Saturday (really early)

[Queen]

Good middle of the night, but technically morning, everyone. (it's 3am here)

Decided a drink sounded wonderful last night, so I slept for four hours and am now wide awake, you'd think I'd learn one of these days.

Have haircuts on the schedule today, at $50 each (including tip) we may have to reconsider short hair when we retire... or maybe try a beauty college or something.

We had endless blue skies ans sunshine yesterday, it was a gorgeous and welcome break from all the grey skies we've had this winter. Cloudy again today, but it's supposed to hit 47 with sunny skies tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[Colliemom]

Morning Mickie and everyone following,

I was awake around asame time this morning, but that was due to Molly wanting out. She gets warm in the house and wants to go lay outside in the cold for awhile. Maybe she gets hot flashes Piper is just the opposite.

Beautiful blue sky here this morning, but I see clouds around, so may not last. We had sun in and out yesterday though. Attention right now is focused on the storm coming next week. Looks like bad news for us. Will be doing some shopping on Monday and then hunker down.

Finishing the kitchen painting this morning and then out to do some snow cleanup from past couple days of snow showers, road plow etc. as have just been letting it sit there. Probably a nice dog walk later.

[BarbaraRose]

Good morning Mickey and Sue.

Mickey, you might want to try Great Clips sometime. Prices are about $13 to $16 dollars ($5 more for a shampoo). You usually can't go wrong with having a manager cut your hair. Just call and ask who the manager is and then find out when they will be there. Go in and ask for them by name to cut your hair.

Slept good last night. Going to the house with my brothers for awhile this afternoon and then out to dinner with the older one and his wife for his birthday. Then pack and be ready to fly out in the morning.

I will have to keep my eye on the weather across the country towards the end of next week. Sounds like a big system will be heading across. My SIL told me not to go up thru Flagstaff at all but instead go down to Tucson and head east and north that way. It is a little out of the way but she says I will avoid a lot of big mountain passes and snowy conditions that way. Any of you have any opinion on that?

Have a good day!

[Bethers]

Barbie, I'd not go through Flagstaff even if you don't cut south. But this time of year, yes, I'd go the southerly route and take 10 east for at least awhile. Of course, pay attn to the weather and maybe you'd be okay on the northern route.

Laying in bed refusing to get up yet lol. Nothing planned for today.

[Queen]

Thanks for the tips, Barbie. Might give them a try, I love my stylist but her prices just aren't doable in the future. And a big +1 on what Beth said, I-10 is a far better choice right now, it's a little out of the way, but much less scary.

[Othersharon]

Good morning! The sun is finally out, at least for now. And a balmy 24! And according to the groundhog we have six more weeks of this! Ah well, the price I pay for living here. Doesn't seem like I've accomplished much over the last several days but I have gotten some more purging done so guess that's something!

Barbie, I thought of you the other day when I saw they were putting in a Great Clips in the new shopping center near the university! Sue, so the kitchen is getting finished! That's it for painting, right? I had to laugh when you said about the differences in the dogs. I have the same thing here with mine. My older guy hugs the heat source and the young one loves to be out in the cold! Thinking I might bundle up and take them for a walk too today. We all need to get out, I think! Beth, no plan for the day is sometimes good! I do need to take a trip into town and get some things done that I've been putting off. So will combine that with the walk for the dogs. Plus they love to go for rides! In reading today, I see I've missed some birthdays so hope they were good days!

Well, enough rambling from me. Better get going while the sun is still shining! Have a good day and travel safe.

[Birdie]

Barbie, I would stay off I-40 from Flagstaff to Okla City. On I-10 watch the weather, East of El Paso are the Guadalupe Mountains and it can ice up there in those mtns. The Mtns aren't high, it is just that everything comes together there, moisture, cold and wind, to make the ice. I-10 merges with I-20 east of Van Horn. If winter is having a day there it can be bad black ice, plain ice, snow, or even a nice sunny day. Just watch what the forecasters say, knowing it is a forecast. Eastern CO, western TX, OK, and KS are up for grabs weather wise this time of year. You know your vehicle, your driving skills and you know there are irresponsible drivers. Don't let them wreck you. Be careful and safe. You are like the rest of us, got more time and sense than lives and money. Safe travels.

[Acadianmom]

Mickie, you need a Flowbee. lol It's something you attach to a vacuum cleaner to cut your hair. I had one years ago but lost it in the flood so bought another one 10 years ago. I use it to trim the bottom of my hair between hair cuts. Eventually I have to go get a hair cut to get it reshaped.

It's still cool today but suppose to go back into the 70's tomorrow. I sure hope it's warm when I go to Florida. I need to go to Walmart. I don't know why I keep putting it off until Saturday.

Martha

[JudyJB]

Barbie, there is snow around Flagstaff even as late as March and April, so stay clear of that area!!

Going to get off my rear today and clean out my underneath basement areas. Got one done already, and will do at least two more. I have a nice, clean cement pad here in Ortona, so it is the perfect place. And I have been incredibly lazy lately, so really got to do it.

Mickie, haircuts are the hardest thing while traveling because you can seldom go back to the same place. I use Penney's a lot because they are always in a large shopping center and I can park my rig there easily. Cost is anywhere from $22 to $25 for just a haircut. No sense getting it styled with my short hair because I often take a quick shower to get rid of the tiny hairs that itch me to death afterwards. Even took a shower in the parking lot once!!!

[chalet05]

Good Morning - tho almost over.

$50 for a haircut - no way - I'm too cheap! Being on the road full time it's usually at WalMart - sometimes Great Clips. During 9 years the worst I got was at a Great Clips where my daughter and grands go in Kansas. Just happened to get the wrong person that day, and she scalped me on one side of my crown when she couldn't get a cowlick to lay down! I wear my hair extremely short and sometimes get someone that just doesn't want to go that short.

Yes, Barbie, avoid Flagstaff. Friend got caught in a blizzard there once - first of May!! That said, when we went from Phoenix to pick up the SS trailer in Denver 2 years ago in early February, we had a clear window for four or five days. We had a beautiful trip with no snow!

I've had a busy couple of days. Wednesday I reintroduced myself to a woman I met here 8 years ago at Christmas time. She's a full-timer but doesn't travel much - 81 and lost her daughter in September. She asked for a ride in the SS so Thursday we drove down to Myakka River State Park - about an hour from here. Lovely day.

Yesterday morning I got a call from a friend visiting Florida from Oregon. She and her husband were full-timers I met along the way in 2007. He passed away last year. I misunderstood the first call and thought she was stopping as she passed through today. A later call and I realized she was on her way to spend the night! Yikes! No time to get laundry done. We had a wonderful visit - realized we hadn't seen each other for 6 years.

So now it's noon so think I'll spend the rest of the day doing odds and ends!

Make it a great day and safe travels!!

[havingfunnow]

Just back from coffee/fundraiser for the ACLU -- nice morning. Also, I got to see all M's photos from Harbin. She was just there for two weeks over the New Year festival. Fun comparing the things she saw with the customs in Hong Kong. It always reminds me that China has at least as much regional variation as the U.S. does. Also, she took lots of baby photos. The child is crawling now and at the height of her "fear strangers" stage, and seeing a true foreigner really freaked her out!

[BarbaraRose]

Good evening gals! Another busy day...
Went to the house with my brothers to look it over and sit down and make a plan. Luckily, we are all on the same page as far as what needs to be done and by whom. The topic of listing it came up and my brothers were both in agreement that neither the friend or my sister in law should list the house so there would be no animosity caused within the family, etc. We decided to bring in a neutral real estate agent. The bathroom will be fixed before I get back as well. We also decided to get the dock removed since it is completely rotted out and a safety hazard as well as an eye-sore. We will hire someone to do that soon. It has to be done before the ice goes out since they have to use jacks on the ice to pull the metal posts out.

I left there with my older brother and went back to his house. We were planning to all go out to dinner later for his birthday. We sat around talking about the funeral and the house. Then, my brother brought up the listing of the house... big mistake! His wife who is a realtor had assumed she would list it. When he told her what we had decided, it turned into a big fight. My brother then told me to put my coat on and that dinner was canceled and he was taking me back to my other brothers house. It was very tense. Actually my SIL wasn't really that upset but just surprised. It was my brother who got really defensive. He finally calmed down and we got it talked out. We did end up going out to dinner and everything was fine after that. I think my other SIL (the one I am staying with now) is going to be the big problem in all this. She can be a real PITA!

Ah, family drama. We just want to try to avoid a big rift within the family especially between the three of us kids while we deal with this.

Anyways, I am still exhausted and very ready to head back to Arizona and regroup. I miss my cat...

Thanks for the advice on the Flagstaff question. I will go down to Tucson and head east from there. I know storms can come up unexpectedly in the mountains and, with the trailer, I don't want to take any chances.

Have a good night!