Saturday and Sunday

We left Livingston about 8 AM Saturday.  Not planned it just happened.  Along the back roads…

Lunch time…

We arrived about 3 PM and 300 miles or so.

No hook ups, no internet, no cell service and free….great…….we loved it.

Sunday we left about 8 AM, not planned, it just worked out that way.

Man we hit a bad back up leaving Atlanta.   About 500 miles for the day we arrived at a Walmart in Commerce, GA.  The 500 miles wasn’t planned.  We just got some BS story about the Jellystone Park is no longer a Passport America and wanted $40.  It didn’t happen.  So we drove more and are running the generator  due to the 90+ degrees.  RVing is an adventure for sure.  Oh, got diesel and it was $2.04 at a Sam’s.  Otherwise it’s running about $2.25 or so.

We canceled our next stop at a Thousand Trains (Carolina Landing) and went for two nights (Mon & Tues) at Forest Lake, NC Thousand Trails.  It’s about 240 miles from here.

See ya…

One Step At A Time

The ladder is ready.  I carry another small 3’ ladder so I can get the 6’ step ladder on the RV ladder.  It just doesn’t sound right.

The Harley has a trickle charger on it.  Thinking about selling it and getting a BMW.

This is part of a picnic table that was made for traveling in that it comes apart very easy.  It wouldn’t fit in the RV.  I had already loaded the RV and didn’t want to take everything out.

Here’s the rest of it.

I took off the tow bar off the little camper when it was parked in the same spot as the big RV is now.  Now I just carried it from the side of the driveway to the big RV when I moved it here instead of carrying the hitch 50+ feet.  It’s heavy.  Move RV’s not heavy hitches!

We had gotten everything loaded and ready to pull out so we then went over Mark’s for dinner.  We had Margareta’s  and IPA beer.  Oh yea, he fixed some real nice fajitas too.  Here’s Mark – trying to impersonate an elephant.

Oh yea, my new CPAC machine was delivered today.  They wanted $36 for a compliance fee.  I said no and take the machine back.  They waived the fee.  Stupid made up fee.

At this moment it’s Saturday morning and we are just about ready to pull out.  Maybe no internet later tonight.

See ya…

Next

I started the day off by getting up at 6 AM vice my 4 AM.  Had a cup of coffee while a little electric heater ran on my feet.  Hey, it was 60 degrees outside and 68 inside and I my feet were cold (tile floor) ..why not use the heater.

I started off by washing the front windshield of the rig  since it’s really not dirty just dusty.  Then I cleaned my shiny wheels of course.

Next was to get the roof sat dish stored down  when it’s apart.  That was entertaining.  You can see the twisted metal in the middle of the picture.  Part of the metal was broke off too.  Non-repairable without the replacement extension for sure.

Next was to wash the roof.  Then washed the five solar panels real good since we will be using them real soon.

Next was to roll up the awning of the little camper and put it under the RV Port.  I washed it yesterday and it was dry now this morning.

Then I did the battery storage thing.  I will check the voltage tomorrow to make sure it’s alright.

Next was La Colonia Mexican restaurant for lunch with the guys from Escapees Hq.  This was the last Thursday lunch with them for months.  Fun as always and a nice little crowd

Next was to put the camper under the RV Port.  It really looks small.

Plus all the tires are on floor mats to make sure the tires aren’t in contact with the cement.  The cement will absorb the good stuff out of the tires if they set too long on cement.

We let the cat loose on the porch ever once in a while so she can hunt for lizards.

Here’s the mess I got into trying to hook up the portable sat dome.  Mark finally got it figured out.  Now I have to put it all back inside the cabinets.

Last but not least my honey.  I got her a carton of Fuzzy Naval and a dozen yellow roses.  I really need a lot of brownie points.  I think I got some……….. brownie points!

See ya…..

Getting Ur Done

Another day gone.  I ordered the part that I broke on the roof sat dish.  How does $172.52 sound?  Very high for the little part I needed.  Wingard don’t sell small parts like that.  I had to buy the entire arm minus the LNB.  What a rip!  It’s being sent to Baltimore where we will be in about 2 weeks.

While I was talking to the Wingard guy I asked him how to set up the portable sat dome without undoing a lot of cables inside the RV.  He really helped me there.  It’s now set up without disconnecting the cables for the roof HD sat dish.  We’re non HD now and the old cable thru the window routine is fine.  It’s like back in the old days.  I still have cables coming out of and behind the walls in and around the entertainment area and above the front window.  I got to get that stuff jammed back behind the walls.

I power washed the cement slab.  It really didn’t get up the stains like I thought it would.  It is clean.  Then I drove the little camper down to the gas station to fill up the gas tank for storage.  Plus I added Stabil and ran the generator.  They raised the price of gas 10 cents a gallon over night and didn’t even ask me.  It took on 40 gallons into the 55 gallon tank.  Towing a car and full of water it got 8.7 MPG.  It will go up when we head up north without the car in 2017.  I got back and power washed the roof of the camper then the rest of the rig and awning.  The roof and awning really needed it.  Now I will let the awning dry out before rolling it up. Tomorrow the camper goes under the roof and I will start getting the batteries ready for storage.

We went and had lunch with my Mom since we will leave before Mother’s Day.  She’s doing OK.  She loves working on her potted plants.  We brought her two new ones that she can work on.  If you didn’t know she’s in an assisted living home in Woodbridge about 40 miles from Livingston.  She no longer can use her walker and rides her electric chair wherever she goes.  I think she liked that chair a lot as soon as she hit the go button.

I’ve been asked why I don’t post many pictures anymore.  I’m lazy….but will start up again real soon.

I called my Dr Sleepy’s office.  The nurse asked me a bunch more sleep questions of which resulted in no changes to the physical test.  That means Medicare says I don’t meet the requirements for a CPAC thing.  That’s fine for me.  I told them I’m leaving this Saturday with or without the machine.  She said she would work on it and I’m suppose to call back tomorrow.  I’m getting tired of calling them.  I think tomorrow will be my last call.  Oh, got the copy of the bill for the sleep tests (2).  Over $1,000.  What a waist of Medicare money I feel.

Thursday it’s balls to walls to get everything done so Friday can be a finishing up with the small stuff day.

See ya…..

Almost Made It - blah blah blah

We needed to switch RVs around so the little RV would be under the RV Port.  Plus the Sat TV cables I previously screwed up when the big RV was under the carport needed to be redone.   I tried to hook up the cable from a portable sat dome to the RV.  Old technology met new technology and it didn’t work.  Now the cables were all screwed up inside the RV.  Well, I challenged Mark to try and fix the wiring of the cables.  I had every TV cable in the coach undone and couldn’t figure out how to rewire for the RV’s roof sat (SK SWM Slimline -3 dish).  It took him over an hour and everything was rewired and working and even better than before.  Outstanding and unbelievable.  Now I had to drive the big RV around the block and set it behind the mobile temporary.  I wanted to power wash the RV Port and then put the little camper inside under the roof of the RV Port while we are gone.  I actually made it around the block except for one minor detail.  The roof sat dish didn’t make it but it ALMOST did.  It hit a low telephone line.  A heavy duty one of course that runs across the end of our street.  BAM….. The sat dish was not lowered properly and the telephone cable grabbed it.  It tore the metal part of the arm extension to where it was not usable at all.  Hey, it really could have been a lot worse.

I didn’t get mad for my stupide mistake.  Hey, if I got mad at everything I do wrong I would be a pretty angry person.  I called the telephone company to complain about the low line.  I got a recording so I left a message.  I called Wingard to get the parts for the sat dish.  It was after hours and got a recording so I sent an email.  We’re leaving here Saturday so not enough time to get anything shipped here assuming the part can be had.  Problem one.  Next is that we have no TV.  Problem two.  Could use the portable sat dome but it won’t work with the RV’s new technology.  Bring another old TV and run the cables thru the window.  Problem resolved – kinda.

Problem three.  I get a call from my Dr office during all this saying that Medicare says I don’t qualify for a CPAC (?) breathing machine because my test results are too low.  Duh, I’ve been telling these people that have been testing me that I don’t have a sleep disorder.  It’s called an allergy and sometimes it’s hard to sleep 6-8 hours straight.  Plus, I was tested during high pollen, duh.  Their still gonna try and get me a machine.  They got until Saturday because we are out of here.

Problem four.  I’ve been on my kinda of diet and have lost about 6-7 lbs in the last week.  I’m at 197 lbs but have to lose more.  I was up to about 225 lbs back in Nov/Dec until I got sick.  I got down to 194 lbs but then went back up to about 205 since then.  I need to get down into the 180’s.  I haven’t been there in over two decades at least.  I got fat pants and skinny pants.  I sound like some women.  Oh no, now I sound like Donald Trump.  We shall see how we both do.

I got two RV’s to wash and finish up packing/rearranging.  Got to make room for an extra TV and a portable sat dome underneath.  Then power wash the RV Port and put the little camper under it.  Then I have to set it up for at least 3 months storage.  You know,  unhook the batteries and then hook them up to a battery tender and fill the gas tank up, treat the fuel and that kind of stuff.  Then put the mobile in storage like turning off the water and adjusting the AC for the summer.  Around here it’s better to have the AC on a little bit or we could back to mold.  No thanks.

BLAH BLAH…….no big deal…..

See, if we were on the road I wouldn’t be telling you all this BS.  It’s coming…. no we’re going.

Oh I’m having a hard time waiting for 2017… Alaska.

See ya if we can get going……

Rock & Roll

Not yet, this Saturday we will be gone.  It’s raining some more here.  We are wet. 

Here’s how we will travel this time. 

Saturday we will travel 310 miles to Rocky Springs on the Natchez Trace Pkway.  No reservations.  It’s a little National Park with 22 sites and no hook ups.  We haven’t stayed there but we know people who have.  No cost.

Sunday we will travel 330+ miles to… .. will have no plans.  Maybe a Cracker  Barrel or a Walmart.

Monday we will travel about 200 miles to a Thousand Trails (TTN) in Fairplay SC.  Reservations made, free being a member of TTN.

Tuesday we will travel about 200 miles to another Thousand Trails at Forest Lake in NC.  Reservations made.

Wednesday we will go about 150 miles to the Thousand Trails park in Lynchburg, VA.  Reservations made.

Thursday we will go about 150 miles to a Coast to Coast in Fredericksburg, VA.  Cost is $10? to a member.  We reserved a week.  We want to see our Grandson while there.  We will pick up our Son when we leave for Columbia, MD the following Thursday.

A week later we go 100 miles North to Carol’s brother’s Steven in Columbia, MD.  He has a full hook up for us next to his garage…nice.   Cost – some beer.  We will be there for about a week and then head for WV with a stop back in VA for a day or two.

In WV we will be at a very private small campground on top of a hill in the woods away from everything.  It’s so quiet, how quiet is it?  That you have to tell the squirrels to close their mouth while they chew, too noisy.  We will put the jacks down and the sat dish up.  It has six full hook ups.  Our site will have 50 AMP.  We might skirt out but will be there until just before the Escapade the end of July.

Yes, we will be in the big RV (37’ Journey), our home.  The little camper (25’ class c) awaits our return in TX.

See ya…..

What’s Going On

I just haven’t got the energy/urge to do a blog lately.  It seems like it became a chore rather than something I enjoyed doing.  My little medical stuff  just keeps getting in the way of our full timing.  We’ve been setting for longer than we want.  I don’t like blogging about setting but rather going down the road and seeing more friends and seeing the good old U.S. .  Yes, we got hitch itch. 

We'll be leaving Texas soon and heading for Maryland for a wedding we want to attend.   The docs want to see back in July and we agreed August would be OK.  Damn, Texas in August is hot and humid.  Oh well, the wheels get to turn before then.

The next blog will be in a couple of weeks when we start moving again.  I hope your interest remains the same for this exciting creative thoughtful entertaining and mostly BS blog.  There’s the BS!

If you can go out and RV……. do it before later life gets in the way.

See ya again of course… Dennis & Carol and our kitty Rainbow.

Life On Wheels & A Miracle

We’ve been living our life on wheels since June 2000.  Although we are on wheels on our home (37 footer) they haven’t moved since February due to medical  stuff…blah, blah, blah.  The camper (25 footer) wheels have moved several times and they will again this week.  I got another sleep thing this Thursday night in Conroe, Tx about 50 miles away.  We will go over to the Thousand Trails Wednesday.  Friday morning after the sleep test thing we will go to Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, La for a few nights.  Come on down if you ain’t doing nothing.  Then about two weeks after that the big wheels start to roll towards the East.  We will start to head for Maryland for a wedding we want to attend.  

Battery time.  Now I know for sure that I haven’t checked the house batteries in the camper since buying it back in September.  It’s overdue to check them for sure.  Well, I can’t check the water level unless I remove the hold down brackets for them.  If I do that, I might as well take them out and clean and paint what ever.  I removed the batteries from their box.  I had a little of that white junk on the hold down brackets and some more in the bottom of the box.  Clean/paint/protect it all.  Here are some pictures in no particular order.

When I was done the box was sanded and painted and the terminals and what ever got a coat of red protective stuff.  The batteries were out for a couple of hours and were resting at about 12.9 volts which is good.  The water level was fine and none was needed.  That was a surprise meaning usually they need water every few months normally in previous rigs.  Here in a couple of weeks they will go into storage.  I will talk about that then.

How about a wood pecker and lizard out our side RV window….

Oh, Don Del Rosario was a recipient of a miracle.  He was on dialysis every other day and it was permanent.  His body recovered and the doctors are saying it’s a miracle.  Well Don, congrats.  It must have been that Marine Guard Angel standing post over you when you were in that comma.  I didn’t need that Marine at the time so I let you borrow him.  You really needed him and then some.   If that Marine is finished standing his post over you, I would like him back.  I’m still getting into trouble and will need him again to guard us for sure. 

See ya……..

Nap Time

Carol takes a shower with her clothes on…no room to undress.

The other day in the rain we were in the car going somewhere when I noticed the car tires were skidding and sliding.  The factory 2010 Michelin tires are done on the Mariner.  We got about 40K miles on the odometer and at least another 10K or so towing.  I thought I could get another 5K miles on the tires but it’s just not safe anymore.  We went to Discount Tire where I got the tires for the camper.  The Mariner tires were still under warranty and they gave us a $92 credit for them on a new 4 tire set of Michelins.  Out the door $670 plus we got a $70 Visa card so $600 on the charge card.  It was an expense we weren’t  expecting until late 2017.  The tires are on order and will get tem next week.

We’re at TTN Thousand Trails in Conroe, TX.  Why do campgrounds put speed limit signs up when they have no enforcement of them what so ever?  Speeders everywhere and everyone to include the staff. 

We are at a normal campground.  The weekend campers were rolling in on Friday.  The hanging lights went up, carpet on the ground, bag chairs out and the fires were started.  Hey, we use to do that years ago.  Come Sunday we watched the weekenders pack it up and leave (speeding).  Sunday night was quite again.  It really never did get loud which was nice.

See ya….

April First

Well, being the first of April we decided to go RVing looking just to see what’s out there.  Nothing really different from what we have.  Plus, we’ve equipped it right for us.  Carol did realize we have a nice little 25 foot camper.

As it turns out, Carol really likes this little camper a lot.  She has decided we will go to Maryland for the wedding of our niece in our little camper in May.  THEN afterwards we will head for Alaska in this camper. 

This is our plans as of today.

See ya……