Dayna's luck (Ipod, full pass to NASCAR race including pit pass, meals in luxury private box and free parking, various products, etc.) has struck again. She just won a half-day off from work by doing a puzzle about payroll terms. She'd only been in payroll less than a month when she won and said she wouldn't have if it hadn't been for her University of Phoenix studies. She's only got nine months to go until she gets her degree and is counting the days.
Darin and Diane are house hunting. It will be a first for them and they are very excited. The property their mobile home is on is up for sale so they have to find a new place to live. It's amazing how much house you can get there for so little - 3/4 BR house on 2-3 acres of land for around $95,000. It's beautiful country, rolling hills, streams and lakes all around them.
We are down to our last week here. We've told the Rangers we'd like to come back next spring and stay until we leave for AK. The park won't be open for camping until May 15th so we will work in the kiosk and do maintenance work until then.
We will leave the 18th for Wichita, KS for a big rig conference with stops along the way in Las Vegas and South Fork, CO where some good friends live. Lots of seminars and activities are planned in KS. We then drive back to Denton for his six-month check-up of his back and Deidra's 14th birthday. We want to spend some time in TN w/Darin & Diane the latter part of October and first of November. Hopefully it won't be as cold as it is between Christmas and New Year's when we normally go! We'd like to come to Mesa the middle of November and stay through Thanksgiving, then back to Denton for Christmas. After that we might spend some time in Yuma or someplace out in the desert saving some money for our trip. Staying back here for another few months will help a lot with our budget as well.
Richard has been avidly reading a few blogs of some retirees who made the AK trip this summer and one couple spent around $11,000 for a three month trip. They ate out almost every meal so that added greatly to their costs. If we only end up doing this trip once we want to do it right so will try to do as much as possible while we're there - about three months. One volunteer couple here lived there for 14 years and want to give us some tips before we leave.
I took the train, with Julie and Marie, to Denair over Labor Day. We went white-water rafting, my third time. This was the best trip I've been on. We really had to work, paddling furiously almost the whole time (wore & broke blisters). It was a level IV so it was very exhilarating! It was great seeing all the Esaus again. Aunt Reah and Uncle Linc had been unable to make Daddy's 90th so I'm glad I went. We had a bus ride to Bakersfield where we caught the train. We could see our train pulling out as we pulled into the station!! We got caught in traffic and the bus driver didn't radio ahead about our status which was a tad frustrating! We then had a 2 1/2 hr layover - oh well.
Other than that "life's a beach"! We've really enjoyed the weather and time to totally relax.
We did have a camper report a lost toddler last evening and one domestic fight a couple of weeks ago but other than that it's been pretty ho hum. Richard has been doing some repair work and I've embroidered three T-s for Donna, Carrie and Lauren as well as a sundress for Lauren. Donna, I forget to get pictures of everything before I sent them off so if you can take some I'd greatly appreciate it.
Dianna, I missed your entry tucked in here under Richard's. When you both post at the same time, it's easy to only catch the latest. I'll have to be more observant! :)
ReplyDeleteI want to get pictures of all three of us in our shirts. That is if I don't wear mine out first! They're very darling. Thank you so much!
Oh, by the way ... way to go, Dayna! What was the payroll puzzle? Like a game, or real work?
ReplyDeleteSeveral of our family are buying new houses now -- the Holsingers, the Weisses. Sounds like Darin & Diane could get a great buy!