Where was I?

Where the heck was I when the USPS announced a postage increase? Obviously my head has been in the sand here in the deserts of AZ. I had NO idea! If it weren't for someone mentioning it at breakfast, I would never have known. Wow!! Guess I need to visit the local Post Office and pick up some "filler" stamps.

The rally is over and what a wonderful time I've had. Too much food, too much laughter, too much fun......NAH! Never too much fun......

We had an interesting start to our train ride to the Grand Canyon. We were supposed to be picked up in shuttle buses for the short ride from the park to the train depot. First announcement was that we were delayed by 30 minutes. The 30 minutes came and went and we noticed lots of cell phone work on the part of the campground owners and our rally hosts. Next thing we hear the train whistle and said folks shouting, "Stop the train! We've got to stop the train....."and with phones at full alert....they somehow did exactly that.

Long story short...the owner and driver of the shuttle bus company had emergency quintuple by-pass surgery and with the short staff, they just couldn't make it. The campground owners managed to make history....getting the Grand Canyon Railway train to STOP at the road crossing beside the campground. First time EVER..... They hurried us aboard and got us settled as quickly as possible so they could get moving.

Photos and the rest of the story tomorrow....

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

Was it something I ate?

Had barely gotten to sleep last night when I woke with a HORRIBLE case of heartburn...got up, took a pill and went back to bed. Couldn't sleep on either side, had to put my head up, felt terrible. Finally fell asleep around 4am, back awake at 6, back to sleep till a little after 8. Not near enough sleep... Got up, hit the bathroom....okay, so now things appeared to have gone south.

Spent the day feeling lousy, ate some plain yogurt, 1/2 bagel and a little soup. Visited with several folks who stopped by. Took a 2 hour nap. Got the last two Pressure-Pro sensors put on the car. Read some emails & forums....replied to a few. Got a ton more advise about the transmission. Ran a low grade fever. Rested some more.

What a day....apologies to those waiting for email replies...it may be a few more days. In the morning I head to Williams, AZ for the Escapees Grand Canyon HOP. I am caravaning with another couple so if I have mechanical problems, I won't be alone. Oh, and as soon as I'm settled I'll be doing the drawing for the contest winner. Thanks to all who entered!

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

An Easy Dozen....

I get nothing from these links (only if you click the Google ads or use my Amazon link before ordering from anything from there...hint, hint....LOL!), but thought they might be of interest to my readers. I LOVE bargains! (and I wonder why my rig is overweight...) Hey, why shouldn't I help you spend your money. ;-)

1. 44x28' Roll-top Aluminum Table - $39.97
   
   
2. 2 pk Anti-Shock Hiking Poles - $29.97
   
   
3. Columbia band clothes - various items/prices including the UV protection
   
   
4. Coleman Collapsible Storage/Organizer - $22.99 great for the back of your toad
   
   
5. Tool Logic Credit Card Multi-Tool - $9.97
   
   
6. National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America - Fourth Edition - $12.95
   
   
7. Self-Priming Siphon Hose Set - $23.90 (I got the two different sizes, one for water & one for gas use)
   
   
8. 3 cup & 4 cup Flat-Out Containers - - remember, lifetime guarantee with Tupperware
   
   
9. Space Saving Folding Funnel - $.99 (I ordered three of these)
   
   
10. Flexible Cutting Sheets - $1.35/ea (you KNOW how expensive these are in stores)
    
    
11. Tea for One sets - nice selection of under $20 Tea for One sets as well as regular tea pots, mugs with lids, tea bags/loose and more. (Mine is on order....working on more tea, less coffee & diet soda)
    
    
12. Solar Pathway Markers - $34.99 great for the edges of your door mat
    

One quick side note....I had purchased that small Reynolds vacuum sealer that has been on the market for a while now - had seen several folks post that they had one and liked it. I used it for the first time this week when I broke up the chicken & burgers into small packs. Worked like a charm! Definitely a good purchase. You should be able to find one at Wal-Mart or any large similar super store or grocery store. I will keep you posted on the freezer burn issue...that's the REAL test. LOL!

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

Just when you think everything is set....

Just when you think everything is set....something jumps up that messes it up again. LOL! Everything seemed to be falling into place...then reality just HAS to stick his BIG NOSE into things.

I got the title for my car and did all the necessary paperwork to get it titled and tagged in SD. Printed my stamp (I have a Dymo labeler that allows me to print stamps on the go...I love it) and got it in the mail. Chock one thing off my to do list...

First phone call of the morning was with the mobile repair service I had talked to the day before. I have a bunch of little things that need doing, hopefully none will become major, but regardless they can take care of them. So we set up for them to arrive Wednesday morning. Chock a list off my to do list...

Then I talked with a local RV parts & repair place seeing if they could order the bracket disconnects that I need for my Roadmaster base plate. Sure, no problem...they'll check with Roadmaster on the delivery timeframe and get back to me. Chock one more thing off my to do list...

This means I can place my order with PPL Motorhomes for my tow bar (on sale for $120 less than Camping World and shipping is only $20) and the new Brake Buddy Vantage with a free storage case (on sale AND free shipping). I'm assured they are both in stock and will ship quickly and be here by next week. Chock the last BIG thing off my to do list...

So I head out to get estimates on packing & shipping the custom motorcycle seat from my BMW (yup, got a buyer!!), grab an ice cream and coffee at McD's while I read a bit (strange but intriguing book by James Herbert...ONCE), then figure I owe myself at least ONE mall trip before leaving the area so I head across the street to the Tucson Mall. I browse a couple of stores, grab a new purse and checkbook cover at Penney's and then on the way out I see a real bargain. They have a very nice looking folding recliner, regularly $150 on clearance for $60. Oh my...I really wanted a folding recliner (will store in the back of the car) but have been loathe to spend $100+ and the cheaper ones at Wal-Mart, Kmart, etc. just didn't appeal to me. So I snapped it up and headed home feeling like the day had been VERY productive.

You knew it was coming, didn't you....the GOTCHA. While I was taking the chair out of the box my cell phone rang. Since it was an area code 520 number, I knew it was local and figured I should grab it. Remember the place that was going to order my parts for my baseplate? Well, seems like when Roadmaster went to process the order they called him back to find out which of one TWO types of 1011-1 base plates I had installed. So I described it to him...figures, I have the one that is discontinued and they no longer make any parts for it. Sigh... That means I need to do exactly what Camping World had suggested...buy a brand new base plate and have it installed. So tomorrow I call them to order the new base plate and schedule an appointment to get it installed.

Will I make it out of there on the 19th? Anyone want to place a bet? LOL!

Oh, thank you to EVERYONE who commented or emailed with grill cleaning suggestions. You guys ROCK! Now to get out grocery shopping for some nice chicken, fish and turkey!

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

There's always a first time....I did it!

First time? Did what? Got you curious? LOL! Well, some of you may remember my blog about grills some time back....being back in a campground where everyone loves to torture me with the smells of cooking got me thinking about a grill again. Now that I have the back of the car for extra storage. So I ordered the Coleman Campers Grill from Wal-Mart and had it shipped directly here.

Some assembly required....oh, boy. Well it was easy except that I couldn't get it to light...rather than get frustrated (actually I was), I let it sit another couple of days. Decided that maybe the propane bottle was empty....I've had that happen, had one go dry (or bought it that way). So today I picked up another bottle, determined to try it out. The hamburger I had thawed out to cook previously was ready and waiting.

I swapped out the bottle, tried it again. Nothing. Took the new bottle off...heard it POP and smelled a little whiff of propane. Okay...now it's just that things are new. Screwed it back on....tried again....it lit....it went out....it lit....it went out....it lit and I twisted my arm unnaturally backwards pushing in on the regulator knob as I twisted it to high. Talk about awkward...first you have to do two things with the left hand to get the stupid butane torch to light (they seriously need a line of NON-childproof lighters for us seniors), then you get to do two things with the right while you anxiously watch for the burner to light and alternately pray that it doesn't explode in your face (did I mention that I don't like flames or gas? LOL!).

But I did it....well, at least got the grill lit. Now to the second first, I cooked my hamburger. Yup, that was a first for me....I've never grilled (propane OR charcoal). That was always the male domain. Burger was done perfectly and a sense of accomplishment accompanied my full stomach.

Of course then I realized I was going to have to clean the grate....there HAS to be an easier way than trying to clean it in the little kitchen sink. Jeesh! Not going to work well when boondocking...I know my late husband just left it after cooking and then burned it off when he heated the grill the second time. That might have been okay in a stix & brix world, but carrying a dirty grill around in the back of my car doesn't hold much thrill for me.

Oh well...here are some photos of my car, my new little metal frog for beside my step, my dinner grilling and some of the wildlife that I've managed to snag in photos. Enjoy!

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

Just a little ramblin'.....

While I took it a little easy today, I did accomplish some stuff but nothing major like yesterday. I plowed through paperwork looking for something specific....I found it but also found some things that need to get taken care of.

One was changing my emergency road service coverage. I have had RV Roadhelp since 2000 and have nothing but good to say about it. Over the years I've had a motorhome towed over 300 miles, a tire changed on my car and two tows for my motorcycle. Great service all times. So why change? Well, the industry has changed and there is now a service Coach Net that offers much more for the same money. Many times when you are broken down it's something minor that a mechanic can quickly fix. Getting back on the road without having to be towed someplace is good. There is a lot more but I don't want to sound like an infomercial. Anyway, the change is made with perfect timing since the old service was due to renew on April 11th.

I canceled several credit cards today or at least started the process to do so. Over the years it's always been easy to apply for a store credit card to get a discount on the first purchase. Figured it was time to cull those out. Since I was doing that, I took a look at what's out there for cash back reward credit cards and decided to move to one of those and cancel my other MC & Visa cards. With gas prices climbing higher and higher it makes sense to get something back for the money I spend. ;-)

I also continued my calls to motorcycle and trailer dealers. Nothing really popped up except a really nice gentleman from Big Tex Trailers here in Tucson offered to stop out to take a look at it from a personal basis. We talked price and he is going to get back to me tomorrow. Not holding out a lot of hope though...wish it were up north. Northern riders are much more apt to use & buy a trailer for their motorcycle. Sigh....

The weather was really nice today, cooler than the last two weeks and little wind. Well, until about 2-3:00 that is....the clouds rolled in and the wind REALLY blew for a bit. It cooled down enough that I started closing windows....of course not before a fine layer of grit was deposited on everything. Of course once the weather tantrum was over it got hot again...LOL!

You know I love blogs....otherwise I wouldn't be following over 170 of them. All kinds - computer, photography, crafts, motorcycles, RVing, living green and more. As I've said before, this wouldn't be possible without Google reader to track & show me only the ones with new updates. I'm always adding new ones that I find by reading my current list....and yes, sometimes one will be removed.

Recently I found a couple of great new blogs, Colored outside the lines and Fulltiming Roadrunners. Both these ladies do some unbelievable beading... Sandy, Colored outside the lines, loves hummingbirds and does some beautiful native-looking necklaces. Judy, Fulltiming Roadrunners, makes beaded Bonzai type trees as well as jewelry. I saw this gorgeous bracelet in her blog and had to email her about it. Long story short, she's made one for me in the colors I asked for...it's perfect.

Well, it would have been perfect if I had asked for a magnet style clasp BEFORE she started. But nice lady that she is, she said she'd put that one into her stock and build one with the clasp I needed (arthritis). She also tossed together a little frog pendant that I plan to use on my key chain. He's so cute....she can make earrings for me, too, if I want them. Since I have NO talent when it comes to crafty stuff, I really appreciate it when I find someone that does. My friends Ellie & Karon do, just to name a couple, even if they don't advertise it much.



Anyway, if anyone is interested in the daisy bracelet, 7" for smaller wrists, drop me a not and I'll put you in touch with Judy. (And remind me that I don't need one of those gorgeous trees...I really don't, I'm getting rid of stuff....LOL!)

Lastly, I made a couple of minor changes to my blog....most to do with the comment section. Previously a pop-up window was opened for the comments but I found that was awkward if you wanted to read the posted comments so I changed it to open a new tab/window. I also added a little note above the comment form and I changed the description for the comment link.

I also expanded the Google ads at the bottom of each post. Like many folks, I try to supplement my income in any way I can...stretching that dollar. Hard in a fifty dollar world....LOL! So if you see something of interest in one of the Google boxes, check it out. If you don't, then don't...it's as easy as that!

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

Two steps forward, one step back...

That's how I feel lately...but at least that still means forward movement! For some reason my listing in Craigslist keep getting flagged and deleted....I just added it back again tonight. Jeesh! Not sure what's up with that....hoping to get some leads tomorrow when I call some of the motorcycle dealers, if not then I will start looking for some place that will take it on consignment.

Tomorrow I will complete the paperwork on my new-to-me car and I am really excited about that. Yesterday I tackled my motorcycle gear and got the keeper stuff down to one large duffel bag (from three). Some of the other stuff will be sold and some just given to friends that can use it. The remaining bag will go into the back of the car along with two crates/totes full of files. That alone will get some weight out of the RV (impacting both the back axle and the left side).

I donated a tote and large shopping bag full of "stuff" to the community room here at Tra-Tel RV Park. The rest of the office supplies that I am keeping are being moved inside, my camping gear will move inside and to the front while my large but lightweight extra bedspread will move to the rear behind the bed. I keep making adjustments to the front to rear and side to side placement of the heavy stuff while trying to reduce what I'm keeping.

I have yet to tackle inside...I REALLY have to cut down on clothes and that is hard for me. It's spent money and things that will have to be replaced at some point. Being on a fixed income, I'd rather keep what I can but the weight issue nags at me.

I will lose some weight when I move from towing the trailer to pulling a car flat (4 wheels down). I didn't realize that there is no tongue weight when you tow flat. I don't know how much that will gain me but it all helps!

I have a ton of things to get done in the next two weeks (actually less than that)...I want to get the car detailed to help protect it on the road. I'm getting two front tires for it, I could run a bit on the current ones but they're at that point where they will wear quickly. I want to get up to Moab and do some riding around the area so I figure I will get them while outfits like Discount Tires are close by.

I also will need to get two more tire sensors for my Pressure Pro tire pressure system and get out the book to reprogram the monitor. We all know how bad I am with manuals....LOL! I might just email Mike & Pat McFall and find out where they are and see if we might cross paths soon.

When my mail finally arrived, I found another recall notice for my motorhome...something about a wiring harness that needs to be replaced. I also need an oil change so will try to get both of those done before leaving Tucson.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed...guess my mind is a bit disjointed right now....LOL! After SLAVING yesterday, starting my sorting procedure, I stayed up till almost 1 am and worked on email replies. Woke up at 7 am and got up before I fell back to sleep. I needed to do a few things before my RVing friends JoAnn & Ellie came to pick me up for lunch.

They are staying out at Doc Justin's Diamond J RV Park and had invited me to a leftover pot luck lunch. I first met Ellie when I was parked in Luling, TX. She and Karon came out to meet me since they were both blog readers. I had never met her husband Jim and I wanted to see the new GORGEOUS Tiffin Phaeton diesel pusher they just moved into. I last saw JoAnn and her husband Doug at the Gypsy Journal Rally in Casa Grande last month. We both attended the RV Life on Wheels in Bowling Green, KY back in the spring of 2006 and we both ended up delaying our move into full-timing.

The ride out to the park was breathtaking...I couldn't take my eyes off things long enough to bother taking any pictures. When we arrived at the park, Ellie noticed that Sandra was back home. JoAnn went over to invite her for lunch. Sandra is another blogger that I have followed for some time but we had never been in the same place at the same time. We were joined by Ellie's sister and cousin we are down visiting from Colorado for a week.

Lunch was delicious and I ate WAY too much...no need for dinner tonight. LOL! Got back and vegged the rest of the afternoon and early evening. I thought back over our conversations...we're all RVers, some full-time, some part-time. We're all from different parts of the country. But we all agreed about one thing....we're having a blast and we're living life to the fullest!

Here are the links to Ellie's blog, JoAnn's blog and Sandra's blog. Such wonderful folks, all of them...I feel privileged to know them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do....oh, and sorry for no photos. I took a couple but they didn't turn out too well so won't embarrass anyone by posting them. LOL!

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

The perils of solo traveling...

Yesterday was a relatively quiet day...the first day of the Bouse Rendezvous for the group. I had already met many of the folks here and several of us headed into Bouse for the Monday morning at the Community Center (great breakfast for $4). I ordered the Adkin's special (2 eggs, 2 sausage patties and cheese) while everyone else dug into their biscuits & gravy or the traditional eggs, sausage and pancake breakfast. After that we all headed back to our rigs and did whatever it is that we each do all day. At 4:00 we met at the campfire ring for social hour.

Early in the day I felt a little queasy so I took one of my prescription Prevacid tablets. I've been able to get away from the daily dosage that I had to take for years but depending on what I've eaten, I sometimes have to pop one to keep the acids down. Didn't think much more about it.

After the social hour I came back and fixed dinner, salvaging what was left of some tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots & lettuce....topped it all with some shredded chicken (canned chicken breasts). Tried my new spray salad dressing (10 sprays = 10 calories). Very good! Desert was a couple handfuls of Hanover's Sourdough Pretzel Nuggets.

Well, within an hour I was miserable...very bloated, queasy and just generally feeling bad...very bad. I took a couple sips of Coke (that often settles things down as well), then took a Mylanta Gelcap. Less than 30 minutes later, things came back up. Not good...especially since I was still very bloated and now gassy.

The evening went downhill as I worshiped the plastic toilet goddess (no porcelain in my rig) several times. I shut everything down and was in bed by 8:30. A couple more trips and suddenly the other end erupted...talk about flying out of bed. As everything inside me continued to drain out, I got quite lightheaded. I tried to put my head between my knees but that bent my abdomen over enough that I was afraid I would throw up again.

Once everything seemed to have stopped...they should make special corks....sorry...., I stood up and headed to the bed. I remember reaching out for it in the dark....I remember hearing, not feeling my head hitting something. The next thing I remember is coming to with my ear hurting. My head was resting against the wooden platform under the bed. Since my ear hurt, I figured I had hit it as I fell...assuming that it had just happened. As I said, I remember a sense of HEARING my head hit something, not a sense of feeling it happen.

Well, I slept till around 8 this morning and when I got up I still thought I had just hit my ear. I could see a little swelling but as I ruffled my hair I noticed quite a tender spot on the side. As the day progressed the headache did as well. I also discovered a sore spot on my knee and my shoulder, both on the same side. So now I suspect that I did faint, hitting my head hard in the process. I have no idea how long I was out but am pretty sure I was....might have been seconds, minutes or more.

Did make me think this morning about how vulnerable we are as solo travelers. There really is nothing I could have done differently, I know that. Okay, so I could have crawled....LOL! But it will make me think carefully about things when boondocking by myself. No good answers...now off to continue nursing my headache.

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

She tiptoes into the room....

Shhh, quiet....maybe no one will hear me sneak in and I can get a couple of blogs posted before they notice! Yes, I'm way behind and that means some neat things have already escaped from my swiss cheese brain. Sorry....that's what happens when two forces collide - no Verizon aircard reception and having a good time!

The trip from Quartzsite to Ajo was uneventful. A stop at the Super Wal-Mart in Buckeye where we stocked up on food & other stuff and a stop at Holt's Shell in Gila Bend where got gas, fresh water and dumped our tanks. We pulled into the boondocking area outside Ajo about 3:30 pm. Once we figured where I should park for the best sun, I did a few little things to fix what had bounced once too many times coming in on the washboard roads and headed over to the 4:00 pm social hour. Poor Doug paid the penance of living in a trailer...much more set up work (did I mention how happy I am with my motorhome?).

The next couple of days followed a nice routine...running around town seeing the sites (and predictably forgetting my camera which I really missed when we saw a beautiful rainbow). A nice walk in the desert terrain produced the first non-sunrise/sunset photos. I even took one of the first wildlife I encountered in the desert here...you'll have to look close. We walked up a wide wash, easily envisioning it filled with rushing water in flash flood.

We got back in time for me to nab some good sunset shots showing the sun's red-gold reflection on everything around us. To the south it looked like it was raining and that made the golden glow even more precious.



It's been really cold at night, as low as 30-31 several nights. My heater has gotten a work out and it's working well. The days are sunny and sometimes brisk, especially after 4:00 when the sun starts down.

I heard from a friend who lives in Quartzsite that the winds there took down part of the big tent on top of the classic car show....she wrote me this on the 3rd:

"Both of the ends went down but the main section is still standing, and being yanked out of the ground. Everybody was evacuated before the ends went. All of the little tents on the north side are down though. The tent company that erected it are on their way to help get it tied down again so the cars from the Cruise In can be taken out. Hopefully none of the vehicles were damaged bad."



"The other that went... we were making the loop thru town, and right in front of us a vendor tent just picked up, went upside down and landed on top of a "really nice" pickup truck. Abut 50 people just came out of the woodwork to help those folks. IT was really great to see. I'm pretty sure that every vendor in a tent now has been shut down. The wind is outta the south, and it's just not pretty."

EEEEK! Sure am glad I moved a little further south.

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

Who said it doesn't rain in the desert....

It started raining during the night and continued for most of the day. There were a few glimpses of the sun but not many. Yesterday was nice so I used the good weather to re-sort some of the stuff in my storage bins. I cleaned out a shopping bag full of stuff and took it to the Boondockers Social Hour and got rid of all but one thing. WHOO-HOO! Oh, and I have two bags over-full with books & magazines to take to Paul at the Reader's Oasis. Still need to get Doug inside the store so he can get a better flavor of it.

Today was paperwork day...I've been putting off sorting through three large stacks of paperwork, receipts, etc so today I tackled that. Made some great headway, shredded a bunch of things and tossed out a bunch more unneeded paperwork. Next still will be to get my finances updated in Quicken...that will be an entire day all by itself. Ugh....but must be done.

The cloud and rains produced a spectacular sunset vista....and as a reader posted on a previous blog, I never get tired of them! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

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

New & Noteworthy (or not)

Been both a quiet and yet busy week, will post more later but wanted to jot a couple of notes.

Note 1: For those who follow my blog via some type of reader, I have changed the format to a short rather than full which means you will have to click the title to read the rest of the entry (at least that's how it works in Google Reader). While I realize that isn't as convenient, it's the only way you will ever see my entire website. Since I use Google ads and a couple of affiliate programs to help finance the cost of maintaining my websites, if no one sees those ads, they can't click them. So, I apologize for the slight inconvenience but do appreciate those who check out the featured ads.

Note 2: Worrying about keeping mice out of your RV (&/or car) during these winter months. I've read many different remedies and we all know that bait/traps work but prefer something that doesn't require having poison around or handling dead rodents. One remedy I had seen mentioned several times was peppermint oil. In my RVing Riders forum, I mentioned that to someone who was looking for winterizing tips. Another reader decided to give it a try and has been posting to let us know that it appears to be working. Check it out here.

Note 3: I've got company! I've been corresponding for several months with another full-timer who also rides a BMW (with a sidecar for his pup, Spirit). We had hoped to meet in Big Bend but I never made it that far. He is heading back east to spend some time with his mother who is flying in from Germany for a month's visit but his route was taking him along the coast, several hundred miles from my campground. Two days ago I get a phone call and he's decided to re-route (don't you just love setting your plans in JELL-O, I'm still working on that but am getting a little better) and going to come this way for a visit. I will post another blog with more details and photos...here are a couple I snapped when we took Spirit for a walk yesterday as well as one taken this morning as they headed off for a ride (click for larger photos).

Be sure to check out his blog, The Oasis of My Soul, for a feast of photos and an outlook on life that I hope to emulate even a little bit. He is truly my hero and now a good friend.

Note 4: I've been fighting what I thought was a cold but have decided is actually allergies. I still get the sore throat from time to time, sniffles & sneezing off & on as well as headaches. All seem to be worse after being outdoors for a bit so thus the final deduction - allergies. UGH! We'll see what happens when I leave the area and travel through NM to AZ, where I will spend most of my time until spring.

Note 5: I hope everyone is getting ready for a wonderful New Year. As some of you know, New Year's Eve is always a bittersweet time for me. This would have been my 22nd anniversary. A special date no matter how I spend it.

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

A little slice of heaven...

Yes, a little slice of heaven...okay, maybe it was two slices....fine, have it your way, it was really three slices. I tested out the on-line ordering offered by Pizza Hut. Love it! I haven't had pizza in months and it really tasted good. Nice change from my current diet. Actually, I was pretty good. I packaged up the left overs for three more meals. More calories than I need but you've got to pamper yourself ONCE in a while.

Made it to bed at midnight...woke up at 4 am with a horrible sore throat. Gave up and got up at 5 am, took some aspirin and made some hot tea. Going to see if my neighbor will take my mail to the post office. Will be a veg day for me while I hope to beat this bug quickly.

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

Mysterious Disappearances....

You know the ones I'm talking about. You wash a load of clothes. You dry the load of clothes. You fold the load of clothes. One sock dry, one sock missing. It was a brand new pair of socks...it wasn't in the washer or dryer. It wasn't on the floor or in the hamper. It was gone...mysteriously disappeared. Because it was new, I saved the single sock, left it on the side of my dresser for months. I just knew the sock had to reappear.....it never did and when I started closing out the house and moving into the motorhome, I reluctantly tossed it out.

To back up a couple of days, I opted out of traveling to New Braunfels and the Ford dealer (and Camping World) on Wednesday as scheduled. The winds were gusting at 20-30 mph and it was rainy. Since I wasn't in dire need, I delayed a day and headed over there on Thursday. The Ford dealer, Bluebonnet Ford, was easy to find and got me right in. VERY nice dealership! Got some good news....the cruise control recall had already been done. This was doubly good news because evidently the parts were available when it was done since my cruise control works. They are currently disconnecting the cruise and will reconnect it when parts are available...which no one when that will be.

Then came the bad news. They checked out the error code that I've had on since I brought the RV home in August (service engine soon) and sure enough, I needed the O2 sensor replaced. They had it done in 30 minutes....and I walked out $400 poorer. The motorhome seemed to be peppier but that could be due to not having the trailer attached.

From there I headed to Camping World to get the microwave trim kit put in but discovered it wasn't there yet. Rather than fiddle-faddle with running back again, I just made an appointment for 1 pm on January 7th, the day I leave here. I'll head over there, get the kit installed, get my tires re-torqued and any other little thing that has cropped up, taken care of.

From there I headed to Wal-Mart and picked up some groceries as well as a couple of other things. One of those "other things" was a new pillow...it's memory foam and I thought I'd see if it would help the stiff neck I've been waking up with every morning. I tried it out last night and I slept really well, waking up early....to another gray, foggy day.

Because it was early I decided to toss on my bathrobe and check email before getting dressed to go do laundry. Most times I just get dressed. Here the story cycles around to the beginning....I pulled on my robe and the missing sock dropped to the floor. Kills me to toss it out...it's brand new!

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

Settling in....Packing up

Monday was a blur....I had trouble sleeping Sunday night (Monday morning) and finally crashed at around 4 am. This happens every once in a while...part of having fibromyalgia is dealing with sleep disturbances which for me pop us as insomnia every once in a while. I woke to a drizzly, cool day which became a total veg day for me. Spent several hours researching parks in the Casa Grande - Ajo - Gila Bend area of Arizona for February. Watched Christmas romance movies that I'd taped, read and relaxed.

Last night I watched the end of a movie in the bedroom....fell asleep and turned the TV off at some point. Twice I woke to pounding rain, my first thought was - what would I do in a flash flood situation here. My second thought was - did I ever turn the weather radio back on. The rain passed and even though I woke a couple of times, I slept until well after 9 before finally rolling out of bed. It was already up to 72 outside..what a change from yesterday when we stayed in the mid-40's all day!

Today was a productive day, I finished adding the pages for all the states in my Campground Review section of the website. I know...slim pickings in there since I've only stayed in four campgrounds so far (IN, MO & TX)...but it's a start! I love reading the reviews on other folks sites so figured I might be able to help someone else make up there mind someday.

When I took the trash out this morning I saw my two neighbors across the way sitting outside and stopped to meet them. Two very nice gentlemen, Mark and Darrell (Daryl?), who summer in Minnesota, their home state, and winter in the south. We sat and chatted for several hours before I excused myself to get back to things in the rig. I did explain my trailer situation to them and they both offered help anytime....just give them a shout.

I answered some emails, read some blogs, watched another movie while the weather got drizzly for a bit (lost the satellite signal) and finally called Bluebonnet Ford in New Braunfels to see about getting in for my cruise control recall as well as getting my O2 sensor issue checked out. I'm hoping it's not an expensive repair and also hoping that my gas mileage will improve a bit when done. I got voicemail and left a message...in less than 5 minutes I got a call back. Not a problem to bring it in tomorrow and if it turns into an overnight issue, they have power plugins. Nice!

So I started putting things away in the RV, took off my Christmas decorations, stored the folding chair back in the storage bay and realized I needed to get the trailer issue resolved. Since Mark & Darrell were sitting outside with a third gentleman that I hadn't met yet, I headed over to see if they could come help.

Well, within 15 minutes we had the shaft back in place so we could lower the front of the trailer and then got the rear stabilizer arms lowered. I opened it up so they could see the bike and we all chatted a bit before they headed back to their picnic table. They assured me they would keep an eye on the trailer while I was gone. I do have a lock on the coupler combined with a plug that should keep it secure.

Now, back to the flash floods and other natural disasters. I have a lot of friends who have been really nailed by the ice storms in the mid-west. Toss in the heavy rains in the northwest, droughts in the southeast and weather has definitely been on my mind. Over a year ago I bought a small Midland Weather Alert Radio, knowing it would be a good thing to have in the RV since I wouldn't have any TV access to local weather conditions. I remember setting it up to find the local weather and all was well and good as it sat on my kitchen counter in the house.

Fast forward and here I sit with the radio, plugged in with fresh batteries for backup, and no idea how to program it for the local weather. I have the book....somewhere....but rather than spend hours trying to find it, I opted to do an Internet search. I knew it was a popular brand, Midland, but I wasn't sure what model it was and couldn't find that printed on the radio anywhere.

So I used Google's image search and entered "Midland weather alert radio" and quickly found a photo that I could identify as the one I have. Then I went to regular Google and searched "Midland WR-100 manual" and the first link was to Midland's site where I found manuals for all their radios. I saved the manual for mine radio, opened the PDF file and very quickly got it working. So now I can look forward to being jolted out of a sound sleep when there is a severe weather alert for this area....and I have the instructions so I can set it up quickly the next time I move.

So, tomorrow I'll be on the road, without the trailer, and will hopefully be back tomorrow night - Thursday at the latest. Rain in the forecast again, cooler temps but looks to be a nice weekend. Maybe some riding?

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

Happy Thanksgiving From the Road

Happy Thanksgiving from the road to all my family and friends! I am headed the last 70 miles south to the Escapees park in Hollister, MO where I will have a nice Thanksgiving dinner with other campers. I have a huge apple and a slightly smaller pumpkin pie in my car, waiting to be enjoyed (my contribution).

I have much to be thankful for....

• Loving family
  
• Supportive friends
• Good health
• Ability to live this wonderful RV lifestyle
• ...and much more

Enjoy this day and remember the blessings you do have in your life.....

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

Belated Veteran's Day Thank You

I am a day late but after several discussions today, I wanted to post my thank you to all who have served - past, present and gone to a greater reward. Yesterday was Veteran's Day, today is the Federal Holiday. Government offices, banks and post offices close as well as the occasional other business or school.

Like most of my generation, our fathers and grandfathers probably served and sometimes mothers as well. My father and mother both served in the Navy, both my grandfathers served as well (I'm assuming Army since I don't remember anything different). My husband(s) served Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines (one served twice, two different branches). My son and oldest daughter both served in the Army and were activated while in the Reserves. I guess I always expected that today meant something to everyone.

Today I found out that's not necessarily true. I spent time talking with a business owner, a retired doctor and several other folks of my age, and all were surprised that today was a Federal Holiday.

Then I had an interesting discussion with a man probably about my son's age. He was a veteran and was visibly disturbed that veterans seem to be getting less and less respect, even in this turbulent time. He felt that all veterans should have the holiday off....paid....as a thank you. He goes out of his way to say "thank you" to others who serve.

As I perused my forums and blogs yesterday and today, only one blog that I follow mentioned the holiday. In the RVing forums, one had a thank you thread....it was in a veterans folder. Two others....nothing. Yet in at least six motorcycle forums there were multiple threads and messages thanking our service men and women.

Stop and think....where would this country be if not for them? I, for one, don't want to consider that option....thank you all!

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

Weather....not Whether

In the last week I have read blogs and forum posts from RVers dealing with tornadoes, extremely dangerous high winds, flooding rainstorms and now the fires in California. While many think to themselves that RVers have it made, they can just pick up and move when the weather gets bad, sometimes the weather is TO BAD to move. I am glad I have my weather radio with battery backup, it will be very useful on the road.

Courtesy of NASA - fires as of 10/21/07

For those interested, please follow along with these camp hosts in the area of the San Diego fires. My heart is breaking for everyone out there....the destruction and devastation is heartrending.

EDIT: Just had some RVing riding friends post in the Escapee forum...they made it out just barely.

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

Winding Up & Winding Down...

What a week....the house is getting emptier with more and more things being sold and picked up. I still have some things to deal with, but for the most part I only have borrowed and not-yet-picked-up items left. Even the office is pretty bare.

Speaking of the office, I still have to resort the couple of totes of "stuff" into the RV. That is what I will concentrate on the beginning of the week. I know I am keeping too much "stuff" but at least half of it are consumable items (from my buying-on-sale habits). Once they are gone, I won't carry such a stash of those things (toiletries, canned goods, paper products).

Same thing with paperbacks, carrying too many but I will be leaving many along the way as I read and travel. Now books in general....not sure where I will end up there. I have several (too many) campground books, several (probably not enough) RVing books, and a few computer related books. I also have three laptops...my old one that needs internal cleaning before I can sell it, my newer notebook-mini that needs to get repaired before it's considered stable (grrrrrrr) and my newest that I use the most. Toss in the printer, labeler (can print stamps & labels and I love it), external backup and my wireless router for my new Verizon USB Aircard. Toss in paper, pens/refills, envelopes, paperclips, stapler/staples and a lot of other assorted and sundry office supplies....needless to say, I am sure some of this is going to get culled out over the next month or two.

Yes, my Verizon Aircard arrived and it works fine....albeit definitely slower than my DSL. But once I am traveling I will hit areas where it will be faster, remember, I'm in a rural location. I'd love to have satellite Internet but just can't justify having both. I'll try to keep my big downloads (Vista updates, etc) confined to when I have access to outside Wifi.

I sold both my older digital cameras and upgraded to a newer Canon Powershot S5 IS. I even splurged and ordered two filters for it and eventually may try a lens or two. I have a lot to learn, will be playing with that for quite a while. So far I really like the camera and look forward to trying it out on the road.

Still waiting to hear on the final closing date on the house and if I can sign before heading out, thus no firm departure date yet. My target was/is October 20th but if I can't sign the paperwork first, I may be forced to stay (easier than trying to predict where I will be for next-day service). Keeping my fingers crossed that I will hear Monday or Tuesday and that I can leave on Saturday. I have two recalls I need to get taken care of, some general service work and maybe an add or two (thinking about air bags for rear of the motorhome).

So, things are winding down in general here but winding up in preparation for hitting the road!

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

Saturday night's alright for......grilling

It was the smell that got me.....first BoBo, my little pup, started going to the door to the deck, his nose sniffing the air. Then when I took him out for a walk I noticed it....hard not to, I think the humidity made it cling to the air.

I was suddenly flooded with memories of days past, warm summer nights, family & friends, picnics, fireworks and July 4th, children's laughter, fireflies, good music.....amazing what the smell of burgers on a neighbor's grill can bring to mind.

A grill is something that has been lurking at the back of my mind. I haven't owned one in several years, Mike did all the grilling and when he could no longer eat regular food, owning a grill just didn't seem too important. Add to that the fact that I almost never used a grill myself, that was always sort of the man's domain.

While I love the smell and the taste of grilled foods be it burgers, hot dogs or chicken, I wondered if I would really use one. I read all the forum posts with interest, everyone debating the best grill, the best size, the best cooking method (gas or charcoal). For small the winner was the throw-away versions sold at Wal-Mart. For taste the winners tended to be way too large for my needs (and storage space).

I have pretty much resigned myself to using my small George Foreman grill outside, even though the taste wouldn't be the same. But that doesn't stop me from reading the posts about new grill discoveries. Recently I read about a smallish (24"x15"x6" and 20 or so pounds) propane grill. It's the Coleman InstaStart PerfectFlow Portable Grill. Looks like it would be perfect for folks with minimal storage space, still a bit too large for me though.

Another favorite for those with space to spare is the Coleman Road Trip Grill. It has its own stand so it's great for those times when there is no picnic or other table available. You can even order wheeled carry case for it....high tech! ;)

I did come across what looks like it would have been perfect....shame that they appear to have gone out of business (or aren't producing it anymore). Neat little grill, EZ-Grill, that folds flat for storage, yes, it's charcoal but how can you beat under four pounds and folds flat? LOL!
EDIT: A friend sent me a couple of links to other portable grills so I wanted to add them here. Grilliput Portable Grill and Grill4All

So it's back to the George Foreman and maybe finding some nice campground neighbors that notice when I'm drooling......

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