Those 70ish Girls

I have been watching the World Serious this week. It’s the biggest baseball tournament in the World and it is serious.

These two teams try to score with one guy at a time, taking turns by hitting a small hard ball after a guy from the opposite team throws a ball at about 90 mph at the guy who is home (you’d think he would feel safe being at home. He is not ). The guy at home tries to defend himself with this wooden stick. Naturally he doesn’t want to get hit with a 90 mph hard ball. The guy with the stick gets a few chances.At least there are two other guys behind him, one crouched way down protected with a big mask and mattress in his mid section and another guy behind crouching guy called an Emperor. That guy kinda runs the entire game and yells out, “Ball” or sometimes, “Strike”. The Emperor is dressed in black and is also disguised with a mask and mini-mattress to protect himself. He yells a lot.

So the stick holder is out front with NO PROTECTION and two cowardly types stand or crouch down behind this poor fellow who only has a stick while a thrown hardball comes hurtling toward him. But sometimes the stick holder hits the ball away and naturally runs as fast as possible. Now it gets interesting. The police should be called and lawyers brought in but noooo—the guy running often tries to steal a base, often not even feeling remorse. And get this: there is actually a baseball diamond somewhere on the field and the players don’t try to steal that. They try to steal bases!Who the heck wants to steal a base?

I would much rather have a diamond. The other guys in the team even encourage this thievery yelling, “Run!” Or certain helpers whisper what a player should do next. They coach them on when and how to steal. I just do not believe the lack of common decency in this game. Stealing and trying to hit poor defenseless players. I can see why everyone at the stadium needs to stretch and sing after about seven parts or innings. “Take me out of the ball game” is what they all sing and can you blame them? I would want to get out of there, too.

Here’s the unvarnished truth about life on the road. Sometimes it’s hot and sometimes it’s cold.

Some days the sun shines and some days it rains. If the wind doesn’t blow, no one complains.

Each morning we rise and go walk the dogs. We love to build campfires, but have to buy logs.

We drive our big rig from Walmart to Walmart. We feel right at home and load up our cart.

We find places to eat without even looking. Anything is better than Mary’s cooking.

We raise our eyebrows at the high price of gas, but an electric bill is a thing of the past.

One of  our pleasures is now long gone. Its not possible to order from Amazon.

We don’t really have a permanent address and tomorrow’s location is anyone’s guess.

We don’t have grass that grows under our feet. We don’t have to mow or pile leaves in a heap.

We visit old friends and make new ones, too. They always make sure we have fun thing to do.

Rick Spahlinger and wife, Rita, helped make the day so special.

The highways and byways make us ooh and ahh. We can’t believe all the beauty we saw.

There is so much more to share on this venue. We’ll keep you posted as our adventures continue.

As I write what I can, I really must hurry. It’s time to move on and today we must flurry.

We’re hoping we can make it to Vicksburg, where a battle was fought. (Maybe you’ve heard.)

We can’t stay on the road for ever and ever, but we always say. Never say never!

Whatever we see. Where ever we roam, Texas (and Murdo) will always be home.

I’ll write about the funny things and the things that are funny now, but weren’t at the time, later…And we have so many more photos. I’m not keeping up very well, but that’s life on the road…

Baba Wawa is back on the streets of Anytown USA which we all know is Happy Down in the Valley, CA. I’m just sayin. I happen to be a no opinion editor. All of us no opinion editors have no opinions. I’m just sayin.

My name is Tiny. (This Is Not Yram.)

Baba Wawa…

https://videopress.com/v/ISD7opSH?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Happy Halloween every BODY!!!

BWAAAHAHA…Tiny

Four years ago while Kip and I were on an RV trip in the northeastern part of the country, we stopped for the night at a little RV park in Ohio. Kip mentioned that he thought Ron Spahlinger’s parents lived in Ohio. Ron and Barbara are friends of ours and live near us in the Mabank, TX area.

Kip decided to give Ron a call and find out where in Ohio his parents lived. As it happened, they were only about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying. Ron’s brother, Rick and his wife, Rita live next door to Ron’s and Rick’s mom and dad. Ron gave us Rick’s phone number. (That’s a lot of Rs.) After talking with him, we decided to stop by and meet everyone. We had no idea what was to come.

During that first visit we sat on Fran’s and Merrill’s porch, which overlooks the beautiful Lake Milton, and visited for a couple of hours. Rita was gone that day, but Rick, Fran and Merrill made us feel so welcome. We talked about our families, current and past events, and a little about politics. By the time we left, Kip and I felt we had been blessed with some pretty great new friends.

This time when we planned our trip,  we knew we wanted to stop and see Fran and Merrill along with Rick and Rita.

Rick had a wonderful breakfast including scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and toast waiting for us when we arrived. Fran had set a beautiful table and prepared hot coffee. After breakfast, and since it was Sunday, we all watched the live stream of our church in Mabank’s service. Ron was directing the choir, and we saw Barbara sitting in the congregation. Fran and Merrill watch every week and said they know where Kip and I sit and look for us each Sunday. Since we should tell the truth here, any of us watching from Lake Milton would be stuck for an answer if asked what the sermon was about because we talked all the way through it.

A while back, our church advertised the position of choir director. Fran has a great sense of humor and as a fluke, she sent an elaborate resume and applied for the job. She and Pastor Dan along with Lance, our church administrator, went back and forth discussing salary, housing requirements, and other conditions of employment. The negotiations broke down, but it really was the church’s loss as Fran is an accomplished musician. In fact, the whole family can sing and play several instruments.

Fran told us about her years teaching children with a mental disability and regaled us with fun stories about her kids growing up and their various musical talents. As we were looking at all of the family mementos and pictures, Kip asked Merrill about the photos and other WWII memorabilia he had displayed. Among various other things was a model of a B17 airplane. Merrill was a navigator during the war and flew on numerous missions over Natzi Germany. It’s not often you get to talk with a WWII Veteran these days.

There is an American Association of Rosie the Riveters and Fran is a Rosie. The association honors women who were employed in an industry or agency that was directly related to the war effort or employed in a capacity usually held by a man, therefore releasing a man for military duty. Decendants of Rosies are Rosebuds.

After we were finished not watching the church service, Rick and Rita took us for a drive around Lake Milton. We got to see where Fran and Merrill raised their family and the church several family members attended and some, including Rick’s and Rita’s daughter, were married in. We passed by the farm Rick’s and Ron’s grandfather owned and the house that their aunt and uncle and family lived in back in the day. Rita lived in the area, too and we saw the house she and Rick built before building one next door to Fran and Merrill. Rick told us he had a special surprise and took us to a farmhouse that had a stand full of sweet corn. Kip and I bought several ears and finished it all off in two days.

The day wasn’t over, yet. Kip and I were treated to some first class entertainment. Fran played the electric keyboard…her foot going a mile a minute on the pedal while her nimble fingers flew over the keys. Rick played a mean guitar and Kip and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to old favorites such as, “Has Anybody Seen My Girl,” and “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

Kip and I brought one of those good old Walmart cakes and after listening to the wonderful music, we had dessert. Much too soon, it was time to say goodbye. When we got in the car to leave, we could see Fran waving to us from her kitchen window. I told Kip I thought I was going to cry. I looked at him and saw a tear in his eye.

It was a wonderful day. Oh, did I mention that Fran and Merrill are the same age. They are a true testament to the fact that 98 is just a number.

I think Baba tried to interview a football and the football said, “I would rather be kicked down a non-grassy field than be interviewed by Baba Wawa.”

Baba snagged another big interview, this time with another star athlete-Bom Trady. WARNING: She doesn’t know a thing about football. She sent this exclusive report via some kind of writing with a quill pen on papyrus!

Baba: Good evening football fans and
all kinds of sports fans. I am here to interview a big name in a big sport.
Welcome to you Bom Trady. I know you’re rushed for time so we will make this swift, quick and fast, just like your arm. How would you evaluate the game of football today compared with say 50 years ago?

Bom:  I don’t know because I didn’t play 50 years ago. What a dumb question.

Baba:  (Hmm, a real mathematician.)
Well, why do they keep throwing around quarters? I thought betting on games was illegal except in some fantasy games?

Bom:  Yes, a coin is thrown at the beginning of games to see who goes first. No gambling.  The game is played in four quarters!

Baba:  (This guy is touchy.) Ohhh, so that’s why the football announcers keep saying, “Quarterback!”  They want players to give the quarters back! I get it.

Bom:   Lady, you gotta be kidding me.
I’m outta here. I have to go warm up my arm. Bye.

Baba:  Okay, Bom. Thanks for the informative interview and good luck with that heating pad on your arm even though it’s called Football, not Armball. (Personally I would warm up my foot.)
Bye Bom! Good luck and enjoy the game today.

Baba:  Maybe sometime they will let me on the field and I can wear one of those cute black and white striped outfits the umpires wear with caps. Wonder why all the players wear helmets and all those big pads but the bravest ones in the thick of the game, the football  umps, just wear b and w outfits and caps … not even helmets.
Until next time, rah rah rah from Bababa!

After spending several days in Springfield. Illinois, where we visited the home of Abraham Lincoln, we drove on to Rockville, Indiana.

While we were in Springfield, our little kitty, Dollie, got sick. After she spent 2 days in an emergency animal hospital and 2 more days with us, we had to make the decision to let her go to animal heaven.

Dollie had a good life. She was 15 years old and we loved her dearly. She went to sleep peacefully. I looked into her eyes before she left us and had the feeling that Dollie had an old soul. My cousin, Paul said he didn’t know about humans, but he felt that pets were reincarnated and came back again to give another family joy.

The next day we drove on to Rockville, Indiana where we met Molly and Cary Cline. They are 2 of Kip’s college friends. Kip had not seen them in years until we bought our first RV (SeeYa), and stopped to see them when we passed through Indiana. Reuniting with old friends is another benefit of traveling in an RV. Molly and Cary have since retired and bought an RV, themselves. They spend a few months each year, during the winter, in Rockport, TX and we have gone to see them for several days, twice.

Rockville, Indiana is having their annual Covered Bridge Festival now and we are enjoying all of the festivities. While driving here, Kip said he thought he would see at least one covered bridge. After spending a couple of days here, we still had not seen one. In fact, a guy at the Parke County Fair Grounds, where hundreds of people in RVs are parked, a guy stopped us while we were walking the dogs and asked Kip if he could direct him to a covered bridge. Kip told him we had been looking for two days and had still not seen one. He didn’t tell him the only scenic place we had gone to was Walmart. Molly told him to get a map that showed where all of the covered bridges are or be patient until she got here. He wasn’t able to do either, but they got here last night so he has new hope.

Some of the following pictures were taken on the way to Rockville or on the road to the Walmart in Clinton which is about 10 miles from Rockville.

I’ll take a picture of the first covered bridge we see. We can also watch The Bridges of Madison County. I think they have covered bridges in the movie.

If you happened to be in Happy Down in the Valley, CA today, you might have seen the famous Eddie J out and about. You may have possibly run into him at that place where all of the stars make handprints in the sidewalk, or perhaps he was wandering around the tar pits with all the other dinosaurs. Yes, you could have seen him in these places with all the other ner de wells. (I’ve been reading the dictionary.) As the famous basketball coach for the Lakers once said, “If you coulda, and you shoulda, then you woulda.” Now where was I? Oh yes. You would not have seen Eddie J any of those places because he has been hiding from Baba Wawa who has been relentless in trying to interview him. Like ask him questions and stuff. Anyway, she finally got him on the phone. Get your popcorn ready. Here is how it went down…BTW, MG told Yram (who this is not) that she does not wrap her hair around coke cans…anymore.

Hope you still have some Jollytime left! Heeeere’s part 2

The proceedings have been brought to you by Jollytime Popcorn. (Yram has a new gig. Yeah…she sells popcorn at the movie theaters. She is in the movies for reals. Baba works waaay too hard. (This is not Yram.)

A candid shot of the tenacious Baba Wawa, right before her ratings went down the tubes…Got some Jollytime in your teeth Baba?….(This is not Yram, again)