Oh No…Front Load Washer Broke, With Work Uniform Inside…..

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

Now this is a helpless situation. Your work Uniform inside of a front load washer…..It is broken…..in the wash cycle….it won’t drain….you can see them through the glass door and the water is part way up on the door. You have to be at work in 3 hours…..You stand and stare in the door….”Yes their they are! Swimming in water, but you can’t get to them….What to do??? What to do????…..

This was on a Friday morning, I decided to wash my Cinemark Uniform. I should have done this during the week, but of course I kept putting it off. So that morning I decided to wash it inside in my washer in the Motor Home. We have a washer and dryer outside in the shed but it had started to rain. I thought, well I only had a few things so I would throw them in the washer inside.

Our unit inside is a small washer dryer combo. It washes a very small load and then it also turns into a dryer. You just turn the dryer button and it dry’s. It has been a life saver. We have used it most of the time the past 3 years. As long as you do small loads, it is fine. When we were gate guarding, it was a savoir. We were miles from town and we were on duty 24 hours a day. At Adventureland, we were able to wash in the evening. Our days off were ours to do as we pleased while others went to the laundromat. So that morning I decided to put in my Cinemark Shirt and black pants, and a few other things. After it washes and it goes into the spin cycle, it starts shaking as it spins. You can feel the whole trailer shake. Around 2pm I realized that the trailer never went into shake mode. I went to look at the washer, and in the window I could see it full of water……OMG…..What is wrong!!!!!. I kept turning the buttons to see if I could make it drain…..Nope….All it did was turn and agitate….I guess I had enough soap in their, cause every time I tried to make it drain, it just agitated and made more suds……Now what to do??? Its 2:30 by now. I have to be at work at 5:30…..My clothes are locked in a washer with water and suds half way up the door. I stared at the door and put things into perspective. First thing of importance…..I need clothes for work….

We are issued 1 shirt and we buy our own black pants. I guess I will have to wear my old black jeans that I got in trouble for at the beginning. Were not allowed to wear jeans. But that’s my only alternative. Now during the time I have worked their which is approaching 6 months we have been issued 3 different shirts. When their is a new movie coming out in the future, they sometimes give us new shirts to advertise the movie…..Hence, here is “Jumanji, Welcome to the Jungle”, which is coming out in December. This one is in the washer. So, I guess I will wear my last shirt which was “The Emoji Movie”, which came out in July. Ok first problem solved. I will have clothes for work, just not the proper ones. Now the washer…….I decided for now, I would put it in spin cycle and shut it off. Maybe it will do a slow drain!!!. I can’t open the door as it is full of water and it will drown the motor home. Ok, so off to work, worry about the washer tomorrow.

Next morning, I looked at the door. Had the water went down any??? NO!! Only the suds….lol…. Ok, let me check out if I put it in off position, will the door unlock. …. Yep…I gently pushed the button and pulled the door and the water started leaking out. I quickly closed the door shut. Ok, that problem is solved, at least I know I can get into the washer now……lol… Ok, that will be another day. Time for work at 12 on Saturday. So another long last look at my poor work clothes still swimming in water inside the washer.

Gremlins wreck a washing machine.

Now its Sunday morning. I have to be at work at 12 again. I decided to open to door slowly and hold towels under the door and soak up the water that came out the door. So that is what I did. It took 3 large towels to soak up the water to the point I could open the door completely. But its getting late. Off to work I go for the last time this week….That night I came home and finally was able to take out the clothes. Poor clothes have been soaking and swimming for 3 days….lol…They didn’t smell very good. So out to the washer in the shed they went. I used a glass to scoop most of the water out of the washer. Now I have to figure out how to get all the water out of the tub……..

The next morning I looked it up on the internet to see if I could find some problem solving issues. They said it could be the pump or it could also be the filter is plugged on the front. Rich called, he is in Illinois working the harvest, which I will explain next blog. I told him what had happened and he agreed it could be the filter is clogged. I started to unscrew the filter and the water started pouring out…..I quickly screwed it in. Now I know how to empty the tub, but how can I do that without getting water all over the floor…..Hmmmmm…..I got the bucket from the shed….a garbage bag, and masking tape. I taped the bag in a U shape under the filter door. I put the bucket under the bag….Finally I opened the filter door and all the water drained down the bag into the bucket…..Presto, It worked beautifully. The filter was dirty but not that dirty, so I don’t think that is the problem. I ran the dryer to dry out the tub and put it all back together. Its a problem for Rich……lol…..I did my part!!! I rescued my clothes all by myself. I have a feeling the dryer has bigger problems. So that problem solved for now.

But of course since Rich is up north, of course another problem has developed. I’m outside grilling hamburgers by the side of the RV and I noticed that water was leaking out the hot water heater door. It wasn’t pouring out but it was leaking like condensation can accumulate and drip. It was actually causing quite a puddle on the concrete…..So immediately thoughts went through my head ……If I’m gone it could break and water would just be spewing out all over the patio. It wouldn’t stop, cause the water would go from the outside faucet through the trailer out the water heater hole….Imagination really takes hold sometimes. So every time I left, I would turn off the faucet outside. Then I started turning off the faucet all night. I put my robe on in the morning and went out and turned the water back on, and the heater, took my shower, washed dishes and then went out and turned off the water. Then when Rich called, he said to look under the washer as that is the back side of the water heater. Yes their was a water bypass. So that is my life for now until he gets home. I turn on the bypass in the morning and the water heater, wait 15 minutes, take my shower, wash dishes if I have any, and then turn off the heater and flip the bypass. It works great. I still have water all through the trailer. The only time it leaks now is when the bypass is on. So now I have broken 2 things for him to fix………….lol……..

Lesson Learned……Never Panic…..Take it step by step….Imagination takes hold, but theirs always a way to address the situation. ……Step by Step….. Its not the end of the world…..lol….Laughing at your situation is GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL!!!!

That’s what happens in an RV…..But that can Happen in Your Home also…..

Attacked by a Palmetto Bug!!!

September 29, 2017October 1, 2017w2bergen Leave a comment

Yikes!!!! Last Sunday nite I came home from working at the theater and ran in the trailer to the bathroom. In my HASTE, I guess I didn’t shut the door all the way as I found out later. Rich called and I sat down to talk to him. The tv was on and as I sat on the love seat suddenly …….

“”””Something Lightly Ran Across My Neck Right Under My Face.“”””

It happened so fast, all I felt was a little flutter as it went across my neck. I felt ……INSTANT QUIET PANIC…..At that point the mind races and thinks of so many things. I settled on 2 things….Palmetto Bug!!!….Tarantula!!!!

The mind quickly starts to process and figure out the lesser of 2 evils….I HATE BUGS AND SPIDERS.… The reason Tarantula came into my mind was that I was with some lady’s earlier in the day and we were talking about them. They are common down her in Texas. Well I’ve never seen one out crawling, but I have seen several dead ones. That is my fear to walk out someday and see one walking across my patio. Everyone says they are good. They eat bugs. But to me they are furry, scary, creepy little creatures. They need to stay away from me.

Well I looked over my shoulder to the back of the love seat, and I seen a small shadow moving quickly across the top. Now remember it is night and all the light I had on was the TV and the light above the sink. The “THING” then went off the other end and went into my bunch of papers next to the love seat. I heard the papers rustle as “IT” crawled through. I’m still silent as Rich is talking on the phone. I believe I’m in a small state of shock…..lol….Then “IT” went up front under the drivers seat and across to the front of the coach near the steps. Richs Pool que was their. I could now see “IT” crawling in the shadows. “It” crawled up over the que and down into the step area. I got up and climbed onto the passenger seat and tried to open the door but couldn’t. As I reached for the door, …..”IT”….crawled up the side of the step and under the passenger seat I was perched on. I flew back to my love seat and sat their. This all happened very quickly, and the whole time, I had the phone to my ear listening as Rich was talking…..

Finally I told him, “Something just ran across my neck“…..He started laughing and I told him all about it. I kept starring at the chair waiting to see if “IT” would come out and listening to hear more sounds. But their was no more…….Silence….. Now the cat was near when this all happened. Of course he was very curious. He followed the …”THING”…and watched….he just sat and watched some more. His head would go one way….and then the other way…He was on guard duty…..Good Kitty….Rich and I talked for quite awhile and he was laughing at me. I finally decided it was a Palmetto Bug. In the shadow, it had a wider body and NOT a Tarantula shape. I am now sitting up on the sofa, I turned all the lights on, waiting…..waiting….He finally said good nite as it was getting late. I told him I was afraid to go to bed. I was going to wait for ….”IT”….to come out.

So after we hung up, I put my shoes on to prepare for the ….KILL… I had all the lights on, I was sitting up on the love seat. I turned off the TV, so I could listen closely……Nothing happened. I went over by the door, lo and behold, I hadn’t shut the door when I came home from work. I could see daylight. That has to be how ….”IT”….got in. The Guard cat went to bed…..He left me alone…..I kept thinking, if ….”IT”…crawled up on the love seat and across my neck, …”IT”…could crawl up the bed and across my face…..NOOooooo…..but finally around 1 am. I gave up. I was getting so tired. I got out the flashlight to take with me to bed. I usually get up during the night to go to the bathroom. I wanted the flashlight to light every step LOL. Am I chicken???…..”H’ll yes I am” I walked into the bedroom and the cat is sound asleep in bed. He always gets his treats before bed. He never forgets. I guess he gave up waiting on me. So I carefully got in bed and covered up entirely. I went to sleep with thoughts of ….”IT”…being near, ….somewhere, …..by my bed, and …”IT”…crawling up and across my face.

I woke up around 4 am to a gently clawing on my arm. That darn cat. He must have realized he missed his treat. He wouldn’t leave me alone. So I got the flashlight, turned it on, walked to the kitchen and illuminated every step with the light. I feed the BRAT CAT, I shined the light all over, the floor, the wall, the ceiling….nothing….So went to the bathroom and carefully went back to bed. I actually fell asleep again.

6:30……That Dam Cat now wanted his morning treats. He was now pawing my arm again gently. He wouldn’t quit. He knew it was time to get up. So out came the flashlight again. So that morning I was pretty much on guard. I started looking for ……”IT”…….I pulled the blanket out beside Richs chair and washed it. Looked under the passenger seat. stacked up the shoes behind his chair. cleaned out some papers. I didn’t find anything. Rich called to see how my nite went with the bug. He was laughing at me again.

Now I’m sure you wonder what a Palmetto Bug is…..The common name is….Cockroach….. Yes, such a disgusting thing. They are prevalent here because of the Palm trees. All coastal areas that have Palm trees are full of them. They are almost as common as ants. Up north if you have cockroaches, your house is considered dirty. Down here, they just sneak in. If you have a small hole, they come in. They can climb trees, walls and then let go and sort of fly to the ground. So they can also attach to your clothes outside, like beach towels, or clothes on the line. They are about an inch and a half long, brown and ugly. When they die, they are always belly side up. I don’t understand that.

So I am now thinking that it was a Palmetto bug. That puts my mind at rest over the Tarantula. Now a week later, and still no sign of ….”IT”…. I finally decided it must have climbed back down the step and snuck outside before I found the door open.

I have been trying to walk and get some exercise but its been difficult to make my self go. I like to walk at nite. I did several nites last week, but this week was the start of the new season on tv. I was too tired to go after the news was on. So last nite was a football game. Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears. I’m not a fan so I decided to go for a walk. I got my tennis shoes out from the shoe pile I had stacked up……………I put my foot in one, and felt something…………OMG….so glad I had put socks on……”IT” was their…..”IT”… died in my shoe…..belly up…..”IT”… was a Palmetto bug…..a Cockroach…..I was so happy to find …”IT”… so I knew for sure It was DEAD. I dumped him outside. I sprayed bug spray in my shoe, then dumped in Foot Powder.

So finally at last…………….Mystery Solved……I can now …..Sleep Easy at nite…………..and ……”UNCOVER MY FACE”…..

9/11/2001 My Memories of That Fateful Day

September 11, 2017September 12, 2017w2bergen Leave a comment

Sept. 11 2001, will be a day most will always remember if they were alive that day. I sure do. It was the day that 19 members of the Islamic terrorist group, El Qaeda boarded 4 different airlines. They hi-jacked them and crashed them one by one on a suicide mission, killing 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage.

Second in a series of four. The second plane crashes into the World Trade Center.

That morning of 9/11, I went to work. Rich was off that day. We were having a sunroom addition put on that morning. He was going to stay home for the installation. I was working in the Pharmacy at Advantage Logistics. We were rather a small dept. at that time. Maybe 10 or 15, not really sure. We were expecting our supervisor Pam to come in. She wasn’t showing up. I’m not sure if I called her or she called first.

She said she couldn’t get away from the tv. I said, “What do you mean?” “A Plane just flew into the World Trade Center Tower in New York.” Wow, not really understanding what was going on, she said she would be in soon, and before we could hang up, she said…..”OMG, their goes another one into the other tower”. I think then the idea of something massive and evil was starting to form. I knew no one else knew what was going on. I believe I told several co-workers. Then on our next break, we had a plant wide meeting. It was conducted by our CEO Don. He was one of our best Ceos’ we ever had. He told everyone about the planes that had crashed into the World Trade Center. He said he would keep us informed as the day progressed as to what was happening.

010911-N-3031B-001 Arlington, Virginia (Sept. 11, 2001) -Ð Smoke and flames rise over the Pentagon at about 10 a.m. EST on Sep. 11, 2001, following a terrorist attack on the Pentagon in which terrorists hijacked a commercial airliner and crashed the plane into the side of the Pentagon. Part of the building collapsed while firefighters continued to battle the flames and look for survivors. The building was evacuated, as were the federal buildings in the Capitol area, including the White House. American Airlines FLT 77 was bound for Los Angeles from Washington Dulles with 58 passengers and 6 crew. All aboard the aircraft were killed, along with 125 people in the Pentagon. U.S. Navy Photo by PhotographerÕs Mate 2nd Class Lisa Borges (RELEASED)

Later we found out another plane also crashed into the Pentagon, and one more was heading back east and crashed in a field Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

At home the workers had come to put up the sunroom. Rich had left to do some errands. When he came home, the workers and him witnessed a large plane come down really low and circle around and head back to Chicago…..Now we are only 90 miles from Chicago but usually planes are on the way up to their flight path. They certainly don’t come down low and turn around. Rich went and turned the tv on and positioned it for the workers to watch as they put up the sunroom. It turns out all planes were grounded. They were instructed to go to the nearest terminal and land. The government was rightfully very worried. They didn’t know what was going on. How many more planes up their were being hi-jacked. How many more would be routed into Washington DC or New York. For 3 days, I believe the sky’s were void of planes. I remember how eerie it was. We were on the flight path into Chicago. We always saw and heard planes. The nites were really strange. You would look in the skys, and not a plane to be seen. No moving lights. No sounds. So Quiet. Not even the Hospitals Helicopter was allowed to fly. Finally after 3 days they resumed their flights, but security was stepped up massively.

I remember watching for days and days and even weeks. It had made such a huge impact on the country. Such a shock. Everyone was glued to the tv and watched the video play over and over. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City.

Within an hour and 42 minutes, both 110-story towers collapsed, with debris and the resulting fires causing partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the World Trade Center complex, including the 47-story 7 World Trade Center tower, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures. People were in a panic. They were running for their lives. The day at the Trade Center had just begun and the buildings were full of people in their offices. The planes hit high, so the reports said the stairways were just full of people trying to get out. They were afraid of the elevators. The people above the floors where the planes crashed in were panicking.

Many of them were calling their family’s. Some knew it was probably the end and were saying their last good byes. It even got to the point that people were jumping. Their were many horror stories of people jumping 100 stories up. Little did anyone know that the towers would come tumbling down. It only took 1 hr and 42 minutes to bring down 2 110 story towers. They said the planes all had full fuel tanks that exploded on impact. The fire super heated the iron and finally, it all came tumbling down, pancaking onto each floor as it fell. As you watched it, it felt like a dream. Your mind just couldn’t encompass what was happening. The streets became a rolling cloud of ash.

Everyone was running for their lives. Their was a thick ash everywhere. I read where some people couldn’t out run it and ran into buildings or under cars to try to escape it. The ash turned out to be the buildings that pulverized as they came down. People were just covered with it.

All the rescue crews came in. Firetrucks, rescues vehicles, ambulances, and police departments. Some of the crews had parked near the bottom of the towers before they came down.

Rescue people climbed the stairs to the towers trying to rescue people who where trapped. Unfortunately, when the towers fell, many of them perished also. 9/11 was the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed respectively.

UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 11: Firefighters Todd Heaney and Frankie DiLeo, of Engine 209, carry injured firefighter from the rubble of the World Trade Center., (Photo by Todd Maisel/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

The searchers worked for hours and hours, days and weeks. The hospitals prepared for many patients. We all waited to see the patient count go up or the body count……..But it didn’t happen…..They just couldn’t find hardly any body’s from the towers. Turned out many of them were also pulverized when the building came down.

American Airlines Flight 11 was the first plane to crash at 8:46 into the North Tower at floors 93-99 killing all 92 people on board.

2. United Airlines Flight 175 was the second plane to crash at 9:02 into the South Tower at floors 75-85 killing all 65 people on board.

3. American Airlines Flight 77 was the 3rd plane to crash at 9:37 killing 59 aboard and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the Pentagon building.

4. 10:07 am – After passengers and crew members aboard the hijacked Flight 93 contact friends and family and learn about the attacks in New York and Washington, they mount an attempt to retake the plane. In response, hijackers deliberately crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew aboard.

The Passengers were very brave on Flight 93. This was their way of protecting the country by sacrificing themselves and not let the terrorist achieve their goal. It was said later, they thought the plane was heading for the Capital in Washington DC. The flight impacted at 563 mph at a 40-degree nose-down, inverted attitude. The impact left a crater eight to ten feet deep , and 30 to 50 feet wide.

Suspicion quickly fell on El Qaeda. The United States responded by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had harbored El-Qaeda.

It took them until May of 2002 to finish the clean up of the Trade Center. Plans were made to rebuilt. The Pentagon was repaired within a year. On November 2006 the new construction began for the New Trade Center, and it was finished and open on November 3, 2014. A new National September 11 Memorial & Museum was built on Ground Zero, a Pentagon Memorial was also built, and out in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Flight 93 National Memorial was built in the field where it crashed .

We must never forget this day. Take nothing for granted. Appreciate our freedoms. Count our blessings. Reach out and help our neighbor. Cherish your family. We have a Great Country. We must never let anyone take that from us. Remember, all those people were innocent people who bought a ticket for an airline flight that day or simple went to work. Think of the terror during the last hour of their life. They didn’t deserve that. The people on Flight 93, died protecting our country. Lets continue to preserve our freedoms that we have. Educate our children and our future generations on what happened so it can NEVER happen again.

America is a Great Country…..Land of the Free….Home of the Brave

Tammy’s New Swing Set & Theirs Going to be a New Baby in the Family……

September 7, 2017September 7, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

Tammy has been wanting to buy Carly a new swing set. So this is her story. She will do anything to save money…..lol…Many things most people would never do. It always comes with a funny entertaining story. She wanted a really nice wooden one with a large fort area. The ones in the store were so expensive. She has a friend Michele, whose husband is very talented in woodworking and building. He loves to make things. So Tammy and Mike started figuring out what it would cost in materials……Whoaaaa…..Way to much. Wood is expensive. She started watching FB. Finally, their was one. Only catch, it was in Joliet. That’s about an hour or more from McNabb. It was only $300. ……Perfect……So last weekend she got off work in Peoria after working all nite, headed for Rutland, picked up Mike. Now she headed back to McNabb to get a trailer. This has already been probably an hour and a half drive. They drove all the way to Joliet.

Here it is sitting in the back yard of the house. They were very impressed with it. The owner, Sheila and her husband had it built 15 years ago. Now her kids were grown and headed to college. They no longer needed. It was so sturdy, that Tammy and Sheila even climbed up on the fort area and jumped up and down. …..It passed the test….. So now, How to get it home!!!……time to take it apart….. It had to come apart into pieces to fit on a car trailer. Mike was really into it Tammy said, he loves doing things like this.

He took it apart very carefully. Some of the supports broke and some they had to cut off. It had been buried in the ground. Now next problem. The fence was built around the set 15 years ago, so now, …..How to get it Out…..

Finally after much deliberation, it was decided…..Two panels of the fence had to come down.

Then to carefully carry it out to the trailer. It looks bigger than the opening to me. Apparently Sheila said, had others come and look at it, and they either picked it apart or decided it would be to hard to take it. …..But not Tammy, ….. When she can save a buck, she will do what it takes. Sheila was very happy that they were taking it and took most of these pictures. She was so happy it would give kids many more years of fun.

Finally they got it into the trailer, all packed up and ready to go. It sure looks like a mess doesn’t it. So now the trip back to McNabb.

First stop Menards…..As Mike took all the bolts out, many of them were so old. They bought all the bolts Menards had in the store…..lol….Tammy wanted the bottom all wood so it would be easier to mow. So wood was also on the list. Some of the railing needed replacing, so more lumber……They said they were a hit at the store. Guess many were laughing ……WITH THEM……lol…..Finally, they came through McNabb and Rich and Scott were out side at the Bar and laughed at them. She said they looked like they were building a Pirate Ship. Finally after 3 days of work, Mike had it done. He used all the new bolts that Menards had except for 3. Now that’s cutting it close.

It looks so nice. Carly will have so much fun. It has a nice long slide, and a very large fort area.

I really like the wood platform on the bottom. So much better than sand. It not only looks good but will certainly make it sturdier. So here it is all put together 3 days later.

Certainly quite a feat. Tammy said without Mike, it would have never happened. So now Carly has 2 swings, a trapeze, and nice long slide, a ramp up, a nice big fort area, and steps also. Cost ended up being around $800….A lot more than the $300, but still a bargain. She’s restaining the areas that they replaced and also decided to use Flex Seal on the roof…..lol….Lets see how that holds up. Now the ironic part is after talking to Sheila, Tammy found out her mom is at Liberty Village in Peru. Sheila was from Ottawa. The more bizzare part is Sheila’s parents use to live in Harlingen in a park for a number of years. She didn’t think it was Eastgate but then their are many in the area. Its really a small world isn’t it…….. Sheila sent all her pictures she took to Tammy and was so happy to see the swing set back in commission with in 3 days, ready for little kids to play on it again.

Now……..Did I have you Wondering?????….Yes were going to have a New Baby in the Family……One of these little girls is going to be Dee Dee.

Tina, Ed, Miley and Austin are adopting a new puppy. These little girls were born on Sept. 4, 2017. Their parents are Golden Doodles named Amber & Jax. They were born at Windmere Kennels in St. Charles Michigan. They will be able to bring Dee Dee home by the first part of Nov. This will again complete their family after their terrible lose of Dexter….For those of you who didn’t read that Post, here is the link. https://w2bergen.com/2017/08/11/our-memories-of-dexter-the-beloved-pet-of-tina-ed-miley-and-austin/ Dexter lost his life on Aug 11. He has left a Huge hole in their lives and their hearts. So now, Dee Dee will help make new memories. Dexter got his name from a show on tv for kids. It is Dexter Laboratories. Dexter has a sister on the show called Dee Dee. Now Dexter will have his sister Dee Dee move into his house and enjoy the love of the family he knew and loved.

Ohhhh, I’m sure its going to be a Long Long Long wait in the Dolder Household……waiting for the NEW BABY….

Hurricane Harvey, 2017

September 3, 2017September 3, 2017w2bergen Leave a comment

We were very lucky. “Harvey” missed us. It came in on shore a little over 200 miles north of us. It directly hit Rockport, Port Aransas, Victoria, Refugio, and Port Lavaca. Corpus Christi was just a little south of the eye.

One thing we realized down here in Texas living near the Gulf is, Hurricane season is taken very seriously. The weathermen are always reporting on storms coming off the coast of Africa. We knew this season started in August and ended the first of Nov. Here is Eastgate we knew that all annuals or anyone who left their camper here for storage, had to anchor their units to the concrete pads. Now after this past week, I understand why.

This storm started a week or two earlier as a depression #91. As they watched it cross the Atlantic it escalated as it reached the Yucatan Peninsula. It slowed down over land and then as it crossed into the Gulf of Mexico it started to escalate from a tropical storm to Hurricane. They initially knew it could come ashore as a Category 3, but the warm waters escaladed it to Category 4, which meant it contained winds of over 125 mph. It was predicted to land a little more south. The Rio Grande Valley started to prepare. Everyone was stocking up. South Padre Island closed all beaches and they started boarding up windows. If the winds reached over 45 mph, they would close the bridge to all traffic. They have an Emergency text system in place for their residents, that you can get this information as it develops. We took down our screen room, and put in all our awnings. When Rich put up the shed, one of the requirements was also to anchor it. So he constructed a wire anchor system that runs through both sides of the shed and is anchored to the concrete. The park went around putting all the pool chairs and anything loose away. They also inspected some of the homes of people who were not here and made sure everything was safe as possible. We were suppose to receive up to 70mph winds at one point. Also 4″ – 6” of rain. Well, not a whole lot happened. I woke up at midnight to hear the pitter patter of the rain. The wind wasn’t bad. It was suppose to escalate in the morning. Nope, we were very lucky. It came ashore around Port Lavaca, which is a little over 2 hours north on the coast.

We caught some of the outer wind bands but not fierce. Up around Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Victoria and Port Lavaca, it destroyed the towns, hotels, homes, Rv Parks, and Boat Harbor’s. Some of the smaller towns evacuated. One of the Winter Texans from last year, said she had workamper friends in one of the parks. They could not leave until all the guest campers were gone. Then they could leave. I don’t know if I like that or not.

The towns were really tore up. The rain was horrible. They said that some areas around Houston could receive 50″ before it was over. Just imagine that much rain and it comes ashore at 125mph. “Harvey” came ashore and hovered for awhile. It actually moved like it was a drunken soldier on shore. It was downgraded finally to a tropical storm, but the tail end was still feeding the bands over the Gulf with water. It continued to rain. Houston started to flood. Houston is a very low city. It is only 50 feet above sea level. It was built on flat marshy ground. It is prone to flood but nobody expected it to flood this much. Reports started to come on tv of all the rescues.

The interstates started filling up. Some of the drivers just didn’t understand. They continue to think they are almighty and can drive right through, including semis. We seen reports of so many people just walking through the water to safety. Abandoning their vehicles or homes. The 911 calls were coming in. People were beginning to be trapped in their homes. The water kept rising. Some were in their attics with nowhere else to go. They were advised to bring an axe with them so they could chop a whole in the roof if needed. …….”Get out of your house”…..”Stand on your roof”…. “Bring a piece of material with you that you can wave to draw attention”. The calls kept coming in. The people were told they were on the list. But the Emergency people couldn’t help until daybreak, and even then, it was still impossible in many places. Finally you seen boats coming down the streets.

Individuals were going out with their own boats, canoes, airboats, even jet skis. They were going out into the neighborhoods and picking up people and bringing them to high ground. The local Convention Center opened up for the victims. They kept running short of cots for them to sleep on. Some people slept the night on the floor. But at least they were safe and dry. This flood had overwhelmed everyone.

The news showed so many people being rescued with dump trucks. Many times they used ladders to help the people get in and out. So many people, young and old were carried through the water. In one case, Nursing home residents were trapped and needed someone to come get them. No one came. Finally the nursing home owners were so devastated and helpless, they took a picture of all these poor people sitting in chairs and the couches waist deep in water looking so forlorn.

I can’t even imagine their thoughts. I’m sure they thought they were at deaths door. She sent the picture to her daughter for help. Her daughter put it out on Social Media and the news. In less than 2 hours, Help Arrived. Here’s all those people today smiling, happy, warm and dry. So Happy to be Alive. How awful for them.

The National Guard was called out. National Guard brought in around 30 helicopters for air rescue. The US Coast Guard also brought in their helicopters Every available resource, was called in. Fema, Red Cross, so many agency’s arrived, their was help arriving from all over the US. Even the Border Patrol from the Rio Grande Valley came with over 30 different types of boats. Of course all the news people arrived. The reports and pictures on tv were constant the first 2 days. It was ongoing for so long. The storm stagnated in the Houston area, then went back out over the Gulf. It reentered east of Houston around the Beaumont area and headed north west, slowly dissipating, but did much more damage and dropped a lot of rain in the Beaumont area. They faced so many dangerous issues.

Now they also had floating islands of Red Fire Ants. They had come out of the ground and attach themselves to each other and become a floating colony. You certainly don’t want to get into a nest of them. Also, now the bayous had filled up and the city had to release some of the water in the reservoirs so they wouldn’t break. Now Alligators were also swimming in the water along with Snakes. Sewage and Chemicals had been leaked into the waters by now. It was so dangerous to be in the water, but many had no choice. Now here it is a week after “Harvey” landed, and the city still has water. They said it may take weeks in some areas to totally empty. Another occurrence they may find is floating caskets.

With the ground being so saturated, some caskets may just surface and float. How awful it would be to come across a casket. The latest count of deaths was 39, which I thought was pretty good.

Through all of this their is always “HERO’S” that give selflessly of themselves and their money. In Houston Jim “Mattress Mack” Mcingvale has 2 very large furniture stores called “Gallery Furniture”.

He opened his doors to anyone who needed shelter. They made his new furniture their home. A place to rest and sleep. He fed them, and donations of all sort came in. He even gave out his cell number for anyone who needed help and couldn’t get it.

He not only let the flood victims sleep in his beds, he also let the National Guard rest. “What a hero”. He also did this for Hurricane Katrina. He wants to help and share all he has to the people who need his help. It was said he was losing $30,000 a day.

Hotels and Motels all over are filled. Some people left before the storm and some left after and found a place to go. I believe Fema or the Red Cross is paying for the rooms for most of this month to give the families time and everyone to make plans for the future. They are located all over Texas and probably Louisiana. I do know that here in the Rio Grande Valley, we have many families that are in our motels. All across the valley, the school systems are going motel to motel, enrolling the children in school. All they want is the child’s name and info. Their not requiring Birth Cert. or papers. They just want them in school so their life can continue as normal. Country Suites here in Harlingen posted on FB the other day, the items they needed. It contained from a Wheelchair and cane, on to clothes and personal care items and food. They alone have 22 families. We have at least 6 motels full. Before you knew it, the word got out. They have so many contributions that they are sharing across the Valley. One person thought it was important to give the families a Cook out on Monday for Labor Day. So many people have volunteered to help to put on a Celebration. H-E-B is a huge chain grocery store in Texas. In fact in the valley, their is no other. …..No Krogers, Hyvee, Albertsons, just H-E-B….. They deployed a convoy of 15 vehicles including 2 Mobile Kitchens, water and fuel tankers and H‑E‑B trailers, that will deliver much‑needed relief supplies and services to the communities in the affected hurricane area

The H‑E‑B Mobile Kitchens, are two 45‑foot‑long food preparation facilities that are each designed to serve up to 2,500 meals per hour, will set up and serve hot meals to first responders and storm victims. Also H‑E‑B’s DRUs that are fully equipped with an H‑E‑B Pharmacy and Mobile Business Services unit, which allows displaced residents to fill prescriptions, cash checks and pay bills, as well as provide access to an ATM. One of the kitchens stopped in the Victoria area. The other went on north to Houston. Another fact to mention is the pets. Anyone who had a pet, it was rescued with them.

Pets have become a family member and they were treated as so. The shelters have included them. Their were pictures and stories of all the pet rescues. So many people came out of their homes with their cats and dogs in carriers. The ones that are found without owners have been taken to shelters. Some are being shipped out of state to no kill shelters to find new homes. Our shelter in Harlingen has made several trips up to take homeless animals. They are all asking for donations of food, blankets and money. The animals are being taken care of which is wonderful. They all need a home.

A week later, everything is still in turmoil but they are getting a handle on it. Their were 3 large shelters open in Houston, but they are back down to one. Their were actually around 142 shelters open around the area. Over 100,000 homes are affected with flooding in Texas alone. Over 300,000 homes were without power. A state of disaster was declared in 50 county’s. The discussion has been ongoing…..Should the mayor have evacuated Houston???. It had happened in the past for another Hurricane that never happened after all. Their was traffic jams and people died in the heat. The mayor didn’t evacuate do to that reason. I do agree with him. Houston is the 4th largest city in the US. How do you evacuate a whole city. Where do they go. If you’ve ever been through Houston in rush hour, you would know how bad it is. That is only a small portion of the people. To my understanding he made the right decision. When you realize only 39 lives were lost, that is a small percent considering the population. Some of those lives were lost in vehicles trying to escape the flood. Some of those did not use common sense when traveling in flooded waters. So many near fatal accidents happened that we seen on video. It is sad that anyone died but you have to pick the best scenario for all. I believe they were so fortunate that only 39 lives were lost so far. It could have been much worse. But I’m sure it may go up as they continue the search.

White Caps on the Houston Interstates

Now we start watching the weather forecast…..Another storm coming off the coast of Africa. Already a massive Hurricane.……IRMA…..Of course their are many storm tracks. This one they think, will follow up the East Coast of the US…..So we Wait and Watch

3 Year Anniversary for the Blog….Aug. 25 2014

August 24, 2017w2bergen 3 Comments

Hard to believe that 3 years ago I posted my first blog. …..8/25/14….I know that date so well as it is also my …..”BIRTHDAY” ….. We had been planning on retirement for several years. The date was coming nearer…..I turned 64 and I retired the end of Sept. 2014. Rich worked till Nov. 1 and retired. He turned 65, Dec. 25 2014. We were so ready to sign up for Social Security, Medicare A and B and the whole ball of wax. If truth be told, I would have probably been fired sooner if I hadn’t planned on a retiring date. Things weren’t going well at Adv. Logistics…..I feel for all you guys still their……They pay a good wage, and good benefits, but they work you like a dog……They’ve lost lots of Really Good people through the years…..

So as the date came closer, we were getting so excited. We had been accepted as Workampers starting Dec 1 at Eastgate RV & MH Park in Harlingen Tx. I had been following several bloggers and asking questions about Fulltime Rvers for almost 2 years. I started to think….”I Can Do That Too….I Can Write”…..This was going to be an Adventure that we had no idea how it would turn out. What would we see, and do??? So I started to research on WordPress and set up my blog site myself. I was rather amazed at myself. I did it by trial and error and finally succeeded. I wrote my first Blog and published it on Aug. 25 2014, my 64th Birthday. My goal for writing these blogs was so that the kids and our friends knew what we were doing. Hence the title…….And Let The Fun Begin……We wouldn’t have to explain to everyone our activities, they could just read about it. As time went on, I realized that someday these would all be lost in cyberland. I needed a way to preserve them. I also came to the realization, that everyone works back home. The kids were busy living and working. Time marched on, we were having fun with no schedules while they still had that regimented life style called work. They weren’t reading all of them . I found a company called Blog2Print that would print your blogs into books. I pick the dates, the covers, set up the dimensions inside and they can print them to soft or hard back books. So the printing began every 6 months.

This was the first book that started it all. First I printed them in paper back. Every 6 months I print one, so I have 2 each year. I try to make each one a different color and design. Each book is running around 160 to over 200 pages.

I decided with this last book to try a hard back copy. It really wasn’t much extra. We were so pleased with it. I have been replacing them all now with the hard back. The black one is the only one left. I will be done before the year is out. When I started printing them a book cost around $80 with shipping and handling…..They charge you so much per page after the initial 20 pages…..The last one just cost me around $130…..But they are so worth it….

The pictures inside are pretty nice considering they are all from my phone. I have the pictures made big and the paper is semi glossy. Now as time has gone on my goal for the books has changed.

At first it was about our travels and experiences. Now I realize how much history we see. When we are at a historical place, it seems so important to write about what we see and how we view it. Take for instance the LBJ Ranch. We lived President Johnsons time in office. I want to take what I know from my time in life to what we see on the tour, and write about it. Also the different anniversary dates that we pass each year. We witnessed the assassination of President Kennedy on tv and in newspapers. I feel it is important to write about that piece of history and what we seen and heard and felt during that time. It is so important to tell the story of what we were doing at the time these events happened. The kids nowadays aren’t really taught a lot of these things in history. I try to research it and convey all the historical facts and what we witness to try to tell a full story.

Also as family pictures and special events happen, they can be captured and preserved. So many reasons to write these storys and make sure they are preserved for them and the grandkids.

This will be our gift to them, Our Storys……Our Legacy…..lol….(kids your not getting any money, lol you’ll have to be happy with these books)

But Rich and I are very “PROUD” of these books. We hope that someday the family will enjoy reading them as much as we have enjoyed the experiences. I really enjoy writing them. I feel that its a talent I would have never realized if we hadn’t embarked on this adventure in life. Life is good down here in Harlingen. But only for the winter. lol. Sure is hot in the summer. We do have so many other things to do yet. We just renewed our Security License for Texas again. We have other things we would like to do in the summers. So time will tell what we do next summer.

………So Today I celebrate my 67th Birthday…..are we going out to celebrate????

I’m afraid not…..Another 1st…..Hurricane Harvey……. is on its way in….We are not in the direct path, but we will be included in the outer bands. Their calling for 4″ to 6″ of rain and up to 70 mph winds. It will be landing as a Category 3 around Corpus Christi and Port Aransas. They are doing evacuations right now. Once ashore it could drop 22″ to 24″ in some areas. South Padre Island campgrounds were evacuated today. People boarding up windows. Even though their not getting a direct hit, it is still front line to the Gulf. Their expecting huge storm surges of water. All beaches are closed and most people actually left for the mainland. Today we took down our screen room, put in all the awnings. Put away the chairs and everything outside. The park went around and put away all the pool chairs and anything that could blow. So we are all prepared. So well spend my birthday enjoying ….Hurricane Harvey 2017….

This picture is Thursday late afternoon, ready for the storm….Blue Sky overhead….Hard to believe that west of their behind the shed a hundred miles is Hurricane Harvey 2017, developing from a Category 1 to a 3 at landfall.

These are our new Personal Cards….Rather Cool I think…..Blog address on one side…..This picture was one I took last year as we left Adventureland….

Paying It Forward with Kindness

August 21, 2017September 16, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

Yesterday (Sunday) I worked my shift at the Cinemark 10. I witnessed something I thought was so …….AWESOME……It was later in the afternoon, and a manager came across on the walky , that a disabled lady was in the parking lot and had locked her keys in her car, can we help her. The message back was, not really because company policy. As we all know most large corporations or company’s are always strict on rules to protect themselves from law suits. It is understandable as some people are so sue happy these days. It has become a strange world of opportunity for some people to make a buck at the expense of someone else.

The manager then went outside to the car, and I seen the lady standing by her car. He called the police station….No, no help their. They couldn’t do anything. Shame isn’t it….He asked one of the girls who was bilingual to come out and help translate as the lady was Spanish. Then he called a locksmith. The locksmith wanted $45 to come. She only had $20, so he wouldn’t help either. Now keep in mind it is upper 90’s and I found out her walker was also locked in the car. The poor lady was leaning against the car.

Finally a miracle happened. A guy in a pickup had pulled up to just buy popcorn at the theater and go home. He had a long rod and stuck in down in the door and unlocked it. He must have been her Angel sent by God at the perfect time. Another manager had went out. They called into Concession and said to give the man whatever he ordered free for a Thank You. He walked out with a bagful…..Next they walked with the lady. She was pushing her walker slowly. She looked so hot and tired. But she had the biggest smile on her face. They walked her into the theater and gave her a free showing of 47 Meters Down, which was what she had come to see.

I want to commend the Managers and Crew at Cinemark. Even though company policy dictated they couldn’t physically help with opening the door, they stayed with her and helped her find a way to open it. Then they did what they could to show appreciation to the man that had helped her and gave her a movie that helped her end her day in a positive way. She looked so happy as they were bringing her in. What on earth would have happened if they hadn’t been their for her. She couldn’t walk without her walker that was locked in the car and it was miserable hot. I know she was eternally grateful. These are wonderful stories in life that we all need to hear.

Lessons to learn that we can ……….”PAY IT FORWARD”……

You never know in life when you may need someone’s help. We can’t always PAY IT BACK. Sometimes the situation doesn’t allow it, but we can always Pay Forward. What a Wonderful world we would live in if everyone would do that.

I have also see a few acts of Kindness that so surprised me. Several times in the Box Office, I’ve had people come forward to the person buying a ticket. They couldn’t find enough money. They would come forward and give the person a dollar or two. What ever it took for the ticket. It was done with sincerity also. Not that they were trying to hurry up the people, but they gave because they wanted to help.

Now also yesterday, I had a man come up to buy a ticket. We are a discount theater. We do not show 1st run movies. They are all second run movies that have already made the circuit of the big theaters. Therefore our most expensive ticket on a weekend is $2.92 for regular and $4.33 for 3-D. On Sunday the single ticket is $2.17. He asked me twice……..”How Much”???? He couldn’t believe it….”$2.17″???? He said “at that price, buy all these people in line a ticket”. I had to call him back….I said “Sir, I can’t do that, here is your change. You have to decide what you want to do with your money”. He then paid for the next 3 people in line. He walked away saying he couldn’t believe how cheap the tickets were. Of course the people in line were amazed also at his generosity. These are the kind of people who make this world a better place. They put smiles on peoples faces.

Since we worked Adventureland last summer, I still stay in contact with several FB sites. On one of them was a story posted from the Des Moines Iowa paper. It was a mom who had wrote in to tell the story of an Adventureland employee who had befriended her son. Her son had a handicap of some sort and they were boarding a roller coaster. Usually she said people talk to her, when they were addressing her son. She was commending the employee cause he directly talked to her son as he adjusted his bar. He made eye contact and treated him as a person. It lite up his face and she was so happy to see him treated as normal. She felt so strongly that she wrote an article to the local paper. What a wonderful feeling for a mother to have her child treated as a normal person.

It is amazing that in the space of 30 seconds of contact, you can make a difference. Just a few words, a smile……You could change someone’s day. I decided to try that approach also. Even though sometimes I only have 10 seconds, that short time can be made fun, with a few words and smile. One day a lady came with her daughter. She looked unhappy. She bought her ticket, and her daughter said. “Ok mom, don’t be crying in the show,….You’ve been crying all day”.…..I felt so sad and awkward for her. You can only imagine what problems she could be facing at home. So you never know what is going on at home or in other peoples life. If its only a smile you can give and a cheery “HELLO”, It might help make a difference. I think we’ve all been their at one time or another if were honest with ourselves.

We also see many people with Mental Handicaps of different stages. One girl comes with her mom, and is probably late teens. A very sweet girl who has Downs and is very reserved. The one day she came dressed in a very pretty sun dress. I complimented her on her dress. She brightened up and said “Thank You”…..Several others adults come who have to hold hands to stay together or they might wander off. All it takes is a smile and a wave, and they are on ……Cloud Nine…..I make a practice of waving to them as they go in and if I am their, as they leave later. You cannot believe how excited they are to wave back. They wave all the way to the street. They all need that interaction with the world around them. They have feelings also. Yes they are different but they want to be treated as …..People…..

Their is so much anger anymore in the news. FB is even full of it anymore. These are some story’s I wanted to share to show the positives in life. We all need and want to Pay Back when we can. Sometimes its impossible.

We always should Pay Forward when we can. The World would be Much Happier……And So Would Your Soul……

First Day of School / Emp. of The Month….

August 17, 2017August 19, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

So here it is already, August 16th and the first day of school for the grandkids….I can’t believe they are starting so soon. The summer is flying by. When I was a kid in Toluca, we didn’t start until just before Labor Day. Toluca had one celebration a year. It was the Labor Day Celebration. Carnival rides, games, yummy food, and of course the Parade. Now that was the ultimate time of the year. The suspense and excitement would build all summer. We all couldn’t wait for it to come. But it always seemed like school started on Wed. or Thur. You would see the trucks come in all week bringing the rides and foods. The carnival started on Friday and lasted till Monday. They set it up down town on the streets. I hated that we had to go to school several days, and the teachers even gave us homework….How could they be so mean to us…..lol….All weekend it was an exciting time. The town was full of people, the rides were running and kids screaming in delight. We walked up and down the carnival midway and looked at all the games and the food. I would have to spend my money wisely, because my mom only gave me so much. When it was gone, it was gone. The food was Awesome, Corn Dogs, Lemonade Shake Ups, and Cotton Candy. Then we had the Parade on Monday. Floats representing all of Toluca and surrounding areas, business and church’s, and of course always the politicians riding in fancy new convertibles…..Just waving their hands at everyone….Everyone couldn’t wait for the Marching Bands from through out the area. In high school, I was in FHA. We always made a float. We earned points for doing things so we could go on a trip at the end of the school year. We used chicken wire to mold our design on a hayrack. Then we were supplied with tissue paper to stuff in the holes. They don’t do it that way anymore. Finally the parade would be over, the carnival would shut down early cause they had to pack up and have the streets open by Tuesday morning. I lived about a block from town, and that whole nite you could hear them hammering and noises of tearing down. Tue. morning was school. Downtown was bustling with the usual traffic again. Sometimes the streets still needed to be swept, sometimes it was done. Some of the rides might be parked somewhere all packed up in their trucks, but most were gone. Everything was back in order…..Another year was gone………..Then, time to get back to serious school time….yuck…

The grandkids are growing fast. This year Cassidy is in 8th grade. She is living with her dad going to school in Spring Valley. The 3 little ones are all in Putnam County Primary. Miley is in 3rd grade, and Austin is in 1st. They are Tina and Eds kids. They live in Granville where the Primary School is. It contains Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Here is Carly. She is in Kindergarten this year. Her first year of all day school. Carly and Cassidy are Tammy’s kids. Tammy lives in McNabb. She is a RN so she must have been working and Tina took all 3 kids to school the first day.

This is Carlys 2nd day. She has curly wild hair. It is hard to control unless in a ponytail or pigtail. She is a cutie pie.

And of course we must have the bus pictures. I believe the driver is good friend Kathy. She has been driving for so many years. Maybe even when the kids were in school. She loves her job and her kids. The perfect person you want for a bus driver. Her sister Mary Jane drives also and has for many years. Now that Kathy’s husband retired from Cat., he drives also…….It really takes special people to do this job. This is what Tammy was doing before she became a nurse. She loved her job and all her bus driving friends. Rich also drove part time for many years…..They asked me, …..NO WAY…. no patience.

The other day, I found out some news. I was voted Employee of the Month…..Wow…now that’s another first in my life. I was so surprised. I received a $50 gift card and my name on a plaque. I want to THANK THE AWESOME MANAGERS, for voting for me. They are a GREAT BUNCH. This is sure a morale booster.

I am probably the oldest employee here. Since school will be starting soon, the Box Office will close outside during the week. Tickets will be sold at the Concession Counter. I only work Box Office. So I decided to add more hours during the week, I would try Usher. Now how hard can that be!!! …..Cleaning out the theaters after each show….Stand at Podium, Greet, take tickets and direct them to the right theater. So Ok.

Last Saturday was training …..2-10….8 hrs….. IT WAS AWFUL…..Now keep in mind, we are Cinemark 10…..So each show is shown 3 to 4 times a day…..so 10 theaters x 4 showings????? 40 cleanings……On my shift it would be 31 of those…..”PEOPLE ARE PIGS”….They leave their popcorn bags and buckets. Its spilled all over the floor. Soda cups everywhere. Candy wrappers…..3 D glasses and wrappers. They sneak in Soda in bottles, and candy. They go get booster seats and leave them in the theater when they leave. First you go through and pick up big items. Then with the dust pan and broom you sweep up all the rows. You only have 5 to 10 minutes and sometimes not even that. Other theaters are leaving out. People sit in their seats till the last credits are run. Everything is timed. You only have so much time and everything starts over. It has to be ready for seating for the next show. The bathrooms have to be checked every hour. That means clean sink area. Check and fill soaps, toilet paper in each stall. Flush if needed and sweep up the floor of all the toilet paper that everyone drops…..”Do they do that at Home?????”…..I bet not. Next it is also your responsibility to keep the lobby clean. The popcorn buckets are filled to the max and you can watch them spill as they walk….Its like a trail….Keep the lobby swept and use the push vac on the carpet in the hallways…..It constantly has popcorn spilled on it. Now about 3 hours in to your shift, your big garbage bins are filled. So what ever theater is empty, go out the back exit door and empty your garbage. Just hope its a close theater to the dumpster…..It sure wasn’t last Saturday….The farthest one possible….lol….Now do you still have free time???? Oh yes, so now take your big garbage cans to behind the Concession stand. Their is a sink area to clean the cans. Put on your gloves….Put disinfectant soap and water in the barrels….bend down into them and scrub with a sponge with a scratch pad on one side. The girl who was showing me was down on her hands and knees with her body inside…..OMG…I Tried….Rinse….scrub again and Dry them…….

Now if your closing usher, these are your duties….Go upstairs to the offices and break room. Take out garbage, vacuum the break room, sweep the stairs….It has a stairs, landing and another set of stairs….Then get the mop and bucket and mop all the stairway……Ohhhhh, I was so sore and stiff. My knees were shaking and feet down to my toes hurt. I was suppose to do this myself on Monday. It was going to be really slow but still….That is a lot of activity. I went home and told Rich….I can’t do this…I’m to old.…lol…I fully was going to go ahead and work Monday, but I got up Sunday and decided….NO WAY….I Don’t Have Too…So I talked to the GM and he totally understood. I had to go in and find someone to replace me…..No Problem…On the bottom of my paper for reasoning to not do my shift, I wrote……”TOO OLD”…..They laughed….I Now have a new respect for Ushers. You kids have so much energy and you work circles around me….But I will say,….in all of this, these kids are so nice. They do great training and they are very kind. They knew I was tired, so 2 of the kids let me stand at the Podium for the last part of the evening. They make it all look so EASY….

Its, Not For Me….To Late to Take My Award Away….Back to the Box Office for me on Weekends……

Our Memories of “DEXTER”….The Beloved Pet of Tina, Ed, Miley and Austin

August 11, 2017August 12, 2017w2bergen 1 Comment

The evening of August 9, 2017 will forever be a sad day for Austin, Miley, Tina and Ed. Dex crossed over the Rainbow Bridge that evening. He was doing what he loves to do. Enjoying the outdoors and running. Dexter seen a rabbit and ran across the street in front of a truck.

Fortunately Tina and Ed were home. Ed quickly scooped him up and put him in the truck and drove to McNabb to Dex’s Vetinarian. Unfortunately he passed before Allison arrived. It was a night that they will never forget. The kids, Tina and Ed loved Dexter so much in his short life. The rest of us all thought that Tina thought of him as her third born child and Austin’s and Mileys brother. He had 2 1/2 wonderful years of unconditional love by a family that cherished him. He gave so much love back. He did a lot of traveling also. He went to Arizona, Florida, and went on many fishing trips to Wisconsin with the family and Grandpa Dolder. He had a very full Happy Life. So much sadness. So I want to tell the story of Dexter’s life and how he came to live with his family who loved him.

So to begin this story I must tell you about Tina. She has never been an animal lover. When we had pets she couldn’t understand why we treated them so special. You know like your children. She never wanted any pets or any creepy crawlers in her house. She was just particular. I remember one day she called me. I had given her a live foliage plant for Mothers Day. Several months went by and she seen a bug of some sort on it. She said, if I wanted the plant to come and get it cause it wasn’t going to be in her house.…..lol….That was just the way she was. She refused to have an animal because of the hair. Time went on and Beth, Eds sister had German Shepard’s. She started to realize that Austin would say he needed to go kiss his brother goodbye when they visited. So, after some thought Tina decided to look into buying a dog. Now of course this required research to find a dog that doesn’t shed. She decided on a Golden Doodle. She found Windmere Kennels in Saint Charles Michigan. They had a litter for her to choose from.

This was the first pictures of Dexter from the Kennel. Dex was born November 30, 2014. Tina and the family brought him home Jan 23 2015.

This is the first pictures of him traveling in his car seat….lol…He was such a little guy.

Here is the kids playing with him the first days of his new home. He quickly learned to love his family and especially his kids. I think he felt like one of them. They would play and play till he got tired and had to take a nap.

This sofa became a favorite of Dexter’s to take a nap. He looks so small here.

Then he learned what snow was. He loved to go out and play in the snow. He would try to eat the snow flakes as they fell. Last winter he had fun playing with Aunt Beth and the kids and Mars…..

Finally time to meet his groomer. As you see Dexs’ ‘hair was very curly and close. It grew fast around his eyes, but it didn’t shed.

He had the most Beautiful dark eyes……You could read his thoughts almost…..

So his grooming days began. He met Shaina, his groomer. Tina said he would spend his day in the Spa, getting a bath, clipped, brushed, probably toenails trimmed….just pampered….And he loved it…Every time he came home, Shaina put a new bandana on him. He looked so cute.

His favorite toy was Ali the Alligator. I believe before he was done, he had went through 2 Alis. He would chew them up and throw them around. Of course the kids got involved also playing tug of war. Soon he learned to chew things….lol…loved clothes in the laundry room or bedroom. Soon gates went up. Laundry room, Play room, and Living room. He was isolated to the Kitchen tile floor unless he was with his family. Mileys room was off the kitchen, so if her door was open, he would go in and steal her little plastic toys. Dex was pure puppy. With everyone being gone all day to school and work, he learned very quickly to potty train himself. Then Tina told me she had taught him to ring the Christmas bells on the door to go outside…..

Really, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it. He would run up and ring them and wait to go outside. But of course he also learned that it was a way to just go out and play when he wanted too….Yes he was smart. One day I got to thinking ! Where did Dex sleep. So I asked Tina. He sleeps in bed with us. She had tried to keep him in the kennel on the floor, but he would cry. So she put the whole kennel on the bed with them. So now we have Tina, Ed, Miley, Austin and the Kennel with Dexter in it…..Thank Goodness it is a king size bed. I don’t think he ever left, just the Kennel did. lol…….. Tina made sure he enjoyed all the holidays with the kids.

First was Valentines Day, then St. Patrick’s Day. Easter came and Dex even met the Easter Bunny.

Yes, Dex had stole the heart of Tina. Tina had fallen in love with this little furry puppy. He had the best life. Everything a puppy needed as well as so much love from his mom and dad and kids. We use to laugh and wonder….If their was a fire,….Who would she save first…..Dexter? or the Kids? ….

He had so much fun helping the kids look for Easter Eggs….lol….He also enjoyed Aunt Beth and his cousins Mars and Schultzy. Schultzy has also since crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. ……… I bet their playing together right now. Remembering their families…….

Just look at all this good stuff. Believe me, Dexter would try to steal and eat it too. He would grab things, and you would chase him around the living room. He always moved faster than you. He would get down on his front paws and tease you and run. Finally he learned that if he stole something to eat, just go behind the sofa and nobody sees you. He had a stash back their. So Tina had to try to wall that off from him. He was definitely a child. My first time I met Dexter was when we came back from Texas. He knew no strangers. He loved everyone. We brought back a Piñata and had a party in the side yard in McNabb.

Aunt Beth came and Mars. Tina teased both of them with Spider-Man.

Then we hung Spider-Man up in the tree. She tried to get him to hit it…..Nope none of that….Tina asked me to babysit for him, as they were going to Dakotas for Mileys Gymnastics meet. They would be gone a week. So I spent the nights their so Dex had someone to be with. I knew Tina had put in a camera in the living room pointed at the kitchen to be able to watch Dex while she was at work. So one evening I’m watching tv and all of a sudden I hear…..”Deeeexter…..Deeeexter”……What was that????…..Then that evil laugh….lol….The camera also has a microphone too. She was watching…..Dex picked up his head and looked. He knew it was his mom. Then some time that week, he was playing in the living room and I fell asleep. I woke up to this:

Ohhh No…I’m in trouble cause I’m not watching him…..I stuffed everything back in and that little smarty pants kept nosing underneath and pulling out the stuffing. Then, another nite, I’m playing ball with him. He loved to play fetch. I would throw into the kitchen, he would go get it and bring it back. A great game until; I threw to high and took out one of the light globes on the fan. Now what to do…….Confess? or try to buy one and replace it. but…..It was a straight shot from the camera lens. She could be watching as I did it…..So finally decided, confession was the only way out. Yes, I was a bad babysitter. Tina said when she told Miley, Miley said……”What, Why is grandma throwing in the house. No throwing in the house”…….So we got through that. But Dex was fine…..I believe that was the summer Tina and Ed took a quick trip to Arizona to help her friend Nikki move to Lake Havasu Arizona. Tina and Ed and copilot Dexter made the trip….Dex loved to travel. He was so good in the truck or in the car. He loved his Dad. He also took a trip to Florida. Tina, Miley, Austin and Dexter went with Tammy, Cassidy and Carly to Florida for a week. The purpose was to visit Gertie, who was our landlord/neighbor when the girls were born. Gertie was very close to the girls.

So another road trip. Dexter got to play at Ft. Meyers beach in Florida. So he has done a lot of traveling in his short days. He also spent many family fishing trips in Birchwood Wisconsin on the lake. Grandpa Dolder plans fishing trips their 3 to 4 times a year. He comes from Wyoming and the Dolder family gets together for a week.

Dexter loved it up their. He loved the boat. He loved fishing with his dad and kids.

As you see he was so loved by Austin and Miley. He had so much freedom in Wisconsin to run and had a great time with all the family. He always loved the ride.

He loved spending time with Grandpa Dolder and his cousin, Rea. She is Ed’s sisters youngest daughter. Grandpa Dan wrote on FB and mentioned some fun times he remembered with Dex. One day Rea and Miley was getting dressed. Miley had her swim suit on. She put one leg in her shorts and Dex grabbed the other leg…It was a tug of war. Miley started yelling “Help Help” and laughing the whole time. Grandpa Dan videoed it. He said it was so funny. You never knew what Dex would think up next. Austin would play at night with the flashlight. Dex would try to catch the beam of light….He would flash it all over with Dex chasing it. Grandpa Dan videoed that also……Grandpa Dan said….”Great Memories”

Christmas is always big in the Dolder house. Tina starts with the Advent Calendar. Everyday, the kids would get a little bag of goodies….even Dex….Tina said he knew exactly what it meant.

Now Birthday…..Dex and Austins birthdays were close together, so they had a little party together.

This is Dex’s first Birthday Party….and here is his second birthday…..I don’t think he really liked his hat….lol…

On Mileys birthday, she decided she wanted a birthday cake that looked like Dexter. So Tina had someone make it and cupcakes. It looked just like him….It looked so realistic.

He also celebrated Halloween …..Tina always took so many pictures….lol…

He also had pictures taken with his kids first days of school….This last picture is this year past school year. Miley was going into 2nd and Austin Kindergarten. Tina told me anytime I babysat and took the kids to school, Dex had to go to.. He wanted to take them to school too…..You can see what Dexter meant to the Family…..He was practically another kid.

One day this spring Dex got sick. Tina called the Vet, but she said to just give him a few days. She didn’t want to leave him home, so her boss let her bring Dexter to the Circuit Clerks Office at the Court House. He layed on the blanket and slept all day like a good boy. He did get better, he just had an upset tummy.

This year he was even the Team Mascot at Mileys Softball Team….He had so many friends. All the kids loved him.

On Tina’s Birthday, she received balloons from Ed and the Kids….This year when we were back we had the Piñata at Granville park.

Austin also graduated from Kindergarten this year, so Tina had a party for him at Fish n Fun.

They all posed on the Merry Go Round….This would be the last time we saw Dex as we left for Texas after that. Here’s some favorites of Dexter and Ed…..

Hers some Favorites of Dexter and Tina…..

This one is so precious. It shows how Dexter had grown in the 2 years. The kids all sitting in the back seat. Ed had just bought a different truck this summer. One of the factors was to have a front seat that would seat 3…..That way their was a seat for Dexter.

A few more of Dexter and Austin and Miley….

He was so Loved…..He is already So Missed…..He had a Wonderful Life even though it was short. He didn’t suffer long before he left and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We all like to believe he is running free now in Doggy Heaven…….

……We All Love You Dex……

Back In Harlingen For a Month…

July 28, 2017July 29, 2017w2bergen 2 Comments

Wow, hard to believe we’ve been back for over a month already. Back to the everyday life. So what is that…..

Rich is working on the rental trailers. When people move out, their is always repairs or updates to be done. He just finished replacing a floor and drawer area in the bottom of a closet that had rotted. Now he is working in another that had a water leak in the kitchen. New plywood and flooring, and also the counter top was so bad, that he is now building a new counter top. He bought a sheet of laminate from Home Depot and had to cut around it and then glue both sides and glue it down. It is a process but a huge money savings process on a counter that is an odd size. In this picture, he had just cut it to size. He will then take it off, glue the bottom of the laminate, and the top of the base of the counter. He will then put the dowel rods on top of the base on the glue surface as in the picture. Then he will lay the glued laminate down on top the dowels. Then starting on one end of the counter, he will take out the dowels one at a time, pressing down the laminate to the counter making sure their are no air bubbles. Then he will cut a strip and do the edge the same way. After dry he will use a router on the edge to cut it to a smooth finished edge.

I am back at the theater, Cinemark 10. I only work the outside box office. During the school months the Box Office is only used on weekends. Otherwise the tickets are sold at the Concession Stand. I have been getting an average of 20 hrs a week give or take a few. But the business has lessened during the week because school is beginning soon. Starting next week during the week the tickets will again be sold at the Concession Stand. Now I will only be getting weekend hrs. But that ok, it is still something. My week days will again be free. It has been interesting in this job. I have again met many nice customers. I enjoy the joking that can be in 30 seconds of contact as you sell a ticket. Some people are so spontaneous. But then their are others. I have been chewed out in Spanish on the Phone. Box Office is also the switch board per say of the theater. I answered one day and the man spoke in Spanish. I said, “Sir I’m sorry I don’t speak Spanish”. Now usually they change to English at this point. Did this Guy????…..No….His voice raised and he again ranted in Spanish. I again repeated ”I don’t speak Spanish” I would get a Spanish speaking person on the line. Well, his voice raised HIGHER and LOUDER…..I can only imagine what he was saying. So I got a manager and guess what…..He Hung Up…..lol Oh Well….. Another lady called one day. Now keep in mind we have 10 theaters playing 10 or more movies. She asked me what movies we were playing, what times, and what time did each end. Now each movie also plays an average of 4 times a day…..Do I have time for that with customers at the window???? Nope…..Tried to be nice, but she was rather abrupt and finally hung up….Everything is online you know….About a half hour later she called again and asked about 1 specific movie. So much easier to answer that. Another time nobody was at the window and a customer called. As I was answering her question, a lady and her husband came to the window and started to order their tickets. I held up my finger saying, 1 minute please. She stormed through the theater doors. I was done with the call and she came out. I apologized to her and said I was taking to a customer…..She said rather blatantly and rudely,…..”Well, I Am A Customer Too”…..He husband muttered something to her and she said, “Well never mind, Just give me my tickets“. But most people are very nice. I have a couple who come at least once a week. He usually brings several pages of jokes to read. Also a very odd old man who wears a big straw hat. He has turned out to be the most pleasant man to talk too. So many people come regularly because of our prices. You see we are a discount or second run theater. Therefore our prices are cheap. Week ends are the most expensive….$2.79 a ticket. Tue and Thur….$2.17 a ticket. Monday….Groups of 3 or more $1.30….Seniors….$1.68……Wed. Discount day for all …. $1.41 for all……Most people are happy about the prices. But you have no idea, how many people complain….”What, I thought you were the Dollar Theater” …….Go to the big citys…Check their prices…lol

Temperature has been running around 100 degrees. My Box Office has A/C of course. The other day it started raining, and it came down in sheets….It was beautiful…The temperature fell. My windows were fogging up and it became hard to see. I realized finally, I was getting really cold….Now that’s a new concept…Cold….I went and checked my thermostat and it was set at 61 degrees….Wow…No wonder, so I set it back at 70. All in all it has been another experience to add to my list. It’s the first time I’ve ever handled a register. It’s touch screen. Once you learn it, it’s really easy. All the employees are really nice. Of course their mostly kids. Some will be going off to college soon and some back to high school.

While we were in Illinois, Richs’ shed was delivered. He needed a shed to put in his tools. So he ordered a shed from Sam’s Club.

So this was a shed that came in 3 million pieces, with pages of directions and pictures….OMG….so that mess is suppose to make a shed,……and it was so hot….So you work in the morning for awhile and then at nite. I almost passed out one day, well I felt like it….lol….Finally a week later with several other guys helping he got it done.

He now has a place for his tools. We have a washer and dryer inside. He built 2 work benches, so now he is set.

Ive finally been spending time at the Pool. The pool is around 88 degrees. So so nice. This is the view as you lay on your back sunning in the pool. The gorgeous Palm Trees..…They just blow in the wind. It still doesn’t seem possible that this is my life now. I can do this everyday if I choose too. I still think of the people at Advantage where I worked. They are doing the same ole drag day in and day out…..Their is hope out their….Just takes time……My message again is “SAVE YOUR MONEY….PUT IT IN THE 401K”….After a nice dip in the pool and floating on a noodle, lol, now time for the Spa/Hot Tub. Ohhhh just feel those jets pound on the sore muscles. This is the Life. Last week we went to South Padre Island.

We drove to Access 6, which is free parking and entrance. Rich had our chairs and walked up the ramp and down to the beautiful sand beach. We found our spots in front of the Life Guard. It was a beautiful day. Even though it was near 100 in town, it was a wonderful cool and breezy temperature at the beach.

This was the gorgeous view down the beach towards all the hotels and Beach Clubs. Many people were out but it wasn’t crowded. The water was so nice. Wasn’t cold at all. You could just step right in. I walked out till it was up past my waist. The power of the waves felt so good as they pulled you back to shore and then back out. When it got to be hard to stand, I decided to go back and sit and just enjoy the sun.

So many Sea Gulls were their. They were watching all the picnickers and waiting for free handouts. Sometimes they just congregated in groups and faced the Gulf and just stood their. They were fun to watch. We just sat their and listened to the pounding of the waves….coming in….going out…over and over. The sounds of the Sea Gulls, and the kids and family’s on the beach. Laughing and Playing. Finally time to leave.

Behind us the Beach Patrol had stopped and was visiting with the Lady Life Guard. Now we were hungry.

So we headed to everyone’s favorite…..Louie’s Backyard. Well lets say one of everyone’s favorites. Their are so many all the way up and down the beach on both sides of the island. Louie’s is on the Bayside. They offer fine dinning, cocktails and entertainment every nite of the week. They offer an All-You-Can-Eat Seafood and Prime Rib Buffet in the Dinning Room, drinks and snacks on the patios by the Bay or an abbreviated Menu in the Sports Bar. That was were we went. They had home made Potato chips on the bar, and the Special of the nite was Barbequed Ribs. Ohhhh Yes….That’s what we got….They were fall off the bone good, with lots of gooey sweet barbeque sauce….Yummm…..So, the end of another day….We could have stayed for entertainment on the outside patio deck on the bay but, we were SO FULL….Time to go home. So Ill close with a picture of a beautiful Plumeria that is growing in our Memorial Garden.

It as started from another plant in the park. All you do is cut off the stalk in a long piece and it will root. Some many have been started. This Plumeria was planted last Nov. So it hasn’t even been there a year yet. We have a wonderful gardener in the park that has started it from a cutting and tends to it regularly. Roberta is such a talented lady.

She can make anything grow.

………….''AND LET THE FUN BEGIN''……………..

Our Diaries of Daily Life and Travel

Oh No…Front Load Washer Broke, With Work Uniform Inside…..

Attacked by a Palmetto Bug!!!

9/11/2001 My Memories of That Fateful Day

Tammy’s New Swing Set & Theirs Going to be a New Baby in the Family……

Hurricane Harvey, 2017

3 Year Anniversary for the Blog….Aug. 25 2014

Paying It Forward with Kindness

First Day of School / Emp. of The Month….

Our Memories of “DEXTER”….The Beloved Pet of Tina, Ed, Miley and Austin

Back In Harlingen For a Month…

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