Krl and I are trying to adjust to civilization. And we are loving it!

We go through this insatiable love affair with restaurants and delivery foods every year when we return home. Usually it begins with a proclamation from Krl, "I'm not cooking!"

So for those of you keeping score; Fazzoli's, Larry's Better Burger, Pizza Pro!

The absolute worst part of returning home is putting everything in it's proper place. I hate loading and unloading the travel trailer, but hey someone has to do it. A few years ago when we returned, the company trailer was put into storage intact, in fact Krl and I didn't even take out all our personal items. The trailer was broken into and cleaned out! Ever since then we take extra precautions to protect not only our belongings but those of the company that we can provide refuge.

Yesterday morning I began unloading groceries. We always take them out of the cupboard when traveling. It's one of those precautionary things. Over the months and due to the remoteness of our seasonal location we sometimes have a build up of surplus items. This makes for some heavy weight to be bouncing on those shelves while the trailer is going down the road. Many of these were bagged, some were in coolers, even some light items were in trash bags. I have tried to perfect my technique over the year, but I will go inside and stack everything as close to the door as possible, then I begin the repeated trek to and from the house. Yesterday's exercise was accented by the steady drizzle of rain. Another project was unloading the company truck. I had moved my personal pickup out of the garage. Surprisingly it had started after sitting three months. I backed into the garage and unloaded the small 'frige, then backed up to the freezer we keep in our garage. There Krl and I tag teamed it and made quick work transferring those items. Then it was personal tools, battery cables, that sort of stuff. Finally about noon, I was ready for a break and found my recliner. We had a few errands to do after lunch that we were putting off but finally we went out the door. Went to the storage facility, stopped in at Larry's (hey we felt we needed to be rewarded), on to the truck repair shop and finally by Wal-Mart for a few items. By the time we left Wally's we had several gift items piled in our cart. We have had a few special requests that we had been looking for, to no avail. Yesterday we lucked into several of these items. I think we have one DVD and one doll item that we haven't found yet. Next trip out we may change our tactics.

Krl and I have always had a difference of opinion on Christmas gifts. Her tradition had always been to let family members pick out and try on, then take it home and wrap it up. Hello? Where is the surprise in that. I have always believed in "total surprise". You can make your request, but it is my option. I have always thought that Krl's method was just more trouble than giving $$$$. However, I think the $$$$ option is really appealing this year!

Let's be real! Meme and Dandy are not going to buy one of the grandaughters a pair of jeans that don't sufficiently cover the rear bumper, or will we buy a top that closely resembles lingerie. Call us crazy, call us fuddy duddies, but call us to act as fashion police.

In our treks into the stores the past weeks I have never seen so many people so uncomfortable with what they were wearing. Either they are tugging their pants up or their tops down. Hey, if they don't meet in the middle obviously there isn't enough material to start with! Yesterday in the toy department I thought I was going to go blind. As Krl and I were trying to pick something out for one of the grandbabies, a young mother was retrieving something from the bottom shelf and she was cracking a smile at both ends!

Today, weather permitting, I hope to unload the 'frige of the trailer. I have it plugged in, but we need to get anything that is perishable. I guess that is one of the frills of cleaning the company trailer, we get first option on all left overs! After that it will be moving the office files and office supplies, followed by emptying the entertainment center. Final project will be unloading Krl's and my clothes. I'd just as soon go naked as have to suffer through that.

But that is what Krl is there for. To keep me on track! Can you believe the luck some people have with career opportunities?

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for home!