Friday, February 29, 2008 While you are sitting there sipping your coffee and reading my words of wisdom (or wit) Miss Judy and I are half way to Murfreesboro, TN. Well, probably not half way; truth be known, we're most likely not even out of Baldwin County yet but we are on the road. We'll be bringing the remains of "our stuff" back with us but the highlight of the trip will be spending time with Miss Catia. She has been asking her dad each day, "When will Grandma and Grandpa be here?" Grand daughters are the real reason we quit w*rking and went fulltime. The love of my life wanted to know what we were waiting for in order to go fulltime when what she really meant was I need a grand daughter fix and here we are stuck in Michigan w*rking so let's get on with it. We got the word a few days back that Miss Catia will be having a sister arriving in July. That most certainly will turn her little world upside down. Right now she is okay with the idea but we all know that she is still very naive and that sharing is not even on her radar screen at this point in life. We can't wait for that blessed event to take place. Grand parents always have enough love to go around for all their grand daughters so Miss Catia will never have to feel like she is sharing her Grandma or Grandpa. This will make four grand daughters for us with no grand sons at this point, maybe next time. Katie and Alex were not "happy campers" when they learned that we were going to be gone over night while leaving them behind. Uncle Randy and Aunt Terry will be checking in on them to make sure they are comfortable but they still had that "who's going to do our bidding" look on their little angelic faces as they sat there listening to the agenda unfold. We will leave some country music on the Sirius radio for them as well as a night light so they won't be left in the dark. They will be just fine but they will most likely not eat until we get back (that's their way of protesting whenever they get left alone). We'll be off line for the next couple of days so there probably won't be any journal entries again until Monday morning. So take care, have fun, and don't forget to set aside some time for worship, it's food for the soul. Thursday, February 28, 2008 Normally this would be the last entry for February but this is "jump" year so we get an extra day. That means one more day this year to enjoy this wonderful fulltiming lifestyle. Looking out my window it's going to be a good one at that and the weather girl promises that it will be another good day tomorrow with even warmer temperatures. However, we will be on the road heading to Murfreesboro, TN to get the remnants of our "stuff" tomorrow. Yes, that means that we completed the shelving in the shed, so one more project is behind us. I keep telling you that the best part of this lifestyle is the people you meet along the way. We just got an email from Jim and Lisa who we met in Branson stating that they will be in Foley, AL on Monday and would like to get together with us. They are a fun loving couple and we look forward to seeing them again. Norm Payne kept track of the number of people they have met while traveling. He put it this way, at the end of year one - hundreds. At the end of year two - thousands. At the end of year three - millions. Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but we certainly make a lot of new friends as we are Wandering America. Speaking of Wandering America it is going to be a little tougher to do that this coming year with the fuel prices continuing to climb. We anticipate diesel fuel prices will be around $4.00 a gallon by May or June which will also impact the cost of everything else from food to fun. Unfortunately we created our fuel budget based on $3.50 a gallon which means a projected shortfall of $600 for the year. All I can say is I am glad that we are living fulltime in our RV rather than being tied to the expenses of owning a house. Also, being debt free in this economy allows us the flexibility to make the changes necessary to maintain our lifestyle and we will be making some minor adjustments to our 2008 travels plans in order to compensate for the increasing fuel prices. We have a couple of happy katts. Their scratching post was getting rather tattered so we looked for one exactly like what they had, however, there wasn't one to be had. But we did find one that has a little condo on the bottom, a snoozing area in the middle and a nice large perch on the top. They took to it like a fish takes to water. Now I don't want you to get the impression that Katie and Alex are spoiled because they are not. In Katie's words, "We are only slightly pampered." So that's it for today, hope you have a great day and remember to have some fun along the way. Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Grocery shopping can be fun especially when you come home with all the ingredients for that special sandwich that you haven't had in many-a-year. When living in Maine we would go to the corner store or local deli market and buy an "Italian Sandwich". I have never ever seen them in any other part of the country, however, subs come close - but still no "Weo"!! Now I'm "fixin" to tell ya how to make your own but I will warn you that half of you (mostly the women) will say; "That is the worst sounding sandwich I have ever heard of and if you eat it don't expect to kiss me for a week!" - while the other half of you (mostly the men) will say; "What are we waiting for? Make me one of those bad boys right now!" Here we go - First you start with Italian bread (think Subway sandwich type) and put in a healthy amount of ham and salami, next add provolone cheese, then you some tomatoes wedges, along with sliced green peppers, diced onions, dill pickle slices, and black olives cut in half. Lightly splash on a little red vinegar, add some extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. And Viola! You got yourself an Italian sandwich just like "mother used to make" back in the great Vacationland. And yes ladies, Miss Judy likes them so, "try it, you'll like it!" You serve them with a nice ice cold root beer and a healthy serving of kettle cooked potato chips. Yum, Yum. We had them for lupper yesterday afternoon and they were just as good as I remembered them from my good ol' days. Happiness is a nice full tummy. Tuesday, February 26, 2008 It's true, we've stayed at the dance too long. All four of us are antsy and ready to hit the road. As much as we love it here at Rainbow Plantation we can only stay in one place so long before a bad case of hitch-itch sets in and set in it has. We have doctors appointments scheduled for mid March so we can get our prescriptions renewed and then we will be pretty much free to get underway. Speaking of four of us - the furry kids are enjoying the return of the birds. Yep, it is that time of the year when the birds are starting their trek north. I guess they got hitch-itch as well; as much as they love the warm weather in South America they can only stay there so long before they have to hit the air. In the mornings Katie and Alex love sitting in the windows watching the early bird get the worm. Alex chatters at them just daring them to get closer to the window so he can bat at them. He thinks they are movable toys and that it would be fun to get outside and give chase. Today is grocery shopping day and the katts need a new scratching post. So after the storm passes we will head to town to see what we can find for them at the pet store before hitting the big "W". They were trained as kittens to use a scratching post instead of the furniture so it is important that we keep one handy for them. Now that I think of it, they need to get their nails trimmed. Alex tolerates that but Katie puts up a real stink about it. To listen to her you would think that I was straggling her. She howls, she screams, she hisses, and she just puts up a big fight; and I thought that girls liked getting their nails done. Another thing, Alex loves getting combed but Katie doesn't like that much better than she likes getting her nails done. What's up with that? Katts, go figure!!! Monday, February 25, 2008 I just hate it when I wake up in the morning and my bones talk to me. Yes, this morning my bones were chatting up a storm. There is a heavy fog which means high humidity which means achy joints which means I hurt. Miss J. has a sinus thing going on as well which means headaches which means she needs medicating which means she'll be "spaced out". We have a dehumidifier but wasn't smart enough to turn it on before we went to bed. Now we pay the price of stupid. This morning we'll finish up the first set of shelves in the shed. Should have done it yesterday but after church we just sat around, read a little, took a nap, and then drifted around the park socializing - shame on us. We are going to need to build another set of shelves on the other side of the shed so we will have enough storage for "our stuff". We keep "our stuff" in plastic boxes so with the two sets of shelves there will be enough room to store all of the boxes without stacking them on top of one another. This will make it easier to find "our stuff" when we're looking for it. Once that project is done then I'll go back to giving the RV and truck another coat of wax. Here's a hint - don't buy a black truck, they are beautiful when they're clean but they don't stay clean for very long. We're counting our schekles to ensure that we'll have enough money to make the east coast loop that we have been planning. With the price of diesel fuel heading north in a hurry (along with it everything else) we may have to reconsider some of our spring traveling plans. We've already canceled the trip to Betty's RV in Abbeville, Louisiana that we were planning, cut our annual travel mileage by 1/3, increased our 2008 budget, and signed up for another summer of workamping at Lake George Escape. That should be enough, with emphasis on "should". The increases will most likely only add a couple hundred dollars to the overall trip which we would be able to absorb. Please don't get the impression that we are living in poverty, it all about buffers. We just tend to be financially conservative, that's why we're able to live this lifestyle in the first place. The main reason I share this information is so those who are looking to go fulltime can see that this is a lifestyle and not just a vacation. Unless you have very deep pockets you'll have to make decisions just as you do while living in stixs and brixs. However, there is still a lot more freedom and flexibility to adjust in this lifestyle than we had in our previous life. So don't be discouraged, just be realistic. Saturday, February 23, 2008 There's a down side to up. Yep, I'm up and feeling great but now I gotta get down to business. This week will be shed week because we a going to Murfreesboro on Friday (returning on Saturday) to get what little "stuff" we have left. We haven't said anything to the katts about this as they are going to have to stay behind and mind the fort while we're gone and they don't like to be left alone - it is the humaniod's responsibility to be available to tend to their every whim on a minute's notice, ya know? Anywhoo, I need to get the shelves done in the shed. I have been putting it off (why do today what you can put off until tomorrow) and now I've gotta "do the hustle!!" It's not a big job and I can get most of it done in a day, but I also have to get the "stuff" in the shed sorted out and put back into the RV and truck. Again, it's not going to be a big deal, it just means that I will have to w*rk several days in a row and not be able to puttz around in order to get it done. Like the man says, you can pay me now or you can pay me later. Miss Judy has always got her eyes open for a new craft that she can learn and this year she found paper embroidery. She has had fun learning and spent several hundred dollars gathering up supplies - all part of the basket weaving motif. You can read a about it in "Judy's Corner" as she posted a short article yesterday. While reading this paragraph back to her I got "the look" as it is really an inexpensive habit, eh, I mean hobby (I've been told a million times not to exaggerate). Friday, February 22, 2008 What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday I was shuffling along like a 92 year old in a rehab center. I had to use both of our walking sticks just to get from the bedroom to the living room. This morning I still have a little tinge in the lower back but am able to fully function. I have no idea what that was all about but it feels good to feel good!!! Being that it was raining and I was not moving very well Judy J. and I spent some time working on our spring, summer, and fall travel plans - so many things to see and so little time to see them. We have reversed our trip in that we are going to do the east coast in the spring and the Natchez Trace Parkway in the fall. So we will leave here the last week of March and head for St. Augustine then head north along the coast visiting Savannah, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach along the way. We will turn west in North Carolina stopping by Ashville before continuing on to Nashville. Then we will make our way back to Michigan to visit family and take care of doctor visits before heading "back" east for the summer. As most of you know, we will be spending the summer back at Lake George Escape workamping. The cost of everything is going up - food, fuel, and fun - so we were looking for "reasonably priced" campgrounds where we can stop during our travels. We try to maximize our use of Passport America campgrounds and there aren't any in the areas where we want to spend some time. So we've been checking other resources such as Trailer Life Campground Guide, Escapees Campground listing, See Ya Down the Road campgrounds, and a couple of "online" campground review sites. This can be the fun part of traveling or it can be the frustrating part; depends on your state of mind at the time. Being that we still have a month before we leave we can take time to "enjoy the process" while trying to ferret out good, cheap campgrounds (there ain't no such thing). Anyhow, if any of our readers know of some nice campgrounds along our route please drop us an email. Thursday, February 21, 2008 Oh my aching back!! Literally!! I went to get up this morning and could hardly stand up. With Miss Judy's help and the use our walking sticks I was able to shuffle along getting to the recliner but it even hurts to sit. I hadn't noticed any pain while I was laying in bed but when Alex decided it was time for me to get up and I went to sit up - ouch!! Sometimes it's tough having an eighteen year old mind on a sixty year old body. Oh well, this to shall pass - I hope. Yesterday we had a wonderful time with Norm and Linda. We went to the Original Oyster House for brunch and lupper (brunch = breakfast and lunch; lupper = lunch and supper; we had enough to eat so the meal counted as both) and then we went to the USS Alabama Memorial. They have three different tour routes on the battleship and we did all three which meant lots of ladders (suppose that is what is wrong with my back?). There are several airplanes on display as well as a World War II submarine which we also toured. We spent about three hours at the Memorial and will have some pictures posted on our February Travelogue. We started getting a nice gentle rain this morning. I love the sound of rain on the roof, it's so soothing and relaxing. We can just sit back and read or work on crafts or maybe even play a game or two. It's a time to just enjoy each other's company but isn't that what we do everyday? I guess. We enjoy each other's company when it's sunny weather, when hot weather, when it's c*ld weather, no matter what the weather is. However, too many rainy days in a row gets boring and we begin to feel a little claustrophobic and needing to get outside just to kick the stink off, however, an occasional rainy day is kinda nice and comforting. Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Well, "That was easy!!!" I contacted Dell Monday afternoon and a courier brought the new AC adapter yesterday afternoon. Now my bride has her Mona Lisa smile on as she is happily surfing the web again - all's well in the Patterson household and there's peace in the valley again. I think I had better purchase a third computer just for a backup; as you all know, when it comes to computers we don't share and play well with others. Nippy Toe Joe, a.k.a Alex, is being good this morning, however, he did get his mom up early and want some attention but at least he is leaving mom's feet alone for the time being anyhow. He likes to go outside and sit in dad's lap. He is very good about just sitting in my lap and looking around enjoying the wind blowing in his face; sometimes I think he is part dawg. The birds have been slowly returning and both he and Katie are enjoying their bird watching. Alex especially likes it while he is sitting outside; I just know he wants to get down and chase some of them thar birds but, so far, he has resisted the urge. Mom keeps after both of us to make sure his paws never hit terra firma as Ragdolls are bred to be indoor katts. My good friend Norm Payne dropped by yesterday for a visit. He has been battling with either a cold or flu bug ever since arriving here at Rainbow Plantation. Finally he is beginning to feel a little better so today we are going on a day trip with him and Linda. I will be sure to have some pictures of our day in the next Travelogue as we are going to have lunch at the Original Oyster House and visit the USS Alabama. I have been looking forward to going on an outing with them since they are my "Fulltiming Mentors". Norm's website (See Ya Down The Road) was the first one that I began following back in the fall of 2003. He has lots and lots of great information about living this lifestyle and one of my RVing rules is consult Norm's site. Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Alex's latest thing is playing with Miss Judy's feet. She just can't leave them laying around or he'll grab a hold of them. He starts by doing the kitty bat thing with his paw and then he will rap his paws around them and give them a nip or two. Of course, that brings a response from mom, poor little kitty, he thinks his name is Alex No. "Give me a break, mom, I'm just playing!" The Dell computer bit the dust again yesterday. The problem is the AC adapter quit functioning so once the battery went dead and the computer shut itself down. I contacted the Dell Support Center and they are sending us a new adapter - the computer is still under warranty. We have come to the point in our lives where two computers are a necessity. We could lose television reception and survive but if we lose our computer connectivity we start going into withdrawal symptoms. What has life come to? Wow, the storm that passed directly over us on Sunday afternoon was designated as a tornado in Molino, Florida where it destroyed around 60 buildings. We were under a tornado warning with the possibility of the storm producing a tornado at any time. I guess they were right and we were fortunate that it didn't happen in our area. The good news is that no one was killed in Molino but people still lost their homes which is certainly devatating and our heart goes out to them. This is not the place to be if you are trying to lose weight. That is an endeavor that I have been pursuing for many-a-year since my pudgy little body doesn't like to shed any pounds. Anyway, there are meals in the clubhouse on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Although they are yummy they are not necessarily good for the diet but it is the fellowship of breaking bread together that we enjoy. There are plenty of other activities throughout the week that provide for socialization but there is just something special about joining with others while sharing a meal. Monday, February 18, 2008 Yes, we are still here!! That is for all of you people who watch the weather channel and saw that "severe weather conditions" existed throughout our area yesterday afternoon. We got 3.5" inches of rain within a matter of a couple hours. One of the storms that passed directly over us had the potential for producing tornadoes and did just that in the small community of Molino, Florida as it traveled further inland. Then another series of storms crossed over providing us with quite a light show - thunder and lighting that is. We didn't really get any significant winds and no hail but it was a little unnerving just the same, especially when the weather forecasters had us under a "tornado warning" and telling us to go to our "safe place". On Saturday morning Terry Guiler called and said it was time to get up and smell the coffee. They were going out to breakfast at Magnolia Blossom restaurant in Robertsdale with Dick and Pat and Wendall and Tiffany and invited us to join them. We generally don't like breakfast buffets but this one was very good with many selections and "hot-fresh" food and, of course, going with friends makes it just that much more enjoyable. On the way back home we all stopped off at Camping World and a Flea Market. At Camping World I purchased a 50' heavy duty 15 amp power cord to use for hooking the RV to 15 amp service whenever we are parked in someone's driveway. Other than being Dayton 500 Sunday it was also Flatulence Fiesta Sunday at the clubhouse which is a bean cook off followed by music from the Breakwind Band. The local fire department was on hand for the Blue Flame Contest held later in the evening after the beans had time to do their job. Nah, I'm just joshing ya - it was a bean cook off where we all got to sample over a dozen different bean dishes and vote on our favorite dish. That was followed by the traditional Escapee's Ice Cream Social which is held at 6:00 p.m. every Sunday. These are just a couple of the events that are scheduled each week here at Rainbow Plantation to help keep us busy and entertained. Saturday, February 16, 2008 We left the house heading for the beach with sun block, water, and books in hand. Generally it is warmer on the beach than it is at home since we get the sea breeze from the Gulf of Mexico, however, yesterday we got surprised. There was no warm breeze but a steady wind coming out of the east and it was at least six degrees cooler on the beach than at home. So rather than sitting out on the beach reading our books we ended up just walking the beach and then taking a ride heading out along the beach to the west. We enjoy the beach and the one at the Gulf Shores is one of our favorites, but just because I said it was a good idea doesn't mean that it's going to work - so we got skunked. Later in the evening we joined in with our neighbors around the fire. J worked hard at entertaining us by popping pop corn over an open fire. He did a great job and the pop corn was very good especially by adding some jalapeno salt - spicy and yummy. Then Judy and I came home and read for awhile before hitting the hay. Just another day in the life. Friday, February 15, 2008 It is very important to keep your equipment well maintained especially since your house travels down the highway at high rates of speed. We have put over 15,000 miles on the coach and it is time to have the wheel bearings "repacked" (or greased). We have Zerk fittings that are supposed to let you grease the bearings without removing the wheels. But the problem with these is that you don't know how much grease you've put into the cavity and if you are not very careful it is easy to overfill the cavity and blow the seal. If that happens then the grease will get into the brake shoes and it has been determined that grease is not the best substance to use for attaining the friction required for braking. Kind of makes you wonder who the first person was that discovered that grease is not a good braking substance. "Hey ma, just greased my brakes to get rid of that squeal!" "That's nice junior, now get cleaned up for dinner." Six hours later. Hey ma, ya seen junior around?" "Nah, four hours ago he was headed down Main Street hill toward the bay. Said he was going to wash the car and then go swimming, should have been home by now." The news reported that junior was able to accomplish both at the same time. Anyway, after that little digression, just another word of caution. They have now come out with "never lube" axles - I don't believe it for a minute. These may work for the weekend warriors who don't put that many miles on their units but for us fulltimers that move around a lot I certainly have my doubts about this product. It is imperative to keep grease in the bearings because if the bearings run "dry" they can overheat which results in damaging the wheels and axles and could very well result in setting the coach on fire (this has happened more than once). So, I would rather be safe than sorry and check things out for myself not trusting my safety to either Zerk fittings or Nev-A-Lube axles. Thursday, February 14, 2008 Love is in the air - Happy Valentine's Day everyone! It's that day of the year where you can show your loved one how much you love them by purchasing some expensive jewelery, that you can't afford, in an attempt to bring a smile to their face. Or, you could get up and give them a nice kiss (bush you teeth first) and take a nice little stroll while holding their hand and then take them to the beach and spend some time with them talking as well as just sitting quietly together. The point is that you don't have to spend money (that's the cowards way out); all you have to do is spend some time with the love of your life (hopefully that is your husband or wife - assuming you are married). If you are a single, then take some time to spend with a close friend - share a lunch together, take a walk and share your inner thoughts, your hopes, and your dreams. Friends are more precious than gold. Again, Happy Valentine's Day!! Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Sorry, I slept in this morning. My friend and fellow blogster, Nick Russell, says, "Sunrise is just like sunset, except that it's colder and it comes at an ungodly early hour of the day. Nothing good ever happens before 10 a.m." Well, Nick, I can't say that I agree with you but this morning nothing good is going to happen before 7 a.m. for me. Generally when it gets dark under the table I start assuming the prenatal position and my thumb starts heading toward my mouth but last night I was up past mid night. So, needless to say, I didn't even see day light until 7:01 this morning and Mr. Sunshine must have stayed up even later as well because it's 7:55 and he still hasn't showed up yet. To follow up on yesterday's journal entry; as we have had guests in for visits several of them have commented that they liked the way we have decorated our RV. They say it is so "homey" which is exactly why we chose the fifthwheel over the motorhome. Judy had an idea of what she wanted to take with us and what pictures she wanted to display so she would look at each RV with that in mind. Fifthwheels just have more wall space, as well as other areas, to display the things that we wanted to make our RV feel more "homey". After all, we spend more time in this coach than we did in any other home that we have owned (being that we spent about a third of our time at w*rk). Our home maybe small but it is very comfortable and inviting so if you drop by for a visit you'll feel like you've just been to Gramma and Grandpa's house. I will post some more pictures of our home in the next travelogue but in the meantime you can stop by for a visit by clicking here. Tuesday, February 12, 2008 I bought a counter extension at Camping World and installed it yesterday. I can say three things about it: 1. It doesn't lay flat when it is in the "down" position, 2. The wood doesn't match the rest of the RV decor, and 3. It is just plain cheap - looks like it is cheap, it operates like it is cheap, and simply is cheap. Having said that I guess you can pretty much figure out that it won't last long in our home, however, I will put up with it until I rebuild the cabinet. I already have some plans going on in my head and will start to put "design to paper" shortly. I am going to rebuild two sides of the cabinet under the sink - one side faces the dining room and the other faces the living room. The side facing the dining room is the one that has the counter extension added to it and I want to add another door to the side facing the living room. Judy and I really like the bead board that I used on the wainscoting and want to use it for rebuilding the cabinet as well. However, the materials that I need are not available at Home Depot or Lowe's so I will have to wait until I get back to Michigan where I can get it at Menard's. That means that it will most likely be next fall before I get to start the project. One of the things that seems to be common among RVers - be it fulltimers, part timers, or weekend warriors - is that we are always looking at "new" rigs. It is part of the American culture to want bigger and better as we seemed to become dissatisfied with what we have rather quickly. Judy and I are no different but I can say that we have not seen anything out there that we like any better than what we have. The idea of a motorhome appeals to us especially for traveling but, again, we have not found any layout that we like better than what we already have. The other day we toured a Kountry Aire fifthwheel after going through several motorhomes and it became rather apparent that we are, and always will be, fifthwheel people. The Kountry Aire had excellent quality on the detailing but I still quickly found a half dozen things that were lacking. Someday RV manufacturers will consult with those of us who live and use their products on a daily basis but until then the bottom line is that I would be reworking that $135,000 unit almost as much as I am on our $62,000 unit. I will continue to find things to add, rework, and repair on our home but I do enjoy "tinkering" and when I get finished (that will never happen) we have a rather unique, one of a kind, fifthwheel. So, I guess I can add to my list of hobbies remodeling recreation vehicles. Monday, February 11, 2008 Wow, we've had some just beautiful weather. Both the sixth Saturday and Sunday were fabulous days for being outside with bright sunny clear skies of blue, temps in the mid seventies and no wind. And what's better yet? The first Saturday is forecast to be just as nice. Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy and especially here in the south - Oh O, I feel a song coming on. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-A-Dee-A my oh my, what a wonderful day plenty of sunshine heading my way Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A Mr.Bluebird on my shoulder Its the truth Its actual Everything is satisfactual Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A Wonderful feeling Wonderful day Yeah Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A my oh my, what a wonderful day Plenty of sunshine heading my way Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A Oh well, that's enough of that. Sunday afternoon I finished the wainscoting by putting the last piece of trim on and I just gotta say that it actually came out much better than I could have imagined. It certainly dresses up the kitchen area and gives the coach a nice ritzy feeling. Today I am going to install a counter extension so Miss Judy will have just a skosh more room to prepare her scrumptious meals. Speaking of Miss J, she and the girls are going off to Hobby Lobby and/or Michael's craft stores this morning and maybe, just maybe, if the weather remains warm enough, we'll go to the beach this afternoon. Hip Hip Hooray!!! Just love this weather. By the way, my tan is looking just great - imagine having a tan this time of year without going to a salon. Saturday, February 9, 2008 Being a native Mainer I have short legs which causes me to trip over things a lot. My mother used to refer to me as her little tumble turd. Anyway, while I was installing the wainscoting yesterday I was going in and out of the RV quite a bit and, sure enough, down I went. I was lucky in that I landed on the grass and not the concrete slab outside our door. But I did hit one of my Workmate tables, knocking it over, and landing beside it. So what about me? Well, I banged my knee and somehow sprained my ring finger on my right hand. I'll survive but it hurts to type which is what I am doing at this time. Now, what's being a Mainer have to do with taking a spill? No matter how you slice it, native Mainers are just born with short legs. I've never figured out why so many stores in Maine have men's pants with 32" leg lengths - tain't anyone up there that can wear them things. They must be counting on the tourist trade to buy them. What they need to do is get in a good supply of pants with 27" leg length, that would cover 90 percent of Maine's men population - with the other 10 percent needing 26" or less!! It's even getting hard to find a pair of pants at L. L. Bean. They used to be a store that catered to the Maine woodsman but now are trying to compete with Victoria's Secret - what's this world coming to? Anywhoo, when one has short legs he tends to trip over things like a twig on the sidewalk or a penny laying on the floor. There just ain't too much clearance between the toe and the earth's surface. I sure do look forward to getting my new tall skinny body when I get to heaven. By the way, the wainscoting looks great. I still need to finish installing some trim and then this project will be behind me. Next projects are installing shelves in the shed, continue waxing the RV, then wash and wax the truck, followed by sorting out all of our "stuff" and repacking the RV, then rebuild the kitchen cabinets, then . . . . . . . - Boy, this fast pace is giving me stress!!! Friday, February 8, 2008 Finally it's Friday, TGIF - wait a minute, wait a minute, what difference does that make to me? It's just the fifth Saturday and a beautiful fifth Saturday at that. Looking out my window "I see skies of blue, clouds of white, the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night, and I think to myself what a wonderful world". And as I walk down East Traveler Street "I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do, what they're really saying is I love you". Yes, on days like this you just feel like breaking out in song - it's to bad I can't sing. I couldn't carry a tune in a wheelbarrel even if I had one. Alex is in one of those moods where he's into everything. He goes racing from one end of the house to the other. Then he'll start howling, looking out the window, chasing his sister, unplugging Miss Judy's computer; he's just plain antsy. He enjoys going outside and sitting in my lap (he's not allowed to get down or go outside on his own - Ragdolls are not certified for outside use). He'll stay in my lap for a half hour to forty-five minutes just looking around and enjoying the wind blowing in his face. I bet he would stick his head out the window like a dawg as we are driving down the street if we would let him (but we'll never find that out). I think he has a bad case of Hitch Itch. Katie, on the other hand is just sitting on the back of the sofa enjoying the nice weather. She likes to watch birds as they do their thing outside. Katie isn't as much of a lap katt as Alex. She loves to being petted but doesn't like to stay in my lap as long as her brother does. This morning she didn't particularly enjoy Alex's antics and hissed at him as well as gave him a good cuff upside the head. What silly katts. Last night I talked with our good friends Mike and Sheila who are in the frigid north country of Wisconsin. Am I ever thankful that we are in the south land rather than the north country - I like snow but have seen enough to last me a lifetime. They have been inundated with snow over the past few days. People were stranded in their cars for the night on the highways outside of Madison. Mike said they have had almost record snow fall this year but that it has also gone from cold weather to warm weather with the snow totally melting and leaving the ground bare a couple of times. We have certainly had some strange weather patterns over the past couple of winters. So I will just stay here in the south "and I think to myself what a wonderful world". Thursday, February 7, 2008 We had a great time with Randy and Terry at Cracker Barrel. They are just so much fun with Randy being the "strong silent type while Terry isn't". Randy keeps track of the number of different Cracker Barrels where they eat and is looking for number 44. I don't know how he could possibly do that because they all look alike, I would get confused. One thing about Cracker Barrel is that they are very consistent in that you can walk into one of their stores anywhere across the country and get Uncle Herschel's breakfast prepared the same way every time. Also, Cracker Barrel is a RV friendly business where most of them provide separate RV parking and will allow RVers to stay the night. I can see why Randy likes them so well. It's amazing, we were just watching the news reports on the tornadoes that touched down in Jackson, Tennessee. While they were interviewing a couple of Union College's students the kids were saying that they live in "Tornado Alley". I can only say one thing - I would be looking for a different alley to live in. That was absolutely horrendous and unbelievable!!! It was incredible that those students made it out of those dorms alive. I could tell you that that is one of the advantages of living in an RV but that would be just plain poppycock. An RV has advantages during a hurricane in that you can pack up and pull out ahead of the storm but when it comes to tornadoes you just have no idea when or where they are going to touch down. You could very well drive right into one so the best thing to do is to find shelter and stay put. In any event, our hearts go out to all of those people who have just had their lives turned upside down. May God be ever close to them giving them comfort and peace. Once the rain cleared yesterday we entered into a period of great weather. This morning was absolutely beautiful with the sun waking up, yawning, and shining down upon us. It is going to be hard to stay at home and get "stuff" done when the beach is calling us to come out and play. We'll just have to wait and see how strong willed we are; I can tell you up front - not very!!!!! :-) Wednesday, February 6, 2008 The Superbowl is past, Super Tuesday has gone by, and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is over. It has been a busy week here at Rainbow Plantation with all of the Mardi Gras events going on. Last night we celebrated our final Mardi Gras dinner at the clubhouse with around 200 people attending. That's a lot of people but everything went off without a hitch. After dinner entertainment was provided by several groups from the park followed with music by the Northwind Band. A good time was had by all. The weather front that brought tornadoes to our country's mid section also passed over us bringing winds and thunder boomers. By noon most of this inclement weather should be passed and we will be entering several days with nice warm temperatures and sunshine which is a good thing because Katie and Alex don't like severe weather conditions. So here we sit wondering what to have for breakfast. I suggested going out for breakfast and got a positive response on that idea from Miss Judy. Breakfast is our favorite "eating out" meal. Lunch would have to be our second with dinners being our least favorite. We generally find that dinners are expensive and not always that good - heck, I can prepare better meals than most restaurants serve at dinner time. However, we do have our favorites dishes with Italian being at the top but it has been a long time since we've found an Italian restaurant that we've really enjoyed. Olive Garden is fair but it is not a true old fashioned Italian Garden like Roma's in Traverse City or the old Baltimore restaurant in Bangor, Maine. We like those old "hole in the wall" type of restaurants with authentic cooking that is just plain um um good. Anyway, the breakfast issue has been settled. Judy called Terry Guiler and said that we were thinking about going to Cracker Barrel for breakfast - Randy just loves Cracker Barrel. She didn't have to twist Terry's arm too hard before they agreed to join us for breakfast. So it's off to Cracker Barrel - take care. Tuesday, February 5, 2008 How nice, the temperatures got into the 80's - it's definitely shorts and sandals weather and we love it. This is why we came to the deep south for the winter. It will get a little cooler but still stay in the high 60's and low 70's for the rest of the week so we will be able to start doing things outside on a daily basis - how nice. Today is Fat Tuesday and the south is celebrating. The schools are closed with parades, parties, and celebrations taking place all around the Mobile area. Tonight there will be more parades and fireworks with Mardi Gras coming to an end at mid night. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent with fasting beginning but for now let the good times roll. Super Tuesday will just have to wait until Mardi Gras is finished. It was so nice yesterday that instead of working on the wainscoting inside I decided to start waxing the rig. I like to wax it twice a year as it helps keep the unit cleaner and makes it easier to wash. It will take me a few weeks to wax the entire unit as I do it a section at a time. Rain is forecast beginning late tonight and ending tomorrow morning then we will have several days of clear weather which will allow me to complete the wainscoting as well as continue the waxing the rig. And, oh yes, we will take time to have some fun too!! Monday, February 4, 2008 Our mighty Patriots came crashing down with a great big Ka-thud. Inconceivable!! But the Giants just continued to get into Brady's face and kept New England from moving the ball. It was obvious by the end of the first half that they had showed up to play some football. It's not the first upset I've seen and it won't be the last but it was still disappointing - we were looking for that 19-0 season and a fourth Superbowl win, oh well, there's always next year. When I was a lad growing up in the great Vacationland State of Maine there was no Patriots and the Giants was our home team so if the Mighty P's had to loose to someone then the Giants would be my choice. Well, today is grocery shopping day plus I'm going to get the front wall of the RV ready to start installing the wainscoting. There are several items that have to be removed first and then, with any luck at all, I should be able to finish the job tomorrow. Next I'll get started on the shelving in the shed. It's pretty much going to be one project right after another over the next two months and I'm glad to have these projects to keep my mind off my itchy hitch. I think we are all pretty much ready to roll, even Katie and Alex are getting wanderlust while looking out the windows. Also, today we'll be having a Mardi Gras parade in the park followed by a luncheon at the clubhouse. The weather is supposed to be excellent so we should have a wonderful time together. We went to a parade in Foley on Saturday but decided not to go to the one at Orange Beach. It still gets rather chilly once the sun goes down and Judy hasn't been feeling all that great. She will still be on antibiotics for another couple days but things are looking up. Yesterday was nice and warm and we were able to bask in the sun in our shorts, tank top, and sandals - now that's more like it!!! :-) I'd better get moving, so ta-ta for now. Saturday, February 2, 2008 Mardi Gras is a huge time of celebration here in the south (you can read the background information in our February 2007 travelogue). Yesterday was the kick off to our Mardi Gras celebration here at Rainbow Plantation. We had a dinner last night with 155 of our "closest friends" followed by the crowning of the King and Queen who will rule over all the Mardi Gras festivities here in the park. After the inauguration there were several skits presented for the entertainment of the King and Queen. I got roped into participating in one of the skits by our good friend Terry Guiler. Generally I do not like to get involved in that sort of stuff but she caught me in a weak moment (just waking up from a nap). In any event we had a good time and got lots of laughs. The celebration will continue for the next four days ending with another dinner and fun on Fat Tuesday evening. Right in the middle of Mardi Gras is Superbowl Sunday (Go Patriots!!) and Super Tuesday. Be sure you participate in the election process - we are one of the few nations on this earth that have the right to choose our leaders and we all need to exercise that right. However, it will be rough deciding on Tuesday evening whether to go to the clubhouse for all the festivities or watch the news coverage of the election results (NOT!!!) - food and drink and fun will win out every time! :-) The weather for today is going to be great so we are going to take advantage of it by going to a couple of parades and maybe out to dinner with some friends. There is a parade in Foley at noon and another one in Orange Beach at 6:30. We'll decide later as the day progresses. In the meantime have a great day and check back with us again on Monday (I generally do not post on Sundays). Friday, February 1, 2008 - A little bit of this and a little bit of that!!! Good morning, this is Katie. One thing for sure is that this area really knows how to do rain. We keep getting these storms passing through with thunder, lighting, high winds, and heavy rains followed by coooold temperatures. They last three to four hours and then move on quickly to the east. The good thing, for us anyhow, is that the worst of it always seems to follow the west shoreline of Mobile Bay and stay north of us. But I can agree with Alex about the thumping of the slide awnings - those things can be noisy. Anywhoo, "and heerrreee'sss dad!" Katie just felt she had to get her two meows worth in. We did have another one of the fast moving fronts that has been known to bring severe weather conditions along with it. It wasn't too bad this time and was all over by 10:30 last night. We did get some real downpours along with the thunder and lightening. The winds weren't too bad, no where near what we had the other day. Yesterday was a little cooler but all and all a pretty nice day. It was one of those days where the truck never even got started. We try to keep from being on the road everyday as our ideal lifestyle would be to do shopping and run errands one day a week, go sightseeing one day a week, and go to church on Sunday morning leaving the rest of the week to work on our hobbies, do reading, or whatever. We haven't pulled that one off yet as there always seems to be something that causes us to get "on the road again". Judy has been making cards by using paper embroidery and you ask, "what the heck is paper embroidery?" I have given her an assignment to address that question in "Judy's Corner" and will let you know when she publishes her answer. But I can tell you that it is a neat hobby and she is having fun (most of the time) learning the techniques and creating new designs. I have read a dozen novels over the past month and spent some time yesterday working on our taxes - we will be getting some money back which means that I calculated the taxes on our investment interest correctly. I just love it when a plan comes together. Now don't laugh but there are two things that I want to spend some time on - one is tai chi (I hear you snickering) and the other is working on my watercoloring. I just seem too be so busy doing nothing that I never get around to doing either one of them. Tai chi is a great exercise that stretches the body and enables it to be more flexible and the Lord knows that I need that. I prefer it to yoga which gets me all tied up in knots. :-) Watercolors also helps me to just relax while maintaining my focus - before I know it hours have passed and I feel such inner peace (that is if I let go of my perfectionist tendencies). This lifestyle can be a wonderful way of life for those who want to have time to spend on their hobbies. You just need to set aside time for them and not let the urgent stuff keep you from doing the important things. |