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Monday,
June 30, 2008
This is it - we've reached the summit of 2008. Two thousand and eight is now officially on it's way out. Isn't that amazing. I remember attending a party to roll the calendar to the year two thousand just the other day and now we're looking at two thousand and ten quickly approaching. Wow!!! Back when I was a kid it seemed like summer lasted for an eternity but now years go screaming by like telephone poles along the highway. Before you know I will be 60 years old - wait a minute; I am 60 years old. That musta been one of those poles along the highway of life that went flying by. I need to get a slower mode of transportation into the future so I can at least see the poles as I pass them by. Guess what? I get to try out a Kay-Noe. I talked the Lake George Escape management into purchasing two of them for the tubing trip guides. The guides have been using inexpensive 16 foot canoes that have to be loaded onto a school bus which is being used to transport the guests upstream. They are heavy (almost 80 pounds) and it is hard for the ladies to load them through the back door of the bus. The Kay-Noe is 12 feet long and 57 pounds which will make it a lot easier to load. So this afternoon or tomorrow morning I will get to paddle the Schroon river in a Kay-Noe (but I think we have pretty much settled on getting Sit-On-Top Kayaks instead). Oh well, it will still be fun. My poison ivy is still with me - just on my left forearm. I've tried several different remedies but what seems to work best is hydrogen peroxide. That is drying it out and takes away the itch but still isn't curing it. I may have to go to the saw bones to get a more effective medicine if it lingers much longer. The more it itches the more I scratch and the more I scratch the more it itches. In computer terms they call this a "do loop" - I just called it a PITA (pain in the a--). Big Foot is alive and well and is living in the Catskills. Yep, the news just confirmed it. There is a lady who saw two of them in her back yard this past winter. They now have the area staked out and have a team of who knows what searching for them. Most likely they will find some green Martians as well and maybe they'll even find Jimmy Hoffer's body. Just label me as a skeptic. I have to get ready to go to w*rk now (today I do tubing trips) so take care. Sunday. June 29, 2008 Katts don't like intense thunder showers and Katie and Alex are no exception. Since yesterday afternoon, beginning around 3:00 until this morning, we have be inundated with one thunder storm after another. Katie just got up on the bed and cuddled next to Judy's legs but Alex would sit on the floor and howl until I would call him to get up in bed with us. Then he would just sit there and "chat" with me, I guess he was trying to tell me how he felt about the storms. Big Ol' Sissy Katt!!! Yes, it has been just one storm after another. During yesterday afternoon's storm a dawg ran by - it was pouring so hard and he was running so fast that it left a wake behind him. I have never seen it pour so hard for so long. We had ankle deep water flowing past our front step. It ended in about 50 minutes so I went down to the boats to see if everything was alright. I found that there was major erosion in the beach area which will need a lot of work to repair (job security) but other than that there was just a lot of water in the boats that needed to be bailed out. But, who knows what it will look like this morning after all the rain that we have had during the night. Further, today's weather forecast is calling for more thunder storms throughout the day. This week has been Mardi Gras at the campground with Woodland Grill's buffet being Cajun food. I was not impressed, this was the first meal that I have had at the grill that I have not liked. It probably doesn't help that we have spent so much time in the south over the past two years eating real Cajun food. Oh well, one man's horror is another man's delight. There were a lot of people and most everyone seemed to be enjoying the meal so it was probably just me. Saturday, June 28, 2008 Somehow I have gone and done it again. I contacted either poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac somewhere along the line. Where exactly that may have been, I have no clue but it itches none the less. With a scratch scratch here and a scratch scratch there, Ol' grampa Patterson has an itch - E I, E I O!!! When I was a kid, way back around the time they invented dirt, I used to get poison ivy every year. I was allergic to it and all I had to do was go outside in the springtime and I got it. It would spread all over my body, my arms, my legs, my back, my front, my neck, and my face. It was horrible. Well, I haven't had a case of it in a long, long time but now I've gotten into it again. It's only on my left arm and only a few spots here and there but it still itches like he--. I sure hope it goes away soon. Yesterday I w*rked boats and drove the shuttle. This is my least favorite shift because I don't start until 1:00 in the afternoon and end at 10:00 in the evening. As most of you know, we are not night people. At dusk my thumb starts going into my mouth and I start assuming the prenatal position. Today I w*rk boats from 1:00 to 6:00. I like this assignment because I like boats, I like water, and I like interfacing with the people. Judy w*rked the Honey Bear store yesterday - she also w*rked the afternoon shift. It was busy but she likes busy - she doesn't do "look busy". "Either give me something to do or I'm going home!" She likes the Honey Bear store and enjoys interfacing with the guests as well. Oh well, just isn't much to write about when we are w*rking and enough is enough so, so long for now. Hope you have a great Saturday. Friday, June 27, 2008 Well, this is it. Today is Monday (for us) and we start our new w*rk schedule. For the next nine weeks we will be w*rking five days a week, seven to eight hours a day. Even though our w*rk is play it is still a J-O-B but with the stock market crashing and our investments not looking very pretty we can use the cash. It looks like the rest of the year is going to be "ruff" with oil prices climbing, food prices climbing, and investments heading south. The fact that we are debt free and flexible will allow us to adjust; we are certainly looking at areas in the budget where we can "cut back" over the next six months. Boy, it really is nice to have two 'puters again. No more sharing, no more waiting, no more whining. Miss J is sitting in her chair doing emails and surfing the internet while I'm sitting in my chair writing today's journal entry. How nice is that? The computer has certainly replaced the television as our main entertainment source. I venture to guess that we each spend at least two hours a day on the computer. Even when the television is on we are still on line reading other's websites or blogs, or researching history, or doing emails, or checking out forums, etc. So computers have become a mainstay in our household and it is nice for each of us to have our own 'puter. As you remember, yesterday was a rainy day so Judy worked on her quilting while I finished writing June's travelogue. I still need to get into town to take some more pictures of the Lake George Battlefield so it will be another week before the travelogue gets published. Yesterday afternoon we got another hands on (or should I say paws on) demonstration of Kattnapping; ya know, that really works great but we will probably have to wait another ten weeks before we can get back into practicing it due to the w*rk thing. We also updated our budget for the first six months of 2008. If it weren't for our medical expenses we would be in great shape; we are about $2,000 over budget but think we can make up at least $1,500 of it over the next six months. Only time will tell because unexpected things do crop up from time to time. So, yesterday was mostly a stay inside day, however, we did manage to squeeze in a bike ride after dinner. We hit the hay around 10:00 and watched tv until 11:00 and then it was lights out. Thursday, June 26, 2008 Guess What? Today's journal entry is being brought to you via our 2003 Gateway Model 400VTX laptop computer. The new power adapter arrived yesterday and the problem has been resolved. Between the new power switch and the new power adapter the computer has been revived for a mere $140.00. We are now a two computer family again - no more pouting as one of us waits to share the Dell. Whhhaaaaa-Whhhooooo! Yesterday was one of those days where the temperature hovered in the low 80's and the humidity remained low at 36% while white fluffy clouds passed overhead. I think that it's going to be one of the top ten best days for the week. The katts made us play outside so they could get some peace and quiet. That's one of the things about this lifestyle, you spend a lot of time outdoors which, by the way, is just fine with us. I remember being locked up in an office or a meeting room on those nice sunny days looking out the windows just wishing I could be outside instead. We tried a double (tandem) kayak yesterday morning and it took less than two minutes for us to decide that that wasn't for us. We enjoy solo kayaking which will mean that we'll need to buy two kayaks once we decide on which ones will suit our wants and needs. We brought the double kayak back, got two singles, and spent over an hour heading down the river from the boat docks. After lunch we went back out again going upstream this time spending another hour; all in all, we ended up spending over 2 and 1/2 hours on the river. Miss Judy is getting pretty good at paddling her kayak - I can barely keep up with her. Yup, she's hooked!!! Along with the kayaking we also did some biking so by 3:00 in the afternoon we were pretty much "pooped out". Ah, exercise and fresh air, you can bet your bottom dollar that we slept like baby katts last night. We need to do it all again today except it's raining out right now - this probably won't be one of the top ten best days this week but we will spend some time outside none the less. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 So, the verdict is in - Miss Judy likes kayaking. We took Rudy's Ocean Kayak, which is a Prowler 13, for a ride up the Schroon River spending about an hour on the water. That thing paddles like a dream. For a 13 foot kayak it paddles smoothly and tracks very well which is typical of kayaks that are 14 feet or longer. Needless to say, that particular model is more expensive than we would like but isn't that the case with most things. However, Ocean Kayak makes nice quality kayaks and will be on our short list. This afternoon you will find us back on the river. This time we are going to try a tandem kayak - one that carries both of us. The big problem with these is that they generally don't do solo kayaking very well but we want to see how it feels. Generally we would both be kayaking at the same time so this could very well be an option. The other issue that we have is that we can only carry something that is less than 12 feet long. I have picked out six different kayaks that are between 10 to 12 feet long that we will want to try out before buying. So it is going to be a while before we purchase anything (let alone the fact that we are over budget so far for the year). But it doesn't cost anything to look and take time to enjoy the purchasing process. In the meantime we can use the kayaks here at Lake George Escape - they aren't as nice but they work and we can perfect Judy's paddling technique, she's actually doing quite well. Other than kayaking we have been biking around the campground for exercise purposes. As I have stated before, it is 2.1 miles to go around the perimeter of the campground so several trips around add up, however, it is pretty much flat riding with a few small hills along the way. Hopefully, we will be a little smaller and a lot more healthy by the time we leave here in September. Tuesday, June 24, 2008 One thing about the Adirondacks is the weatherman is hardly ever right. The rain washed away by 10:00 yesterday morning and the sun came out by the time we got back from shopping. We went to Penney's to pick up Miss Judy's order and ended up donating another $100 to them. I've been looking for a decent pair of sandals and they had a pair of Clarks on sale for $39 so into the bag they went. The next thing you know they had the shirts I buy on sale for $9.99. Usually the sale price is $14.99 so into the bag went three of them. Miss Judy found a couple of blouses on sale so into the bag went two of them as well. Wow, that's a quarter of the way to a new Kay-noe!!! Yes, we did a walk through at Dick's and looked at a Sit-On-Top kayak. These are becoming more popular for big and tall people as well as older people with bad knees (that be me!) and other physical issues. They are much easier to get "into" than the Sit-Inside kayaks and are much more stable. Lake George Escape rents Sit-On-Top kayaks so, after we got home, Miss Judy and I took a couple and did a little kayaking. "Hey Mikey, she likes it!!!" Yup, Miss Judy likes kayaking on a Sit-On-Top kayak. She even said we could go again this week - I fell off the kayak in total disbelief! Today we are going to try out Rudy's (a fellow workamper) Ocean Kayak which is a Sit-On-Top kayak outfitted for fishing. These are lite weight sleek profiled kayaks that are easy to paddle and track very well - I can't wait to give it a try. Finally, last evening we went to Johnny Rockets with 12 other fellow workampers. Johnny Rockets is a 50's style hamburger joint with black and white checkered floor, dinner tables and chairs from the period, lots of stainless steel trim, and Do-Wop music. The waiters and waitresses, referred to as the crew, dress in the white shirts with white aprons and caps reminiscent of the 30's, 40's, and 50's corner hamburger joint (remember Al on Happy Days?). Every so often they will turn up the music and "the crew" will dance to music. You can find Johnny Rockets restaurants across the country - they are a fun place to eat and do have a decent hamburger. Judy J. has published another journal entry in Judy's Corner so go ahead and check it out. Monday, June 23, 2008 Here it is 8:00 in the morning and I'm just starting to write the daily entry. Alex worked awfully hard to roll us out of bed this morning but there was this pitter patter on the roof which enticed us to pull the covers up to our noses and stay put. "Meow, meow, meow, purr, purr." Translated, "Get up mommy and pet me and put some food in my dish and put fresh water in my bowl." "Meow, Meow, Meow!!!!" Finally Miss Judy rolled out of bed at around quarter to seven and tended to Mr. Alex. Katie and I stretched out for another fifteen minutes and then it was up for us as well. It looks like a rainy day which means that we'll have to find something to do inside. We purchased some new movies the other day at Wal-Mart so maybe we'll watch one of them. Wal-Mart has that five dollar box of movies that sits right in the middle of the isle by the television section. We paw through the box every so often to see if there is something that looks interesting. At five bucks we figure we can't lose because it costs almost that much to rent a movie for a night. We came home with "Spanglish" and "Must Love Dogs" - a couple of "chick flicks". We really don't care much for violence or obscene language so cute little "chick flicks" entertain us just fine. There's always basket weaving things to work on while we watch the rain turn the grass green. Miss Judy has some beading projects and a quilting project underway. I can practice sketching some pictures and later today I can work on my power napping discipline. The katts have introduced me to some new napping techniques that I've been chopping at the bit to try. By the way, I have a couple of books to read so I think we'll be able to find enough to capture our attention while hanging out inside. Oops, change of plans. Miss Judy just informed me that she needs to pick up an order at Penney's which is at the mall where Dick's Sporting Goods is located. That means I can go and abuse myself again by drooling over the Kay-Noe that I won't be buying any time soon. I have been trying out different types of kayaks to see if there is something else that I might like better so I'm not really ready to buy anyway. The fact finding part of the buying process is enjoyable and it is always fun to look. Saturday, June 21, 2008 "Blues Skies Smiling at Me Nothing but Blue Skies Do I see." "Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime." Yes, it's summertime so let's "Roll out those lazy crazy hazy days of summer. Those days with soda and pretzels and beer." Happy Summertime Everyone. This could be a rough summer with the price of fuel driving the general cost of living going through the roof. But, nonetheless, we were created to live life and live it abundantly. Money isn't everything. There are so many things to discover right in our own backyards. Biking and hiking are great ways to explore your neighborhood. Look at the architecture of older homes, consider the layout of your town, contemplate the different shapes of trees, or get a list of birds in your community and see how many you can find. Libraries are a great source of inexpensive entertainment. With a good book you can take a trip without even leaving home. Grab a history book of your city and seek out the historical sites and landmarks. Most cities have a City Park with various activity areas and a pool - take advantage of it. Take a picnic lunch and a book along and remember to spend some time just laying on your back watching the clouds pass by overhead. Sit on a bench downtown and do some people watching (I used to name people after animals and birds that they reminded me of). Think back to when you were a child. If you are my age you will remember that we found plenty of things to do without being entertained. Our imaginations carried us through the day. Remember to leave the car in the driveway and take the bike to town or to the library or to the park. Most importantly of all, take some time each day to spend with our heavenly Father reflecting on his love for us and all of the blessings that he has provided for us. Yes, finances may be tight but God has given us so much more than money - eternal life and it is free to all who accept it. So let's make this a summer of thankfulness as we adjust to a simpler lifestyle. Friday, June 20, 2008 Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Today is our Monday and it is raining. Yes, our w*rk week begins today - we w*rk today, tomorrow, and Sunday (which is our Friday). Then we have the weekend off - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Rough life ain't it? This w*rking for a living has gotta go!!! Judy spent yesterday on basket weaving. She cut out all of the pieces for her next quilt. Laying out and cutting the pieces is one of the hardest parts of quilting because if you cut your material wrong then you might not have enough for the project. Miss Judy likes to buy just what she needs and no more - she loves living on the edge. I spent the day putting together the June Travelogue. I just have to go and make more pictures. We visited the site a couple of weeks ago where I took lots of pictures but when I did my research I found that we missed some significant historical places. One more try - yesterday I ordered a new power adapter for the Gateway. This will be the end but when we checked the power output we found that it failed. Probably I wouldn't have had to buy the power switch but it hasn't been working properly for a long time. I would have to push the switch three or four times to get the computer to "turn on" so it was on its way out and was just a matter of time before it would fail. We have now put $300 into this computer since January, however, to replace it with a new computer would cost us no less than $900 (probably more) to get exactly what we want. Also, a new computer will come with Microsoft's new Vista of which I am not in a hurry to become acquainted. Katie and Alex want you to know that they are fine. They have been waaaaay tooooo busy with their new hobbies to take time to write. They are deeply involved with their bird watching and power napping - they are really good at that power napping thing. Just one last thing, yesterday I did something that fulltime RVers are not supposed to be involved with - I mowed our lawn! That's right, we get a free site but they don't mow it; what's up with that? They do provide the lawn mower and gas but I had to provide the push power. I used to enjoy mowing our lawn but not so much anymore. Thursday, June 19, 2008 Yesterday was shopping day. We now do our grocery shopping every other week; that way we are cutting back on the "extras" that we grab whenever we go shopping. So far it appears to be working - we have a $110 per week budget for grocery items (which includes all the things we buy at the grocery store). To date we are averaging $101 per week even with the increased cost of living and the "little extras" that find their way into our shopping cart. The big issue is where to put two week's worth of groceries once we get home. We only have a 10 cubic foot refrigerator which means that it is bulging at the seams when we get done stuffing our goodies into it. Even the pantry tends to be bulge when we get finished putting things away. Another benefit is fuel savings. Since arriving here over a month ago we have only pumped $75 of diesel fuel into the truck and still have 3/4 of a tank of fuel. We have been using the Campground's Shuttle for our trips into town so the truck only goes to Warrensburg which is about 3 miles away. The shuttle took us to The Great Escape on Tuesday which saved us the $10 parking fee as well as the fuel to get there. With all of our medical expenses for this year we are still over budget but should be back on track by the time we hit the road again in September. The part arrived for the computer and I was competent enough to install it as it was pretty much plug and play. However, that wasn't entirely what the problem was so I'm back to trouble shooting. Most likely it is the power supply (the cord and adapter) that is bad. We have a "computer dude" here at the campground and I will get him to check out the power cord for me. If that is the problem then it will be easily solved; if it is not, then it will be a problem internal to the computer which means I loose. I guess my best advice is that when you start having problems with your laptop, just replace it and don't get caught throwing good money after bad into an old computer. Stay tuned for the ongoing saga of Patterson vs. Computer. Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Well, I caught a comet, the Comet roller coaster that is. We went to The Great Escape yesterday with Mike and Tammy. Mike and I made a bee line to the Comet Roller coaster and got into line (very short line) to ride in the front seat. Wow, was that ever intense - we chug chugged to the top and rather than slow down at the top, the roller coaster actually sped up and shot gunned us over the hump. There was absolutely nothing but air for a second and then straight down at two hundred thousand miles per hour (we actually passed a jet as we were going down hill). I heard a lot of screaming then realized that was me. I only had a few seconds to reflect on life and all that it meant to me before we started going up hill again. More drops, more corners. Is this the way life is supposed to end? I didn't see a white light calling me home so I guessed that I was still in my right realm. Up another hill, the bottom drops out again, more screams, and sharp curves. Is this ride ever going to end? Then we came to a sudden stop - good thing there was no windshield because we would have gone through it. We slowly rolled into the point of disembarkation. Wow, that was a hair raising, scary ride, let's go again!!!! Last night we had another pot luck dinner with our fellow workampers as well as other Lake George Escape staff members. As always, there was more than enough great food. The hard thing was that there were so many deserts that we wanted to try them all. Judy and I are slowly being converted to the "eat dessert first" movement but we hadn't eaten all day and needed some sustenance so we were a good little boy and girl and ate our dinner first but certainly "saved room for dessert". After the dinner it was Karaoke time. It went from the really talented to the really ridiculous (which is the category that I fall into with a rendition of "Fun, Fun, Fun until her daddy takes the T-bird away" along with the rest of the Fun and Games Department). Yep, we are a "wild and crazy" bunch - what happens at Lake George Escape stays at Lake George Escape!!! Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Judy and I have not been to any of the RVing Rallies that are held across the country but certainly plan to do so. Our friends, Howard and Linda Payne, just finished their first RV-Dreams Rally which was held at the ABC Campground in Branson, Missouri. From the pictures on the RV-Dreams Journal as well as other websites of people who attended it looks as if it was a great success and that everyone had a lot of fun. We would have loved to have attended but had other commitments (i.e. workamping). Hopefully we will be able to make the next one. Congratulations on a successful rally, Howard and Linda! Rallies are a great way to let your hair down as well as meeting other RVers while learning a thing or two. There are educational seminars, entertainment, and lots of social opportunities. The RVing net work is small even though there are probably a million or so fulltime RVers. With the various internet forums, personal websites, and travel blogs you become familiar with lots of people who you will "bump into" as you are Wandering America. Rallies provide an opportunity to "bump into" a lot of them all in one place at one time. We look forward to attending our first rally which looks like it will be the Gypsy Journal Rally being held in Celina, Ohio this coming September. Hopefully we will "bump into" you either at a rally or somewhere along the way as we continue our travels. Today we are going to play - I know, we play everyday. But today we are going to The Great Escape amusement park. Do you think I will get Miss Judy on the Comet? I think not! Roller coasters are not her thing but she will go on the Raging River White Water Rafting ride. That's a lot of fun as well, just not quite as intense. We are going with Mike and Tammy who are fellow workampers. Last year Mike and Tammy were in the Fun and Games department but this year they are the managers of the Guest Services department where Judy w*rked last year. They are "40 something" year old RVers who live and travel in a Discovery motorhome. There seems to be more and more younger people living their dream before they are old enough to retire. I think that's great and wished I'd have thought about it earlier - like when I graduated from High School. ;-) Monday, June 16, 2008 I was hoping to do some canoeing today but it is overcast with predictions of rain. Rain in and of itself doesn't bother me in the least but it is the thunder storms that don't make for good conditions while canoeing. Anyway, we have four days off so I will be able to get at least one day on the river. This week we should be back to being a two computer household. I forgot to tell you that I called Gateway to see if they had the part to fix the computer. They do but won't sell it to me. They wanted me to send the computer in to get it fixed for the simple price of $170 plus taxes and shipping which sounds pretty much like $250 to me. Anyway, I informed them that the computer was five years old and I wasn't about to spend that much money on repairing it so they told me where I could buy the part. The part was $59.95 plus $19.81 for shipping so it will be here this week. Do I dare take the computer apart to install the part? It should be "plug and play" - "should" being the operative word here. Once I receive the part I'll have to determine whether I am competent enough to pull this off or if I will need assistance. Stay tuned for the ongoing saga of Computer vs. Patterson. Last evening there was a Father's Day get together in the Employees' Lounge (yes, we have an Employees' Lounge with a big screen television, computers, computer games, regular games, books, comfy sofas, etc.). We had cake and ice cream and lots of socializing - these little get togethers help us get to know our fellow workampers a little better. Did I ever tell you that one of the greatest parts of this lifestyle is the people you meet along the way? I think I have; many times!!! Sunday, June 15, 2008 Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there in cyberspace. Having been both a son and a father makes the day more meaningful to me. Thanks, dad, for all your patience and wisdom. Because of you my life has been a whole lot fuller. And thanks to all my kids because you have made my life a whole lot more worthwhile. I hope all of you dads out there have a nice relaxing day to reflect on the blessings of being both a son and a father. Lake George Escape has the Woodland Grill with a wonderful chef. Last night was a buffet that consisted of Delmonico Steaks, Chicken Piccata, Sauteed Salmon, Steam Clams, a Vegetable Medley, Baked Potatoes, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, and Dessert Table as well as Drinks. Yum, Yum. Judy and I have been cutting back on our eating out this summer so that we will have more money in our budget for next fall when we get back to Rainbow Plantation but we couldn't pass on this meal which cost less than $23 dollars. I had the Steak, Clams, the Vegetable Medley and Strawberry Shortcake while Miss Judy had the Chicken, Salmon, Clams, the Vegetable Medley, Baked Potato, and Strawberry Shortcake. We shared from each other's plate and everything was absolutely great and very tasty. Also, we enjoyed the company of another workamping couple, Jack and Diane Adinolfi. After dinner there was live entertainment but we were tired so we just went home to relax. Good food and good company, what a nice ending to a w*rk day!!! Saturday, June 14, 2008 I really don't know what to write this morning. Yesterday Judy and I w*rked and other than that we didn't do a darn thing except to exist. I did go over to the Lodge and get my daily newspaper and cup of coffee then came home to read and sip. It just doesn't take long to read the Star Post but the Red Sox are 2 and 1/2 games ahead in their division. The early death of Tim Russert certainly shocked us. We enjoyed Tim and will certainly miss him during the up coming election. It reminds me of why we quit w*rking a full time J-O-B and began traveling so we could do what we loved. The good thing is that Tim died doing exactly what he loved doing; the bad thing is that it was waaaay too early in his life. None of us know how much time we have so we need to live like Tim did; he lived life doing what he loved and he lived life to the fullest. Today is another w*rk day. I have a few more details to take care of at the Boat Rentals. The Campground has a couple of old travel trailers and has given the Fun and Games Department one to convert for use at the waterfront to store life jackets, paddles, oars, cushions, etc. so we'll have something to keep us busy for the next few weeks. Judy continues to w*rk in the Honey Bear store which is in the center of Evergreen Square where all the activities take place. Her other assignment is in Games, Crafts and Events. Things have been slow for the past couple of weeks but are now beginning to pick up as schools close for the summer. The campground will be pretty much full for the Fourth of July weekend and we'll be going full bore after that. Friday, June 13, 2008 Phew, we made it! The world didn't end yesterday; I'm relieved - I was really worried there for a while. But, to be serious for a minute; the people of Iowa must pretty much feel like they have seen the end of the world, at least the world as they know it. Fifty-five out of ninety-nine counties have been declared disaster areas. To make matters worse a tornado wiped out a Boy Scout camping trip killing four of the scouts. We have certainly had some really strange weather patterns across the country this past year with a lot of devastation. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who have suffered loss. May God bless them as they begin to put their lives back together. Yesterday was just another day of rest and relaxation. I worked on the June Travelogue and Judy worked on her beading. We have been getting some exercise by walking and biking around the park. We did go to the pool on Tuesday afternoon when it was so hot - that was nice. Today we go back to w*rk for the next three days, if you want to call what we do w*rk. Somehow I think we will manage to get through it. Katie and Alex have continued to enjoy the bird feeders. They now have a couple of Meadowlarks coming to the feeder. Both of them get into the feeder at once and chow down whereas the Goldfinches enter one at time (one waits on top of the feeder while the other feeds - kinda like Judy and I with the computer). The katts love to watch the birds right up close and personal. I wonder if the birds love watching the katts? Well, that'll do it for today. Hope you are doing well and enjoying life; afterall, it's the only life we get so we need to do what we like and like what we do. Thursday, June 12, 2008 Mike and Peggy took Judy and I out to our favorite pizza place, Capri Pizza and treated us to a medium sized pizza. Thank you guys, it was nice to see you again and hope to see you again real soon. Other than that we just sat and chatted. It was fun sharing our experiences about the various places we have visited throughout our travels. Both Mike and Peggy have family in California so they make a trip west just about every year. We want to travel out west as well so there was some discussion about traveling together "one of these fine days". It would be fun to travel with them and most importantly, we would be very compatible which is very important when traveling together. Yes, in spite of the high cost of fuel as well as the increase in the general cost of living. we plan on continuing to travel. We have to be honest, this isn't exactly the lifestyle that we had envisioned when we decided to become fulltime RVers but it's still far ahead of most other lifestyles. Our ideal would have been to live and travel like Norm and Linda Payne did in their early years (See Ya Down The Road) but, in today's economy, we can't afford to travel like that so we are forced to define our own lifestyle which, most likely, will always include some sort of workamping. We are hoping that after next year, once my pensions kick in, that we will be able to do volunteer workamping in exchange for a site. That way we can select an area of the country that we would like to visit and spend two to three months w*rking as campground hosts for three (or less) days a week and having the other four days for day trips throughout the area. I know, "The best laid plans of mice and men." But, like an old math teacher of mine used to say, "Keep an open mind, something might just drop in." So I'm sure that other opportunities will present themselves as time moves on. Fulltime RVing has always required flexibility but stills gives you freedoms that a conventional lifestyle does not offer. In light of the changing economy we will have to make adjustments along the way, however, we are going to continue Wandering America. It's just going to mean that we will travel at a little slower pace than we would have liked and will take us a little longer to cover all the contiguous states, but we will eventually spend some time in each of the "Lower Forty Eight." One more old cliche; "Where there's a will, there's a way!" Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Well, here I sit crying in my Wheaties. I got a hold of Jeff, the computer repairman, and he informed me that the part he got was only the plastic cover with no switch. So that pretty much puts me back to ground zero - starting all over again. I called another computer repair shop and they told me that they doubted if they could get a replacement part but they would be more than happy to install the part if I found one. About the only thing I can do is to go on Ebay and bid on an old Gateway 400VTM computer to use for parts. Then I would be getting an old power switch that may very well be on the verge of failure shortly after installing it into my computer. It looks as if the only thing left to do is purchase a new computer which means my Kay-noe is drifting on up the river without a paddle; that's why I'm crying in my Wheaties. Both Miss Judy and I agree that a second computer is more of a necessity than a canoe or a kayak or a hybrid (Kay-noe). We each spend two to three hours a day on the computer doing our finances, working on the website, answering emails and surfing the Internet. We both want to use the computer at the same times (the first thing in the morning and in the evening). We are too busy during the day to fiddle with the computer; there's biking, canoeing, hiking, our hobbies, etc. that need to be done from mid morning to early evening. Plus we are trying to squeeze some workamping into the schedule. Currently one uses the computer while the other one pouts so, yes, it is time to get another computer. Now is the time for me to start doing my homework - do we want a total upgrade? The Dell is almost two years old so should we look to replace it or should we just look for a computer to get online with so we can do emails, surf the Internet, etc.? The Gateway only lasted four years before I started putting money into it - how long could I expect an Acer from Wal-mart to last? I don't want to just rush out and buy the first thing that I come across but I don't want to get into "analysis paralysis" either. Our friends, Mike and Peggy Evringham, from Maine arrived just after 5:00 p.m.. They had been on the road since around 8:00 in the morning - that's a long day no matter how you slice it. They're staying here a couple of days before heading home. Mike and Peggy own a house in Topsham, Maine from which they do extended RV trips. You can read about their travels on their blog entitled "Maineiacs in Motion". They go to a lot of interesting places and do a lot of fun things that you would enjoy reading about. We visited outside for a while until the mosquitoes drove us inside for the rest of the evening. Today we will spend some more time with them but haven't made any specific plans except for a stop at Capri Pizza for dinner. Tune in tomorrow to see what we decided to do. Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Three days with temperatures over 90 degrees constitutes a heat wave in Albany, New York and north but it was very pleasant on the river. We didn't find anyone who wanted to come out and play with us so Judy and I went by ourselves. We only paddled a couple of miles up the river and then sort of drifted/paddled back. There was a nice cool breeze and the humidity wasn't too bad which made the trip very nice indeed. The day began with us getting up at around 6:30 and having coffee while checking our email. Then I waddled over to get my copy of the Star Post and sat outside with my coffee while reading the paper. Judy went to the dentist to start the process of getting her new bridge installed while I did the housework so we could play once she got home. Then we played on the river for about an hour or so after which we just sat around with one arm as long as the other. Later, in the evening, we went out for a walk about the park stopping to visit with Thurman and Phyllis which ended with a trip to Stewart's for an ice cream cone. What a way to spend a Monday - no rainy days and Mondays don't get me down. Our friends from Maine, Mike and Peggy, are arriving later today. It will be nice to see them again; it's been a year since they visited us here at Lake George Escape. Peggy, like Judy, doesn't swim a stroke so most likely canoeing will be out of the picture so maybe we can take a hike. A cold front is supposed to pass through this evening so tomorrow the temperatures will be in the low 80's or high 70's making it just perfect for a hike in the woods. I've got a place in mind but I'm not sure how to get to it without paddling first so we'll need to check it out today. Encore, who owns Lake George Escape, purchased another campground about 8 miles north of us which is also on the Scroon River so Mike and Tammy (fellow workampers) and I are talking about taking canoes up there to "put in" and canoe back to the campground which would be a 10+ mile trip. It would probably take us four to five hours but it would be "down stream" with only a couple of sets of rapids along the way. What a great trip. When talking about a trip like this that Field & Streams Kay-noe is calling to my name. It only weighs 47 pounds compared to the 80+ pounds of the canoes we are currently using which means it's a lot easier to paddle and/or carry when portaging. Yup, I'm building a case to justify the expense - I know, why don't I just bite the bullet and go buy it. That day is coming but I need to drool a little more first. Monday, June 9, 2008 Yup, it's warm and the natives are restless - whining that is, "It's to hot". But us southerners are smiling from ear to ear. This warm weather is certainly nice on my bones. I thought that if I woke up not feeling any pain it would be because I was dead but, guess what, I woke up not feeling any pain and am still on the green side of the grass. It feels nice to not feel pain. We just finished three days of w*rk and now have four days off. Miss Judy is going to the dentist this morning to get fitted for her new bridge; it will only take two appointments and two grand to complete the job. I'm sure she will feel a lot better with that tooth replaced - remember, she had it pulled while we were in Michigan at the end of April. While she is, getting that done I'm going to wash the black streaks off the RV - where, oh where, do black streaks come from? They just seem to materialize on the side of the RV and I can't stand seeing them so they gotta go!!! We're going to talk with several of the other workampers to see if anyone wants to join us on the river this afternoon. I've been chopping at the bit to go canoeing and Judy has acquiesced. The river is at a perfect level and this is a great time of the year to canoe the Scroon River. Hopefully some of the others will want to join us because it makes it so much more fun to go with a group. By the way, I'm still drooling over that Field & Streams Kay-noe; ya know, a man has just gotta have his toys! They have them on sale for $399 at the Dick's Sporting Goods store in Fort Worth, Texas - that's a hundred and fifty dollars off the regular price. They're tempting me!!!!!!!!!! NOTE - Articles were updated on June 5th with "The Newspaper". Saturday, June 7, 2008 Boy, did I ever have a problem peeling myself off the sheets this morning. I drove the shuttle until the wee hours of the night (10:00 P.M.) and we didn't hit the hay until almost 11 o'clock. My dad used to take a nap before he went to bed (he'd say, "You don't want me to go to bed while I'm tired do you?") So, I guess it something from my heritage that makes my thumb head for my mouth while I'm assuming the pre-natal position once it gets dark under the table. I'm at that stage of life where I can only hope to stay up long enough to see the end of Wheel of Fortune. Anyway, I did manage to roll over, scratch, and stand upright; now it is on with the day. This week Lake George Village has hosted the Americade and Lake George Escape has had "tons" of cyclists staying at the park. These are some of the nicest people that we have all season but they are also the noisiest. As the week is coming to a conclusion there are more events and later nights. Motorcycles roared through the park all night long and tonight, being the climax of the week, will even be worse. Don't they make mufflers for those things? Most of the cyclists are in our age group (50 and older - I just can't imagine my grand parents riding a hog). They look like hold overs from Woodstock with their leathers, beards, and long hair. It's no wonder most of them walk around saying, "Huh?" If I spent a day on one of those things I wouldn't be able to hear anything for a year or two - dang they're noisy. The heat wave is coming; at least that's what the weather folks are claiming. I'll believe it when I see it. They have been predicting high temperatures for over a week now and the thermometer hasn't moved out of the high 60's or low 70's. The Adirondacks has their own weather system and dosen't seem to co-operate with the National Weather Service. If the prediction is for sun then it is not uncommon to find ourselves in the midst of a thunder storm; if it is for rain then the sun will shine. It does look like the sun is going to burn through the clouds and it does feel like it will be a humid day so if it does get hot then it might be a little uncomfortable but at least my bones will quit aching. Friday, June 6, 2008 Are you ready? We w*rk today, tomorrow, and Sunday then we get four more days off. It's a good thing because that will give us Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to get ready. We should be able to get the house cleaned up and all of our stuff in order so that we'll be ready in time. We don't want to miss this since it is a once in a lifetime event. Whachu talkin' 'bout? Pastor Yisrayl Hawkins of the House of Yahweh located in Abilene, Texas is prophesying the end of the world on Thursday, June 12th, through the act of nuclear war. His church, which is behind locked gates (somehow that doesn't surprise me), has hundreds of trailers lined up with supplies so that they will be able to sustain life. What for? If it's the end of the world then let's just move on - by the way, where's the next stop? Pluto? Most likely Goofy!!! What's with Texas, anyhow? They seem to draw these religious extremists like a magnet draws steel particles. First there was Waco, then the polygamist sect outside of Dallas, and now this group in Abilene. Texas sure has a bumper crop of nuts. What is amazing is how the followers are gullible enough to follow these whack jobs. Oh well, after Thursday it won't matter anymore. At least we won't have to listen to anymore political campaigns. Okay, enough of that foolishness. Yesterday we took the shuttle into Lake George Village. This week is the Americade which is a huge motorcyclists event. It was noisy, to say the least, but we got to see more different types of motorcycles than we could have imagined. Some of them resembled cars rather than motorcycles; why not just buy a car? There were motorcycles everywhere but yesterday was nothing compared to what it will be like on Saturday - the big day of the event. We will not be anywhere near town on that day!!!! We walked around town, along the waterfront, and then strolled through Battlefield Park. Battlefield Park is the site of the Battle of Lake George which was fought on September 8, 1755 between French and Indian forces. The British aligned their forces with the Indians in order to drive the French out of the Lake George and Lake Champlain region. I will write more about this battle and have some pictures in our June Travelogue. Needless to say, this was plan B so we did not go canoing which was plan A. The day remained overcast and a little on the cool side (lower 70's) so we decided to wait for a nice sunny day to go canoing - the river is so much prettier on a nice clear day with the sun shining brightly. Hopefully we'll get a canoing trip in before the world comes to an end on Thursday. Thursday, June 5, 2008 Just when I had given up hope the guy from the computer repair shop called to say he had gotten a part for the Gateway computer. We will be able to get it fix for under $100 which is what I was hoping for in the first place. It will be nice to have two computers again because one of us ends up gawking at the television while waiting our turn to get on line. What an addiction, who'da thunk that computers would become such a mainstay in our daily lives. Within a week we should be a two computer family again and then there will be peace in the valley again. What will today bring? I want to do some canoing but it is still overcast, warm, and humid. These conditions in the Adirondacks can result in the formation of a sudden thunder shower. Last year, with no warning, a storm developed in a matter of minutes and began dumping rain on us with lighting flashing and thunder booming. We had to get off the river in a hurry and hunker down while getting soaked (it's just not a good idea to sit on the river in a thunder storm). So, the question is, to canoe or not to canoe? And, no, Miss Judy doesn't get a vote (we already know what her vote would be). The river is just perfect for canoing; the water level has dropped a couple of feet, the current is around 3 MPH, and the water temperature is acceptable (a little chilly but not freezing) so don the life jacket, grab the paddle, and set the heading toward the river. However, if I lose the campaign rather than hanging on like a certain Democratic primary contestant I will concede and we can go with plan B which would be to take the shuttle into town. We'd sit in the park and I could sketch the waterfront for a future watercolor which would probably sell for a few hundred thousand dollars once I finished it. I told Judy that I would sell my paintings for a half million dollars each and she said I wouldn't sell very many to which I replied that I wouldn't have to (a couple per year should do it). Oh well, fantasy is good for the soul. First I have to learn how to draw a straight line. Wednesday, June 4, 2008 Yesterday we made our bi-monthly deposit at Wal-Mart. Somehow, in spite of increasing prices, we are maintaining our "food" budget. Our "food" budget includes most everything that we purchase at Wal-Mart or other grocery stores - food, personal items, and other odds and ends. However, clothes, shoes, and other big items have their own little budgets. Anywhoo, we are staying within the "food" budget and eating good healthy meals - Yay for our team. We are not getting any closer to solving the second computer issue (lack thereof). I have called a repair shop and they informed me that a new part for the computer is $150 plus at least an hour's labor at $65. That adds up to $220, including the tax, to repair a 5 year old computer which is almost half way toward the cost of a new Acer computer at Wal-Mart. Miss Judy and I have managed to share one computer for a couple of months now without me killing her so we may just have to hold off on doing anything for a little longer. The budget is already being stretched by medical expenses this year and the truck needs new front tires and an alignment (shees, I hate being constrained by a budget). If we can hold off until we get to New Hampstir in September then we could buy a new computer without paying sales taxes. We stopped off at the mall on the way to Wal-Mart yesterday so Miss Judy could pick up some things at J. C. Penneys and get her hair cut but before she went shopping she dropped me off at the men's daycare center - Dick's Sporting Goods. So I spent my time drooling all over a new Field & Streams Kay-Noe. A Kay-Noe is a cross between a canoe and a kayak. They are 12 feet long and look like a small canoe but the seat is set low toward the center like a kayak. They also have a 14 foot model with two seats making it a double Kay-Noe which would be too long to carry on top of the truck while pulling the fifthwheel. In reading the above paragraphs you realize this is a pipe dream at this time - I hope the sales person can get all of my drool wiped off. Speaking of canoing, tomorrow looks like great weather for heading up the Scroon River so I hope as my significant other reads today's entry that she will plan on donning her life jacket, grabbing her paddle, and heading her sites toward the river. Canoing is not one of her top ten pleasures in life but she does enjoy it once she goes (or maybe that's once she gets back?). Tuesday, June 3, 2008 One of the bad things about being here at Lake George Escape is that we have a grill on the premises with an excellent chef. On top of that, Lake George Escape employees get a discount which means we can get good "stuff" at very reasonable prices. Yesterday afternoon Judy and I had a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with French fries for lupper. These sandwiches are sooooo good and sooooo big that we buy one and split it. The sandwich is loaded with beef, green peppers, onions, and cheese then Jim adds Portabella mushrooms. When it shows up on your plate it makes Subway's foot long look like a wimp. And, boy, is it ever ummmm, ummmm goooooooood - Yum, Yum, Yummy!!!! I'm still licking my chops just thinking about it. The Philly Cheese Steak is not the only item on the menu. There are no less than 14 different sandwiches with 8 appetizers, 5 different salads, and pizza on the menu as well. On top of that there are special dinners that are prepared for the evening meals, breakfast buffets on Saturday and Sunday, and a dinner buffet on Saturday evenings. Everything is served hot and delicious while being reasonably priced. That is why it is a bad thing about being here - you can't loose weight if you hang around that place so Miss Judy and I will discipline ourselves to only eat one meal a week at the Woodland Grill while we are here. Monday, June 2, 2008 Holy jumping up and down!!! We have the next four days off and Miss Judy showed up with our "to do" list. It will take us the rest of the summer just to get through it; no, not really - there's a lot of things on the list (it fills a whole sheet of paper) but most of the things will only take a few minutes to accomplish. Yes folks, the RVing lifestyle comes with chores - ah, shucks, I thought it was all fun. I guess I have "another think coming!!" The good news is that some of the items on the list are "fun" things. Things like a walk in the park, a canoe trip up the river, and working on some of our hobbies. I have invested around $150 in watercolors and to date have only produced one picture of a tree ( and not a very good one at that). Included in the watercolor investment is sketching supplies - after all, ya gotta sketch the picture before you paint it. I know little to nothing about sketching or watercoloring so there are a couple of books that I have purchased that will turn me into a Rembrandt just as soon as I get done reading them. The only investment left for me to make is time so maybe, just maybe, I will be able to steal a few minutes (hours) over the next four days to do a sketch. Another "hobby" that I have waiting in the wings is learning to play the guitar. Mary, our daughter, has loaned me her guitar for the summer to see if this is something that I would enjoy learning. I have invested $15 in a lesson book and some guitar picks. Again, all I need to invest at this point is - you guessed it - time. According to the book I should start by setting aside 15 minutes a day until my fingers quit hurting (no pain, no gain). I'm not sure that I am disciplined enough to learn to play the guitar - I get up in the morning and before I know it it is time to go to bed. I can't tell you what I do all day but I can tell you that I never get done. Sunday, June 1, 2008 W*rk, w*rk, w*rk, that's all I do. Yesterday I had to take a three hour canoe ride - rough w*rk but I guess, as the saying goes, someone has to do it. Did I ever tell you that some days I just love my J-O-B. After all, canoing is one of my passions, however, it's not that high on Miss Judy's lists of things to do so to have a J-O-B where I can go canoing makes both of us happy. The river is just as beautiful as I remember it from last summer. It is pretty much free from any development which means the river remains relatively natural. You can literally go miles and miles up or down the river from the campground enjoying the quiet scenery. There is very little traffic noise which leaves you with the sounds of the paddles in the water, the wind blowing through the trees, and the birds singing their melodies. The water is nice and clear allowing you to see the bottom (which runs from a few feet up to 12 feet deep) as well as fish swimming (there's pike, trout, bass, catfish, and pan fish just to name a few). If you watch carefully you'll see turtles along the banks of the river and occassionally you get to see a beaver swimming along the river's edge. Sandy beaches pop up from time to time as the trees provide coverage from the hot sun or the gentle rains (it was raining yesterday but who cares? It's canoing). Yep, if a man has to w*rk this is the way to go. |
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