RV Travels With Huggy

We went to the Elvis (Danny Vernon) show on Thursday, Dec. 21st but they have changed their policy and wouldn't allow photos to be taken. Before the show Danny's wife announced that they did not want any flash photos or video taken so I thought I would be okay as I do neither. I had taken two photos of the other "actor" appearing with Danny that night when a lady came up to me and said that there were to be no photos taken. I told her what Mrs. Danny had said, she said she would check, then came back a few minutes later and said the policy had changed and they wanted no photos taken. So I stopped taking them and have none to post here.

The show also wasn't as good as in the past, partially because there was no live band with them. It was just a big Karaoke show, with canned music. We had already gotten tickets to attend his show there next Sat. Jan 6th so I guess we will go, but not being able to take photos sucks. He did announce they would have a live band with them on the 6th so that at least will be better. And these tickets were free.

I had a wonderful Christmas. Both of my son's went to the Elvis show with us and my older one, B, went to dinner with us the Friday night before Christmas. On Christmas Eve Pat & I went to dinner at the home of my younger son, M, and his wife J. We exchanged some gifts and got to watch my 6 year old grand daughter open some of hers, before we headed back home. On Christmas day Pat's two daughters and their families came over to open presents and for dinner at Pat's home. This was a good Christmas, so much better than last year, for both of us. We both had family with us last year but having someone to personally love and spend time with is what was lacking for Christmas, 2005. We have that now.

Labels: Entertainment, Griping, Holidays

A year ago today I made my first post to this blog and am now doing the first of my second year. It has been a year with a lot of changes for me. The first full year without my Annie. I learned RVing alone isn't as much fun as it was with the two of us. I also finally got to the point in moving through the greiving process where I could start giving away Annie's clothes and some of her other posessions. This is a necessary step in moving on in my life, although it has been a hard one to do. Our two grand daughters are getting some of her favorite stuffed bears this Christmas. I know she would like them to have those bears.

Family and friends have been wonderful. Getting reaquainted with my high school friend, SW, has been great and I think helpful for both of us. She has had a rough year too but I think our friendship has helped us both through some of those hard times. The summer reunion time with the "old gang" in Spokane was fun and I look forward to seeing them again, perhaps next summer. Buying the Miata and getting started again into car club activities has been good, but I need to stop getting those pesky speeding tickets!

Without a doubt the biggest and best thing that happened with me was meeting my Pat on Oct. 22nd. We have been together part of each day since then and I think that is the way I want it to be for the rest of my life, except being together even more of the day. Pat and I each experienced what I feel is one of the two worst life experiences a person can go through and both wondered if we would ever find anyone else to spend the rest of our lives with. I think we have and we feel it was with some help from on high, like maybe Annie and Sherm were leading us to meet each other. I am really looking forward to 2007 and what it may bring in my life.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all who read this!

Labels: Annie, Pat and I, Reminiscing

I visited the blog of Vegas Vixen recently and she had a link to a place where you fill out a few questions and it will tell you what your Tarot card is. I don't think I put much faith in these things but in some ways it sort of sounds a bit like me. Here is my results and the link to the site if you would like to participate. There are about 12 questions that you answer and it is fairly simple:

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I guess I am almost ready for Christmas. It will be a much happier one for me this year than the one last year was, although I won't have heading south for warm weather to look forward to after the first of the year. But I do have a fantastic lady to spend time with that I didn't have last year so it is a very good trade off. I bought a book on Amazon.com that I liked so well I decided to order one for my brother but it didn't get shipped until today. They spent the bucks to send it via overnight UPS so it will be here tomorrow, at no extra charge to me, but I have to wrap it and re-ship it to Spokane, so he won't get it until after Christmas. The other package that had to be shipped has already gone out and should be delivered tomorrow and all my other gifts will be hand delivered. I had some help from Pat with my shopping this year but it was still hard for me to figure out what gifts to get, especially for the grandkids. I thought about gift certificates but when I did go shopping I found things that I hope they will like so I didn't chicken out and just get gift certificates.

Tonight is the Elvis show, with Danny Vernon as Elvis. Both of my sons will be going with us and I definately plan to take some photos. I have the lens I had ordered and wanted for the last show but it didn't get here in time. It will be fun to use and should do a good job, especially in the lower light levels of stage photography without flash. This will be in the Cabaret room which is a smaller, more intimate showroom than where he performed last time when I did those other photos. I'll try to get them ready to post before Christmas.

Little Mountain Estates held their annual Christmas party on Tuesday night, Dec. 12th. Pat and I attended along with many others who live in the park. The food was listed as just being "finger food" but we sure were able to make a good dinner out of it and I only ate one cookie and some fudge.


The ladies of the park do a good job of decorating for the event. This is a general scene showing a few of the tables and some of the people who were there.

Pat had a new "little black dress" that she iniated at this event and she really looked great in it. It is probably a good thing that we didn't have to walk too far to get to the clubhouse where the party was though as it is winter in the northwest and the little dress doesn't keep one very warm. But it sure looks good.


Pat and Dick at the party.


Here we are at our table. My neighbor, D. T., took these photos of the two of us with my little Sony camera. It doesn't do as good a job as the Nikon SLR but it fits easily in a pocket so is a lot easier to carry around. And it's photos look pretty darn good.


Here is my beautiful lady alone but sitting beside me.


And here is another of us taken in the library room at the clubhouse with us standing on the fireplace hearth to get closer to the big wreath behind. It really enhances the Christmas time feeling of the photo. We had quite an audience while doing this and perhaps should do it next year for all couples or individuals there who would like a photo of them. I'd take the Nikon and some better flash equipment for something like that but it might be a good idea.

We have been finishing our Christmas shopping and getting Christmas cards started. Today we mailed the first of the cards while at Starbucks for our mochas and the mail box outside the store was so full I wasn't sure we could get ours in. That was only ten minutes before the pickup time and that was ontime, so it was easy to get ours included and the first of them are enroute. I even have most of my gifts wrapped and am at home now to make this post to give Pat some time without me so she can get some gifts wrapped that she says she can't do with me there. I wonder why she can't do it with me beside her?

Labels: Holidays, Pat and I, Photos

I am bad, bad about getting new posts up to my blog. I didn't realize it has been ten days since my last one but I guess it has. We have been busy with all the things the holiday season includes, like shopping, visiting friends and family and of course drinking mochas. Anyway, we also went to see a live show on Sunday the 10th at the historic Lincoln Theater in Mt. Vernon. The mainliner was Stan Boreson, a long time local performer from the Seattle area who had a TV show for nearly twenty years. He plays the accordian, has written many songs, some of which are paradays of others, and is a humorist. Anyone in my age range who has lived the the Puget Sound area very long will know him from the past and it is good to say that he is still performing and celebrating his 48th year in show business. Pat and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.


This first photo is of the Harmony Northwest Chorus, a barbershop harmony group that is affiliated with the Sweet Adelines International group. They performed a group of songs. These photos are not totally sharp as they were taken without flash using just stage lighting. The exposure time on this photo was 1/8th second and they were hand held.


The next photo is of Hugo's Accordion Band. It was re-started in 1994 after 35 years since their last performance. Hugo Helmer founded the group in 1935 and it still carries on the tradition of Scandinavian folk and dance music. The exposure on this one was 1/10th second. Notice the blur from the director's wand.


Here is Stan himself. Again it is a prettly slow shutter speed, but a little faster than the previous two. He stood with the accordian on at the microphone for a full hour. I am twenty-some years younger than he is and am not sure I could have done that.


Stan again with the brilliant red velvet curtains of the Lincoln Theater behind him. The theater is a historic monument and still presents movies as well as various live shows such as this one.

We have attended a couple of Christmas parties in the last week and I have photos of the latest one that I should be able to post in a day or so here. They include my pretty lady in a cute little black dress, along with me for contrast, kind of a Beauty and the Beast thing.

Labels: Entertainment, Photos

Most of the snow from last week is gone and all of it on the roads is history. We are now back to our normal cool and wet weather. It sure makes it easier to get around!

Friday night Pat and I went to the lounge at Cascade Pizza in the evening to listen to a group called Midlife Crisis. They played music from various years but it was all good, starting with a Carlo Santana piece. We managed to drink most of a bottle of wine and eat about half of an order of nachos over two and a half hours and enjoyed the music. We are looking forward to seeing Elvis later this month and Stan Borenson at the local historic Lincoln Theater next weekend. It is so nice to have someone special to go to shows and various places with.

One of Pat's grandsons and I put some outside lights and decorations up yesterday at her house, while Pat and her granddaughter baked cookies. Christmas is sure a fun time of the year and I think this Christmas will be much better for both of us than the one last year was.


This photo was taken after Christmas, 2004, which Ann & I spent in a campground in Ft. Mohave, AZ. This shows how the interior of our motorhome was decorated and lighted for the holiday. That Christmas turned out to be Annie's last one. It was good but we did miss not being home with our kids and grandkids and decided that we would not go south again until after the holidays. This year I will be staying home.

Labels: Pat and I, Photos, Weather