Communicate: Shouts, Comments & Emails

SHOUTS: As most of you know, you can enter a shout-out in the box on the right hand side of my blog and I will try to reply to you (not always necessary, but I try). This is a quick way to post something short...it is limited but some have even figured out how to enter links (I haven't tried that yet but have seen it.) Most of the time I reply back in less than 24 hours.

COMMENTS: You can also enter a comment and after I approve it (only done to keep out SPAM), it will be displayed. When I reply to comments BUT I don't do it as a comment. Why? Because I personally never go back to blogs where I have entered a comment. I don't track that and it would take up too much time. Most folks that know me will email me back if they feel a reply is needed.

This means several things can happen. If the person who commented has linked to an email address, I can reply back to them. If not, then if I feel the comment is worth going into a "Readers Ask" blog, I save them and post them there with my reply. Otherwise, unless the comment REALLY needs a public reply (which I would then do as a comment - think I've done this twice), then they get no reply. Sorry folks...

EMAILS: My email address is posted on my personal profile/about me blog page. Anyone can email me. Again, I will get back to you if you email me. This is the best way to communicate with me if 1) it's too long for a shout, 2) you don't want to link to an email address in your comment and 3) you would like a reply back.

SOooooo, all this being said, most of you know, if you have had any communications with me, that I get a lot of mail every day and not just from the blog. My average day sees 25-50 valid emails. Factor in the spam and sometimes it's close to 100 a day. I do try to keep up but sometimes life intervenes and I get behind. (Okay, I admit it, I'm usually behind....LOL!)

Right now I have 87 blog comments to review and reply to those that I can, and another 23 emails that need replies. Since today is supposed to be WINDY, then I will try to catch up. Honest! ;-)

Speaking of windy, here is today's weather warning for my area:

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MST THIS EVENING.

A STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE STATE TODAY...BRINGING STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE STRONG WINDS COULD CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND SAND.

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 39 MPH...OR GUSTS FROM 40 TO 57 MPH...ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. CONSIDER SECURING LOOSE BELONGINGS ON YOUR PROPERTY.

It's mostly cloudy but the sun peeks through once in a while. I've battened down the hatches but haven't put away the chairs, they are just pushed flat against the motorhome. If it gets too bad, I'll quickly toss them into the back of the car. It's just a little gusty right now, time will tell how bad it gets.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

More From My Readers....

While I sit here watching the service guys bleed my brakes, try to get some wires out from behind my dash (for my old GPS that I want to use in my car and for my Sirius that I want to be able to move between vehicles), work on my hydraulic jacks (one has decided to not drop down anymore - lazy thing...LOL!) and then do an annual service on my A/C (which has probably NEVER been cleaned)...I figured I'd do a quick blog replying to some comments and questions from readers.

"My Minnie Winnie is also an E450, just like yours. We probably don't have the same brand of tires but for my 19" tires it is 60# in the front, with a maximum of 80# for the duals. Actually, you should weigh each tire position and consult the manufacturer's recommendations for the particular weight at that location. Mine handles better with 60# than the 80# the local Ford mechanic increased them to."
After getting weighed at the RV Life on Wheels, I am now using 80 in the rear tires and 75 in the front. I am overweight, especially in the rear, but am working diligently to correct that. I hope to get the rig weighed again here shortly.

"With the Nuvi, you should be able to touch MENU and then touch the sat signal strength indicator, it should then show you accuracy, elevation, position of sat's and all sat signal strength."
This was in response to my complaints about missing features on my Nuvi as compared to my older Quest II. If I go to Menu/Tools/Where Am I, then I can see the elevation. Not something you should be doing while driving...the Quest displays it on the screen. Oh well..at least I can find it. LOL! Thanks for the help.

"You have probably ordered already, but although you can handle the 25# portable break system now, there will come a time you may not be as strong or you could just strain your arm temporarily. The Roadmaster seems like it could prove valuable. I also wonder if you should sell the Suzuki would having that brake system on it help the resale value?"
Yup, already bought the Brake Buddy Vantage system (proportional braking). I realize that lifting it may become an issue at some point but since my car IS older and there is always the possibility of needing to upgrade at some point, the portable brake system makes more sense. Unfortunately, have the setup on the car for the Roadmaster Brakemaster wouldn't increase it's resale value. So both for convenience and current outlay, the portable system made more sense. (And keep following along...that's how we all learn!) Thanks for reading and commenting...

"Have you cropped your bird photos or are you able to get those full framed photos with your camera system?"
Yes, my bird photos were cropped. They were all taken with the 10x zoom on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at a very high resolution (3264 x 2448) so I can crop them. They are over 1MB each.

"Did you know that you can buy (probably from Camping World & other places) a hose that lets you connect one of the refillable propane bottles to a grill that is made for the disposable bottles? And they have refillable tanks that are smaller than those standard ones so are easier to carry & haul around. Get one of those, then just keep a disposable as a backup if the other runs out when you need to use it."
"Got my hose last week at Lowe's (nice low price) and am still looking for a reasonably priced tank. I can find plenty of 20# ones for around $35 but that is just too big & heavy for me. I really want the 5# one but they seem to run $55-60. Yikes!

"You will have to let us know how that little grill does with chicken, especially drumsticks & thighs. I just can't seem to get decent chicken from the grills I've had - from the big one to the little one and they have all had tops that close which the one you just got doesn't have. I just don't seem to be able to turn them down low enough to decently cook the chicken and get it done in the middle and not burn the outside."
Ah, I already knew the secret for that one...from many years of watching hubby do this. You parboil the chicken for 20 minutes then cook it on the grill till it's browned the way you want. The parboiling cooks it, the grill then sears in the flavor (butter, BBQ sauce, whatever you use).

"Question re: the California Duster....I imagine it could be used to keep the solar panels clean. Ours sure got dusty in the southwest.. Do you put it in water or always use it dry.."
You MUST use it dry...it actually contains wax that's impregnated into the fibers. I don't think that would be a good idea for the solar. I know that mine will need washing soon...been in the desert too long. But first have to find a park that will let me and then need to be sure I have an extension long enough to reach it from a side ladder (I don't do rooftops). So far I do like it on the car...seems to help repel the dust a bit as well.

"I saw that very same solar light in WalMart's clearance aisle for $17 last week. No shipping & handling needed."
Say, you want to pick up two of them for me and I'll pay you the S&H? I have checked here and they don't have them. Mine actually blew off the table and broke (I have semi-glued it precariously back together). Sigh...

"We use Grand Central and love it. Since we can't get cell phone reception at our home, I have GC set so that when someone calls us on the GC phone number, it rings both on our landline phone and on our cell phone. That way, no matter where we are, at home, at the beach, on the road, I can answer the calls."
Oh yeah, rub it in...the BEACH....LOL! Seriously, nice to hear that it works so well.

And thank you to Tina who called my voicemail to test it out...she came through loud and clear. I love having voicemail alternatives!

Speaking of alternatives, I did find one more FREE incoming fax site - Fax Digits. I actually like it better than eFax because they email you a PDF file, no special software needed!

"By the way, that external propane outlet, I hope they did not sell you the kit! I think it has gone up to $150+/-. I just got the gizmo itself and the RV guy made me a hose as long as I wanted to!"
Nope, all I got was the valve and it was around $25-30 if I remember correctly. Still have to get the hose though...

One last side note...following the intrepid example of my fellow RVers, I have added a little Shout-Out space on the right. As long as it's used (and not abused), I'll keep it. So far I'm the only one who has posted...give it a whirl!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Free (or almost free) helpers while traveling

I use a lot of helpful sites while full-timing, sites that let me do things conveniently and efficiently. I am often referring folks to them so thought I would toss them all in a blog and maybe some of them will help others. I use all of these.

faxZERO.com
This site allows you to send up to two free faxes of up to three pages each once a day. The faxes can be PDF or DOC files or you can type a text message to be sent. If you need to send more then two in one day it's $1.99 per fax (paid through PayPal). Same for sending a fax for more than three pages...for $1.99 you can send up to 15 pages. I have used this several times and it has been WONDERFUL and much cheaper than hunting up a spot to send a fax. FAQ here.

eFax.com
This site has three plans and they are compared here. I use the free version and have used it off and on since their early years. In order to read the free fax attachments that are emailed to you, you will need to install their free eFax Messenger program. There aren't a lot of choices out there for free fax sending. Most require a fee for the faxes or they require you to join (for pay) another type of service offering to get the free faxing. I have had documents sent to me this way, printed it out, filled it in, scanned it in, printed out as a PDF, and sent back using faxZERO. eFax help.

FaxDigits.com
I am adding this site because I had signed up for it quite a while back and just rediscovered it. I like it better than eFax because they email you a PDF file, no special reader or other download needed. They offer unlimited incoming faxes but on the free plan they don't store them for you. Read the FAQ.

mail2web.com
Many of us use web-based email addresses or access our ISP email via their web interface. For those that don't have easy access to their email when not at their own computer, mail2web offers a great way to get to your mail. You can set up your own personal page and store multiple email accounts to check (this is what I have done). One other NICE feature about mail2web - someone sends us that HUGE attachment and it locks up our mailbox because of its size. I go into mail2web, read the message, delete it and my incoming mail is now back working. More info.

SimpleVoiceBox.com
Yes, most of us have cell phones. Yes, most of our cell phones have voicemail. No, our cellphones don't always have service. So how can you be sure you stay in communication with family & friends? I set up a free SimpleVoiceBox account. I tell my family & close friends that if they can't get to me via my cell phone and it's urgent, then leave me a voicemail at 641-715-3900 x6315069 (my SimpleVoiceBox number and extension). Go ahead, leave me a message (I will remove the number in a couple of days and use a fake one). Here is the FAQ.

GrandCentral.com
A newer offering is one from Google - GrandCentral. Currently in BETA testing, you can sign up for your number now. They advertise; "One number that rings all your phones. One voicemail box, all your messages in one place." Many features....time will tell how much I will use it, but hey, the sign up is free and I already use a TON of other Google stuff.

MyWay.com
Okay, so you have all these neat new sites bookmarked. Your computer dies and you need to get online at the library. How do you remember all the sites you need to check? What about your favorite forums and other sites?

I use a personalized MyWay portal page (my home page - sample below). I have local newspapers from home bookmarked on the left, followed by weather in areas of interest to me. I have my news sources in the middle, on the right the only advertising they use is a small Google box of contextual ads and under that I have a HUGE list of all my favorite sites.

This makes it very easy if I need to use another computer, I just log into MyWay.com and I'm set. But even on my computer it makes it easy because I can click to all my favorite forums, check weather, find out sunrise/sunset times, all my favorite sites - from one page. In addition, I have my TV listings for the stations I watch the most at the bottom of the page, nice quick overview to see what's on. It's all very customizable, even the color scheme. Read the FAQ.

I am sure other portal sites (Yahoo, ISP home pages, MSN, etc) all offer something similar. I just happen to like the clean interface and minimal ads offered by MyWay.

IrfanView
The best freeware around for image/graphic manipulation. I have used this program for over 10 years now...I love it so much that I recently sent in a small donation to help in the continuing development. I can't begin to tell you all that it can do, you need to learn as you go (I'm still learning). The basics we all need are the ability to resize the dimensions of an image (width x height), optimize the file size of .jpg photos (I use 85% optimization most of the time), crop the edges of an image, flip it horizontal/vertical, rotate it to the left or right.

In addition you can save as many different file types, open many different file types, crop out the INSIDE of an image, adjust the colors, reduce the colors, change to black & white, make a negative image, save a GIF with a transparent background, auto adjust photo colors, and so much more. I keep finding new things all the time. You do need to remember to check for updates from time to time, there is no auto-update procedure. Once downloaded and installed, be sure to download and install the plug-ins as well.

pdf 995 ~ CutePDF Writer ~ PDF reDirect
All three of these provide you with a free and easy way to create PDF files. They install a printer driver and all you do is choose that as your printer. Sweet! Each offers a slightly different way of saving the file, some have more options, some have PRO (paid) options. I have used all three and have opted for the pay version of CutePDF & PDF reDirect. Over time I had some Vista issues with CutePDF so I almost exclusively use PDF reDirect PRO now. But for most folks, the free version is all you need. Try them and keep the one YOU like best.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Can you find me now?

If you have been following my blog, you remember my post about passing out and hitting my head one night while sick. Several folks made comments about setting up a way to have others local to you check in on you, nightly/daily check-in phone calls, etc.

None of these are perfect...if you like to boondock in the middle of nowhere, there isn't someone you can ask to check on you. And if you're a solo lady, that in of itself is a bit scary (asking someone you don't know....). A daily check-in by phone can be difficult as well...you might be out of cell phone range is the first problem. The second is inconveniencing someone on a daily basis.

In one of my favorite motorcycle forums they have been discussing Personal Locator Beacon solutions.

"The PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a pocket-sized emergency 406MHz beacon, a scaled down version of the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) that boaters and pilots, respectively, have had available to them for years."
~ Landfall Navigation

These items were brought up in a boondocking session I attended at RV Life on Wheels recently. While a nice option, they are pricey...VERY pricey at $500-700 although there are no annual fees.

Recently some new products have come into the marketplace. One is the TracMe Beacon, only $99 and again, no annual fees. Note that this is not satellite communication and it does not automatically start a search & rescue operation. Not does it allow you to notify someone that you are okay. But it is one newer solution to be considered.

The new product now being discussed in The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum is the SPOT Satellite Messenger. Priced at $170 by the manufacturer, it is in the affordable range. (The cheapest price I found was at Amazon.com, at under $135.) There is an annual fee of $99 for the basic services with a couple of upgrade options. But for the $99 you get a lot...

• ALERT 9-1-1:
  Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
• CHECK IN:
  Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. Unlimited usage included.
• ASK FOR HELP:
  Request help from friends and family at your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
  

This means you can easily use it to notify family/friends that you are okay. Run into a problem, then you can ask for help via the SPOT Messenger. And in an emergency you can send a message to the control center who can notify your emergency contacts for you.

It's not perfect...like any satellite solution it needs a clear line of sight for the best signal. It can take up to 20 minutes to lock onto the signal. Too many trees or other obstructions and the signal may not go out. But if you have been using the CHECK IN feature, then your last location sent is available as a starting point.

Here are some reviews I found, Lets Go Mobile and Wild Snow, as well as a good FAQ page on the emergency service. One of the motorcyclists has sent check in updates to his blog! I really like this product and think it will only get better. I think I see one in my near future....

UPDATE 5/12/08: I have purchased a SPOT Messenger - see the link in the sidebar or click HERE for the best price including Priority Mail shipping.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Plaxo & Frappr Map [updated 9/24]

I should be packing, sorting, tossing STUFF but got messing around on the computer (it's over 90 outside) and decided to do some general email address clean-up. I use Mozilla Thunderbird for my email client (if you are still using Outlook Express with all it's security holes, you might want to give Thunderbird a try...it's free, too).

Anyway, I found a way to synchronize my Plaxo information and my Thunderbird address book. Neat, I thought. Unfortunately a couple of things happened....Plaxo ended up with a bunch of email addresses that got automatically added to Thunderbird just by virtue of my sending an outgoing message. (THAT option is now turned off....) This meant that when I sent my update contact email from Plaxo, it went to a lot of folks that it shouldn't have. Hmmmmm.....

Next mistake, I thought I had found a neat little solution for mapping, a concise way for me to visually see who was in an area that I planned to visit. So the first note went out about Google Maps. Turns out that the owner is the only one who can add to Google Maps (thank you to the first person to notify me about this). So I deleted the map and started playing around with Frappr Maps. I hadn't used them in a LONG time so messed up the first two times I created a map.

I think it's set the way I'd like it now. If you just scroll all the way to the bottom of this page, you will see the map. I have added myself and will change my location as I travel, that way everyone can see where I am (as long as I have Internet access). Anyone who knows me can add themselves to the map by clicking the ADD YOURSELF button. Enter a name I will recognize (I have to approve all new pins so that the map doesn't get spammed with folks I don't know), enter a fake email address if you want (I am the only one who can see it, but I did a fake one since I didn't realize it wouldn't be shown) and chose the appropriate pin (if you have RV space or not or if you are an RVer yourself). NOTE: Several new additions to the map came without a name, even though I approve them they don't show. If you added yourself and don't see your pin within 48 hours, PLEASE add yourself again, being sure to add a name first.

I don't know if this will work but figured it was worth a try. It will only be as good as the information entered. So we shall see....thanks for giving it a whirl!

For those who got the Plaxo note for the first time, you are NOT required to join Plaxo, you just need to enter the information you want me to see (email, phone, address, etc). For those who think they need to download something then I suspect you may have Java turned off...I think Plaxo uses that (or else Flash and you may not have that loaded). Worst case, just email me your information and I will update it. I do really like it because if you DO join, anytime you make changes on your information, I see it automatically (and vice versa). Handy....

Okay, enough techno babble for one day...here's to continued communications!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna