Celebration

When our friend, Charlie, was staying at a site close to us at Elite, one of the first orders of business was a trip to Ari Sushi in Celebration. It had been quite a while since he and I enjoyed Japanese cuisine together. "G" joined us, and was disappointed that Sesame Chicken was missing from the menu, but he settled for some Chicken Teriyaki instead. I had my doubts about obtaining quality sushi outside of NY, but was very pleased with the rolls we ordered. We had a "Celebration Roll" and a "Mango Tango Roll." There was a third, but I can't remember what it was, but regardless, it was delicious.

Charlie, AKA, Mr. Sushi

This afternoon we made a return trip to the beautiful little town of Celebration, which was created by Walt Disney for the architects, designers and engineers in order for them to be able to live with their families near the future Disney World site. 

It is like stepping back in time to the 1950's. The buildings are all restored and quaint shops line the street. We had a late lunch at the Market Street Cafe, which was really an old fashioned diner with retro chrome accents, linoleum flooring and leather booths with gold tack boarders.

Once Upon A Time, how appros

Cuban Restaurant and red brick road

Believe it or not: Bank of America!

"G" in front of another clock!

Just a pretty fountain in a square

The Post Office of Celebration

At the corner of where we ate lunch

A fabulous water fountain

Wednesday, we had an appointment to take Allie up to Alliance Coach in Wildwood, FL, about an hours drive from our "home" base. Lucy wasn't too thrilled with the trip and it was anything but pleasant for "G" and I. We had to get up at 6 am in order to get the stakes pulled up and arrive there by 8:30 am. We ended up sitting in the parking lot until 2 pm when a tech finally came out to look at the two issues that brought us up there, the broken privacy shade and furnace (tempermental is an understatement) that was not working, yet again. After checking the automatic shade manual ("G" had already done that), calling the manufacturer and then calling Tiffin Motorcoach, the tech determined that it must be the motor, which had been our assumption all along. The tech removed a screw that held the molding against the left windshield and discovered that the gear mechanism was missing two pins, and it needed to be replaced by a part that, you guessed it, needed to be ordered.

Okay, one problem down, next order of business was the furnace. "G" explained everything that he had already done to troubleshoot the problem, but the tech went ahead and did all the same things himself, all to the same result...furnace does not work. He "believes" it is the main circuit board and that part will be ordered as well. Another trip will be required for the installation of the parts once they arrive. It has become obvious that all our problems are electrical in nature, making me wonder if the electrician who wired Allie was working his first (or last) day or was "wired" himself. 

If we strike out with Alliance Coach, my friend, Pauls suggests a side trip to Red Bay, Alabama, where all issues will be addressed by the builders of our Motorcoach. They have a reputation of standing behind their product. We may have to see. A long letter to Bob Tiffin has already been drafted.

Tuesday, we met with Carl, the property manager, who helped us design a layout for our lot. Each site has paving bricks of slightly different colors. Ours is grey and camel and are typical brick shape. Some have squares and some are patterned-shaped stones. I like the fact that they are similar, yet once you create your design and plant trees and shrubs, your site is unique. I've added a photo of tthe lot layout as it will look with the additional pavers. The pattered area indicates additional pavers to the ones that arleady are in the center area...The RV fits with plenty of room on the left side towards the back of the lot. To our left is an open space that we can incorporate as our own, if we want to invest $$ to do so.

Style of pavers. Ours will be grey and camel color, with a grey border.

Today was a rainy day and we decided to get out and do something fun. I chose the Titanic Artifact Museum. We paid $22 per ticket and saw mostly items from the Red Star Line, opposed to original salvaged items from the ship. When you arrived at the museum, your receipt was a boarding ticket that was a description of a person who actually sailed. At the end of the tour, there was a wall where you found your name to see if you survived or not.

I was issued Ticket # 17606, for Mrs. Edward Candee (Helen Churchill Rungerford), a 53 year old woman who was sailing alone, First Class from Cherbourg, her destination was Washington, DC. She was a novelist traveling in Europe doing research for her latest book, Tapestry. She was rushing home to attend to her son, Howard, who had been seriously injured in an automobile crash.

"G" was issued Ticket # 8471, for a Mr. Daniel Danielsen Gronnestad. He was 32 years old and also left out of Cherbourg, but he and Helen probably never met since he travelled Third Class. His destination was Portland, North Dakota, which became home after he immigrated to American with his brother Bertil in 1900. He had been returning alone from his 16th visit to Norway.

Helen survived, but like so many other men aboard the RMS Titanic, Daniel had no chance to board a lifeboat being a man and sailing third class. Seeing the list of names was disturbing and unsettling. After viewing the "Tribute Wall," you entered the gift shop for the Titanic. I had no desire to purchase anything at that point, but it did instill a desire to research the woman on my ticket. What I found was a unique person, quite ahead of her time who divorced her abusive husband and wrote for magazines to support herself and children, then advanced to novels. She became an activist for womens' rights and even marched down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Novelist, activist and Titanic survivor, Helen Candee

Nosey Nellie.

People watching.

  

Deep thought for the day: Whether you venture across an ocean or just down the street, you never know if it will be your last. Make the most of each venture and take advantage of every adventure.

Long time, no blog!

It's been a bit of time since I've had the chance to sit back and tap into my creative side. We have been busy little bees buzzing all around the western and central portions of Florida.

One of our first stops was for dinner and a stroll at Downtown Disney. I was able to add two different birds to my list. This is a section where it's mainly shops and restaurants. We had dinner at Splitsville, which is a restaurant serving a variety of foods in a 50's style bowling alley. The most interesting sight of the night was that of a woman, all dressed up, in high-heel boots, picking up trash with one of those grab sticks. We assumed she was a worker, but you would never have known it by her attire.

An annoying black bird - not sure of its name.

Snowy Egret

The woman picking up trash. Only in Disney.

Not for the faint of heart. Like me...

I think this is Puff. The Magic Dragon.

Getting "G's" haircut was the next entertaining thing we did. After seeing a "barber" sign and pole, we assumed that we had the right spot, but it turned out to be a place called "Urban StylZ," a high end style and shave establishment. The place was really cool and the barbers quite talented with the scissors. I came to find out all the guys were from Puerto Rico and, man, could they cut hair. I watched one customer get a straight-razor shave for over 45 minutes. As it turned out, "G's" hairstyle took 40 minutes and he was treated to his very first (and probably last) blow dry. I had a hard time looking serious, while sitting on the bench watching it all go down.

"G" not so sure this was a good idea while I try not to laugh.

The blow drying actually took longer than I thought humanly possible.

"G" getting a treat for being so good during his hairstyle

We also made a trip out to Winter Garden to visit an old railroad museum. It was small, but interesting. Besides lighthouses, trains are "G's" next favorite thing, besides RVs, traveling, bike riding. etc.

The two photos below depict the earliest file cabinets. An excerpt from the Early Office Museum site follows:

"Letter Filing Cabinets have file drawers in which papers were stored horizontally, that is, lying flat. Drawers contained metal devices to hold papers in place as well as alphabetical dividers, e.g., the A drawer would have a divider for Aa to Ac followed by a divider for Ad to Ae, etc.

Cameron Amberg & Co. was established in 1868 and made its first Cabinet Letter Files in 1875, when they won an award from the American Institute, New York, NY. (Asher & Adams' Pictorial Album of American Industry 1876). In 1876, its Cabinet Letter Files were awarded a medal at the Centennial Exposition. The metal devices in some of its drawers bear an 1878 patent date.  In 1881, 1,000 firms were using its cabinets."

Magnificent craftmanship

Letters were filed horizontally

Last Saturday, we drove over to Bradenton to visit my Auntie and Uncle Tony. It turned out to be a long day spent mostly driving the four hour round-trip. We went to a fabulous Greek restaurant, The Olympic Cafe, for lunch and then Uncle Tony drove us all around looking at several RV resorts, Anna Maria Island and the pretty development where they live.

On Sunday, we spent the day spiffing up and getting caught up on paperwork and cleaning. "G" and Ray spent quite a bit of the day tinkering with the non-working furnace. Being without a furnace wouldn't normally be an issue in Florida, but the temperature has been dipping idown at night. By wiggling some wires and poking around, they were able to fix it with a touch of magic and a bit o' luck. Horray!

The other constant thorn in our side has been the electric hot water heating element. Although a new element was purchased and installed, It only helped "G" rule out that it was the element. So, another day was spent trying every trick in his bag, all to no avail. 

***THE CULPRIT***

One of our RV neighbors, Gary, from Arkansas, offered to take a look at the water heater, and within a few seconds determined the problem. "G" ran out to the store and bought a new thermostat and with the skill of an experienced electrician (that he is), Gary had it replaced and in working order in no time at all. 

We can't say enough good things about Gary and his wife, Linda. They are the kindest, thoughful and generous strangers we have ever come across. Although strangers no longer, I am grateful that our lives intersected at this moment in time. There should be more Gary's and Linda's in this world.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent at the Tampa RV show that was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds. On Wednesday we went with friends, Kathy and Ray and Thursday, we went alone. We did a LOT of walking, both days, and saw so many neat and interesting products, resorts, and RVs. 

As much as I didn't want to even look at any rigs, I finally allowed "G" to show me his favorite one at the show. It's a Fleetwood Discovery, 40 foot diesel. Of course it's bigger and has more bells and whistles than Allie, and sporting extravagances such as a residential refrigerator, a dishwasher, glass backsplashes, wine bar, dim-able LED lights, king-sized bed, ceramic tile flooring throughout the entire coach, washer and dryer, and bling all around. I loved everything about it except the the shower and lack of a linen closet. Besides, I love my Allie.

Here are a few photos of the Tampa RV Show:

"G" and me!

My Pod...big enough for 2, some have exterior covered kitchens. Just no bathroom.

So adorable.

The Fleetwood Discovery.

"G" discovering how much he likes this model.

The dining area. A TV rises up in front of the window.

My wine cabinet! I'd let "G" buy it just to get this!

Master bath vanity.

Some of the street performers at the RV show:

Today, we will be traveling to Lakeridge Winery with friends Kathy and Ray. They have been such great friends and are responsible for introducing us to Elite! They have spent so much of their time showing us around, helping out with our mechanical issues and making us feel so welcome here.


Deep thought for the day: Sometimes, it is impossible to repay favors and kindnesses from friends or strangers. I will continue to live by the rule of "paying it forward" whenever possible. ~ vc

Cha, cha, cha, changes!

One of my favorite David Bowie songs is, Changes. I have been humming that tune in my head quite a bit lately. We are here, going there, staying there, leaving there, and now, back here. Changes.

There have been many of those changes lately, and I decided to change my mind about fate wanting us to be in New Jersey, as I stated in my last post. Now, I am beginning to wonder if Mr. Murphy, you know, the guy who wrote, Murphy’s Law,” is having some fun at our expense. The following three minor annoyances have plagued us throughout the day, AFTER leaving Scott RV.

• A nut fell off from under the recliner and the base is now loose – “G” will fix tomorrow
• The front a/c unit, that also provides heat, is making a rumbling sound – “G” will check it out tomorrow
• The motor for the windshield night shade is not working – “G” will inspect a way to override the motor tomorrow

"G" will be busy tomorrow. Coincidentally, after us mentioning how lucky we felt that we haven’t had to disconnect the car and Ms. Parton from Allie, and don’t you know, it began to rain ½ way through setting up in space 71. “G” finished up today, and, it began to snow, but he managed to get us winterized again and we are spending the week here in one of the many spaces that is mostly dirt. The rain from last night created a muddy pond around our passenger side, that is full of decaying leaves. Keeping the mess and muck out is challenging.

Okay, that’s it for my whining and complaining.

On a positive note, I'm happy to report that Lucy had a terrific ride back to Croton Point Park.  It was close to a three-hour ride and she spent most of it either in her carry bag or under the covers of our bed. There wasn't the same amount of crying or complaining.  Hooray for that cha, cha, cha, change!

Deep thought for the day:  Change happens. Anticipate change. Monitor Change. Adapt to Change Quickly. Change. Enjoy Change! Be ready to quickly change again and again. ~ from one of my favorite books "Who Moved my Cheese?"

2nd Sticker on the Map!

Even though this is a business-type of trip, we are booked for a week and will get to drive around to see some sights. We are staying at at Pine Cone Resort in Freehold Township, NJ and it's name is very apropos as we are surrounded by beautiful pine trees. The roads are all hard-packed clay, but the sites have grass, gravel, a picnic table and a fire ring. There are millions of pine needles spread out under the pines and they resemble a Christmas tree skirt.  It seems like a very nice place, but I will offer my official verdict during daylight hours. So far, I've only heard different sounds from different people, different rigs and different cars, I'm guessing it will take the whole week here before I feel more "at home."

Our space just for the night. Pull-thru w/o water.

Lucy struggled with the ride for most of the trip down. It took us about 2-1/2 hours and only the last few minutes were spent quietly sitting on my lap in her carry bag. I felt like she knew something different was going to happen even before we pulled out of Croton Park, because for the first time, she actually tried to claw her way out of her bag and tore up the towel liner.

She was quite verbal, right from the start, so I let her out to seek a comfy spot. She immediately made a beeline for the bed where she remained content until we hit a rough patch of road. We could hear her crying and whimpering, which broke our hearts, but she was brave enough to walk all the way up to the front of the rig.

Lucy starting to unwind.

In the bag, out of the bag, on my lap, in the bag, under the bed, under the covers, in the bag. It was just sad repetitive actions until the last 20 minutes, when she decided that sitting in her carry bag on my lap, wasn't so bad after all.

As soon as we parked, the happy clam emerged and acting like nothing ever happened. She has food, water and a clean litter box. For Lucy, Life is Now Good. Tomorrow morning will be another story.

"G" and I are both tired tonight and we need to be up bright and early to get Allie over to the next town for her "look-see." It will be an early-to-bed night, but not until we get out the New Jersey sticker and place it on our map of the USA. A milestone, an accomplishment, a minute one, but memorable for us.

U-turn

One of the funny things that "G" does, that keeps me rolling my eyes, is his frequent u-turns. It seems we can't go anywhere without needing to make a u-turn. This trip afforded us just one, but I decided I shall torture him with posting a "u-turn" photo log from this point forward. I feel this is going to be a noteworthy item to track.


Deep thought for the day:  Lucy, just like "G" and I, does not like bumps in the roads. They can be unpleasant and scary and we prefer to avoid them at all costs.

Breaker, breaker...bump in the road....That's a 10-4 good buddy.

The Master Chess Player is again moving our pawns to a different square than we had planned. Tomorrow, we shall be headed down to Scott RV, in Lakewood, NJ for a service call to repair our electrical panel box, grounding wires and breakers.

We were supposed to be there anyway, on Monday, for the electrical hot water heating element. Apparently, there is some reason we MUST be in New Jersey on December 1st. Perhaps I should buy a lottery ticket while there.

"G" and I spent the day tying up some loose ends before hitting the road tomorrow. A car trip or two, back north, will be required, but Allie and Lucy will wait for us at Pine Cone Resort, in Freehold, NJ. "G" has a dentist appointment on Friday, and we need some time to close up the house and pack the last minute items - like my pile of summer clothes and North Carolina Christmas gifts. 

We are taking the disruption in stride. There is nothing we can do to change our situation, so we will just "go with the flow." This will be Lucy's first extended trip in Allie and we are looking forward to see how she manages with my new travel plan, thanks to my new "Oregon-RV-friend-with-a-cat," Paula's suggestions. Lucy will start off in her carry bag, and then, once we are on smooth road, I will open the bag and let her go wherever she likes. My guess is that she will end up under the covers of our bed, but her bag will be close by, if she chooses to crawl securely back inside.

An update will follow.

Deep thought for the day:  Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ~ Lao Tzu

Water, water, everywhere.

Well, it has finally occurred. The "glitch," the "inconvenience," the "malfunction." or the "holy $%&#*!" Last evening, "G" noticed water on the bathroom floor near the washer/dryer unit. His first thought was that the washer hose had leaked, but after a careful inspection and finding even more water under the adjacent vanity, he concluded that the leak was coming from the water heater area.

Well, it turned out to be a perfect storm, because, as luck would have it, the weather was in the 20's, it was 10:30 at night and "G" needed to fix this issue from outside. Once bundled up and braving the cold, he found water leaking from the hot water heater area, down into the last storage bay, which is just under the wiring for the hot water heater. Just yesterday, "G" attempted to fix the electric hot water heating element that had quit working again! Although we were scheduled to have it repaired in New Jersey on December 1st, he attempted to change out the element himself with the hopes of "making it out of Dodge" sooner due to the predicted continuance of cold temperatures.

Well, he found that the seal on the new element was damaged, thus causing the leak. It could have been a faulty element, or my Superman tightened the bolt too much, but either way, water spurt out all over him when he changed out the new element for the old. Now, if this was a job I had done, the old element would have been in the trash, but "G" had it close at hand and used it as a stop-gap in the meantime. Poor "G," cold, tired and wet from a gush of water, finally came in to call it a night. Unfortuante for "G", I had a night of dreams and talking in my sleep, which kept him awake for a portion of the night. He reported that I talked about "putting rocks into a wheelbarrow" and snored most of the night, as if I had put in a hard day's work.  LOL

Today, turned out to be another cold, damp day, and "G" spent most of it futzing with the hot water heater and a couple of suspicious-looking wires. At 2 pm, after some re-wiring and a lot of patience, we had hot water from our old heating element! Go "G," go!!! He discovered fried wires that he snipped and spliced and got us up and running on electric power once again.  Hooray! We can save some propane!

I was able to pull a bit of my weight by helping with the dumping of the black tank. It made me feel somewhat useful in the face of all of "G's" accomplishments and hard work.

Even though it wasn't a great day to walk, I observed quite a few people braving the elements, and decided that a nice walk was in order. I accomplished just a mile, but at least I got myself out and about. Yesterday was spent mostly inside cooking up a batch of wickedly-good chicken soup. My motto has been cook some, eat some and freeze some. I want to have a nice stash on hand for when we hit the road.

Here are a couple of pictures of the day.

Mr. Patience.

The "scene of the crime"

"G's" water hose insulation job!

Still smiling after a tough day.

A view from the top of the hill. Looking east at the Hudson River

Feeling as though I was on top of the world.

Deep thought for the day: Totally unrelated to the events here at the park..."We are all victims or heroes of the consequences of life's choices. Try to make the best choices as often as possible and when you don't, remember to love yourself in spite of your human imperfections."  vc

Arrrgh. Allie's in for service

Today, "G" drove Allie down to Lakewood, NJ for a couple of repair-related issues, including the pulsating water pump, a burnt-out heating element in the water heater and a refrigerator that keeps building up ice. We have our fingers crossed that all work will be covered by the extended warranty we purchased, but if not, we will at least be able to take a hot shower with better water pressure and have a fridge that won't freeze the milk on the lower setting.

It was a heck of a ride down with lots of traffic, road construction and wind. I was actually needed on this trip to perform co-piloting duties, which, thus far, has been a rarity. Normally, I'm asked not to talk too much because my voice drowns out the GPS. It may be a verrrrrrry long ride to Florida.

Once "G" got the toad unloaded, we secured Ms. Dolly Parton in a safe location and bid adieu to Allie, hoping it wouldn't be too long until it's time to retrieve her. We are booked for The Point once again on October 30th and we don't want to miss a single day down there as the trees will be at peak foliage.

  

As we pulled out of the dealership we noticed Gracie parked in the front lot, facing the main road, as if she were the star attraction, and I must say, she was the nicest in the row. Surprisingly, I felt no remorse or regret at our deciding to trade her in for Allie.  I knew the love affair was truly over when I saw how much she paled in comparison to Allie.

The ride home turned out to be smack in the middle of rush hour and we spent it quietly, listening to the GPS voice instructing us when and where to turn.  It's remarkable that when she tells "G" what and when to do something, it's not considered nagging. Perhaps I should be jealous? All I know is that she is in the car and I'm snuggled nice and warm here in 223.

Deep thought for the day: The saying goes that when one door closes, another one opens. How fortunate were we that it opened up the door to a Tiffin Allegro 36A. Life is beautiful.