| Friday, February 27, 2009 I'm writing this because our daughter doesn't have a blog of her own; if she did, she would be writing it herself. Mary works for Dave Ramsey, the financial guru out of Nashville, and yesterday she had a very special guest stop by for a visit, but first let's go back a few years to the early 90's. One of our family's favorite pastimes was to watch the figure skating competitions on television. Mary was probably the most ardent skating fan out of the bunch of us and most definitely had her favorite skaters. Now I've said all of that just to say this, yesterday one of her favorite skaters of all times stopped by her office to say "hi" to her, give her a hug, and have his picture taken with her. To say the least, she was happier than a clam at high tide to meet skating's best known gold medalist, Scott Hamilton. She was so excited that she emailed us within the hour to let us know of her encounter which, in deed, was a very serendipitous event. Mean while, back at the Plantation, Judy J worked on some of her basket weaving stuff while yours truly frittered away the day. I did go over and help Norm Payne move some dirt around at his and Linda's new home which is under construction. The house is now 60 to 70% complete; they just finished hanging the sheet rock yesterday and will finish up the brick work today - it's looking pretty nice but doesn't have any wheels (how can people live like that?). Last night Ray and Pat came over to our place to play Euchre - I'm not sure if I like that game or not. We used to play Spades with our friends Mike and Sheila Winegarden when we lived in a house without wheels in Harbor Springs, Michigan and Pinochle with Mark and Terry Sala when we lived in Groton, Connecticut. Spades and Pinochle both take a little strategy to play whereas Euchre doesn't seem require very much expertise at all. It's kind of like Yahtzee where you just take what you get (luck of the draw) and play along from there (I liken it go going for a ride - you just sit there watch most of the time). Judy likes playing though so I'll keep at it and see if I can master the game; the main thing about playing is the fellowship that takes place among good friends as we sit around the table chit chatting and tee heeing. Well, that's a wrap. Now it's time to walk my bride. Take care and "Good Day"! Thursday, February 26, 2009 A couple of days ago an event almost as significant as the breaking of the sound barrier back in 1947 took place, Mikee and Peggy broke the snow barrier. Yep, they finally got their Winnie outta Maine and made it to the southland, it's 'bout time - they'll be here soon. Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from my brother. He and Shauna will be arriving here for a short visit next week. My brother is a Registered Maine Guide and an outfitter for canoe trips (Wilds of Maine Guide Service). They are on their way to the Rio Grande where they will guide several trips and then head for the San Juan River in Utah to guide a few more trips. It's only an additional 120 miles for them to swing by the Plantation so they decided to stop by and see our winter hideout. We'll be happy to see them. Alex sat outside with me for about an hour yesterday and throughly enjoyed it. I let him have his own chair and he never attempted to get down (he knows that when he's outside he cannot get down, but sometimes he tries anyway). He loves watching the birds and there were plenty of them for him to watch. It's spring time here in Lower Alabama with a lot of birds slowly making their way back north. I put the bird feeder out a week ago but the birds are not as smart as the ones in New York because they have not used it at all (when I put it out in NY the birds were in it within an hour). In any event, Alex had a good day outside and last night he crashed at the foot of the bed, not moving at all. The fresh air must have tuckered him out. I managed to get the black streaks washed off the rig (hate them black streaks - they make an RV look old like wrinkles on a face). Now our house looks shinny, clean, and young again (just like me). Miss J went to a couple basket weaving workshops yesterday while I worked some more on my water painting. At this point I don't care what the picture actually looks like; I'm just trying to learn how to mix colors and develop a technique. I have a tendency to attempt to make the water painting look like a photograph and "that dawg just ain't gonna hunt". Water painting is more abstract, not precise, which requires me to sketch and paint differently. I think I'm going to enjoy painting but only time will tell. Well. thar ya have it - another day in the life here at Rainbow Plantation. Wednesday, February 25, 2009 Mardi Gras for 2009 is over!!! We met at the clubhouse last night for the Mardi Gras Ball with around 240 people in attendence. This was the biggest crowd ever to dine at the clubhouse here at Rainbow Plantation; word is getting out among the Escapees that this is the place to be during the winter months. Skits were presented for the pleasure of the King and Queen and then the King and Queen were dethroned, but they didn't go quietly. Next the theme for next year's celebration was announced (Fractured Science Fiction) followed by the costume judging contest. Live music was on hand with the dance floor being cleared so we could "cut the rug" right up until closing time which was a little after nine. This was the best Mardi Gras Celebration ever at Rainbow Plantation and a lot of fun was had by all. We had a special treat last night in that got to meet some readers of our website, Alan and Jeanne. They are volunteering for a church build in Robertsdale and will be in the area until Saturday so we hope to get together with them again before they leave. Yesterday I took some time to sketch out another painting and apply some of the "washes". Today I'll work a little more on the painting for Friday's class. Maybe, just maybe, you can teach an ol' dawg new tricks, we'll see. I think I'll enjoy water painting if I can just slow myself down a little to focus on what I am doing; that's tough for someone with ADD!!! So, what's up with the medical establishment. First wine is bad for you, then wine is good for you, now a glass a wine a day will cause cancer in women. They propagate more BS than we can possibly tolerate - I quit listening to them when they said the sun was bad for our health. I wasn't about to sit in the dark like a mushroom so they can take all their medical findings and put them somewhere where the sun doesn't shine and I'll drink to that!!! By the way, the sun is the best source of vitamin D and we need an average of twenty minutes a day to get our daily dosage of vitamin D. Even the Bible recognizes the medical benefits of wine, however, it does teach us to not become intoxicated with wine; therefore, I will continue to have a glass or two of wine whenever I feel like drinking it regardless of what the medical establishment says, after all, next year it will be good for us again. That's it for today. Be sure to hug your katt and have a good day!! Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Well, this is it!!! It is Fat Tuesday!!! Eat, Drink, and be Merry for tomorrow you may fast!!! Something that I hadn't heard before was Lundi Gras (Fat Monday); therefore, yesterday was Lundi Gras. These days are known as Fat Whatever because they are the last days leading up to Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent (40 days of fasting from Ash Wednesday to Resurrection Sunday) which makes them the last days of feasting before the fasting starts. Today is Mardi Gras with much revelry and celebrating going on throughout our area so Happy Mardi Gras everyone. The sun is shinning brightly this morning with little to no wind blowing. It is a little cool but will still be a great morning for walking. Miss J and I have to get real serious with our walking program. Maybe we should consider giving up eating for Lent. We both need to add some more exercising to our daily activities to get us in the shape that we want to be in. We hadn't realized it before, but somewhere down the road we went over 50 - how did that happen? When you go over 50 there must be a written rule somewhere that forbids your body from shedding pounds because if you want to do so you have to work pretty darned hard at it. Judy J wants to rid herself of 7% of her weight while I'm looking at a whopping 17% of my weight. And we both would like to do it by tomorrow morning - ever hear of liposuction? Nah, that's not an option but seems pretty tempting at times. We just need less fuel and more travel time in order to accomplish our goals. Mr. Alex had a bad day yesterday. He was punished in the morning and pretty much sulked for the rest of the day. I tried playing with him last night but, even though he played a little, he remained pretty lethargic and sullen. We're happy to report that he is pretty much back to his self this morning. Hopefully he'll stay out of trouble so he won't have to be punished again. By the way, punishment is speaking sharply to him and squirting him with a water spray bottle; nothing severe but enough to dampen his spirit (pun intended). Miss Katie, on the other hand, gets angry whenever she is punished and goes off by herself. If you try to approach her she will scream at you and hiss at you. She lets you know right away who is boss and that the boss just doesn't get punished. But she gets over it much faster than Alex does. Yesterday was another activities packed day here at the Plantation. There was a parade through the campground followed by a pulled pork lunch after which some more skits were presented based on the Sit Com theme for this year. Tonight will be the Mardi Gras Ball starting with dinner, then some more skits, the dethroning of the King and Queen, and finishing with live music and dancing. 'Twill be another late night for the Escapees celebrating going on until mid night (that's 9 o'clock for the rest of you), but more about that tomorrow. It's time to walk my bride so until then, Be Happy. Monday, February 23, 2009 Well, here I sit wondering what information to proliferate this morning. Other than attending a small town Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday we have done pretty much the same ol', same ol'. We continue talking about our travel plans for this upcoming fall and next winter. At this point, all we know is that we'll be out of New England before the end of October but, beyond that, we are not sure where we'll be at any given time once we leave LGE. Three things that we will do are visit our son and his family in New Hampshire, spend some time with my brother and his wife in Maine, and spend a few days with my aunt Marge on the Cape in Massachusetts (not necessarily in that particular order). We are checking into volunteering opportunities at Monadnock Bible Conference in Jaffery, NH during the September / October time frame. When we made the decision to become fulltime RVers one of our desires was to do volunteer work as we travel. Therefore, we are looking at NOMADs and COMs which are Christian organizations that schedule work assignments around the country that provide hook ups for RVs. Their assignments are generally for a couple of weeks to a month in duration. Also, we want to volunteer at National Parks working in the Visitors Centers and/or doing Interperative talks and tours. These assignments will last two to three months so we'll probably only do these once or twice a year. Another organization that we want to continue volunteering with is Habitat for Humanity. Their Care-A-Vanners group is dedicated to RVers with two week long assignments - we could do several of these through out any given year. It will definitely be a balancing act but we want to travel slowly taking time to enjoy each of the areas that we are visiting. We prefer natural beauty and local "color" over pricey tourist attractions so volunteering is a great way to experience the culture and customs of a community up close and personal. So, as we continue developing our "Bucket List" we will, also, be looking for volunteering opportunities in the nearby locales which will enhance our appreciation for the "sights we see". Will Mikee get out of the snow belt today? Saturday, February 21, 2009 Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Darrell takes up basket weaving. Yep, it's true. Yesterday afternoon I attended a water painting workshop at the clubhouse. I bought most of my watercolor supplies back in ought six and early ought seven and all I have produced to date is one partial painting. Hopefully four two hour lessons will help get me on the right track but it is not enough to be on the right track. You must get moving or else you'll get run over by a train. That being said, it is time for me to paint or cut bait!!! Last night was the kick off for our (Rainbow Plantation's) Mardi Gras Celebration. Events will be taking place over the next four days. We had a dinner with around 220 people being served after which the King and Queen were chosen, sworn in, and crowned to preside over the festivities for the next four days. Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday, is actually Tuesday the 24th with the celebration leading up to Mardi Gras being known as Carnival (see our travelogue of February 2007). After the crowning several skits were presented for the pleasure of the King and Queen. This year's theme is Sit Coms so we had Archie and Edith, the Golden Girls, Jeannie with her bottle, Mr. & Mrs. Douglas without Arnold the pig, and Gilligan on the Minnow on hand to ensure that we all had plenty of laughs. Gene and Dottie (who ever they were) entertained us with a couple of pantomimed numbers before the band took over (they were a hoot). Once the band took over the King and Queen lead us on a parade around the clubhouse marching to "When the Saints Come Marching In". All I can say is that I am so glad that we live in the Baby Boomer Generation because I just cannot picture my mom and dad being as lively as we are at our age (although there are some people here at the Plantation who are in their eighties and are still very active). We are the forever young generation and we will burn the candle right to end and then look for some more wax - there are no rocking chairs in our near future. Last night's celebration was a blast and we enjoyed every minute of it. Today is starting out with a cloudless sky and the sun brightly shinning. Later this morning we are going to a parade in Foley with Ray and Pat; other than that I have no idea what's on the 'genda - we'll think of sumpin'! Friday, February 20, 2009 A late start this morning. I was up at a little after six but played on the 'puter until almost nine. Miss J and I are looking at various National Parks and Corps of Engineer Parks for places to stay and places to volunteer beginning next fall. On July 14, 2009 I will be standing in line at the Saratoga Springs National Battlefield to purchase my America the Beautiful Senior Age pass which will permit us to visit National Park sites free of charge as well as receiving a 50% discount on camping fees at both the National Parks and the COE campgrounds. There are a lot of places we would like to visit while heading west next winter so we are planning a basic loop that we would like to make. At this point we are not sure how much time we would spend in any one place or how far north we would travel. The starting point would be from here (Rainbow Plantation) going through MS, LA, TX, and NM. We may continue through AZ and into CA, there are several possibilities but it will have to be balanced with volunteering and being in MI, NH and TN each year for family visits and grand kids fixes. Having family that far east makes it difficult to do a lot of traveling in the west in one season so we will have to incorporate the pronged approach traveling out west across several different seasons. One prong would be to remain in the the southern portion of the west, the next prong would be in the central portion of the west, and another prong would be in the northern portion of the west. That way we could finish up in the east each year. We plan to do camp hosting and/or interperative assignments as well as Habitat for Humanity builds as we travel to help offset the campground cost. Right now we are planning on annual campground budget of $3,600 but we're not sure if that will be enough. Both the Paynes (Howard and Linda Payne and Norm and Linda Payne) have $450 per month in their budgets but neither has actually spent that amount. Howard and Linda did two workamping assignments last year which kept their actual expense below budget. Norm and Linda averaged $400 per month in 2007. Another couple, Kirk and Pam Woods, only spent $1,056 last year but they pretty much go from one volunteer assignment to another. Anyway, it's only six short months until we will be able to start traveling again so we want a "broad travel plan" outlining the general direction we want to go. We don't need the exact destinations nor do we need the exact dates - we will fill in the details as we travel, however, we will need to firm up our volunteering assignments ahead of time. Right now it's just plain fun to create the "Bucket List" of things that we would like to see and do before beginning our trek October of two thousand and nine. Thursday, February 19, 2009 Will wonders ever cease? I finally published December's Travelogue. Man, am I ever falling behind in getting things done. Before I know it I'll be throwing canoes in the water at LGE again. Speaking of workamping, that leads me to our budget and the latest news. I qualified for and am enrolled to receive VA health benefits. That will eliminate a monthly insurance premium for me (almost $400) as well as the high deductibles and copays that our Blue Cross Blue Shield policy currently impose. The annual savings will be around $5,500 dollars in health care expenses for me plus another $500 in our annual Federal Income expenses. Yep, that means I can take six grand out of our annual budget. Hooray for my team!!!! Yesterday was pretty much a routine day with household chores, hobbies, and socializing. As mentioned above, I finished the December Travelogue while Miss J worked on her "basket weaving", crocheting, I believe. Judy J did laundry while I defrosted the refrigerator. We both went for a walk (yes, together) and attended the four o'clock social time at the clubhouse. Then we came home for a quiet evening with our pussy katts. Man!!! This fast pace is giving me stress!!! We are beginning to look at our travel plans for this fall and next year. It's like being kids in a candy store - we just don't know what we want to do first. When we began our fulltime trek back in 2006 we knew that we would need to do seasonal and/or part time w*rk for our first three years. Well, guess what? Our first three years is fast coming to an end. After Labor Day we will enter into Phase II of our fulltiming lifestyle. Phase II will entail traveling and volunteering our way around the country - "You (we) are now free to move about the country". Yes indeed, we will finally start Wandering America. I just love it when a plan comes together. Hope you are all doing well and having a good day, see ya tomorrow. Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Judy J got her teeth sharpened (cleaned) yesterday now they are nice and white. While we were out and about we stopped at Walmart to get some additional storage boxes. The cupboard above the stove/microwave has been an absolute mess and we finally decided how we wanted to store our spices and other baking "stuff". Also, Judy's basket weaving "stuff" was threatening to overtake our wardrobe closet so she found some storage boxes that would help put it back in its place. Before we leave here in April we'll have gone through every closet, cupboard, and compartment to rid ourselves of excess "stuff" and organize the rest of our "stuff" for travel. It's amazing how fast "stuff" can accumulate even in this simplified lifestyle, however, in this current economy there should be a lot less spending on "stuff" - that'll probably be a good thing. What to do, what to do? I've been looking at power inverters and find that there is a H-U-G-E price difference depending on the size and type of inverter. In the range that we are looking at, you can get 1000 watt modified sine inverter without a charger starting for under $200 up to a 3000 watt pure sine inverter with a charger for around $2,000. It all depends on how you plan to use the inverter. Are you just looking for something that will allow you to watch a little TV and use your computer while spending the night in a parking lot? Or do you want to live as if you were still on the power grid? Or something in between? That's where Judy and I are undecided. We've not done any real "boondocking" and don't know for sure if we would want to do it very often (once we get out west we just might enjoy it). A decent middle of the road system would be 1500 watt modified sine inverter with a charger which translates into six to eight hundred dollars, however, that is not the end of the cost. There are batteries to be considered and hook up supplies to be purchased. Six volt deep cycle batteries come in free flowing (wet), gel packed, or AGM with prices beginning at around $150 up to $350 each - a 1500 watt inverter will require at least three batteries. Cabling, fuse, breakers, etc. needed for the hookup will run another two to three hundred dollars. So, as you can see, we really need to sit down and figure out exactly how we will be using the system before buying one. I think we'll wait until we make at least one pass out west before we decide what to buy. Besides, we need kayaks first!!!!! Life does have it's priorities (By the way, kayaks are not "stuff", they're a necessity of life!!). Last night we ventured over to Ray and Pat Faber's house to play Euchre. We really enjoy Ray and Pat having first met them in the winter of 2007 when they lived across the road from us here at Rainbow Plantation. It turned out that Pat had visited Judy with a mutual friend back in the summer of 2006 when we had just gone fulltime and was living at MeCosta Pines Campground in Morley, Michigan. It was a fun evening with the guys beating the gals by three out of five games; when ya got it, ya got it!!!! We'll give the gals another chance real soon. Well, that wraps up another day at the Plantation. Remember, "You can be happy if you've a mind to!" Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Talk about living your dream. Bob and Cleo, our neighbors here on East Traveler Street, traded their 30+ foot travel trailer for a 40 foot toy hauler fifth wheel. They, also, upgraded their pickup truck to a one ton dually with an 8 foot bed and traded their car, which was a full sized Ford, for a Smartcar that they will be able to drive up into the back of the RV. Their Casista, which they used for traveling, is up for sale as at this time. Their plans are to be able to move about the country, "set up camp", and then use the Smartcar for sightseeing. Yesterday they had an open house so their neighbors and other friends could tour their new home up close and personal. We entered through the side door in the "garage" area where there is a combo washer/dryer, a second refrigerator, and a half bath. There is a bed that comes down from the ceiling if extra sleeping arrangements are needed. The living area, due to having a garage, was smaller than a regular fifthwheel's but was very well appointed with all of the necessities. Surprisingly there is a lot of storage space and the unit is very well built by Heartland. So, what is so significant about all of this? Well, Bob and Cleo are just youngsters in their eighties. They are a great example of people who find ways to live out their dreams. Monday is Judy J's big basket weaving day. There's beading at nine (but it's hard for us to get up and get going early enough for her to make that one), then it's knitting at ten thirty followed by crocheting at two. I generally use that time to clean up the house and do some maintenance items (yesterday it was dump the tanks and check out the water level in the batteries). I did a little more research on inverters and batteries for another RV upgrade. We currently don't live "off the grid" very much but next year will do so more often - a night here and a night there as we are traveling. There are three things that I wished I'd have had installed when we purchased the rig three years ago - inverter, hydraulic leveling system, and disc brakes (we will most likely never install the latter two items). In the afternoon, while JJ was off "crotcheting", I went for a bike ride around the Plantation and stopped by the clubhouse library to read the latest edition of the Family Motor Coach magazine while listening to the Monday afternoon jam session that was taking place in clubhouse. A group of folks gather every Monday afternoon just to play together but never perform at any functions, however, they would be good enough to do so. There is another group that gathers on Wednesday afternoon that is made up primarily of dulcimers - they are very good as well. We finished our day by attending the Social Hour and then coming home to relax. Last night we watched the Retro Television Network which runs shows from the seventies and eighties. They were running the old Knight Rider and A-Team shows last night - what a hoot!!!! I remember the kids really loved watching the A-Team each week when we lived in Connecticut. The story line and acting make you laugh but it is a lot better than what is being shown on the "regular" networks. Mikee should be out of New England today. He and Peg left Maine yesterday and only made it to Sturbridge, Massachusetts. They lingered at the watering trough (Copper Kettle) to long to get out of town early but will most likely get underway early this morning. We should being seeing the whites of their eyes around the first of March as they are taking the long route to get to 'Bama. Drive carefully Mikee, make sure your antenna is down and Peggy is on board. Monday, February 16, 2009 Yes, we're still alive and well. Friday afternoon it began raining and continued through the night leaving us with about 6" of water (Sure glad that wasn't snow - it would have been one heck of a Nor'easta!!!). Needless to say, we spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning inside. The overcast weather didn't really move out until Sunday afternoon with the clouds clearing and the sun coming out. Cooler temperatures remained behind leaving us with highs around 65 degrees. Saturday I continued working on our 2010 financial projections based on income from Social Security and Pensions along with the VA health benefits. Now you maybe wondering why in the heck am I doing that now since 2010 is ten whole months away. Well, two reasons - first of all, we want to make sure everything is covered without any further workamping and secondly, we have a bad case of Hitch Itch and this allows us to start focusing on traveling in the future. Saturday night I took my bride to the Valentine's Dinner and Dance (with live music) at the clubhouse. Miss J and I volunteered to work in the kitchen after which we ate our meal. After dinner the music, which was very good, began and we "cut the concrete (there was no rug)" a few times (boy, are we rusty - it's been years since we danced). Good food (lasagna with the fixings), good music, and good friends; who could ask for anything more? We took a bottle of wine with us to sip while enjoying the evening; it was all over by 9 o'clock (Escapees Midnight) but a good time was had by all. Yesterday Judy and I were the greeters at church. That's such a nice way to meet the people who we worship with each Sunday. After church we came home and played on the 'puters a little before taking a short nap. Then the sun came out so we went for a "walk about" stopping by to visit Norm and Linda Payne while getting a first hand walk through of their new home which is now all framed up. On our way home we trudged through the clubhouse and picked up a couple of cookies from the Red Hat Ladies table for an after dinner snack. (Each Sunday evening the Red Hat Ladies set up a table to sell cookies at the Ice Cream Social.) After dinner Miss J and I just sat around and talked some more about our future traveling plans; nothing specific, just sharing what we would like to do in general terms. We're painting in broad strokes here but there are three "themes" that continue to rise to the top: 1. Travel out west, 2. Volunteer at National Parks, Habitat for Humanity, and Missionary Organizations, and 3. Continue visiting our family in ME, MI, NH, and TN. We will start looking for ways to combine volunteering with both traveling out west and visiting family. Well, Mister Sunshine is well up into the sky and it's time to take my bride for a walk so that's it for today. Friday, February 13, 2009. We were out and about for five hours yesterday. The first stop was for Miss J to pick up some special hair "stuff" that she uses and then we were on our way to the VA office in Pensacola, Florida. I was able to fill out all of the required paperwork to apply for health benefits. Next week I should have an answer and within a month I should be able to have an appointment. After finishing up at the VA it was off to Pet Smart for some more kitty food and Hobby Lobby for some more basket weaving supplies. With a quick stop at the bank to deposit some moolar (not much), a stop at the library to return a book, and a stop at Wally World to pick up a few things it was home. Whatta Outing, Huh? If everything checks out with the VA then I'll need to rework our annual budgets for the rest of this year and for 2010. Once that is done then we will be able to sketch out some broad travel plans for the Fall of 2009 as well as next year. We really want to start traveling out west; that was our plans for this year before our 401k's became 104k's. It looks like next spring will be that time, but as my ol' grand dad used to say, "There's many a slip between the cup and the lip!" You know, "Man plans, God laughs!" But plan we will with all expectation of heading westward come next February or March. That's exciting as we are getting a severe case of Hitch Itch just sitting here pinching our pennies while trying to make it to our great retirement date of August 1st. That will make September 7th our liberation day (last w*rk day at LGE) which is great news to me since I'm getting bogged down with my journal and travelogue entries. I'm really tired of the same ol' diatribe every day and want something new to write about. It's hard to keep your writing fresh when you're sitting in the same place doing the same ol' things day in and day out, but a new day is a comin'. Our game plan will definitely change in that we will go from trying to figure out how to stretch our money to how to stay within the VA Thresholds - a whole new problem. We will be limited as to how much we can make in order to maintain my eligibility for VA benefits. The good news is that it will be close to our current budget of $42,500. Our strategy will change from workamping to volunteering which is something that we want to do anyhow. We would love being involved with the interpretive programs at the National Parks and being campground host for Corps of Engineering and State Parks as well as working a few Habitat for Humanity builds along the way. I just love it when a plan comes together. P.S. - Because of the income threshold levels for the VA Benefits we will not be able to do the Amazon.com job next fall that we were planning on and Miss Judy is sitting in her chair pouting (NOT). Miss Terry, you can stop praying now!!!! P.P.S - Mikee's comin', Mikee's really comin'; Mikee's comin', Mikee's on his way! - just make sure wife is on board, Mikee!!!!! T minus 3 and counting!!! Thursday, February 12, 2009 Meeting new friends is always so rewarding. Miss J and I have been looking for income opportunities for the rest of this year. Gary and Vicki Watts emailed us the names of some people in their park that had worked at a couple of J-O-Bs that we've been looking at so yesterday afternoon we had them over for a visit. Bob and Vicki Moore arrived around two o'clock and after a little small talk they shared their experiences with us. Both J-O-Bs sound like more w*rk than we would like to perform, however, the budget will dictate what we need to do. At this point we will keep all doors open and make a decision once we finish workamping at LGE. Otherwise, we enjoyed our visit with Bob and Vicki; they are definitely our kind of people. They just arrived in Lower Alabama at the first of the month and visited our church last Sunday so we will be seeing them again this Sunday. This summer they are planning a trip to Alaska which sounds exciting. We look forward to getting together with them again while they (and we) are still in this area. Today we are going over to the VA offices in Pensacola, Florida where I hope to become enrolled to receive VA Benefits. If that comes to pass then it would go along way toward balancing our budget for the rest of this year. The annual savings in health insurance and medical costs would be between $5,000 and $6,000 dollars. Being that our income tax rate is about 10% that would be another savings which would lower our annual budget from $42,500 to $36,000. Like the old farmer said, "Make ends meet? I would like them to overlap a little!" A $36,000 budget for 2010 would do exactly that. By keeping our expenses down for the months of December and January we have been able to decrease our current shortfall by at least $1800. We hate pinching pennies but we are still so much better off than a lot of families who are facing this economic downturn and we are able to continue maintaining our lifestyle by just adding a little part time income to the budget. Right now it looks like 2010 will be a much better year allowing us to start traveling out west, but that what we thought about 2009 last year at this time. Further, with any luck, there may be some new kayaks in our future! Wednesday, February 11, 2009 "You Kill It, We'll Grill It!" Larry the Cook was off for a few days so he was unavailable to cook our Tuesday evening meal at the clubhouse. Knowing that would be the case Gary the Manager (Don't you just love it? Joe the Plumber, Larry the Cook, Gary the Manager, Bob the Builder. Darrell the Fulltimer) had made arrangements for us (the residents of Rainbow Plantation) to go to the Road Kill Cafe in Elberta for our evening meal. This is always a favorite of Escapees as it has a wonderful "home cooked" buffet styled meal with soft drinks, a salad bar, Southern Fried Chicken and another meat (last night was meat loaf), mashed taters and a couple of veggies along with a couple of other sides, biscuits and corn meal muffins, and desserts. The cost is eight bucks per person which includes all taxes, title, and out the door costs. The chicken has to be some of the best fried chicken I have ever eaten, it was moist and tender and not the least bit greasy - pardon me while I lick my chops. Ray and Pat Faber accompanied us to dinner; you remember Ray and Pat from our April travelogue? We stayed with them at their place in Mecosta, Michigan where they have a full hook up site. We met them in the winter of 2007 when we stayed here at Rainbow Plantation while they had a site across the road from ours. During the winter of 2008 we did some geocaching with them as well as a few other outings. They arrived back at the Plantation about a month ago and although we have visited a couple of times we'd not done anything together so last night's dinner gave us that opportunity. Today is supposed to be a rainy day so Miss J and I are going to take an early walk therefore I had better "get a wiggle on". So, until tomorrow, Have Fun, Be Safe, and God Bless. Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Yippee, Yahoo, Woowhoo, Hooray!!!!! Nutin' special - just celebrating life. Right now, as I write, it's soooooooo beautiful outside with the sun rising in the east casting it's yellow glow over the pines to the west of us. Yesterday was just another day at the ranch. We walked, we talked, we read, we socialized; sound familiar? We went to our Bible Study group last night. Anita prepared the main dish which was a chicken cordon blue lasagna! It was yummy!! When we got home it was so mild outside with a full moon smiling down upon us that we just couldn't resist going for a stroll around the RV Park even though it was almost 10 o'clock. Miss J was just like a little kid trying to take everything in at once - gawking here, there, and everywhere (I might be exaggerating a little, but not much). I really enjoy walking at night, it is so quiet and peaceful; as spring continues to roll in we'll have to do this more often. Monday, February 9, 2009 When the weather gets as nice as it has been these last few days, time just flies by. We spend most of the day outside and so do our friends and neighbors; therefore, a lot of socializing takes place. People are out for walks and bicycling so there is a lot of "dropping by" going on. The day time temps have been in the 70's with the night temps in the 50's. The skies have been clear and the humidity has been low, however, it is beginning to increase with some rain coming this week, but in the meantime we will just continue to suck up this great weather. The days just go screaming by and before you know it it is time to put your head on the pillow. Miss Judy has been in her Corner again and added another entry. This time she has written about her Digital Scrapbooking programs so take a peek. Saturday was the H-U-G-E New England boiled dinner get together at Chuck and Jan's. There were over thirty people in attendance and the dinner was absolutely, positively, unequivocally yum yum. Boiled dinners are an old staple of my childhood as there would be several of them each fall made with fresh vegetables from the harvest. Chuck and Jan had a corned beef brisket for one dinner and a pork shoulder for the other. The vegetables were cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and turnip with some garlic bread to accompany the meal. Needless to say, there were plenty of "snacks" to munch on while waiting for the dinner to cook. There were some glazed pecans (pecans are a big product in our area), Portuguese sausage (a biggy in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts area), and cheese before dinner and several great desserts for after dinner. We had several picnic tables lined up for the large family styled dinner and there was a campfire burning where we all gathered our lawn chairs around while munching snacks. Judy and I had done our "walk about" earlier in the morning and then we sat outside reading, talking, and holding Alex before going across the street to join in the festivities. After dinner we did some more sitting around sucking up the great weather. Later we went over to the four o'clock social hour and finished the day with a movie. Sunday morning it was off to church for another great time of worship. On our way home we stopped by Wally World to pick up a few items. Then it was more sitting outside enjoying this great weather - just can't get enough of it! Last evening was the annual Flatulence Festival at the clubhouse. It's all about beans with around seventeen different dishes ready to be tasted and the fire department on hand just in case (no smoking within a hundred feet of the building). Now, having said all of that, we didn't attend this year. We just didn't need one more buffet styled meal this week (if I get any bigger we are going to have to trade in our RV for a Toy Hauler). Tonight is our Bible Study with dinner and Tuesday night will be another dining out gathering. We did go over for the six o'clock social hour - there was over a hundred people out. Yes, the clubhouse is getting busy here at Rainbow Plantation. We came home and watched the rest of the AFC / NFC football game followed by another movie. We watch the $5 movie bin at Walmart and pick up a new movie every so often; it costs almost that much to rent a movie so we figure we at least break even. After a year or so we will watch the movie again so in the long run we more than break even. Well, it is time for our "walk about" so Ta Ta for Now! Saturday, February 7, 2009 Whatta day. Yesterday was absolutely, positively a beautiful day - it was a shorts and sandals type of day. The temps didn't get into the 70's but with bright sun and little to no wind it was nice outside. I put the lawn chairs out next to the shed (directly in the sunshine) where we could work on our tans. Miss J did some crocheting while I did some reading and today is going to be even warmer - who could ask for anything more? We did our morning walk and even got our bikes out of the shed to go for a ride (no, we haven't forgotten how). We visited with several of our neighbors throughout the day and stopped by Norm and Linda's to watch their house being built - how exciting for them. I asked Norm if they had installed the axles yet; after ten years of fulltiming it's going to be quite a transition for them. He doesn't think that his Honda CR-V could pull the house so they will most likely leave the axles off. At four o'clock we went over to the social hour where Don, Norm, and I divided up the hosting responsibilities. We had fun and it was something a little different for the attendees. There always seems to be one or two new arrivals in attendance each day which provides a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Today the East Traveler Street gang is going to have another gathering. This time it's going to be a New England boiled dinner at Chuck and Jan's house. There will be a couple of boiled dinners, one with beef brisket and one with ham. We'll join in together at 10:00 to start peeling potatoes, carrots, turnips, and preparing the cabbage. There will be a couple of grills available with HUGE kettles for cooking all the food. A camp fire will be burning for all of us to sit around and swap stories (and/or lies) while LOL (laughing out loud). It will be a fun day of sharing and enjoying the company of our neighbors. A few days ago I talked about the Hitch Itch setting in but getting outside helps to cure that a little - it's possible that it could be a little bit of Cabin Fever as well. We are outside people and after a few days of being couped up we start to go a little stir crazy - we just need to be able to "get outside and kick the stink off". Friday, February 6, 2009 Another bright cloudless day in the making with warmer temperatures today. Tomorrow will be warmer still, maybe, just maybe, we've said good bye to winter this time. There has been quite a cycle going on down here in the deep south with several warm days being followed by several cooooold days. Each time we keep hoping that that will be the last real cold front for the winter but they just keep-a-coming. Anyway, hopefully we will have some outside time today. When we were here during the winter of 2007 I made an appointment with the Social Security office in Fairhope so we could get a more accurate idea how much monthly income that I would be receiving once reaching the ripe ol' age of 62 - Well, that birthday is heading my way in July of this year. During our visit back then we were told that we could apply six months ahead of that momentous occasion so yesterday we dropped into the SS Office to make an appointment and found out that it is no longer six months but changed to three months. Not only that, but you can't make appointments more than one month in advance. Well, this is no big deal, we just drop by in about a month and make an appointment for April. If "push comes to shove" I can always sign up for my benefits online but I like to do things with "people" to help eliminate any screw ups. Have I ever told you that one of the best parts of the fulltiming lifestyle is making new friends? Yes, I know, many, many times. When we were in Nashville last fall I went onto the Hitch Itch website just to see how many new websites and blogs were being added to their list. I came across an entry that referenced the Tennessean which is one of Nashville's newspapers so I took a look at the blog. It was Gary and Vicki Watt's blog, We're Wingin' it, on My Trip Journal and by reading a couple of their entries I discovered that they were from the Nashville area. They also had plans to spend a couple of months in the Fairhope, Alabama area so I dropped them an email. After emailing back and forth a couple of times we agreed to get together once they arrived. Judy and I dropped by for a short visit a few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon Well, last night Gary and Vicki had us over for a "Chat and Chew". Vicki made a wonderful lasagna along with a garden salad and rolls. Judy and I provided the wine and dessert. The "chew" was excellent and the "chat" was great. We're glad to have made their acquaintance and hope to get together for an outing before they leave next month. Thanks Gary and Vicki, we enjoyed the evening very much. Thursday, February 5, 2009 The hot water heater is temporarily fixed. There is a check valve at the hot water outlet on the tank that had malfunctioned. Right now I just removed the "guts" from the check valve and re-installed the fitting allowing the water to flow freely. I will keep an eye on it, as well as do a little more research, to determine if I need to replace the check valve or just leave it alone. I can't think of any reason why it would be necessary to stop water from flowing back into the hot water tank. After all, there's not much water in the lines and the tank only holds 16 gallons. Furthermore, there is not very much pressure in the system so very little water would be able to flow back into the tank anyway. But, I'm sure someone, somewhere thought it was necessary to place a check valve in the system so I will have to pay close attention to it for a while; a check valve would be a whole lot cheaper than a new hot water heater. We "stood" inside most of the day as it was cooooooooold outside. The sun shone brightly but the wind also blew. It was kind of nice to just do things inside the house, however, we are outside people and when the sun is out with no clouds in the sky we feel we should play outside. When I was a kid my mom would never let us sit in the house on a day like this; she "threw" our little butts outside so I guess that's why I feel guilty for sitting inside on such a nice day. Today is going to be a carbon copy of yesterday, however, right now there is no wind blowing. Maybe Miss J and I will get a walk in this morning. Hitch Itch has set in. Judy and I were talking about getting away for awhile. We are contemplating another Habitat for Humanity build at Dade City, Florida. It would be nice to help someone else for a change rather than just sit here, but I do have my H&R Block J-O-B. In order to continue gaining tax preparation experience I need to keep on w*rking. It seems that two months is about all we can stand before the travel bug sets in. We've been here since the first of December and are ready to start Wandering America again. Maybe a few days away might help. When we lived in sticks and bricks we used to pack up and take off for a weekend "camping trip" so we'll have to see what's close at hand. Well, that's it for today. Keep warm, remain happy, and give your katt a hug! Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Monday afternoon, after w*rk, I phoned Miss J to let her know I was on my way home. During the phone conversation she let me know that we had lost water pressure in the hot water, however, the cold water runs just fine. It has been over a year and a half since I replaced the anode in the hot water tank so I knew some maintenance was in order; therefore, I began performing my duties yesterday after a trip to Camping World for parts. When I removed the old anode it was pretty much gone and there was a lot (when I say a lot, I mean a lot) of calcium "gunk" in the bottom of the tank. I have a tool that is supposed to help rinse the "gunk" out of the tank but it doesn't work very good. After a good "rinse out" and replacing the anode I could only hope that the hot water would begin to flow again but no such luck. After a trip to the hardware store for some adapters to hook the garden hose up to the laboratory faucet, I removed the anode again and did a back flush of the system. That improved the flow a little but I still have a blockage. I think the blockage is at the outlet at the top of the tank so today I am going to borrow Norm's air compressor and try to blow the blockage out of the fitting. If that doesn't work then I'll end up removing the entire fitting (Lord only knows what I'll encounter) to see if I can clean it out and/or replace it. Here's a hit: you should (and the maintenance schedule calls for it) pull the anode and clean out the tank every six months or so. It may not be necessary to replace the anode every six months but the tank should be cleaned out anyway. In my neglect something (most likely excess calcium build up) has gotten into someplace that it doesn't belong and the hot water system has had a "heart attack". Now I have to perform by-pass surgery to get the water flowing again. Hopefully I will succeed with out having to perform a heart transplant (i.e. new hot water heater). Yesterday morning we went to Wally World for our bi-weekly shopping trip. I am happy to report that Walmart has officially killed the little smiley face with the falling prices mantra. Smiley has been replaced by the asterisk and rising prices. We noted prices were higher on about half of the items that we purchase, also, the package sizes are shrinking. Did you know that a half gallon of ice cream is now 1 and 1/2 quarts and the price is over four bucks? We didn't buy any ice cream. Cereal boxes are getting smaller too, that helps solve some storage issues but doesn't do a thing for longevity. Food is a necessity so therefore I guess the food industry feels they can exploit the public in this time of economic uncertainty. I feel for the people who have lost their jobs and are trying to support a family. It's putting a crimp in our budget but at least we have a budget. There's a lot of people out there right now who don't make enough money to be able to afford a budget and are being forced to decide between food or medical needs, or food or mortgage payment, or food or car payments. But, not to worry, Washington is on the way; "gummint" will step in and help!!! In the mean time we'll just have to pull up our boot straps and get over it. Last night, today, and tonight are going to be just plain cooooooold here in the deep south. It was in the high twenties this morning and will only get to the high forties today. Tonight is going to get even colder, dropping into the low twenties. The cold is bad enough but to "add insult to injury" Mother Nature is throwing in some wind to ensure that the cold will cut right through you. I'll be sure to have fun working outside on the water heater today. Oh well, it could be worse; I could be digging my motorhome out of a snow bank in Maine with temps in the single digits, right Mike? See ya soon! Tuesday, February 3, 2009 Miss Judy was a busy little girl yesterday. She did a couple of loads of laundry, she made a HUGE pot of chili for our Bible Study Group, she hemmed a pair of pants for me, and she went to a crocheting class at the clubhouse not to mention the routine housekeeping tasks. I, on the other hand, went to w*rk and w*rked from 9 to 5 (feel like singing along with Dolly Parton?). Just when I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this "tax thing" along comes someone with a new wrinkle. It will certainly take this tax year and probably next to acquire the knowledge required to handle the majority of the tax returns for this franchise. Most of my issues are with the state taxes. We get people with W-2s from different states and, when it come to taxes, it might just as well be from different countries as no two states are the same. When I left the house in the morning it was short sleeve shirt weather. When I returned in the late afternoon it was winter coat weather. We keep getting these cold cycles (about one a week). It has been going from the 70's one day to the 40's the next. Tonight and tomorrow night the temps are going to fall into the 20's but by weekend it will be back to the 70's. Mother Nature sure as some nasty mood swings. Last night we went to the Bible Study Group. Bob and Anita have a nice large house for our group to meet. We have a little time of fellowship then we eat a meal together followed by a study. Right now we are studying the life of Paul using Charles Swindoll's book. Swindoll has done a good job of presenting Paul's life as well as providing us with plenty of life applications. Monday, February 2, 2009 One down, eleven to go. It seems like we just celebrated New Year's Eve and now January is in our rear view mirror. I sure wish time would slow down just a little bit so I could keep up. Saturday we stayed in the park all day and enjoyed sitting outside working on our tans while doing a little reading. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temps were in the low 70's so out came the recliners, sweet tea, and reading material. We also did our daily walk-a-bout, visited with Randy and Terry to say "see ya next year", went to the social hour, and ended the day by watching a little TV while surfing the net. Sunday we went to church (another great message) and stopped at Wally World on the way home. Then we did a little clean up around the house, went for our walk-a-bout, visited with the Paynes, sat outside for a while (another pretty nice day), and finished the day by watching the Super Bowl. So, as you can see, it was a pretty relaxing, routine weekend. Saturday would have been a nice beach day but there was just enough wind which would have made it chilly. Anyway, this is a lifestyle not a vacation; therefore, everyday is not going to be an adventure although we feel that it is a nice adventure just to have a great community to spend the winter in. |