DOWNTON MADNESS.

Against all my better instincts, I drove up to Avery to pick up my friend Paul for lunch since we missed an earlier Christmas lunch date because of the snow. He told me it was clear. On the high sunny ridge where he lives, it was. But, getting there on the uphill curves with shaded areas and heavy ice and snow, made me nervous.  But all turned out well and I brought him back safely. He ordered ribs at Alchemy, and if you like them, everyone says they are delicious.

Since it was Sunday, and I suffer from Downton Madness, I wore my Downton Abbey shirt.  Two people took notice enough to mention it.

I tell everyone,  “Don’t Call Me” during Downton Abbey.  Is that madness?

Ordinarily, not much of a television watcher,  I’ve become addicted to the most popular program on PBS in their history, so I’m not alone. I bought a set of the disks for my sister and got her addicted.

And she bought me the T-shirt with a picture of the three sisters on the back.

And, I’m A Mary, on the front.

Virginia and Cedric don’t own a television set, but I got Virginia addicted as well. My daughter Kristanne owns a television set, but no programming. They use Redbox if they want to watch a movie. She said, “No, I don’t want to become addicted. I have enough to take care of with a blind dog, and my  own pack and an active kid.”  Where did I go wrong?

The last season is #7 and will start in January. They’ve decided to end the series and not let it run on and on for years like a soap opera. I’ll be glued to the set for the first time in my life where everything stops for a television program.  Oh, it is madness.

SPIFFY MOTOR HOME

Yesterday was supposed to be a cruise out to South Padre Island. We had an appointment to have the motor home and Bronco washed and waxed today.  The two guys knocked on the door after washing a motor home a couple lots over and offered to get it done yesterday before we headed out for the day. They finished and we decided the windows needed washing on the inside. Then we lubricated the window tracks, washed all the screens, and just kept digging. We put off South Padre Island for later today. The motor home looks spiffy inside and out.

But, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported that Seattle had the highest viewership in America last night for the premiere of the third season of ‘Downton Abbey, as reported by public television station KCTS 9.

Boston loves ‘Downton Abbey’ second best.

Austin was third most enamored, and darn, they don’t even broadcast  PBS in Harlingen.

New York came in fourth (*sniff*), PBS reported in a press release.

I guess Downton Abbey has become a national obsession. I’m feeling so culturally deprived.

I finally finished a huge book I’d been reading, it seems forever, Life by Rolling Stone,  Keith Richards. Quite a life indeed.

And, I read this  marvelous sketch about RVing from Jim’s friend Bud Kuball  He addresses Jim as Marco and signs Edwuardo, the CB names they chose while traveling to Panama and back in 2004.

Marco:Skiing @ around the 10,000 foot level in the Rocky Mountain West
when the temperature gets down to a MINUS 30 at night & you’re in a
PROPERLY equipped motorhome with sufficient solar panels,6-volt
batteries,back-up generator,heated water system,frost-free
windows,satellite tv & enough propane to last 10 days WITHOUT
hookups–plus 4 wheel drive & 8 commercial snow tires on the ground
with a 9000 pound winch up front–now that’s RVing!! With the sun
turning the snowflakes into sparkling jewels during the day &
cross-country sking on the high plateaus of Grand Canyon, Zion & Grand
Teton National Parks under a FULL moon making the snowflakes glisten
like diamonds & listening to the mournful howl of a grey wolf —now
that’s one of the joys of a PART-TIME RV’R. Adios.Eduardo.

I love his description of snowflakes like diamonds under a full moon because I’ve experienced that including the mournful howl of a wolf. Bud is a world class adventurer and writes prolifically and well about his experiences all over the world. Most  are published in TWA Magazine. Bud is a former TWA pilot.