Friday, 2/2/14

We arrived in Galveston about 5 o'clock on Wednesday.  We had a scenic ferry boat ride out onto the Island after a long ride with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and cattle grazing on the other.  We had dinner, stopped to get gas and met our hero.  He was pumping gas at the next pump and noticed that we were from CT.  He started to talk to us about just retiring and taking a 6 week trip in his RV.  We told him that we were having some trouble with our electricity in the motorhome.  After giving us his Kroger card to use and his ten cent gas discount, we offered to look at our RV the next day and see what he could do. We took his card and told him we would give him a call the next day.

When we got to the RV site we told our families about our encounter with an extraordinarily kind man.  We were told to buy mace and taser guns. Obviously they were a little scared for us. I think we were a little wary ourselves.  It didn't help that we went into Kroger's and were texting each other on a thread we were sharing with our families.  "Where are you, Cathy?" started the conversation that was meant for only the two of us and our kids went mildly hysterical!

That night the lights did not work, the refrigerator did not work, and the water (toilet) did not work.  We hooked up to the campsite's electric supply and we got electricity which allowed us to use appliances and plug in lights. We both crawled into bed and slept soundly to the sounds of the Gulf but wanted our home on wheels to work.

Our visit to the Galveston Osher Life-Long Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Texas Medical Branch was insightful and inspiring.  The program is off-campus in a community center that also houses programs like WIC and other community-based programs.  The university rents 6400 square feet of space which allows for offices, classrooms, small groups, demonstrations and exercise programs.  The Director, Michelle, had a clear passion for serving the over 55 population through both academic enrichment and community building.  Perhaps the strongest message we heard when we were there was the strong sense of community that everyone felt while at the Institute.  The other critical component was that all the programs are evidence based and academic oriented.  The OLLI and the faculty at UTMB have partnered on refereed articles about both the techniques used in the courses as well as participant outcomes.  We met faculty and participants who could not offer enough praise for the program.  Doctors recommend their patients participate for both physical and mental health.  Their partnerships include programs with the schools for intergenerational learning, the parks for outdoor programs, the Red Cross for CPR training, and many connections to experts in every field.  The students at UTMB who are studying Gerontology do a part of their residency at OLLI so that they can learn about the healthy aging population.  Michelle admits that she and her staff are underpaid - she only began being paid anything in the past five years - but they all love what they are doing and it shows in each of the quality programs that they offer.

Mildred (volunteer coordinator), Michelle (Director) and students

After our delightful and informative meeting with Michelle, we called Tony and met him at a location where he was helping out someone else.  He had us follow him to Marty's (another very nice man) City Auto and park.  Tony proceeded to fix our lighting problems and made arrangements for Marty to take a look at our squeaking brakes at 8:30 the next morning.

We took the rest of the afternoon and toured Galveston.  What a surprise the island is! On one side there is the harbor where the ferries dock, the railroads run and most of the industry is located.  On the other side is a beautiful beach and fine resorts.  Jetties jut out into the Gulf along with amusement park piers.  In the mile between the harbor and Gulf is the historical district with its fine Victorian homes, shops,  gorgeous churches and Galveston College and Texas University Medical .  We drove on a wooden sculpture tour.  Trees that were scheduled to be removed were carved into intricate sculptures.

Bird Sculpture and Victorian Home

Mermaid and Dolphins

Victorian Home Decorated for Mardi Gras

Sacred Heart Parish

Galveston Mardi Gras House

We ended the day looking for some place to watch the Olympics. By this time we were surrounded by a dense fog.  We drove past our campsite and found a very unusual bar on the beach.  It was totally open, served nothing but drinks, and had three men at the bar, period! The bartender shared the number of a pizza place that would deliver to "Woody's" and we ate our pizza and watched our female bobsledders win.

Beach View from back of our RV Site

After a great night with the lights working we met Tony at Marty's and left the RV to be repaired.  Marty drove us to a local Mexican restaurant that served a delicious breakfast around the corner from the garage.  Tony drove over with us and introduced us to the people who owned the restaurant. Needless to say we were treated royally.

Upon return to the garage we asked Tony, who had come back after completing another "chore",  if he knew anything about refrigerators. In a matter of minutes he located the problem, had the fuse, and our automatic pilot light was again working.  We now could keep things cold! Our squeaky brakes turned out to be a sensor that was installed improperly.

Little did we know when we met Tony that he possessed the skills of a master mechanic and the heart of an angel. We had not even planned on coming to Galveston yet we drove out with a fully functioning RV and some wonderful new friends.

Our father taught us early that if he stopped to help people that people would help us when we needed it.  Tony sure did that!  Thanks, Dad. Tony's philosophy of life is "I go to bed every night and sleep well.  I get up in the morning and do what I love." His passion for helping people is exemplary.