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Fall 2023
  • CoddiWobbleLife
okt. – nov. 2023

Fall 2023

This will be a relatively short but very busy trip. Nevada, Austin, Florida, back to Austin and then HOME to Seattle in under 2 months..... Les mer
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  • Reisens start
    6. oktober 2023
    CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Am I Ready For This?

    6. oktober 2023, Forente stater

    I was supposed to get ready yesterday. I stead I drove an hour away to look at what I thought was going to be the perfect van. It wasn't. But I'm glad I went to see it cause now I know and will keep looking. Finding the perfect van is going to be just as hard as finding the perfect condo. I settled for an okay condo. But I don't want to settle for a van I won't be happy driving and traveling in.

    So....today I am finally prepping for the trip and tomorrow I will head out.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Day 1 - On The Road

    7. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    I created a trip itinerary in RVTrip Wizard. But it is more of a general road map. I will probably not stay.in any of the campsites I entered. It's really just so I know what roads to take and approximately how far I need to drive each day. My first solid deadline is to be in Vegas on Tuesday morning to get Bev at the airport.

    I was on the road a little after 8 this morning. I did have to take a break for a mid morning snooze. Then I went on.

    Stopped at a rest stop for the night when I couldn't go on anymore. Can't believe I made it so far today; Castella CA. I managed to sleep til 5 or 6 am.

    It feels good to be driving, watching the scenery and listening to a good book. Why do I feel so good doing this????

    A touch of guilt about leaving Heather, Odin & Artemis.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    111

    Day 2 - One from the bucket list

    8. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Heading further South, I hit a major traffic jam leaving Reno. Rather than sit for an hour, I made a U-turn and went an alternate route. Sometimes it pays to just go with the flow. The views were lovely. Fall is showing its colors. I pulled off at a scenic viewpoint and it turned out I was driving by Mono Lake. It's one of the places I've been wanting to see but it's never been on my route. So guess where I camped for the night!

    I was able to get to the visitor center before it closed and drive to a short hike before dark.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Found a friend an my walk1

    Red Rock Canyon Drive-By

    9. oktober 2023, Forente stater

    The drive from Mono Lake to Red Rock Canyon and Vegas was mostly boring, almost like West Texas but even flatter! 3 hours with Nothing! Not even a gas station. When I finally hit a little town, I stopped at a gas station/candy store: in fact; The Largest Candy Store in Nevada! They had some interesting stuff I'd never seen before and I had some awesome homemade ice cream for lunch.

    Got to Red Rock Canyon State Park about 5 PM but they were still requiring timed entry tickets, which I didn't have. So I drove a little further up the road and ended up at a viewpoint as the sun was illuminating the canyon. Perfect timing. So got some nice photos. Will have to come back to go camping & hiking someday.

    Spent the night in a cheap Super 8 motel in Vegas. But at least I got a shower and a good night's sleep.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Elephant Rock

    Valley of Fire - Utah

    10. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ 🌬 91 °F

    Picked up Bev at the Airport at 11AM and headed towards St. George, Nevada. On the way we passed signs for The Valley of Fire State Park and had to make a detour. It was f-ing hot, car thermostat read 105 at one point. Bev managed a 1.5 mile hike. I didn't. But I did find a short hike in the shade with a wonderful breeze. And took lots.of photos.

    We both want to do a camping trip when the weather is right and spend time in both Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon.

    We finally made it to St. George and had dinner then checked into the resort. (Red Mountain Resort) We'll be here 3 nights.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Cool guitar collages at one of the galleriesVery happy with the print I purchasedSkeletons playing chess

    Red Mountain Resort

    11. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Did a morning hike at Snow Canyon State Park . My legs got a little tired towards the end but overall I'm doing good. It's way more motivating to hike surrounded by unique & beautiful scenery and with a good friend.

    Then we went to the Kayenta Art gallery center. The art was amazing. Photography. Painting. Ceramics. Sculptures. I loved 99% of everything! I even bought a print of a painting. I want to be able to paint like just one, anyone of the artists. This weekend they are having an art festival which starts Friday. We are planning on going before we leave town.

    Then we went to the botanical garden. There was a special display for Halloween. All the local businesses had scarecrow decorations out. And we did another short hike too before dinner.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Petrified Sand Dunes

    Snow Canyon State Park

    12. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Spent most of the day hiking in Snow Canyon State Park. This has to be most favorite state park ever! We did multiple hikes and every hike was different. The variety of landscapes/rock formations was amazing.

    First hike today was Tortoise Walk. Not really a 'hike'. Just a short walk with informative signs about the dessert tortoise and a tortoise statue at the end.

     Then we climbed some Petrified (Red Sand) Dunes. Although they weren't too high, the climb up was pretty steep and the views from the top were pretty nice. One could see lots of black lava rocks on the surrounding valleys and grassy hills.

    The next hike was to The Whiterocks Amphitheater; which I was thinking would be an amphitheater where the rangers gave talks. But NO! It was a natural amphitheater in the middle of the whiterock hills. The wind was intense. I guess it was sort of a natural vortex and the wind and sand had carved out the amphitheater. So many different textures and patterns in the rocks! The photos do not do it justice.

    Actually the first hike we did at the park was the day before when we hiked Johnson Canyon. Bev repeated that hike this morning but I slept in and relaxed.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Butterfly RockAn Amazing Rock Formation

    Snow Canyon State Park #2 - more hikes

    12. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Later that day we finished up with a final hike on the Butterfly Trail. We didn't see any butterflies until someone pointed out the Butterfly Rock for which the trail was named. Ah!

    The trailed T-boned into the Lava Rock Trail which we took far enough to see the Lava Cave but neither of us was prepared to climb down into the a cave. Maybe next time. And there will be a next time. There are still another half dozen or more trails we didn't get to! For a State Park, it is really amazing!!!! Our resort is right up the road. But next time I want to camp here.

    It is only 2 hours from Zion, so a great location to start a Utah camping trip.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Onward

    14. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Made it to Bev's late yesterday. We listened to The Rope by Nevada Barr. It was my 2nd time listening to it but I did not mind at all. Her stories are so full of twist and turns that one forgets not just the details but even much of the story.

    After a good night's sleep, a lovely shower and lunch at our favorite restaurant, The White Chocolate Cafe; I drove Beverly to pick up her car at the airport. Then I headed towards Austin. Staying at a rest stop near Las Cruz, NM ton8ght. Should make it to Austin by Monday.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    The Week From Hell

    19. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Can 2023 have any more surprises for me?? Arrived in Austin on Monday. Went to hospital on Tuesday to be with Wendy for her ❤️ Heart Cath. Expected to be there for just a couple of hours. After waiting for at least 4 hours, found out that they had admitted her to ICU. She was being started on IV Lasix and vasodilator for her uncontrolled PAH and fluid overload.

    The rest of the week was a bit of a whirlwind between daily trips to both my storage unit to try to sort through my stuff, Goodwill to drop off crap, and hanging out at the hospital; I'm exhausted. Thursday, Dr. H called Dallas and got them to expedite the transplant process. So I went back to her house to pack a suitcase for her; took it back to the hospital and then stayed with her until AirFlight took her to Dallas about 10pm.

    Today, Friday, I caught a plane to Florida and will be here for a couple of weeks to take care of my dad.

    What's next 2023 ????    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Care Giving in Florida

    24. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Made it to Jim & Mary Lou's Friday afternoon. They left for Chicago Saturday morning. I took dad out Sunday night to meet Steve for dinner. I've yet to have a really good meal at a restaurant in Florida.

    Monday I took dad to the dentist for a final fitting of his new dentures. They looked really good and his speech is much clearer with them. We will pick them up later this week or next week.

    Today. Tuesday I managed to give him a shower. And I was able to go grocery shopping while the aide was here. So now I at least have some food I like in the house. I made stir fried rice with shrimp and some mini egg rolls. We both liked it. Yay! I bet Odin would eat it too!    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    BIG Decision to be made...

    26. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Today I drove a SOLIS POCKET. Now I need to decide....I really liked it. It has so many features that would be wonderful on the road. And it drives really well, easy to handle, quiet, all the latest safety features. And under $100,000. It is bigger so would not fit in a garage. But it would be fine in any parking spot. There is a Peace Van on sale for 105,000 with 23000 miles. A good deal if I was not comfortable driving the Solis. But it doesn't have A/C or a vent fan, or the extra room & storage. And it costs more.

    I would have to get it to Austin, and sell Vanette. But it would give me lots of room for bringing stuff to Seattle.

    Decisions Decisions Decisions.........    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    It's Happening!

    27. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Well, I made a decision. I placed a deposit on the van. Haven't quite decided how or who.will drive it back to Austin but it's going to be mine!!! Of course I immediately started second guessing myself. And I'm having to take an H2 blocker for a sudden up surge in reflux. I have.to go in Monday to sign papers. And I told Bev we need to.start planning the Utah trip. Cause I need to start making road trips to validate my decision to buy a.larger camper van.

    I also committed to having a moving company move my stuff from Austin to Seattle. For.just a couple of hundred more than PODS, I'll have.full service movers that will pack everything and unload it all.

    I also managed to get.a pedicure today while Angel was.here with Dad. She really does a good job.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Photo from previous visit with David

    VJ De Palo, Thanks For Dinner Dad

    29. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Steve and I took Dad to dinner at Beef O'Bradys. I'm so glad I've been able to spend this time with both my dad and my kid brother.

    Everywhere we go people, especially males, come up and thank my dad for his.service. He always wears his military cap. When we were done eating, the waitress told us the bill had already been taken care of for all 3 of us. She had no idea who had paid.Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    My New Ride

    30. oktober 2023, Forente stater ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    It's official. I signed the papers and I am now the proud owner of a 2023 Winnebago Solis Pocket.

    It's still at the dealership for now. I need to schedule my 2 hour orientation/training. Plan on doing that when Steve is back in town Friday or Monday.

    Then Cliff is going to drive it to Austin for me.

    So now I need to find a buyer for Vanette.

    AND PLAN AN AWESOME.ROAD TRIP    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    Old Smile
    New Smile

    New Teeth, New Smile

    1. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Dad broke a tooth a.few.weeks.ago. His dentures were over 50 years old. Tuesday we went to the dentist to pick up his new dentures. Quite a difference.

    And today he.got.out his 🎷 to see if he could play. And I'd say he sounds about as good as he has in awhile. I think he's quite happy to.be.able.to.blow.a.few notes.Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    LPR - laryngopharyngeal reflux

    6. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    One afternoon I was in a panic thinking I had Esophageal CA! My symptoms' were increasing and nothing seemed to help. A few days later they were some what better and I happened to see an article on 'Silent Reflux' and a light bulb went on.

    Symptoms of Silent Reflux
    - LPR usually does not cause chest-burning symptoms, but if symptoms do appear, they include:

     - Asthma
    - Bitter taste in the throat
    - Chronic cough or excessive throat clearing
    - Difficulty swallowing
    - Hoarseness
    - Postnasal drip
    - Sensation of a lump in the throat
    - Sore or burning sensation in the throat

    I'd started taking a PPI but was still having issues and hence I decided it was CA. But I had run out of Prilosec and was trying a different PPI. I hate taking them long term cause I believe one needs some acid to digest one's food properly. But this article mentioned Alginate therapy. Even with all my years as a GI nurse, I'd never heard of it. But it sounds like just what I need!

    Also I am so relieved to not have Esophageal CA as I was already contemplating treatment options and.....etc....

    Alginate Therapy is also called a Reflux Raft. Alginates are medications that work through an alternative mechanism by displacing the postprandial gastric acid pocket. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC60…

    Although Gaviscon contains and alginate, there is a newer interesting compound that comes from seaweed. "The three active ingredients of the most effective products are sodium (Na) alginate (Laminaria hyperborea stem), Na bicarbonate (HCO3) and calcium (Ca) carbonate (CO3). These substances interact to form a strong, coherent, voluminous, buoyant alginate raft when they are introduced to the acidic gastric environment. The raft is responsible for suppressing reflux and relieving the symptoms of heartburn and GERD." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC68…

    So.....I have ordered a product from Amazon and eagerly await it's arrival!    Les mer

  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Last Day in Florida

    12. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Tomorrow will be my last day in Florida. I will be heading to Austin on Tuesday. It's hard to believe I've been here a month. I feel like I've been in limbo or a sort of suspended animation. I've never watched so much TV ever. I did manage to see a few good shows that I had heard of:
    The Light You Cannot See was Excellent. About a blind girl in France who helped the allies by broadcasting a radio program. My dad seems to enjoy watching WW II movies. We also watched a documentary on the German Officer Rommel that was interesting.
    But I will be happy to not watch anything for awhile.

    We almost made it through the whole time without him falling....almost. Yesterday he fell in the shower. He was sitting on his shower chair and dropped something while I went to grab the towels out of the dryer. Of course he leaned over to try to pick it up and tipped the chair over and ended up lying on the floor of the shower. I couldn't possibly get him up by myself and of course couldn't locate the paper with Jim's friends #'s. And the local emergency numbers on the magnet didn't have the area codes. I'd looked at it before but didn't notice the missing numbers and of course I have no idea what the local area code is. I ended up calling Jim and luckily they were not on the plane yet. They were able to text me all the numbers. I got a hold of Jim's friend Roland who came over quickly and we were able to get him up to the wheelchair.

    I was pretty upset. Had he just waited another 6 hours I could have said "he never fell while I was taking care of him!"    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Today Was Longer than 24 Hrs...

    14. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Today seems like several days rolled into 1. I started the day at 5 am. Made it to the airport a little early as we left Early enough to avoid all the traffic. Was in the air by 7:30. Lay over in St. Louis, don't think I've ever been through there before. Cant believe I had the very best BLT in my whole life at an airport!

    Landed in Ausrin at about 1pm. Took a Taxi to David's; way more expensive that it should have been. Hopped in my new van, which I decided to name DeVan, and drove to my storage unit. (More on DeVan later)

    Then I spent at least 4 hrs going through stuff, un packing & repacking stuff. Had to discard a few broken things. I have a pretty big pile for goodwill and a big bag of trash.

    But the day wasn't over yet. After talking to Wendy I headed to the grocery store to pick up her order for her, and realized my watch was still on east coast time. So I had an hour to kill and was so famished. So had some dinner at Jason's Deli. Then had a little time to look through some of the stuff in DeVan. It's going to take some time to get organized!

    Then....picked up & delivered Wendy's groceries. Spent an hour or so hanging out with her and catching up.

    Then...went to David's. He was so sweet, he'd even set up the air mattress for me.

    And now it's 11:30 pm and I'm so tired but still awake. Maybe a little over tired.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    1

    Intent to Vacate

    19. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    What a week! But I made it and it is done. Everything was packed in my storage unit. Friday they notified me that the movers would be here on Sunday. That gave me a little extra time. Saturday I finished packing and kinda organized the van, made a last run to Goodwill. And submitted my "intent to vacate" at Northgate Storage.

    This morning I went to the storage unit early to wait for Arena Van Lines to show up. About 11am I called them to get an ETA. And was told that they weren't coming til Monday. That pissed me off but not much I could do about it. So.....I went to Rudy's and picked up some BBQ for later, dropped it at David's and went to Wendy's. I intended to.make cranberry sauce for her but first I needed a little nap. BUT.... the moving company called to apologize and notify me that they WERE COMING TODAY. She said they would be there between 4 & 5.

    So. Back. To. The. Storage unit I went.... Then Serge, the mover calls to tell me he is stuck in traffic and is not sure when he'll get there.

    They finally arrived a.little after 6. Serge is from Uzbekistan, and the other guy is from Tajikistan. It took them about 2 hours or so to pack & load everything. It was.probably good they came Sunday evening since there was.no one there. Also took an hour for the paperwork. But it's done and the estimate was very close.

    Tomorrow I head to Seattle    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Texas, Oh Texas

    20. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Since my route out of Austin would take me right by my old neighborhood I decided to stop at El Camino Reale for a quick breakfast. They make the absolute best spinach omelets. And who knows when I'll ever get a chance to have another. So regardless of the fact that it would delay my progress, I decided to have a sit down breakfast.

    There are a lot of things I will really miss about Austin and Texas.

    I hope I will find people & places to love in Renton, Seattle and Washington State!    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Can I Make It To Seattle in Time For Pie

    21. november 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    Does it really matter if I make it to Seattle for Thanksgiving? NO, it really shouldn't. But it seems silly to only almost make it. The drive is going smoothly.

    I've listened to 2 books so far. I stared Gulliver's Travels while in Austin. Part of my goals to read more of the classics. Although many think of it as a children's book, much of it would go way over any kid's head. It was very interesting. And now I know where the term 'Ya-Hoo' comes from 🐸 !

    Next I listened to a podcast David sent me a link to, which was also fascinating. I definitely intend to continue to explore some of the stuff on the current Gender Craze. And press him to send me info about shows he watches & podcasts he listens to

     Next, I listened to a Deep Into The Dark by P. J. TRACY, a current best selling author. It was an engrossing mystery crime novel involving a vet with PTSD.

    And.....the scenery is sometimes beautiful along the way    Les mer

  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende
    1

    2023 is Almost Over

    2. desember 2023, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    I made it to Seattle for Thanksgiving. And now it's December 2023. The year is coming to a close. Will there be anymore major events in the next 30 days?

    I spent Thanksgiving weekend ar Heather & Joshua's. I took Odin to my condo for a little bit one day. He approves of the van and the condo. I've ordered him a better booster seat for the van. The little inflatable one is not secure or comfortable enough. I am still having doubts about the van. It is going to be a challenge parking in some places. And I won't be able to take both grand kids with me until Odin's big enough to sit in a front seat. But....there are lots of plusses to it to.

    Things I like about my Solis (so far);
    1. Having heat at night & especially in the morning.
    2. A big comfortable bed.
    3. Being able to stand up.
    4. The price.
    5. The rear view camera/mirror & blind spot detectors.
    6. I like being so elevated while driving.

    Things I am not thrilled with:
    1. Needs better arm rests. I can work on them.
    2. Turning radius. I'll have to get use to it.
    3. Height; can't fit through some drive throughs; Starbucks, McDonald's....parking garages.
    4. Back up camera does not beep warning...I'll have to see if I can set it to beep.
    5. I need a step on the driver's side. I joined a SOLIS POCKET Facebook group and someone posted about getting a step installed at an RV dealer. Definately on my priority list!

    I need to take some time to read through the manuals.    Les mer

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  • CoddiWobbleLifeFall 2023Reisende

    Checking Off Stuff on the To-Do List

    4. desember 2023, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    New heaters installed this morning in my condo. The ones in the bedrooms were not working at all. And the other 2 were just as old. So got them all replaced with newer more efficient ones. I could have spent a lot more $$ & time and tried to get permission from the condo association to install a heat pump system that would also provide some air conditioning. But I didn't really want to go through all that. Hopefully I won't regret it. I can always use fans and maybe get a window unit. The real issue might be smoke from Canadian fires in summer.

    Got some spare keys made. That's been on my list for months.

    AND got a library card!!!    Les mer

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    Reisens slutt
    30. november 2023
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