Boomtown; Hello Ron & Nancy; Bye Ray & Barb

Well, what have we been up to the last week? The usual...some water aerobics, Curves, euchre (only doing so so), poker (doing real good), the super bowl and such. No painting class this week due to floor painting in the pavilon.

There was a going away party in the pavilion for Ray & Barb who left Monday for California. It also gave us an excuse to have a couple drinks to warm up for the super bowl. Hey Ray & Barb....where are you two now?

We had a call from Brooklyn friends Ron and Nancy (Nancy just retired) who were on their way to Florida via Gulf Shores. We had a great visit with them and got together with Don & Zola and Sue Salt for a seafood dinner at DeSoto's.

Today we joined a large group from the park for a 2 hour bus ride to Biloxi, MS and a casino called Boomtown. It cost us $20 and we got that much in free play money and a very large and good buffet lunch. Next to Boomtown was a large fleet of fishing (or shrimp?) boats. OK, how'd we do? After expenses I won $25 on the poker machines and Judy did real good and won $120 on the slots. I had a good time except for a long bus ride with zero legroom. Now, if Judy can do this daily (winning only took her about an hour) we'd start setting up home at more casinos.

Poker & euchre & painting & observations

On Monday Judy and I started a painting class here at the RV park. Judy can draw a decent stick figure but I can't draw a staight line so this will be pretty interesting. I had wanted to paint a picture from Oregon with the front end of our HitchHiker against some snow topped green mountains but the teach suggested an easier starting painting so we agreed, this time. Like the moon in Judy's painting? It's the teachs thumb print.

When we lived in MI I thought the Ann Arbor News was often carried away with U/M sports but they don't come close to the Mobile Register. The front page usually has football pictures and sports headlines at the top, above all else. Even now with the football season over they have not only football (still) but also basketball pictures and banners at the top of the front page. Another observation, Detroit doesn't have a corner on crime and murder; lots of it down here. Auto accidents and deaths.....lots of those too.

I've had two real good days playing poker, winning $15 to $20 each day, now lets see how long I can keep it. Judy has been doing real good at euchre. She's won $$$ at both the RV Park and the American Legion.

We went out last night to the China Dragon with a group from the RV Park.

Bruce b'day, Don & Zola, Dan & Nora

We got together with Don & Zola, our good friends from Michigan who winter in Gulf Shores for lunch and a stop at Camping World then the girls went shopping. We get to see each other quite often as they are only 4 miles away. Jody had Tuesday afternoon off so she and Bruce came out, they brought their dog so we went to the local dog walk so she could play. Sunday was Bruce's 38th birthday so they returned after church and we all went out for lunch then played euchre and had pumpkin and pecan pie to celebrate.
We also got together (the picture of the 4 of us) with Dan & Nora Berkery from Virginia, they are fellow HitchHikers staying nearby. We had a nice visit and had a shrimp meal at the Sea & Suds.
And of course....Roscoe. Our neighbors tinny dog. I finally got to dog sit one day when Jack & Lucy (from Tipton, MI) went to the dog track and abandoned Roscoe so I could spend some time with him.

Fairhope, AL

We finished the AARP drives ed program this morning and then drove down the east shore of Mobile Bay. You can see the tall buildings of downtown Mobile across the bay in the picture. We had lunch (shrimp) at the Oar House in Foley and did a little shopping before returning home mid afternoon so we can rest before tonight's euchre games. We recorded the inauguration and will watch it tonight.

I think it's winter in south AL as it didn't make it to 50 today. Cold, sunny & windy. But spring has sprung as I saw my first robin this week, the tulips are growing & we saw a red bud tree blooming. The forecast is 70 later this week but we are keeping the heaters fired up for now.

MLK Day; Robert E Lee & Stonwall Jackson Day

Judy has been doing real good at euchre. She won $18 Tuesday and came in fourth Sunday for twelve bucks. Good thing she continues to afford her trophy husband. Sunday was our neighbors birthday so Jack (birthday boy) and Lucy went out along with Don & Zola and us to the Longhorn before playing euchre. Saturday Judy & I went to see Bruce & Jody, we started to reupholster my parents old platform rocker. We have had a couple cold nights (30 degrees) but it's warming up, it was mid 60s today and all sunshine after some early morning rain.
Today is a big day down here in addition to MLK Day......Robert E Lee & Stonewall Jackson Day. You are celebrating up north too aren't ya? Today we started the AARP Drivers Reeducation course for old farts. We'll finish it tomorrow and I hope we can get an insurance discount. After the 1/2 day course we picked up a bookcase Jody & Bruce bought yesterday and trucked it to their place and assembled it. Judy also finished reupholstering the platform rocker my mom did 30 years ago. We'll see if it lasts as long.

Judy's home!

Jody & Judy arrived back in Gulf Shores about 4pm yesterday. I had spent the day cleaning up and making home sweet home presentable. I did make a trip to Lowe's for some

fluorescent light tubes, had lunch and stopped to visit with Don & Zola. Today Judy led her water aerobics class while I visited with some of the guys. This afternoon we took Don and Zola with us to luch at the Road Kill Cafe. We arrived and they were closed. Seems they make so much food for lunch and when it's gone they close. We'll get there earlier next time. We went on to Pensacola (after lunch at a Mexican resturant) and returned the rental car. We stopped at Styx River CG to check it out for some friends and possibly us in the future. We returned home on the back roads in time to catch sunset at the beach. Tonight at euchre Judy came in first and won $18. Good job Charlie!!!

Batching it......

Tuesday and Wednesday nights we played euchre, Wednesday it was with Don & Zola at the local American Legion. Thursday Judy organized a group of 8 of us going for lunch in Florida at the Crazy Horse. Everyone except me had a full order of ribs, I went for chicken pot pie only because they were out of liver & onions. After that we went to the Pensacola airport to pick up a rental car for Judy & Jody's trip to see Margaret in St Augustine. Jody drove over here Friday morning and the ladies left for Margarete's about 9am. I played poker in the afternoon and easily lost six bucks, that evening I went to the Oyster House with 4 other couples from the park for supper. This weekend I managed to wash Jody's car, inside and out; my laundry; repair a couple flaky ceiling lights; open a can for a soup lunch; make a sandwich for supper; won $4 playing euchre Sunday evening; and surfed the web.
The weather has been in the 70s the last couple weeks but it turned cold today with a high of 56 and now (10:30pm) its 46. I talked with Bev and Randy back in Michigan & they were both delighted with the snowy weekend. D was happy it snowed on the weekend so she wouldn't miss any school.......GREAT granddaughter!
Thanks for the mail Kristy, it arrived Friday. She had an interesting week. Mustang 0, deer 0.
New Charger 1. There is one less deer in Michigan now, we are very glad no one but the deer was injured.