I decided it was time for me to give my versions of this adventure. The most important thing I seem to do is take the trash to the dumpster 5-6 times a day. We don't have freezer space so all the veggies are canned - this creates trash, if we use paper plates- more trash (it's easier to wash I've decide than haul trash). When we left KC I brought all the receipts for the year to start for taxes-we have four drawers out of the 7 that are not in the kitchen assigned to paper along with a portable file cabinet. I threw out enough paper while Steve was speeding to MO to empty 2 drawers- lots of trips to the dumpster. You must realize we have only one trashcan and I line it with the plastic sacks from the groceries. Try putting all your trash each day in those bags - a 10" pizza box just about fills one up with two coke cans. Boy do I miss the trash compactor. Upside is that in Livingston, the dumpster is next to the laundry, showers (if you dry camp this is essential) and one of the three phones available for 300 people. Very social area.

My other important job is to check in the morning to make sure we aren't leaking any unseemly fluid. If it appears that we might or that we have been using the bathroom a lot, taking showers and washing dishes then every other day I get to pull the poo trap and let all that liquid flow into a capped hole in the ground. Not a bad job in Livingston but in Dallas the dump hole had been moved once and they left the old hole that the new is connected to unsealed so ODOR. I learned fast to open the trap, go get the paper and by the time I walked back the gurgling has topped and the wind had taken care of the odor. This was to be Steve's job but somehow his intolerance to odors and the resulting thought of what else might erupt from him made the job mine. I guess he served his time in enough dump situations.

The kitchen has more counter space than the one in the house had except when you consider that this and a table that holds dinner service for two without serving dishes are the only horizontal space to place anything it seems smaller. We also brought too much stuff and you have to empty out something everytime you want anything. Our new rule is that anything coming in TWO things must leave. Steve's new call is Susie Where is __________. He can't find a thing. Of course this is not a new development just seems more intense.

One of the reasons we did Thanksgiving at the lake was there was the opportunity to have Thanksgiving here at the clubhouse and activity centers with the SKPs. Our next door neighbor explained it: set up is tables of 6 couples and the park was cooking the turkeys for everyone but each group brought side dishes for their table. This requires committee meetings to decide who brings what- took them 3 committee meetings! And still the neighbors were unhappy because someone was bringing cornbread dressing not like her dressing and the rest voted down her GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE- imagine that! As you all know we would have been asked to leave if Steve had had to go through that.

One of the best things about Livingston is that the park has a nice library where you check out a book to return, trade a paperback book for book, and borrow magazines and videos. What a lifesaver. TV here is always shadowy, comes and goes and usually only one channel on lucky days we get 2 or 3 that you can here but not see the picture. Radio is one country channel and one religious. Never thought I would miss Dr. Laura and Rush so much.

This area looks more like Louisiana than I think of Texas. Swampy, pine trees thick, there's a pecan tree that drops nuts on us in the mornings-that will wake you up! Lake Livingston warned of alligators and down the highway is LaBlanc's hog and deer processing shack!

We are 5 miles outside of a town of 5000. The Wednesday Steve got back I wanted a pizza. Drove to town couldn't find a pizza place went to Wal-Mart (yes, this is big deal here) asked some kids-high school- they looked like I was an alien saying take me to your leader- couldn't tell we where to get pizza. Asked several other people. Finally one couple gave me bad directions to Pizza Hut. Finally found it-closed at 7:00 PM! Went to grocery and got box pizza- actually turned out better than any we have had in a long time after I doctored it up. Tony's thin crispy crust party pizza- give it a try.

We drove toward Houston the other day so I could make about 30 phone calls. Man was a shopping mall, home depot, hobby lobby, and real restaurants a thrill. Looked like heaven. I'm not a small town person especially when my new peer group is on an average 25 years older than I am. Oh well, off to social hour!

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