Monday 11th Worked 9-4 The days are so busy that they kind of blur together. Plus I’m getting a cold, which isn’t surprising when you work with so many children and adults. I do take Airborne and vitamins with extra C. I also have up-to-date flu and pneumonia shots.
Tuesday 12th 9-4 Nothing much to report other than I took my new laptop back to Office Depot because I had this message pop up on my screen and lock it. 
Fortunately Afton, the tech at tech-zone, assured me that it was a scam, a form of ransom ware. She was able to remove it. 
Wednesday 13th 9-4 work, eat, sleep, repeat 
Thursday 14th 9-4 
Friday 15th 9-4
Saturday 16th 9-3 
Sunday 17th 10-3 
Monday 18th This was an unusual day for two reasons. One, I worked the afternoon/evening shift, 4-9. Santa Charlie had an engagement in the evening so we traded shifts. Two, Ella answered regional manager, Kerri’s, call from someone to work the last week at Lakeline Mall. She sat in the archway and greeted people as they came in. She also helped to keep it organized. She will continue to work with me for this final week.
Tues 19th After working until 9 p.m. last night (and driving home in the fog), we returned at 9 a.m. and worked until 4 p.m.
Wednesday 20th work. All was a blur of children and photo flashes. Head cold and congestion making it a little less fun. All these cute little petri dishes that come to visit Santa bring all kinds of ‘bugs’.
Thursday 21st work. All was a blur.
Friday 22nd More blur. I barely had a voice left by the end of the day.
Saturday 23rd Still a blur. One day left. I joked with the kids that my voice didn’t always sound like Cookie Monster but today it did.
Sunday 24th Last day for Santa this season. We worked from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The very last photo shoot involved three families with two to four children each. Each group did a separate family shot and then one of that family’s children. Once all three families had their photos, they all gathered around Santa along with the grandparents for a final group shot. One preteen girl refused to settle down and threw a continuous tantrum. Everyone pleaded, begged, bribed and threatened the child but nothing worked. They finally abandoned the idea of a pleasant group photo and just took what they could get. It wasn’t a pleasant way for me to end my season either.
Then we came home for a nap before attending the Christmas Eve service at Cross Tracks Church. It was a great service that ended in a candle light service.
Monday 25th Christmas Day was spent with family at Arik & Jenny’s. We adults had a good time talking while the kids enjoyed each other and their gifts.
Tuesday 26th Our 24th Anniversary. Temperature dropped below freezing again last night. And this morning it was super foggy. We went out for breakfast at Hobo Junction. Then we moved our anniversary celebration to the laundromat and washed three loads of laundry. From there we continued our celebration by stopping to refill a 30 pound LP bottle. Just to keep the party going, we stopped at Walmart for a few groceries. Oh yeah, on the way home we stopped for a fill-up at the gas station and then to the post office for our mail. Then it was home for an afternoon of napping.
Wednesday 27th It continues to be cold. Attendance at Grandies was down to about 10 or 11 people. Afterwards six of us went to Dahlia’s for lunch. There was no choir practice.
Thursday 28th We went to the Over The Hill Gang today. Very few people braved the cold (or illnesses) to come today. What a shame because there was some very tasty lasagna for lunch.
Friday 29th It was a comparatively mild day in the mid forties. We went shopping in Cedar Park. First to Home Depot to pick up some items for household upgrades. Then across the street to Walmart for some clothes for Ella and a few grocery items.
By then it was lunchtime and we were relatively close to a Dairy Queen. Actually it was on the way home anyway … but to be honest, we have been know to drive the 20 to 30 miles one way just to get to the DQ. On a side note: a DQ is scheduled to be built right here in Liberty Hill. Only about an eight mile drive from home. Yay!
It started lightly raining on the rest of the drive home. Which meant that I only unloaded the truck rather than taking care of the outside project that I had in mind. Instead, we watched TV and took naps.
Later, when I realized that it was no longer raining, I went outside and completed my project. Every since we arrived at our RV park in October, our drain hose has been lying on the ground. I’ve made several attempts to get it off the ground so that it will properly drain. However, it has always ended back on the ground. Today I purchased some concrete blocks, boards and rain gutters (eve throughs to Midwesterners). The blocks were placed to support the boards which in turn support the gutters and the hose fits snuggly in the gutters. Now all waste waters (and other stuff) should flow smoothly from the RV to the sewer connection.
I also purchased a new under the counter light for over the kitchen sink. I did not get it installed.
Saturday 30th It was 51° when I woke this morning. We both managed to sleep through the night. That’s the first time in weeks when one or the other of us has been up and coughing. Yesterday I coughed more or less steadily from 3;30 a.m. until 5:00 a.m.
According to the forecast, today will be the best one we see for a while. With a high of 54 and low of 39 with drizzle. January 1st and 2nd are predicted to remain below freezing. This Iowegen is still glad to be in Texas because my friends and family in Iowa will not be getting above 0° on those days.
Sunday 31st A single service at Cross Tracks church today. Breakfast at 9 and then service at 10 with no Sunday School. Pastor Steve was sick and called on Pastor Judy last night. It was a small service because so many are sick and the temperature was only slightly above freezing with wind and drizzle.
Ella and I came home and turned the furnace up from 65° to 75°. When the temp dropped below freezing, I started the kitchen sink to drip into a dishpan. The idea is to keep the water flowing so it is less likely to freeze. The hydrant has an insulated faucet cover installed and I inverted a plastic wastepaper can over it also. I have the hose double insulated with two layers of pipe insulation. Hopefully, all of these precautions will keep us in water.
I, with some help from Ella, installed the new fluorescent light fixture above the kitchen sink. It doesn’t work. Apparently, the trouble lies in the wiring somewhere. I’m not inclined to try and trace it down, so I’m going to buy a battery powered light to place there.
RVing Fulltime with Tom and Ella 