Saturday, May 31, 2008 Last evening I drove the shuttle into Lake George and out of the corner of my eye, as I was passing through town, I saw Elvis walking down the sidewalk. "Whachu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" That's right Elvis, right here in Lake George, walking down the sidewalk in a light blue sparkley pants suit with blue swede shoes. How about that? Elvis Aaron Presley may have died on August 16, 1977 and may be buried at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee but Elvis lives on for all time. This week is Elvis week in Lake George. There are actually dozens of Elvises wandering the streets. Some of them sing while others just walk the sidewalks saying; "Thank you, thank you very much." Some look very realistic while others ought to just give it up but, all in all, it's a lot of fun with Elvis sightings taking place all over town. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis is in the town!" Next week we're going to need to buy some ear plugs because it will be "Americade" where thousands of motorcyclists will descend upon us like black flies on bare skin. Even though it will be noisy they are some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. There will be lots of activities taking place all over Lake George but everything will be done in an orderly fashion with very few problems arising. A lot of the bikers stay with us at Lake George Escape. They will be coming and going all day and night; boy, some of them thar bikes are loud! Friday, May 30, 2008 High fuel costs are driving some to think of adding solar systems to their RVs in order to do more dry camping and save money. Well, let me say this about that. Adding a solar power system to your rig is very expensive and to do it just to reduce fuel costs doesn't make any sense at all. I remember back in the 70's when people starting heating by wood - after the cost of the stove and other paraphernalia needed for that "convenience" plus the cost of wood, splitting malls, a shed to store the wood in, a four wheel drive truck to haul the wood, a gas wood splitter for splitting the wood, and a dozen cases of beer so your friends would help split and stack the wood the savings went out the window. If you love the "boondocking" lifestyle then it makes good sense to add a solar system. But, Judy and I do not appreciate the inconveniences connected with boondocking, after all, our idea of "roughing it" means watching black and white television. We didn't transition into this lifestyle to "rough it". Our whole rig was outfitted with all the conveniences that we had in our homes (except a dishwasher and a piano). We want hot and cold running water everyday (as well as a place to dump it), we want enough electricity to run our washer and dryer, convection oven, coffeepot, hair dryer, fire place, three televisions, and two laptop computers, and, further, we want the close proximity of grocery stores and shopping centers. Yep. we're yuppy Rvers through and through and guess what? We are still living our lifestyle on half of what it costs when we owned a house so no solar system for us anytime soon - we'll just continue living on the grid and paying the piper. Thursday, May 29, 2008 As most of you probably know, we finally got April's travelogue finished and published. But yesterday was a double hitter - Miss Judy published another entry in "Judy's Corner". Now we have to get started on May's - hopefully we will finish it by the end of next week. Then we'll be back on track. We are scheduled to work the next four days and then we will have four days off. There should (emphasis on the word should) be enough time to finish the May Travelogue as well as do a day trip. We have a couple of options and haven't decided exactly what trip we want to take. There is so much to see and do up here in the Adirondacks. Each year the Great Escape, which is a Six Flags amusement park, issues passes to Lake George Escape for their employees so Judy and I are planning to go. We have until June 22nd to use the passes so we'll just watch the weather and pick a nice day to go. Miss Judy likes the water ride and I like the old wooden rail roller coaster. Last night we met with four other workamping couples to start a weekly Bible study group. There will be a few more who will join us as we study through the book of Acts. It will just be a good time to come together and get to know one another a little better as we focus on God's Word. Wednesday, May 28, 2008 It is absolutely amazing how fast a day off can pass by. Before we knew it it was time for sleepy bye. Miss Judy worked on her beading while I worked on the April Travelogue. I just have a few more pictures to format and then a little "wordsmithing" to do. I'm hoping to finish today. Yesterday I found someone to fix the Gateway computer, if he can get the part. The computer is a 2003 model which means that it is a great great grandfather at this point and replacement parts may not be available. He will call me back today and give a me a quote. If it is too expensive then we will have to purchase a new computer - that's not in the budget!! Speaking of the budget, we are still over our year to date budget with more medical expenses to come, however, we will be under budget for diesel fuel for this month - go figure. However, we have only used the truck four times since arriving at Lake George Escape and haven't purchased any fuel since May 12th - that was almost a dollar ago (How high's the diesel fuel, mamma? It's $5.09.9 and rising!). Hopefully we will be able to pull the budget back in line by the end of the year or else we will have to go to plan B and right now there is no plan B. We had a cold front move through last night with our temperatures plummeting from the high 70's to the low 40's. This is ridiculous - where's summer? My bones ache whenever it gets cold so that means my bones have ached quite a bit since arriving in New York but the temperatures should be back in the 70's by tomorrow. Other than that we are enjoying our two days off and planning a day trip for next week; we can't just sit here all the time even though it is relaxing. Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Something has gotta give. We haven't found anyone to fix our old computer yet and this sharing one computer isn't going all that well. It seems that we decide to sit down at the same time and both grab for the computer which results in a "tug of war". We are just gonna have to get the Gateway fixed or buy a new computer (but remember? Buy has a big mouth and pay has a little one). In any event this sharing of the computer has definitely gotta go! We have two days off and here we sit with one arm as long as the other wondering what we are going to do with all of our free time. What do you want to bet that we'll find something. I still have some more pictures to format for the April Travelogue and it is now time to start writing the May Travelogue also I want to sketch a picture for watercoloring. Miss Judy has lots of basket weaving activities to catch up on plus she has started writing another entry for "Judy's Corner". We have biking that needs to be done and a majestic river begging us to take a canoe trip so it's not a matter of not having anything to do but a question of what to do. We have kept the house cleaned up each day even though we are w*rking so there's just the daily routine to contend with which takes about 20 minutes with both of us doing our share. So we're sitting here like a couple of kids in a candy store trying to make up our minds what to do first. This year we have a pulchritudinous grassy site which overlooks a little pond behind us. Yesterday afternoon I mowed the lawn which definitely enhances the look of the site (I should have mowed it about 4 days ago). The katts (that being Katie and Alex) just love sitting on the back of the sofa and chairs looking out the windows at the pretty scenery surrounding us. The birds continue to flock to the feeders which keeps them entertained for hours at a time. Yep, life is good up here in the Adirondacks. Monday, May 26, 2008 We ARE doing it!!! This w*rking for a living has gotta go!!!! Nah, not really but this has been a loooonnnngggg week for me. I have w*rked seven, yes count them - seven, days in a row. That was my choice though in that I agreed to w*rk my days off in order to get the waterfront ready. Judy and I get tomorrow and Wednesday off, then w*rk four days before getting four days off. We are now getting into our normal (if there is any such thing) schedule. I told Judy that I feel like Dick Van Dyke in the movie Mary Poppins. He was involved in everything - one day a sidewalk artist and the next a chimney sweep. Well, you can find me driving the shuttle, w*rking in the Honey Bear store, renting boats, driving the wagon, issuing pedal carts, holding gem mining contests, or helping in Events, Games, and Crafts. Yep, I'm like Dick - I do it all and I see the same guests over and over again. They'll comment about me doing everything but in another two weeks I will be primarily assigned to boats, tubing trips, doing the wagon rides, and driving the shuttle into town. Judy will w*rk primarily in the Honey Bear Store and Events, Games, and Crafts but she has been trained to issue pedal carts, drive the shuttle, and set up and run some Evergreen Square events. She will write more about her endeavors later after I send her to her Corner for awhile. Yes, this is a big campground - one where you don't normally find fulltimers because there's lots of kids, dawgs, and smoky fires. There is something going on all the time, from morning to night, to entertain our guests. Our guests pay a lot of money for a site (sites start at $55 a night) and it's our J-O-B to make sure they have a good time. So regardless of how much our body hurts, how tired we are, or how obnoxious a guest is we have to put on a smile and maintain a good disposition in order to ensure our guests leave with happy memories of Lake George Escape uttering those magic words - We'll be back!!!! Today is Memorial Day so let us not forget to have a moment of silence at 3:00 this afternoon in remembrance of all those who have gone before us giving the ultimate sacrifice so that we might have freedom. Also, a great big THANK YOU to the countless others who have put on the uniform in order to defend that right. Saturday, May 24, 2008 It's starting out to be another nice day up here in the Adirondacks. The sun is shining in the windows, the birds are singing their songs, "all the trees and leaves are green," and weatherman is promising temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's. Now if we could convince the black flies and mosquitoes to take the bus back to the city all would be just splendid in the mountains. We've added Nuthatchers and Red Winged Black birds to the list of our visitors. They are becoming familiar with Alex and it doesn't seem to phase most of them when he does his Godzilla impression on the window. Also, Alex is becoming more familiar with the birds and doesn't do his Godzilla impression quite as often. He now has a bird book and binoculars laying on the table so he can identify our bird visitors. It is fun to watch them - the feeder that we have suction cupped to the window is small so only one bird will feed at a time with the others flying back and forth impatiently waiting for their turn. The Nuthatchers will fly in and grab a mouth full of seeds then fly to a nearby tree and eat while hanging sort of upside down. The little Goldfinches just stay in the feeder and eats until his little belly is full. The Black Capped Chickadees are the most skiddish and will take flight at the slightest movement in the house. What a colorful array of birds - yes, Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show. I hope we attract some Cardinals and Blue Birds before the summer is over. Friday, May 23, 2008 We are ready. Everything is in place and ready for our guests who have been trickling in since Wednesday. Today there will be an onslaught with RVs arriving all day right up until at least 10:00 at night. During mid afternoon to early evening there will be three lines of RVs backed up right out to the road and then better than a half mile of them backed up the road. The Guest Services group will be busy, busy, busy - Boy, is Miss Judy glad she's not doing that J-O-B again this year. Tired guests and long lines is not a good combination making people a little irritable. Once they get into the campground and get set up they are ready for some fun so the Fun and Games department gets to see their smiling faces (they save their grumpiness for the "front desk"). Yesterday was a rainy day, and cold? I guess it was cold. It seemed a lot colder because it was so damp which made my bones ache. But the sun is shining this morning and the weatherman is saying that the temperatures will be warmer - that means the low 60's (we could use another 10 degrees for our likes). At least we are not getting the devastating tornadoes that hit Colorado yesterday. It seems like the past year has been rough with the severe weather conditions hitting somewhere in our country each week. Communities are being wiped out one right after another and now the fire season is starting out west. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of the people who are facing these tragedies. My dear wife would like me to be 99% fat free. It has been a long struggle with me and no matter what I do I can't seem to get this weight off. One issue is that I cannot eat three meals a day. If I eat three meals a day then I gain weight. I do like to have breakfast because that is the one meal that gives me the energy to get through the day. Judy and I have been eating breakfast during the mid morning and then having dinner in mid to late afternoon (brunch and lupper). But with our work schedule it means an early breakfast, a lunch break, and a late dinner. This isn't working for me. After w*rking for three to four hours in the morning I'm hungry at lunch time so we do things like a cup of soup and half a sandwich. Another thing is that my body does not shed weight whenever I eat carbs - cereal is carbs, sandwiches are carbs, and pastas are carbs - this ain't working. I need a new plan, Stan! Thursday, May 22, 2008 The more things change the more they stay the same. Things on the waterfront came together faster than I had anticipated so I only w*rked until noon which meant that I was able to accompany my bride to the grocery store. We had previously sat down and gone over our entire meal plan, gone through all our cupboards, and got a list from the katts before heading out to the store. I'm glad to report that we only spent $133.38 at Wal-Mart for two week's worth of food and supplies. We have $110.00 per week alloted so we were under our budget and, yes, a few "extra" items found their way into the basket. I just love it when a plan comes together. The good news is that we will not starve over the next two weeks and we will actually eat healthy. Our one weakness was a chocolate brownie frozen yogurt that caught our eyes as we passed through the ice cream section. Due to acid reflux Miss Judy cannot have ice cream and generally there's only a couple of frozen unappealing yogurts available so we don't buy any but today - hip, hip, hooray! We had a small bowl last night and it was just as yummy as it sounded. As we drove past the diesel fuel store we noted that the price is now $4.989 per gallon. This is getting ridiculous, the price jumps 5 to 15 cents per day and you know that the barrel of oil that sold at a record price today will not make it to the pump for at least a month. And they want us to believe that we aren't being ripped off. It won't take much more before it begins to raise serious havoc on the economy. The airlines are already on the ropes and starting to cut flights and personnel while charging for all "checked" luggage. Remember the good ol' days when they would loose your luggage for "free"? Not anymore they are going to charge you $15 per bag to loose it. Oh well, there's another good reason to travel by RV although, right now, it will cost us close to 45 cents a mile just for fuel. No sense crying in my Wheaties - Screw it, let's roll. I have been slowly putting together April's Travelogue but it's taking me a lot of patience and time to go through all the pictures that we took and then reformat them for publishing in the travelogue. I'm going to have to find an easier way to accomplish this task as I won't get April's published before it is time to publish May's which I haven't even started writing yet. Boy, am I slowing down in my old age!!! Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Today is shopping day. We are now trying to shop for two weeks at a time. That means that we need to sit down and think about what we want for meals over the next two weeks. The idea here is two fold: 1. Save money on groceries by going to the store less often, and 2. Save money on fuel as Wal-Mart is about 18 miles from the campground. It seems inevitable that "extra" stuff finds its way into our shopping cart each time we go to the store; therefore, if we go to the store less often then there will be less "extras". That dawg may not hunt, only time will tell. As for the fuel issue I'm pretty much getting to the point where "Screw it, let's roll" may very well become the mantra. After all, we can only be held hostage for so long. We didn't retire early to sit in our living room and watch the birds; that day will come soon enough. Actually Miss Judy will be going to the grocery store by herself. I have been w*rking to get the waterfront ready to rent the boats. Today is one of our days off but it is the only time we can get the tractor to come down and rake the sand so I am going to w*rk for a few hours to get the J-O-B completed. We need to have boats ready for our guests who will be coming en mass this weekend - right now over 2,000 of them with additional reservations rolling in each day. Last night we had our first "workamper" pot luck. There are 70 to 80 workampers on board so the pot luck was held at the grill. Jim, our illustrious chef, prepared a nice BBQ steak dish and others brought casserole along with a couple of meatball dishes. There were plenty of deserts available so Mike and I decided to "eat desert first". Karaoke rounded out the evening as we all had a great time getting to know each other a little better. In a couple of weeks about 20 college students from Poland will be arriving to join in with the w*rkforce. All in all, there is a staff of around 120 to 130 w*rking at Lake George Escape during the summer. Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Holy Cow, diesel fuel is now selling for $4.859 in our area. Yes, we got out of the park yesterday but the truck saw its shadow so it probably won't go out again for six more weeks. It came running back into the park with its tailpipe between its tires. That's enough to scare the fenders off many a vehicle. We went out with Mike and Tammy for some pizza at Capri Pizza in Lake George. This has to be one of our favorite pizza places in the country. They serve a New York style thin crust pizza which is yum, yum. However, when you add the cost of diesel fuel to the rising price of pizza it becomes a pretty expensive treat. On Thursday the campground shuttle will begin making daily runs into Lake George so we will be able to take that into town on our days off. It's only a thirteen mile round trip but that's almost a gallon of fuel which equates to about $5.00 a trip. Anyway, enough about fuel prices. This is still a great lifestyle and workamping beats w*rking for a living especially when our w*rk is play. Memorial Day weekend is coming fast so this week we will continue getting the park ready for all of our guests. The grill and the bar will open this weekend (they will have live entertainment), the big top will be up with tons of activities taking place there, the outdoor movie screen is up and ready, both heated pools are opened, Honey Bear store will be fully stocked, and the waterfront will be ready to rent electric boats, kayaks, and canoes. Getting the waterfront ready will be my J-O-B for the next few days. Last week Ron and I tore out the platforms where the canoes and kayaks are kept and we will be building new ones this week plus the docks will need to be put into the water and all of the boats taken out of storage and brought to the waterfront. Judy's J-O-B is getting Honey Bear store organized, stocked and ready for business. Busy, busy, busy. Once everything is ready for our guests our w*rk load will be a lot easier. Then it will be Fun, fun, fun. Monday, May 19, 2008 Today we are going to the store to pick up a few items. Why is that significant? Because we have been here at Lake George Escape since last Monday and the truck has remained in the "driveway" since then. Yep, that's right! "Big Dawg" (that's the truck) has not been on the road for a week - talk about price of diesel fuel, that makes it a whole lot cheaper. Gee, I hope the truck will start. Yesterday we went to church in Fairhope, Alabama. How did we do that? Our church has the sermons on line so we can listen to them and keep up on what's going on. Being that we will be w*rking on most Sundays we will still be able to "go to" our own church each week. Neat, huh? Pastor Bill was teaching a series entitled "What's in Your Wallet?" One of the things in our wallet is our identification and his lesson was about our true identity in Christ. We try to establish our own identity in this world but only God knows who we truly are. The fact of the matter is that we need to seek out our identity in Him and not spend so much time focusing on the things of this world. Alex has pretty much settled down and allows the birds to get their snacks from the feeders. Katie enjoys just sitting watching the birds partake of their treat but Alex likes to crouch down, wiggling is hind quarters, and preparing to pounce. I guess I'll have to get the movie "Hidden Lion Crouching Tiger" for him to watch. Hopefully I will finish getting through the pictures for last month's travelogue so I can get it published. So I had better get going; go to the store and then get busy on the travelogue. By the way, Miss Judy will be working on her "basket weaving" stuff, she sure enjoys that beading - it would make my eyes cross. Sunday, May 18, 2008 You remember I told you that we had put the bird feeders outside on our windows and that Alex was playing Godzilla whenever a bird landed in the feeders scaring the pant feathers off of them? Well, the birds have discovered that Alex is more "bark than bite" and Alex has discovered that there is something between him and the birds that won't allow him to catch them. So things have pretty much settled down. The birds come and eat while Alex crouches on the back of the sofa and drools. It makes for a very peaceful transition. Actually, Alex kind of likes watching them while they sit in the feeder and chows down. He has pretty much left the hummingbird feeder alone. So far we have had ruby throated hummingbirds, black capped chickadees, Tennessee warblers, and goldfinches stopping by Pa's Diner for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as mid morning coffee break and mid afternoon snacks. If I ate as much as those little birds eat proportionately I would be as big as this RV. In any event, the birds are happy, Alex is happy, and Katie is bewildered (she likes bird watching but does go berserk over them like her brother does). Last evening I drove the shuttle which takes our guests into the town of Lake George, the Outlet Stores, and to the Great Escape Amusement Park. Encore, who owns Lake George Escape, has purchased another campground (Lake George - Schroon Valley) which is about 7 miles north so they have been added it to our shuttle run as a pick up and drop off point. I, also, had to train a back-up driver last night - Miss Judy (so yes, I called it driving Miss Judy), Well, having said all that, I had forgotten how beautiful the landscape is up here in the Adirondacks. The roads fish their way through the mountains with spectacular picturesque views all around us. The road up to "Schroon Valley" campground follows the Schroon River; what a pleasant drive with the mountain on one side and the river on the other with lush scenery on both sides of us. Then coming into Lake George there are several views looking out across the lake which provided more wonderful breath taking sights to behold. It made for a very pleasant evening with Judy and I taking in all of the sights as we "shuttled" our guests here and there. Saturday, May 17, 2008 Yesterday was a busy w*rk day. Judy w*rked in Honey Bear store inventorying incoming product and stocking shelves. I w*rked on the waterfront tearing out the old decks where the canoes and kayaks are kept. Next week we will build new ones. Guests began arriving and the kick off weekend is underway. I have been following a couple of "threads" on the Escapees Forum dealing with adapting to higher fuel costs and the future of RVing. A lot of "wannabes" are questioning whether it is wise to go fulltime or not. The bottom line is you need to decide what you want your lifestyle to be. No matter whether you go fulltime or stay in stix and brix it is going to cost more money for fuel. Northerners are going to pay more to heat their homes in the winter; southerners are going to pay more to cool their homes in the summer. Having said that, if you feel that this is the lifestyle you really want then do it and don't let fuel costs drive you away. Like everyone else we're going to have to make adjustments along the way but we find it less expensive to live fulltime in our RV than living in a house. I would recommend that you enter into this lifestyle debt free if at all possible. That allows you a lot more freedom and options. This a great way to live and I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone scared away by higher fuel costs, Friday, May 16, 2008 Holy Cow!!! We've passed the mid way point of this month and I don't have April's Travelogue completed yet. I've been asleep at the switch!! I have most of it written and have been in the process of selecting pictures. That's always the hard part because, 1. I have lots of pictures, and, 2. It takes multiple steps to prepare them for inserting into the article. But please hang in there; it will be published shortly. Well, this ain't gonna work!!!! We have bird feeders that suction cup to the windows of the RV and we had never put them up before. So when we got here I decided it was time to dust them off, put a little feed in them, and hang them up. One is a hummingbird feeder that we bought from Howard and Linda Payne last fall and the other one is a small feeder to put seed in. Well, wouldn't cha know the birds took us up on our offer for free food, however, we have a katt who thinks scaring the feathered pants off birds is great sport. Yep, you got that right, who else could it be but our twenty pound boy katt. Alex crouches on the back of the sofa just waiting for a cute little bird to roost on the feeder and then goes into his Godzilla mode - Up on his hind legs batting at the window. The poor little bird's eyes get as big as saucers as feed drops from his mouth and he takes flight. I guess that with something that big hovering over the feeder the bird decides that flight is better than fight. Some changes will have to be made or else the poor little birds will starve to death before they return to our feeders for a snack. I should have seen this one coming from a mile away. Our first day at w*rk was pretty much uneventful. We are getting things ready for our guest to arrive. There will be 130 happy campers arriving today which translates to over 400 people. The following weekend, which is Memorial Day weekend, we will be full with between 2000 to 3000 people in the park. That'll keep us hopping for a few days. After that things will take on a more moderate pace until school lets out; then we'll be busy for the rest of the summer. Busy is good because when things are slow we get bored and it makes the day drag on by. Thursday, May 15, 2008 "Hi ho, Hi ho, it's off to w*rk we go." "Whistle while you w*rk, Put on that grin and start right in . . ." "Hi ho, Hi ho, Hi ho, a rig-a-jig-jig and away we go." Yep, today is it. Miss Judy and I report in for duty. We are officially ambassadors, Ambassadors of Fun that is. Our J-O-B is to w*rk in the "foreign land" full of happy campers as representatives of Lake George Escape RV Resort. It is our duty to ensure fun and good times are had by all who enter through the gates onto these premises. So a smile, a friendly greeting, and a helpful spirit are the tools of our trade along with a squirt gun for protection from the occasional hombres. Miss Judy will w*rk in the Honey Bear Store for half of her time and in Arts, Crafts and Events for the other half. I will w*rk mostly in water activities (renting boats, doing tubing trips, as well as other canoing events). Like the dawg said, "Ruff", but I think we will survive. Today we will be getting things ready for this weekend which is the opening weekend for the 2008 season. Not everything will be running at full tilt this weekend but will be by Memorial Day. The next two weeks will be some of the hardest w*rk that we will encounter; after that there will be some long days but they will be filled mostly with good times. Yesterday we just "putzed" around the house finishing our "to do" list. We had more on the "to do" list than I had imagined and didn't end up with very much hobby time. Oh well, next time. We are scheduled to w*rk for the next three days and then will have Sunday and Monday off. If we are diligent to keep things picked up over the next few days we can just sit back and enjoy our site and work on our hobbies then. Check out Judy's Corner - she's added some of her thoughts regarding fulltime RVing. Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Everything is set up. The awning is down, the rug is on the ground, the lights are strung, and the bikes are off the rack. Our site this year is nicer than the one we had last year being that it is larger, out from under the pine trees, and grassy. There are workampers on both sides of us so we won't have loud neighbors like we did a couple of times last year. The campground has around 650 sites and 75% of the occupants will go past our "house" so we do live on a busy road but it is paved in front of us so that should keep the dust down. There has been several significant personnel changes in the management which should make for a little more pleasant w*rking conditions but it is still a corporation and you know how corporate politics goes. Being in the Fun and Games Department will keep us isolated from all of that - last year Judy was right in the center of a lot of conflict. All in all, we are looking forward to starting w*rk tomorrow; if you can call being Ambassadors of Fun in the Fun and Games Department w*rk. The weather has been wonderful since arriving with the temperatures climbing each day. It was in the high 60's on Monday, mid 70's yesterday, and will be in the high 70's today. Unfortunately it isn't going to last as cooler weather is headed our way. We are going enjoy today, go for a walk around the campground (it's two miles if you walk around all the "outside" streets in the park), do some of our hobbies, do some reading, do some bike riding, and, maybe, take a nap with the Katts. Yes, Alex and Katie are happy here as they have good views out the windows and lots of sunshine in the morning and in the evening while being shady during the hot part of the day. I put the hummingbird feeder and the song bird feeder out (they suction cup to the windows) for them (remember, "It's all about birds"). We haven't had any visitors yet but I'm sure we will. Hopefully Alex won't scare the feathers off of them. Yep, life is good in the fast lane. Until tomorrow, it's back to living the life. Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Well, we're here, back at Lake George Escape. Once we got the RV set up we took a walk around and it's just as if we'd never left. One thing about northern New York, the sun rises at 5:32AM and sets at 2:42PM (nah, not really, it sets at 8:11PM, just seems like early afternoon) while I prefer it to be an hour later on both ends. The two katts are up at sunrise; the two katts being Alex (Mister - "It's all about birds, man, birds I tell ya!") and Miss Judy ("I couldn't sleep any longer because I went to bed before the sun went down!" - Girl). That leaves Katie and I stretched out and sawing lumber until well after 7:00 o'clock (purr, purr, strrreeetttccch). Today is the first day of establishing some routines. We want to eat healthier, we want to take daily walks, we want to do our daily Bible reading, etc. We loose all of that when we are traveling because we get up and start getting things ready to roll. So we grab a quick snack for breakfast, don't walk, and postpone our daily reading which means it doesn't get done. We have been on the road since the end of March and are now ready to settled down for awhile (after about a month hitch itch will be setting in). But, in any event, we'll get it all together once again. It finally happened. While traveling route 12 in New Hampshire heading to New York we came to the intersection of route 5 where we had planned to cross over the river into Vermont. The problem, there was a railroad bridge with a 12' 5" clearance on route 5 and we are 13' 2" tall. So now what to do? We pulled into a shopping plaza and got out all of our maps and discovered that we were going to have to drive all the way around the world just to get back to where we wanted to be. We had a New Hampshire map which showed the next river crossing being about twenty miles north and our road atlas was just not detailed enough to help. I must say that there are times when Streets and Trips are pretty much useless and this was one of those times; I had hoped that the "zoom in" feature would help to find another way across the river but no such luck. Oh well, we decided to press on north getting a few extra sightseeing miles under our belts. In less that five miles we came upon a truck route to I-91 and Vermont route 103 that crossed the river. This was not a new route and we were totally bewildered as to why none of the maps reflected it but took us right to where we wanted to be - Vermont route 103, hooray for our team!! Monday, May 12, 2008 Marc and I prepared BBQ Chicken (eat mor ckickin) for Mother's Day Dinner and, just as prophesied, Amie couldn't stay out of the kitchen and made a tortollini salad -'twas good. As always, good fun, good food, and good company. Now that we have had our grand daughter fix it is time to say "good-bye" to Peterborough. To w*ork, to w*rk, it's off to w*rk we go! Yes, our vacation is over and it's time to go back to w*rk. Let's see, our vacation began the day after Labor Day last September and will end on Thursday. Boy, vacations always seem so short!!! We will arrive at Lake George Escape today. Both Miss Judy and I will w*rk in the Recreation Department this year as "Ambassadors of Fun". I will do the same thing that I did last summer w*rking in the water activities while Miss J will be w*rking in the Honey Bear Store and doing Arts and Crafts. I know, it's tough w*rk but someone has to do it so we'll "buck up" and take on the task. Sunday, May 11, 2008 Happy Mother's Day!!! This is a day to honor our mothers but both Judy's and my mother have passed on so we will just take a little time to reflect on their impact in our lives. Today we will be going over to Marc and Amie's to have a cook out with Marc and I doing all of the work (somehow I don't really think that will happen as it is hard to keep Miss Judy and Amie out of the kitchen - men need supervision!!!!!!!). It will be a good time no matter how things unfold. Yesterday we went into town for a doughnut and coffee at Nonie's Bakery. I just love these little local places with their own personality - there's no McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or any other fast food establishment in Peterborough. The place was packed so we took our "stuff" to go and sat out in the park to enjoy it. It was a little cool so we didn't stay long. I took a walk around town making some pictures while Judy called Matthew (we don't have cell phone coverage at the campground). Later, in the afternoon, Marc, Amie, Briana, and Lola came out to the campground and we burned some burgers on the grill. Judy fixed her famous potato salad and "sin" pie for desert (it's a Toll House Pie which is extremely rich; hence, "sin" pie). Lola, 1 year and 2 months old, has more energy than four adults could possibly muster up. She just goes from one thing to another - extremely fast hands. Don't put anything down because she will have in the blink of an eye. She managed to wear us out in short order. The katts just hid in the bedroom begging us to shut the door to keep her out and keep them safe as Lola loves katts. Judy and I just sat back and took great pleasure in seeing Marc get his just deserts (Lola is just like he was - a grand parent's delight). Saturday, May 10, 2008 "Live Free or Die" is the New Hampshire state motto. This could easily be the mantra for fulltime RVers as well. Freedom is one of the best things about living this lifestyle. We have the freedom to move about the country whenever the "spirit moves", to head out in what ever direction on just a whim, or to stay in one place for a little while longer. America was founded on the principles of freedom and liberty and Americans have been independent ever since. Fulltime RVers exemplify these principles by throwing off the shackles that bind them to one place in order to gain the freedom to go "Wandering America". Yep, "Live Free or Die" is the only way to live. Friday, May 9, 2008 Peterborough, New Hampshire is one of those small New England towns that you imagine being depicted in a Currier and Ives painting. Although it is in the 21st century it struggles hard to remain in the early 20th century. Physically not much has changed with its narrow streets, colonial buildings, and town hall. Yes, there is still a town hall and New Hampshire is known for its town hall meetings just like they held 200 years ago. Peterborough was settled in 1737 and incorporated in 1760. It was the home of the first mill in the state which wove cloth. The public library is the oldest free library in the world being the first free library supported entirely by taxation. As you walk through town you can almost imagine what it was like when the streets were dirt and the sidewalks were wooden. Last evening, we (Marc, Amie, Briana, Lola, Judy and I) took a stroll through the town. They live within a block of the center of town and I couldn't help getting caught up in the architecture and nostalgia of Peterborough, New Hampshire as we walked along. When we walked past a bed and breakfast I could almost see Larry, Darrell, and Darrell talking with Bob Newhart. Yes, it is that kinda town. It's a nice serene New England town where you feel like getting up in the morning, taking a walk to the local bakery for a coffee and doughnut, picking up a newspaper, then heading to the park to enjoy your coffee and doughnut while reading your paper and being serenaded with the melodious songs of the chipping birds. Yep, you could easily slip into that kinda lifestyle. Thursday, May 8, 2008 Yesterday was a quiet day at home. Judy spent some time working on her beading while I spent some time researching digital TV antennas and amplifiers. Later, after dinner, we drove into Peterborough to get our grand daughter fix. Katie and Alex enjoyed the views out the windows (remember, it's all about birds). They certainly need the sunshine and pleasant views to keep them contented. Lola has grown like a weed since we saw her last in September. She is definitely a mobile unit now and is into everything within her reach. Marc and Amie have their hands full with that one. Briana, who let me know that she is not 9 but 9 and a half, has gotten tall. She is a little lady and looks after her sister. Marc and Amie are doing well and they have a nice large apartment - it really is nice to see that our kids are doing so well. We will be getting together with them everyday that we are here; after all, they are the reason we are in New Hampstir in the first place. Now, a little bit about digital television. We do not have satellite television because we don't watch that much TV but we do like to watch the morning news and evening news (mainly for the weather) as well as a few weekly shows. As we sit here in Hancock, New Hampshire we are able to get only the analog signals even though there are digital signals available (that means that next year we would not be able to get any television at all). So I'm trying to figure out why - do we need a better signal amplifier or do we need a different antenna or both? Further, the way that I orient the antenna is by (1) going online and finding out what channels are available in the area, (2) raising the antenna, turn on the TV, and turn on an analog channel, (3) rotate the antenna until I get the best picture, (4) try another analog channel, then another to find a common direction for the antenna, and (5) program the television. Even then it doesn't always bring up all of the digital channels available because the antenna direction may not be exactly right. At this point I can go into the television's set up menu and look at the signal meter to fine tune the antenna. The issue is that after February 17, 2009 I will not have the analog channels to help find the best antenna direction. However, I have found a website (antennaweb.org) that maybe useful because it lists the compass direction for each signal but its accuracy is questionable in that it does not list all the channels available in our current location. I, also, learned that digital signals are color coded and that you need an antenna that matches the signal's code, however, I haven't found any information on what color code signals that the batwing antenna is best suited to receive. There is a Terk amplified directional antenna (HDTVo) that appears would work on an RV. I would have to remove the batwing, make a base that would work on the extension, and mount the antenna to it. But, before I go through all of that trouble I would like to be assured that this antenna would be an acceptable solution. I've been reviewing various signal amplifiers and have found that the Winegard power booster that is currently installed in our rig is probably the best there is - at least as good as anything else being offered. Obviously I'm in over my head but I'm not going to do anything until we get back to Summerdale and probably not until after February 17, 2009. We just may have to break down and get a satellite system (by the way, Winegard has come out with a converter that will work in conjunction with the Kingdome satellite system to pick up digital satellites). One other issue that certainly plays into the the quality of the signal is the cabling and number of (as well as type of) splitters in the system. I know that the RV is cabled using RG-6 coaxial cable but I have no idea what type of splitters maybe in the lines. We are cabled for three television sets (living room, bedroom, and basement) which means there has to be a splitter in the line somewhere since the Winegard amplifier only support two televisions. I'm thinking that there is probably a splitter installed in the cable running from the amplifier to the bedroom allowing a cable to be dropped into the basement. In any event, I can use all of the help I can get so if any of my readers has some advice (wisdom) I would certainly welcome it (email me and put digital TV in the subject line); as you can see, I am pretty much clueless when it comes to this digital technology. Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Stupid is as stupid does. We just did long back to back driving days and got to New Hampstir (Hampshire for you westerners) yesterday. I hate to use the word hate but I hate destination driving (and so does Alex). It's just not fun pounding over the highways for 8 to 9 hours at a time. Our interstates are in deplorable condition; I'm surprised that there is any suspension left on either the truck or the coach after that pounding. I won't go into my tirade about our government's waste in spending here but I'm tempted. I'll just leave it at, "Our highway system needs an Extreme Makeover!" We would prefer to not drive the Interstate highways but when doing "destination driving" it is almost imperative. Whenever we are in New Hampstir we stay at Seven Maples Campground being that it's a member of Passport America. But this time we are staying for six nights and had to pay full price for two nights. They charge $33 a night for a full hookup 30 amp, small, unlevel site with no WIFI (or any other amenities for that fact). I feel this is ridiculous and would never stay here without the Passport discount. Like I have said in the past, campgrounds in the east are long on price and short on amenities. But it is close (about seven miles) to our grand daughters (son's house) which makes it convenient. I guess with the price of diesel fuel at $4.30 a gallon being close is better than having to drive 20 miles (next closest campground) to get to their house. Speaking of diesel fuel, we had the "privilege" of paying $4.559 a gallon in New York. They have a big sign on the highway advertising $4.499 but that was at the auto island which we were too big to get into so we had to go around back to the trucker's pumps and pay more (so much for "red letter" exits in The Next Exit guide). I can say that fuel prices are going to impact the way all of us live rather we own stix and brix or wheel estate. But we still prefer this nomad lifestyle to putting down roots - we would get an extreme case of hitch-itch if we were in one place for too long (need those grand daughter fixes). So we'll just have to cope with the increased travel costs, I could fast three days a week - that would save money in the food budget as well as assist with the weight reduction plan that never seems to get implemented. New Hampstir is a beautiful state and we are getting to experience spring once again. The trees are just beginning to put forth their buds which provides nice pastoral views out across the mountains. We are in for some nice warm weather which will prompt the leaves to pop out quickly. But along with spring comes black flies and New Hampstir has a bumper crop of them this spring (they are so thick you could cut them with a chain saw). In New England their are six seasons - summer, fall, winter, mud, spring, and black fly season. New Hampstir would make a great "home" state if it weren't for the long c*ld sn*wy winters and black flies. While we are here we will take advantage of the no sales tax and stock the shelves. Until tomorrow. . . . Tuesday, May 6, 2008 - no entry, was on the road for nine hours and stayed overnight at a Flying J. Monday, May 5, 2008 Yesterday we continued to work and play with Warren and Shirley. I set up Shirley's router so she could use her laptop as well as her desk computer to get online. Warren and I installed a new motor on his large band saw and then we all had a nice cook out over an open fire with 'burgers and 'tater salad (you can call me 'tater salad). Last fall when we were here Warren and I built a deck with a fire pit in it next to their pond so that's where we had the cook out. In the evening we've been watching HBO's seven part series on John Adam (just love that history) which was very well done. Today it is time to hit the road again making our way to New Hampshire for a grand daughter fix - we haven't seen Briana and Lola since last September. We'll definitely miss this nice high speed internet connection. Saturday, May 3, 2008 It is always fun to stay at Warren and Shirley's place. They have their own business where they make and sell wooden products. Either Warren or I have a project (generally both of us). This time we are setting up a large air compressor that Warren was able to get a good buy on since the motor was shot. That was twelve years ago and he now as a nice five horse motor to install on the compressor. We got everything hooked up and wired and viola, the compressor came to life. There is a problem with the regular and may have to be replaced but we were able to get the pressure up to 100psi with no problem. We will continue to tweak things today and should have it "purring like a kitten" by days end. My project was to build a counter extension. I purchased some hinges for it while we were looking at Newmar fifthwheels earlier this week. I have a custom design for the extension so that it will mate up with the Corian counter top which has a "fancy" edge. We are making it out of 1-1/2" thick oak which we had to glue up (I think that ought to hold whatever Judy wants to put on it). Today we will finish shaping it and sanding it; I will stain it and coating it with polyurethane later. It will look nice and professional when it finished with it. Miss Judy went with her sister Shirley to JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Costco, and Staples. They met up with Judy's niece Nannette (Warren and Shirley's daughter) somewhere along the line and had lunch at Costco. She found some beads at Michaels that made their way home (can you imagine?) I made out like a bandit - Miss Judy was thinking of me and brought me home a nice large container of cashews - Yum, Yum, just love them nuts. She, also, brought home three pounds of walnuts, a large bag of Trail Mix, and some Pub Mix - she must have been hungry!!! Poor Katie and Alex, momma didn't get them anything but I can tell you that they are extremely happy to be parked outside with good visibility - birds, ya know, it's all about birds. Friday, May 2, 2008 Not only do we now have connectivity and television reception but we have fantastic connectivity with the best speeds that we've had in months and great television coverage with numerous hi-def digital stations to choose from. Yes, we re-entered the twenty first century and it seems great. I guess "camping" is no longer in our genes. Katie and Alex are "happy campers" as well. While we were at Ray and Pat's we parked in their "RV Port" which was open on three sides. Our dining room window faced the barn part of the port so there was nothing to see which freaked out the pussy katts. They weren't eating well, paced a lot, and were just overall uneasy. Now they have wide open spaces again and they are doing big time bird watching. This is just the katt's pajamas - meow, meow!! It was a two and a half hour drive from MeCosta, Michigan to Holly, Michigan. Most of the drive was on "secondary" roads. I enjoy driving on secondary roads at fifty miles per hour. Interstates are nice when you have to make time, but we generally don't have a schedule to make. Judy had a dentist appointment on the 25th of April and we start workamping on the 15th of May but generally we could just slow down and enjoy the scenery by driving the "back roads". Diesel fuel prices are becoming a "killer". We just saw our first filling station with $4.49.9 (that is $4.50 no matter how you slice it - what's with this .9 crap anyway, that's just plain dumb when you think about it). For April we had budgeted $500 for diesel fuel but ended up spending $755. We certainly can't do that for very many months without impacting our overall budget. Hopefully we will be able to stay within budget while traveling in May; once we get to Lake George Escape we will look for ways to come in under budget for June, July, and August. Hopefully that will get us back on track. Now that we have consistent internet connectivity for the next few days we will be able to update the journal on a daily basis so be sure to check us out tomorrow. I will be working on a "project" today - more about that tomorrow. Thursday, May 1, 2008 Today is May Day. When I was growing up boys used to celebrate May Day by "hanging" a May Basket, which was filled with candy, at their girl friend's front door. In order for her to get the basket she would have to chase the boy and give him a kiss (as you can imagine, the boys didn't run very fast). I told Miss Judy about this tradition many years ago but she had never heard of such a thing so it must have been regional, however, she gave me a kiss anyway. What a fun tradition, today we'd probably have to go to family court on sexual harassment charges but it was all innocent fun for children growing up in the 50's and 60's. Yesterday we went back to Grand Rapids to visit with our son Brian. On our way we stopped by the Howard City Library to get our email and publish the journal entries but guess what? We couldn't get a connection so we continued onto Grand Rapids. After spending some time with Brian and taking him out to lunch at Applebee's we headed home. Again, we stopped by Howard City Library and was able to get our email but couldn't publish the journal entries. "Good Grief Charlie Brown," this living in the 19th century with the lack of technology is getting old. This afternoon we will be arriving at Judy's sister's house and we will have cell phones, internet connectivity, and television again - YAAAHOOOO! |