Rantoul, IL.
71 deg. mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
About 10:00 yesterday Jim and Linda made it official. They went into the office at R & S and paid for Emrys. He's now theirs and I belong to R & S, at least temporally.
In the afternoon, the last items were moved from me into Emrys. Then Jim brought Justin, (the head mechanic), into me and did a kind of walk-thru so that he knew how all my systems worked. Then he and Jim went into Emrys and Justin showed Jim how everything worked in him.
Jim says there are a lot of neat things about Emrys but that I have some features that he doesn't have.
It was soon after that that both Jim and Linda came and said good-bye to me. I don't know for sure, but I think there were tears in both of their eyes. Linda told me not to worry because she was sure I'd find a new owner soon and would be back on the road again. Jim didn't say much but gave me a pat on my side as he walked away.
It's been good being owned by them for the last 6 years. We've gone some great places and seen some great things. Oh, we've had our problems but there wasn't anything that couldn't be worked out.
Now both myself and Jim and Linda are about to start in a new journey. Mine, I'm sure, will be at a slower pace, but Jim and Linda's will stay about the same, only with a newer, larger MH that will be more comfortable to live in.
Oh, and about this blog. Emrys said that he's willing to give it a try but it may take a little while before he makes his first post because he's not sure about what he's doing. He also doesn't know about starting a new blog, so I told him to just go ahead and post on this one for the time being until he gets more familiar with it.
About 2:45 Justin pulled Emrys out of the shop and took him around to the front of the building where CLT was waiting for him. Then, after hooking CLT up to him and checking all the lights, Jim and Linda were ready to leave.
It was kind of sad seeing them drive away in Emrys. I'll miss them both very much. :-(
But, enough of that!! I'm about to start a new adventure!!! Yep, I'm sure it won't be long before I'm back out on the road, so keep an eye out for me and wave, toot your RVs horn or flash it's lights as you pass. ;-)
I'll be watching for you. :-)
Oh and thank you so much for reading my blog. It's been great having so many followers.
A Point to Ponder : Why do black olives come in cans and green olives come in jars?
Showing posts with label CLT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CLT. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Rantoul, IL. to Mahomet, IL. and Then The Fun Began
Mahomet, IL.
61 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning... then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts around 20 mph by afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
It rained most of the morning yesterday and I thought for sure that Jim would have to unhook my utilities in the rain, but about 12:00 it stopped and we were able to Leave Rantoul without Jim getting wet. In fact within about a mile of the CG it wasn't even sprinkling any more.
The wind was blowing quite hard though so it took a little effort to stop from weaving all over my lane.
It was just 12:30 when we pulled into the parking lot at R & S so we traveled 24 miles in a half an hour.
As soon as Jim unhooked CLT from the back of me, Steve, (the shop foreman), pulled me around to the back of the building and into a service bay right next to the Newmar.
Then the fun began. Jim, Linda and a gal that works here at R & S, (I can't remember her name right now), started moving stuff from me into the Newmar.
What a job!!! None of the cabinets are the same size, some places where I have drawers there are doors and believe it or not, I have more basement storage than the 45' Newmar has!!! ;-) The Newmar does have some storage space under it's bed though, so some of the items that were in my basement can go there.
Everyone worked really hard all afternoon and then about 4:00 Steve and a mechanic switched Jim and Linda's sleep number mattress with the one in the Newmar, so they could spend the night in their new home.
So, I'm parked inside next to the Newmar. Jim and Linda spent the night in the new MH, (inside of the shop), and today the transfer of stuff will continue. I don't know how much longer it will take. Jim and Linda were really tired last night so they may have to take it a little easier today.
For dinner, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Hen House Restaurant here in Mahomet. They said the food was good but nothing special.
Oh, by the way, I did find out what the Newmar's name is. Come to find out, it's also a Celtic name like mine, so maybe we have some ancient connections. ;-)
"What is the name?" you ask. It's Emrys, which is pronounced Em ris in English.
I think I like that name. It seems to fit him well.
Did you know that on this day in 1884, the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island, in Brooklyn?
61 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning... then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts around 20 mph by afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
It rained most of the morning yesterday and I thought for sure that Jim would have to unhook my utilities in the rain, but about 12:00 it stopped and we were able to Leave Rantoul without Jim getting wet. In fact within about a mile of the CG it wasn't even sprinkling any more.
The wind was blowing quite hard though so it took a little effort to stop from weaving all over my lane.
It was just 12:30 when we pulled into the parking lot at R & S so we traveled 24 miles in a half an hour.
As soon as Jim unhooked CLT from the back of me, Steve, (the shop foreman), pulled me around to the back of the building and into a service bay right next to the Newmar.
Then the fun began. Jim, Linda and a gal that works here at R & S, (I can't remember her name right now), started moving stuff from me into the Newmar.
What a job!!! None of the cabinets are the same size, some places where I have drawers there are doors and believe it or not, I have more basement storage than the 45' Newmar has!!! ;-) The Newmar does have some storage space under it's bed though, so some of the items that were in my basement can go there.
Everyone worked really hard all afternoon and then about 4:00 Steve and a mechanic switched Jim and Linda's sleep number mattress with the one in the Newmar, so they could spend the night in their new home.
So, I'm parked inside next to the Newmar. Jim and Linda spent the night in the new MH, (inside of the shop), and today the transfer of stuff will continue. I don't know how much longer it will take. Jim and Linda were really tired last night so they may have to take it a little easier today.
For dinner, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Hen House Restaurant here in Mahomet. They said the food was good but nothing special.
Oh, by the way, I did find out what the Newmar's name is. Come to find out, it's also a Celtic name like mine, so maybe we have some ancient connections. ;-)
"What is the name?" you ask. It's Emrys, which is pronounced Em ris in English.
I think I like that name. It seems to fit him well.
Did you know that on this day in 1884, the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island, in Brooklyn?
Friday, June 10, 2011
I'm CLT
Rantoul, IL.
59 Deg. Scattered clouds, N. wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
I'm CLT!!! Most of the followers of this blog know who I am. I'm Jim and Linda's little Nissan Pickup truck that takes them where they want to go when we get to the campgrounds. When we're traveling, I have obediently followed along behind Myrddin for the last 6 years and tried not to cause any problems. In fact, I can't remember when I last even complained!!!
Well, that's about to change!!!!
As you probably know, Jim and Linda are going to trade Myrddin off on a new Motor Home!! Well, no one has asked me if I'll mind following a different Motor Home all over the country!!!! I like Myrddin and I'm not so sure that I want to put my trust in a complete stranger!! How do I know the MH will take me into consideration when making turns or going over bumps!! It might bash me into a post or something while turning or shake me to pieces going over speed bumps!!!!!
Besides that, Myrddin and I have become very good friends and like to sit and talk about our travels while we're parked at the campgrounds. Now who will I talk to when I'm feeling blue because Jim and Linda haven't used me for awhile or when it's past my service time and I'm feeling gunky? :-(
I just don't know why someone couldn't have at least let me know ahead of time that Myrddin was going to be traded. Then, maybe I could have prepared myself for the change. Now it looks like the trade is going to be made in the next few days, and I'm not ready!!!
Oh Me!!!! I sure hope this new Motorhome is nice!!!
Hmmmm!!! I wonder what it's name is????
Oh, Myrddin has asked me to tell you that Shirley and Paul decided to stay here a little longer. The place where they were going had storms go through the area and there were a lot of trees down and the power was out. Jim went over to their very nice 5th wheel and visited with them for awhile yesterday morning. He says that both of them are really nice folks, very interesting to talk to, and hopes to meet up with them again sometime. :-)
Speaking of storms, we had a nasty storm go through this area last night. Strong winds blowing lots of dust around, thunder and lightning and lots of rain. I haven't heard of any damage in this area, but it got pretty scary for a little while. :-o
Did you know that Myrddin has towed me 45,049 miles in the last 6 years?
59 Deg. Scattered clouds, N. wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
I'm CLT!!! Most of the followers of this blog know who I am. I'm Jim and Linda's little Nissan Pickup truck that takes them where they want to go when we get to the campgrounds. When we're traveling, I have obediently followed along behind Myrddin for the last 6 years and tried not to cause any problems. In fact, I can't remember when I last even complained!!!
Well, that's about to change!!!!
As you probably know, Jim and Linda are going to trade Myrddin off on a new Motor Home!! Well, no one has asked me if I'll mind following a different Motor Home all over the country!!!! I like Myrddin and I'm not so sure that I want to put my trust in a complete stranger!! How do I know the MH will take me into consideration when making turns or going over bumps!! It might bash me into a post or something while turning or shake me to pieces going over speed bumps!!!!!
Besides that, Myrddin and I have become very good friends and like to sit and talk about our travels while we're parked at the campgrounds. Now who will I talk to when I'm feeling blue because Jim and Linda haven't used me for awhile or when it's past my service time and I'm feeling gunky? :-(
I just don't know why someone couldn't have at least let me know ahead of time that Myrddin was going to be traded. Then, maybe I could have prepared myself for the change. Now it looks like the trade is going to be made in the next few days, and I'm not ready!!!
Oh Me!!!! I sure hope this new Motorhome is nice!!!
Hmmmm!!! I wonder what it's name is????
Oh, Myrddin has asked me to tell you that Shirley and Paul decided to stay here a little longer. The place where they were going had storms go through the area and there were a lot of trees down and the power was out. Jim went over to their very nice 5th wheel and visited with them for awhile yesterday morning. He says that both of them are really nice folks, very interesting to talk to, and hopes to meet up with them again sometime. :-)
Speaking of storms, we had a nasty storm go through this area last night. Strong winds blowing lots of dust around, thunder and lightning and lots of rain. I haven't heard of any damage in this area, but it got pretty scary for a little while. :-o
Did you know that Myrddin has towed me 45,049 miles in the last 6 years?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Why Did We Think Trading Motor Homes Was A Good Idea?
Rantoul, IL.
68 Deg mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda have been asking themselves,"Why did we think that trading Motor Homes was a good idea?" The last few days have been pretty much non stop work for both of them and to be honest, they're not used to doing much manual work any more.
Today, there was more packing of boxes and bags. Then after lunch, Jim drug a bunch of the tote boxes out of my basement and went over to tell Louise and Paul that when they had time, he was ready to move a bunch of boxes, totes and bags to the storage area over at the bathhouse. Well, they weren't busy right at that time so they said that they could help right away.
Paul's son Mark was visiting Paul and Louise and so he jumped on the ATV and took it over to where the little utility trailer was parked so Jim could hook it up to the ATV. They had to make 2 trips to the bathhouse to get all the stuff over there, but it didn't take too long with Paul and Mark helping Jim load and unload the trailer.
It sure was good of them to help Jim and Linda. By storing a lot of the stuff over there, they won't have to try to get everything packed into the Newmar over at the dealer's.lot and will be able to take their time doing it when they come back here.
Jim didn't get to see most of the NASCAR race but he said that this was more important. He did however get to see the last few laps.
When he got back here, he and Linda kind of just collapsed. Jim was pretty much worn out from working in the hot and humid weather and Linda from working on sorting things and moving boxes and bags the whole day. Then after resting for awhile Linda made a light meal,
Oh, and then after dinner, Jim took a little nap. :-)
About 8:30, Linda said that she had a taste for some ice cream so they took CLT and headed over to the Dairy Queen. It must have "hit the spot" because they were both smiling when they returned. ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1933, eager motorists parked their automobiles on the grounds of Park-In Theaters, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Crescent Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey?
Do you remember the Drive-ins? ;-)
68 Deg mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda have been asking themselves,"Why did we think that trading Motor Homes was a good idea?" The last few days have been pretty much non stop work for both of them and to be honest, they're not used to doing much manual work any more.
Today, there was more packing of boxes and bags. Then after lunch, Jim drug a bunch of the tote boxes out of my basement and went over to tell Louise and Paul that when they had time, he was ready to move a bunch of boxes, totes and bags to the storage area over at the bathhouse. Well, they weren't busy right at that time so they said that they could help right away.
Paul's son Mark was visiting Paul and Louise and so he jumped on the ATV and took it over to where the little utility trailer was parked so Jim could hook it up to the ATV. They had to make 2 trips to the bathhouse to get all the stuff over there, but it didn't take too long with Paul and Mark helping Jim load and unload the trailer.
It sure was good of them to help Jim and Linda. By storing a lot of the stuff over there, they won't have to try to get everything packed into the Newmar over at the dealer's.lot and will be able to take their time doing it when they come back here.
Jim didn't get to see most of the NASCAR race but he said that this was more important. He did however get to see the last few laps.
When he got back here, he and Linda kind of just collapsed. Jim was pretty much worn out from working in the hot and humid weather and Linda from working on sorting things and moving boxes and bags the whole day. Then after resting for awhile Linda made a light meal,
Oh, and then after dinner, Jim took a little nap. :-)
About 8:30, Linda said that she had a taste for some ice cream so they took CLT and headed over to the Dairy Queen. It must have "hit the spot" because they were both smiling when they returned. ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1933, eager motorists parked their automobiles on the grounds of Park-In Theaters, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Crescent Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey?
Do you remember the Drive-ins? ;-)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A Frustrating Day For Linda and Ten Years Ago
Rantoul, IL
61 Deg. clear, W. wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Some days are good and some are just plain frustrating!! :-(
Yesterday Linda spent most of the day on the phone trying to get someone to work on her Sharp Convection Microwave oven.
Now I have to make sure you understand that the folks that Linda called at Sharp were very nice and really tried to help. But, . . . . . when they gave Linda a number for a repair person in this area, is when the problems started.
Sharp is like most big companies in that when you call, you have to dial #3 for this choice, #4 for another choice, #1 for yet another and finally when you select the last choice you get to wait on hold before a human finally answers the phone and talks to you.
All of this takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
When Linda called Sharp and went through the above procedure, she got a nice gentleman who listened to the problem, told her that the oven would be repaired under warranty, gave her a job number and then gave her a phone number to call to contact a repair person in this area.
OK, Great, right? Nooooooo!!!!!
When Linda called the number the lady told her that they didn't work on that model number oven and hung up!!!!
So.. . . . . Linda goes through the whole Sharp dialing procedure again, gets another repair place phone number, calls that number and the person answering, tells her that they no longer do Sharp warranty work.
Linda calls Sharp again, goes through the whole procedure again gets yet another phone number for a repair facility, calls it and the lady that answers tells Linda that their shop is too far away from Rantoul and they can't come to repair the oven.!!!
Now, any of you that know Linda know that she is a very easy going person and it takes a lot to get her upset, but this last call did it!!!!
Soooooo . . . . . .once more she calls Sharp, goes through the whole dialing procedure and gets another person at Sharp. Now, , , , Linda is upset and she lets the person know in no uncertain terms how upset she is!!!! Well, this person at Sharp got the message and soon, Linda was talking to a supervisor!!!
This supervisor was very nice and apologizes for the problems Linda has been having. Then, she asks for Linda's phone number and says that she will call her back in just a short while.
She did, and when she called back, she told Linda that she had found a repair man here in Rantoul that would call Linda within an hour and make arrangements to come here to the campground today!!!! In less than an hour, Nathan Dawson who owns "Extended - Life Appliance Repair" called, found out exactly where we were in the campground, and then within a half an hour, was knocking on my door. ;-)
When Nathan came in, he wanted to know if either Jim or Linda was the president of Sharp or something because the lady from Sharp had made it perfectly clear that Linda's oven was to be worked on today and Sharp would be paying for everything. ;-)
Nathan found what he believes to be the problem and then called the supervisor at Sharp to tell her what he had found and what parts he needed. She told him that she would order the parts and would ship them to him with-in 3 or 4 days, if that would be alright with Linda and Jim.
So , , , , the parts are ordered and Nathan promised Linda and Jim that he would call and set up a time to install the parts as soon as he receives them. Then, it should be repaired in plenty of time for me to be ready to be taken to the dealer for the trade of the new RV.
All the folks that Linda talked to at Sharp were very nice. The whole problem was with the service people that they use to repair their appliances.
By the time Nathan left, it was about 4:30. Linda had not had a chance to even think about what to have for dinner, so Jim suggested that they just go out and pick up a sandwich someplace. After some consideration, it was decided that they would head down to Urbana, to the Steak 'n Shake.
While they were down there, they bought CLT (Cute Little Truck), a drink of 87 octane and then headed back here for an evening of TV and computers.
Did you know that on this date in 2001 Jim and Linda moved out of their almost empty house and into their Winnebago Chieftain Motor Home? Thus marking the beginning of what has been 10 great years of full-timing. :-)
61 Deg. clear, W. wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Some days are good and some are just plain frustrating!! :-(
Yesterday Linda spent most of the day on the phone trying to get someone to work on her Sharp Convection Microwave oven.
Now I have to make sure you understand that the folks that Linda called at Sharp were very nice and really tried to help. But, . . . . . when they gave Linda a number for a repair person in this area, is when the problems started.
Sharp is like most big companies in that when you call, you have to dial #3 for this choice, #4 for another choice, #1 for yet another and finally when you select the last choice you get to wait on hold before a human finally answers the phone and talks to you.
All of this takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
When Linda called Sharp and went through the above procedure, she got a nice gentleman who listened to the problem, told her that the oven would be repaired under warranty, gave her a job number and then gave her a phone number to call to contact a repair person in this area.
OK, Great, right? Nooooooo!!!!!
When Linda called the number the lady told her that they didn't work on that model number oven and hung up!!!!
So.. . . . . Linda goes through the whole Sharp dialing procedure again, gets another repair place phone number, calls that number and the person answering, tells her that they no longer do Sharp warranty work.
Linda calls Sharp again, goes through the whole procedure again gets yet another phone number for a repair facility, calls it and the lady that answers tells Linda that their shop is too far away from Rantoul and they can't come to repair the oven.!!!
Now, any of you that know Linda know that she is a very easy going person and it takes a lot to get her upset, but this last call did it!!!!
Soooooo . . . . . .once more she calls Sharp, goes through the whole dialing procedure and gets another person at Sharp. Now, , , , Linda is upset and she lets the person know in no uncertain terms how upset she is!!!! Well, this person at Sharp got the message and soon, Linda was talking to a supervisor!!!
This supervisor was very nice and apologizes for the problems Linda has been having. Then, she asks for Linda's phone number and says that she will call her back in just a short while.
She did, and when she called back, she told Linda that she had found a repair man here in Rantoul that would call Linda within an hour and make arrangements to come here to the campground today!!!! In less than an hour, Nathan Dawson who owns "Extended - Life Appliance Repair" called, found out exactly where we were in the campground, and then within a half an hour, was knocking on my door. ;-)
When Nathan came in, he wanted to know if either Jim or Linda was the president of Sharp or something because the lady from Sharp had made it perfectly clear that Linda's oven was to be worked on today and Sharp would be paying for everything. ;-)
Nathan found what he believes to be the problem and then called the supervisor at Sharp to tell her what he had found and what parts he needed. She told him that she would order the parts and would ship them to him with-in 3 or 4 days, if that would be alright with Linda and Jim.
So , , , , the parts are ordered and Nathan promised Linda and Jim that he would call and set up a time to install the parts as soon as he receives them. Then, it should be repaired in plenty of time for me to be ready to be taken to the dealer for the trade of the new RV.
All the folks that Linda talked to at Sharp were very nice. The whole problem was with the service people that they use to repair their appliances.
By the time Nathan left, it was about 4:30. Linda had not had a chance to even think about what to have for dinner, so Jim suggested that they just go out and pick up a sandwich someplace. After some consideration, it was decided that they would head down to Urbana, to the Steak 'n Shake.
While they were down there, they bought CLT (Cute Little Truck), a drink of 87 octane and then headed back here for an evening of TV and computers.
Did you know that on this date in 2001 Jim and Linda moved out of their almost empty house and into their Winnebago Chieftain Motor Home? Thus marking the beginning of what has been 10 great years of full-timing. :-)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
A Slow Tuesday, Door Bangers and A Slow Wednesday
Apex, NC
50 Deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday was a very slow day, so I didn't post to the Blog. About the only things that happened was that Jim and Linda went to the Rite Aid drug store to pick up a few items and then went next door to the Food Lion Grocery store to pick up a few essentials that they were out of.
The evening was spent having dinner with Joe and his family and then watching TV until bedtime.
I'm going to change the subject here and ask you a question.
Have you ever been parked next to an RV where the people are "door slammers"?
Yeah, you know the type. They can't close an entry door or a bay door on their RV without slamming it shut!!
Awhile back we were parked next to a couple that couldn't close even one door without slamming it!! And, to top it off, at one point, they must have been looking for something in one of their basement compartments because they went from one door to the next, opening it, looking, and then slamming it shut!
This went on almost the whole time that they were parked next to me. :-(
I just don't understand why that's necessary. It causes extra wear and tear on the doors, plus it disturbs anyone near them with the constant banging noise. If the doors don't close right, get them adjusted. If you're just too lazy to bend over and close the doors without slamming them shut, maybe you should get a site way back at the rear of the CG where there is no one near you to disturb.
OK, I'll get off of my soap box now. Just had to vent. :-)
Still nothing going on yesterday. Jim fooled around outside for awhile, straightening out some stuff in the back of CLT, Linda read some and worked on her recipe database for awhile and then for dinner they went into the house and had hamburgers that Nancy cooked on the grill.
Then, after eating, they talked and watched TV until about 9:00. Then, they came back out here and watched some more TV until bedtime.
A really interesting day!! ;-)
Oh, I almost forgot!! After Amber got home from school yesterday, she came out here and asked Jim if he would take here over to the golf course so she could play nine holes before dinner. Joe has introduced her to golf and from what I understand, she's getting pretty good at it and really likes the sport.
Did you know that today is "National Nutty Fudge Day"?
50 Deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday was a very slow day, so I didn't post to the Blog. About the only things that happened was that Jim and Linda went to the Rite Aid drug store to pick up a few items and then went next door to the Food Lion Grocery store to pick up a few essentials that they were out of.
The evening was spent having dinner with Joe and his family and then watching TV until bedtime.
I'm going to change the subject here and ask you a question.
Have you ever been parked next to an RV where the people are "door slammers"?
Yeah, you know the type. They can't close an entry door or a bay door on their RV without slamming it shut!!
Awhile back we were parked next to a couple that couldn't close even one door without slamming it!! And, to top it off, at one point, they must have been looking for something in one of their basement compartments because they went from one door to the next, opening it, looking, and then slamming it shut!
This went on almost the whole time that they were parked next to me. :-(
I just don't understand why that's necessary. It causes extra wear and tear on the doors, plus it disturbs anyone near them with the constant banging noise. If the doors don't close right, get them adjusted. If you're just too lazy to bend over and close the doors without slamming them shut, maybe you should get a site way back at the rear of the CG where there is no one near you to disturb.
OK, I'll get off of my soap box now. Just had to vent. :-)
Still nothing going on yesterday. Jim fooled around outside for awhile, straightening out some stuff in the back of CLT, Linda read some and worked on her recipe database for awhile and then for dinner they went into the house and had hamburgers that Nancy cooked on the grill.
Then, after eating, they talked and watched TV until about 9:00. Then, they came back out here and watched some more TV until bedtime.
A really interesting day!! ;-)
Oh, I almost forgot!! After Amber got home from school yesterday, she came out here and asked Jim if he would take here over to the golf course so she could play nine holes before dinner. Joe has introduced her to golf and from what I understand, she's getting pretty good at it and really likes the sport.
Did you know that today is "National Nutty Fudge Day"?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Good Timing, Gin And Syl and Jim And Dee
Apex, NC
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
I think it was about 1:45 when they left here and headed up to the Raleigh State Fairgrounds. CLT said that it took about 45 minutes to get up there and find the new CG. He also said that it's a lot nicer than the old CG where we had stayed at 3 or 4 years ago, and was away from the busy road and all the traffic.
Jim took this photo of Dee and Jim standing outside of their very nice Cameo 5th wheel.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Grocery Shopping, Company Coming and An Invitation
Apex, NC
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Dinner With Jenny And Her Family
Bluff City, TN
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent
It was just noon when Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and headed to Mountain City. Because Jenny's sister's house, (where the Easter dinner was to be held), was kind of off the beaten path, they decided to go to Jenny and Don's first, spend a little time with them, and then follow them over there.
They took 19 down to Elizabethton and then 67 up to Mountain City. It was a very scenic drive over there with a good portion of the route following along side of a large lake. Other sections of the route followed small streams and rivers as the road wound up, over and around the mountains. It was just 1:00 when they got to Mountain City and just a few minutes after when they pulled into the driveway at Don and Jenny's.
Don has done a great job rebuilding this house and has made it into a really nice home. There is also a large building out back where Don stores all his lawn cutting equipment.
After visiting for awhile, they all headed over to Jenny's sister's house with Don leading the way and CLT following along behind.
After driving for about 15 minutes they arrived at Mae's house and went inside to meet everyone. There they met 3 of Jenny's sisters and one of her brothers along with Jenny's sister-in-law and 2 of her brothers-in-law. They also met 1 of Jenny's nephews, "Uncle Bill," and her grand niece and namesake. (the baby shares Jenny's middle name of Rose).
About 2:30, all the food was brought out and placed on the kitchen counters and everyone helped themselves to a great home cooked meal. :-) Jim and Linda said that there was enough food to feed twice as many people and everything that they had was just great!!!
As you can see by these 2 photos, there we all kinds of vegetables and salads along with mashed potatoes, ham, beef, and about 5 or 6 delicious deserts,
After the meal, everyone sat and talked for awhile. In the photo below, you see Linda, Jenny and Jenny's sister-in-law, Imogene.
Jenny's grand niece however, decided that it was nap time. ;-)
About 4:30 everyone started packing up food and carrying it out to their cars and by 5:00 most everyone had said their good-bye's and were starting to leave.
Jim and Linda were so pleased to be welcomed into this warm family gathering. Everyone was so nice and welcomed them with open arms.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! :-)
When it was time to leave, Don told Jim about a shorter way to get back here to the CG in Bluff City. He said that Jim should turn CLT to the left at the end of the driveway and follow Cross Mountain Road up to the top of the mountain and then take another left and it would bring them right into Elizabethton and then back here to the CG.
So. . . . that's what Jim did, and wow!!! Talk about scenic!!!!
CLT said that the road wound up and up and around and around. Some of the grades were so steep that after taking curves at 10 to 20 mph, Jim had to put CLT's transmission all the way down into 1st gear to get going again!! The scenery was spectacular and when they reached the top, there was a little gravel pull-off and this is what the view was like.
Now, it doesn't show up very well in this photo, but it's a long way down there to the bottom. The air was nice and cool with a little breeze blowing and there was not a sound to be heard except for the singing of the birds.
Beautiful country. ;-)
It was about 6:00 when Jim backed CLT in along side of me. Jenny sent some food home with Jim and Linda and after getting it put away, they both sat down and talked about what a great day they had. After a while, Linda drank one of her "shakes" and Jim had a delicious ham sandwich. ;-)
Thanks again, Jenny and Don, for the great meal and the wonderful hospitality. Jim and Linda will remember this day for many years to come.
Did you know that it was in the early 1700's, when for the first time, eggs were dyed and the credit for starting this practice in America can be attributed to Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent
It was just noon when Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and headed to Mountain City. Because Jenny's sister's house, (where the Easter dinner was to be held), was kind of off the beaten path, they decided to go to Jenny and Don's first, spend a little time with them, and then follow them over there.
They took 19 down to Elizabethton and then 67 up to Mountain City. It was a very scenic drive over there with a good portion of the route following along side of a large lake. Other sections of the route followed small streams and rivers as the road wound up, over and around the mountains. It was just 1:00 when they got to Mountain City and just a few minutes after when they pulled into the driveway at Don and Jenny's.
After visiting for awhile, they all headed over to Jenny's sister's house with Don leading the way and CLT following along behind.
About 2:30, all the food was brought out and placed on the kitchen counters and everyone helped themselves to a great home cooked meal. :-) Jim and Linda said that there was enough food to feed twice as many people and everything that they had was just great!!!
Jim and Linda were so pleased to be welcomed into this warm family gathering. Everyone was so nice and welcomed them with open arms.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! :-)
When it was time to leave, Don told Jim about a shorter way to get back here to the CG in Bluff City. He said that Jim should turn CLT to the left at the end of the driveway and follow Cross Mountain Road up to the top of the mountain and then take another left and it would bring them right into Elizabethton and then back here to the CG.
So. . . . that's what Jim did, and wow!!! Talk about scenic!!!!
CLT said that the road wound up and up and around and around. Some of the grades were so steep that after taking curves at 10 to 20 mph, Jim had to put CLT's transmission all the way down into 1st gear to get going again!! The scenery was spectacular and when they reached the top, there was a little gravel pull-off and this is what the view was like.
Beautiful country. ;-)
It was about 6:00 when Jim backed CLT in along side of me. Jenny sent some food home with Jim and Linda and after getting it put away, they both sat down and talked about what a great day they had. After a while, Linda drank one of her "shakes" and Jim had a delicious ham sandwich. ;-)
Thanks again, Jenny and Don, for the great meal and the wonderful hospitality. Jim and Linda will remember this day for many years to come.
Did you know that it was in the early 1700's, when for the first time, eggs were dyed and the credit for starting this practice in America can be attributed to Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter and Nothing Exciting Yesterday
Bluff City, TN.
54 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
Happy Easter!!! I hope all of you have a great day!!! :-)
Nothing exciting yesterday. Linda did couple loads of laundry, Jim checked a few things out on me, and dumped my tanks after Linda was done with the laundry.
For dinner, Jim cooked a couple burgers on the grill and then they watched TV until bedtime.
Oh, they did go to a gas station and get CLT (Cute Little Truck), a drink. And then, since they were out and about, they stopped at the grocery store and picked up bread and a few other things.
Today, Jim and Linda will take CLT and head to Mountain City for Easter dinner with Jenny and her family. It's about 40 miles over there, so Jim says that they'll probably leave here about Noon or a little after. They'll be going to Don and Jenny's house first and then to Jenny's sister's house for the dinner.
Jim and Linda are both looking forward to it. :-)
Did you know that from the very early times, egg has been considered to be the most important symbol of rebirth?
I hope you have a great Easter and can share it with family and friends.
54 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly cloudy, SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
Happy Easter!!! I hope all of you have a great day!!! :-)
Nothing exciting yesterday. Linda did couple loads of laundry, Jim checked a few things out on me, and dumped my tanks after Linda was done with the laundry.
For dinner, Jim cooked a couple burgers on the grill and then they watched TV until bedtime.
Oh, they did go to a gas station and get CLT (Cute Little Truck), a drink. And then, since they were out and about, they stopped at the grocery store and picked up bread and a few other things.
Today, Jim and Linda will take CLT and head to Mountain City for Easter dinner with Jenny and her family. It's about 40 miles over there, so Jim says that they'll probably leave here about Noon or a little after. They'll be going to Don and Jenny's house first and then to Jenny's sister's house for the dinner.
Jim and Linda are both looking forward to it. :-)
Did you know that from the very early times, egg has been considered to be the most important symbol of rebirth?
I hope you have a great Easter and can share it with family and friends.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Roof Check and Shopping Trips
Orange City, FL.
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. sunny, W. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.
Ahhhh!!!! Nice weather for a change!!!!! Not too hot yesterday with a nice breeze blowing, lots of sunshine and low humidity.
One of the first things Jim did yesterday was to roll out my awnings. When it rains as hard as it did the last few days, they tend to get wet even when rolled up, so he wanted to dry them out. Then after the sun dried my roof off, he went up there and checked for any damage that may have occurred when that small branch fell on me the other day.
I'm happy to say, that there apparently was no damage, and in fact, Jim couldn't even see a mark where it hit me. :-)
About 10:00 Jim took CLT and headed into town and to the farmers market at the park. He wanted to get some more of that kohlrabi that he had bought last week and Linda was also out of tomatoes and onions. All items were found and purchased.
From the farmers market, he went to ACE Hardware and picked up a few things before coming back here.
In the afternoon, Laura came over, picked up Linda and took her shopping for clothes at the Mall in Sanford. You see, Linda has been losing some weight and some of her clothes didn't fit any more. She has been working really hard on losing the weight and Jim , CLT and I are really proud of her. :-)
Good job, Linda!!!
While she and Laura were shopping, Jim and CLT headed over to a Office Depot store to try to find a new lap desk for Jim to use with this laptop computer. The one he has now, he's had for a few years and it's starting to crack down the middle. But, Jim couldn't find one at the store, there were a lot of people shopping with only a few employees taking care of the customers, and so with no one available to ask about the desks, Jim finally just walked out of the store.
He was also going to buy ink cartridges for the printer, printer paper, and a few other items, but since he couldn't get any service, he didn't buy them either. It's their loss because there are other stores like Staples and Office Max in the area and I'm sure one of them will have the items he needs.
Soon after Jim got back, Linda and Laura came back from their shopping trip. They were much more successful and in fact found a big sale on many of the items that Linda purchased. :-)
For dinner, Jim cooked hamburgers on the grill while Linda made a salad for Jim and heated up some left-over kohlrabi for herself. The evening was spent in the usual way. TV, computers, reading and sewing.
Did you know that this first week in April is "International Pooper-Scooper Week"? ;-)
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. sunny, W. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.
Ahhhh!!!! Nice weather for a change!!!!! Not too hot yesterday with a nice breeze blowing, lots of sunshine and low humidity.
One of the first things Jim did yesterday was to roll out my awnings. When it rains as hard as it did the last few days, they tend to get wet even when rolled up, so he wanted to dry them out. Then after the sun dried my roof off, he went up there and checked for any damage that may have occurred when that small branch fell on me the other day.
I'm happy to say, that there apparently was no damage, and in fact, Jim couldn't even see a mark where it hit me. :-)
About 10:00 Jim took CLT and headed into town and to the farmers market at the park. He wanted to get some more of that kohlrabi that he had bought last week and Linda was also out of tomatoes and onions. All items were found and purchased.
From the farmers market, he went to ACE Hardware and picked up a few things before coming back here.
In the afternoon, Laura came over, picked up Linda and took her shopping for clothes at the Mall in Sanford. You see, Linda has been losing some weight and some of her clothes didn't fit any more. She has been working really hard on losing the weight and Jim , CLT and I are really proud of her. :-)
Good job, Linda!!!
While she and Laura were shopping, Jim and CLT headed over to a Office Depot store to try to find a new lap desk for Jim to use with this laptop computer. The one he has now, he's had for a few years and it's starting to crack down the middle. But, Jim couldn't find one at the store, there were a lot of people shopping with only a few employees taking care of the customers, and so with no one available to ask about the desks, Jim finally just walked out of the store.
He was also going to buy ink cartridges for the printer, printer paper, and a few other items, but since he couldn't get any service, he didn't buy them either. It's their loss because there are other stores like Staples and Office Max in the area and I'm sure one of them will have the items he needs.
Soon after Jim got back, Linda and Laura came back from their shopping trip. They were much more successful and in fact found a big sale on many of the items that Linda purchased. :-)
For dinner, Jim cooked hamburgers on the grill while Linda made a salad for Jim and heated up some left-over kohlrabi for herself. The evening was spent in the usual way. TV, computers, reading and sewing.
Did you know that this first week in April is "International Pooper-Scooper Week"? ;-)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
A Slow Monday, But A Busy Tuesday
Orange City, FL.
66 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. mostly cloudy with showers likely with T-storms likely. S winds @ 10 to 15 mph with damaging winds during storms.
Didn't post a blog yesterday because absolutely nothing happened Monday. It rained almost all day and Jim and Linda just spent the whole day inside of me.
Now, yesterday was a little different. It started with Jim taking CLT (Cute Little Truck), and heading over to Winn Dixie in the morning to pick up a few essentials that he and Linda were out of. (You know, bread, milk and that sort of thing).
Then, after lunch, Jim took CLT up to Deland, FL to the McGee Tire Center to try to find out what was wrong with him. You see, CLT had developed a vibration and Jim was concerned that there might be a problem with one of CLT's tires. :-( Well, come to find out, it seems like his tires are OK for now, but needed balancing. Also while CLT was up on the hoist, the mechanic found a rear shock absorber that was bad.
Tires out of balance and a bad shock could definitely cause a vibration, so the rear shocks were changed and the tires balanced and now, without going out on the Interstate, it seems like the vibration is gone. :-)
Well, that took a couple of hours and then when Jim and CLT got back here, Linda informed Jim that the Wally World Vision Center had called and told her that her new glasses were ready to be picked up.
So . . . . .off they went to Wally World and in about an hour, they were back here with Linda's new glasses. Linda says that she can see much better with these glasses and is really glad that she went in and got new ones. :-)
By this time it was getting close to dinner time, so Linda made tacos.
After dinner, Jim took a nap, (he had missed his afternoon nap), ;-) and then it was TV, computers and projects until bedtime.
Whew!!! A busy and very productive day!! :-)
"What was I doing yesterday?" You ask. Well, I was just sitting here thinking about going up to the Rally and wondering what routes Jim has planned for us to take up there. I'm also wondering what my site will be like up at the rally and if it will be near some friendly RVs that I'll be able to talk to? I sure hope the park is nice and we have good weather.
Oh, and you know what? Even though I haven't been here very long, my tires are starting to itch again!! :-( Yep, my right front tire started itching Monday and now my right rear duals are starting to itch too!!! :-(
Did you know that it was on this date in 1981 that President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by a deranged drifter named John Hinckley Jr.? The 22 caliber bullet just missed his heart.
66 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. mostly cloudy with showers likely with T-storms likely. S winds @ 10 to 15 mph with damaging winds during storms.
Didn't post a blog yesterday because absolutely nothing happened Monday. It rained almost all day and Jim and Linda just spent the whole day inside of me.
Now, yesterday was a little different. It started with Jim taking CLT (Cute Little Truck), and heading over to Winn Dixie in the morning to pick up a few essentials that he and Linda were out of. (You know, bread, milk and that sort of thing).
Then, after lunch, Jim took CLT up to Deland, FL to the McGee Tire Center to try to find out what was wrong with him. You see, CLT had developed a vibration and Jim was concerned that there might be a problem with one of CLT's tires. :-( Well, come to find out, it seems like his tires are OK for now, but needed balancing. Also while CLT was up on the hoist, the mechanic found a rear shock absorber that was bad.
Tires out of balance and a bad shock could definitely cause a vibration, so the rear shocks were changed and the tires balanced and now, without going out on the Interstate, it seems like the vibration is gone. :-)
Well, that took a couple of hours and then when Jim and CLT got back here, Linda informed Jim that the Wally World Vision Center had called and told her that her new glasses were ready to be picked up.
So . . . . .off they went to Wally World and in about an hour, they were back here with Linda's new glasses. Linda says that she can see much better with these glasses and is really glad that she went in and got new ones. :-)
By this time it was getting close to dinner time, so Linda made tacos.
After dinner, Jim took a nap, (he had missed his afternoon nap), ;-) and then it was TV, computers and projects until bedtime.
Whew!!! A busy and very productive day!! :-)
"What was I doing yesterday?" You ask. Well, I was just sitting here thinking about going up to the Rally and wondering what routes Jim has planned for us to take up there. I'm also wondering what my site will be like up at the rally and if it will be near some friendly RVs that I'll be able to talk to? I sure hope the park is nice and we have good weather.
Oh, and you know what? Even though I haven't been here very long, my tires are starting to itch again!! :-( Yep, my right front tire started itching Monday and now my right rear duals are starting to itch too!!! :-(
Did you know that it was on this date in 1981 that President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by a deranged drifter named John Hinckley Jr.? The 22 caliber bullet just missed his heart.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
A Little Repair, Panic!! but All Is Well
Orange City, FL.
60 deg. some fog, partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. sunny, SW wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Jim replaced one of CLT's (Cute Little Truck's), tail light bulb yesterday morning. CLT has 2 tail light bulbs on each side and one of them had quit working quite awhile ago, but since the other one on that side was still working, Jim just kind of let it slide. After removing the 2 bolts that hold the tail light assembly on, from the inside of the truck bed, it was a simple matter of removing the old bulb and replacing it with a new one.
In fact, it went so easy, one has to wonder why Jim kept putting this little chore off. :-?
OK, I can hear some of you asking, "Where did Jim get the new bulb, didn't he have to go to the auto parts store and buy one"?
The answer to that is, no, he didn't have to go get one because he carries, (or rather I carry), a large assortment of bulbs, fuses, wire connectors, and wire in one of those tote boxes down in my basement. He also has accumulated some extra parts for CLT and myself that are in the tote too. In fact, there are 2 tote boxes down there that have parts/supplies for both myself and CLT.
Jim likes to be prepared, (as much as possible), for those little repairs that may be needed as we travel. Of course you can't be prepared for everything and sometimes it seems like you never have the right part or supply. :-(
Yesterday afternoon, started out just fine. It was about 2:45 and Jim had lain down about 2:00 to take a little nap. Linda was working on her latest embroidery project, when all of a sudden, she remembered that she had an appointment at 2:15, over at the Wal-Mart Vision Center to have her eyes checked for possible new glasses!!!!!
Oh No!!!! Panic!!!! She was already 1/2 hour late, Jim was sleeping and of course neither of them were ready to head over there!!!! Now what to do?????? :-O
Well, Linda went in and woke Jim up, both she and Jim quickly got ready, and with in about 15 minutes, they were out of my door and on their way to Wally World to see if she they could still get her in!!!
Well, they had to wait quite awhile, but the people at the Vision Center were very understanding and Linda did get her eyes checked and new glasses are now ordered. :-)
I don't think this has ever happened to Linda or Jim before. Both of them completely forgot about the appointment, and Linda still doesn't know what made her think of it when she did.
Jim says that he thinks it was a case of CRS or OTD. (Can't remember Sh*t or Old Timers Disease). ;-)
It was well after 5:00 by the time they returned here to the park, so Jim fired up the grill, threw on a brat and a hot dog, and by a little after 6:00 they were sitting at my kitchen table, enjoying a nice relaxing meal. (Linda had put together a salad and got out some chips while Jim was doing the cooking).
The evening was much more relaxed. Mostly watching TV, surfing the Internet, and working on projects. ;-)
Did you know that when you're in your 20s, you begin to lose brain cells a few at a time? Your body also starts to make less of the chemicals your brain cells need to work. The older you are, the more these changes can affect your memory.
.
Aging may affect memory by changing the way the brain stores information and by making it harder to recall stored information.
.
Your short-term and remote memories aren't usually affected by aging. But your recent memory may be affected. For example, you may forget names of people you've met today or where you set your keys. These are normal changes.
60 deg. some fog, partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. sunny, SW wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Jim replaced one of CLT's (Cute Little Truck's), tail light bulb yesterday morning. CLT has 2 tail light bulbs on each side and one of them had quit working quite awhile ago, but since the other one on that side was still working, Jim just kind of let it slide. After removing the 2 bolts that hold the tail light assembly on, from the inside of the truck bed, it was a simple matter of removing the old bulb and replacing it with a new one.
In fact, it went so easy, one has to wonder why Jim kept putting this little chore off. :-?
OK, I can hear some of you asking, "Where did Jim get the new bulb, didn't he have to go to the auto parts store and buy one"?
The answer to that is, no, he didn't have to go get one because he carries, (or rather I carry), a large assortment of bulbs, fuses, wire connectors, and wire in one of those tote boxes down in my basement. He also has accumulated some extra parts for CLT and myself that are in the tote too. In fact, there are 2 tote boxes down there that have parts/supplies for both myself and CLT.
Jim likes to be prepared, (as much as possible), for those little repairs that may be needed as we travel. Of course you can't be prepared for everything and sometimes it seems like you never have the right part or supply. :-(
Yesterday afternoon, started out just fine. It was about 2:45 and Jim had lain down about 2:00 to take a little nap. Linda was working on her latest embroidery project, when all of a sudden, she remembered that she had an appointment at 2:15, over at the Wal-Mart Vision Center to have her eyes checked for possible new glasses!!!!!
Oh No!!!! Panic!!!! She was already 1/2 hour late, Jim was sleeping and of course neither of them were ready to head over there!!!! Now what to do?????? :-O
Well, Linda went in and woke Jim up, both she and Jim quickly got ready, and with in about 15 minutes, they were out of my door and on their way to Wally World to see if she they could still get her in!!!
Well, they had to wait quite awhile, but the people at the Vision Center were very understanding and Linda did get her eyes checked and new glasses are now ordered. :-)
I don't think this has ever happened to Linda or Jim before. Both of them completely forgot about the appointment, and Linda still doesn't know what made her think of it when she did.
Jim says that he thinks it was a case of CRS or OTD. (Can't remember Sh*t or Old Timers Disease). ;-)
It was well after 5:00 by the time they returned here to the park, so Jim fired up the grill, threw on a brat and a hot dog, and by a little after 6:00 they were sitting at my kitchen table, enjoying a nice relaxing meal. (Linda had put together a salad and got out some chips while Jim was doing the cooking).
The evening was much more relaxed. Mostly watching TV, surfing the Internet, and working on projects. ;-)
Did you know that when you're in your 20s, you begin to lose brain cells a few at a time? Your body also starts to make less of the chemicals your brain cells need to work. The older you are, the more these changes can affect your memory.
.
Aging may affect memory by changing the way the brain stores information and by making it harder to recall stored information.
.
Your short-term and remote memories aren't usually affected by aging. But your recent memory may be affected. For example, you may forget names of people you've met today or where you set your keys. These are normal changes.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Happy Birthday Jeff, and A Little Of This And A Little Of That
Orange City, FL.
57 deg. clear, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. mostly sunny, E. wind @ 5 to 10 mph with 20 mph gusts.
Not a whole lot to write about again today. Again, Jim stayed inside most of the day because of his allergies, and the fact that it was windy which always blows a lot of pollen around, making them worse.
So, he did a little cleaning inside of me, defrosted my ice maker, and watched the race on TV.
While he was doing that, Linda was working on the computer, her embroidery project and also doing some cleaning and straightening up inside of me.
Sometime, in the middle of the afternoon, Jim's son Jeff called from Portland, OR. You see, today is Jeff's birthday and he knew that Jim would be trying to call him, but he and Heather are heading out to the coast for a week of rest and relaxation this morning, so he called here. :-)
It sounds like both he and Heather are doing well. Both have been very busy, (Heather with teaching at the college and Jeff working at the bicycle shop), and this is the last chance they'll get to take some time off for quite some time. You see, Heather is on Spring Break this week, and the bicycle season is just about to get into full swing out there.
I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but Portland, OR, is a very bike friendly city. Many, many people ride bikes out there for everyday transportation and there are bicycle lanes on many major streets and roads. Both Jeff and Heather ride almost everywhere they go and only use Heather's car for longer trips or when the weather makes bicycling impossible. (Things like ice and snow or very cold weather. Rain doesn't stop them from riding.)
Next year, (2012), we are hoping to go out to Portland. It was 2008 when we were last out there and Jim and Linda miss Jeff and Heather a lot. Hopefully the fuel prices won't go too high and we'll be able to go. :-(
After the NASCAR race was over yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to the Publix grocery store to pick up milk and a few other items. They found some things that they use that were on sale, so they bought a little more than they had planned, but were able to get all the groceries into my cabinets without any problems. ;-)
I doubt of much will be happening around here today. It's supposed to be quite windy again so Jim will probably stay inside.
Did you know that Portland is often awarded the "Greenest City in America", and ranks among the world's top 10 greenest cities?
Happy Birthday, Jeff!!! :-)
57 deg. clear, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. mostly sunny, E. wind @ 5 to 10 mph with 20 mph gusts.
Not a whole lot to write about again today. Again, Jim stayed inside most of the day because of his allergies, and the fact that it was windy which always blows a lot of pollen around, making them worse.
So, he did a little cleaning inside of me, defrosted my ice maker, and watched the race on TV.
While he was doing that, Linda was working on the computer, her embroidery project and also doing some cleaning and straightening up inside of me.
Sometime, in the middle of the afternoon, Jim's son Jeff called from Portland, OR. You see, today is Jeff's birthday and he knew that Jim would be trying to call him, but he and Heather are heading out to the coast for a week of rest and relaxation this morning, so he called here. :-)
It sounds like both he and Heather are doing well. Both have been very busy, (Heather with teaching at the college and Jeff working at the bicycle shop), and this is the last chance they'll get to take some time off for quite some time. You see, Heather is on Spring Break this week, and the bicycle season is just about to get into full swing out there.
I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but Portland, OR, is a very bike friendly city. Many, many people ride bikes out there for everyday transportation and there are bicycle lanes on many major streets and roads. Both Jeff and Heather ride almost everywhere they go and only use Heather's car for longer trips or when the weather makes bicycling impossible. (Things like ice and snow or very cold weather. Rain doesn't stop them from riding.)
Next year, (2012), we are hoping to go out to Portland. It was 2008 when we were last out there and Jim and Linda miss Jeff and Heather a lot. Hopefully the fuel prices won't go too high and we'll be able to go. :-(
After the NASCAR race was over yesterday afternoon, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to the Publix grocery store to pick up milk and a few other items. They found some things that they use that were on sale, so they bought a little more than they had planned, but were able to get all the groceries into my cabinets without any problems. ;-)
I doubt of much will be happening around here today. It's supposed to be quite windy again so Jim will probably stay inside.
Did you know that Portland is often awarded the "Greenest City in America", and ranks among the world's top 10 greenest cities?
Happy Birthday, Jeff!!! :-)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Trying To See Inside and Servicing My Air Filter
Orange City, FL.
56 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. becoming mostly sunny with NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Through one of my living room windows, Jim snapped this photo of this squirrel yesterday. He spends a lot of time on this tree and seems to be trying to see inside of me. He hasn't bothered anything yet, but I'm watching him. These little guys can be a real problem if they decide to take up residence on top of an engine or something. Some of them love to chew on wires. :-(
It got quite warm here yesterday. The temperature got up around the mid 80s and the humidity seemed higher than it has been in the past. Except for a short time in the afternoon though, it was pretty nice out under my awning.
Jim dug his bike out of the back of CLT, (Cute Little Truck), yesterday. He rode it a little, but needs to get the air compressor out and fill up the tires before riding it any more. The bike's back tire looked a little low to me.
Jim also removed my engine air filter yesterday afternoon. Now, this is something that they would normally have done when I was seeing my mechanic down in Lakeland, but Jim told them that he would take care of it.
"Why would he do that", you ask? Well, getting to and removing my air filter is not a difficult job, but is very time consuming. So, rather than pay a mechanic to remove it at close to $100 an hour, Jim decided to do it when we got here to Orange City. There is also a truck parts store near here in DeLand where Jim can get a new filter at less cost than my mechanic would charge.
So . . . . It was kind of a no brainer. . . all it would take is a little of Jim's time to save quite a few dollars. And, it's not like he has a lot to do on his schedule. ;-)
The old filter element is now in the back of CLT and I imagine that Jim will head to DeLand to get a new one this morning. There's really no hurry though, I'm not going anywhere for the next 2 1/2 weeks anyway.
For dinner last night, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill, (that he and Linda shared), while Linda put together some salads, cooked a little asparagus that was left in my refrigerator, and made some garlic bread. I don't know how it tasted, but it sure smelled good! ;-)
Did you know that the shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Ireland at Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs
Oh, I almost forgot!!! Jim called Mike last night, and it looks like we'll be going to North Carolina after the Rally in April. That's good because originally, we weren't going to see them this spring. Then, from there, the plan is to go to Virginia Beach to see Joe and his family before heading up to Illinois. :-)
56 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 80 deg. becoming mostly sunny with NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!!
Through one of my living room windows, Jim snapped this photo of this squirrel yesterday. He spends a lot of time on this tree and seems to be trying to see inside of me. He hasn't bothered anything yet, but I'm watching him. These little guys can be a real problem if they decide to take up residence on top of an engine or something. Some of them love to chew on wires. :-(
Jim dug his bike out of the back of CLT, (Cute Little Truck), yesterday. He rode it a little, but needs to get the air compressor out and fill up the tires before riding it any more. The bike's back tire looked a little low to me.
Jim also removed my engine air filter yesterday afternoon. Now, this is something that they would normally have done when I was seeing my mechanic down in Lakeland, but Jim told them that he would take care of it.
"Why would he do that", you ask? Well, getting to and removing my air filter is not a difficult job, but is very time consuming. So, rather than pay a mechanic to remove it at close to $100 an hour, Jim decided to do it when we got here to Orange City. There is also a truck parts store near here in DeLand where Jim can get a new filter at less cost than my mechanic would charge.
So . . . . It was kind of a no brainer. . . all it would take is a little of Jim's time to save quite a few dollars. And, it's not like he has a lot to do on his schedule. ;-)
The old filter element is now in the back of CLT and I imagine that Jim will head to DeLand to get a new one this morning. There's really no hurry though, I'm not going anywhere for the next 2 1/2 weeks anyway.
For dinner last night, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill, (that he and Linda shared), while Linda put together some salads, cooked a little asparagus that was left in my refrigerator, and made some garlic bread. I don't know how it tasted, but it sure smelled good! ;-)
Did you know that the shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Ireland at Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs
Oh, I almost forgot!!! Jim called Mike last night, and it looks like we'll be going to North Carolina after the Rally in April. That's good because originally, we weren't going to see them this spring. Then, from there, the plan is to go to Virginia Beach to see Joe and his family before heading up to Illinois. :-)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
A Visit With Barb
Panasoffkee, FL.
38 deg. clear, no wind. Brrrrrrr!!!!
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. clear, N. wind @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda took CLT and headed up to Ocala about 10:00 yesterday morning to see Barb. It had been a year since they had seen her and both said that it was really good to see her again and catch up on what's been happening.
As I said yesterday, Barb and Linda used to hang out together back up in Illinois and Jim got to know Barb through Linda. Now, they've all been friends for many, many years.
They talked until a little after noon, and then they took Barb's car and headed over to the Big Apple Restaurant, which isn't too far from her house. After a good meal and good conversation, they headed back to Barb's and spent most of the afternoon talking.
.
Sarah , (who Jim didn't get a photo of), lives with Barb. This makes it easier for both of them in these hard economic times. Jim and Linda had met her when we were here last year, and it was good to see her again too. The mobile home is quite large with 2 baths and 3 bedrooms, so they seem to have plenty of room for the both of them.
After hugs, they left Barb's a little after 4:00 and came back here to the park. When they got back here, they were still talking about how good it was to see her again. :-)
Thanks Barb, for a very enjoyable day.
About 5:30 both Jim and Linda started getting hungry, so they just put together sandwiches as they had a fairly large meal for lunch. Then, it was TV again until bedtime.
Did you know that Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the Great Freeze of 1894-1895?
.
Oh, and to Paul and Marti who made a comment about the weather down here in Florida on yesterday's post, I'll see what I can do to get it warmed up by the time you get down here. ;-)
38 deg. clear, no wind. Brrrrrrr!!!!
Forecast today = high temp. 70 deg. clear, N. wind @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda took CLT and headed up to Ocala about 10:00 yesterday morning to see Barb. It had been a year since they had seen her and both said that it was really good to see her again and catch up on what's been happening.
As I said yesterday, Barb and Linda used to hang out together back up in Illinois and Jim got to know Barb through Linda. Now, they've all been friends for many, many years.
They talked until a little after noon, and then they took Barb's car and headed over to the Big Apple Restaurant, which isn't too far from her house. After a good meal and good conversation, they headed back to Barb's and spent most of the afternoon talking.
.
Sarah , (who Jim didn't get a photo of), lives with Barb. This makes it easier for both of them in these hard economic times. Jim and Linda had met her when we were here last year, and it was good to see her again too. The mobile home is quite large with 2 baths and 3 bedrooms, so they seem to have plenty of room for the both of them.
After hugs, they left Barb's a little after 4:00 and came back here to the park. When they got back here, they were still talking about how good it was to see her again. :-)
Thanks Barb, for a very enjoyable day.
About 5:30 both Jim and Linda started getting hungry, so they just put together sandwiches as they had a fairly large meal for lunch. Then, it was TV again until bedtime.
Did you know that Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the Great Freeze of 1894-1895?
.
Oh, and to Paul and Marti who made a comment about the weather down here in Florida on yesterday's post, I'll see what I can do to get it warmed up by the time you get down here. ;-)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
I Feel Foolish, Groceries, and NASCAR
Lake Panasoffkee, FL.
62 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. mostly cloudy with showers and t-storms, W. wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
OK, now I feel foolish!!! :-(
If I'm right, Jim and I have just figured out why I haven't been able to post photos on this blog. Time will tell as the days pass, but I think it's been both my and Jim's fault. If what Jim found corrects the problem, I'll let you know exactly what happened. I'm still concerned though, because I've been able to add photos from time to time in the past, so the jury is still out.
I'll start by showing you a few photos of the park. This is the sign you see when you get into the park a little way.
And, this is the office where you register
This photo was taken from across the street from my site. As you can see, the sites aren't real wide, but since there's no one in the site next to me on my right, it's OK. Also if Jim wanted to, he could park CLT behind me as there's about 30' back there.
This view is from in front of me, looking off to my right.
Right after lunch yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to the Winn Dixie store. Again, they bought way too many groceries, but eventually got them all stashed away in my cabinets. After that, Jim turned on the NASCAR race and watched that for most of the rest of the afternoon. I say most of the afternoon, because he fell asleep a couple times while the race was on. ;-)
Then, about 5:00 he went out and fired up the grill and burned some burgers for dinner. While he was cooking out there, he watched the end of the race on my old bedroom TV that he has down in my basement. That TV only works when I'm hooked up to cable TV since it's an old analog model.
Anyway, both he and Linda were very pleased to see Mark Martin win the race. Both of them really like Mark because he seems like such a nice guy.
After dinner, it was TV and computers again until bedtime.
Did you know that on this day in 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registered Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.?
Wow!! I sure hope this photo thing works out.
62 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. mostly cloudy with showers and t-storms, W. wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
OK, now I feel foolish!!! :-(
If I'm right, Jim and I have just figured out why I haven't been able to post photos on this blog. Time will tell as the days pass, but I think it's been both my and Jim's fault. If what Jim found corrects the problem, I'll let you know exactly what happened. I'm still concerned though, because I've been able to add photos from time to time in the past, so the jury is still out.
I'll start by showing you a few photos of the park. This is the sign you see when you get into the park a little way.
Right after lunch yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to the Winn Dixie store. Again, they bought way too many groceries, but eventually got them all stashed away in my cabinets. After that, Jim turned on the NASCAR race and watched that for most of the rest of the afternoon. I say most of the afternoon, because he fell asleep a couple times while the race was on. ;-)
Then, about 5:00 he went out and fired up the grill and burned some burgers for dinner. While he was cooking out there, he watched the end of the race on my old bedroom TV that he has down in my basement. That TV only works when I'm hooked up to cable TV since it's an old analog model.
Anyway, both he and Linda were very pleased to see Mark Martin win the race. Both of them really like Mark because he seems like such a nice guy.
After dinner, it was TV and computers again until bedtime.
Did you know that on this day in 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registered Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.?
Wow!! I sure hope this photo thing works out.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Frostproof to Lakeland to Lake Panasoffkee
Lake Panasoffkee, FL
51 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 77 deg. partly cloudy, East wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Behind again with my postings. :-( Those of you that follow this blog know that one of my least favorite things is trying to catch everyone up on what's been happening, but I'll give it a try.
Our stay at Southern Pines was very pleasant. Jim and Linda spent quite a bit of time with Roland and Louise, visiting and eating dinners together. Some evenings, they ate over at Roland and Louise's, sometimes at my site, and other times Jim and Linda rode along with Roland and Louise and went out to eat at restaurants in the area.
Every morning, Roland would come over and have coffee with Jim. They would sit out under my awning drinking coffee and solving the problems of the world. ;-) Linda and Louise got together almost every day too, but it was later in the day, usually after lunch.
While we were in Frostproof, Linda called her doctor back in Illinois and had the doctor call in new prescriptions for her. Then she and Jim went to the Walgreens down in Avon Park and picked them up, but only after a day's delay, which explains why we stayed at Southern Pines 8 days instead of planned 7.
So anyway, about 9:45 yesterday morning, after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we left Southern Pines and retraced our route back to Creative Coach in Lakeland to have that ride height control valve installed on my left rear side.
It was 10:55 when we pulled into the parking lot, so it took us an hour and 10 minutes to travel the 47 miles.
Soon after Jim had CLT (Cute Little Truck), unhooked from the back of me, Glenn, (the shop foreman), backed me partially inside of the building and up on some ramps so that my back end was up high enough so that Dan could get under me to install the valve.
Everything went fine, except for a small issue with the air fittings on the valve, a wait while additional parts were procured, and of course a break for lunch, but by 3:25, CLT was hooked back up to the rear of me, the bill was paid and we were pulling out of the lot and heading towards I-4.
Once on I-4, we headed West to I-75 and then turned North on 75 and followed it up here to Lake Panasoffkee and the TurtleBack RV Resort which is just off of I-75 at exit 321. It was 5:00 by the time we pulled up by the office and we had traveled another 90 miles from Lakeland to here.
You know, I can't remember the last time we were on the road that late. Usually we are pulling into a CG somewhere around 1:30 or 2:00, but Jim didn't want to stay over night in a parking lot, and I've got to admit, neither did I.
While Dan was installing my valve, Jim did some campground research, and finally decided on this park. By their web site, http://www.turtlebackrvresort.com/ they have a decent weekly rate and full hook-ups. He called the park and Diane (the manager), said that they had a few sites available and to come on in and they would find a site for me. She also told Jim that the office would be closed by the time we got here, but a man named Bob would help us find a site.
By the time we got here, the office was closed, but Bob took Jim around the park in a golf cart and soon a site was chosen and I was backing into site 31.
Unless something happens to change our plans when Jim goes up to the office to register me, after 9:00 this morning, we'll be staying here for at least a week.
This post is getting quite long, so I'm going to quit for now, but I'll give you all the details about the park in my next post.
Did you know that March is "National Kite Month"?
Thanks, Roland and Louise, we had a great time visiting with you.
51 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 77 deg. partly cloudy, East wind @ 10 to 15 mph.
Behind again with my postings. :-( Those of you that follow this blog know that one of my least favorite things is trying to catch everyone up on what's been happening, but I'll give it a try.
Our stay at Southern Pines was very pleasant. Jim and Linda spent quite a bit of time with Roland and Louise, visiting and eating dinners together. Some evenings, they ate over at Roland and Louise's, sometimes at my site, and other times Jim and Linda rode along with Roland and Louise and went out to eat at restaurants in the area.
Every morning, Roland would come over and have coffee with Jim. They would sit out under my awning drinking coffee and solving the problems of the world. ;-) Linda and Louise got together almost every day too, but it was later in the day, usually after lunch.
While we were in Frostproof, Linda called her doctor back in Illinois and had the doctor call in new prescriptions for her. Then she and Jim went to the Walgreens down in Avon Park and picked them up, but only after a day's delay, which explains why we stayed at Southern Pines 8 days instead of planned 7.
So anyway, about 9:45 yesterday morning, after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we left Southern Pines and retraced our route back to Creative Coach in Lakeland to have that ride height control valve installed on my left rear side.
It was 10:55 when we pulled into the parking lot, so it took us an hour and 10 minutes to travel the 47 miles.
Soon after Jim had CLT (Cute Little Truck), unhooked from the back of me, Glenn, (the shop foreman), backed me partially inside of the building and up on some ramps so that my back end was up high enough so that Dan could get under me to install the valve.
Everything went fine, except for a small issue with the air fittings on the valve, a wait while additional parts were procured, and of course a break for lunch, but by 3:25, CLT was hooked back up to the rear of me, the bill was paid and we were pulling out of the lot and heading towards I-4.
Once on I-4, we headed West to I-75 and then turned North on 75 and followed it up here to Lake Panasoffkee and the TurtleBack RV Resort which is just off of I-75 at exit 321. It was 5:00 by the time we pulled up by the office and we had traveled another 90 miles from Lakeland to here.
You know, I can't remember the last time we were on the road that late. Usually we are pulling into a CG somewhere around 1:30 or 2:00, but Jim didn't want to stay over night in a parking lot, and I've got to admit, neither did I.
While Dan was installing my valve, Jim did some campground research, and finally decided on this park. By their web site, http://www.turtlebackrvresort.com/ they have a decent weekly rate and full hook-ups. He called the park and Diane (the manager), said that they had a few sites available and to come on in and they would find a site for me. She also told Jim that the office would be closed by the time we got here, but a man named Bob would help us find a site.
By the time we got here, the office was closed, but Bob took Jim around the park in a golf cart and soon a site was chosen and I was backing into site 31.
Unless something happens to change our plans when Jim goes up to the office to register me, after 9:00 this morning, we'll be staying here for at least a week.
This post is getting quite long, so I'm going to quit for now, but I'll give you all the details about the park in my next post.
Did you know that March is "National Kite Month"?
Thanks, Roland and Louise, we had a great time visiting with you.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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?
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?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
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?
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?
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