Off and Walking

Greetings from far north Texas! As mentioned in my last posting the blog continues but from a different location and with all new players except for myself and the kitties. From down south Granny-Cali, Paige and Amber made the trip on the kitty side. Sara decided to return to the outdoors so she is still residing in Dallas and has most likely joined the small band of cats which use my former back yard as their base of operations. Buddy, the dog, made the trip too but was killed by two rogue dogs while in his new back yard. He was a scrapper though and managed to inflect serious damage to both of those animals. To the best of my knowledge both have been destroyed as dangerous animals. Buddy now spends his days with Becky. :-)

It took some time to transition from feeling as though I was a loved guest to feeling as though I truly belong in this new environment. That was strictly a mental adaptation issue on my part and had nothing at all to do with how my new family treats (or treated) me since moving here. They have all been stellar in their warm and open acceptance and I love them all dearly. 

Part of what opened things up was just walking the property and talking with my Sweetie. She simply loves this place and has a vision (albeit a constantly changing one) of how everything is supposed to be eventually. As it happens what we each see as we walk the yard is pretty much in sync so it's become a shared vision now. Knowing that we now both share that vision of things resulted in my feeling free to make my own contributions without feeling the need to have major discussions over each one. Thus I have been planting as money permits and trying to make the yard pleasing to the eye. Not sure if you have bought any plants lately..... but  a basket full of them from Wal-Mart can set you back a smooth $100 in nothing flat. 

You may all thank the gods of the Internet for not having to endure the roughly 60 minute delay between paragraphs. During that time span I watered the outside plants, folded some clothes from the dryer, made the bed with freshly laundered linen and blanket then washed up what dishes there were and vacuumed the floors. Aren't you glad you missed it? ;-)

I have recently discovered another item which I had failed to consider.... not that it would have changed my mind at all. It seems that I am now something like 7 miles closer to the VA Hospital in Oklahoma City than I am to the previous one in Dallas! If you have learned nothing else in the past few years you should have figured out the Government will *always* make things difficult for everyone. There is a local VA outpatient clinic in town here BUT they don't operate out of the North Texas Healthcare System. Due to that 7 miles they operate out of Oklahoma City. Because my records are in Dallas I can't be treated here in the clinic. Wonderful! 

The VA also operates a web site called "My Health e Vet" through which you can communicate with your doctor and request refills of prescriptions. What you can't do, however, is update your contact information. Well.... not true... you CAN update it at that web site... but none of that information is passed along to your treatment facility even though what facility you are being treated at and even who your doctor is.... is all known information. It's like the government has a "Department of Convoluted Thinking" and it is their job to make things as obtuse as possible for anyone who has to deal with government. The good news is.... they are doing a GREAT job! Probably the only agency that is lately. 

From warm and windy north Texas this is the Old Squid.... reminding you to be good.... and take care of each other!

Winding Down

Good morning, gang! It's been a while since I updated here so probably long overdue for that. Due to Becky's passing home isn't home anymore. We had many, many plans but one of us dying and the other being alone was never one of them.... especially this early in life. Thus I am winding down on the ownership of that property.... sorting through decades of items collected for whatever reason.... and donating, tossing or packing and moving as necessary. Dreams have transformed into fond memories and things which might have been are all so much dust in the wind. (dang near poetic, isn't it?) 

I still have a few major items to move with the trailer but after that pretty much everything can fit into the truck. Speaking of which I seem to have finally gotten all it's little mechanical issues resolved and now, when I park it, I no longer have any oil or water spots under the engine. I got the cooling system drained, flushed and filled on my last trip to Dallas. After a few heating and cooling cycles it is staying at the normal mark and is clear and free of any lingering diesel which contaminated it as a result of the injector sleeves failing. Fuel economy pulling a small trailer is just over 20 mpg which is two miles per gallon better than my Trooper got just driving down the road! 

Needless to say I'm loving my big Ford Excursion. When not moving there is easily room to seat 8 and still have plenty of space for a days shopping to fit in the back. One day I hope to have a nice little 30+ foot travel trailer I can hook to the back so we can get out and start enjoying life in the slower lane. :-)  (blinker off of course)

Posts will continue here, of course, but from this day forward will embody the dreams and aspirations of my new Sweetie and our extended family. New city, new home, new family... just a whole new life in general. So far........ I'm happy and really liking it!!!! :-) If the third time is the charm then it's about to become very charming.