Spending Time With Roland And Louise

Frostproof, FL
57 deg clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Jim and Linda have been spending a lot of time visiting with Roland and Louise. Both Roland and Louise have had a few things to do during a couple of the days that we've been here, but they always get together for dinner. Sometimes over at their place and sometimes here.

Oh, and Roland always comes over here in the mornings for coffee and conversation, usually he and Jim end up sitting out under my awning, enjoying the morning sun. :-)

The weather has been great with highs in the upper 70's or low 80's. It was pretty windy a few days ago, but the rest of the days have been really nice.

The folks here in this park are very friendly. Lots of people have bicycles and as they ride by, many of them wave. Others walk or jog past and wave or say Hi.

Well, I guess that's about it. Nothing special happening except lots of visiting and catching up with some very good friends.

A Point to Ponder : Do ducks sneeze?

Lakeland To Frostproof

Frostproof, FL
61 deg. Overcast, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. partly cloudy, E wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Just a quick note as the signal and speed of the Internet here in Frostproof are both very poor.

After determining that the air ride control valve was not available and would have to be ordered, it was decided that we would come here to Frostproof for a week and then go back and have the valve installed.

So, the folks at Creative Coach gave me a complementary bath and by 11:40, we were pulling out of the parking lot. From Rt. 33, we took Cumbie Road to US 98, went SE on 98 to Rt 60 and then took 60 Easts to US 27. We then headed South on 27 to Frostproof.

It was 12:45 when we pulled into the Southern Pines Resort, so we traveled 47 miles in 1 hour and 5 minutes.

I'm now settled into a site between 2 park model trailers. I have full hook-ups and a nice new cement patio. There are a couple of small trees by the road, but no trees that will shade me and any time during the day.

I did get to see "Big Herb" as we drove past his site on the way here, and he looked like he was doing well. In fact when Jim and Linda got back after going out to dinner with Roland, Louise, and 2 other couples from the park, they confirmed that he was enjoying his time here at he park.

I don't know just how much I'll be posting from here. Right now the Internet connection seems to be doing OK, but yesterday, I had all kinds of problems trying to read some of the Blogs that I follow.

So......if I can get on-line, I'll be posting. If not, I'll get you caught up as soon as I can.

Did you know that today is "National Chili Day"?

The Couch Is Repaired, But Still Waiting

Lakeland, FL.
64 deg. Overcast, W. wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg, possible fog this morning, becoming partly cloudy this afternoon, NE wind @ 10 mph.

Yesterday afternoon, a pickup truck pulled up to the office, and in it's bed was my newly repaired couch. Soon after it was unloaded, it was installed back inside of me and so now that project is finished. :-)

Now, there's only a few other things that still need to be done before I can leave here and head to Frostproof. One thing, (and I almost forgot about it), is the the ride-height control valve for my left side. I think Lester and Glenn also kind of forgot about it, although it's on the work order, but it really needs to be replaced. You see, every once in awhile, when Jim fires up my engine and the air builds up, I lean over to the left for awhile. Then after I move a little, the valve finally opens and fills the air ride bag and I level off.

It needs to be replaced because I sure don't want to be traveling down the highway, leaning way over to the left, if it decides to quit working completely.

The only other thing is the struts for one of my basement doors. I don't know why they don't have them yet, but they seem to be having trouble matching them up to new ones.

So, I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to leave here today. If not, Jim will have to call the CG down in Frostproof and see if they will hold that one available site for another day or two.

I sure hope they will, if that becomes necessary.

For dinner, Jim and Linda went into Polk City to the Country Angels Restaurant. Both said that their meals were very good, as usual.

Did you know that on this day in 1954, a group of children from Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, receive the first injections of the new polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk?

Waiting On The Couch and One Site Available

Lakeland, FL.
59 deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. becoming partly cloudy, W. wind @ 10 mph.

Dan, one of the mechanics, worked on that minor fuel leak at my furnace yesterday. He found that one of the fittings was leaking and just required some sealant. It seems to be OK now, but he'll check it this morning to make sure.

My couch still isn't back. Glenn, (the shop foreman), called the repair guy yesterday and he told Glenn that some of the brackets that the springs hook to, and are welded to the frame, had broken off of the frame and were being re welded. He also said that he thought he should be able to get the couch back here today or tomorrow.

It's anybody's guess why this has happened as Jim is just about the only one that ever sits there, and he never flops down on the couch or does anything that should cause the welds to break.

So . . . . the only other things left are a couple of new struts on one of my basement doors, and that air drier filter, and Glenn promised Jim that the would get them done today.

Now, it the couch gets finished, we'll be out of here!!! :-)

Where will we be going when we get out of here, you ask?  Well, yesterday afternoon, Jim called Roland and Louise. They're at a park down in Frostproof, FL, and the plan all along has been to go see them when I'm done being worked on here in Lakeland, if there were any sites available in their park. Roland was busy, but Louise said that she thought that there was one site available in the park, and said that she would check. Well, in a little while she called back and said that yes, there was only one site available and she had talked to Jeanie, (one of the managers), and she had said that I could have the site if Jim called.

Well, Jim called and told Jeanie that I was waiting on repairs, but thought we would be able to make it down there either today or tomorrow. She was very understanding and told Jim that would be OK and said that if we couldn't get there by Wednesday, he should call her and she would try to reschedule my arrival.

So, unless something unforeseen happens, we'll be heading down there today or tomorrow. It'll be good to see my buddy "Big Herb" again, (Roland and Louise's Winnebago Journey Motor Home), and I'm sure Jim and Linda are looking forward to spending time with Roland and Louise. :-)

You know, it sure feels good to have this plan in place. I normally don't mind not having reservations, but down here in central Florida, especially in Jan, Feb or Mar, it's sometimes hard to find a campground that has sites available.

Did you know that today is "National Margarita Day"?

The Race and Not Knowing

Lakeland, FL.
56 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. mostly sunny, S. wind @ 10 to 15 mph.

The only thing of note that happened here yesterday was Jim and Linda watching the NASCAR race on TV. Jim said that he thought the race was OK but didn't much like the 2 by 2 racing. He and Linda both, however, thought it was great that the very young Trevor Bayne won the race driving a car owned by the Wood Brothers, who haven't won a race with one their cars for ages.

For dinner, Linda put together a chicken meal in her little crock pot. It had chicken, mushroom soup, onions, mushrooms and carrots in it  and was served over rice.

Both Jim and Linda thought it was very good, and I thought it smelled really good as it was cooking while the race was going on. ;-)

Today, I'm hoping that most of my repairs can be accomplished. I don't like not knowing when we'll be leaving here and neither does Jim. The biggest concern that he has is will there be a campground that we can get into in such a short notice?

We're in a very popular area of Florida and most of the parks may be full at this time of the year.

A Point to Ponder : Why are women and men's shoe sizes different?

I'm Bored!!

Lakeland, FL.
52 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 10 mph.

I'm bored!!!! This is not fun anymore!!!! Just sitting here, backed up to a building, between 2 other Motor Homes, is getting old real fast!!

Jim talked to Lester yesterday morning, (he and Glenn come in sometimes on Saturday mornings to do paperwork and catch up on other things), and he said that because my couch will have to be re-installed when the upholstery guy is through with it, there is an air drier filter yet to get and change, plus it looks like there is a small fuel leak at my furnace, it will probably be Wednesday before I'll be able to leave. :-(

It sure is a good thing that we don't have anywhere that we have to be in the near future.

Jim and Linda didn't do much yesterday. For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on his grill and Linda cooked some cauliflower and some biscuits inside of me. Today, I imagine that they'll both watch the Daytona 500 race on TV, but I don't think they have anything else planned.

Did you know that  the Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile auto race to be televised live flag-to-flag on network television when CBS aired it in 1979?

Surprise, Surprise!!!!

Lakeland, FL.
51 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.

You just never know.  "What are you talking about", you ask? Well, yesterday afternoon a UPS truck pulled up in front the the office here at Creative Coach and delivered a package. Now, can you guess what was in that package? Yep, it was the new burner tube for my furnace!!! :-) 

Yeah, I know, it wasn't supposed to be here this soon. They said 3 to 5 business days, but somehow, (and I'm not about to question it), it got here in much less time!!!   :-)

So, now I have a working furnace again. In fact Jim fired it up this morning just to take the chill off and to make sure it's working properly.

So far, so good. :-)

The guy came and looked at my couch yesterday morning and decided that he couldn't do anything with it here, so it was removed and sent over to his shop for repair. He said he thinks a spring is broken, but seemed pretty confident that he could repair it.

So, if there's not any further delays, it's a good possibility that they could finish my repairs and service on Monday.

Did you know that today is "Chocolate Mint Day"?

Not So Good News

Lakeland, FL
53 deg  clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp.81 deg. partly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 mph.

Well, Jim, Linda and I got some not so good news yesterday morning. After disassembling my Webasto diesel fired furnace for it's annual maintenance, it was determined that the burner tube is cracked. This is not real uncommon, especially in a furnace as old as mine is, but is not a common problem either.

Now, this is probably not the cause if the noise that Jim heard when we were back in DeBary, so that is still of some concern.

So, what to do? Well, in order for the furnace to be safe to operate, the burner tube must be replaced. The part is available, but as Lester says, "Those people must be very proud of their parts by the prices they charge". Needless to say, this is a part that they are very proud of and it's going to be quite expensive. So, the part is ordered, (from a warehouse in California), and it is expected to arrive here in 3 to 5 business days.

Today, they changed my fuel, engine coolant, and hydraulic filters and lubed my chassis. Tomorrow morning, the guy is supposed to come and look at my couch and fix it in place if he can. Otherwise it will have to be removed  and taken to his shop for repair. Then it's just a matter of waiting for the furnace part to arrive.

If everything goes according to plan, (and from past experience, it usually doesn't), I should be able to leave here by the middle of next week.

The folks here at Creative Coach are great and are working us, and, as of this afternoon, I'm now leveled with my hydraulic jacks, hooked up to 50 Amp electric and am settled in for the duration of my stay here. There's also water available if my fresh water tank gets low and they do have a place over by the office where my tanks can be dumped if it becomes absolutely necessary.

The good part of all of this? Well, I'm not in a campground paying camping fees, it's fairly quiet here, (except on Friday and Saturday nights when they have races at a small track near here), there are all kinds of restaurants and stores near here, there are a few other RVers staying here while waiting on repairs to their RVs for Jim and Linda to talk to, and the guys that work here are always willing to talk and kid around with, when they're not too busy.  ;-)

Did you know that during World War II, hundreds of young British airmen were taught to fly at Lakeland's Lodwick airfield by volunteer flight instructors, a collection of barnstormers and independent pilots?

A Stressful Day

Lakeland, FL.
56 deg. some fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, E wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday was a stressful day. The big thing was that they drained my oil, (a vital fluid), replaced my filters and then finally installed new oil. It was such a relief when they finally started my engine back up and I felt that fresh oil circulating though my lines and bearings.

Whew!!!!

They also worked on my furnace. In case you don't know, it started making noise when we were in DeBary, so Jim and Linda haven't been using it since then. Well. . . . . as you might imagine, now it doesn't make any noise!!!! They had it running for quite awhile yesterday, (with the AC running at the same time to try to keep it cool inside of me), but it didn't make a sound. Jim also ran it last night, but again no noise..

So what will they do?  I don't know, but maybe they'll find something when they take it apart to do the annual service on it.

Robin, the owners wife, finally got ahold of the guy that reupholstered my couch last year when we were here. He's supposed to come tomorrow, (Friday), to see if he can repair the sagging section of the seat without taking the couch out of me again. He seems to think that it may be just a spring that came loose from the frame and he'll be able to fix it fairly easily.

I hope so.

I still don't know how long I'll be here. A lot will depend on what happens with the couch tomorrow. If it has to be removed and taken to his shop, it'll be awhile. Also, we'll see if they find anything wrong in the furnace when they service it.

Now you know why I don't like to come to see my mechanic!!!!!!!  :-(

Yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Winn Dixie Grocery Store. They came back with a whole bunch of stuff, but they didn't have too much trouble getting it all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, so I guess they didn't buy too much. ;-)   Then, after relaxing for awhile, Linda heated up a couple of frozen dinners that they bought at the store, for dinner. After dinner, it was TV and computers again until bedtime.

A Point to Ponder :Why are there black lines on a basketball?


  

Thonotosassa To Lakeland and Dinner At Applebee's

Lakeland, FL.
47 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. partly cloudy, E. wind @ 5 mph.

Denny came over to see me, Jim and Linda and to say good-bye, before we left the Southern Aire RV Resort yesterday morning. He and Jim talked while Jim hooked CLT to the back of me, and it sounds like the Illinois Bunch may be thinking of coming to see me in Rantoul, IL sometime in June. That may be a good idea as it has always been very hot in years past when they came there in August.

Well, anyway, by the time Jim got CLT hooked up to me and we pulled out of the park at 9:20, most of the fog had lifted and visibility was good as we headed first South on Rt. 579 and then NE on I-4. The trip was uneventful but there was a lot of traffic on 4. It didn't take long and soon we were turning off of 4 and onto Rt 33 and pulling up in front of the office at Creative Coach.

It was just 10:00 when we pulled in, so it took us 40 minutes to travel the 33 miles up here.

Jim unhooked CLT from the back of me and went into the office to get everything arranged with Lester, (my mechanic).  By the time he was done going over the things that need to be done to me, Glenn, (the shop foreman), had backed me into a spot between two other coached along the side of the main building. I'll probably be in this spot most of the time that I'll be here because everything that needs to be done on me can be done outside as long as the weather is decent.

So, here I sit. I don't know how long I'll be here, but I wouldn't be surprised if it takes awhile. The biggest thing that I'm worried about is the repairs on my furnace. If they need to order parts, it could take a long time.

For dinner last night, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to an Applebee's Restaurant which is only a few miles from here. Some very good friends, Mike and Jodi, (from Illinois), had sent Jim and Linda a gift card for the restaurant, so they decided this was a good time to put it to use.

Thanks, Mike and Jodi. Jim and Linda had a very nice meal. :-)  Maybe you can come to see me sometime this summer when we're up there in Rantoul. I'd really like to see you again. ;-)

Did you know that there are 38 named lakes in Lakeland with a number of other bodies of water unnamed, mostly phosphate mine pits that eventually filled with water?

It's A Sign and Saying Good-Bye

Thonotosassa, FL.
41 deg. foggy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. becoming partly cloudy with N. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

It's a sign!!!! "What's a sign", you ask?

The fog, that's what!!!!!  I think it's a sign that we shouldn't be heading for Lakeland to see my mechanic, don't you?

After all, we wouldn't be wanting to travel when the conditions aren't safe, would we? And besides, the traffic on I-4 will probably be backed up for miles and miles, and it would take us hours to get there.

Yep!! I think we should just forget about going over there.

Yesterday, Jim rolled up my awnings, checked my fluid levels, tires, drained my tanks, put away the sewer hoses, and then filled up my fresh water tank and put the water hoses and filter away. While he was doing that, Denny came over and visited for awhile and then in the afternoon, Linda went over and visited with Bev.

Then, after taking a litle nap, Jim went over to Gordy's for "happy hour" and said good-bye to the people who were gathered over there.

What????? We're still going to Lakeland???? It's too foggy!!!!!! The guy on TV is saying that this fog will lift by mid morning and we'll be able to go????

Oh, Poo!!!!!

Oh well, I suppose I'll have to go, but I don't have to like it!!!! :-(

Did you know that the foggiest place in the world is the Grand Banks off the island of Newfoundland?

You sure that fog is going to lift????

Happy Valentines Day, Thanks, Great Weather and Getting Ready

Thonotosassa, FL.
40 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. sunny, N. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!

Thanks again for all the suggestions and comments the last few days. I have tried the suggestions to try to get photos to load, but it still won't work. Jim does have a few people that he can call but will be awhile before it's convenient.

So . . . .  you'll just have to keep pretending to be able to see the photos. ;-)

The weather was really nice yesterday. You know, real close to that "Chamber of Commerce" weather that all the states and cities try to make you think that the weather is always like in their area. The reason that I say "real close" is that although it was sunny, warm, and there was a gentle breeze blowing, if you were in the shade, it was a little too cool.

Today it's supposed to be a little warmer, and by the end of this week, they're forecasting high temps up around 80 degrees!!!! :-)  Now, that would normally be great, but do you know where I'll be sitting during this great spell of nice weather?  Yep!! More than likely I'll be sitting in between other Motorhomes at the RV repair place with only about 4 or 5 feet on either side of me!!! No shade, no grass, just gravel and blacktop with a big old building about 3 feet behind me!!!  :-(

I knew we shouldn't be going to see my mechanic. It would be so much nicer to be sitting under a nice shade tree somewhere, enjoying the cool breezes, warm weather and a nice little stream bubbling across the rocks. In fact, it would be much better if we just stayed here for another week or two!!!

Anyway, today I imagine that Jim will start getting me ready to head to Lakeland tomorrow. It's not very far over there but Jim told Lester, (my mechanic), that he'd try to get me there by 10:00, so we'll probably be leaving here sometime between 9:00 and 9:30.

Linda spent some time visiting with Bev yesterday and Jim went over to Gordy's for "happy hour" at 4:00. Since today is our last day here, I'm sure Jim and Linda will both look for times when they can visit a little with all of the "Illinois Bunch". 

Again, it's been a very good visit with very good friends. ;-)

Did you know that the heart is the most common symbol of romantic love? Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart. Others thought it to be the source of emotion and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man's truth, strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of Eros, known as Cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid's arrows would fall hopelessly in love. Because the heart is so closely linked to love, it's red colour is thought to be the most romantic.



Oh, and don't forget to give that someone special in your life a big hug today. ;-)

Still Having Problems and Catching Up

Thonotosassa, FL.
41 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 68 deg. sunny, N. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

OK, I've pretty much gotten over being ticked off at this Blogger / photo problem that I've been having. I still haven't been able to solve the problem, even with all the great comments and suggestions that I've received, but I guess a Blog without photos is still better than no blog at all,   so . . . . until I can find someone who can help, you'll just have to pretend that you can see some photos.

You really haven't missed much since I last posted. Friday, Jim and Denny went to the Camping World store, (which is only about 4 or 5 miles from here). Jim was looking for one of those "RVers Friend" books that tells where all the truck stops are across the country, but they didn't have one. So, they ended up going to the Flying J Truck Stop and found a "Trucker's Friend" book instead.

In fact, that's what Jim has been using for the last 5 or so years, and he says it has all the info that he needs to find a place to get fuel for me.

Then, on Friday night, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a Chinese Restaurant that they had been to before, but Jim especially, was disappointed with the beef  dish that he had. He said it was like the beef was overcooked and kind of dry. :-(

##### Pretend that you see a photo of a dish of Chinese food here.#####

About the only other thing that has been happening, is that every day Jim goes over to Gordy's for Happy Hour. There are usually 5 to 10 people who gather there every day who sit and talk and drink the adult beverage of their choice.

##### Pretend you see a photo of RVers sitting, talking and drinking their beverage here. #####

Well, I guess that pretty much wraps this up. We only have today and tomorrow left here at Southern Aire, and then it looks like I'm going to be forced to go to Lakeland to see my mechanic. I still don't think it's necessary to have any work done on me, much less have someone draining out my vital fluids and pumping my joints full of grease.

Did you know that the oldest known Valentines were sent in 1415 A.D. by the Duke of Orleans to his French wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London? It is still on display in a museum in England.

A Great Fish Fry and Fed Up

Thonotosassa, FL.
65 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg. cloudy with an 80% chance of rain. N. winds @ 10 mph.

Yesterday was a beautiful day for an outdoor fish fry. Jim and Linda went over to Dave and Dee Dee's about 3:30 and by about 4:00 some of the fish was ready and people were lined up to fill their plates with fish, potato salad, smoked salmon, deviled eggs, salads, vegetables, deserts and many other items that the 30 or so people brought.

Jim and Linda said that they thought everyone had a good time, and if anyone went hungry, it was their own fault as there was more than enough food. The fish was excellent and so were all of the other items that the people brought.

Thanks, Dave and Dee Dee. :-)

OK! Now for the fed up part of this post.

I am completely fed up with Blogger!!!!! I have tried and tried to upload photos to this blog and it just won't work!!! I've gone to their so called "help" section and tried everything that was within my limited knowledge of computers. I use to be able to upload the photos without any problems but as you have probably noticed I haven't be able to get them on my post for some time now.

This morning I tried again, because Jim took some neat photos at the fish fry yesterday, but again, was not successful. :-(

So, what am I going to do?  I don't know!!!! I'm tired of having the only blog on the Internet without photos.!!!!!!!

I'm just completely FED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you know that while it took the radio 38 years, and the television a short 13 years, it took the World Wide Web only 4 years to reach 50 million users?

Sunny But Cool, Pizza Yesterday and A Fish Fry Today

Thonotosassa, FL.
41 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg.  partly cloudy, SE. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday turned out to be a partly sunny but cool day here at Southern Aire. You know, one of those days where if you're in the sun and out of the wind, it's quite warm. But, if you were in the shade and in the wind, you probably would want a jacket. In fact, that's exactly what happened yesterday afternoon during "happy hour" over a t Gordy's site. It was warm when it started, (about 4:00), but by 5:00 the sun had gone down behind the trees and it got pretty cold.

After "happy hour", Jim came back here for a little while and then he and Denny took Denny's truck and went to Hungry Howie's to pick up a pizza that Bev had ordered. While they were doing that, Linda gathered up some drinks and headed over to Denny and Bev's. The pizza, along with the excellent salad that Bev put together, made for a very good meal with very good friends. :-)

Thanks, Denny and Bev.

Today is also supposed to be mostly sunny but cool, and that's OK, but this is the day that Dave and Dee Dee are having their annual fish fry, and it just may be kind of cool for that. 

You see, Dave catches a whole bunch of fish while they're up North in the summer and then freezes them. Then, bring them down here where Dee Dee  fries them up for all of their friends here in the park. Their fish along with all of the dishes that the other people bring, make for a really  good fried fish / potluck meal. :-)

It's an event that everyone looks forward to.

Oh Wow!!!!! I just looked over at the clubhouse and the whole roof is covered with frost!!!! I knew it was pretty cold, but I didn't know it was that cold!!!! 

Brrrrrrr!!!!!

Did you know that on this day in 1960, the official groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Hollywood Walk of Fame? The first star to be dedicated on the historic walkway belonged to the actress Joanne Woodward, an Academy Award winner for The Three Faces of Eve (1957).








 

Not Much To Write About and Why Waste Money?

Thonotosassa, FL.
51 deg. mostly cloudy, light NW wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 61 deg, partly cloudy, NW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yeah, I know I didn't post yesterday. There wasn't much to write about and besides, I just didn't feel like it.:-)

Sunday, Jim and Linda spent most of the day watching football on TV. I really don't know why, because neither one of them especially like the Packers or the Steelers, but it did turn out to be a good game.

Yesterday it rained in the morning and then in the late afternoon again but Jim and Linda did get to the grocery store to buy a whole bunch of groceries. After they got back from the store and got all the groceries put away, Linda went over and talked to Bev while Jim took a little nap. Then when Jim woke up, he went over there for awhile too.

I don't know what's happening today. Probably some more visiting with the Illinois Bunch, and then I think Jim and Linda are planning on getting together with Denny and Bev for dinner.

You know, I was just thinking. . . . . . when we leave here in a week, we're supposed to head back to Lakeland to see my mechanic. Yeah, we were there when we first got down here to Florida last fall, but my oil didn't get changed at that time, and there's a problem with the re-upholstery job that was done on my couch last year that needs to be taken care of. Also, since we were there in the fall, my furnace has started making a noise.

Now, I don't mind going back to get the couch and the furnace repaired, (although I think Jim and Linda could manage without having them repaired),  but I really don't see any reason that it would be necessary to do anything else. I haven't traveled a real lot of miles since last year, I'm feeling fine, my engine is running well and my transmission is shifting properly, so . . . .  I shouldn't need to have my vital fluids drained and all of my filters changed. Heck, it would just be a waste to change all of that stuff when I'm feeling good. Besides, just think how much Jim and Linda could save on just the labor that it costs to have someone crawl around under me, taking plugs out, checking fluid levels and pumping my joints full of grease!!!

Yep, none of that stuff is necessary and I don't think that Jim and Linda should waste their money to have it done. In fact, I think we should just find a nice campground and relax instead of going there at all!!!!

A Point to Ponder : Can a blind man see his future?

Some Rain and A Little Shopping

Thonotosassa, FL.
57 deg. overcast, light rain, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 68 deg. cloudy with a 40% chance of rain, N. wind @ 5 mph.

It rained most of the day yesterday, so neither Jim or Linda went out during the day. Instead, they spent the day reading, fooling around with the computers, taking naps, and watching a little TV.

Oh, and Linda worked on her embroidery project too.

Then after dinner, Denny came over and asked Jim if he wanted to go along to the grocery store with him. Well, Jim and Linda were out of bread and milk, so Jim went along and bought those items plus a few other things that he knew they needed.

This also gave Jim and Denny a chance to spend some time together. :-)

They weren't go too long and soon Jim was back with a couple sacks of groceries. Then he and Linda watched British comedies on TV until bedtime.

So, yesterday wasn't a real exciting day, but it was a good day.

Did you know that the Pittsburg Steelers have won six Super Bowls, while two other teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, have each won five?

A Short Post

Thonotosassa, FL.
66 deg. overcast, SE breeze @ 3 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. cloudy with a 40% chance of rain, SW to W winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

Other than some visiting, not much exciting happening around here. The weather has been really nice and yesterday, if you were sitting in the sun like I am, it almost felt hot.

I sure hope it stays warm, I'm really getting tired of cold weather.

I noticed yesterday that Linda was compiling a grocery list. I'm not sure when she and Jim are planning on going, but I wonder if it would be wise to go today or tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a lot of people at the grocery store buying stuff for Super Bowl parties that they'll be having tomorrow and it could get crowded.

Well, I'm going to cut this short today. I don't seem to be able to think of anything to write about, and I'm sure you don't want me to just ramble along.

Did you know that the Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and its competitive rival, the American Football League (AFL)?

Just Who Are The "Illinois Bunch"?

Thonotosassa, FL.
64 deg. some fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. Becoming partly sunny w/ south winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I've just come to realize that some of my new followers don't have any idea of who I'm talking about when I talk about the "Illinois Bunch". So....I'll try to explain who they are and how Jim and Linda know them.

First of all, I started calling the 3 couples the "Illinois Bunch". And, I guess it's apparent that they're all from Illinois.

First, there's Denny and Bev. Jim and Denny both grew up in the little town of Peotone, IL, and they lived just a block apart, so they've been friends for many, many years.

The other two couples are Gordy and Dorthy, and Dave and Dee Dee. They were actually Denny and Bev's friends who lived / worked in Peotone. Jim and Linda really didn't know them very well until we came here to Southern Aire RV Resort to see Denny and Bev back in 2006.

It was then that Jim and Linda really got to know Gordy, Dorthy, Dave and Dee Dee who were also down here at Southern Aire for a good part of the winter.

Well, to make a long story shorter, everyone seemed to really hit it off and through the years have become good friends. Since then, we have been coming here for at least 2 weeks every winter, and being that we get back up to Illinois every year, the Illinois Bunch have been coming to see us at the campground in Rantoul, when we're up there in the summer. :-)

So, now you know, and if I can get Jim to get out his camera and take a few photos, I'll try to post them here so you can put faces with the names.

Did you know that on this day in 1789, 69 members of Congress cast their ballots to elect George Washington the first president of the United States?

Good To Have Internet Again

Thonotosassa, FL.
67 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. cloudy, 30% chance of rain, NE wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

It sure is good to have Internet service again. You really don't know how  much you depend on it until you don't have it for awhile. One of the things that I missed the most was having the weather radar instantly available. Especially a week ago Tuesday, when we had some severe weather go through the area. Yeah, we had the TV on, and the guy was showing where the worst of the weather was heading, but the station was out of Tampa and he was mostly interested in that area. But, we were North of there in Bushnell, and when there are tornadoes in the area, it's good to be able to zoom in with the radar, right to your area.

Another thing I missed was reading all of the Blogs that I follow. I usually read them every day, but now, since I didn't have Internet for over a week, I'm way behind. In fact as of this morning, I've still got 3 days worth of blogs to catch up on. :-(

So, "What's been happening since we've been here", you ask? Well, yesterday, Jim helped Denny, (one of the Illinois Bunch), install a new TV antenna lead-in wire in Denny and Bev's Winnebago Brave. They were having trouble receiving stations and come to find out, there was a connection up in the roof and when Denny tugged a little on the cable up by the antenna, the connector on the end of the cable came off. Evidently the connector wasn't crimped on properly, because he said that he didn't pull hard on the cable.

While they were doing that, Linda went over and talked to Bev for awhile and got caught up on what's been happening since she had seen her last summer when we were up in Rantoul, IL.

After the new antenna cable was installed, Jim and Linda came back here and took naps. Then, at 4:00 Jim and Denny went over to Gordy's for "Happy Hour". ;-) After "Happy Hour", Jim, Linda, Denny and Gordy went to a Bob Evans Restaurant for dinner and conversation.

Then, it was TV and computers until bedtime.

Did you know that it was on this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with "That'll Be the Day."

Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit "American Pie," which refers to February 3, 1959 as "the day the music died."

I Hate Trying To Catch Up.

Thonotosassa, FL.
66 deg. clear, light SW breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. slight chance of rain, SW wind @ 5 mph.

I really hate trying to catch up. It's a big pain in the bumper trying to remember what happened every day, especially when it's been over a week like it has been this time. So..... I guess I'll just do a general post of what has happened and leave it at that. :-(

Finally after waiting for what seemed like forever, we left Highbanks Marina and Campground about 10:20, on Sunday, 1/23/11, and headed back to I-4 and turned SW on it. We were only on I-4 for a few miles before we turned off and headed West on Rt 46 to just before Mt Dora. There, we took US 441 around to the North of Mt Dora, and over to Leesburg where we turned South on US 27. Then it was Routes 33, 48 and 469 over to Bushnell. In Bushnell, we turned South on US 301, took it for a few miles and then turned off on Rt 673 and brought it here to the Escapees Club Sumter Oaks RV Park.


It was 12:05 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us abut 1 hour and 45 minutes to travel 72 miles. Not too bad considering that there were a lot of stop and go lights along the way and quite a bit of traffic in the Mt. Dora / Leesburg area.

Now, I really like the park in Bushnell, but if you're an AT&T customer, there is no Internet service and the phone service is really weak. Also, if you use your antenna for TV, there is almost no TV service in this area either. (Jim was only able to get CBS and ABC and, both of them cut out from time to time.)

The people are great, there's lots of things going on at the Clubhouse, such as potlucks, breakfasts, social hour, morning coffee, card games and entertainment, so that's a plus, but I'm not sure that the pluses outweigh the negatives.

While we were there, Jim and Linda went out to eat at restaurants in Bushnell a few times, went to a dinner at the Clubhouse and then on Friday, took CLT and went up to Wildwood, FL to see some old friends, Monte and Donna.

Both Jim and Linda said that it was really good to see them again. It had been a year, and they always enjoy catching up on what has happened since that last time they got together.

Yesterday at 10:10, we left Bushnell and headed South on US 301. It brought us right down here to the Southern Aire RV Park in Thonotosassa. It was a short drive of only 44 miles and it was 11:20 when we pulled up by the office.

Those of you that have followed this blog for a long time know that we come here almost every year to see the "Illinois Bunch". For those of you that don't know who the Illinois Bunch are, they're 3 couples from Illinois, (where Jim and Linda used to live), who come down here to Southern Aire during the winter. Through the years, they've become good friends and it's always good to see them down here in Florida as well as up in Illinois when we go up there in the summer.

Well, I guess that pretty much gets you caught up. I've got a very good Internet signal here so there shouldn't be any problems posting while we're here for the next 2 weeks.

Did you know that The name Thonotosassa comes from the Seminole-Creek words thlonto and sasse, meaning the place was a source of valuable flint?