yeah yeah Canada

Just finished watching the gold medal Olympic hockey game. Honking of horns in the park to acknowledge the win. Will wear my Olympic gloves to Ice cream Sunday tonight. Warm and humid here today. I went to a local church this morning then to Golden corral for brunch.....should have passed on that one. I am stuffed I'm afraid the ice cream will have to be my only supper tonight and maybe a Canadian beer..... I know I also have lots of antacid on standby.
Doug.

overloading on Olympics

I have been watching the Olympics and will probably have withdrawal when they are over. Canadian athletes are doing great. The weather here has finally dried out and the temps are in the mid 70's but the winds do blow a lot. I have joined the carving club here and am presently carving a goose with neck extended. Things aren't as crowded around me these days as a large group (5 units) of French Canadian RV'ers near me have left.
Well off to the pool to enjoy the great weather.
Doug.

Go Canada Go

I can now declare my Internet problems fixed as all has been stable for a week now. It has been warming up here upper 70's today and things are starting to dry out. last Thursday it rained all day and night and when I woke up looked out and my electrical connection was almost underwater. I have a surge protector and so my electrical connector hangs down lower than most and the point where the surge protector joins with the electrical cable was only about 1/4 of an inch above the growing puddle. Soooo not sure if this was a good idea but waded out into the puddle and was able to reach in to throw the breaker on the post then tied the surge protector up so it was two inches above the water and turned things back on. Anyway the rains stopped and the water drained away quickly around the post because the water was above my sewer inlet and so it drained down there. Hope we don't get any more rains like that. Of course the area just off my steps into the RV was a mud puddle so pulled the outdoor carpet I have up to let it dry.
Sunday morning I drove into San Benito and attended the local Episcopalian church service very similar to ours back home.
I have been following the Olympics but of course only have American TV, a friend here at the park Paul went on cruise vacation this week (yes we do go on vacations) and left me the keys to his RV so I could use his satellite dish to pick up the CTV coverage which I used last night to see the US/Canada hockey game. (no comment) Thanks Paul.
Today I checked out a few prices on tonneau covers then headed for South Padre Island which is only about 40 Min's. from here. The beach was great, however there was a cool breezed blowing off the gulf. I had lunch at Dirty Als - Shrimp and fish yummie. I also filled up a few containers with sand and spread that out under my step back at the park, then put the mat down again hopefully that will solve my mud problems.
Well off to the pool for a dip.
Doug.

Finally---again

Everything has been working fine with my Internet connection for two days now soooooo hope that is it. Actually things are working better than OK as during all the troubleshooting Time Warner boosted the speed on my connection and it is still smokin. Yesterday things warmed up soooo off I went to Neuavo Progresso Mexico wanted to check out the dentists and see how much it would cost to get the tooth I chipped repaired. Crossed over to Mexico early (about 9am) and traffic was light. The main street looked very dirty and dusty this year but I saw lots of people out sweeping the walks and street trying to clean up. The dirt must be a result of all the rain they have been getting this year which is weird as you'd think that would clean things off. A local told me that occasionally when it rains and their is a strong wind before hand, allot of dust whipped up in the air is washed down so you get a dirty rain? not sure if that's true but things were dirty.
There are about 100 dentists in this small town so finding one was not a problem. Before I went however I got a few recommendations as to which ones to see and when I went to those even at the early hour they all had long waiting lists sooooo as my chipped tooth seems to be stable and I still have insurance to cover it back home decided not to get it done here.
I did buy a large bottle of Bacardi rum for about $9.00 (plus the $1.00 tax to Texas to bring it back). I then headed back towards home. After lunch at Dairy Queen (hey first time this trip) I was going down 83 and realized that I was close to the Fig Tree resort so pulled off to visit Dave and Genni Bailey from Brantford who have a place there. Jenn was off to a hair appointment but had a good chat with Dave and we made plans to visit again and I'll show them around Fun n Sun at some point.
I then headed to Wal-Mart to look around (bad decision) In my wanderings I looked at their printers and saw a Canon printer for $30.00 cheaper than what the ink costs. Anyway it was the right size for the trailer and when it runs out of ink throw it out and get another one. What a waste I know but until they get realistic on their ink costs the cheapest way to go. The printer will come in handy printing maps or coupons found on the Internet etc.
Finally got home later in the evening and bar-b-qued some sausage then watched the Olympics for a bit. The temps here are forecast to be in the 70's for the next week so hope to work on that tan some.
Doug.

I am hopeful

Well did some personal troubleshooting on my Internet problems and think I have discovered what my issues are.........yes unfortunately they are my issues...... My Ethernet network card connection is not working properly. I tried my computer on a friends modem and then hooked up my modem to his connection and his computer works fine but mine didn't soooo did some more investigating and noticed my broadcom driver was not the latest but you can't upgrade these drivers from device manager soooo tried a workaround. Purchased a new wireless router and set it up and now everything is working again. I will wait for a few days to declare that my connection problems have been fixed.
Weather yesterday was great upper 70's so off to the pool. They also had a Madi Gras parade in the park and of course it was Sunday ice cream time. $1.00 gets you all you can eat ice cream (gonna have to stop skipping those) I have been watching the Olympics on the American stations so it was nice to visit Paul and Jane yesterday to see some of the Canadian coverage on their satellite setup. I have posted pics in my gallery and you can see them by going here.
www.picasaweb.google.ca/collindo99

whooooaaa spoke tooo early

I was too quick off the lip yesterday. I was so excited that my internet problems had been solved that I said everything was fine welllll the connection worked fine ...... for one night. The next morning it was back to the same unreliable connection. slower speeds and the connection drops off frequently. Called Time Warner tech support who will send someone out tomorrow and if it doesn't get fixed I'm going to take it back and get a refund. I will then find another internet provider to go with. Got to send this before I loose my connection again.
doug.

Finally Time Warner comes thru

Have spent the week settling in and setting things up. One of the things I really need is a good Internet connection sooooo on the advise of some in the park I decided to go with a Time Warner cable Internet package. The park uses Time Warner for their free cable TV and Time Warner has a package where you can get an Internet modem on a month by month basis at a reasonable price. Well I went and picked one up on Tuesday and installed it myself (quite easy once I returned the faulty power supply) but had another problem ...... it was not reliable for Skype which is what I got it for in the first place. Of course I had to call a 1-800 number for tech support and finally got someone using up many of my minutes on my phone. They tested the connection remotely and said everything was fine I said no it wasn't so they passed me over to the local office (more time on hold) they tested the same things and said it was working I said no it wasn't so they bumped me up to the 3rd tech level who you guessed it tested the line and said everything is OK I said no it isn't so they agreed to send someone out the next day to check things out. Wed. a tech showed up in the morning tested everything and said everything was fine but I showed him what the problem was and he agreed I had a problem finally someone believed me. Unfortunately it must be a line problem and he didn't do lines but would send someone out first thing tomorrow. Thursday morning the line tech showed up and tested the line and said everything was OK sooooo I showed him what the problem was (basically it worked fine when it worked but it wasn't consistent enough for Skype) He agreed that there was a problem, maybe the modem was goofy anyway he said he would get his supervisor in the case. I switched out the modem (no help) Friday no one showed up all day so I was getting a bit "PP%^$#" finally just as the Olympic games started a knock at the door. Another Tech I showed him my problem which stumped him but he started trying all sorts of things finally about an hour later, he found the problem. by running a line from my trailer a few hundred feet to the main post and voila it worked. He said someone must have nicked the underground line and it was acting erratically. I am so glad and impressed that he stuck to it until he found the problem. I now have smoking fast reliable Internet, and another crew will be back tomorrow to bury the temp. line he laid down. You can Skype me now. Hurray and thanks Time Warner.
Doug.

off the parking lot into the park

It is Monday and the ground is finally solid enough to get onto a lot. I have been parked (at a full hookup spot) in the parking lot. My new address is Doug Collins, site O160, 1400 Zillock Rd, San Benito, Texas, 78586 As luck would have it I was able to just drive in from the back end of this lot as it was empty and set up without too much trouble. I then set about capping off the cold water supply to the faulty mixing valve in my water heater and after some frustration finally got it to work with no leaks (yeah) I cleaned the basement of the RV out and the truck as well. The park has WiFi but it is only free if you go to the computer room. We do have cable TV here included with the site sooooo I went to Time Warner and signed up for Cable Internet. They have a month by month plan which is quite reasonable. I picked up the modem and start up kit from them and set about setting it up........ frustration time. first the power supply they gave me was faulty. Then the modem would not connect to the Internet it took 3 calls and long waits for IT support before they were finally able to reset everything and I now have hi speed cable Internet for my stay here. The weather was beautiful today temps up in the high 70's and the wind died down. Would have been nice to enjoy it ..... however at least I now have everything all set up and ready to go for the next 2 months here.
I also picked up the activity guide here. They have hundreds of activities here as they say something for everyone. I think I'll check out the computer club and might also take in the carving club as well. I posted my address above and my phone number down here is
956-245-0412
If the weather holds out I will try to get some pics of this place tomorrow to post.
Doug.

Whataburger

Arrived at Fun n Sun in San Benito Texas just north of Brownsville in bright sunshine and warm temps. (used the air conditioner for the first time). I am now in site number 1 which basically is in the parking lot (with full hookups however) as the lot I am suppose to be on is too wet to put a heavy trailer on yet. They have had all the rain I had further north so everything is soaked. Hopefully in a day or two I will be able to move over to my regular site for the next two months. As I was setting up I had a visit from one of the members of the Titanium owners group who was visiting various parks looking for Titanium trailers to let everyone know about the owners luncheon in the valley in march. I also met up with Paul and Jane who I met last year. They invited me over to their place for supper which I readily accepted.
As my fridge was kinda bare I set out for the local grocery store and decided to pick up lunch at the local Whataburger store. This is a local Texas chain of hamburger joints, whey are quite big down here in Texas and they have been advertising their "patty melt" on TV........... well the ads finally got to me so I stopped in for two patties on Texas toast smothered in cheese and grilled onions with a side of onions rings and a coke. Lots of grease, a gazillion calories I'm sure but sure did taste good.
Arrived at Paul and Jane's for supper at 6:30 and needless to say was still full from the Whataburger. Jane however always has some neat things to eat (last year she showed me how to make fresh guacamole) this year it was a new vegetable (some spanish name) which was like a cross between a turnip and an apple. sprinkled with a spicy chili powder. Interesting taste Anyway Paul barbecued pork chops, to go with sweet potatoes, salad, onions and corn bread. Very delicious. They then filled me in on what is available in this park. whooooo lots to do. you can be busy all day every day if you want. I'll need some time to peruse everything and pick and choose what I want to do. Well sunny day in the mid to upper 70's tomorrow and I will start it off with an all you can eat pancake breakfast put on by the park in the morning. Gonna have to start walking big time or it will be blimp Doug.

Still floating

We didn't get as much rain as forecast only about 2 inches .... but it was windy and wet all day yesterday. Finished another book and went into Kingsville to the movie theatre. I saw the "Book of Eli" with Denzel Washington. Good action with a different twist to it but it did drag in spots. Usually when I go to the movies in the evening I skip supper cause I know I will be getting a large popcorn which I did. It was the worse popcorn I have ever eaten.......so bad I left 3/4 of the bag uneaten and in the trash. Oh well the movie was only $5.00. Today the temps are up in the mid to high 60's so was able to get out this morning and go for a long walk.....felt good to get out and about. I also attended the computer club they have here at the park.
Mostly a beginners group but I was able to help a few people out with computer stuff which felt good. Tomorrow I will be packing up and heading on down to the Fun n Sun resort for 2 months. They have lots of activities in the park and I look forward to getting involved. It will also serve as home base for side trips into Mexico and around the valley and to South Padre Island beaches.
What a difference a year makes last year this place was in the middle of a drought that had gone on for quite a while this year flooding all over. At least things are a lot greener this year. Tomorrow is forecast to be a beautiful warm sunny day. Last year in almost 4 months of being down here I experienced just 3 days of rain this year in just 2 weeks have had 7 days of rain so hope it is over, got to work on my tan. I also hope to get many more photos to share.
As a side note they are having an election here is Texas and one of the candidates for govenor has ads about the educational system down here and how the last education reform forced teachers to teach to the test as everything is based on testing. (sound familiar) Now they want to get back to basics and cut back on the testing. hummmmm
Not sure how the WiFi is at the next park but hope to be able to post regularly.
Doug.

natural wash

The weather this week is not forecast to be the best here. Highs in the 50's and they just issued a special weather alert for here. Guess I didn't have to rush to wash the trailer as we are expected to get 2 to 5 inches of rain tomorrow, with flash flood warnings. I should be OK as when I got the new truck we had to raise the trailer on its axles so it sits higher and I will throw out an anchor so I don't end up in the gulf of Mexico :-)
I have also had to change my nap schedule as the site I am in is directly across from where the skeet field is. soooooooo about 1pm every other day for about an hour its bang bang ..... bang as the shooters try to kill those clay pigeons with there shotguns. Will have to go and show them how to do it tomorrow (ya right)
I forgot to mention I went to church service here on Sunday. It is a non-denominational service using southern baptist books. The pastor is southern baptist and it sure is different from what I am use to. During the service the pastor set the Karaoke machine going and sang a song using it. It was enjoyable and I was able to meet up with a lot of the folks who remembered me from staying here last year.
I have been doing battle with a cell phone provider for the last few days. I purchased a Net10 phone at walmart on the way down. It is one of those throw away phones you can get .... cost $30 and that gets you the phone charger and 300 minutes of airtime for 60 days which of course you can top up if needed. the coverage is good and it only costs 10 cents per minute for air time. The problem is if you want to use it for international calls say to Canada you have to register for that (15 cents a minute) which I did.........then wait for them to activate it. well I am still waiting..... 6 days later after emails and phone calls to them. Guess I'll call them again today to find out what the problem is. Well guess the next few days will be good ones to finish another book and clean up the inside of the rig.
Doug.

Salt off

It was still a bit cool .... temps in the 50's and a bit of a wind but I just had to get some of that salt and dirt from the trip down off the truck and trailer so got out the hoses yesterday and gave them a quick wash. Have a problem with my mixing valve which means the water coming out of the taps is only luke warm. The water heater is working fine it's just that too much cold water is mixed with the hot when it exits the water heater. I have a call in to the dealer and will probably live with it till I get down into the valley as I have to empty the trailer's basement to access the water heater.
I enjoyed a free concert last night in the parks hall by Sarah Getto. She is a 25 year old singer (sounds just like Karen Carpenter) who has been blind since birth. Good concert and met alot of the the residents that I knew from staying here last year. The WiFi is much better here this year. I finished my first book of the trip last night "The fifth horsemen" by James Patterson and have started another.
Lots of activities here today I have a choice of Pilates, Walk Aerobics, Blood Pressure check, Line Dancing, Wood Bark Carving, Bridge, Poker, Games, and Movie Night.
It is still on the cool side here today (highs only in the high 50's) and it is overcast. but the temps are rising. I have decided to stay here only 1 week then head on down to the valley on Friday.