November we saw the Dentist and Doctor and went looking for an RV pet. We had thought about getting a dog but went to an adoption and fell in love with a sweet Linx Point cat named Teddi Bear or just plain Teddi. Teddi is a great RV cat and had no problem adapting his new home. He loves to be held and cuddled and is very laid back.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with our daughters and family, then Frank headed off to Nebraska for a work trip. While he was gone I had fun hanging out with my daughters and we all ended up going and getting our noses pierced together and I got a second piercing on my ears. I was a rebellious teenager and now feel like I am becoming a rebellious Senior Citizen with my piercing and my tattoo I got last year.
December was busy as Frank helped Edwin and Sara get their fifth wheel ready for a Christmas trip to Utah. The weather was warm enough in Houston that I was able to go swimming a few times in our pool. My daughter and I were able to enjoy getting our nails done together again. Frank and Edwin got the oil changed in the RV and we had the oil changed and the tires rotated in our Jeep so we would be good to go when it was time to leave. We dug through our storage for things we found out we needed and put things we found we didn’t need away. Enjoyed using my daughter’s kitchen to make some Christmas goodies. Had to make all their favorites such as Caramels, Fudge, Bird’s Nests, and Muddy Buddies. And decorated our “home” for Christmas.
Toward the end of December per Hana’s request we hit the road to head back up to Hot Springs Arkansas for her birthday. We enjoyed seeing the Christmas light display at Garven Woodlands and Hana and I enjoyed visiting Quapaw bathhouse and soaking in the Hot Springs water. The lights were amazing and it was a nice to get away for a few days.
We headed back to Houston just in time to head back to Houston the Siberian Express headed South. We left Hot Springs just as snow started to arrive. We drove home on roads that were being salted in preparation for the freezing weather. We got back in time to see Edwin and Sara and family leave for Utah. As they left the cold front hit with 30 to 40 mph winds and temperatures in the teens and wind chill in the single digits. We were hoping we could stay in the RV but the first night we used 1/3 of our propane and then our water froze and we couldn’t even flush the toilets. So we moved into Sara and Edwin’s and Hana’s house and stayed there while they were gone. We celebrated Christmas with Hana and waited for the weather to improve.
The weather finally unfroze at January came in and we were able to move back into the RV. We did some playing around and figured out how to use less propane by using our electric fireplace and an electric heater. Sara and Edwin returned from their trip and Sara’s friend Karen came to visit. Sara, Hana, Karen and I had fun hanging out and even beat the Titanic Escape room together.
During all this time we had still been battling with Social Security to get signed up for our benefits and get our Medicare and waiting to get into see our Eye Doctor so we would have everything done before leaving. Then life got complicated. We were getting ready for bed on January 7th when someone knocked on our door to let us know water was coming out of the side of the RV. Our hot water tank had over pressurized. He turned it off and we went to bed only to hear a loud bang around midnight. Turns out the water heater was malfunctioning and did not turn off but continued to heat an empty tank which ended up exploding. Thankfully we have a warranty on the RV which helped pay to replace the hot water tank. Living close to our daughters was a benefit because we could head over there for showers until the tank was replaced a week later.
I was getting excited about heading out soon and so I started using RV Tripfinder to plan our route that we would be traveling. Both of us couldn’t wait to head out once more. Most things we needed to do on the RV were done and we were also able to get in and get our eyes checked and glasses ordered. We were still struggling with our retirement and ended up getting up early and going down and standing in line in the cold to see someone about trying to get everything settled. Saw my heart Doctor which was the last appointment I was waiting for and so the days were counting down to hitting the road.
Then Frank noticed the gray water tank had a leak. The repair guy came out and thought the grey tank was cracked but couldn’t get the part ordered so the waiting began.Finally on February 6th the repair guy came out to remove and patch our grey tank that was when he found out the problem was much deeper. Apparently at the factory when the RV was being built they had made a cut on the pipe that runs from the kitchen sink to our grey water tank. They put spray insulation around it to hide the problem and for a long time there was no problem. But overtime and with driving down bumpy roads the pipe pulled away from the gray water tank and it had been leaking for some time into the underbelly of the RV. We had noticed at times depending on where we were parked a small amount of water but now there was a lot and the repair guy needed to pull up our bed to fix it. That meant moving out of the RV with all our stuff. Gratefully Hana went to stay with a friend and let us use her room and Sara and Edwin welcomed us into their home until the problem was fixed.
While we were waiting for the RV to be fixed Hana, Sara and I planned a small local trip. Since Sara had to be home for her kids each day she could join Hana and I for one activity while we were able to check into a hotel and spend a couple days in Sugarland, Texas. So off we headed on Thursday, February 9th. The three of us went out to lunch and then to Seismique in Sugarland which was a unique experience. It was a very different art exhibit with all sorts of lights and three dimensional displays. The lights and colors were amazing and mind blowing. It was like stepping back into the psychedelic 1970’s. After spending a couple hours exploring Sara had to head home. https://seismique.com/about/
Hana and I were off to check into our hotel and head out to do some exploring. We were hoping to go in the Sugar mill museum but arrived to find it was closed until March. We did get to go to the old downtown area in Sugarland and walk around and explore. We found a great place for dinner called Jupiter that had the best gluten free pizza. We also found a candy shop that had been around for 75 years and enjoyed a treat there.
On Friday February 10th Hana and I got up and checked out of our hotel but spent the rest of the day in Sugarland. We were going to the Science Museum first but arrived to find two school buses full of kids on a field trip. So instead we went and explored the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple. We walked around the grounds which were beautiful and were even able to enter the temple after removing our shoes. It was even more beautiful inside than out but no pictures were allowed inside. We were invited to stay for a 15 minute worship service and to bath one of their God statues. It was a unique experience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_Houston
We enjoyed lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and headed back to the Science Musuem to explore it. There were still a lot of kids there and the exhibits weren’t very impressive so we didn’t spent a lot of time there. Then it was time to participate in a live action escape adventure at the Department of Wonder. Our group had fun searching for light for our lanterns and solving puzzles before we were able to leave. By the time we got home it was evening and the RV was fixed and Frank had picked it up and brought it back to the campground. https://deptofwonder.com/about
Saturday, February 11th we started making reservations for our trip and planning to head out on Wednesday, February 15th. Frank had a couple last minute things to do on our RV and then some things to do on Edwin’s RV. Hana asked me to come and sit with her when she got a new tattoo with snapdragon flowers that represented me and a bumblebee which represented her sister.
On Super Bowl Sunday we were able to gather with Sara and her family. It was our last big gathering before we head out for the next 8 months.
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