Another Day, Another Blessing

Here is my newest flag that we put up for Independence Day.  On the right is Bella, one of my outdoor owls.




I wanted to share with you what has been happening since I last wrote.  I believe everything happens for a reason, and is part of God's plan, but I'm not sure how this vertigo I am dealing with serves to glorify God.  I am trying to figure out what He wants me to do or see or learn from this.  Maybe he wants me to stop and smell the roses.  Maybe He wants me to notice the people around me and see what I can do for others.  We went to Bible study Wednesday night and Pastor Bob was telling us what God wants mature Christians to do.  Jesus said that He will show us the same measure of kindness and forgiveness that we show to others.  We need to learn to love all others, and always forgive anyone who wants to hurt us.  He said we should pray in private and do our good works in secret.  Jesus said that those who perform acts of piety and give gifts in hopes of the rewards they hope to receive have already received their rewards.  Those who do good works because it is the right thing to do will receive their rewards in heaven.  I'm a long way from what I know a mature Christian should be, but I am on the right path, and I know, God willing, I will get there.
Wednesday morning I saw my doctor.  He had the reports from my visit to Loma Linda's emergency room.  He did a test to confirm their diagnosis of paroxysmal positional benign vertigo.  He determined that I only have it on the left side......which I hope is better than having it on both sides.  He said I was wise not to try to drive until this is resolved because, as I knew, there is no way to know when the vertigo will happen.  That's also why I use a cane when I walk outside.  He ordered more of the meclizine, and said I can take it one to three times a day as needed.  So far I did have to increase the dosing to twice a day.......I hope I won't have to take them more often than that.  He made a referral for me to see a physical therapist to treat the vertigo.  Not all therapists are trained to treat vertigo, so I can't see Natalie (who is trained for it) until July 9th.  I will do the best I can, but I just hate being unable to help Jim with the things that need to be done around here.  
We found these cute dish towels at Wal-Mart and I just had to get them.  We don't USE them; I just like to have them hanging on the door of the oven.  Last week I gave Millie a nice, short summer haircut.  She seems so much more comfortable and cooler.  Last Monday we had to drive over to Hemet to an RV place there to get a new water pump.......ours was causing our fresh water tank to 

overfill and leak all over the ground.  We saw these cute little travel trailers there.  So cute and compact too.  I don't really want to live in anything smaller than what we have, but I do get a kick out of seeing these cute little trailers.  Likewise, we don't 
really want to ever live in a tiny house............but we went inside one that is for sale at Bob's RV Sales & Service, that was pretty nice.  Here's the spacious kitchen.
Below is the spacious living room and the bedroom.  The amazing part is that price is under $62,000.  We have seen tiny houses on TV that cost over $100,000 that were not as nice as this one is.

This could make someone reconsider the tiny house idea.  It was about 36 feet long and probably about 9 feet wide, with a lot of storage space inside it.  We don't have that kind of money, but it sure looked nice, and everything was new!

This was the bathroom, and there was a large shower across the hall from the bathroom.  Really nice.  As I said, we can't afford this, but we sure can admire it!


Today I had my annual mammogram done at a place in Temecula.  Please remember ladies, if you haven't been having mammograms done annually, it is important to get it done.  It is NOT a pleasant experience, but breast cancer is not pleasant either.  Annual screenings can alert you early enough to save your life.  And men out there, support your wives and maybe go with them when they have to get it done.  Likewise, men, prostate screening can be a life saver too.  Don't put off tests that can save your life.  Colon cancer screening is also important, so don't put it off.  Preventive care is usually covered by insurance, so that shouldn't keep you from getting screenings done.  If you are a smoker, today is a good day to give it up.  If you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor how to lower it.  If you have hypertension, take steps to lower your blood pressure.  Learn to relax and maybe get a dog.  A dog will encourage you to get outside and exercise, or at least walk.  Life is a gift so take care of yourself so you can enjoy it.

When I came out to the waiting room I met a lovely lady named Patricia.  She was admiring my owl necklace and earrings.  It turned out that she also loves owls.  We talked a while about our travels (temporarily on hold for my physical therapy treatments) and about our blog.  She said she would love to read our blog, so I gave her my card.  When I told her where I grew up she said she still has relatives living in Elmira!  It IS a small world.  She told me that she would love to travel around this country since there is so much to see here.   Maybe after reading of our travels she will decide to travel too.  

I'm going to close now, while I encourage everyone to cherish each day.  None of us are promised tomorrow, so enjoy today.  Be kind to those you meet.  Remember that everyone has their own problems, so don't be a problem to anyone else.  Share a kind word, a smile, or a helping hand.  It could mean everything to someone.  Don't hang onto anger or hurt.  It won't do you any good, but it can hurt you for a long time.  Pray for peace in your heart and in the world. Share love and forgiveness.  You have no idea how much good it will do for you.

 

Back at Wilderness Lakes

Our last entry was written on our last night on the road, in Blythe, CA.  The next morning we got up early to start out for here.  Our first problem was that the awning wouldn't roll up properly.  After many attempts we got it up "fairly well" and we secured it with bungee cords and Velcro strips.  We got the car hooked up and drove here to Wilderness Lakes, and we found the very last 50 amp site available in the whole park!  All the way here I watched the awning in the outside mirror to make sure it was not unrolling.  God watched over us because it can be VERY dangerous if an awning unrolls while you are driving. 

 As you can see, the California dessert is very, very dry!!!!
  It took a few hours but we got all set up in our site.  Later Almita & Rueben came over to visit.  It was grand to see them again.  They left here last November or December to visit their daughter up in Simi Valley, so it had been more than half a year since we had seen them.  They had their motorhome furniture reuphostered back in February so we were anxious to see it.

 Almita & Rueben are avid bird watchers, so this upholstery is very much in the spirit of these wonderful people.  They upholstered the dinette, the couch, the front seats and the window valances, and it looks absolutely terrific!!!!


Saturday morning we had to take Willie to the vet because he had a dry, scaly patch on his nose.  After blood work and the exam he told us that Willie has what is called discoid lupus erythematous and he will be on medical treatments for the rest of his life.  We are praying that he will be OK in spite of this.  He is a sweet and loving dog.   Later that afternoon, we had to miss Candy Bar Bingo because we had the awning guy coming out to fix the roller for us.  Wouldn't you just know it...................the awning worked perfectly when he checked it!  He laughed but he did adjust it and put in some "set screws" so the problem won't happen again.  

Sunday I was really looking forward to attending church here in the park, however that didn't come to pass.  At 8 am I was hit by a terrible episode of vertigo, and felt as if the motorhome was rolling over on its side.  Jim had to practically carry me to the couch.  I expected it to pass in a few minutes, but it didn't.  I also felt like I was too dizzy to even consider going to the hospital, but when it persisted for several hours, I knew I would have to go there.  Jim drove me to Loma Linda University Hospital emergency room.  I must admit the service there is very efficient and of the best possible quality.  I was seen promptly by a nurse practitioner and tests were performed to rule out several possibilities.  I saw a doctor who prescribed medicine for the dizziness, anxiety, and nausea.  Later he talked with us again and said he saw no kind of brain injury such as an infarction or a bleed and all indications suggest that it is a problem with the inner ear causing the vertigo.  He sent me home with prescriptions for meclizine for the vertigo and zofran for nausea.  

Monday Jim dropped off the prescriptions at Wal-Mart and then up to the VA hospital pharmacy to pick up the refill of his medication, then he picked up my two medications at Wal-Mart.  I rode along because he was worried to leave me home alone.   By the time we got back, I was exhausted and laid on the couch all afternoon.  Tuesday I began to feel better and by Wednesday the vertigo seemed like a distant memory.  Thursday I made the mistake of thinking thinking maybe I didn't need to take the meclizine anymore, so I didn't take it on Thursday or Friday.  By Friday evening I was almost as dizzy as I had been on Sunday, so now I know I will have to continue taking the medication for a while longer.  I will be seeing my doctor on Thursday, so we will find out what he thinks too.

We saw this on an RV here in the park.  Jim says he sees owls now, everywhere he goes.  LOL.  We have our hooting owl and the ones that hang off the awning as well as the two on the table and the owl rug outside.   I will include more pictures next time.

My dear brother Tony and his dog Woody came to visit us on Wednesday morning and stayed until Friday morning.  It was so nice to see him after being gone for such a long time.  I am looking forward to seeing Donna & George soon, but with all this vertigo I wasn't sure when I can do that.  Hopefully we can get together this week.  I have missed them so very much.

We are still working on getting a new motor for the RV step so Jim & Greg can fix the motorized step, and we have to replace our water pump before we leave here.  Then our home will be all fixed and we will be happy campers again.  

I'm going to close now because it is time to feed the dogs their dinner.  By the way, the vet put our dogs on a diet since they had both put on weight this year.  They aren't happy about it but Millie has lost over 2 pounds and Willie has lost over 3 pounds.  All good!

Life is good and the problems we have had are just little bumps in the road.  We learn from the difficult moments, not from when everything goes as we hope it will.  Praise God for your blessings. Praise God for the lessons we learn along the way.  Praise God in all things.  Jesus loves you and He will provide for you.  Never stop thanking God for all He has given you.

Have a wonderful week ahead.  It's a gift.

Travel Can Be Challenging, but also Interesting

Before I discuss our travels, I will tell you about going to Ric and Mary's wedding reception.  It was held in a popular restaurant in TorC.  Mary is a Red Hat Society Queen and likes to wear purple and red together (as per the poem that launched the Red Hat Society.)  Here are a couple pictures from that day.

 This was during the ring ceremony, which Ric announced would be brief, and it was.  Prior to that, Mary and her escort arrived, following three flower girls.  One walked with her mom, and as her mom dropped flower petals, the little girl was picking up the petals!  SO cute.
Here is a picture of their wedding cake!  Notice the figures on the top!  Here is the couple cutting the wedding cake.  It was a lovely buffet and the singer who performed was very nice.  We got to sit with Pastor Dudley and his very delightful and lovely wife Karen.  We got talking about books we like to read, and she suggested that I might enjoy the Father Tim books by Jan Karon.  I looked them up online, and my brother Tony ordered three of them for me, so Karen, if you read this, I am looking forward to reading them once I get back to Menifee and Tony brings me the books.  I only regret that I didn't take a picture of Karen and Dudley to include here.

June 3rd we went to church there, for the last time this year.  Pastor Dudley told everyone we were leaving, so it was a kind of emotional good bye until next year.  The people there are all so warm and friendly and we will miss them.

We spent the next few days getting rid of things we really didn't need and packing up to leave at the end of the week.  On Friday we got up early and finished packing and were ready to hook up the car for towing and get on the road................but for one thing.  The moveable step that is supposed to retract for travel would not retract.  We tried everything we could imagine, but it would not budge!  Billy came  over to help, but still no luck.  He said that after sitting for almost four months, maybe the battery didn't have enough "juice" to move the step, so they put the battery on a charger..............and still no luck.  Somebody suggested that maybe the battery needed more water, so distilled water was added.  Then the battery did not have enough power to start the motor at all.  Finally we called the RV guys who fixed our air conditioner last month, and they came out.  They also could not get the steps to move.  In desperation, we had them disable to motor for the steps and they wired the steps in so we could travel.  Instead of leaving around 9 am it was almost noon before we left.

We spent one night at the KOA in Lordsburg, and instead of dinner at Kranberry's Chatterbox, we decided to go for dinner at the Elks lodge.  The people were delightful, the dinner not so much.  Since we were only there for one night, we left the steps wired in and struggled to get in and out several times.  Not a good idea.  As always, New Mexico sunsets are awesome.
This was one we saw in Lordsburg.  So beautiful.

The next day we still had to use the battery booster to get the RV started, but by the time we got to Benson, AZ it seemed to be holding a good charge!  YAY!  We put out the step and had a very nice and restful three day stay.  


On Tuesday we drove to Tempe, AZ for one night at the Elks lodge there.  As usual, the people were very nice, and I found an Owl Lady there......
She told me she bought this as a key chain at JC Penney's and a friend put a loop on it for her so she could wear it as a pendant.  It's so pretty.  They were serving hot dogs for dinner that night with all kinds of toppings, so we decided to partake of same since we like to patronize all of the lodges we visit...............but we were not prepared for what we saw.  The hot dogs were cooked and served by this lady.

This isn't a great picture, but her hat sports a hot dog in a bun!  We were told that on hamburger night she has a hamburger hat that she wears!  People are funny!  Art Linkletter said it, and it's still true.  On a different note, it was terribly hot in Tempe.  I really don't know how people survive in such oppressive heat.  

We decided to get an early start to leave there and head west into California.  We packed up, and hooked up and were on the road just before 8 am.  We were happily cruising along on Interstate 10 when we started to hear a terrible banging noise.  Jim pulled off to the shoulder of the road, but we couldn't get too far to the right because it sloped down into a gully.  We were just about 50 miles east of Quartzsite when this happened.  We got out to check and discovered we had blown an inside rear tire.  For those who don't know, there are two tires on each side in the back.  We got back in the RV and I called Auto Club.  After much discussion they dispatched a tow truck that could carry our 35 foot RV.  I called ahead to the place we bought this set of six new tires in February.  Many businesses in Quartzsite (otherwise called Q) close up during the hot months.  Fortunately for us, American Custom Tires is open year round....and they had our size tire in stock.  While we waited, we had to run the generator to keep the RV cool enough for the dogs, since it was 109 outside!!!  Jim and I went outside and unhooked the car because the tow truck would not be taking the car too.  We also had to move stuff we usually carry inside the car into the RV so there would be enough space for us, and the dogs when we drove to Q.  It was a long and unnerving 1 1/2 hour wait for the tow truck driver to arrive from Avondale, and another 30 minutes to load the RV onto his tow truck.  He followed us to the tire shop in Q and I took the dogs inside while they did the work.  The distance from Tempe to the RV park in Blythe was only 164 miles, and should have only taken about two hours or so.  We originally expected to arrive well before noon............but instead we didn't get here until after 4:30 pm!  It was 112 outside and we were tired, hot and stressed out.  We checked in an got a nice tree shaded site.  We decided we would stay an extra night to rest and recouperate from that day, so we are still here.  We will leave in the morning to go on to Wilderness Lakes, where we hear it is supposed to cool down for a few days.....in the 70s with nights in the 50s, nice for sleeping.  This morning there was a power outage that affected the park, but thankfully it only lasted about 90 minutes.  We got our car and RV washed and waxed today, so that was nice too.  This is a very pretty park right on the Colorado River.

Here are a couple pictures I took looking out at the river, and I finally get it.  Since we first came to California I have heard people talk about "going to the river" and I thought, so what?  Now I get it.  It is beautiful and peaceful and some of God's very special work.  If it were not so hot, I would have really wanted to stay longer. I can imagine how great it must be to come here in cooler weather.  

 

Here are two pictures of the cute retro trailer that is next to us.  The orange one below is used as a photo studio/office for the guy in 

the bigger trailer behind it.
So cute!!  The motorhome below on the right is right next to the boat launch into the river.  Many of these people live here year round, and except for the heat...I get it.  This fifth wheel toy hauler on the left has an amusing message on the back.  This last picture below, is of the storage area, but it also shows how green it is here.  There are lovely, mature shade trees, and lots of green grass.  
It is an idyllic park.....except for the heat!  If we do come back here, it will definitely be in a cooler month. 
This trip has not been easy for us.  We have had problems from the day we left Arrey.  One might ask if we should question if someone is trying to tell us not to leave................but we really did want to go see our loved ones in California.  Some of our experiences on this trip have been traumatic and frightening, but we have gotten through them.  That is because we always KNOW that our heavenly Father is watching over us and making sure we are safe.  I won't deny that I will breathe a sigh of relief when we get to Wilderness Lakes and get set up in a site, hopefully one with 50 amp service,and we can relax.  I know the dogs will be glad to stay in one place for a while.  Travel can be a lot of work, but it's always worth it to see the beautiful places God has created  for us, and to meet all the interesting people we see in the places we go.  Life is an adventure, enjoy it.  Live each day and savor the joy.  Maybe the occasional hardships are to remind us that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.   Maybe we need to remember to share our joy and the love of Jesus with those we meet each day.  I don't know the meaning of it all, but I do know that Jesus loves us and that helps me deal with the bumps in the road.

Happy travels to all on this road of life.  Take care and smile at the people you meet.  It will bring joy to one and all.

Soon We Head Back to Southern California

It is with mixed emotions that we are preparing to leave our home here to head back to our other home campgrounds in California.  We have made friends with some wonderful people here, and we will miss them very much when we are gone, but we are looking forward, eagerly, to seeing family and friends in California that we have not seen in over five months.  The weather here is getting quite hot, which we won't miss, but the sunsets here are still inspiring.

 
 These were taken last night just minutes apart, looking in different directions.  I love the pinks and purples you see in the sky here.


This was not long after the ones above.  I couldn't pick between such amazing displays of God's artwork, so I had to include all of them.  Often it cools down enough to sit outside and enjoy the changing colors in the evening........but lately it doesn't cool down until almost midnight!

My dear friends Almita and Rueben gave me a wonderful pair of abelone and silver owl earrings a couple years ago, which I absolutely love!  I was also able to find the same owl in a pendant so I got it to wear with the earrings.  Much of the time I wear my magnetic jewelry because of all the health and wellness benefits, 
so I got the idea of combining my owls with the magnetic jewelry.  Here is a picture of the results.  Almita, I do hope you approve.  Sometimes I wear two necklaces together like this.
I also made Millie a double strand necklace in these colors with a silver owl pendant on it.  I know I posted her wearing the red one too.  Since Millie has a congenital knee problem that we have been told COULD require surgery someday, we have her wearing magnetic jewelry every day, in hopes we can avoid surgery.  So far, so good.  😊

Mary was in southern California until a few days ago.  She is traveling north, and is now in Oregon.  She will be selling her Native American crafts at pow wows as she travels.  She will also be visiting her dad in Idaho, and then going into Montana and on into Canada with another friend of hers.  They will be sharing a booth to sell their crafts while they are there.  We wish her safe travels and good sales along the way.  At a recent pow wow a woman came into her booth, and after chatting a while, she told Mary about her very severe back pain and knee pain.  Mary showed her the magnetic jewelry she wears to relieve pain she has, mostly from sciatica. 

Mary gave her my phone number and, long story short, she placed an order for a two strand necklace, a four strand anklet and a two strand bracelet.  Here is what I made for her.  To be honest, I think these tiger eye beads look better in jewelry for men, as I like jewelry for ladies to have more "bling", but this is what she wanted, and the customer is always right!

We thought we had brought with us enough of Millie's Hill's Science Diet for Kidney patients, as she needs a very low protein diet.  Sadly we ran out this week.  I called the veterinary hospital in TorC that we have taken Willie to, and told them she is on this diet because she has only ONE functioning kidney.  They said of course I could buy some from them, so we drove into town to get it.  When we got there, we were told that they would only supply it to us after their doctor verified that she has only one good kidney, which would require her to be examined and have a CT scan first.  I asked if they would provide it if I called her vet in Menifee and they told her why Millie needed the special diet, and they said nope.  I was not pleased, and we left without her dog food.  We had not taken Millie with us because it is much more comfortable for the dogs to be here in the air conditioned motorhome than in the car with us, and I had not expected that she needed to be there just to pick up dog food.  When we got home I called her regular doctor and told them about this.  They couldn't believe that this doctor would not accept a phone call or fax to confirm the need for a prescription diet dog food.  Anyway, the girl in the office in Menifee looked up a recipe for a low protein dog food and emailed it to me, so we can make safe food for Millie until we get back there on June 14th.  Thank God for good people like her who are willing to go beyond their job and help us out.

We have been busy this week cleaning out cupboards and closets before we travel.  Speaking of cleaning......we
have bought another vacuum and I think we have finally found a real winner!  Two years ago we bought a pretty good one from Shark, but it was much heavier than we had expected, and we finally gave it to Donna & George.  I hope they are happy with it.  A year ago we bought a very light weight one in Quartzsite, but it turned out it was not really powerful enough to pick up all the dog hair we have in here.  Earlier this year we bought a very good shop vac, and it had attachments that we thought would make it usable here in the RV.  It is a good shop vac, but still not good for what we needed here inside.  Last week I read an article on the Mobile RVing site that suggested a stick vac with a removable top that can be used as a hand held unit for furniture and ceilings, etc.  We looked online and found one called the Shark Rocket.  We decided not to go cordless, because we thought those might have less power.  This one cleans the area rugs, vinyl flooring and curtains, furniture and the steps into the RV.  It has a very easy opener to empty out what we vacuumed up.  It seems to be a really dandy unit, and it weighs under 9 pounds!  Again, we are very happy campers!

As you might remember, today is the Arrey Outdoor Bonanza next door.  We had planned to participate one more time before leaving here.  However, when we found out it was going to be over 100 degrees today, we were somewhat less thrilled with the idea of loading our wares into the car, driving over there, setting up our EZ Up shade and our tables, and sitting out in the heat until noon and then packing up whatever didn't sell to come back here.  Besides that, we will be going to the wedding reception for Ric and Mary this afternoon, and I was afraid we would be too hot and tired to go if we set up for the AOB.  Not only that, we also needed to do laundry today...............so we stayed here until we had all the laundry done.  Then we went over to see how it was going.  There were only four vendors with sun shades and 

 Janice was there to sell her beautiful hand made pottery and the little wooden chairs that Billy makes.
I'm afraid it's just too hot for people to want to drive all this way to shop.  I sure hope the AOB will be more successful during the cooler winter months.  

We do not like to travel day after day when we are on the 
road.  Willie and Sherry drove 1036 miles in under 24 hours to get home to Colfax, LA.  Two days ago Mary wrote that she drove 427 miles in one day because she wanted to make it into Oregon that day........but we prefer even shorter driving days, with "stay days" between travel days.  Here is our travel schedule for the return to California:
June 8th----Lordsburg (we can go to Kranberry's for dinner)
June 9 &10--Benson, AZ lunch at the Cowboy Cafe maybe
June 11& 12--Tempe Elks lodge
June 13---Hidden Beaches RV Park in Blythe, CA
June 14th-----Wilderness Lakes and stay for 21 days.
We do hope to see family and friends often once we get back to our California homes, mainly Wilderness Lakes and Silent Valley.  

Tomorrow will be our last visit to the wonderful First Baptist Church in TorC.  We will miss all the wonderful people we have met there too.  Pastor Dudley was back from vacation last Sunday.  Funny story here.  Last year, when he is preaching, Pastor Dudley will say something, and then he will say "I guarantee it".  We used to find it funny to count how many times he would say "I guarantee it" in a single sermon.  Then one day he said that someone had told him about how often he would say that phrase, so he stopped it.  He and his wife took a two week vacation to go back home to Texas.  On his return last Sunday, he was preaching and we noticed several times that he said "I guarantee it!"  It was so nice to hear it again.  We missed it.

We do love the pastors at the campgrounds we stay in, and we truly love Pastor Paul and his wife Aiko, and all the people at our home church in Garden Grove, but we will also miss Pastor Dudley and all the wonderful people who make us feel like part of the church family here in TorC.  It means a lot to us.  It's one thing to just attend a church service.  It's so much more to feel like we belong here.   If you don't attend a church that makes you feel needed, I hope you will find another church.  Being a Christian is NOT just about going to church.  It's about having a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.  It's more than just trying to be a good and kind person.  It's more than just reading the Bible.  It's more than just going to church every Sunday (or Saturday for some people).  All of those things are good, but being a Christian is still more than that.  I can't imagine waking up in the morning without KNOWING that Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior.  I start each day with a prayer of thanks for each day, and most of all for His love and guidance each day.  I know He will not give me more than I can handle WITH His help.  Without Him, the days could be very scary and difficult to manage.  It means everything to us to know we are NEVER alone.  Life is good because He is here for us.  One of my favorite hymns says "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone."  Do you have that assurance in your life?  If not, please send some "knee mail" to Jesus, and ask Him to show you the way.  I won't claim I never worry.  Everyone worries about something sometimes.  But most of what we worry about is really not that important.  Jesus is in charge of all the things that really matter.  Please find a path to Jesus that will help you cope with the stresses of this life.  Sometimes we need to help others, in order to help ourselves find the way.  If you are sad and lonely, please get up and look for someone who might need a friend like you.  Someone once wrote that the best way to find a friend is to be one.  Too many people are living lives of quiet desperation.  Too many people feel life is hopeless.  Too many people think there is nothing to live for.  We can all help if we just reach out to these people.  Offer a hand, take time to say hello, and if you see someone who needs help step up and help them.  You will feel better for your action, and "I guarantee it."

I need to close for now.  I probably won't write again until we get to Menifee, but then again, I might.  Take care, stay well, and stay hydrated in these hot months.  Try to greet each day with joy and gratitude.  Life is good and Jesus loves you.  How much better can it get?