Nov. 13, 2009

From Spring Branch, Texas.
I started my day in a way that I shouldn’t have. I received our mail yesterday. On of the prices paid for our lifestyle is late mail. Many full time and part time RV’ers use some type of mail forwarding service. Our arrangement is that our daughter-in-law, Dana, bundles the mail up and sends it to us when we give her an address where we can receive mail. In our case the mail is sometimes over a month old when we get it. Most of our reoccurring bills are either paid either by the bill payer service I set up at our credit union or applied automatically to one a credit card. In the case of the credit union I am notified by he mail when one of the payments I have scheduled goes out. With the credit card I go on line and check what has been charged, I usually do this every couple of days. Most of the bills we get in the mail forwarded by Dana are already taken care of. Others like medical co-payments have a small balance owing, which I go on line and pay with either bank draft or credit card. A problem comes up when the payment is made after a second notice has been sent before they receive the payment. Going through the mail this morning consisted mainly of verifying that I had paid or making the payments. Two of the letters this morning were from the ambulance company in Las Vegas, another salvo in the battle that started in early April when we had to fly my mother from Mexico to Las Vegas by air ambulance. We paid, and dearly, with a company to transport her from the hospital in Cabo San Lucas to Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas. Apparently that company has never paid the company in Las Vegas for the last leg from Henderson to the hospital. So far the battle as been cordial and only a little annoying. Of course it may heat up. I topped of this exciting morning by reconciling our credit card accounts.
Around noon Paul took me to a Comal County yard where he picked up a load of mulch for the trails he has constructed around his property. He got about four yards and it’s free. Landscaper and others who clear brush and trees drop them off at the yard and a county crew grinds it all into a mulch. The interesting part of this is that the person dropping the stuff off pays a fee, the person picking it up doesn’t. This oversight probably won’t continue for long.
After lunch Paul and I drove down the road to check out an RV park. The one thing we don’t have at his place is a sewer dump. It’s been over a week, all you RV’ers know what that means, and we will be here until Wednesday morning. The closest park is about eight miles and they only want seven bucks to dump. It’s an easy in and out. So you know what my morning chore will be tomorrow. I am considering buy Paul one of those blue tanks on wheels, then I could use it to wheel our waste over to his septic tank. Mmm, is that really a present for Paul?
Now the fun part and one of the reasons we love to travel. In the evening we went over to Bulverde to visit Gerri’s old friend Bernadette. I don’t mean she is old, but that Gerri has known her since before we were married. After a pleasant visit and catching up on happening in both families we went for supper at a nearby restaurant. Pappa Gallo’s is a family owned Mexican restaurant. Not long on ambiance but very good food served hot and fresh. After supper we returned to their house for a much unneeded but delicious dessert with coffee.
We got home about 10 PM. Sean called and wanted me to play World of Warcraft with him. Since it is a Friday night he gets to stay up till 10 o’clock, Reno time. By the time it was his bedtime my eyes were really dropping and I went straight to bed.
For Friday the 13th it was a very good day. I should have noted the date before I started with the mail.