Stupid RVer Tricks

No, not me...at least not today. LOL! The campground was much quieter this weekend than last, not sure why, but today several folks arrived. One pulled into a sit two away from me and since it was right outside my window, I let them entertain me.

They pulled in, toad in tow, narrowly missing the railroad ties that line the left boundary of the sites. Nothing extraordinary so far. The wife arrived on foot with their, what appeared to be, boxer pup. Okay, so he got too close because she wasn't there to help? Who knows....

He got out and went to unhook the Jeep. Because he hadn't pulled in all the way, it was cocked a bit so he called to the wife to get in and move it a bit. She did...OOPS! Got a bit close and had to back it up a bit. But it freed up the second pin and he got the tow bar off, then zoomed (spinning a little gravel) off to park it in front of the rig.

This is where the dumb comes in....next thing I know, they are both in the rig (I can see her in the passenger seat) and he's backing up. So what, you say. Well...remember when he unhooked the Jeep, he left the tow bar facing into the ground. So now he was backing up with the tow bar digging into the ground...then he pulled forward. Satisfied, he put down his levelers and thankfully that lifted the tow bar out of the dirt.

He now started to hook up the utilities....got his cable for the TV out and had to walk around the back of the motorhome. He noticed the tow bar pointed at the ground, looked to the back where you could see the drag pattern and then walked past it, ignoring it. LOL! He eventually came back to it, pinned up the cable for the lights and unhooked the safety chains. He did lift the bar up and secure it....never did wipe the dirt off. Maybe it will never make a difference...but it did give me a grin...the first RV stupid trick I've been privy to watch!

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

Poisson d'avril

I've never been a big practical joker....just not good at it and many seem to be mean-spirited, at least for the recipient. Over the years I've played a few April Fools jokes but not many. I've read or heard about many more, some famous, some not so much.

Google has become almost infamous in it's celebration of the day, here is today's..."A Cool World: Enjoy a rosier future as a Virgle Pioneer. Wonder how many go for it before they go to the very last FAQ question. LOL!

There is no one certain interpretation of the origin for April Fools Day but I did discover an interesting site in my search. The Museum of Hoaxes not only has the Origin of April Fool's Day but the Top 100 April Fool Hoaxes and the Top 10 Worst April Fool Hoaxes but you can search out the Foolery, as they put it, by year.

1698 | 1708 | 1844 | 1850 | 1860 | 1866 | 1878 | 1888 | 1915 | 1919 | 1933 | 1934 | 1936 | 1939 | 1940 | 1943 | 1949 | 1957 | 1959 | 1965 | 1969 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |

Great entertainment - hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

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

Who knew it would be so hard?

What in the world happened? Where did they go? Have I been asleep for 50 years? Today I started looking at bicycles, figuring the I need some way to keep my face in the wind and hanging it out the motorhome window isn't going to cut it. All I wanted was a simple 3-speed like my bike growing up. Simple task, right?

Wrong....somewhere along the way bikes went high-tech. Now I was aware of the 12 & 16 speed thing as well as mountain bikes. But what I wasn't aware of was a whole new world out there, a world that had terms I've never heard of: DX-7300 ASR suspension, 18-speed ENZO twist shift, 6-speed FIS deraillur, steel linear pull brakes, steel 3-pc. crank, bash guards. Huh? Okay, guess a bash guard might be like the engine guard on a motorcycle (previously called a crash bar until that was determined to not be "polite") but what the heck is a deraillur and why does a bike need a 3 piece crank? Who in their senior citizen right mind needs 18 gears (although there was a mountain bike with 21!)? My motorcycles only had 5!

There are a few familiar brand names....Huffy, for one. That was the bike that my kids wanted (and got). Schwinn for another. That's the brand from my childhood, single speed and three speed. But there are others that are totally foreign to me...Tomasso, K2, Dekra, Anza and Van Dessel. Then there are the unexpected brands...Polaris, GMC, Jeep, Cadillac and Lamborghini. The manufacturers have obviously taken a page from motorcycle popularity. I saw the several Iron Horse models and even Kawasaki is represented (and for my motorcycle friends, they even have a "Hardtail"). Who knew?

But the biggest shock of all is price....I expected something in the $100-150 range. Yes they are out there (but with WAY more than I need for features) and even a few under $100. But the majority are in the $400-$2000 range with several over $3000. Boy, do ya think they saw us coming? Jeesh!

I don't want a single speed so now have to concentrate on reasonably priced multi-speed bikes and try to find one that has a natural seating position (no way am I going to assume that bike racing position...I'd never straighten back up...makes me feel like a pretzel just thinking about it), and is lightweight so I can easily lift it on and off a bike rack. Right now the mountain bikes actually seem to be the best solution...they have the upright position and are typically lightweight, whereas the "cruiser/comfort" bikes are much heavier. Factor in that I would like to be able to ride in less than stellar road conditions, the mountain bike makes even more sense.

So do I go with the bike crowd and get a Kawasaki, or maybe the sports car group with the Lamborghini, or even maybe my gun friends with a Smith & Wesson model? Actually, right now a Mongoose seems to be at the top of the list. Do you think someone offers training classes to learn how to shift all those gears? ;-)

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



P.S. Just in case you think I'm not safety conscious, I even found the perfect addition to a bike helmet. ROFLOL!!!

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

I hate Daylight Saving Time (DST). I've always hated it. My body doesn't function at 100% during it's reign. If I get up at my regular (or in working days, required) time, I'm sluggish all day. If I sleep till what would have been my regular time, I feel light half the day is gone. Sigh...but over the years you learn to deal with it.

My body loves Central Time Zone. Just seems to fit my natural biorhythm (and my maybe not so natural addiction to prime time TV which runs 7pm-10pm in CT). Living in TN worked out very well. As an RVer traveling cross country and thus across timezones, you need to allow time for adjustment. So far I've done pretty well....the toughest has been Mountain Time Zone where my prime time starts 6pm from the East Coast feeds but if I miss something I can usually catch it on West Coast Feeds (major network shows only).

Then it arrived...the day I had been dreading. Springing forward an hour....not my cup of tea. But wait, I'm in Arizona and they don't observe Daylight Saving Time. What a wonderful thought...right? WRONG! I have a clock on the bike, one in the dash of the RV, the one that displays on my DirecTV guide, my watch, my cellphone, my microwave (ignore, it's never set...LOL!), an atomic clock on the wall in the living area, an electric battery backup atomic clock in the bedroom and a battery only atomic travel alarm clock in the bedroom. Oh, and the computer.

I go to bed last night and they are all correct. I wake up this morning and have no idea what time it really is! ROFLOL!! Fortunately I know that my watch will be correct because this area didn't go into DST, thus no time change. My computer will be correct because a friend alerted me to setting it to Arizona time and once it resets, my cell phone will be okay. The atomic clocks have to be told that they are in Pacific Time Zone even though they aren't. The DirecTV guide has to be told the same. I don't think I will bother changing the clocks in the dash & motorcycle...at least not until I am in Mountain Time Zone for real.

So, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" [My thanks to Chicago for a great song....]

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

Looking over my shoulder....

A peek into the past...I wrote this article January 1999 after our initial foray into full-time RVing. Enjoy - I think you'll recognize a few things!

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My ReVolutions for the New Year

... did I hear you say it should be Resolutions? Another year is rushing towards us. This past year has been very exciting. Mike & I have learned a lot of new things about RVing, but I know there is always room for improvement. To that end, I have come up with a list of the top 10 things I need to change. I hope you'll have as much fun reading them as I did writing them.

I Resolve:

TO bite my tongue when I know we're lost.
The more people I talk to, the more I know that it's true - men really DO hate to ask for directions. But with an RV, I think it should be different. If you're going to be lost, relax and enjoy it. You may never pass this way again!

TO quit yelling "THE OTHER LEFT" when helping my partner backup.
I used to think I was the only person to have this problem, but now I know better. No matter which way you direct them, they will always go the other way. So, just steer them opposite of where they need to be!

TO use my time at the Laundromat for something better than reading a 5 year old "True Confessions".
Yes, I have been known to be that desperate. Since I'm a writer, this would be the perfect place to "people watch" and build new characters. So, remember that the next time you see a middle-aged woman with pen and pad in hand, staring at you with a crazed look on her face!

TO keep my eyes open when we drive through areas of road construction.
Don't panic, I'm not the driver. But I do have a bad habit of holding my breath and closing my eyes when the going gets "tight". I guess if I'm ever going to learn how to drive this rig (and that is an emergency must), the first step is getting used to those tight spots!

TO make the bed more than once a week (whether I think it needs it or not).
I know, laid back lifestyle & all - once a week should be fine. It sure is with me, but Mike thinks tripping on the covers once a day is much more preferable to tripping every time he walks into the bedroom!

TO learn to cook in my convection oven.
Okay, maybe this is a stretch - cook, that is. I'll just commit to learning how to use it!

TO stop being embarrassed when I can't remember the name of the folks I just met.
I know I should work harder on remembering, but that's a lost cause. Anyway, I think it will make me a more memorable character this way. They'll always describe me as that "crazy-looking, middle-aged lady who could never remember our names". At my age, it's much more fun to be interesting rather than proper!

TO file our bills and other papers more often.
Mike says that making "piles" on the far end of the couch doesn't qualify as filing (which is something I only do when I don't have room for my feet anymore). I have to admit it will make it easier to find that Sam's Club receipt we need - when we need it!

TO make my brother happy by calling the catalog folks and getting off their mailing lists.
He keeps telling us we get more mail in one week than they do in an entire month. This will be a tough one - I think they need to start a "Catalog Shopper Anonymous". I know I'm addicted!

TO "Enjoy Life. This is NOT a Dress Rehearsal!"
Need I say more? Happy New Year to everyone, everywhere!

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Things have obviously changed quite a bit...technology for one thing, having a GPS helps with directions and two-way family radios as well as back-up monitors help with backing (although I'll bet folks still holler about the OTHER left).

I did sign up with an Opt-Out service to start getting rid of the gazillion catalogs that still manage to find me, even after many moves and I now use a mail forwarding service rather than abusing family. LOL!

My current rig doesn't have a convection oven but since I'm only cooking (and I use that term VERY loosely) for one, that's fine. In fact, the real oven will probably get taken out to make room for batteries and an inverter.

I do make my bed every day...maybe not quite as nicely as at home, but that was a quirk Mike had and was one thing I started doing regularly after he died. (I know that gives him a smile.)

I still don't remember folks names...so if you have met me before and see me again, PLEASE remind me who you are. I ran into a couple in Livingston and the lady very obviously remembered me and I was too embarrassed to tell I that I hadn't a clue as to who she was. If she is reading this, I apologize!

My filing still stinks....that is something that will be addressed this winter...sometime. Honest!

As to driving, well, that became a necessity but not the 36' (or 38' - still can't remember) Class A we had...but my little 26' Class C. That was challenge enough for a while.

I am still a true believer in the "Enjoy Life! This is not a dress rehearsal" philosophy. Life is for the living and that is what I intend to do!

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

Guilty as Charged....

Guilty of not setting my alarm clock and sleeping till I wake naturally...

Guilty of not only not knowing the date but often what day it is...

Guilty of not hating having to use a laundromat because it means I can sit, read and people watch...

Guilty of forgetting where I put this and that, but that's okay because I find the other thing while searching...

Guilty of taking time to look around, noticing and appreciating the little things...

Guilty of eating out less because I'm comfortable at the picnic table outside, watching nature and neighbors while I eat what's on hand...

Guilty of forgetting birthdays and sometimes even holidays (sure glad there are e-cards)...

Guilty of daydreaming, listening to my iPod, watching holiday movies, reading, writing and doing what I enjoy when I want to...

Guilty of not letting problems/issues/obstacles stress me anymore...

Guilty of taking time to meet new folks and chat with them when I know there are more productive things I could be doing...

Guilty of living life and loving it...

Are YOU guilty?

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

Ten Ways You Know You're Ready.....

How you know you're ready to move into your RV full-time...

1. You have to keep taking clothes out of the RV to the house each day.
2. You wish you had DirecTV in the RV.
3. You can't remember which cabinet has what...and realize you don't care
4. You spend more time in the RV than the house.
5. You want to spend your nights in the RV even though the bed is smaller, the mattress is older and you hit the walls when you turn over.
6. You clean the floors in the RV daily....you figure you'll clean the house floors when it's empty.
7. You run the A/C in the RV and not in the house.
8. You start to realize how few dishes you really need daily.
9. You make your daily coffee in the RV...and sit there to enjoy it.
10. You are marking the days off on the calendar, counting down the days till you FULL-TIME!
    

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

Naked Ladies & Unexpected Visitors

As many of you know, I have my house up for sale. Had an interesting afternoon. I got a call about 10:30 that an agent wanted to show the house between 12:30-1:30. Since I was trying to decide whether to read, surf or watch a movie, that made up my mind for me. Picked up a little around the house, got dressed and headed to my hang-out (McDonald's for coffee to enjoy while I read my latest book - Lisa Jackson for anyone who enjoys good mysteries with a minor dab of romance).

Came back home at 2 figuring that was plenty of time (and as always, prepared to turn around if they were still there). Started trying on more clothes, sorting out them out (keep, giveaway, consign). Was taking a break, sitting on the sofa watching a VH1 special on Freddy Mercury when I see a car drive in. Normally not a big deal but I had no shirt on...OOPS!

I rush into the bedroom, dig my t-shirt out from under the pile of clothes I was sorting, pull it on, grab my soda to put it away, jug a quick drink, manage to slosh it down the front of my shirt so I then rush to the kitchen to splash water on it (Cola stain) so I could then meet them at the door - wet shirt to the forefront. LOL!

Oh well, the joys of selling a house....

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

The Perfect Pet

It all started out so innocently. I was setting up a client's new laptop. It came with Vista and already had the Google Desktop installed and she was running the sidebar.

"How annoying", I thought. Computer snob that I am, I hate to give up any desktop space to something I feel isn't necessary. But since it was HER computer, I left it there. Well, before the day was over, I found myself interested in checking it out for my office computer (large monitor with lots of room).

I downloaded the software...nice look, not as slick as on Vista but still very nice. The first thing I did was have the photos start to rotate through the folder I had with pictures from my 2005 motorcycle trips across the country. Nice!

The notepad turned out handy for those little things I was putting on Post-it notes and sticking all over my desk. The To Do list I found I could use alone or link to my Outlook tasks. Next came the calendar...several tries to find one I liked. Oh, and had to add the weather...

From time to time I would search for new gadgets, switch things around, try new ones, get rid of them and try another. I've added a great digital clock, a volume control bar and a system performance bar.

One day I was checking out the "fun" tools and found my perfect pet....a little tree frog. I got to personalize him with blue eyes and red feet (you get to leave him all green or choose various colors for eyes and feet) and I found the perfect background for him....lilypads (imagine that).

When I'm bored or need to break, he follows my cursor around his lilypad home. Cute! Well, last week he got better....he was upgraded and I can now feed him flies. As I click my cursor little green flies are released and he moves after them zaps them with his tongue. Really got a laugh out of that.

After a week or two I realized that I felt like I was feeding my pet and felt guilty if I hadn't given him some flies that day! Oh my....this is like having a pet. Then I realized that this was the best pet....I never have to clean up after him, he's easy to take care of, I can talk to him and if I ignore him he'll never die.

Finally...the perfect pet!

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

Why is it?

~ Why is it that.....
Guys never turn on the windshield wipers until they haven't been able to see anything for at least 15 minutes?

~ Why is it that.....
If people even bother to turn on their directionals they either turn them on after they have started turning or 1/2 mile before they need to turn?

~ Why is it that.....
Guys seem to prefer backing into a parking spot? Is it due to the fight or flight response and the need for a quick getaway?

~ Why is it that.....
Some people insist on stopping everyone behind them when they are in the wrong lane, waiting to get into the next lane over? Why not just go around the block?

~ Why is it that.....
The easier they try to make computers for others, the harder it is for me?

~ Why is it that.....
We used to stop for yellow lights and now we plow through on red?

~ Why is it that.....
The phone company can tell me I need or don't need to dial a one to reach a number but they can't just ADD or SUBTRACT that one and complete the darned call?

~ Why is it that.....
The best tasting foods have the most calories or are the worst for your health?

~ Why is it that.....
Some folks think they need to be the speed limit guardians by driving at or below the speed limit in the far left lane?

~ Why is it that.....
Babies are so cute with little or no hair or teeth?

~ Why is it that.....
I can't leave toilet paper unrolling from the wrong direction on the holder????

Just a little food for thought today....

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

Dating, Health Care & Other Dilemmas

Dating has always been a traumatic event....at least for me. An awkward, homely geek in high school quickly became a young mother who turned into a divorced single mother who once again quickly became a wife again. Not much room in there for dating....just the usual ups and downs of marriages made in haste and for the wrong reasons.

But at least my 20's-40's found me healthy, confident and reasonable attractive to the opposite sex. As I approach an age that I equate with finally being a senior citizen, I find myself single and not so sure I want to be looking. I mean why should I? I do what I want, when I want. If I want popcorn and ice cream for dinner, that's fine. If I want to veg away the evening watching television or reading, no one will complain. Got the urge to take a road trip? No problem, tell the neighbors to watch the house and head off.

Of course it also means that there is no one to listen to my daily ups and downs, no one to share those dreaded household chores, no one cuddle with on a cold day, no one to let me know that I am loved...as a wife, lover and best friend. Maybe I had better rethink this dating thing....

I've got it all figured out....about my health insurance that is. Simple....just gonna marry someone with group insurance. Heck, we don't have to live together...we don't even have to like each other! I mean think about it....people get married to live in this country. So why not? Think it'll work? Probably not....but it's a thought! LOL!!!

I'm sure you all remember my house-selling drama, I was going to sell the house and go RVing full-time. Got a contract on the house, sold everything just to have the buyer back out two weeks before closing. No other offers were forthcoming and I decided that the house just wasn't meant to sell and took it off the market. Oh, and then I re-bought everything.

Today, out of the blue, my UPS man saw me in McDonald's and asked if I would still consider selling my house. He and his wife love mine but they had no contract on theirs so never placed on offer. Well, they now have a contract on theirs and are interested in mine again. What to do...got to give this some thought.

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

Fun, silly and interesting....

Want to have some fun while you waste some time and maybe get some education, too? Then stop by this site started by a friend of mine - WOW, THAT'S..... You'll see sections for the Big, Cool and Tacky as well as unusual motorcycle sightings and interesting roadside eateries (especially those that are Big, Weird, Tacky or otherwise). Hope you enjoy it as much as I do and remember to check back weekly for updates and new submissions.

Quick update on the job, things are going well. I have a lot to learn and that will take time, but at least I remember the 'spiel' for answering the phone now...well, most of the time. Only hung up on one person so far, so that's pretty good. The day goes by quickly and is never the same. I'm learning the tasks but have yet to piece them together into the overall picture. I know that will come....it had better. In two weeks the gal I'm assisting is going on vacation for 2 days and then will be in a class for 2 weeks. GULP!

Still having a heat wave here....I've become a motorcycle weather wimp. Just too hot to ride. I finally gave in and put the battery charger on the bike....just so if I find an hour when it's not too hot and I feel like grabbing a ride, at least the bike will start.

Well, it's past my bedtime so better quickly close...remember to check out Wendy's site above!

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