Update from Croton

It's been a little while since I've had a chance to sit and blog. I've had so much to upload and share, but have been either too busy or too tired at night to get my entry composed. This afternoon (or "preevning," which is the time between 4-6 pm) I decided to get my thoughts in order and document the last couple of days before they are forever gone from my memory banks.

On Saturday, my cuginas (cousins) from White Plains, Lisa and Mauritzio, came up for an early dinner. As usual, "M" brought up his infamous Stromboli of which I am addicted, and I put together a bowl of tortellini with bolognese sauce and a salad to create a feast for the gods. The food was delicious and the company terrific. Charlie joined us for dinner and our friends Kathy and Ray stopped by before having to leave for a barbecue. We have taken so many photos of food, fires and fun, yet we devoured the Stromboli before snapping a "before" photo. What follows is what remained! 

On Sunday, Charlie hosted a get-together of current and retired staff from HHSD and we enjoyed catching up with them and partaking of his spread, which consisted of pizza, salad and garlic knots. I've eaten enough for a year since being here.

Speaking of being here, we were supposed to leave yesterday, but, as I should have expected, "G" booked another week here, so I'm composing this entry from our "newly assigned space 14."

As we have observed, "In they come and out they go." Just now, a real zinger backed in and hooked up in the spot next to us. It's a converted bus. What follows is a photo of it parked behind our two vehicles.

The wife appears to be a bit loud and bossy, while the husband seems to be "on an age" and hard of hearing, thus, the sights and sounds leave much to be desired.

On a pleasant note, Lucy is enjoying space 14 quite a bit due to the abundance of birds and squirrels. She is spending more time out and about, looking for her fine-feathered and bushy-tailed friends. 

Well, it's just about time to begin prepping for our evening meal. "G" is having pork chops with baked potatoes and I'm having escarole and beans with grilled cod.  I can taste it already.

Deep thought for the day:  To each, his own. To own a nice rig is a blessing.

Friday night lights

Friday night was a fun-filled get-together with family, friends, food and wine(s). Space 35 offered a cozy atmosphere for the many visitors who were able to make it. There were a total of 11 us, which included my auntie and uncle, friends, Nicole and Andy, Kathy and Thomas, Kathy and Ray, and of course, Chuck. 

I'm not sure, but I do remember uncorking 3 bottles and believe there was at least two twist-tops. "G" fired up another wonderful blaze in our fire pit and we talked and laughed the night away. 

Today, my cousins are coming up and there will be a repeat performance of a beautiful day, wonderful food and terrific company. 

Photos from last night:

Nicole and Kathy M.

Chuck and "G"

Kathy B. - great picture!

Ray and Andy

Uncle Tony - photo courtesy ACR

Thomas

Auntie and me - photo courtesy of ACR

The Fire Starter

Chuck

Andy

My DH

Living the dream (with S'mors)

                       




                     Laughing our a$$#$ off!

Deep thought for the day:  Good friends, like good wine, improve with age and the fun begins once you uncork them.

First campfire

Today, I watched my littlest niece for a couple of hours and she afforded me the opportunity to clock over two miles on my pedometer while pushing her in her carriage up and down hills and winding trails. The trek made both of us happy and tired, but she was the only one afforded a two hour nap. I relaxed along side of her in a chair with my feet up, enjoying the cool, crisp air. The first full day of Autumn.

"G" and I collaborated to put out a terrific dinner consisting of grilled shrimp, grilled farm-fresh corn on the cob, potato salad and a tossed salad made with farmers' market romaine, arugula, radishes, tomatoes and goat cheese. Quite elegant, yet simple.

"G's" new toy

Tonight marked the inauguration of our new fire pit that we purchased from Lowes a few weeks ago. Our left and right-hand neighbors, Kathy, Ray and Charlie joined us, and Trisha and her cute dog, Georgia, and another fellow RVer stopped by to chat for a bit. We each talked about our visits to Disney World, Epcot and Downtown Disney. "G" and I absorbed all the info and we will definitely be paying a visit to "the mouse" at some point when we get to Florida.

The highlight of the evening, besides that amazing inferno, was a "taste-off" between "BJ's" brand and "Shoprite" brand oatmeal-raisin cookies. There didn't appear to be a clear winner, and that was probably because I didn't taste either one, thus deciding for myself and announcing the winner in this blog entry tonight. Charlie will probably write about how superior his BJ brand was, but I believe I saw Kathy waver a bit towards "G's" Shoprite cookies. 

With some nicely seasoned wood, "G" did an amazing job at starting the fire and keeping it blazing until we were all too tired to enjoy it any longer.  It was a beautiful day and evening that would have been made perfect if Ray was feeling more himself. An earache and headache were troubling him all evening so he finally made his way back to his coach for some R and R.

Deep thought for the day: It's awesome to be known by a cool nickname. It was great to award the dubious title, "The Fire Starter," to "G." He did what he does often...surprises the heck out of me and keeps me guessing.

Once again at Croton - Our second home

After a extended amount of time, waiting for "G" to adjust the mirrors, put on his seat belt, adjust his chair and position his seat, we were on the road again, heading to our home away from home. The scene on board was quite reminiscent of a Honeymooner's episode of Ed Norton preparing to drive a car, much to the chagrin of Ralph.

Here we sit, with "G" surfing the net in the dining area, Lucy sitting on the couch, watching The Voice and I, composing my blog and enjoying the fireplace on this windy and chilly night.  Our coach is situated in the middle of three spaces here. On one side, in his Winnebago, is Charlie (AKA my Man of Honor), and on the other are our friends Ray and Kathy in their huge Tiffin, Phaeton. We had planned this week together a while ago and we all showed up within a 1/2 hour of each other.

                                

Charlie was able to get himself all settled in by the time we got here and it took us longer than I had anticipated to get ourselves leveled, hooked up and unpacked.  I'm so glad I had the insight to put up our dinner in a crock pot that simmered away and filled the coach with wonderful aromas as we attended to all the necessary tasks.

Once Kathy and Ray arrived and settled in, we all met up at Charlie's picnic table to shoot the breeze and have a quick catch-up. After a tour of Allie, everyone went to their motor homes and settled in for the night. It was a long day and the bed is looking quite inviting right now.

I purchased a Thunder Shirt (Thunder Shirt) for Lucy, which is supposed to wrap around her, snugly to make her feel safe.

Thankfully, it has a 3 month money-back guarantee, so we will be giving it an all-out attempt during this trip. I put it on her before we left home, but she performed a Houdini act and got herself out of what looks just like a straight jacket. Let's see how it goes, she has actually readjusted quite quickly being back on board Allie, proving to me that she is liking this lifestyle as much as "G" and I.

Deep thought for the day: Home is where you park it.

My First "After" Photos

When we picked up Allie, I knew that the first renovation I wanted to complete would be in the little 1/2 bath. Well, as of yesterday, the project was completed. It took two separate shipments from Wayfair.com to get the job completed, but the end result surely met all my expectations. I wholeheartedly reccommend "Smart Tiles" as a decorating tool for RVs.

Before:

After:

We plan to do the kitchen backsplash next. I'm sooo psyched to undertake that project and proud of the job I did in the bath.

Deep though for the day: Don't ever be afraid to make a mistake, because you will miss out on the result  - good, bad or indifferent.

iPad "Cold Case" Closed

I really need to contact Apple in order to clear my name as a hysterical, quick-to-blame, rush-to-judgment personality, as well as give them a piece of my mind. Back on August 26th, I was unable to locate my iPad, so I did what every person who owns an iPad and iPhone would do, I utilized the fabulous, "Find My iPad" app. 

When I activated it, I heard no audible sounds, which would indicate its location within, or outside of the RV, so after thoughtful consideration and contemplation (five minutes), I notified the "authorities." I gave all the data and evidence to prove the "missing state" of my iPad. 

My deposition was provided to the County Police, photos of where the Find My iPad App said it was, were forwarded to the responding officer, and my hopes of an all-out search were set in high gear.

Photo of App indicating pad in Malletts Bay, VT

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight days pass and no word from the County or Vermont Police. On the ninth day, as we were preparing to pack up and batten down the hatch, I FOUND the "stolen" iPad wedged between my wine rack and the wall. I don't remember putting it there, but I could have, or perhaps Miss Lucy, unintentionally, may have swiped it off the counter, but there it was - for all eyes to see. 

My first reaction was, "OMG, I reported it stolen! The Vermont State Police, mounted on horses, with guns drawn, were actively on an iPad hunt, seeking the thief." Second thought, "I should call the County to report it as "located" so the Vermont Mounted Police could close the case and get on to more pressing crime and give the horses some rest."  Third thought, "OMG! I am going to look like such a ding-bat when I call to report it as found." Fourth thought, "Damn that Find My iPad App!" It was its fault I was in this predicament.

So, to officially set the record straight, insurance claim was dropped and I was happy to know that a fellow camper did NOT rip me off. I insist on being a trusting person and refuse to believe that someone would destroy my trust. I am also happy to know that I was not careless with such a pricey item.

Hooray for mankind (the honest ones) and hooray for me, for being responsible (this time), and boo to the Apple app! 

Deep thought for the day:  All's well that ends well.

Weighing an RV on a CAT Scale 101

Yesterday, "G" and I took a ride up to Kingston's Camping World to utilize a coupon, return an item, and buy more RV necessities. It actually turned out to be a learning experience, because we decided to get our first propane fill up and weigh-in.

The propane fill up was a simple one. The only surprise was the unbelievably low $2.97 price per gallon we paid.  Camping World offers a discounted price for propane to Good Sam Members on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we had planned our visit to take advantage of that benefit. Too bad we didn't need a full tank.

The adventure actually became exciting when we pulled into a Pilot Travel Station where a CAT scale was located. CAT stands for "Certified Automated Truck" Scale. I thought it referred to the "Caterpillar" brand. Learned a new fact today. It turned out to be a biggerl learning experience and I will continually give "G" credit for never being intimidated by the unknown.

As we approached the scales, we discovered that there were no instructional signs, so we drove up onto the scale and "assumed" that the scales would operate similarly to an automatic car wash. However, as a previous post indicated, we should never assume. Once atop the scales, we saw a box that instructed us to press the "Call" button. A garbled voice explained that we needed to pay first, get a number, get on the scale, press button, drive off scale and then return inside to receive the print-out. A sign, with instructions, would have been so helpful - don't you think?

Complaints about the Newburgh Pilot Travel Station:

1. No fuel pumps to accommodate a gas-powered RV
2. Poor signage
3. Confusing entrance and exit
4. No directions about how to use a CAT scale

While "G" went in to pay, I sat in Allie, feeling like an elephant on a Weight Watcher's scale for the first time. It seemed like all the tractor trailer drivers' eyes were on me, trying to guess how much I weighed and how much I may have to "lose."  Out came "G" and the verdict came in:

Cost to weigh Allie:  $ 10.50
Front axle weight:  8080 lbs.
Real axle:  14700 (yikes-close to max)
Total gross weight: 22780

Not on board: 

1. Lucy @ 13.8 pounds
2. 2/3 tank of gas
3. Food, clothing and miscellaneous

Allie's weight capacity is 24000 lbs, so that means that the items not yet on board need to come in at under 1220. This weigh-in showed us that, although the rear axle is designed to take more weight, we need to do a little bit of distribution so our numbers remain within the recommended limits.

Yesterday was a day of learning new things without a manual. Owning an RV can sometimes be like being a parent - you get plenty of advice from people who have them, but most times, you just need to do the best you can and learn along the way.

Deep thought for the day: If at first you don't succeed, it's not always your fault. 

Winding down...

Tomorrow will be the last day we spend in our Croton Paradise. It seems that our month has too quickly come to an end. We are pleased at the progress Lucy has made and we believe she enjoys the little hiding spaces she has discovered in her home-away-from home.

A beautiful evening walk ended our day that consisted of a visit from a former co-worker and friend of mine who is interested in finding out about life aboard an RV. It was funny to feel like a "seasoned" RVer, but between "G" and I, we had more information to share than I realized.

Tomorrow will be the "break-down" and "store" day.  The "Clam" will be taken down and the outdoor rugs folded up. Outdoor lanterns and chairs will all be neatly and safely stored in the "basement."
Ah, "time"....you slip by so quickly when we're having such fun. A few "last shots" of this visit.

Lucy waking up from a nap with a huge yawn. 

Someone thought the Happy Hour glass was meant for her. 

Our evening walk.

Deep thought for the day:   Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandburg