pgrahmm

Pervasive in CA....We flew into SFO.... After getting our RV/car road ready we stayed at a nice RV park for a week..... Directly outside the high RV park stone walls was a homeless camp....An old RV, parked cars, lean-to roofs against the wall....While running errands for that week, every frontage road or dead end street offered the same..... Destitute people at busy intersections with their signs & hands out..... Driving through the state, as I looked around there were people under underpasses, tent encampments, lines of occupied old RV's noticed near the urban areas.... This is the first time we didn't visit San Francisco based on reports....During our last visit there we visited the Palace of Fine Arts & about 30% of the parking lot was broken glass from the smash & grab thefts..... Traveling across the US to Texas I thought about boondocking, however, the small clusters of people I saw seemed dirty, unkempt, hardened by life, and weary.....Not a safe place to take a Thai wife imo....They weren't "homeless", more like a nomadic tribe traveling banded together.... From casual observation it's everywhere, but at it's worst on the west coast of the US.... We've moved our home base away from the only state I've ever called home..... I'll miss the topography and natural wonders of the west...

Intermittent fasting helped me go from 117k to 90-93k.... Having a scale to monitor helped.... Unfortunately/or fortunately we've been in the US since September & have gained about 7k of it back spoiling myself with favorite meals, treats, & snacks not available in LOS.... We return in January & the scale will be needed again..... So yes, a scale is a good way to monitor progress - or lack of.....

We've been given the GIFT of life.... Based on 76 years of living = it beats the alternative.... That may vary person to person.... I have a good wife to go through life and with laughter, an upbeat outlook, a cuddle, and (still) more - we have family on both sides that offer love, support, and willingly share their lives with us - sprinkle in a few dogs & cats, a few interests and hobbies along the way.... Our health is good + active.... As mentioned before.... It beats any (known) alternative.... Back to you Gamma.... Is the pursuit of imponderable questions satisfying? Or is it a bottomless abyss who's itch we just can't fathom to reach & scratch.....

We had fresh sushi available locally until COVID took it's toll....It was reasonable at 12 choices for 200 baht & he'd add a couple more..... Truthfully, my wife & daughters can prepare sushi combinations at minimal costs..... My wife would prefer to prepare it at home.....One daughter has a sushi restaurant that she favors for special days & birthdays.... In any case, we avoid "market" place conditions where it's prepared & sitting out on display - waiting - subject to the surrounding conditions.....

In Texas = Went to the oldest daughter's house where they had gumbo and sliced hams along with all the trimmings and deserts.... My wife made a sweet & sour shrimp dish + some coconut topped butterfly gelatin cups from butterfly flowers we brought from our garden.....I bought 18 boxes of cordial cherries to pass out..... Enjoyed a houseful of people that ate, collected goodies & presents - then left..... I watched an American football game with my son in-law chatting about this & that....My wife helped my daughter tidy up then we came back to the RV..... I've enjoyed a couple of rum & cokes..... She's heating up leftovers from the day; then we're kicking back to end the day...18:30 here at the moment with low temps expected overnight.... My wife is loving the cold, fresh air.....

Thank you & back-atcha.... Merry Christmas 🎄 to you & yours..... Also wished to the rest of you TV(A) knuckleheads....

Chiang Mai plastics would be my best guess..... They seem to have a lot of variety where hobbies are concerned....

In TH = same king sized bed but an adjoining "sitting" bedroom has the wardrobes, home gym, book shelves, & big screen with a couch that opens into a bed.... So there is a "separation" of space - stuff wise = bedroom - her array of stuff...The other room is arranged my way & I spend quiet time there if the house is busy.....But, we always are together in the same bed.... Currently in the US RVing & sharing a queen sized bed.... I'm an active sleeper & she sleeps like a log so she favors her side close to the edge....

Just think of the long list of life impairing situations.... Away from state of the art technology, not having a simple thing such as refrigeration of any sort would be catastrophic....

I'd have to go with Italian Mexican American BBQ style American breakfast style Thai The unknown category: About anything my wife cooks.... She likes trying different menus (fusion) & I can't really remember any bad ones...Today was a Louisiana style shrimp platter - then she created a homemade soup dish based off that recipe.....

That what they said....It went straight & kept bouncing on a hard surfaced municipal course.....It makes no difference to me what you think.....It was hardly a PGA suitable course or a beautiful shot....It was also the longest, straightest hole.....

To me, when I briefly took it up it seemed like the hours were wasted....I didn't dislike it & didn't find it extremely difficult; it was just very time consuming imo.... I wasn't crazy about the mad hatters I observed going nuts when they failed.... A scratch player that taught me pointed out that when learning I got to play more than everyone else = back off & enjoy..... I was entered in a (my only) tournament (as a joke) by some buddies as made up 2 foursomes.....They thought it good folly = until Coming home I had the only trophy = longest shot @ 440 yards 😂..... At that time I was also playing softball, American tackle football, & racquet ball which were more active sports.....

There are places I've gone (and not returned to) that seem to run on 40/45 minute hours, or a 20 minute break at the end of the first hour of a two hour massage..... I've found that the further away from the tourist belt, the more honest (and better) massage quality & timing is.....

I don't see Sukhothai or Hua Him there.... I recall Sukhothai has a big celebration.....

Whoa.... Talk about the ultimate jumping to conclusions....

I'm not sure there is such a thing.... There seems to be a national sport of "buzzing the tower" enjoyed by mc riders when they see a farang bike riding..... Because of the small amount of space for error I stay on the roads less traveled.....

Congratulations on your longevity.... Your tedium, blended with perseverance & feigned curiosity have proven a worthy endeavor as time marches enivitively forward...

We are RVing the US into January..... My wife bought a door sized Merry Christmas greetings & some lights....We light them every night.... Our daughters are house sitting.... I'm not sure if they will put up the tree & decorations.... It's our first Christmas that we are not together.... We were at the official Graceland lighting ceremony & that was nice.... We'll be at our US daughter's house for the holidays & they do have inside & outside decorations with a big tree and extended family....

In general, he's right....I have spent a lot of time there & can't think of a good enough reason to return.....

Yeah - I didn't mention my soi dog rescue - a Bangkaew..... We're RVing in US right now & this waif of a cat found us talking to us.... Badly under weight....We gave it 4 days worth of food & love (which it was hungry for) but had to get underway....I told the park owner & offered to buy food + left a post on a local FB animal rescue group.... Hopefully the owner makes good on follow up or the rescue group performs....It stayed under our vehicle & it was hard to watch it watch us leave.... We're 400 miles down the road & I still feel like going back.....It would come, sit & talk to us....

CMU Has a veterinary school which many people use for their pets care.... There are many choices of vets & many different price schedules..... Jai-De medical clinic by Nong Kwai on the canal road is good.... There's a 24/7 Hang Dong Animal Hospital is good but pricey..... We have 11 rescues = sometimes it does cost money.....I spent over 20k on one of ours & would do it again....

We are currently RVing in my home country - USA I'm slowly adjusting to what I'm seeing.... Except for the places we've planned to visit I can't wait to get back.... Side note - I'm amazed at the amount of senior citizens 70+ still out there working that apparently can't afford not to...Their golden years being winnowed away, stolen - sad to see.....

You have our sympathy.....

I define empathy as a heightened compassion toward others.... Using that as a baseline, yes, it can happen several times in a day - or not, depending on situations & observations....

We had some frame work done on the RV.....Shopped hotels = none below $100 per night (plus eating out)....7 days later & $700 less in the budget we pulled out....If you figure in eating out it gets worse....We like Mexican food so went through a locally owned restaurant drive through - $30 later we had basically 2 burritos, chips & salsa.... I've been watching enroute & $70-80 for a room is about as low as it gets... I'm sure there's some for less if we start driving into towns looking for the "older" sections - which might not be in a decent/safe area..... I've spotted multiple people hanging around rooms probably living off the dole & increasing numbers to decrease cost (Calif).... This trip I'm bringing a boatload of family keepsakes & heirlooms (I've been safeguarding in storage) between the 2 vehicles to my daughters in Texas....Due to the amount of people moving from CA to TX there's been a rash of people waking up at hotels & finding their UHaul trucks, cars, &/or trailers (belongings) gone - being preyed on by organized criminals along the route.... I'm doing my best to avoid giving anybody those type of opportunities .... We're self contained when/if we need to be.... Here's some California gas prices I had to pay along the way.... I' m using the Passport America discounts & it's about $20 a night so far with a stocked kitchen & water/AC it's comfortable....Plus offering the security of choice over chance....Most RV parks have some type of security whether patrolled, walled, cctv, etc....