Phil’s Blog

Well, Alpine is NOT a large town; it has no WALMART, BUT it has SUL ROSS STATE UNIVERSITY, which is a quite nice campus. We ate in the Holland Hotel sat nite, and they have a microbrewery that serves some excellent brews!

The movie theatre is closed (thank god for cable), and other entertainment appears scarce; on our way home we passed by a “crafish boil” at an outdoor restaurant, packed with young people.

I can’t get over how friendly people are in texas! Everyone I have engaged in conversation has been willing to talk, even in the big city of Austin!

This RV PARK “La Vista” is the only one we have stayed in with NO AT&T cell signal, but has excellent wifi. In an emergency KAT’S skype # is 816 256-3823. I talked to Pete on skype mon evening and it was clear as a bell!

Our sked is still flexible, but we plan on being in OMAHA May 2-4 for the BERKSHIRE-HATHAWAY STOCKHOLDERS’ meeting, then Severance Alumni banquet on May 10.

Weather here is high & dry, 5164 feet at the rv park. Noses are dried out, evenings are QUITE brisk, haven’t used a/c since arriving.

Well, got a temp crown for root canal yesterday (3/10/08), now wait for permanent. March 24, then to Austin for a/c repair & wpump repair on coach.
Can’t get started writing to nite. I’m in the middle of Zane Grey’s first book, “betty Zane” a true story about his great grandmother, the hero of fort henry. She has a memorial there at Wheeling, W VA. His dad had told him so much he did the research and wrote book while still in dental school, discovered he liked writing and eventually gave up dentistry. Back in 1984, I went his cabin under the Mogollon Rim (AZ), have pics to prove it. Later burned in forest fire, so I’m glad I got a souvenir.
Saw a DVD recently on HOPALONG CASSIDY (new) made in British Columbia, and sure enough the author, Clarence E. Mulford was born there & his first book WAS about Canada. See, you find all sorts of information on this blog!

Brother Warren called from Miami today, they’re embarking on a cruise, then to Kissimmee, FL for a week in a condo, then>>>>>
Phyllis coming to Tampa for a conference feb 15-19, and we’re LEAVING florida. We didn’t buy a motorhome to sit in one spot, even though $3.25 gas makes you not want to go very far!
We go to Pensacola area to visit David (Kat’s son) who is instructing at Ranger school there.
Then to Texas to visit some of Kat’s cousins, then west Texas, etc.

well, last night I underwent a “sleep study”. For those of you who care, they wire you up to about 40 sensors (brainwaves, ekg, pulse, respiration, blood circulation in legs, arms, abdomen, etc.) then put u on a HARD bed in different positions without a mask, and dare u to sleep!
Then they they try out various masks (5 in my case), and monitor fit, leakage, effectiveness, etc. so I go to see the pulmonologist the 18th to see results.
The technician was former Navy aircraft mechanic (female), got out after 8 years because husband didn’t want her to deploy & leave him with 2 girls. They later divorced.
So we talked a lot of Navy, of course.
I just heard of an interesting book, “bleeding Kansas” by Sarah Paretsky, about her girlhood in Eudora, Kansas. She writes the V. I. WARSHAWSKI detective series. she is a KU grad, later ma & PhD at u of Chicago. I have read one of her books, will have to read more. Her family were orthodox Russian Jews, only ones in Eudora.
My list of books I want to read and DVD’s I want to buy is getting larger day by day on my IPHONE! I keep everything on there, but keep it synchronized with my POWERBOOK, so it’s always backed up!
Well, weren’t the IOWA & NEW HAMP elections interesting!!! I can’t believe how well Obama is doing! I went to his “home church” web site & it is scary! go look!
that’s it for today!

Well, I did it, stayed up all nite! 5 a.m. (0500)
called Pete, Phyllis & Cheryl in time zone order. Had a nice visit with Pete; we are going to watch KU/VATech game jan 3rd, Orange Bowl, Miami, 2000 EST, don’t know channel.
Everyone OK, Pete & family camping out at Frontierland (Disneyworld) Orlando, watched spectacular fireworks display with Grandma & Grandpa Caldwell (Beth’s folks).
Phyllis is in middle of raging blizzard in Cheyenne, 50F below zero last night (imagine THAT windchill!?!). Reminds me of winter of 1983 in Casper! I was using amzoil & was only guy in block (without a block heater) whose car would start! It was -70F that nite! and of course the wind was blowing!!!
well anyway, 2007 went out with a bang here in Palm Bay (FL); it was 83 yesterday, sunny & steamy! The bad part is my nose runs, in spite of Allegra and nose spray!

started off the new year right, spent 1 hour on 2nd life with Kat at the International Space Flight museum, now I’m blogging my blog, now to start writing my navy stories & more poetry! Wow, I’d better slow down!

Been watching DVD’s, “davinci code” (very good). one of those movies u watch 2 or 3 times to make sure u get it. Read the book a while ago, but forgot some. Also watching some”Victory at sea” dvd’s (about 7 hours on 3 dvd’s. Brought back a lot of memories of “Naval History” in
boot camp, 1954. Am I that old?
SO LONG FOR TODAY JAN 1, 2008!

after being reminded by my sweeeeeeeet wife that I haven’t posted since 0ct 2006, I thought IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! or they may throw me out of the writers guild! My daughter-in-law Julie Cochrane has written 2 best sellers in that time!
When you are an expert procastinator (as I am) time really ffffflllllliiiiiiieeeeeeesssssss!

I guess I am learning about motorhomes the expensive way, this is no 4, going back to 1984, and they keep getting bigger, gas gets higher, more slideouts, but I still have to add steer-safe & airbags to get them to handle & ride the way they should!
water pump quit (cheap), air cond # 2 quit (warranty), coleman doesn’t seem to make them to last past the warranty, third one I have replaced on 3rd coach. nice to have 2!

refrigerator problem continues (over heat problem only on gas). fixed it by removing thermocouple from the circuit. Other problem, baffle at top of vent was installed “upside down” at factory (or so tech said).
Of course, there was the (made in China) heater hose that blew on a hot summer day on I-80 (warranty), the only chassis problem we have had. The Banks powerpak was a good investment in mid-range torque, for sure.

I had my misgivings on the ford v10, but it sure wants to run, 6000 rpm when needed, a LOT different than the 8.1 liter WORKHORSE engine that protested at 4500! AND IT SOUNDS GGGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAATTTTT!
K at is a good driver, getting pretty steady!
well, must run today!

have been researching web ALL DAY to find frord mohome chassis info, no luck!!!