Final Countdown

DeBary, FL.

74 deg. clear, no wind, humidity 87%
Forecast =  Partly cloudy with scattered storms. Highs around 91°F. Heat index around 97°F. West wind 2 to 9 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 50%

Houston, we are ready to launch!!!!

Well, maybe not launch, but we are certainly ready to hit the road!!!! ;-) Right now we're at 4 days and counting and everything is looking "good to go!!

Yesterday Big RED took Linda and Jim over to the surgeon's office and the surgeon removed the "port" that has been giving Linda the creeps ever since it was installed way back on the 27th of December, 2013!! :-(   After Dr. Ogle removed the port, he gave Linda a "good to go", and in a total of about 1 hour, Big RED was backing back into the carport and Linda was relaxing in her recliner.

With a big smile on her face, I might add.  .;-)

Before Linda and Jim went to the doctor's office, Laura and Lindsey had stopped by for a few minutes. They chatted for a little while and then just before they left, Linda and Jim gave them a bunch of frozen foods out of the freezer for them to take home and use. There was just too much in the house freezer to take over to the trailer, so if they can use it, it won't go to waste.

As soon as Linda got back from the doctor, she called Laura and told her that the port was out, she was doing fine and it was a very easy procedure. Laura suggested that since we'll be leaving Monday and she'll be busy or working every day before that, it might be nice to go out to dinner together someplace.

So, after taking naps, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to Gram's Kitchen where they met up with Laura and Lindsey for a very nice dinner and some great conversation with a couple of very special people. ;-)

Thanks so much for everything, Laura and Lindsey!!! :-)

So, what's left to do before we leave DeBary? Well, Jim went over to Highbanks early this morning and made some adjustments on the Equal-i-zer weight distribution, sway control hitch on the trailer. It had been set up with the trailer empty and now there's quite a bit of  "stuff" in it that has changed the amount of tongue weight, so he felt an adjustment was needed.  There's medicine to take over to the trailer, as well a clothes, personal items and the rest of the food. Jim and Linda have a pretty large list, but I won't go into all of that here.

Then, they have to get the house ready to sit empty for about 4 months. They'll need to do a little cleaning, close all the blinds and shades, empty the refrigerator, turn off most of the circuit breakers to the house, (the A/C stays on and is set at about 84 degrees, and one other circuit is left on for a light), make sure the water is shut off and of course, make sure all doors and windows are checked and locked. Everything outside needs to be put away or secured so that nothing blows around in case there is a severe storm, and the shop/shed is locked and everything in the Florida room and screened-in section of the carport secured.

There's also things to do like go to the Post Office and have all mail sent to Alternative Resources, their mail forwarding service, stop by the office here in the park to let them know that we'll be gone for about 4 months, talk to Bob, the lawn maintenance guy, and pay for the electric that was used since the first of the month over at Highbanks.

Whew!!!!!

Yeah, there's a lot to do, but I have faith!!! ;-) You can't imagine how ready Jim, Linda and I are to get away from here and get back out on the road. Talk about "hitch itch" we've all got a bad case of it and as far as I know, there's only one way to cure it, and that's to hit the road!! And, to top it off, Monday is the day the lot rent at Highbanks is up, so I'm sure we'll be out of here, one way or another!!! ;-)

Did you know that a third of the human population sneezes when they look at the Sun? Light can signal the ocular nerve near the sinuses and triggers a sneeze.

Woof!!!

Achoo!!!!!!! :-)

Back At The House and A Good Report

DeBary, FL.

71 deg. clear, S. wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.


By noon on Tuesday, we were back at the house and Jim was unloading "stuff" out of Big RED. It was another hot day with temps hovering around 93 degrees, so he took his time.

About the middle of the afternoon, Dr. Saferali's office called and told Linda that the Dr. wanted her to come in on Wednesday morning for a saline transfusion because the test that they had given Linda on Thursday indicated that she was dehydrated. After explaining that she had appointment with Dr. Graham at 10:00, an appointment was made with Dr. Saferali at 11:30.

This was kind of disappointing because both Linda and Jim had planned to use Wednesday afternoon getting the house and other things ready for Joe's arrival on Thursday. :-(

So, after doing some cleaning and straightening Tuesday, Wednesday they headed to the appointment with Dr. Graham at about 9:40. Dr Graham was pleased with how Linda was doing and when they told him that they were planning on heading North to IL, NC and VA this fall and wouldn't be returning until sometime in November, he said that that wasn't a problem and he would like Linda to make an appointment to come back in for a CAT Scan when she returned to the area.

And, by the way, Dr. Graham also told Linda that the Radiation treatments that she received were very aggressive and with those treatments plus the aggressive Chemo treatments she was receiving, he really expected to find Linda to be cancer free when they did the scan. :-)  :-)  :-)

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!

After leaving Dr. Graham's they had some time before Linda's appointment with Dr. Saferali, so they just drove around for awhile, looking at some of the areas of Orange City that they used to go to.

While Linda was getting the hydration transfusion Jim headed to Winn Dixie, bought some groceries, then brought them back here to the house and put most of them away. It was about 2:30 before Linda called Jim to come pick her up and about 3:00 before they returned.

The rest of the afternoon was spent putting away the rest of the groceries and relaxing.

This morning, Linda's Chemo treatment appointment is at 9:15, so she and Jim will need to leave here a little before 9:00.  The treatment will take most of the day, so it will probably be late afternoon before she's finished.

Joe's flight is supposed to get in at 11:30, so by the time he gets his luggage, rents a car and drives here from Orlando, it'll probably be around 12:30 or 1:00. It sure will be good to see him again. The last time we've seen him was in November, right after Linda's surgery. ;-)

A Point to Ponder :  Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

Getting Ready For Company

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear. High of 88F. Winds from the North at 5 to 15 mph.

After cleaning up the Florida room, Jim spent quite a bit of the morning out in the storage shed/shop, yesterday morning.

I'm having a little trouble deciding what I want to call it. Up to now, it's definitely just been a storage shed, but now since Jim has been working on it, it's starting to look more like a small workshop. But, the washer and dryer are out there too, so maybe it should be the laundry room.

Decisions!!! Decisions!!!

The afternoon was spent with Jim and Linda cleaning/straightening up the house, doing a load of laundry and taking naps. ;-) Then for dinner, they took CLT and headed over to the Perkins Restaurant in Orange City.

This morning, Jim will do some final vacuuming so the house looks presentable when Mike, Gina and the kids get here this afternoon.

I don't know for sure, but the other day, Linda mentioned that she thought that Gina's mother, Susan, may be coming along on this trip too. I don't remember meeting her but I'll be sure to welcome her and behave if she is along with them. ;-)

I don't want to make a bad impression!!

Did you know that on this date in 1792, the cornerstone of the Executive Mansion was laid in Washington, DC. The building became known as the White House in 1818.

Woof!!!