From "Peachy-Keen" to " Rotten Tomato"

Sunday, December 28th turned out to be the best weather-day of our trip. Temperatures reached 81° and the sun was shining down from blue skies. One couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.

Unfortunately, we were unable to enjoy any of it, because at 3 AM, I suddenly and fiercely, came down with the flu. I felt as if I were simultaneously stuck in a freezer and hit by a Mac truck. The body aches were unbearable, even my eyeglasses hurt my nose and ears. Light, of any kind was painful, and I could not stop shivering for hours. I had those cartoon-type teeth chattering chills.

We were scheduled to spend another day here, but in another site, because the place is packed and there is a big rally just starting. So, timing became a priority. I needed medical assistance and the rig needed to be moved. Poor "G" had the job of juggling all the balls alone. 

Luckily, we found a terrific urgent care facility, ERgent Med 1 and was treated by a very competent Physicisn's Assistant and nurse. I really lucked out, because having Type 1 Diabetes and receiving treatment in "foreign territory" can be tricky. I can't praise this place enough and would highly recommend it to anyone if they find themselves in this area and not feeling well. I was diagnosed with the flu and dehydration and sent home after two bags of IV fluids.

"G" proved to be quite the caretaker, by searching for a pharmacy that had Tamiflu, preparing me the best Lipton Noodle Soup (with extra noodles), preparing dinner and hot teas, sanitizing and changing out the sheets. I slept through most of all he did.

Today, it feels as though a week has passed instead of just one day. I awoke to no sun, all clouds and cooler temps, but feeling more like myself. "G" decided we both needed a day to recoup before completing the journey into Florida, so he booked us another night her, but, guess what?  Yup, we have to relocate again. "G" thinks this place may have contacted the girls at Croton Point Park Office and were told to keep moving us from site to site. Lol

As pretty as this place is, and even though I would stay here again, I don't think my personal rating will be a 5+due to a couple of reasons. We are located just of I-95 and you can hear the constant hum of traffic, especially at night. Now that we are in an interior site, I feel a bit claustrophobic. I miss my big messy trees at Croton Point Park where you can enjoy the shade and nature. Here, you can hear conversations from neighboring RVs as if they were sitting in the room with you, and Ihaven't seen a bird or squirrel yet. I'm beginning to think I may prefer National, State and County parks. We shall see.

Tomorrow's destination will remain TBD for now. We may head to either Bay Lakes Resort in Polk City, or a campground in the Daytona Area. We won't plan this time, as much as just go with the flow.

Deep thought for the day: Just like in baseball, when you get up to bat, you get a chance to hit a single, double, triple or home run. You can also pop out or strike out. If you end up doing the latter, you will usually have another chance to get on base in the next rotation. Living an RV life, if you don't make it to your next destination as planned, you just need to wait for the next opportunity to come around. I'm always rooting for a homer, but will deal with strike outs if necessary!  vc

10 Days until "G's" and "V's" First Great Big Adventure

I realized today that we only have ten more days until we pull up stakes and head south. Weather permitting, we will be hitting the road on the morning of December 1st. Since "G" was able to repair the hot water heating element issue, we don't need a detour to New Jersey for service!  Thank you "G!" With the weather so cold and blustery here, we just want to get as close to our first big stop in Raleigh, NC where today, the temperature is 46 degrees, opposed to 32 here in Croton. I should mention, that although I complain about the cold weather, we are actually nice and cozy inside Allie.

Last night the temperatures dipped to 25 degrees and of all nights, at 2 AM, our little propane tank ran dry and "G" needed to change out the tanks. Apparently, I slept, quite soundly, through most of the incident.  Guilty feelings today are at an all-time high.

We spent most of the day yesterday packing up the remaining items at 223. It had gotten to a point where I just didn't know where to start first, so my organizational skills kicked in and I decided to start from the top down, boxing up or removing all possible items and moving them to either the garage or living room. The next step will be to box up what remains in the living room and garage.

My goal had been to slowly, methodically, and with determination, sort, pack, donate, and sell. Not all goals have been attained, but progress is evident to anyone who sees what little remains.

Today finds us scheduled for our last check up at our doctor's office until spring. My little Sentra just had her oil changed and tires rotated, "G's" Jeep is scheduled for Monday and Lucy, has an appointment with her vet for some last minute blood work before we head out. One of my dad's favorite sayings was, "Make sure you get all of your ducks in a row."  Ours are lining up quite nicely.

"Mom, please don't disturb me while I write MY blog."

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and we will be spending it with "G's" family up in Washingtonville, NY (a place colder than Croton, but with good food and family). Christmas is just around the corner and just thinking that we will be in Bradenton by Christmas warms me up...a little...

Deep thought for the day:  Gee, it's rather early for "deep thinking," but here goes: "Stop wishing your life away. Instead of counting down until December 1st, I shall enjoy today for what it is - a gift!" vc

Memorial Day

Yesterday, we commemorated Memorial Day with a barbeque.  Along with us, my in-laws and neighbors we celebrated the birthday of our "Man of Honor." It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day. "K" and I put out quite a spread and we enjoyed barbecued burgers, dogs, shrimp and salmon. Of course, we had all the side salads and veggies to round out a delicious feast. We were able to christen "The Clam," and it sure lived up to its reputation by keeping the food safe from the sun and bugs.

The special birthday menu

Ketchup being poured by the nephew wearing camo...Now we know why.

"K" and "G"

Robert Burns described the day best in his poem called, "To a mouse," with the line, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men." Due to someone not communicating in a clear and concise manner (name withheld to protect the guilty party), the big birthday bash was enjoyed by everyone, except the birthday boy! He did manage to get here in time for cake and ice cream, but he missed the fabulous spread. We were sure to let him know, often, how good everything tasted.

The highlight of the day was getting locked out of the RV and discovering that we don't have roadside assistance! Best for it to happen here, while still close to home. A phone call to a local locksmith solved the problem right quick. Thanks to our quick-thinking neighbors, all the food was saved from the warm temps and stored in their refrigerator.

Birthday boy, "R" and "K"

Today, we are heading out to pay our lock picker, as we had no checks, not enough cash and he didn't take credit cards. The locksmith turned out to be someone who knew my family, so he agreed to wait until today to receive his payment. Nice to know there is still a fair amount of trust and honesty left in the world.  All-in-all, it was a learning experience that could have been much worse had we not taken our maiden trip so close to home.

So, how did we get locked out? We are not absolutely sure, but the consensus is a certain "nephew" may have accidentally hit the lock switch before exiting. I only mention it because he is one, of only a few people, who would just love to have done it or take the blame. Regardless, we are almost glad it happened.

After cake and coffee, the day came to a close, friends returned home, our family drove off, and we spent about an hour masacaring Mosquitos and other annoying insects that made their way into the RV after dark.

It was a fun day, spent with good people, good food, good conversation and gorgeous weather.

"G" and "Me," with eyes closed

Making a wish...

"C" and "L" AKA: My in-laws!

Deep thought for yesterday: Being human, entitles us to make mistakes. Making the same mistake twice is, as Judge Judy says, "ridiculous."  Keys are being ordered tonight!

I will end here with a "thank you" to all of our service men and women, past and present, without whom we could not enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted.