Jim's Test, Linda's Pre-op and Two Big Boxes

Rantoul, IL.

64 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast =  Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 82°F. East northeast wind to 7 MPH. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

About 1:30 yesterday afternoon, Big RED took Jim and Linda down to Dr. Anderson's office. Jim had to take a field of vision test, (which he passed with flying colors), and Linda needed to see Dr. Anderson for the pre-op for cataract surgery.

Linda's pre-op went well and she is now scheduled for the procedure to her left eye on the 8th of September.

They dilated Linda's eyes so when Big RED brought her and Jim back here to the CG, she was wearing some large dark glasses to help with the glare.

While they were gone, I had some excitement!!! I was taking a little nap when all of a sudden I hear a noise just outside of the door. I'm not big enough to see out of the window next to the door, so I couldn't see what was happening but I knew someone was out there doing something!!!

I didn't find out what was going on until Jim and Linda returned and Jim brought 2 huge boxes inside.

And, I couldn't tell what was in the boxes until I jumped up on top of the large one and read was it said on the box.

Yep!! A new Sleep Number mattress!!!

I knew that Jim and Linda weren't happy with the original mattress that came with Nora, but I didn't realize that they had ordered a different one. I shouldn't have been surprised though because neither Jim or Linda were sleeping too well on the old one.

Jim and Linda have had Sleep Number mattresses before. They had one when they had a house, before we went full-timing and then purchased another one when they had Myrddin. That mattress was moved into Emrys, but stayed there when Emrys was traded for Bobbie T., because it wouldn't fit in her.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  Guess what today's big project will be????  I hope everything goes well, because it just won't work to have these 2 big boxes sitting inside of Nora for any length of time.

Linda seems to be doing pretty well. By the time she went to bed last night, her eyes were feeling much better. She said that her right eye still felt a little scratchy from the injection though.

Did you know that the average blink of an eye lasts for about 1/10th of a second?

Woof!!!

We're Camping!!!!!

DeBary, FL.
Highbanks Marina and Camp Resort

66 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tuesday morning, Jim and Linda started gathering more things to take over to the trailer at Highbanks. I figured that they were serious about staying for awhile in the trailer when Linda gathered up all her medicine, Jim took the pillows off of the bed, they packed up changes of clothes and they started packing up food, like bread and lunch meat that they need every day.

By early afternoon, they were locking up the house and we were all packed up and on our way. ;-)

Once they had everything put away, Jim opened the awning, got out the lawn chairs and grabbed his camera.

From the vacant site next to us.

He took this photo from the rear. I don't know if you can tell or not, but the slide-out room is quite deep on this RV. it extends about 32". The slides on Bobbie T were only 18" deep and on Emrys 24"

We must be staying awhile, Jim put out his flags. :-)

While he had the camera out, he snapped this photo of Big RED too.

Yesterday, was spent just relaxing and re-organizing some of the "stuff" that they brought to the trailer. Laura stopped by for awhile in the morning to visit. Jim took a nap in the afternoon and then cooked burgers on the grill while Linda put salads together inside.

Today, Linda has an appointment at 1:00 to see to see the chemo doctor, (Dr. Saferali ). At that time she'll find out when she'll start treatments again. :-(  After the doctor's visit, they want to stop by the house to pick up the mail and a few items, and then stop by the store to buy milk and a few other things.

I don't know how long we'll be staying here at Highbanks. The site rent is paid until the 14th of May, so the trailer can stay here until then, but we won't be staying out here in it the whole time.

Oh Wow!!!! I just looked outside and it's getting very foggy here by the river. I wonder of it's foggy all over this area?

Haven't heard anything on TV about fog.

Did you know that the "Hamburger hall of fame" is located in Seymour, Wisconsin?

Woof!!!

A Great Dinner and Moving Things Into The Trailer

DeBary, FL.

57 deg. clear, NW wind @ 5 mph
Forecast = Sun and clouds mixed. High 83F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Jim and Linda had a great time and a great meal at Marv and Inez's house Easter Sunday. Anna drove down from Jacksonville, Ashley and her friend Chris were there and so was Lindsey, 2 of his brothers and their families.

Jim and Linda got there around 11:30, had a great ham dinner and enjoyed talking to everyone after the meal, but by about 3:00 or so, Linda started getting quite tired, so they headed back here to the house. Again, Jim and Linda want to thank Marv and Inez for including them in their family's dinner. :-)

Yesterday, Jim and Linda started moving things over to the Travel Trailer. They took a whole cooler of food to put into the refrigerator and some caned goods and cooking utensils. Jim also took his grill over there along with some charcoal.

They took me along, so I was finally able to see the new trailer. Here I am, in the truck, waiting for them to take me inside.

Once inside, I tried to get a good vantage point where I could see everything so I hopped up on the dinette table. I know that some of these photos didn't turn out very well, but I'm sure Jim will be taking more in the near future.

Then I jumped over to the counter, by the sink.

And then into the bedroom to have a look.

After taking the photos of me, Jim took this photo of Linda sitting in her recliner relaxing. (This is the same recliner that they bought to put in Bobbie T.)

Today, the plan is to take some clothes and personal items over there along with some more food and then, if they get that all done, spend at least a week over there.

Kind of a mini vacation!!!!  ;-)

Did you know that on this date in 1889 - At noon, the Oklahoma land rush officially started as thousands of Americans raced for new, unclaimed land?

Woof!!!

We Have A Travel Trailer and Linda's Last Radiation Treatment

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. clear, S. wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Sunday morning, Jim took Bobbie T over to the RV dealer, (LaMesa RV). Then, Jeff, (the salesman that Jim and Linda have been dealing with), brought Jim back here to the park. The reason being that last Thursday, Shane, (the service adviser) had called and told Jim that the new Travel Trailer would be ready on Monday.

So, yesterday, at 10:00, Jim and Linda took Big RED over to LaMesa RV and they fitted him with a load equalizing anti sway hitch and an electric brake controller while Jim and Linda were given a "walk through" and signed some papers to finalize the deal.  While they were there, they had a free lunch, (Shepard's Pie), at the dealer's cafeteria.

About 12:30, just as they were finishing up lunch, Jeff told them that the hitch and controller had been installed, a few minor problems with the trailer corrected, and everything was ready. From LaMesa, they took the new trailer over to the Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort  where Jim paid for 1 month's stay.

The trailer is now parked in Site #198, which is the same site that we have had for the last few years when we've stayed there for the winter. After getting the trailer set up and hooked to the electric to run the AC, Jim unloaded a bunch of boxes from the back of Big RED and carried them inside of the trailer so that he and Linda could start packing "stuff" into the cabinets.

They didn't get a whole lot done as both of them were pretty tired by this time, so they'll go back today, after Linda's last radiation treatment, and do some more organizing. They have a lot more stuff to move over there but once they get the necessities moved, they'll start staying overnight. :-)

As I mentioned, today Linda has her last radiation therapy treatment. Next Thursday, (the 24th), she has an appointment with Dr. Saferali (the chemo doctor), and they'll discuss when Linda will start her second series of Chemo treatments. As before, the treatments will be at 21 day intervals and there will be 3 of them.

 Did you know that on this date in 1817 - The first American school for the deaf was opened in Hartford, CT?

Woof!!!

Another Week Of Treatments and A Plan

DeBary, FL.

69 deg. mostly cloudy, S. wind @ 3 mph.
Forecast = Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Well, another week of radiation therapy done!!!! The dizziness that still has from the chemo treatments still seems to be slowly getting better, but there are times when she still has to find a place to sit down, for fear of falling.  She and Jim found out that this week ends the type of treatment that she has been receiving where she has to go every day of the week, (Monday through Friday), and will now be starting a different type where she'll be going in 1 or 2 times a week instead. And, if they heard right, Linda will only have 2 more weeks of radiation treatment instead of 3!!!!!!!! ;-)

Monday, Dr. Graham's nurse will be calling and letting Linda know when her next appointment will be and then we'll also know for sure if there's only 2 more weeks of radiation left or not.

 As of this morning, we haven't heard anything about the new travel trailer. Jim told them that there was no big hurry, so it may be a little while before they get to it.

The RV dealers are very busy right now down here in Florida. Most of the "Snowbirds" who were down here for the winter are heading back North and as they are getting ready to leave, are finding problems with their RVs. So, they bring them to RV repair places to get repairs done. Some of the people are very impatient because their plans are being delayed.

Jim has been going over to the storage lot where Bobbie T is parked and has been emptying her out. There wasn't too much left in her but now she's empty and much of the stuff he took out of her is in the back of Big RED, in boxes and totes.

When Jim and Linda do get the new trailer, the plan is to take it over to the Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort, (where we have stayed in past years and is only a few miles from here), rent a site for a month, put most of the "stuff" in the trailer and actually spend quite a bit of time over there checking everything out, staying in it and probably spending quite a few nights there also.

Jim says that it'll be like a vacation, (that I think they're really needing) and at the same time they'll be checking everything out on the trailer. Then, if there's any problems, it can be taken back to the dealer and repaired before we would  be traveling with it.

No big plans for this weekend. If it's not stormy this evening, Jim and Linda would like to go out to eat someplace. If it is stormy, they'll just wait until tomorrow. :-)

Did you know that March is "National Frozen Food Month:?

Woof!!!

Where Are They?????

DeBary, FL

43 deg. clear, W. wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 62F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to the hospital for Linda's radiation treatment. In about an hour they were back here getting a bite to eat. I knew something was in the works because they were doing a lot of talking and planning. I didn't think too much more about it because nothing seemed to come of their conversation as they were just sitting around, watching TV and reading. 

Then, all of a sudden, (About 3:00), they talked some more, got up from their chairs, went out and got into Big RED and drove away!! Now, I didn't think too much about it, but 5:00 came around, then 6:00, and then 7:00, and they still weren't back!!!! 

Now, I'm starting to get worried and am beginning to think something is wrong!!! 

Did they get into an accident or something????

Did they have trouble with Big RED????

Did one of them get sick????

Are they in the Hospital, injured or sick???????????????

Well,  ,  ,  ,  ,  about 7:15 I heard Big RED backing into the driveway and shortly afterwords, they came in the back door. They seemed OK. Big RED sounded normal when he backed in, neither one of them had any bandages or anything to lead me to believe that they had an accident, but they were carrying an envelope that had the words, "LaMesa RV" on it!!!!!!! 

Well, I knew it was coming, but I really didn't think it would come this soon. But, they got a good price, made what they think is a good deal and Traded off Bobbie T for a brand new Heartland North Trail Travel Trailer!!!!!! 

Yep!!!! You read that right!!!! A new travel trailer!!!! It's a North Trail NT 26 LRSS, it has one large slide that holds the couch and dinette, it has a rear living area and a front bedroom with the kitchen and bath in the center.

I don't know when they'll be picking it up, probably not until the first part of next week.

Being that it was so late when they finished at the dealer's, they swung by the Steak N Shake and picked up a couple burgers to bring back here to the house. After they finished eating their sandwiches, they watched TV until bedtime.

Today, Linda will be going to another radiation treatment and she and Jim will need to stop by Walgreen's to pick up a couple prescriptions and a few other items, but I don't know of much else happening.

Did you know that today is Manatee Appreciation Day?

Woof!!!

Full-Timing RVs and Trucks

DeBary, FL
.

58 deg. clear, no wind. 

Forecast = Sun and clouds mixed. High 83F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Being that nothing important is happening, I thought I'd create a collage of the RVs and trucks that we've had since we went full-timing back in 2001. 

In the top left corner there's Mariah. (You can click on the photo to enlarge it). She was the 1998 35' Winnebago Chieftain gas engine motor home that Jim and Linda had when we started full-timing June 1, 2001. They had purchased her in 1999 and she served us well, taking us all across the lower 48 states many times and even up to Alaska and back in 2002.   

The center photo on the left side is TTT a 1992 Nissan pickup truck. (Mariah named him TTT for Tiny Tin Truck).  He also was with us right from the start and followed along behind Mariah for many, many miles. He really took a beating from all the gravel on our trip to Alaska and in 2004 developed some major mechanical problems, so in April of 2004, Jim traded him off for CLT, (Lower left in the photo), a 1996 Nissan pickup, (Named Cute Little Truck, also by Mariah). CLT's truck bed was the same as TTT's so it was possible to transfer the bed cap from one truck to the other without any modifications.

In 2005, Mariah developed some major structural problems so Jim and Linda traded her for Myrddin, (a 1992 40' Beaver Marquis diesel pusher). (Top right in above photo)

Myrddin was beautiful inside with a handcrafted cherry wood interior and was probably the motor home with the interior that Jim and Linda liked the best. Myrddin had his problems though, and on the first trip out West in 2005 we had major problems with the engine stopping all of a sudden and doing that, during the whole trip out west and back. Jim and Linda took him to many RV repair shops along the way, but no one could figure out what was wrong. 

We finally made it back down to Florida where a mechanic named Lester, at a shop in Lakeland Florida figured it out. Come to find out, it was an intermittent short in a 12 volt electric motor that powered the vacuum pump for the dash heater.  

The problem was fixed, but Jim never had faith in Myrddin after that. 

In 2011 on our way to the RV Dreams Rally in Sevierville, TN, Myrddin again developed an engine problem. This time it was a misfire condition. We made it to the Rally and then after the rally, Jim tried to find someone who could figure out what was wrong. Every place he called, he was told that they no longer had the diagnostic  equipment to check his engine out. Jim finally found a CAT dealer in Bristol TN who had the equipment and repaired the problem, which ended up being a loose wire on cylinders 3 & 4 injectors. 

At this same time, there was also a problem with Myrddin's furnace. When they tried to order the needed parts, they found out that they were almost non existent. It was at this time that Jim and Linda started to look for a newer RV.  

In May of 2011, Jim and Linda found Emrys, a 45' 2000 Newmar, London Aire diesel pusher motor home at a dealer in central Illinois.  (Bottom center in the above photo).

Linda named him Emrys, and he was also very nice inside, but didn't have the fit and finish of the woodwork that Myrddin had. When Jim and Linda purchased him, there were some problems that the dealer said that they would take care of. Well, come to find out, they just patched him together to get him out of the door, and once we were on the road, things started to go wrong. : (   (This dealer has since, gone out of business).

Again, Lester, (the mechanic and his crew down in Florida), came to the rescue and soon most of the problems were repaired and we were on our way. : )

Emrys was huge at 45', great to drive down the Interstates, (steady as a rock), and great to be living in with his 2 slideouts, but neither Jim or Linda had any idea just how much more those extra 5' of length would restrict where we could camp or go. He was no fun at all on hilly, twisty/turny roads, (like U.S. 101 up along the Oregon coast), and we found that many of the campgrounds along the non-Interstate roads could not accommodate such a large RV.

Jim and Linda adjusted our travels though, and soon we were traveling on almost all Interstates and staying in only the larger parks.

I still don't know just what happened to make Jim decide that he thought it was time  to stop full-timing and to buy a house again, but during the winter of 2012/2013, he told Linda that he thought it was time to stop. Now, before they started full-timing, they made an agreement that if one of them ever decided that it was time to stop full-timing, they would tell the other, discuss the reasons, and then stop if that person still felt the same after the discussion.

Well, as most of you know, they did buy a double wide manufactured home down in DeBary Florida. It's in a gated community and there is absolutely no place to park a 45' motor home, much less even get it through the entrance. They do however, have a storage lot within the community where a smaller RV could be stored.

So, the search was on for a smaller RV.

It didn't take long before Jim and Linda found Bobbie T., a 27' Class B motorhome, (lower right in the photo), at a nearby RV dealer that would take Emrys in on trade.

During the summer of 2013, we took Bobbie T, with CLT hooked behind, and traveled from FL to IL by way of Virginia Beach, VA and Apex, NC. At Linda's regular Doctor's appointment in August, she was diagnosed with cancer.

At that time, we came down here to Florida and moved into the Double-wide manufactured home so that Linda could have surgery and treatments, thus, officially ending our full-timing lifestyle in August of 2013.

Since we've been here in Florida, Jim and Linda have traded CLT for a 3/4 ton Dodge pickup, and sometime before fall, will be either selling Bobbie T, or trading her in on a trailer of some kind. The reason for this is that Bobbie T. is not doing well over in the storage lot and Jim is worried about what kind of condition her engine and other chassis parts will be in after such a long period of non-use.

So, that's the vehicles that we've had while Full-timing. We've had a great time traveling all over the lower 48 and up into Alaska and would have liked to full-time longer. But, as we all know, things don't always work out the way we wanted them to.

Did you know that American Eddie Eagan is the only person to have won gold medals in both the Summer and Winter Games? He was a boxing champion in the 1920 Antwerp Games, and also won gold at the 1932 Lake Placid Games in the team bobsled event.

Woof!!!

Happy Groundhog Day and Big Changes

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. light fog, no wind.
Forecast = Foggy this morning, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!!

Linda's still doing fine, but she has been extremely tired since her last chemo treatment and has almost no energy at all. She's also been having some dizziness, which is also part of the Chemo side effects.

Until yesterday, there hasn't been much happening around here. Just normal everyday things. But, yesterday, after Jim and Linda had come back from Walgreen's, Jim showed Linda a photo of a truck that he had been looking at on the Internet.

Why has Jim been looking at trucks, you ask?

Well, I've heard little bits and pieces of conversation between Linda and Jim lately, (in fact for the last month or so), that neither of them were real happy with how Bobbie T was working out for them. You see, they both have admitted that they thought that she would work fine, but they had made a mistake when they thought that the very small bathroom, the lack of a comfortable place for Jim to sit and relax and a tight bedroom was something that they could deal with.

On top of that, since Linda has this medical problem and will not be able to travel as much as they had planned, it won't be good for a motorized RV like Bobbie T to  be sitting for long periods of time. In fact she already has one brake caliper hanging up and will have to be taken someplace to get that fixed before she can be used again.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  Jim and Linda have decided that a medium sized travel trailer or 5th wheel would serve them better and be more suited to the type of traveling that they will be doing in the future. Now, of course, CLT couldn't possibly pull either one of those types of RVs, so Jim has been looking at 3/4 ton trucks to take his place. They hadn't planned on doing any trading this soon, but CLT is going to need some work real soon, (new tires and a power steering pump for sure), so rather than spend money on him, it was decided that now was the time to trade if they could find a suitable truck.

Like I said, Jim has been looking at trucks and a few days ago, he found one that he liked, at a price that they could handle. So, yesterday afternoon, they headed over to Gibson Truck World in Sanford to look at it.

Well, it turned out to be almost exactly what Jim was looking for in a truck. It's a 2006 Dodge Ram Laramie Crew Cab with a 5.9 Liter Cummins Diesel engine. And, it's RED, just like my sweater!!!! ;-) It only has 49,000 miles on it and both Jim and Linda said that it looks like it just came out of the factory. It also has a Carfax Report with it and the dealer is giving it a 1 year bumper to bumper warranty!!

But wait, there's more!!!! The dealer is also giving them 12 months of free scheduled maintenance on the truck, up to $1000.

It also has all it's past maintenance records and it is certified as being a 1 owner vehicle.

Did I mention that it's RED?????

This is a photo of it that I got off of the dealer's website. It sure looks nice to me!!!.

Jim and Linda will be picking it up sometime this next week, as soon as they can get their finances together. :-)

Did you know that according to National Climatic Data Center, Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of all the Groundhog Day groundhogs, isn't very good at his job, having picked correctly only 39 percent of the time?

Woof!!!!

Did I mention that it's RED????

Tests And Procedures and Company Coming?

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 86F. Winds from the North at 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday, Laura swung by and picked up Linda and took her over to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach for her chest x-ray, EKG and blood test. It took all afternoon and they didn't get back here until dinner time.

Linda said that the tests weren't too bad, but the waiting between them was not much fun.

On the way back, they stopped and picked up a couple burgers from Burger King so that Linda and Jim would have something to eat with out a bunch of preparation.

While Linda and Laura were gone, Jim took CLT and headed over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T.  I feel kind of sorry for her. It was so crazy when we came down here that she was just parked over in the storage area without being cleaned up inside or out. CLT says that she still has some bug spatters on the front of her and I know that nothing inside was cleaned.   She seems to be doing fine though and Jim spent a couple of hours over there, exercising the generator and doing some cleaning inside of her.

Hopefully Jim will be able to get back over there soon and do more cleaning.

Yesterday, Linda did some laundry and Jim tried to stay busy by doing some re-organizing out in the shop/storage shed.

Today, Linda has to go to the Florida Hospital in Orange City for that PET Scan. Her appointment is for 10:15, but was asked to be there by 9:45, (probably to fill out paperwork). Other than that, I don't think there are any other plans.

Oh, we may be getting company! Jim and Linda's son Mike, Gina and the kids may be stopping by this weekend. They're heading down to the "attractions" (Disney World etc.) in Orlando for a vacation and when Jim last talked to Mike, he said that they'd like to stop by to see Linda and Jim and see the house.

I hope they can, since we couldn't make it to their place in North Carolina this fall.

A Point to Ponder: Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Woof!!!

Linda And Laura Go To Daytona Beach and Jim Goes Shopping

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. High of 95F with a heat index of 100F. Winds from the East at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Friday morning, Laura swung by and picked up Linda so that they could go over to the Doctor's office in Daytona Beach to sign the papers so that they would transfer all the test results and doctor's notes to the original doctor that Linda had contacted. There were no problems at all and by Monday, the files should be transferred.

After that little chore was out of the way, Laura took Linda to a little restaurant that she had heard about. Linda said that the food was good, but the best part of the meal was getting to spend time talking to Laura. ;-)

So, what was Jim doing while Linda and Laura were out and about?  Well, he took CLT and headed to ACE Hardware where he bought some supplies to use in the house, a new door latch for the shed and had a couple extra keys made for the lock on the shed. Then, when he got back here to Highland Estates, he went over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T. and to get a few more items out of her that he and Linda need in the house.

Laura dropped Linda off around 2:00 or so and headed back home.

Thanks again, Laura!!! :-)

Oh, I don't think I told you, but the other day, Jim went over to the new Harbor Freight store and bought a small tool box to have in the house.

It's a neat looking box, but Jim says that it's not real sturdy and probably wouldn't stand up to a lot of beating and banging around. But for the purpose of just holding some tools to use around the house, it should be fine.

It has a nice lift-out tray and  at about 19" wide by 9" high and 8" deep, the box is large enough that it can accommodate the needed tools and still fit nicely at the bottom of one of the closets.

And, it was on sale when Jim bought it! ;-)

Linda did some laundry yesterday. Don't know what's happening today. They still have a few household items that they need, so maybe they'll go shopping.

Did you know that on this date in 1949 - "The Lone Ranger" premiered on ABC? Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels was Tonto.  

Trying To Stay Busy and The First Doctor's Appointment

DeBary, FL.

75 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain in the afternoon. High of 95F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Wednesday was a day to catch up on laundry, organize more "stuff" and try to stay busy to keep their minds off of the upcoming doctor appointment on Thursday. Jim and Linda both took naps in the afternoon and then for dinner, they headed to Gram's Kitchen.

On their way back from Gram's, they stopped and bought CLT a drink of 87 octane so that they'd have enough gas to make it over to Daytona Beach for the Dr. appointment. Then, after returning, they read and "computed" until bedtime.

Yesterday, Thursday, was the day for the first doctor's appointment since we've been down here in Florida, so about 9:00 CLT took Linda and Jim over to Daytona beach for the appointment. Linda said that she had "ton's" of paperwork to fill out, but by about 11:00 they called her in to see the doctor.

A biopsy was taken and some other test done, and by about 11:30 or so, Linda and Jim were back in CLT and heading back here.

There is a growth and the doctor is pretty sure it is cancerous, but of course can't be sure until the tests come back. They should be back by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, and when they are, the doctor's office will call with the results. The results will also be sent to the original doctor/surgeon, (that Laura found for Linda), and a procedure to take care of the problem will be decided on.

Believe it or not, Linda is relieved.  At least now she knows what she's dealing with and hopefully, it can be dealt with soon.

Linda is doing well and she feels fine, so for the next 5 or 6 days, Linda and Jim will continue getting everything in the house taken care of. That will include some more shopping for things that they still need, and of course finding and trying to put all of their possessions in places where they can find them when needed.

Also, Bobbie T needs to have her gas tank topped off and the Stable Gas Treatment put in the tank. She also needs to be cleaned up inside and out, the generator needs to be exercised and everything checked out so that she's ready for long term storage. All of this will take quite awhile, but it's not urgent to get it all done right away.

I doubt if I'll be posting here every day, but you can be sure that if anything besides normal everyday living happens, I'll tell you about it. Also, you can be assured that as soon as there's any news or changes concerning Linda, you will be the first to know.

So, check back often. You never know when something exciting may happen!!! ;-)

Did you know that Key West, FL, has the highest average temperature in the United States?

Woof!!!

More Stuff To Put Away and Ashley's Birthday Party

DeBary, FL.

71 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain in the afternoon. High of 97F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Jim was up early, drinking coffee and playing around with the computer. I think he's enjoying the large space to move around in and the Barcalounger recliner that he bought before we left here in April.  :-)

One thing on his "to do" list for yesterday was to go to the Post Office and let them know we were back here again, so he took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over there around 9:00.  Then, on the way back, he stopped at an auto parts store and picked up some of that "Stable" gas treatment stuff to put in Bobbie T's tank so the gasoline won't gum everything up while she's sitting over there in the storage lot.

Just before lunch, Jim and Linda went over to the storage lot and got some more stuff out of Bobbie T. It was really getting hot by that time, so by the time they returned, they were pretty beat. :-(

Neither Jim or Linda had much ambition after that, so they just worked on organizing some of the things that were brought in from Bobbie T. on Friday. They've still got a lot to do, but they're making some progress.

For dinner, they decided to go to Burger King to grab a sandwich. After eating they went across the street and bought a few items at the CVS store before coming back here to the house. Then, around 10:00 they headed to bed.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda did some rearranging of cabinets and put away some more of the things they had brought in from Bobbie T. Then, around  11:30 they got ready and headed over to Marv and Inez's house,  (Lindsey's parents), in Deland for a birthday dinner for Ashley. (Laura and Lindsey's oldest daughter). Ashley's birthday is actually today, but Sunday worked out better for everyone to come.

 Anna, (Laura and Lindsey's youngest daughter), drove down for the weekend from Jacksonville, and 2 of Lindsey's brothers and one of the brother's family were there too.

Inez made delicious tacos and Laura brought a birthday cake. From what I can tell, everyone had a great time. ;-)

About 3:00 CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the house and then they both took naps. After their naps, they continued to put things away and reorganizing until Laura and Anna stopped by later in the evening. Then they all sat around and talked until about 9:00.

Around 10:00 Jim and Linda started getting tired, so they headed off to bed.

Today the plan is to go to a few stores in the area and see about buying a microwave and a TV for the house.

Did you know that on this date in 1956 - Elvis Presley shared his success with his family by purchasing his mother a pink Cadillac?

Happy Birthday, Ashley!!!!!!! ;-)

Woof!!!

Chiefland, FL To DeBary, FL and We're Living In The House

DeBary, FL.

75 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 95F. Winds from the SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

After dumping and flushing the black and grey water tanks a much as possible, we pulled out of the Chiefland RV Park about 9:40 yesterday morning. Once back on US 19, we followed it South for a few blocks and then turned off on Alt US 27 which took us over towards Ocala. A little Williston, we turned off on FL 326 which took us around the North side of Ocala and to Rt. 40. 40 then brought us East to Barberville where we turned South on US 17/92, which brought us down to DeBary and the Highland Country Estates where the house is located.

It was 12:30 when we pulled up in front of the house so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 120 miles and stop near Ocala and  get Bobbie T a drink of 87 octane.

Yes, Jim and Linda did decide to head straight to the house instead of going to Laura and Lindsey's. There really wasn't any reason not to even though Bobbie T. was parked on the street in front of the house for awhile. The streets are wide enough for cars or even trucks to get past.

Jim and Linda had called Laura and Lindsey and told them of our change in plans, so a little after we arrived at the house, they came and everyone went to work, moving food and "stuff" out of Bobbie T. and into the house.

Jim and Lindsey were outside in Bobbie T.. Jim packed things into tote boxes and Lindsey would carry them into the house. Meanwhile, Linda and Laura were busy trying to get everything put away inside as Lindsey brought things in.

Jim and Lindsey took breaks every once in awhile as the temperature was up in the mid 90's, but by about 3:00, most everything was inside the house and Jim was driving Bobbie T over to the storage lot and backing her into site #2.

Lindsey followed Jim to the lot and helped Jim get backed in, and soon they were back here at the house, enjoying a cold drink. ;-)

Laura invited Jim and Linda over to their house for a spaghetti dinner, so about 5:30, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over there, stopping at Winn Dixie to pick up some bread to bring back here and some Italian Bread and a Banana Cream Pie to take to Laura and Lindsey's to have with the meal.

About 8:00 CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the house where they relaxed until about 10:00, and then went to bed, very tired.

Again, Laura and Lindsey came through when Linda and Jim needed help. Thank you so much, all your help will be remembered. ;-)

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  that officially ends our time as Full-timers. It's been 12 years and 3 months since we pulled out of the driveway up in Illinois and it's been a blast!!!!  Oh, there's been times when things haven't been too good, but the good times far outweigh the bad times. After things settle down around here a little, I'll try to do a recap of those 12+ years on the road in a few posts.

In the next few days, Jim and Linda will try to get things organized here in the house. They also need to buy a TV and a few other items, so they'll be busy, busy, busy. Then, on Thursday, Linda will have her first doctor's appointment that will determine what medical procedures need to be done.

Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

Would you believe that it's been 12 years and 3 months since Jim, Linda or I have slept in a house?

Woof!!!

A Doctor Located and GA To FL

Chiefland, FL.

73 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 90F with a heat index of 95F. Winds from the West at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Finally after many telephone calls, including calls from Laura to some connections she has, a doctor was found that could take Linda in for an appointment. Yesterday, an appointment was finally made with a doctor in Daytona Beach for next Thursday. This is a preliminary visit to do further tests to see just what has to be done, and also to find out for sure if there is cancer or not. Then the report will be sent to the doctor that Laura originally found for Linda and decisions about further procedures will be made.

Again, things started to happen after Laura started calling people. Thanks, Laura!!! :-)

We left Thomasville, GA about 9:50 yesterday morning and headed South on US 19. Following 19 brought us down into Florida and eventually here to Chiefland and the Chiefland RV Park.

It was 12:20 when we pulled into the park, so it took us about 2 1/2 hours to travel 127 miles.

The Chiefland RV Park is nothing special, but we have a full hook-up site with cable TV at the Passport America rate of $17.44. We're also parked under a huge live oak tree that gave us some very nice shade that was greatly appreciated, as the temperature was in the mid 90's when we arrived here.

Being that we had a back-in site, Jim had to unhook CLT from the back of Bobbie T for the first time since we left Rantoul. So, since CLT was unhooked, for dinner, Jim and Linda took him and went to Mya's Chinese Restaurant for dinner. They said that the food was good and the service was very good.

And it gave them a chance to get out and about a little. ;-)

Today, we'll get to DeBary. Jim and Linda have decided that they're going to try get enough "stuff" moved into the house so that they can stay in the house tonight. They may not have quite everything they would like to have for the house, but by temporally taking some items from inside of Bobbie T into the house, (that normally would stay in Bobbie T), they should be able to make the house livable. By doing that, they won't have to worry about running the AC on a 20 amp circuit at  Laura's tonight.

Then, hopefully by tomorrow, most of rest of the "stuff" will be moved into the house and Bobbie T can be parked in the storage lot.

Did you know that today is "National Toasted Marshmallow Day" ?

Woof!!!

Alabama To Georgia, Doctors and A Plan

Thomasville, GA

69 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 88F with a heat index of 93F. Winds less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

After a pleasant stay at the Deer Run RV Park near Troy, AL, we continued heading SE on US 231. Just before getting to Dothan, AL, Jim pulled Bobbie T into another Gas station and topped her tank off with 87 octane. (Priced at $3.29 per gallon). Taking the belt route around Dothan, brought us to US 84 where we turned East and followed it into Georgia. When we got to Thomasville, we turned South on US 19 and followed it here to the City Of Roses RV Park.

We've been coming to this park for a long time. It's an older park, with a bunch of permanent RVs around the edge of the park. Some people don't feel comfortable with the people who are living in these older RVs, but we've always found them to be friendly and have never caused us any concern.  It's a Passport America Park, so for a full hookup site with 30/50 amp service and free cable TV, we're only paying $15.00.

It was 9:00 when we left the park in AL, and 12:30 when we arrived here in GA. so  it took us 3 hours and 30 minutes to travel 160 miles and stop for Bobbie T's drink.

Linda has been talking to doctor offices, trying to set up appointments. It's starting to look like it will be awhile before she can get in to see anyone.  So far, the earliest appointment that she has found would be about 3 weeks from now. :-(

Jim and Linda have also been talking to Laura. She's going to do some inquiring and see what she can come up with.

Speaking of Laura, it's been decided that we take Bobbie T to Laura and Lindsey's house on Friday and park her in or along side of their driveway. Then, the plan is to take most of Jim and Linda's "stuff" over to the house from there, hopefully getting all the essentials moved by Friday night, so that we can stay in the house.

You know, I've been thinking. When we move into the house, it'll be the first time we've lived in a house for over 12 years!!! It's going to be quite a change for me, and I'm sure it'll be a big change for Jim and Linda too. I think one of the things that I'll have to get used to is the amount of room that I'll have to roam around in. That house is so much bigger than any RV!!

Oh well, I've lived in 4 different RVs in the past 12 years, I'm sure I can get used to living in a house again. ;-)

Did you know that in Atlanta, GA, it's against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp?

Woof!!!

Poor Internet Connection and Still In Alabama

Troy, AL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy. High of 91F. Winds less than 5 mph.

My Internet connection is not good here at the Deer Run RV Park near Troy, so this will be a short post.

Before we left the Cullman RV Park, Jim drove Bobbie T over to the Propane filling tank and had the men from the park fill Bobbie T's propane tank up. By the time this was done and the propane paid for, it was 9:15 when we pulled out of the park.

Once back on I-65, it was a straight shot down to Montgomery, where we turned East on I-85 for a few miles to Exit #9. There, we turned back South on Taylor Rd and followed it until it dead-ended at US 231. Then, we just followed 231 down here to Troy and the Deer Run park.

Along the way, we stopped and got Bobbie T another drink of 87 octane and pulled into the Alabama Welcome Center for a "pit stop".

It was right 1:00 when we arrived so yesterday, we traveled 187 miles in 3 hours and 45 minutes.

All of the roads yesterday were pretty good except coming through Birmingham. There, the road was terrible!! It was cement, and it should have been resurfaced about 5 years ago. There was also a lot of construction, so maybe they're trying remedy the problem.

We've been to the Deer Run RV Park before. It's easy to get to, has nice sites and the lady in the office is friendly.

Today, we'll head into Georgia where Jim has a Passport America Park picked out.

Did you know that today is "Race your Mouse around the Icons Day"?

Clarksville TN to Cullman AL and Plans For Our Arrival In DeBary

Cullman, AL

64 deg. clear, N. wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast = Clear. High of 86F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Because we had a longer day ahead of us, we pulled out of the Clarksville CG about 9:05 and continued SE on I-24 towards Nashville. It took us about an hour to get to the city, and by the time we arrived, the rush hour traffic had subsided and we pretty much made it though without even slowing dow. ;-)   In Nashville we turned South on I-65 and followed it down into Alabama and to the Cullman CG in Cullman, AL.

It was 12:35 when we pulled in so we had traveled 190 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes and that included a "pit stop" at a rest area along I-65.

We like the Cullman CG. We've been here before and have always been treated well. The CG is well maintained and the sites are full-hookup and level. We're in a different part of the CG this time because Jim asked for a shady site, as the temperatures were hovering around 90 deg. when we pulled in.

This is one of those parks that not everyone likes. It's what I call "rustic". It's an older CG that doesn't have all the amenities, some of the sites are fairly close together, and the road coming to the park definitely leaves something to be desired. (it's narrow, rough, hilly and twisty).

However, the owners are great people who will do their best to make you comfortable. The prices are reasonable, $20.79 for a 30 amp site, and for the most part, it's nice and quiet and out in the country.

Today, we'll continue heading South and then SE towards Georgia. Jim has a CG picked out SE of Montgomery, (near Troy, AL), and I'm pretty sure we'll head for it.

Linda called Laura after we got settled in yesterday afternoon. She and Lindsey are going to go over to the house and turn on all the electric circuit breakers and make sure the refrigerator is working. It was also decided that when we got to DeBary, we'd go to their house and park Bobbie T in or next to their driveway until all the "stuff" is unloaded and taken over to the house. (Laura and Lindsey will help with that). Then, when most everything is transferred and the house is ready to be moved into, Bobbie T will be taken to the storage lot.

Sounds like a plan to me!!! ;-)

Did you know that the word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language?

Woof!!!

Goreville, IL to Clarksville, TN

Clarksville, TN.

65 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 90F. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Because Jim "tweaked" the trip plan, yesterday was scheduled to be a shorter travel day, so there was no hurry to get on the road.  Because of that, we didn't leave the Hilltop CG in Goreville, IL until 10:25.

Once back on I-57, we headed North for 4 miles and then turned SE in I-24 and headed for Kentucky. 24 took us through Kentucky and into Tennessee where we turned off on Exit 1. The first stop we made was to buy Bobbie T a nice big drink of 87 octane, (at $3.29 versus about $3.54 per gallon in IL and KY), then went on to the Clarksville CG which is just down the road from the gas station.

It was 1:10 when we pulled into the CG, so it took us 2 hours and 40 minutes to travel 137 miles, buy Bobbie T's drink and make a pit stop along the way. Oh, and we had a lot of construction areas on I-24 in Kentucky, so that slowed us down some too.

We've been to the Clarksville CG before, and just like before, both Jim and Linda think that the sites are overpriced, but there's really not many choices to choose from in this area.  It's a nice CG with a pool and all the amenities, it's well maintained and the folks in the office are quite friendly.

Today, we'll head down into Alabama. It'll be a longer travel day than yesterday, probably around 4 hours. We have to go through Nashville though, so who knows. :-(

Linda's doing fine. She's been able to sleep better the last few nights, so she's not so tired during the day. I think that she may be thinking about moving into the house, and not quite so much about her medical situation.

Did you know that the name "Tennessee" originated from the old Yuchi Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place?"

Woof!!!

Rantoul To Goreville and Tweaking The Trip Plan

Goreville, IL.

65 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 90F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Both Jim and Linda were up early, (neither one of them have been sleeping to well lately), so by 9:05, Jim had Bobbie T unhooked from the electric, pulled out of the site, had CLT hooked to the back of her and we were pulling out of the Prairie Pines Campground.

From Rantoul, we got on I-57 and just stayed on it all the way down here to Goreville, IL., and the Hilltop Campground. We made one "pit stop" at a rest area along the way, and by 1:15 we were pulling up in front of the office.

It was 214 miles down here and it took us 4 hours and 20 minutes.

The Hilltop CG seems like a very nice park for an overnight stay. The rates are reasonable, $22.00 for a 30 amp full hook-up, pull-through site. Ron, the man in the office was very friendly and when Jim asked for a site with some shade, made sure we had a site that Jim was happy with. The CG seems to be very well maintained. The grass is mowed and the trees and bushes are trimmed so that they don't rub on the RVs.

In fact, I wouldn't mind staying here for a few days if we had more time.

As we were traveling yesterday, Linda and Jim were discussing what they needed to do at the house when we arrive down there. They'll need to get all the food and most of the clothes out of Bobbie T and move them into the house, along with a bunch of other stuff. There's no TV or Microwave oven at the house so they'll have to go shopping for those items. They'll also need to shop for some bedding, and by the time we get there, laundry will definitely need to be done.

Jim's been doing some "tweaking" on the trip plan down to Florida, and now it looks like we may not get to DeBary until Friday. There were a couple of days that we would have traveled farther than we normally do, and because there's really no great hurry to get down there, Jim rearranged the stops along the way so that we'll be able to travel our normal 3 to 4 hours a day.

Did you know that today is "Kiss and Make Up Day"?

Woof!!!

Thanks, Getting Ready To Head South and CG Photos

Rantoul, IL.

60 deg clear, no wind.
forecast = Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 86F. Winds from the ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

First of all, Linda and Jim want to thank everyone who made comments on this blog, e-mailed, phoned, or came over to Bobbie T and wished Linda the very best with her upcoming surgery and recovery. Linda was just floored by the response.

Linda called the doctor's office down in FL yesterday morning, and they have received all the necessary papers that were faxed to them, so we're "good to go" there. While she was on the phone to the doctor's office and talking to others who called, Jim was outside getting everything out there ready to travel.

Yesterday evening, Louise and Paul came over to say good-bye. They also brought a card, signed by a whole bunch of people from here in the park, wishing Linda a speedy recovery and words of assurance. Louise made both Linda and Jim promise that we'd be back here at Prairie Pines next summer before she and Paul gave Linda and Jim h and h. (hugs and handshakes). ;-)

So,  ,  ,  ,  , this morning, we'll leave here and start heading South. Jim has a new Trip Plan for the trip and has located RV Parks along the route that we can stay at. The way he's got it figured, we should be getting to DeBary next Thursday.

OK, enough of that!!!!

The Farm Show is in full swing. The campground is packed, (2 RVs on most sites), and probably just as many dry camping on the roads and streets around the park. About 1/2 of the RVers have golf carts or ATVs that they use to go to the show with, so they're constantly running around in the park, and you have to watch for them.

Here's a few photos of the CG that Jim took over the last 4 or 5 days. Remember, you can click on them to enlarge them.

Looking from the rear of our site before the show.

Now.

2 RVs on a site.

Street in the CG before the show.

Dry campers line both sides plus many more on surrounding streets.

Lots of RVs packed together.

There's even some staying in tents.

When Louise and Paul came over to say good-bye yesterday, they said that there were many more RVs here this year than there ever were for past Half Century of Progress Farm Shows. Of course the CG can only accommodate so many RVs but the amount of RVs dry camping has greatly increased.

Jim and Linda didn't get to go over to the show this year, but there'll be another show in 2 years.

Well, I'd better get going. Pretty soon Jim and Linda will be getting everything put away so we can leave, and I don't want to be in the way.

Again, thank you so much for your support. It really has meant a lot to both Linda and Jim. I'll post whenever I can to keep everyone updated.

A Point to Ponder : Worrying works! 90 percent of the things I worry about never happen.

Woof!!!