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By Katrina Kane, on November 26th, 2015
While waiting for a gate, I kept busy using the fitness room at the Triple R and the hiking trail. I rented some Redbox movies. I also found time to make some minor repairs and upgrades to my 5th wheel with the parts I had on board that were waiting for a time like this.
- Fixed the bathroom door so it stays shut properly. I had to drill the hole for the door latch bigger.
- Moved the lock on one side of the bathroom cabinet so it will now hold that door fully closed when moving. Had enough of picking up everything that falls out of that cabinet whenever I move.
- Fixed the small gap in my new flooring. That took some effort but it is all solid now.
- Mounted a more solid side on my living rom cabinet that holds my VHS tapes and DVDs. The side had previously been removed to accommodate the wood stove chimney next to it and I had only rigged a temporary patch on it when I had the chimney pulled out.
- Installed additional half shelves in the kitchen cabinets to organize them better.
- Replaced the analog thermostat with a nice digital one to stop the huge temperature fluctuations in my RV. Digital is so much better and the directions that came with it made it very easy to change.
- Made a rack where the chimney used to be to hold my safety bars, shovel, broom, and dust pan out of the way but available. Like sweeping the new floor instead of vacuuming. Love it more with broom and dust pan easy to get at.
- Installed a strap to hold my portable air conditioner in place while moving.
- Played with PVC designing a side table and foot stool. Haven’t found what I want in stores so I’m making them! They will be lightweight and easy to store.
- Headlight switch went out in my truck. I managed to break the old 1992 plastic standoffs while trying to replace it so I had to alter how it is mounted in there and drill some new holes.
- Finished upgrading to Windows 10 after installing a new larger drive I have been needing for some time. Had to reinstall a file backup and all programs.
- Made my own ice cream from scratch using heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk per YouTube.
As you can see, I wore myself out not working! LOL
  
 
By Katrina Kane, on November 25th, 2015
While waiting at Triple R RV Park again for a gate, I came across a free ticket to SeaWorld – San Antonio being offered to all military veterans by the ID.ME website for a short time. I hadn’t been there yet and knew how expensive such a ticket would normally be so I took them up on the offer. Of course, it wasn’t totally free. SeaWorld charges a ridiculous $17 for parking and that was a discount. Wow! You pay a huge amount to get in. The food as with all amusement parks is expensive. Then they gouge you for parking which you have to pay because it is much too far to walk from anywhere else you might park. I paid for the parking in advance online to speed things up when I got to the park and printed out tickets for both the parking and park entrance.
The day turned out to be a nice sunny one, not too hot or cold. Just before I got to the park, I stopped at McDonald’s for a cheap lunch. On up to the park, I found two long lines of cars waiting to get in but the lines moved swiftly. It gave me time to finish off my lunch. The park had not been open long but the closer parking that costs extra was already filling up so I didn’t bother trying to upgrade to that. I managed to find a pretty decent spot to park anyway. Naturally, I stopped for the obligatory photo at the entrance as many others did.
The park wasn’t at all like the one in San Diego I had been to as a child. This one has lots of rides and play areas. The roller coasters all looked like a lot of fun if I were 30 years younger. My stomach steered me toward the family ride area with a smaller easier roller coaster and other rides it could handle. I got to ride another carousel which is always my favorite. After enjoying several rides, my stomach started demanding ice cream. I happily agreed to the concept and got it a large waffle cone.
  
Next, I started searching out the various shows which were very good. The Penguin Experience was interesting. I am not a fan of penguins because their life in the Antarctic stinks and I would hate it with a passion. Still, they are cute. The dolphin show was cool. I liked the funny sea lion High School show too. The best was the whale show, though. They were magnificent. Such beautiful creatures in or out of the water. The music, water fountains, and screen videos really adds a lot to the experience as well I think.
  
To end the day, I decided to ignore my stomach and take a ride on the Atlantis boat type roller coaster. I regretted that error in judgment. It looked fairly short and straight forward. It takes you up a steep incline, sends you across at the top with just a little drop, then drops you down a steep fall where you get totally splashed at the bottom. What I didn’t see from below is at the top it turns the boat around so that you are going down that small drop backward! Oh gosh! I almost lost my lunch right there. While still recovering from that, down the large drop we went with the sudden slow down at the bottom. SPLASH! I survived.
 
I didn’t get to see the lagoon show. Being the end of the season, it was already shut down. Bummer… It would have been nicer too if they still had the hot wax machines that make a whale or dolphin figure while you watch but there were none. The last time I saw one of those was at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan several years ago. I guess I have to go back there some day.
For more pics click here.
By Katrina Kane, on November 23rd, 2015 After the sudden release from the gate in Valley Wells after such a short time, I had to find a campground to go to fast. I didn’t know any in the area. I decided to go back to the Escapees park in Hondo, TX and headed out. Then, as I reached the I35 freeway, I spotted the side of the bedroom pooching out in my mirror. I pulled over into a gas station with a large side area and found the siding coming apart. Oh bother. I got my ladder out to examine it. I was traveling in a bit of a wind and it was pulling it out. I grabbed my cordless drill, located a stud under the bedroom window, and drove a screw in to hold it together. Not pretty but small so not all that ugly either and I covered it with caulk. I’ll have the RV tech look at it next time my trailer and I are off at the same time.
I got some gas and had lunch there at Subway inside. As I ate, my gate guard friends came up with an RV park in Crystal City that I remembered my boss had stayed at before and spoke well of. It was the same distance from where I was but it would keep me in the local job area very close to where my next gate would likely be so I decided to go there instead.
Triple R RV Park was much nicer than I expected for an oilfield park. Most are just dirt patches but this one was a real RV resort with grass, trees, clubhouse, gym, nature trail, Laundromat, etc. They understand gate guard life and work with us on payment. They even gave me a little break on the rate when I left there. They aren’t cheap but the rate is what you pay at other real resorts and they take credit cards. They gave me a nice pull-thru site way in the back by the lake, the Nueces River, and the clubhouse. The site had cable TV and Wi-Fi which I appreciated. I had my own cat visitor every day to pet too. I used their treadmill in the gym several times, used their Laundromat, and hiked the nature trail a couple times. I also worked on a bunch of upgrades to my RV that I already had parts for onboard. Triple R is definitely on my list of places to go between gates now.
What I thought would be just a few days, turned into 3 weeks. That hurt. I was offered a gate over in Louisiana but it was too far to go in too short a time. I finally got called to go back to the now dry Valley Wells gate I had left. I went over and got setup but didn’t fully setup just in case. Work was to begin the next morning. Instead, my support guy came by and told me it was closed again. Seriously, I was there for only one night!
As I sat hitched up trying to decide where to go now, one of my other bosses called and asked me to help him out by relieving a hurt guard. It was only going to be for a few days for 12 hrs. a day but he suggested I take my trailer anyway. When he started talking about how deep the water there was and how to get through it, I knew something was not right. I drove about 50 miles to the area until I came to the road completely flooded out for a mile or more. Not being the trusting sort, I stopped, put my rubber boots on, grabbed my hiking stick, and waded in. It became clear fast that my boss was wrong! No way was my trailer going through that. I called him and suggested taking my trailer back to town, drop it in an RV park, then try to get in with just my truck and sleep in it. He agreed so back I went. The only park I could find in town was very small and full. I drove up the highway toward others I knew but found them either closed due to the slowdown in the oilfield or too shady (as in characters) to stay. I spent all day trying to find somewhere to go. I finally found a decent park late in the day that was run by the father of one of the guys I know from work. Dad was very nice and accommodating. Brush Country RV Park in Carrizo Springs is now on my list also. They have even better cable TV and movies to borrow.
Now exhausted and having missed lunch, I stopped at a Subway again and went back to the flooded road. I waited and watched others come through before I even attempted it. I made it through but it was scary. I lost my front custom license plate in it dang it! I got to the gate and immediately went on duty for the night. The couple that I was relieving let me stay in their RV while working and fed me. I got lucky that the traffic had died way down while I was there so it was pretty easy to handle. I slept in my truck when off-duty. I learned that a guard I had worked with before was on that same ranch working at another gate so I went to see him when I woke up. I worked for two nights before being released again. Before leaving, I ran up to my friend’s gate and we aired up all the tires on two support trailers sitting there and changed one tire to help out our company and support guys. I always carry an air compressor, floor jack, and DC impact wrench. Driving back out through the flood was even scarier than the first time.
Back at my RV, I stayed for one more night to figure out what to do next. I ran into town to get new license plates to replace the one the flood got. I needed to go to a super cheap RV park since money was getting low so I hitched up the next day and took off for one I know in Hondo near the Escapees. It’s only $150 a month instead of a week like all the others. Nothing much to it but okay. I messaged my boss to let him know where I would be. Just past Crystal City, he called. He had a gate for me in the area and wanted me to go back to Triple R RV Park for a couple days until the gate opened and the company would pay for it. I turned around and back to Triple R I went. The cat was glad to see me. LOL.
By Katrina Kane, on November 7th, 2015 It rained that night in Hondo, TX. I watched my ceiling and cabinets for leaks and prayed with fingers and toes crossed. Having been through several RV techs, I haven’t had the best of luck with them. The RV stayed dry. Finally! I have indeed found a good RV tech in Texas Country RV in Canyon Lake, TX. The slide was working fine too. While he was at it, he also trimmed the awning that we had replaced over the slide so it rolls up better.
The next morning, in the rain, I left to go to my new gate near Big Wells and Valley Wells. It rained the whole way and the back roads were slippery. I had to drive at half the normal speed which made me late. I got to to the gate and setup. I liked it because my pad was right next to the gate for an easy walk and it was next to a paved road. I was really excited about getting back to work. I whacked all the weeds down and threaded my solar lights through the fences to light it up at night and make it easier for workers to find. When I got a chance, I drove down to the rig pads to make a map so I could give out directions. I had some trouble getting my satellite dish to work again and finally moved it up to the roof to get signal above the trees. That night the local cows came calling. We are talking large Texas longhorns. They brushed against my trailer and came right between my door and the fence just 4 feet away. I was very glad my dish was on the roof. The cows came around every evening.
 
After just a couple days, I got word that the road to the pad was flooding. It wasn’t raining nearby but we were flooding. As usual, the guys kept going through it to work and were tearing up the road. Finally, it got so deep that a tanker went off the road and all work stopped. They got it out and left. Some came back with loads of rock after the water went down to try and fix the road. Others tried to get their equipment out but couldn’t. After being there for a week and a half, they closed the gate and released me.
 
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