Leaving The Lone Star State...Again

Well folks, it is time for us to leave Texas. Scout is sad to leave here because she is addicted to the "treat trucks". She is not happy with the heat that has come in this week though. Mama told her that we are moving to cooler weather, at least for a little while.

Yesterday, Mama took Buddy to the store.  The folks were supposed to do their grocery shopping last night but Dad had to work late.  Mama thought she might have to make two trips because she needed food for our travels.  She was able to get everything in one trip.  She was quite impressed that she was able to put everything in her basket and in her seat compartment.  She said the bread, chips and donuts were a challenge though.  BOL!

This is what Buddy carried home yesterday.  Some of the items are hidden, which is unfortunate because the amount of items was impressive.

Mama said that she has only seen one other scooter while here.  She is approached almost every time she is out on her scooter by people asking questions about it.  Everyone seems to think it would be a fun way to travel and they really like the gas mileage that it gets.

The folks contributed to the economy while they were here.  Mama got a new laptop, new glasses, took her motorcycle class, both vehicles were inspected, a surge protector was purchased, a new Mi-Fi, new brakes for the Jeep and some accessories for Buddy.  I bet there are other things, but those are the major ones that we can remember.  Oh, Mama ordered us business cards for our blog.  We had those sent to our "home" address and will have them forwarded when we reach our next destination.  We have been asked if we had business cards several times and now we do!

Signing off from the great state of Texas.  See you in the Midwest!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Waving Good-Bye To Texas Once Again

A Strange Weekend

Mama is almost always with us.  This past weekend, she took a motorcycle class which meant that it was just Dad at home with us. It was the first time that we have had him all to ourselves for that long - two full days.  It was different having Dad with us, but it was fun.  We had a nice relaxing weekend of sleeping, watching movies, sitting outside and more sleeping.  He didn't run the vacuum or the washing machine which made us very happy.

Mama learned when we were in Houston that she had to take a motorcycle class to receive her motorcycle license for Buddy.  (Buddy is her scooter.)  She really didn't want to take the class.  She waited until we moved here because there was a class that was only a few miles from home. The one in Houston was an hour away and she would have to be driving in rush hour traffic.  It also meant that we would be left home alone for 12-13 hours and she refused to do it.  There is a scooter only class offered here, but it was also about an hour away. The folks drove to the location the week before and Mama decided she would take the regular motorcycle class instead.  It is a good thing she did because the weather on Sunday turned icy and she would have had a very long drive home.

Buddy

Saturday was the first day of class.  Mama was the only girl and definitely older than all the boys.  There were five "boys".  They all rode motorcycles and Mama rode a scooter.  The first part of the class on Saturday was in the classroom and the second part was on a course.  The weather on Saturday was about 80.  Mama got overheated at one point due to all the gear. (helmet, long sleeves, gloves and boots) She drank two bottles of water and was fine.  The second day of the class, they started out on the course because bad weather was predicted and the instructor wanted to get them inside as soon as possible.  It was very cold and all their hands were freezing even with their gloves.  They ended the class with ice on their helmets and coats.  BOL! 

Mama said the class was fun and she learned a lot. She would have enjoyed it more if she wasn't so worried about passing.  She said if she failed, she was selling Buddy.   She learned to weave, stop fast, do a figure 8 (which was her worst thing) and to swerve and stop.  I am sure she learned other things, but those are what she talked about the most.  Her favorite was the stopping fast and the swerving and then stopping.

The boys had the most trouble with learning the clutch.  Mama and the youngest guy were the only ones who didn't drop their bikes.  One guy locked up his front brake and crashed pretty hard.  Another guy dropped his bike during the exam and that was an automatic fail for him.

Mama had to pass a course test and also a written test and SHE DID!  She was so happy when she came home.

Yesterday, Mama took a cab to the license office to take her written test for her license.  She was there for three hours.  She said there were 76 people in line ahead of her.  She passed!  She now has a motorcycle license which means she can ride any scooter or motorcycle.  She is still confused by the state's website concerning scooters  which said if you bought a smaller scooter you didn't have to take a driving test.  Well, it turns out you have to take the class no matter what and once you do that, all you have to do is take the written exam.  (The instructor told her she shouldn't have been required to take the class.  He said it depends on what license office you visit.)  It is very confusing, but she is legal now, more confident, and is ready to ride again!

SAD NEWS

Miss Woe, the resident greyhound here, has died.  She was 12.  Our thoughts are with her folks and her foster sister, Marie.  The campground is not the same without her.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Sad For Miss Woe's Folks But Happy She Is No Longer In Pain

Scooter Frustration

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST

Dad has been talking about getting Mama a scooter for well over a year.  Mama has resisted.  She is nervous about riding it.  She changed her mind after seeing Tom Hanks ride one in a movie recently.  BOL!  Dad has done a ton of research on scooters, but recently discovered that in Texas there are restrictions as to what qualifies as a scooter and what qualifies as a motorcycle. Mama told Dad that she is not taking a motorcycle class and taking a test. Dad would have to do the same and he doesn't know when he would be able to do it since it is possible that he may just be dropping us in Texas for the winter and not staying.  The folks started looking at the approved scooter list that Texas has.  If you buy one that is not on the list, you have to get a notarized affidavit from the dealer which isn't a big deal but Texas can still turn it down if they find it not to be on the up and up.  The folks set out on Saturday to search for a scooter.  Mama fell in love with one.  It is a Yamaha Vino.  The Vino is on the list, but not that particular model.  The salesman said he would sign the affidavit, but after speaking with him later in the day, he wasn't quite as sure. The folks decided not to take the chance on it.

Mama has been wanting a Buddy 50, but Dad thought you had to mix the oil and the gas since it is a 2 stroke.  You do not.  It does it automatically.  Dad is now fine with getting a Buddy 50 and it is on the TX approved list.  Yay!  Problem solved, right?  Wrong!  Texas and Illinois have different rules on what is considered a "moped".  In Texas, a Buddy 50 is considered a "moped".  In Illinois, it is not and a license plate is required.  If it is a moped, no license plate or registration is required.  Okay, that shouldn't be a problem because in Texas you need a license plate, so we can just register by mail.  Wrong, or we think it is wrong.  In Texas, you have to have a "K" endorsement on your driver's license in order to drive a scooter.  Mama doesn't think Texas will allow her to register the scooter via mail because of that. She needs to take a written test to get that. Her insurance agent said to give them a call and they might.  She is going to call them later today and hopes she gets a nice person.  BOL!  If it turns out that Texas will not let her register by mail, then she can get a temporary license and registration in Illinois that is good for 30 days.  Yep, she will only be able to ride if for 30 days and then it will have to sit until we get to Texas.  Dad said he wants to get it now even if it has to just sit for a while.  They bought a motorcycle carrier for it yesterday so they are ready to buy one on Saturday unless something happens to change their minds.

The dealership they went to on Saturday that had the Buddy 50 had an extremely rude salesperson.  Mama said he must be related to the Pigman.  He was rude when Mama called him on the phone to see if he had any in stock and really rude in person.   Apparently, Mama is stupid for thinking that the price tag hanging from the scooter was the actual price.  It said $1,999.  It was white and had a storage container on it.  The folks wanted black, but Mama said she really liked the extra storage.  There was a black scooter inside without a storage container and it was priced at $1,999.  It turns out that the $1,999 does not include the price of the storage compartment.  Mama thinks there should have been something on the price tag indicating that, but the salesman implied she was stupid for thinking it was included because it cost him $300 to add it and did she think it was less money because it was white.  The paint color doesn't matter. Really?  There was a lime green one priced at $1,799 next to it, exact same model.  He also said she was trying to get him to rig the registration.  She just asked if it could be extended after the 30 days.  If you are wondering, they will not be buying from him.  Mama said there are other dealers in town and she refuses to deal with him again.

Is anyone still reading this?  BOL!  We debated rather or not to even discuss it but this has been the topic of discussion in our home for the past week.

If you are wondering, Scout and I are doing fine.  We have been busy chewing our bully sticks.  We really love the bladder sticks, but they don't last nearly as long.  Mama was too tired last week to help me with the blog.  She is having trouble getting used to get up at 4:30 a.m. when Dad's alarm goes off.  I think she is feeling better because we let her sleep to 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  BOL!

It is going to be really hot here the next two days, so we are going to just chill inside.

UPDATE

Mama called Texas and they said it was not a problem at all to register through the mail.  Mama told them she didn't have an Endorsement K and they said they didn't care about that.  It sounds like she is going to be a Scooter Mama soon!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Hopes A Scooter Will Bring Him More Hamburgers For Lunch