Fun and games

 I doubt any of my readers are affected by this but check it out anyway. Go to Healthcare.gov website and select button to preview plans. It will prompt you to answer questions but just press the skip button, except where it ask for your zip code. You will come to a button to view full price plans, sit down and select that option. Do not worry about HMO versus EPO, just focus on premium, which changes based on your projected income. Go thru it once or twice utilizing different different zip codes.

  What we checked was 76225 (Wise) and 78541 (Hildalgo)


 76225: BlueCross HMO $1200 per month per person (two people equals $28,800 per year) PLUS deductible


 78541 multiple provider EPO plans roughly $500 per month per person (two person family $12,000 per year) PLUS deductible


 $16,800 per year difference. And that is if you NEVER go to a doctor...


WTF???


 Anybody talks to me about how great the Affodable Care Act, otherwise know as Obama Care,. is at risk of getting punched. What a crock of crap.


 On a personal note our premiums go from roughly $13,200 in 2016 to roughly $28,880 in 2017. An increase of $15, 680, roughly 218% INCREASE  for L E S S coverage and options.

  Bye, Bye Wise county....

Changes

  For the last several years Mary and I have marveled at the changes in our lives. Seems every year some twist has occurred we did not see coming. So it should not be a shock that 2017 will continue that trend.


  We have agreed to sell our current house in Alvord. We do not have a new home to move into so I guess we are homeless. Quite the contrary we are joining friends, new and old alike, as full timers. How many days will we spend in Maggie next year? Who knows but at this point in time 365 is a pretty good guess.


 The post office may send you notice that our new address is Rainbow Drive, Livingston Texas. Rest assured we have not moved to Livingston, or anywhere near Houston. Instead we will be utilizing a mail forwarding service for RVers. They will collect our mail then forward it to us, wherever that might be.


 The brief time we are back in Alvord will be spent down sizing to the extreme. Except for a few select things, everything in the house will be sold, donated or trashed. We have no desire to pay storage on "stuff".


  No, we have not lost our minds nor are we drunk/high on narcotics or anything else. Just two, not so young kids, chasing a dream. The young generation, millennials I think they call them, are not materialistic. Let us just say we are joining them.


  Stay tuned for further developments as they occur, as the news anchor would say.




we be gathering rosebuds...

Border problem up close

 The illegal alien problem is real and growing. Don't blame it on Mexico alone as it is far from just Mexicans entering. Back when we were remodeling all the workers were Latino. However in listening to them I knew  some were from Guatemala.


 Now there is a surge in crossings by illegals. Say you are a poor Mexican looking to improve your lot in life and you are on fast frieght home. Say you are seeking asylum from violence and get a ankle bracelet and a bed. Blind jackass would know what to say when caught, and bet your ass those crossing tonight know what to say. surge is because they fear a Trump wall if he wins versus amnesty if Hillary wins. Your tax dollars at work dear friends.

Reminiscing

  Maybe this silly little blog has some value after all. Question was raised, and answered about where we were this time last year. That caused me to review post from October and November 2015. Was enjoyable to relive those memories.


 I had mentioned my concerns relative to health care cost for 2017. Have you watched and paid attention to the news lately? Many carriers dropping out, (already knew mine was), double digit increase in premiums projected. Cost will be staggering next year, if plan even available. Affordable care act, what a misnomer! Cluster **** would be more accurate.



Still gathering rosebuds and chasing rainbows...

Failure

  First off what a great day! Last night was the first night we did not run the air conditioners. Got down to 57 and only a high of low 80's today. All my more northern readers, everybody, says big deal! Been that way for a long time. Not so down here in the tropics. The trade off for mild winters is an extension of Summer. We have been above normal but even with that the afternoon breeze makes it tolerable.


  Now, back to that failure thing alluded to in the title. We all like to brag about success, things accomplished and goals met. Only fair we acknowledge our failures, goals not met, objectives not achieved. So it is with us. Back in January goal was to spend six months in Maggie, half a year, 183 days give or take. Even though the year is not yet done, we will fall short. Have a busy schedule for last part of year so I can count the days. By years end we will have spent 139 days in Maggie, not bad but 44 days short. Escalating health care cost has me concerned for next year. Until that cost is finalized, probably late November, no projections for next year. In fact the only trip planned so far is to be in Kentucky with Ron and Maureen to view solar eclipse. While in Kentucky might as well do the Bourbon trail, visit the Shaker village, Mammoth cave etc. Even with all those stops probably just a month or so. For never haven taken a two week vacation how quickly we can dismiss a month as not being a long trip. Many would kill for that much time.


  Well that is all the news from Lake Wobegon!  (any Prairie Home Companion fans out there?)



back to gathering rosebuds...

La pharmacia

Down on the border, down Mexico way...

 Mary said I had to pass on the senoritas and even the mamacitas, girl does not have a sense of humor sometimes.

 We did get our medicines for the next few months. Serious games being played on the average person needing meds. As we have dug deeper we have learned many things to help save money. For reference, good old Walmart charged me $377 for one med. Should have cost no more than $170. Care to explain...

  There are other things to be bought while in Mexico. Care to guess our lot number here? Just wanted to decorate our little parking spot.

 We have been working hard at putting names and faces together. Bonus points if we can match site number with names and faces. While we have done pretty well we are loosing ground. New people showing up every day lately. Last several walkers or golf carts that have gone by have been unfamiliar to me. A gorgeous afternoon perfect for setting outside enjoying an adult beverage. In this case bourbon and coke.


I did mot take a camera across so the following are courtesy of Google Earth. Welcome to Nuevo Progreso Mexico

carpe diem

Back to the bayou

  Got the call yesterday to return to Lake Charles. More fun with books and young people. We will return to Alvord mid November and leave again January first. That will be an extremely busy six weeks. Not counting the normal craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas. When our time in Lake Charles is up we head back to the valley. February finds us flying to Tampa for a cruise. We will be flying out of Harlingen and returning there. Plans call for us to be in the valley till April. We then return to North Texas to move Mary's Mom into assisted living center. Very busy six months or so coming up. Who said retirement was boring?


  On to Mexico today to procure medications. The cool front gave us some rain and pleasant weather. You really do not want to walk around Nuevo Progreso in 100 degree temps. No cerveza's and nachos today, just over and back quickly is the plan.


Out gathering rosebuds...

Here it comes!

  We have been above normal temperatures since we arrived. A cold/cool front is nearly here and we are ready for it. High 90's  today, low 80's  tomorrow.

  two weeks from today we leave. a lot to do yet....

New friends and places

  Back in June we spent two nights in Kansas. During that stay we met a couple that wintered in this area. The park in Kansas closes mid October so they head to the valley. We went over to visit them today and visit their park of choice. We prefer our location but their park is very nice. Always good to check out other places. Suddenly it feels as if we are running out of time on this visit.


Carpe diem

We have returned...

 Said McArthur to the Phillipines with the grace of God and a handful of Marines...well maybe not that dramatic.

 After a whirlwind 1700 plus miles round trip we are back in the valley. It was sad to lay our friend to rest, but an honor for us to be there. I know it meant a lot to Rhonda. A burial with full military honors, including rifle salute an bugler playing taps will move you to tears. Now life must go on and so it shall. We have made so many trips back to the metro mess it has not been a relaxing stay. We will focus on the remaining three weeks then head to Houston. We will spend the winter down here coming back in January after our Lake Charles assignment. We now have our own spot here so do not have to make reservations and can come anytime. Is it our future home? Could be, time will tell. Several things we would like to visit and show you in the coming weeks. No promises but will do our best.


 Take time to smell the roses...





"...gather ye rosebuds while ye may..."

Great weekend.

  Our friends from San Antonio, Tom and Diane, came for a long weekend visit. They got home from 9 days in Russia on Thursday and drove here on Friday. We had three plus days of fun, food, and fellowship. They had a great time and are planning a return visit.


 Tomorrow we make a long sad journey. We head to Fayetteville Arkansas to bury our dear friend and traveling buddy, Dan Lange. We will return to the valley to finish our stay here after the services. More touring to come upon our return.




carpe diem

Decision justification

  A lot of people think we are crazy, most do not understand. We see that as their problem. Perhaps you have read the quotation on the main page, about life not escaping us. That is the point, the reason behind everything.

 We left Decatur on August 12th, not yet two months. In that short space of time two friends have passed away. They passed with dreams unfulfilled, plans not seen to completion. That may happen to us, but not without a fight. The untimely deaths of Ron Rather and Dan Lange solidify our determination. If you find joy in work then by all means work. Do what brings you happiness, not what others want you to do. Not going to be the richest kid on the block, but will not be under a bridge in a box either. Now is the time make memories. Time to take the road less traveled, time to see what is around that bend in the road

  RIP Dan. We never got back to that beach on the Yucatan my friend. When Mary and I get there, rest assured that a toast, or two, will be raised in your honor.



Carpe diem

Whew...

 A year ago this date we were in Florida. We then moved up the coast to South Carolina. The path that hurricane Matthew is forecasted to take. Once again, we HAD reservations to be there again this year. It was only because we found this place that we are not there again


  What to call it it? If you are retired is it a vacation? Just a trip I suppose. At any rate we took a quick get away from our ongoing get away. Mary wanted to stay on the beach and we had not been to Corpus Christie in years. So load up the jeep and away we go.


 We had toured the Lexington before so passed by this time. If you have not, you should.

 We decided to circle the bay which brought us to Aransas Pass and the ferry. I had not been on a car ferry in decades, the last time being on the Lynchburg crossing ferry near San Jacinto.

  A lot of history around Aransas Pass.

  These sea turtles were eating the grass/algae/growth on the rocks. While this photo shows one, there were four that I counted.

  Our hotel facing the gulf.

 A pretty girl I found on the beach...

  Sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico

a great day to be alive...





go out and sieze the day, it could be your last

Decisions, decisions

 How thirsty are You? One of many things we have found here but not back in NTX. Sometimes you just want a little and those are perfect. The rv frig in the old coach did not have room for beer. This one is a full size residential frig so stocking up is no problem. Those tortillas are just habit forming. Corn taste but flexibility of flour, love them.Once again something not found before.

  Life is good here in the RGV...

  The silver fox who keeps me company. She finally let it grow out and I love it. She was not in mood for photography this Morning!

Living the good life.