May 1-15, 2026 Preparing to Head North to Montana! Getting the New PIckup Ready to Tow!

1-Fri-I was up at 8 this morning and we had breakfast. We took a few minutes to wake up and then made the bed and got dressed. I mowed the back yard while Steve did weed eating. Next I paid a couple of bills. We read up on our new pickup, to try to understand how things work. Then we went to Linda’s and took stuff out of the black pickup. We drove to Ponca City for the  plus nuts needed to attach the cargo glide. We are taking the one from the black pickup and moving it over to the new pickup. For supper we had chicken meatballs, rice, veggies and berries.

2-Sat-We were up at 8 and had breakfast. Then we got showered and dressed. We worked on figuring out how to shift the transmission case into neutral on the new pickup. Kristi and John arrived about 10 AM and we went to work on removing the cargo glide from the black pickup (no easy task). And then we had to install it in the new blue pickup. We finished about 3 PM. We took the kids out to La Macarena to eat and we were finished and resting by  4:30 or so. We watched some episodes of 1923. It is a really good series. 

3-Sun-We were up at 7:45 and had our breakfast. Then we watched some TV and made the bed and got dressed. I helped Steve work on installing the new topper for the blue pickup. It was not too difficult. It was one we ordered off Amazon. We could not get a new metal topper in time for our trip to Montana. It takes 4- 8 weeks to get one. We will get one ordered and installed when we get home from Montana. We also went back to the black pickup to see if there was anything else in it that we needed to take out before they tow it away. We finished watching 1923 (TV Show). We also looked up the chevy owners manual and downloaded it. Supper was chicken nuggets, french fries, green beans and berries. 

Adding the folding black topper to the pickup

4-Mon-We got up about 8 am and had breakfast. Then we made our bed, got dressed and went to do our errands. We had to get the mail and pay the insurance. Then we went to the tag office and got the pickup registered and tagged. After we got home we did laundry off and on. We also did our bookkeeping and paid a few bills. We then straightened the garage and put the tools away. We put the pickup in the garage. 

5-Tue-We were up at 8. After we got around then went to Walmart and got our groceries. We got home and unloaded everything. Then we had lunch and watched TV. We are watching the show Leanne. It is a comedy and pretty entertaining. We ate supper at La Macarena with Linda and Hazel. 

6-Wed-Steve woke up with a headache. We had breakfast and then got dressed. Steve was upset about being in limbo about the stuff ordered from Camping World to get the new pickup set up to tow. We moved stuff out of the car into the pickup or shed (things from the old pickup). After lunch I had a short nap. Then we watched some TV and ran a few errands. I made chicken vegetable soup for supper. 

7-Thu-We were up at 7:30. After breakfast we watched Legally Blonde. It was cute. Then we got around and checked the mail. We also had to go by the bank and insurance office. Then we stopped at Ace Hardware. We also got lawnmower gas. We got home and I did some mowing. We also paid more bills and caught up quicken. We ate leftover soup for supper.

8-Fri-We were up at 9 ish and had breakfast. Then it was some You Tube videos. We also got the mail and went by Linda’s. We went into  Homeland for a few items. Then we went home and killed some time and called Camping World about 1:30. The parts have arrived and we have an appointment at Camping world for next Tuesday at 9:30 AM. For supper we had eggs, Canadian bacon, bagels and berries.

9-Sat-I did not get up until 9:00 today. I had a poor night’s sleep. We ate breakfast and then got dressed and made the bed. We went to Stillwater and picked up some items. We did some work outside. Then we watched TV and I took a nap. I cooked a turkey and we had mixed vegetables, and salad  along with berries for supper. We have enough turkey for great sandwiches and to freeze for later. 

10-Sun-We were up at 8 and completed all the routine morning things. Then we putzed around. We loaded some drinks and other items into the RV. I paid some bills and completed Quicken. Supper was a great turkey sandwich, french fries, salad and berries. 

11-Mon-We were up at 8 Am. We did all the morning things. We moved the car and got the RV out for an oil change and get it gassed up. I took the keys and mail money to Hazel. We did laundry. We loaded our stuff in the RV. That took a lot of the day. We got our laundry done so we could load our clothes. We completed a lot of last minute details and checked our lists twice. I made pizza for supper. It was yummy!

12-Tue-We got up at 7 AM and had breakfast. We made the bed and got dressed. We loaded our final stuff in the RV. Then we moved the car and pickup and got the RV out of the driveway. We then put the car in the garage and turned off the electric switch. I set the thermostat to 89 ° and and locked the gate and the house. We arrived at Camping World at 9:10 AM. We installed the tow bar on the RV.. We walked the dogs and got the RV TV added to the Dish account. We watched TV in the RV and they worked on getting the pickup set up to tow. We checked at 3:45 and 5:30. They are not done They had said on the phone that we might be out by 4:30. That did not happen. Luckily they have electric and water so we stayed overnight in the parking lot at Camping World. We ate leftover pizza and berries. 

13-Wed-We were up at 8:45 and got dressed. We had breakfast and walked the dogs. We waited in the RV until 11:30 for them to come and get the RV. then we waited outside from 11:30 til 4:30  and inside the camping world lounge from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. they are not finished. We got back in the RV and it was HOT! We finally got it cooled off and we relaxed. We are staying at Camping world again! Supper was a frozen pizza and berries. 

14-Thu-We were up at 7:00 AM. We had our breakfast, made the bed and walked the dogs. We went inside Camping World at 9:10 AM. Someone dropped the ball. No communication.  The first guy who was our service writer was off today! Off course! So Shane said he would try hard to get us out today. Finally a manager came out and said there was a switch on the RV that needed replaced and they could not source it. It was for clearance lights and the taillights. We do not drive after dark so this would not affect us. We will fix it later. We left Oklahoma City at 12:30. We stopped at El Reno for some other groceries. Then we headed west. We used the generator to run the Air Conditioner. We had to get gas at Groom Texas. We were able to get the generator re-started. It had been cutting off. We got to Amarillo at 5:30 and set up. Then we unhooked the new pickup and picked up Steve’s sister, Irene. We ate at Applebees. It was not bad, but definitely not great!

15-Fri-We got up at 7:30 and had our breakfast. Then we got dressed and walked the dogs. Next we disconnected the utilities and attached the pickup. We left the RV park at 9:00 AM. We stopped at Walmart to get supplies. We got out of Amarillo by 10:30. We stopped at Campo, CO and napped and snacked. Then we stopped at Springfield, CO. The engine light came on. Steve put his code reader on it and cleared the codes. We got a higher octane gas at the next fill-up and made it to Lamar Co. We stayed at Sportsman RV Park. We had 

slimfast and a high protein bar for supper. It was too hot to cook!

April 16 - 30, 2026 An Eventful Finish to April!

16-Thu-We were up and got around about 8 AM. We decided to change the sheets on the bed, which is quite a task! Then I mowed the front yard. I helped Steve with measuring some awning material we had from a few years ago. We need to replace the slide topper on the bedroom slide out. We are going to need help and a level surface, so that project was tabled. We watched some more episodes of The Pitt. I fixed chicken parmesan, couscous and romaine lettuce for supper. We also had berries later. 

17-Fri-Today Steve has his back procedure. We were up at 8:15 and of course he could not eat. We putzed around until about 9:45, then we got dressed and I fixed my hair. We left for OKC in the pickup about 11:00 AM. We arrived at noon to Align Interventional Pain Center. Kristi met us there. We went in and sat in the waiting room until they took Steve back about 1:00. His procedure is finished about 2:15 or 2:30. We left for home after getting him a snack. We got 13.5 miles south of Perry (our home) and heard a big boom of thunder. Then the pickup went dead. Of course I was driving because Steve had had some anesthesia for his procedure. Well I got us over to the side of the road (on I-35). And we looked at each other and decided we had been hit by  lightning. Nothing on the pickup would work! It would not do anything! Steve tried disconnecting the battery but no luck.There was a lot of traffic, not one person stopped to check on us. We had no luck with the pickup starting. So we called Sam’s Wrecker and they had no driver. Next we called Big Jim’s Wrecker. He came and got us. He loaded the pickup on the flatbed tow truck and we rode in our pickup (while it was being towed)  and arrived home safely! It was little bit like being in a carnival ride. We could see everything up there. Then we had to get in my car and go to Stillwater to pickup up Steve’s pain meds. We finally got home for the last time at 6:30 PM. We ate leftovers for supper. What a day! 

Here is where we got hit by lightning

Steve & I can't believe this happened

The view from the wrecker.

18-Sat-We were up at 8:15 and had breakfast and watched some TV. We stayed home and I made sure Steve did nothing, no lifting, o twisting. I did go get the mail. Then we watched TV most of the day. For supper I made chicken nuggets, French fries, green beans and berries.

19-Sun-We got up at 9 ish. We had breakfast and watched TV. Basically we did not do much. Mainly putzed and watched TV. Steve did put the code reader on the pickup. It showed different codes, but nothing we thought we could fix. We also did some computer work. For supper I made pizza and berries. 

Huge weed!

20-Mon-We were up at 8 and had breakfast then made the bed. After my shower i fixed my hair. We went to Seth Wadley Chevrolet to see if they could check out our pickup. They said to bring it out. So we Called Big Jim’s towing to see if he could take the pickup out there. He said he could. It was $135 to get it towed in town. Then we went to Homeland and checked the mail. We returned home. The weedman was here this afternoon. The Align Interventional Pain Center called to check on Steve and ask how he was doing. Also the car insurance people called back. 

Our Poor Pickup (disabled)

21-Tue-We were up at 8 AM. We had breakfast and made our bed. I had a hair appointment at 10 AM. So we went to Linda’s for that. We also stopped at the post office and the ATM. When we got home we had some lunch. We also checked on the pickup, no progress. We ate supper at La Macarena with Linda, Hazel and Nadia.

22-Wed-We were up again about 8. We did some routine things inside the house then we went outside and picked weeds in the yard! I am kind of mad. We pay a yearly amount to keep our yard sprayed for weeds and they have not done a good job this year. We had lunch and watched some TV. Then it was time to pay some bills. After that we started looking at different pickups online. I fixed turkey bacon, eggs, bagels and berries for supper.

23-Thu-We got around and left for OKC. Steve had an appointment with the VA back doctor (Ogletree) to check in on his progress with the people she referred him to. We went to Walmart for groceries on our way home. We ate lunch and watched some TV. Then we talked to the Chevy garage. No real information forthcoming. We are pretty much in limbo. I fixed cube steak, french fries and salad for supper. We also had berries later. We spent some time in the bathroom tonight from 9:45 to 10:PM because they blew the tornado sirens! Nothing hit us! I am telling you, this weather is out to get us! That lightning strike was scary enough.

Tornado coverage!

Devastation at Enid, OK

24-Fri-We got up about 8:45 today. After breakfast we watched coverage of last night’s tornado damage (in Enid OK, where I used to work). Then we had showers. I ran the vacuum and we did some laundry. We also worked on the computer. We went to the Chevy place and still did not get any info on the pickup until next Tuesday. They say they have to get information from GMC and they are waiting on that contact. I made turkey burgers, fries and salad for supper.

25-Sat-We were up at 8:30. I called Direct TV to make sure the order is cancelled.  Steve & I went downtown and looked at the car show. It is something we always enjoy! Then the family came today.We are having game day at our house. Everyone arrived about 1:00 PM. We visited and played Mexican Train til about 4:30. Then we went out to eat at La Macarena! I had fixed some fresh strawberries and we had angel food cake to with them. We ate that first, then games, then early supper. After everyone left, Steve and I watched Landman

 

How about that sign? NO Airbags, we die like real men!

26-Sun-We were up about 8:45 and had breakfast and watched some TV. Then we made our bed and got dressed. We got on the computer to look for pickups. We are trying to get adjusted to the fact that a new or newer pickup is going to run about $40,000 or more. We watched the 2nd season of 1923. and did some laundry. Supper was Tilapia, french fries, romaine and berries. 

27-Mon-We got up about the usual time and had our breakfast and got dressed. I had a doctor  appointment at Stillwater with Dr. Branam. Just a follow-up since she is a new doctor for me. Then we drove through the GMC lot and looked at GMC Canyon  pickups. No one came out to see if we wanted to buy one. We got gas then went to Wilson Chevrolet. We drove three Chevy Colorado pickups! We listened to the pitch from the Sale Manager and he offered us around 3,100 for our broken pickup and then not turn in an insurance claim. He would take it, even though it was dead. We considered this. Because we need to get things rolling if we are going to get to Montana for our summer volunteer job. Also we felt like we were getting nowhere with the Chevy garage in Perry. Basically they said it would cost about 8-9,000 dollars to fix our black pickup with no guarantees that it would not need  more work later, like wiring harnesses and sensors, etc. We need something reliable in Montana. I had a medication to pick up and then we went home and contemplated the deal. We decided to buy the new pickup, so we called them and went back to Stillwater and bought a new pickup. We got home about 7 and went to Braum’s for a hamburger.

This is the new pickup we bought!

These geese were wanting hamburgers and ice cream for supper!

28-Tue-We were up at 7:30 this morning. Both of us did not sleep very well. Steve was very anxious. We went to the insurance agent and cancelled the claim on the black pickup. Next we went to OKC for an appointment at the VA. Then we went to Camping World to order the base plate and things we would need to get the new pickup ready to tow. We then stopped at the Chevy place in Perry to pay the diagnostic fee. We took copies of the tow bills and diagnostic fees by the insurance agent to turn in a claim for those items. We ate supper at La Macaroni with Hazel and Linda.

29-Wed-We were up at 8. We got ready and had to run out to the Chevy place and take them another check for $30 because Steve messed up when he wrote the check. You know we don’t write many checks these days. We had Big Jim’s Towing move the pickup down to Linda’s Beauty Shop. We needed it on a flat place so we could remove the cargo glide from the bed and put it in the new pickup. We stopped at Linda’s and made sure the black pickup was locked up. Then we left for OKC at 9:30 for Steve’s appointment with the SCI clinic. We were out by 11:30. Then it was on to Align Interventional Pain Center to get the staples out of Steves’ back. We finished there and then went to Stillwater to get the pickup. They had to put the step rails on and get it ready. Steve drove it home and I drove the car. I fixed potato skins (stuffed with chicken, bbq sauce and topped with cheese) for supper. We also had berries.

Our beautiful new pickup! It took being struck by lightning for us to buy a new vehicle! The color is Snowdrift Metallic! We love it!

We are riding in the new pickup! It has all the bells and whistles!

30-Thu-We were up at 8 AM and had breakfast. We watched one TV show. Then we got dressed. I mowed the front yard.We had lunch and then went to Linda’s so I could get my hair colored. We showed off our new pickup. We went home and rested a bit. Then we started trying to source the special plus nuts to attach the cargo slide to the new pickup. That was rugged. I finally called the place where we originally bought it at Ponca CIty and they said they could order them! Yay!. I fixed eggs, Canadian bacon and toast for supper. Berries are our dessert most every night. 

Full moon coming up behind our house.

April 1 -15, 2026 Getting Back in the Groove

1-Wed-We were up at 8 and had breakfast. Then we made the bed and got dressed and fixed my hair. We paid the RV and house insurance today. We left about 10:15 for Oklahoma City. Steve had an appointment at Align Pain Intervention for his pre-op tests. We were done with meeting the PA by 11:15 and then went to another facility (Summit) for labs, EKG and X Rays. That took some time. We waited quite a while before they did the tests. Then we went home and relaxed. Supper was chicken parmesan, baked potato, salad and berries.

2-Thu-We were up and around pretty good this morning We went back to Oklahoma City because Steve had an appointment at the VA for an MRI (for his MS). We were finished by 12:00 PM. We got home about 1:00 PM and they called and said the RV was ready to be picked up from diagnosing the problem. We drove back to OKC and picked up the RV and were back home again by 3:00 PM By then we were pooped. So we watched TV and rested. We did go out to eat at La Macarena with Linda and Hazel.

3-Fri-I did not get up til 8:30 this morning. After breakfast we made the bed and got dressed. I mowed the front yard and north of the fence. I fell down hard on my left knee and shoulder. But it mainly hurt my feelings. I took a shower and rested. We ran errands around town and then returned home for relaxing. For supper I fixed chicken potato skins, salad and berries. 

4-Sat-I was up at 8:30 and Steve was up a lot earlier. After breakfast we watched some TV. Then we got ready . We left for Oklahoma City about 11:30. We were meeting up with the family at Texas Roadhouse for lunch. We celebrated Logan’s birthday. Then we played games and visited at Kristi’s. We also had cake and ice cream. We got home about 7:45 PM and crashed out.

Cielo & Logan

Mariana & Steve

Mariana, John, Kristi

Sky & Austyn

5-Sun-We were up about the regular time. After breakfast we watched some TV. Then I worked on the blog. Steve worked in the RV most of the day. He fixed his window shade and tried to move the satellite receiver plug in. I figured our South Carolina trip expenses. Supper was chicken nuggets, French fries, mixed vegetables and berries. The Kirkland chicken nuggets are absolutely delightful. The gas and camping fees for S. Carolina was $2,527 for 15 days. 

6-Mon-Today was a pretty routine day. . After we got around Steve worked on the RV Satellite connection. I helped him some. We also did laundry and paid some bills. I was on the phone with AT&T regarding our Internet Air. I visited with my sister, Marsha and we putzed some. Supper was homemade pizza, berries and a fiber one brownie.

7-Tue-After breakfast we watched two episodes of The Pitt! I love this show! Then we got dressed and I worked on the blog while Steve worked on our back screen door. Later I picked up the mail and went by Linda’s beauty shop to visit. Steve and I took a walk about 1:00 PM. We ate supper at Boomerang with Linda. 

8-Wed-I was up at 8:30. After breakfast we made the bed and got dressed. I fixed my hair. Steve is still working on the screen door. I picked up the mail. Later we took the dogs for a short walk before taking them to the Vet. The vet appointment was at 2:00. So after that we went home and let the dogs rest. The shots always seem to make them lethargic. I made us Chicken Pot pie for supper. It was good. 

9-Thu-We were up about 8:30 and had breakfast. We watched some TV and then got around. Today was an excursion to Walmart.We got home about 12:15 and had lunch. Steve’s back is bothering him pretty bad today. Supper tonight was leftover Chicken pot pie.  Cook once, eat twice!

10-Fri-It was a routine day today. We did catch up our bookkeeping and I worked on the blog. We got our modem for Internet Air and set it up. It went very well. I made sloppy joes, french fries (baked) and cauliflower for supper.

11-Sat-We were up at 8:30 and got around. Today we waited for the Dish technician to show up. We have discontinued Direct TV and switched to Dish. The tech arrived about 2:30 and was here til around 4 PM. We watched more episodes of The Pitt tonight. For supper we had a great Turkey/cheese sandwich, chips and berries. 

12-Sun-We took it pretty easy this morning. But later we cleaned a mat in the garage and actually washed down the whole garage floor. Then we watched The Madison. I loved this show. It really gave all the feels!. For supper I  made chicken enchilada casserole, salad and tortilla chips for supper. We also had berries. 

13-Mon-I got up lat today about 9:15. After breakfast  I worked on the laundry. Then We ran errands: Mail, bank, Dollar General and Homeland. After lunch we finished the laundry and watched some TV. Later I mopped the kitchen and we caught up our bookkeeping. Supper was cube steak and baked potato. 

14-Tue-I got up at 7:30 this morning. I called Direct TV and cancelled that account. Then I tried to get the Dish Outdoor account cancelled. Because we are now supposed to be able to use Dish in the RV for an additional $5.00 per month. What a bargain! We left with the RV at 8:30 to go to OKC. We are going to have RV Roof and Repair fix the right rear Jack. We got there at 9:30 and then drove back to Perry. We stopped by Linda’s and the post office when we got back to Perry. They called at 11:00 AM and said the RV was ready. So we ate a quick bite and left at noon to pick up the RV and drive back home. Tonight we ate supper at La Macarena with Linda and Hazel.  

15-Wed-We were up at 8:15. So we had our breakfast and got around. We left the house and went to Stillwater. We went to Tractor Supply to try to find some overalls for Steve. Then we hit up Walmart before returning home. We put away our supplies and had some lunch. I worked on the Dish account. Supper was fish, fries, salad and berries.