More Of The Same and Making Hard Decisions Again

Rantoul, IL.
73 deg. clear, S. wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = Increasing clouds. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Some storms may be severe with damaging winds and heavy rainfall. Highs in the lower 90s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Yesterday was more of the same. Jim was out early and sorting through totes and boxes in my basement. Then when it got hot outside, (we had temperatures in the 90's yesterday with high humidity), he came inside and helped Linda,who was going through cabinets inside of me and doing the same sorting, condensing and throwing away, that he had been doing.

A very busy day, but he did manage to get in a nice nap in the afternoon though.  ;-)

I don't know if Jim will be doing much outside today, it's already 73 degrees and very humid. He doesn't have a real lot more to do in my basement, but it needs to be done so he'll probably try to do a little more.

One other thing that both Jim and Linda will have to deal with is their clothes. There's not as much clothes hanging space in the Newmar, but there are more cabinets and drawers. So, some of the clothes that are now hanging up in my 2 large closets will now have to be folded and put into the cabinets and drawers.

There's also the matter of clothes that haven't been worn for awhile. What to do? Do they give it away to Good-Will or something or will they need it/want it in the near future? 

Jim says that moving into a different RV is very close to selling a house and moving into an RV to go full-timing. You don't have to get rid of as much "stuff", but you still need to re-evaluate everything and go through the same process of making those hard decisions again. You don't want to get rid of something that you'll be needing, but how do you know what that is? Jim and Linda have been at this full-tining thing long enough to know that at times, you do get caught in weather conditions that you're not expecting, (that heavy coat that Jim still has in the closet sure came handy in Deming NM a few years ago, when it got down to 18 degrees), or will have some kind of problem that you need that special tool for.

Or, the microwave/convection oven will break and you'll need that pan that you haven't used for years to cook a meal. (Still haven't heard anything from the repair guy).

So, , , , , , the process continues. More decisions will be made and hopefully they'll be the right ones. Any of you who have gone, or are getting ready to, go full-timing know what it's like.

Linda called Laura yesterday and told here about the new MH. Things have been so busy around here that niether Jim or Linda have talked to any of the kids lately. I'm thinking that maybe they better get on the phone this weekend and let the other kids know what's going on too!!!

A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

Comment On Comments and A Couple Photos

Rantoul, IL
62 Deg. scattered clouds, W. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Warmer. Highs in the upper 80s. Breezy. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon

OK, I've got to get something straight here. I received some comments and e-mails yesterday, and I really don't want any of you feeling sorry for me or being sad. I have accepted the fact that it's time for me to slow down and not travel so much. I've had a great time with Jim and Linda, full-timing and traveling all over U.S., but I am getting tired and the time has come to start taking it easy.

Believe me when I tell you that the time will come when your RVs need to slow down too. We're not so much different from humans, we get old and start wearing out just like people do, and it's good when we have owners who know when the time to slow down has come, so we don't end up breaking down way out in the boonies someplace.

I'll find someone who will take care of me until it's time to put my jacks down one last time. So. . . . .please don't be sad. I'll miss the lifestyle too, but there are still good days ahead for me.

For all of you that read my blog and are concerned about my welfare, Thank You!!

I'll still be around here for a little while yet, and I hope you continue to read my posts. After Jim and Linda take possession of the "new to them" RV, I really don't know what will happen, but I'm going to talk to the new RV and see if it wants to take up with this blog where I leave off.

Jim and Linda went over to the RV dealership yesterday to take some measurements of some of the areas of the new MH. Then, CLT tells me, they went to an Ashley Furniture store and bought some furniture!!! :-o  Wow, I thought that all RVs came with furniture already installed!!

Hmmmm, they must be making some changes inside. ;-)

While they were over at the dealer, Jim took some photos, so I thought I'd post a few.

This first one is of the sold sign the dealer put in the window.

This is of the side of the MH

And, finally, this is of the front of the RV.

I think it looks pretty nice. What do you think?  ;-)

Did you know that the south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war?

Virginia Beach to Glen Allen and Lots of Company

Glen Allen, VA.
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Joe came out and visited with Linda for a little while yesterday morning, (while Jim was getting me ready to travel), but all too soon it was time to pull me out of the driveway and get ready to leave.  So, Jim backed me up a little to get my front wheels down off of the wooden blocks and then pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me.

After final h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's at 9:50 and headed back to I-246. Following 264 West brought us to I-64 where the decision had to made as to which route we would take. Well . . . . Jim turned to the left and we followed it back the way we came and picked up US 58 on the SW side of Chesapeake. Following 58 to the SW brought us to Suffolk where we turned NW on US 460. 460 brought us to Petersburg where we tuned North on I-295. Following 295 brought us up and around Richmond and to I-95 where we again tuned North for about 5 miles and then took local road to the Kosmo Village campground and mobile home park.

It was 12:40 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 135 miles.

This park is nothing special, but it's OK for an overnight stop. There are full hook-ups with 50amp service and the sites are reasonably level. And, it one of the least expensive parks in the area.

As you can see, Jim took a few photos of the CG. It's well maintained and clean.

After getting me set up and getting my over-full black and grey water tanks drained, Jim had a "cold one" and then took a little nap. ;-)

As you probably remember, Mike and Terri Young are staying at a CG near here and plans were made for them to come and see me. Well, Jim and Dee Walter are staying at that park also. (You remember them. Jim and Linda went with Gin and Syl to visit them up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh when we were in Apex). Well anyway, about 6:30 they all came over.

None of them had ever seen the inside of me, so when they got here, (after h and h), they all came in and visited for awhile.

Linda had baked a cake so she served everyone a piece along with some peach tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snack while they were talking, laughing and telling "war stories". ;-)

It sure was great having them here and I really enjoyed hearing the RVing stories and conversation that they had.

When it was about time for them to leave, they all went outside and everyone started taking photos. In the photo above, you see Jim and Dee on the left and Mike and Terri on the right.

It sure was good to see them and Jim and Linda will be looking forward to crossing paths with all of them in the future. In fact both couples may be getting up to Illinois this summer and if they can, they're going to stop by the CG in Rantoul for a visit. :-)

It never ceases to amaze me. RVers from all walks of life get to know one another and in just a short time, become very good friends. A few years ago, Jim and Linda didn't know Jim and Dee or Mike and Terri, yet through RVing, they've gotten to know one another and now are looking forward to the next time they meet. And, the common bonds that brings them together? RVing and Full-timing!

Ahhh! What a great lifestyle!!!!! :-)

Did you know that on this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis were given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans?

Shopping In Different Areas

Virginia Beach, VA.
64 deg. overcast, SW wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today =  a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Linda decided that she would like to go to the Forbes Candy Store  yesterday to get some sugar-free candy, so about 11:00, she and Jim headed over there. She didn't get a real lot of candy though because they have raised their prices quite a bit, and she thought it was just too expensive. When they were done there, they headed to a Kroger's store to pick up a few items that they needed as well as look for a few items that they were unable to find when they went to the grocery store the other day.

They still couldn't find some of the items that they were looking for, so they came back here and decided they'd just wait until we're in a different area to look for them.

You know, that brings up something that full-timers have to deal with at times.

As they've traveled across the country, Jim and Linda have found that all  of the products that they normally buy are not available in all parts of the country. Usually a replacement can be found, but sometimes it can be frustrating finding something that's suitable. Even National brands are not always sold everywhere and if you like an item that ends up being made locally for a certain part of the country, you'll just have to wait until you get back there again to purchase it.

One place where Jim and Linda have run into this is with over the counter meds. Even if you're shopping someplace like Walgreen's, they may not stock the same items in Oregon that they do on the East Coast. Over the years, they have learned that there are a few items that they need to stock up on before heading to a different part of the country.

Just something to keep in mind if there's something you purchase that would be hard to find a substitute for.

Joe and Nancy were both busy yesterday so Linda put together a meal out here for dinner. Then, it was the usual TV, reading, embroidery work and computers again until bedtime.

A Point to Ponder : How come when you go in the front door of a church, you are at the back of the church, and if you go in the back door, you would end up in the front of the church?

"Home"

Virginia Beach, VA.
63 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny, Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph...becoming south 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 30 percent.

For you Full-timers out there, do you consider your RV your home? Or, do you still think of where you used to live as home?

I follow many blogs and have noticed that when some folks are going back to where they used to live, they say that they're "going back home". I'm wondering if they don't consider their RVs "home"? Is it that they still feel that they have enough connections with the area that they used to live in, they consider that "home"?

I know that Jim and Linda consider me their home. Even though they have family and friends up in Illinois, where they used to live, I've never heard them say that they were going "home" when we go there.

Maybe it's a figure of speech, but in some cases, I think that these people really don't see their RV as their home, but rather as a temporary residence. I've also observed that many of these folks do not full-time for very many years. Usually after a couple of years, they end up buying a stix and brix home someplace and selling their RV or they trade it off on a smaller one to take vacations with.

Now, none of this is bad and everyone needs to do their own thing. This is just what I've observed throughout the years. I'd really like to know though, do you really consider your RV your "home"? Do you really plan on full-timing for 5, 10 or more years? Or, is full-timing something that you only see yourself doing for a few years?

Did you know that in Norfolk, VA, spitting on a sea gull is against the law?

Lakeview RV Pk. Photos, A Small World and A Call To The Mechanic

Bluff, City, TN.
54 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of t-storms. SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph with higher gusts during storms.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so Jim got out his camera and took some photos here in the park. I thought I'd share them with you. :-)

When you come down US 11 this is the sign you see for the Lakeview RV Park

Once you turn it and travel about a block, you come to the office where they have the usual supplies and camping gadgets that most offices have. The lady in the office was very nice and told Jim that if he needed anything, he should let them know.

As you can see by the above photo the park is terraced and in fact, there are about 4 or 5 levels in the park.

This is me backed into my site which is just a little way from the lake.

You can see a narrow part of the lake behind CLT and me in the above photo.

This is the view from the rear of me looking off to the left while facing the lake.

And this is the view directly behind me.

This is a pretty nice park with fairly large sites, full hook-up, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and excellent wi-fi. The people seem friendly and at about $20.00 per night (Passport America), for a "premium" site on the lake it's not too expensive either.

I'm sure we'd stay here again if we come back to this area.

Yesterday morning Jim was catching up on the Blogs he reads and when he checked out long time friends, Darrell and Judy's Blog, Wandering America, he realized that they were in this park too!!! Well, Jim has Darrell's phone number and he was just about to dial their number when the phone rang and it was Darrell.  After a little conversation Jim headed up to their site, (right behind the office), and talked to them for just a little while. They had just pulled in for the night and were leaving yesterday morning to continue their trip up to New England.

It had been a couple of years since Jim and Linda had seen them, but as happens so many times with full-timers that follow each others blogs, it was like they had just seen each other a few days ago.

What a small world! :-)

When Jim got back from visiting with them, he called the mechanic that Jenny had told him about to see if he could come here to the park to check out my problem. Well, the mechanic was off yesterday, but the man that Jim talked to said that he would have him call Jim this morning;

Later in the morning, Denny, one of the "Illinois Bunch" called from Illinois and talked to Jim about my problem. He had an idea about what might be wrong and after checking something out, Jim said that he may have come up with the cause of my engine misfire when climbing hills.

Jim still needs the mechanic to come and check it out though.

About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Food City grocery store to restock the groceries that had been used in the last week and a half or so. When they got back and got everything put away, they both took little naps.

For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill and Linda cooked Kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes with provolone cheese, and dinner rolls inside. It sure did smell good!! ;-)

Did you know that on this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver?

Safe Travels, Darrell and Judy. :-)

2011 Spring Rally, Day 3

Sevierville, TN.
47 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. partly cloudy. Severe wind warning. SE winds @ 20 to 30mph this afternoon with possible gusts of 50 to 60 mph. Chance of t-storms and showers this afternoon and evening.

Wow!!! Did you read the forecast for today? 50 to 60 mph wind gusts? I don't think I like that!!! :-(

Yesterday was a very pretty day here. I t was nice and warm with just a little breeze blowing and the sun was shinning brightly. Lots of people were out and about.

Jim went to a couple of seminars over at the Banquet Hall in the morning. After that, he spent some time outside under my awning enjoying the weather and talking to neighbors and folks who walked by. Meanwhile, Linda was busy working on her latest embroidery project and putting together and cooking a casserole for the Pot Luck dinner that they had over at the Banquet Hall last night.

 In the afternoon, Vicky and Ira Lutz stopped by to see me and ask Jim and Linda some questions about the full-timing lifestyle. They're trying to decide which type of RV to full-time in and asked if they could see what I was like inside. They were here for probably about an hour and seemed to like my layout.

About 5:30 Jim and Linda headed over to the Potluck dinner. They said that all the food that they had was really good and ate way too much. ;-) After the dinner was over, they came back here and decided not to go back for the games that Howard and Linda had organized.

Instead they watched TV and relaxed before going to bed.

Today is a "free" day here at the rally. There are no activities or seminars planned, so the folks attending can do what they want. Some are going to take a day trip up into the Great Smoky Mountain Park, others are going golfing, some shopping at all the stores that are in the area, and some, like Jim and Linda will just kick back and enjoy the day. Of course with the forecast of the strong winds and possible rain, people will have to make some adjustments.

Oh, Howard and Linda have asked Jim and Linda to kind of "mentor" 2 couples who are here at the rally and help answer questions that they may have about the full-timing lifestyle. They have gotten together over at the Banquet hall a couple of times and today, they may stop by here today to talk and ask more questions. One couple, (Karen and Al Phillips) has just started full-timing less than 2 weeks ago, and the other couple, (Steve and Kathy Cole), have just purchased a Motor Home and are planning on going full-timing as soon as possible.

I hope they can all find time to stop by today because I'd sure like to meet them. :-)

Did you know that at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner Titanic sank into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada?

Would You Believe, Getting Ready, Mike and Roland

Virginia Beach, VA
57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. mostly sunny, W. wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Would you believe that the blood test that Linda had taken about a week and a half ago didn't have the info that her doctor up in Illinois needed, so she had to go back in and get more blood drawn yesterday? Yep, Linda had called her doctor and was told that some of the info wasn't there, so a new order was faxed to the lab for a new test.

Needless to say, Linda was not a happy camper!! :-( 

So, yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over there, had blood drawn and then went to Beckett's Cafe for a nice breakfast.

During the afternoon, Jim started getting me ready for travel. That's right, we've been here for 2 weeks already, and tomorrow we'll be leaving here and heading towards Apex, NC to see Mike, Gina, Brenna,  Savanna and Dillon.

So what has Jim done to get me ready to travel, You ask? Well, he checked all my fluid levels, checked the air in my tires, and then while he was checking tires, checked CLT's tires and added some air to a couple of them with his air compressor. Today, he'll probably get everything in my basement compartments stored and roll up my window awnings and secure them.

Oh, I almost forgot! Jim tried to call Mike on Sunday to see what their schedule was going to be for the time we're going to be there, and yesterday, Mike called back and told Jim that the whole 2 weeks looks pretty good except for the Thursday. (The day we'll be getting there). He said that the a girls had some kind of Fall Festival or something, so they'd be going to that.

Also Roland called yesterday evening, (just about the time Jim and Linda were going into the house to have dinner with Joe and Nancy), so they didn't talk much at that time, but after having a very nice dinner of Swedish Meatballs, (that Linda made), broccoli, and noodles, (that Nancy made), Jim called Roland back and they had a good long talk.

If you read yesterday's post, you'll remember that I mentioned Roland and Louise and talked a little about the accident that they had. Well, Roland had read my blog and called to say that indeed, I was right about not knowing what was going to happen, and talked a little about how great everything was going before the accident, and how everything has changed now. He also told Jim that Louise is having still more problems with one of her legs, and in fact will be in a wheel chair for the next 2 weeks to see if that will help the pain and get the swelling in her upper leg down. He also told Jim that they are thinking about doing some modifications to the inside of Big Herb, (their Winnebago Journey MH), so that Louise can get around easier and he is ordering some kind of lift for Louise to use to get in and out of the MH. They also talked a little bit about possibly getting together for awhile this winter down in Florida.

I hope we can. It'll be good to see my buddy, Big Herb, again. :-)

So, tomorrow looks "good to go", and we'll be leaving here. It's a good thing too, because both my grey and black water tanks are getting really full!! :-(

I need a full hook-up site!!!

Did you know that today is "Evaluate Your Life" day?


Hmmmm! Not a bad idea!
.

Today? Tomorrow? Next Week? Next Month? Next Year? 20 Years?

Virginia Beach, VA.
51 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. mostly sunny, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

There was sad news on many blogs yesterday. It seems that this full-timing couple, Margie and Bruce, were run down and killed by someone in a car while taking a walk along the road out in Pismo Beach, CA. I had never met either one of them, and in fact I didn't even follow their blog, but that doesn't make hearing about it any easier.

They were RVers, and that made them part of the RVing family, and it is a terrible unnecessary loss of life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends.

When something like this happens, I start thinking about how fragile and short life can be. None of us can see the future and there's no telling when our time will come. It may be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or maybe 20 years from now.

We don't know.

So, that being the case, doesn't it make sense to not put things off? It's easy to say, "Some day we'll go to Alaska" or "In a few years when we have enough money, we'll go full-timing".   But, will we still be here some day? Will we have the time to gather "enough" money to feel comfortable enough to go full-time?

Or will tomorrow be our last day?

I have known of RVers that have put off going full-time until they were the age where they could get maximum benefits from their retirement and Social Security, and then have only been able to full-time for a very short time because one of them got sick or died soon after they hit the road. They could have enjoyed the lifestyle for quite a few years if they had not waited.

Some of you may remember that back in 2008, very good friends of Jim and Linda's, (Roland and Louise), were in an accident where a drunk driver crossed into their lane and hit them head-on while they were driving their toad. Louise was in the hospital for months with multiple injuries and she is still having problems after many, many surgeries. They were full-timers, but since the accident, they have built a place close to their son's house in North Carolina and although they have been able to take some trips in their Motor Home and spend some time in it during the winters, down in Florida, who knows if they'll ever be able to full-time again.

I guess what I'm saying is that you should never assume that you can wait do something tomorrow or next year. Tomorrow or next year may never come. The death of Margie and Bruce is terrible and I'm sure they will be missed, but sometimes it takes a terrible thing like this to remind us that there is no guarantee that we will ever see tomorrow.

If you've got something you really want to do, whether it's going full-timing or something else, don't put it off if it is at all possible to do it now.

Did you know that Patrick Henry made his "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in St. John's Church in Richmond, VA?

Grumpy People

Virginia Beach, VA.
43 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today =high temp. 74 deg, sunny, NW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Since nothing happened around here yesterday except Jim and Linda taking CLT and going to the Farm Fresh Grocery Store to pick up about a dozen items, I thought I'd talk a little about some people I've observed from time to time.

No, not specific people. Just people in general.

Most people are very nice and friendly. A lot of them seem to like me, but I've found a few that think I'm an energy hog and should be taken off of the road and sent to that big campground up in the sky. But, the people that I have been thinking about lately are the ones that are grumpy most of the time.

I wonder what has happened in their lives to make them so grumpy? Have their lives really been so bad? Have they lost all of their loved ones and are lonely? Or, are they just mad at the world?

Like I said, most people are very nice and friendly and most of them seem to be relatively happy. It seems to me that if you are happy, you will meet people to talk to and become friends with, and that will make you even more happy. But..... if you're grumpy, no one will want to talk to you and become your friend and you just become more grumpy every day. :-(

Linda is a person that smiles a lot. Even when things are not going too well, she tries to smile. And, you know what? Other people notice that and sometimes even comment about how happy she is. I understand that happened yesterday as Jim and Linda were checking out at the grocery store. I'm told the checkout person made a comment about how much she smiled and how happy she seemed!

Wasn't that nice of him?

I think about all the friends that Jim and Linda have made since they've gone full-timing, and wonder how many friends they would have if they had been grumpy instead.

I'll bet not many.

I think most full-timers are happy people. If you're not, then you won't be meeting other people, I'm sure that the lifestyle would get very lonely, and you probably wouldn't enjoy it much.

Where am I going with this?  Well, I'm going to suggest that you try to put a smile on your face and go out and say "Hi" to that RVer parked in the site next to you that never seems to want to talk. See if you can't get him or her to start talking and let them know that you want to get to know them.

Just maybe, they'll start talking and you'll find out that they're not the grumpy person that you thought they were. And, who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend. ;-)

Did you know that America's favorite fruits in order are: (2008)


Strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples and oranges?

Record High Temperatures? and Blogs

Virginia Beach, VA.
62 Deg.clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. sunny SW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday, we were within 1 deg. of setting a new  record high temperature here in VB, and on the TV this morning, they're saying that we will more than likely set a new record high temp today. The old record is 84 deg. and depending on which forecaster you watch, they are forecasting temps today of anywhere between 85 and 88 degrees! :-(

This is not good because I'm sitting out here in the sun, with no afternoon shade. I'm plugged into a 20 Amp outlet so one Air Conditioner can be run only if everything else electric in me is shut off, and, on top of that, the voltage gets pretty low when all the other people in the neighborhood are using their ACs. Normally at this time of year, the high temps are in the low 70's, which is just about perfect for me.

Jim and Linda didn't do much of anything yesterday. Nancy made a very nice dinner after she got home from work, but after eating, every one had things to do, so Jim and Linda came back out here and watched TV until bedtime.

There's been some talk on the Internet lately about blogs and what people like about them and what they don't like, and evidently, some people are receiving some very negative comments about their blogs

This blog is written mainly for family. Through the years, (starting with a monthly newsletter that used to be sent out by snail mail), friends and others started reading about my travels. So, this blog was started to keep them more up to date on what's happening, and to cut out the cost of the postage needed to send out the newsletters.  :-)

I've never received any negative comments about this blog, but I understand some blogs have been harshly criticized. I really can't understand that. Most blogs that I follow are written by folks who are telling their family and friends about their travels, trials and tribulations. Some post a lot of photos, some do not. Some talk a lot about their families, some never even mention them. Some talk about the great places they are at or are going to, others talk about what's happening in their daily lives or what's going at home or in the camp ground that they're at.

I like to read about other's travels or about what they are doing to get ready to go traveling and follow over 35 blogs regularly. Some others that I've looked at, I don't find interesting, or don't agree with what the author is writing about, but I don't make negative comments about them. (They can write about anything that they want to write about).  I guess my question is, if you don't like what the author is writing about, the number of photos that are being posted, or the fact that there isn't a blog posted every day, why are you reading it?

Now, don't get me wrong. I really appreciate that fact that so many of you seem to enjoy reading this blog. In fact it amazes me that almost every day more than 75 folks check out what I'm writing about and I have almost 40 regular "followers"! I try to write about interesting stuff, but sometimes it's just day to day living, so I write about that. I try to post some photos from time to time, (when Jim remembers to get out his camera and take some), but to be honest, many days there's not much going on and it's pretty boring.  But, it's my blog, and I write about my life, Jim and Linda's life,  and whatever else I feel like writing about that day.

I welcome constructive criticism, but if someone is going to criticize with a bunch of negative comments, I hope they enjoy reading some of the other blogs on the Internet, and just skip over this one.

Did you know that today is "International Moment of Frustration Scream Day"?

They Did It Again and Aliens??

Rantoul, IL.
50 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. possible fog this morning then sunny with light easterly winds.

They did it again!! Yep, once again, Jim and Lind went to the grocery store and bought more groceries than would easily fit into my cabinets and refrigerator!

I couldn't believe it when they just kept carrying bag after bag of groceries into me, and then when I found out how much refrigerator and /freezer stuff they had bought, I just knew there was going to be trouble! :-(

You'd think they'd learn, but no!! They almost always do it!!!!

Other than grocery shopping and then trying to get it all put away when they got back, not much happened around here. Jim and Linda did a little house cleaning, Jim changed the water filter under my kitchen sink, took the garbage to the dumpster and they both took little naps.

OH, I have to tell you what happened last night!!!!

It was about 8:30 or 9:00 and I was just sitting here minding my own business, when all of a sudden, there's these very bright lights coming at me from my left!!! They weren't moving very fast and they appeared to be quite a ways away, but they kept getting closer and closer!!!! As they got closer I heard this roaring sound and it got louder as the lights got closer to me!!!!

I didn't know what was going on, and I thought we might be under attack from a space ship or something!!!!!!  :-O 

Well, when the lights got pretty close, they turned to the right, and I couldn't see them any more, but I could still hear the roaring sound!!

It was then that I realized that the lights were on a combine and the farmer was out there in the field next to the campground, harvesting the corn!!!

Whew!!! What a relief!!!! No Aliens!!!!

I guess that when the crop is ready, it's important that it gets harvested as soon as possible, but I never thought they'd be out there that late. Jim however, knew that farmers did this, and said that many years ago when he worked on a farm, he and the farmer worked late into the nights to get the crops out of the fields.

Well anyway, after my oil pump quit pounding and I settled down, I watched the beautiful night sky for awhile, thankful that my owners are full-timers and I get to learn all about the people, places, and the things that happen as we travel across the country.

A full-time RVs life is a good life. ;-)

Did you know that Indians in the Americas were growing corn extensively long before the discovery of these continents by Europeans? Archaeological studies indicate that corn was cultivated in the Americas at least 5600 years ago. The exact origin of corn is unknown as the plant is found only under cultivation. The probable center off origin is the Central American and Mexico region.

Almost Full and I'm Registered!

Rantoul, IL.
49 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. sunny, S. winds @ 5 to 15 mph.

Well, the Prairie Pines CG is almost full. I say almost because there were some last minute cancellations and people who just didn't show up again. I don't know why people have to cancel at the last minute. You would think that they would know a few days in advance that they are not coming, and then the sites could be rented out to other campers that have called, but were told that the CG was full for the weekend.

One of the biggest problems is that this CG does not accept credit cards. The reason for that is that the city won't put in the system to take them. So..... when someone calls, Louise has no way of taking a deposit on the sites and then if someone changes their mind, they cancel or just don't show up because they know it's not going to cost them anything. :-(

Oh well, that's the cities problem and not mine. They're the ones losing money.

CLT took Linda and Jim over to Walgreen's yesterday morning so Linda could get pick up her prescriptions. Once again, they were out of one of the meds, so they'll have to go back again Tuesday to pick it up.

Oh, I almost forgot!!!! Jim registered us for the RV Dreams Rally that is going to be held in Tennessee next April!!! It's going to be in Sevierville, TN at the River Plantation RV Park and should be a great location because it is near Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park . 

Again, this is why Jim makes all his plans in pencil. You see, the original plan for next spring was to leave Florida, head over to Louisiana and follow the Mississippi River up to the Midwest. But,...... after talking to Linda about it, and deciding that they would rather go to the Rally, Jim got out that big eraser of his and changed the plan. :-)

Ahhhhhh!!! It's so good to be living this full-timing lifestyle where you can make changes like that.  ;-)

Anyway, we're registered for the Rally and I'm already getting excited about going and seeing my old friends again. 

Hmmmm! I wonder of Thor will be there?

Did you know that until Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, laborers who chose to participate in parades had to forfeit a days wages?

Oh, for those of you that might be interested....all four of my rear tires are itching now!! Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!

Doctor's Appointment, Laundry and photos

Rantoul, IL
75 Deg. cloudy, thunder and lightning in the distance, light winds.
Forecast today = high temp. 96 deg. partly sunny, 40% chance of showers and t-storms.

I'm glad to report that Linda's doctor's appointment went well yesterday morning. He does want her to get some tests done, but that was kind of expected. The main thing is that he is willing to work with her and the full-timing lifestyle, and is OK with seeing her just once a year if she has a blood test done in 6 months and has the results sent to him.

She can do that. :-)

When Linda was done with her appointment, she and Jim went to the Village Garden in Fisher, IL. (Fisher is also where the doctor's office is), and had breakfast for lunch. They had never had breakfast there before, but said that it was very good.

After they finished eating they came back here. The first thing Linda did was start doing loads of laundry in my washer/dryer. It had been quite a while since she had done any laundry and the clothes bin was really full, so she ended up doing 3 loads.

While she was doing laundry, Jim was doing some work on the computer, taking a nap, and taking some of the clothes out to the clothes rack on the back of me and hanging them up to dry.

Oh, and I've got some photos of the new valances on my kitchen windows to show you. This first one is of my large kitchen window over my table.

This one is of another valance, that matches the one over the table, but being that it is on a small window, it is more like a curtain.

I think they look really nice. What do you think?

After having sandwiches for their evening meal, Jim went out and brought in the laundry. Then he and Linda watched TV until bedtime.

Did you know that It takes 17 muscles to smile, 43 to frown?

More About Talking, Heat and Storms, and That's Just Rude.

Rantoul, IL.
65 deg. partly cloudy, S. wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 92 deg. mostly sunny, humid, W. winds @ 10 to 15 mph. 20% chance of afternoon showers.

I received a couple of nice comments on yesterday's blog. Thanks.

I think that everyone needs to sit down and talk to their significant other about things you might want to do or don't want to do in you future. Or, if you're on your own, take time to really be honest with yourself and make sure you're doing, and are going to be doing what makes you happy. I've seem so many couples that don't seem to be able to communicate at all, and usually one of them is not a very happy camper. :-(     Especially when you're traveling, it's important for both parties to agree on where, when and how to go, and where and when to stop.

It was pretty hot here yesterday, (I had 91 deg. on my thermometer at one time), so Jim and Linda didn't do much. Jim took a little bike ride in the morning, took the garbage down to the dumpster, talked to Louise for awhile, and put out my awnings.

The awning thing is getting to be a joke. Jim puts them out in the morning so that they shade me from the hot sun, but then in the afternoon, it storms so he has to roll them back up again. I know that some people leave them out all the time and tie them down, but Jim doesn't feel comfortable doing that, and just worries about them while they're out in a storm, so...... he does what he feels he has to do.

Speaking of that, yesterday afternoon, Jim cooked a couple of small steaks on his grill for dinner, and no more than he and Linda were done eating, the skies started looking black, so he went out rolled up the awnings. It's a good thing he did because within about 10 minutes we had some really strong gusts of wind and lots of rain again.

In fact, I just checked Jim's rain gauge and we had another 1.6 inches of rain yesterday and last night.

Oh, do you remember me telling you that there were 20 or so RVs coming into the park this weekend for a Rally? Well, they didn't show up!!!! Yep, you read that right. No phone call or anything. They just didn't show up!!!! Can you imagine scheduling a rally at a CG, (even a small rally), and then not showing up or calling the CG to tell them that you changed plans???

How rude is that!!!! Needless to say, Louise was quite upset with the group, and I doubt if she'll ever agree to have them back again.

I'm sure that all of you are aware that Sunday is Father's Day, and you want to get good old dad a present, but did you know that there are more than 14,000 hardware stores and over 23,000 sporting goods stores where you can get him that perfect gift?

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Getting Warmer, The Village Garden and A Major Discussion

Rantoul, IL.
70 deg. partly cloudy, W. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. partly sunny, with a 40% chance of showers and t-storms, S. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

The weather was pretty nice yesterday, but it ended up being a little more humid than the day before. Jim was out and about early and serviced my batteries, finally cleaned the bugs off of the front of me, and took a nice long bike ride.

All of this was done before Linda even got up. ;-)

The rest of the day was spent just kicking back, fooling around with the computers, taking naps, talking, and going out to eat at the Village Garden Restaurant over in Fisher, IL.

I'm told the Village Garden Restaurant is very nice. It's nothing fancy, but very clean with home cooked meals, good prices and friendly service. Fisher is about 12 miles from this CG, so it takes a little while to get there, but it's almost all country driving, so it doesn't take long.

Both Jim and Linda had pork tenderloin. Jim had the meal which came with green beans, mashed potatoes, salad and a roll. Linda had the tenderloin sandwich which came with soup and cottage cheese, (her choice).

Then, it was back here to watch TV until bedtime.

Now, a little bit ago, I said that Jim and Linda did some talking yesterday afternoon. Well, they talk a lot, but this conversation was about what they see in their full-timing future. They talked about what they would like to be doing in the next few years, where they would like to go, and most importantly to me, whether they wanted to keep traveling as much as they have, travel more, or only travel a little. They also talked about possibly parking me someplace and getting a small RV to travel with, or....... even trading me off for a newer RV!! :-(

Wow!!!! All of this got me worrying about my future!!!!

Well, after much discussion, it sounds like they are going to continue full-timing, in about the same way they have been, with possibly a little more traveling, and not quite so much sitting in one place.

That sounded good to me. :-)

The thing that I was really concerned about was the talk about trading me off on a newer or smaller RV! :-(

Well, after looking back at the budgets and my expenses, talking about what repairs I might need in the future, (which is really hard to determine), they've decided to keep traveling in me, even though I may be costing them quite a bit of money in the future. The logic being that they're very comfortable in me, I have a lot of storage and cargo carrying capacity, and, if they get a different used RV, there's no guarantee that it won't have problems too, and need a lot of repairs. Plus. to trade would mean financing and payments, which of course, they won't have if they keep me.

So...... it looks like I'll be around for awhile yet. I'm going to try real hard to get them where they want to go without any problems, and Jim said he's going to try real hard to not get upset with me when things do go wrong with me. And finally, Linda said that she's going to try real hard to stop getting up tight when it comes to spending money for maintenance and repairs.

It was a good discussion, and I think a lot of important things were talked about. Now, Jim and Linda both know how each other feels about their near term full-timing future, and they kind of have an idea about what they would like to be doing in the next few years. Of course none of this is cast in stone, and things do happen, so all of this may change, but at least now they know what they would like to do.

And, , , , , now I have an idea about what's going to happen to me.

Looks like you're going to be stuck with me for awhile yet!!!! ;-)

Today, I don't think there's anything much planned. It's supposed to be hotter and more humid than yesterday, and in fact, on TV they're saying that we can expect temperatures into the 90's for the next 7 days!!!!!

That's very unusual for this area!!

Did you know that in 1959, the comedy showcase "Second City" was founded in Chicago on North Wells Street in a former Chinese laundry?

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Did you know that it was Nine years ago today that Jim and Linda started Full-Timing?

Barb and Bob Come For A Visit and Helping Brenna

Apex, NC
65 deg. partly cloudy, humid, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. mostly cloudy, humid with a 40% chance of showers or t-storms.

Well, I don't want to be one of those who said, "I told you so", but..... I told you so!! Yep, Barb and her husband Bob came over to my site a little after 10:00 yesterday morning, and within a few minutes they were sitting under my awning, talking, and laughing with Jim and Linda!  :-)

I don't know, maybe I've told you this before, but it's kind of amazing how RVers can get together and even though they're perfect strangers, it only takes a few minutes before they're good friends. This was the case yesterday with Barb and Bob. Jim had gotten out some lawn chairs for them, so when they got here, they sat down and in just a few minutes they were talking with Jim and Linda about RVing, travel, family, and experiences that they've all had.

Like most RVers, they are very nice people and very easy to talk to. Right now, they have a large Class "C" Motor Home, but are thinking about a larger RV and then eventually, going Full-time. They're from Idaho, and have friends and relatives scattered across the country, so full-timing could be a way to see them more often.

By the time they left, (a little after 12:00) there were hugs and handshakes and you would have thought that they had known each other for years. ;-)

Jim took this photo of Bob, Barb and Linda just before they left to go back to their site. They're not going to be here in Apex much longer, so I hope I'll get to see them again before they leave. They're really nice people. :-)

About 5:00 Jim and Linda took CLT and headed back over to Mike and Gina's. Again, they had a very nice meal and enjoyed visiting with them and the kids.

Oh! Linda has been helping Brenna with some of her homework. She has a big history test coming up today, and was studying for it. So, being that Linda was a teacher and in fact taught history to High School students, was able to help her quite a bit.

I hope she does well on her test today.

Did you know that there is a law in Idaho that forbids a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds?

Some Pre-Rally Photos, and Day One Of The Rally

Longs. SC

60 deg. clear, SW wind @ 8 mph. 

Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. mostly cloudy, S wind @ 15 to 20 mph. T-storms possible tonight.

Here are a couple of the photos that Jim took the other day.

This is a photo of Howard and Linda's RV as seen from my site.

A closer view of their 5th wheel trailer and the RV-Dreams sign out front

These next photos are of some of the 40 + people at the social hour gathering at their site.

Yesterday, was registration day, and the first "official" day of the Rally. Everyone went over to the banquet hall during the afternoon and registered, picked up the rally schedule and their name tags, along with some other "goodies", in a bag. Then at 6:00 they all returned to the hall for a catered "welcome" dinner, introductions, and a fun little game where each group of people sitting at a table had to try to answer some trivia questions about Howard, Linda, and their web site.

Jim and Linda both said that the dinner was really good and they had a lot of fun meeting new people and talking with other people that they already knew from the 2008 Rally in Branson, MO.

You know, I've said it before, but It's almost amazing how RVers, (and even want-a-be RVers), are able to socialize with one another and in many cases become almost instant friends. RVers will walk up to another RVer or person that is interested  in RVing and introduce themselves and just start talking. I've seen neighborhoods of stix and brix houses where people have lived next door to someone for years, and still don't know them as well as RVers who have just met 30 minutes ago.

I do have a theory about this however. I think it's because us RVs are such great conversation pieces and such wonderful vehicles that people just can't help but talk about us and their experiences that have with us, as we travel the country. ;-)

Today the seminars will start over at the banquet hall. Howard and Linda will discuss almost all the phases of going full-timing, all the way from deciding to do it, to buying an RV, deciding what to take along, getting rid of "stuff", and on to finding places to work and play once you get on the road. There will also be experts on using computers on the road, weighing RVs to make sure you don't overload us, tire care and maintenance, giving even more seminars.

The next 3 days will be full of learning experiences for everyone, and to be honest, will be a little overwhelming for some of the folks. And, of course there will be the fun times in the evenings, where everyone will get together for chili cook-offs, pot luck and catered dinners, along with fun things after the meals, like a sock hop, RV family feud, and an RV show and tell. :-)

Whew!!! I'm getting tired just thinking about all the things the folks here will be doing during the next few days!!!!

Did you know that the state dance of South Carolina is the Shag?

Going To Ocala To See Barb.

Orange City, FL.
50 deg. clear, N. wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today= high temp. 79 deg. partly sunny, E wind@ 10 to 15 mph.

It was just past 9:30 when CLT pulled out of his parking spot here at the park to take Jim and Linda up to Ocala to see their friend, Barb. CLT said that the traffic wasn't too bad, but it still took him over an hour and a half to travel the 80 or so miles over there. He said that Mable, (the lady inside of Jim and Linda's GPS), did a good job of guiding him over there and back.

Barb lives in a nice mobile home in a park on the West side of Ocala. Just recently, one of her friends, Sarah, moved in with her, because in these hard economic times it's hard to make ends meet when your living by yourself. Both Jim and Linda liked Sarah a lot, and she and Barb seem to really get along well together, so it's a win, win situation for both of them.

Like I said yesterday, it had been 2 years since Jim and Linda had seen Barb, so they had a lot of catching up to do, and that's exactly what happened. After getting there, they talked for awhile, and then took Barb's car and headed over to the Red Apple Eatery. This is a restaurant in a strip mall a little ways from Barb's house. It's a little place where the locals go, and it's always busy, so you just know the food has to be good. :-)  After having a nice lunch, they came back to Barb's house and visited some more.

Here's a photo of Barb that Jim took just after they got back to her place.

The afternoon was spent catching up on what has been happening and talking and laughing about past adventures that Linda and Barb had, when they were both single and living in Illinois.

All too soon it was time for Jim and Linda to leave and come back here to the park. CLT said that the drive back here was uneventful, and after stopping for a nice drink of 87 octane gasoline, he pulled into his parking spot here at the CG a little after 6:00.

After they got back here, Jim and Linda were talking about how great it is to be living full time in an RV and to be able to travel around to different parts of the country to see family and friends. If they were still living in their stix and brix house, they would never be able to keep in contact with their friends, like Barb.

It was another very good day, and it was sure good to see Barb again.  :-)

Did you know that Ocala is known as the horse capitol of the world? There are about 1,200 horse farms in the area, and about 900 of them raise thoroughbred horses.