Wrapping It Up

I sure hope this is the last time I write this…“ Woke up early”…but unfortunately I did even though I went to bed around 5:00 a.m. I was wide-awake by 7:00 a.m.  Being an insomniac is not fun.

Ran last minute errands and made a list of all the things I need to take back to Del Rio with me just in case I do not have the opportunity to come back before the Chili Cook-off in Terlingua.

I really do not know how I am going to fit all the things I need in a sedan but I will have to.  I have tons of stuff sitting in the living room floor that need to hitch a ride back with me.

For those of you that are considering going to the Chili Cook-off you better start planning now because it is just around the corner.  It is always held the first weekend in November but people start arriving way before then. A gentlemen that camps close to my friends arrived a month before.

If everything goes well I hope to leave for Del Rio tomorrow after the morning rush hour.  If you do not see me post, hopefully it will be because I finally got to sleep late and rest my tired body.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Lawn mower bit the dust!

I guess it should not surprise me anymore as all my life I have had a sixth sense about things.  I remember being on vacation as a teenager and telling my parents that we were soon going to be in a wreck and 30 minutes later we rolled over.  Knowing my house had been burglarized, and so many other instances to many to mention.

This morning I got up early since we had a 60 percent chance of precipitation and wanted to mow the lawn before it started to rain.  I have been busy this past week trying to dig up the crabgrass in the back but something told me to mow the front yard because the mower was going to peter out on me…and by golly it did!

I did not get to finish the side of the house or the area by the mailbox but I took out my wonderful little weed eater and finished the job.  Was getting ready to clean up when it started pouring.  I have no idea how much it rained but it was easily over an inch.  Guess tomorrow I will have to mow the backyard with the weed eater, as I have no plans to buy another electric lawn mower this late in the season.

Guess I got my money’s worth as I paid $119.00 for it and it has lasted me six summers. I am sure going to miss it!

Went to Giant Dollar the other day where everything sells for $1.09 and was pleasantly surprised that they once again carry Sara Lee bread, as you know they sell it for double that price at the regular grocery stores.  What I really went to buy me though was insect repellant even though for some reason I have yet to see a single mosquito in Houston something very odd indeed.

Can you believe the Chili Cook-off is only two months from now (my friends and I go early) I have been going through my winter clothes and camping stuff to make sure I do not forget anything.  Hopefully I can maybe squeeze another trip down here before then.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Bikers

Got an e-mail saying how much they enjoyed the different header pictures that I feature in my blog specially of the bikers, as they themselves would like to attend and ride their motorcycles to the cook-off.

They wanted to know if a lot of bikers attend the Chili cook-off.  There are usually a fair number of them. Some set up camp as you come into CASI on the right side beneath the hill.  But one can camp wherever one pleases as there are no designated “biker camping” areas.

As far as availability of supplies in the area is concerned…it is very limited and expensive. I presume most bikers that attend have a supply vehicle that carries their camping gear, ice chests, food and most importantly their beer much like the guys I featured.  Here is a link to local area amenities. http://www.chili.org/documents/Services%20Available%20on%20Site%20at%20Rancho%20CASI%20de%20los%20C.pdf

Hope that answers your questions, if not feel free to e-mail me or leave me a comment on the blog.  Don’t be shy, I don’t bite.

Just wanted to let the readers know how special the folks that attend this event are.  My friends with the new toy hauler (to the right of my tent) ride bikes.  Before they had the toy hauler he would ride his bike from Austin and she would follow in their truck and pull a trailer. What I am getting at is that they both know how exhausting it can be and then to arrive, set up camp and have to cook a meal.

Wanda and Jeff's new Toy Hauler

Saturday morning at the adjacent camp

When the bikers from San Antonio showed up he took them under his wing and to our other friend’s camp (the ones across from my tent).  The guys had cooked a lot of food and they shared it with them.  Some were shy at first but he got them all to eat.  I think the guys from San Antonio were a bit incredulous at their generosity.  Likewise next morning after we ate breakfast we had a lot of leftover tamales and they invited the guys to help themselves.

Note the silver pickup on the left.  That was their supply vehicle.

Our new friends, the bikers from San Antonio, Texas.

Much has been written about the gifting culture of people that attend Burning Man and while neither my friends nor I have ever been to Burning Man I can certainly attest that Chili Cook-off attendees are just as generous and genuinely give of themselves and what we have with no strings attached.

Jeff (the host) his wife Wanda and Toni who brought the tamales, menudo and  mouth watering steaks. Thank you guys, you all are great.

These are the "A" Brothers and their friends who are some of the nicest people you will ever have the privilege to meet. They unselfishly shared their food with our new San Antonio friends as well as old timers but specially "virgins".

My friends and I are partial to “virgins” and go out of our way to show them the ropes and make sure that their first experience is as memorable as each of ours was when we attended our first cook-off.

If you are considering attending, stop considering and start making plans.  I promise you, you will not be disappointed and you might just make some new friends for life.  http://www.krazyflats.com/

Wanted to welcome Joe Baker to the blog.  Thanks you for your readership.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

My Cyber Journal

I have always been the type of person that likes to keep a written record of events in my life. I was 9 years old when I purchased and began writing my first diary. Would carry my little keys with me on a chain at all times so no one would decide to read it apart from the fact that I would hide my diary in different locations.

I faithfully wrote a daily entry until I was sixteen.  Only reason I quit was because it was now too dangerous to have someone get a hold of my written journal and read my thoughts and feelings.  Not that there was anything out of the ordinary that was going on in my life. However, I don’t think parents want to read about what their 16-year-old teenagers are up to and I was not going to give them the opportunity either.

When I became an adult I took up writing a journal again but only of special events in my life. When Wal-Mart had their back to school specials, I would purchase a box of spiral notebooks which back then sold for a nickel each.  When computers became commonplace I started writing on those. I still have those huge black floppies along with disks that you would need an old computer with the accompanying old software to read.  Glad I never got rid of my Wal-mart spiral notebooks.

Computers can crash, be lost or stolen.  Spiral notebooks can end up in unopened boxes in the attic, storage spaces or burn in a fire.  That is the main reason why I decided to start a blog.  Another reason being that I now suffer from C.R.S. (Can’t Remember S#*t) syndrome and wherever I am in the world or in the great State of Texas I can easy access the data from any computer.  Provided that Blogger does not go under then I can pretty much be assured that I will have a cyber record of my life until I die or decide to quit writing.

My journal writing is a running joke in Terlingua.  My friends will say “ Oh no, she is going to write it in her journal”.  Thank heavens for my written records or I would not remember half of what has gone on in the past sixteen Cook-off’s.

Chili Cook-Off 2011

Did you think I had run off with a tall, dark and handsome cowboy?  Sure wish I had :D   

Well folks one thing about the cook-off is that you make plans and hope to accomplish this or that but it very seldom happens because something always sidetracks you.  So if you ever attend don’t really plan on following a schedule, remember you are on Terlingua time.

Got to the cook-off a little after 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 30^th was planning on setting up my tent but things got in the way and ended up partying and catching up with friends until 3:30 a.m.

It took me six hours to set up my camp the next day and even though my friends offered to help me, I believe in being self-reliant and I did it myself.  Above is a picture of me after a nice shower and with my Halloween clothes.

On Wednesday Nov 2^nd I was the designated driver so I could take my campmates to the Dia de los Muertos celebration.  However some were pretty partied out and it ended up just being me and my friend Toni.  She has a brand spanking new fancy truck and it was the first time in my life to drive one.  We had not gone far when we saw this huge orange haze in the horizon.  Got to the cemetery and noticed that there were hardly any people there even at this late hour.  We were not there even 10 minutes when a terrible windstorm came and we barely had enough time to run back to her truck and head back to the cook-off.

We arrived just before the dust storm hit and I was able to salvage my chairs, orange cones, solar lights and other items thanks to the help of the guy that was camping next to me or they would have blown to the next county.  He was also nice enough to take me into his trailer along with another friend of mine and her boyfriend.  From his window we watched my shower being torn apart but it was just too dangerous to try to go out and save it.

We thought the storm would pass after and hour or so but it kept on all night.  My friends decided to brave the storm and walk to a party and I decided to go to my tent and with the added weight of my fat butt make sure it would not fly off in the night.  It got cold but I had my new zero rated sleeping bag and was toasty warm.  One of the reasons I bought my tent was because it is Burningman approved, now up there they REALLY have white outs that last for hours and pack hurricane winds. Therefore I was confident I was safe or I would have gone to my car or to one of my friend’s trailers.

The next day everyone was surveying the damage and let me tell you it was considerable.  A lot of torn and twisted awnings from those high dollar motor homes as well as regular portable shades structures.  It was rather cold too, so everyone was pretty bundled up.  People looking for their shoes, boots and other items that blew away.  The majority of my friends pull trailers, toy haulers, teardrops or pop-ups.  I am the only one that still does tent camping.  Needless to say I spent it indoors going from trailer to trailer and it was something different but fun.

Saturday I was taking the trash to the dumpster when I did not see a hole and twisted my ankle.  Lucky for me I was able to grab my friend’s truck tire and did not fall on my face or skinned up my knees.  This did limit my mobility a bit and I am still suffering the consequences.

The cook-off lasts until Sunday but a fair amount of people do not want to brave the traffic and the long lines at the Border Patrol Inspection station and stay another day or two which is what I usually do.

Sunday was sitting around with my friend Debi reminiscing about the past week when I see this dog jumping off a truck and running around like he was possessed and all of a sudden it hit me “ it’s hell dog” and then a light bulb goes off and I remember that Frann has a little red truck so here I get out of my chair and hobble along shouting at the top of my lungs Frann, Denise, Hell Dog.  Of course they do not hear me but some people see me waving my arms and tell them and they come over.

We had a nice conversation at my friends Debi’s camp since she was had a shade structure and I did not, thanks Debi.  These ladies are hard working gals that really know their stuff and their skills and knowledge rival or surpass any mans.  I am sure all of you all know them but if you don’t give their blogs a look Denese’s is http://thepathtobliss.blogspot.com/ and Frann’s is http://frannbro.blogspot.com/

I want to thank them for coming back later that evening after hearing I was planning on eating a can of ravioli and they brought us some delicious fajitas.  I really appreciate it girls, I owe you one.  The next morning Denese came by so I could follow her to their place and get the grand tour.  I am sorry to say that I have no pictures as the night before I packed up my camera so I would not lose it and forgot which container it went in.  If you saw the picture of how I packed going to the cook-off you should have seen how cramped my car was coming home, as I just threw everything wherever it would fit.

When I got home Monday I took a shower, ate and went to bed.  Tuesday had to take my mother to her doctor’s appointment and I somehow ended re-injuring my ankle so was not able to unpack my car until today when I finally found my camera.  However I have not tackled the trunk that will have to wait a couple more days, as my tent weighs a ton.

May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Tweaking

Half the fun of going on a trip is planning for it.  While I can only speak for myself, as a diehard chili cook-off attendee this is an event that I plan and look forward to since the moment I leave the campgrounds.

All year long when I happen to be out and about or thinking about purchasing something in the back of my mind I think, how can I use it in Terlingua?  Is this something that I can incorporate into my campsite?  I have a container in which I start putting my purchases and little things that I might forget along with an updated packing list that I seem to revise all the time. This year I have managed to fill up three containers so I have to pair down a bit.  If I had Terlita it would not be a problem but with a sedan I have to be rather selective because I don’t have much room to work with.


Last year I took two medium size coolers in the back seat, one for my beer and another for my food.  The only problem is that I then had to pile on all my clothes, chairs, full-length mirror (hey I’m a girl!) my zero gravity chair, along with a 6-gallon water container.  It is rather difficult to move all that out of the way when you are trying to get to your beer.  So this year my beer is going in the trunk where I can have easy access to it.

The trunk if pretty much packed with my folding table, tent, tent shower, shower stand, and garden sprayer as well as all the necessary paraphenalia to set them up.  Will also fill up all the nooks and crannies with miscellaneous items. 

Just in case you might be wondering, why a garden sprayer?  That is one of the best tips I got in the Burning Man Tips and Tricks forum http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=270da2d902088d4586714cf2c275c784 you can save a lot of water using them to take a shower.  Remember this is the desert and water is not readily available neither in Terlingua nor in Black Rock City.  You can go into town to bathe at the coin showers but the lines get pretty long later in the week plus you also take a chance of being stopped by the DPS which swarm the area starting on Wednesday.  You will be pulled over for the most minor infraction as they are really looking for drunk drivers, so if you are drinking don’t even think about driving or you will get a free ride to Alpine. 

Packed my back seat with my 120 quart ice chest where I was hoping to fit 10 gallons of water but it takes up too much space.  I had placed my old sleeping bag to keep it from sweating on to the seats as I was also going to buy a couple of bags of block ice but I think I will make do with one ice chest this year.  But make no mistake about it I am taking TWO sleeping bags this year as I do not plan on freezing to death like last year.

Tomorrow I will go through Terlita to try to find my winter stuff and complete my packing.  I bought all my can goods (since I do not cook) while I was in Houston as things are much cheaper there than in Del Rio.  Just need to go buy bread and beer and I am pretty much set.


While the CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) is officially only a three-day event…Thursday, Friday and Saturday people get there way before.  Some of the people that camp around me arrived tonight and some will be arriving Friday and Saturday.  The latecomers will get there Sunday or in my case, I hope to get there on Monday.


Halloween has always been a fun holiday for me and while I am no longer a child I still enjoy it.  The local towns people bring their kids to trick or treat. There are actually more people at the cook-off than in their respective towns of Study Butte, Terlingua and Lajitas.  It is fun to see the kids smiling and showing off their costumes.  Remember if you decide to come, don’t forget the candy.

So I'm a wimp!!

I had a terrible night.  I was sweating profusely but I did not know if it was because I am sick or because of the humidity.  It was hot and muggy even with the ceiling fans going.  Finally was able to go to sleep around 6:00 am but only managed to sleep until 10:30 a.m.

Went to run errands and when I came back the house was a living inferno.  Sorry, I'm a wimp...but I turned on the air conditioning!!  It is now nice and cool in here :-)

Now on a different topic every year when I go to chili cook-off I take two tents expect for last year because my trusted van Terlita was having transmission issues and I had to take another vehicle.

You're probably asking yourself, Belinda why would you need two tents?  Very good question,  You see your first night there you probably have had very little sleep staying up packing and repacking your vehicle and making sure that you don't forget something important, like your beer :D

When you first get there, you are too busy greeting everyone and someone always hands you a beer and asks you to sit a spell and chat.  Repeat this several times as more people from your camp and/or surrounding camps arrive.  So after a couple of beers, some grilled steaks, good music and dancing, setting up a big tent is not a priority.  Thus the reason for two tents, one for the first and last night and your regular tent for the other days.

I had no problem finding my first and last day tent but I have no idea where the poles are.   I sure hope they were not in the shed they broke into :-(

Well guys I sure am sleepy.  I have no doubt I will have sweet Terlingua Dreams.