I’d forgotten that a friendly Canadian gave me her tiki bar sign right off her campsite post in Alberta a couple of summers ago. Here, in the Tip o’ Texas, we’ve been unpacking storage spots in the Airstream that I didn’t realize we had (which is saying something) and finding things like tiki bar signs and bathing suits (the latter right after buying one online then scrambling to figure out when the Land’s End return window ends).
Yeah, buying things—we can do that now that we have an address for the winter. Woohoo!
We bought these plastic chairs so we can have a functioning patio as well as our evening tiki bar. And a Christmas tree! I’d forgotten about having this sparkly tree duct taped to the odd branch sculpture outside the trailer on Mars two winters ago. What a starkly different place.
Hey now. I mentioned the pool right? Gotta take a selfie when laughing at the bathing midwestener who turned up Abba on his phone, then splashed around and walked out, saying for me to “Enjoy the soak, Doll.” Tracy says this is proof I don’t need that old-lady bathing suit from Lands End. Hm. I think he’s just alarmed at how many times Amazon is pinging his phone when I place an order.
So, in the two days we’ve been settling in at Brownsville, we’ve washed the trailer, taken the kayaks off the truck, learned which washers and dryers will eat your quarters, met several friendly snowbirds, and driven down to Boca Chica to see what’s up with StarBase.
New construction is what’s up. If Musk is planning on abandoning this location after he gets the super heavy lifter up, you’d never know.
He’s got new signage everywhere. Starbase! Stargate! There are no actual stars involved, though, right?
My thrill sitting on the beach in the shadows of Starbase was watching a flock of pelicans dive together to feed among a big school of fish. I practiced tracking them with my camera then trying to press the shudder right when they’d drop. I’m amazingly bad at that.
I’ll say it again: Pelicans are brill. Jennifer, wish you could have been there!
We still haven’t eaten from our favorite taco places (you’re handed a hunk of pork and a stack of fresh tortillas) or grabbed breakfast from a panaderia. Plenty of time.
I’ll take pelicans over Elon Musk any old day. Glad you’re settling in for the winter… nice tree! But I have to ask, you say you can buy things now because you have an address. If so, where do you put it all? There can only be so much storage in your mobile abode. It’s not like you have an attic.
🥴
That’s the question I’m always grappling with. Tracy’s bought stuff to help him do repairs, so it all gets integrated with hardware. I’m replacing clothes and towels and such that I’ve worn out. The chairs we’ll give away when we leave. But yeah, anything new coming inside means something from inside has to go.
I suppose that’s a good way to be. Lord knows I need a good purge… but still, it must be hard.
It’s actually easy. If I’m thinking about acquiring something, the first thing I think is, “Where am I going to put that?”
You forget how easy it is to take for granted simple things like mailboxes. Sounds like you’re settling in nicely for the winter. Tell me more about these awesome pork tacos!
Ah, I wish I could put photos in comments. I like el pastor, which is pork that’s been marinated and cooked in big chunks. There’s also pork that’s been pulled, although that’s not what it’s called here. Barbacoa, I think, which must be the origin of BBQ. In any case, the place I like best, they smoke/grill/BBQ whatever the meat there and you order by the pound. They’ll hand it to you with a bag of freshly made corn tortillas and a styrofoam tray of pickled onions, cilantro, and various absurdly hot sauces that even I who love spice do not use. If you’re lucky, they’ll have some grilled peppers on hand they’ll throw in there. It is totally all about the meat, and if I am liking it (vegetarian and 15 years, NOT a meat fan) you know it’s good stuff.
I think Al Pastor is traditionally served with pineapple, too. The tacos sound amazing! Sign me up!