HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Fireworks on New Year's Eve are a big thing down here. Of course folks can be outside to watch them without freezing something off. Weather in Wyoming is pretty balmy for the season from what I hear, though. The doggies are only in mild anxiety so far-have both TV's blaring and the fans on to mask the sound. Four new neighbors today- just for awhile I think- all Floridians and all English speaking. The Canuckians are enjoying a fire and a few laughs. If they were teenagers they would be run in- they seem to cluster in the street or somewhere nearly every night and chit-chat and make quite a bit of noise like we did at a certain age except these folks are, as the French say, "a certain age."

Cousin Donna called last night and we had a good long chat. She enjoyed her sojourn in Palm Springs and rented a car to come home stopping off to see one of her eccentric friends on the way back. We are alike in that we enjoy collecting characters in our lives. Told her of some of the music I ordered with a gift card from Barnes and Noble. "American Pie" being one of the ordered ones. She knows the keyboard artist on that song and in fact he was raised by her uncle-unbeknownst to both until they met in Nashville. He gave her lot of pointers when she was touring singing Country music in lounges. (Not a tall tale- I have a CD and it is on my iPod.)

What a beautiful day here. Just about perfect weather. I commenced my on-line training to become a Collector for the Drug Testing business. Don't know that I will ever collect a sample but I will be more knowledgeable about what our staff does or should do. I have a manual from the on-site training so I sat outside under my awning and gave it a read-through.

The new guy next door is a retired flight controller for the FAA. They have two boxer dogs, one old and cranky and the other as sweet and friendly as can be. So far wifey seems to take after the old dog. Actually the guy does too but he is funny, acerbic. His coach is two months out of warranty and he is nervous. (As he should be).

Cooked Spaghetti for we three tonight. Dry runs for entertaining- some spices not on hand-improvisations, and lists are made. Jason and Lori are frantically packing boxes with an eye to what they are going to need to access because a kitchen is not going to be done and they will have the guest bathroom only. Will scoot down to help Jason install a closet organizing kit tomorrow.

We will see how the Jeep performs. Darn near ran out of gas yesterday. I had been carefully observing the temperature gauge instead of the gas gauge. Consequently I was chugging and the clutch seemed to be failing to disengage. Took it for a spin around the park this afternoon and it did fine. The large tires are no boon at 10 miles per hour-just about lugging out speed.

Spent New Year here about as I usually do- good dinner, reflections on the past and the future. Great memories and a good attitude.

But that was putting a brave face on a situation that could have been dire. The Hawaii pictures are by Rich. Beats my Florida adventures by a country mile for sheer drama. 

And Rich rode out in a fire truck! To cap it he stepped on the whooper siren when exiting. Of course, given our nature, there was a lot of merriment expressed during the "adventure." 

Stan and Ruby Alice rode out in this contraption. 

And got kind of lost. They had a cell phone and contact but dusk and distance took its toll. 

They went hiking on foot into the rain forest. 

Perfect Day in the other Paradise- Hawaii

Brother Rich , his friend Valerie, her parents, Stan and RubyAlice and others went to Hawaii before Christmas for Val's daughter's graduation. Thrills and chills. The backstory is previous in this blog. 

Regular Day in Paradise

Yesterday I took the Jeep for some servicing-new brighter headlights , a new gas cap and filter and an attempt to fix the blinkers which will require a referral. Drat. Discovered Harvey's Trail Auto Repair last year and they treated me right so I returned. Ditto this year. Harvey is Harvey Stein who is a transplanted New Yorker and an open book. Great Stories and an NYC attitude. The entertainment is free. Of course one waits and a young man there asked me how high the lifts in the Jeep were. Dunno, it was that way when I bought it. He is also a Jeep fan. We visited and he is a helicopter pilot. He was to fly from Jupiter to the airport behind me yesterday and sure enough he did and buzzed me. That was cool.

The local propane company can't deliver to the park. So it would mean breaking camp to fill up and conservation is going to be key to lasting awhile so I trekked to Wally World for an electric frying pan and will save the stove gas until absolutely needed. My microwave is fancier than I have mastered with a convection oven as well so I should be fine even on the outside chance I feel a baking attack come on. (Fat chance- but who knows; I am surprised I am even in Florida.) Broke in the skillet with my own recipe for chicken-fried chicken. The pups were enthusiastic and it tasted good to me too.

Had a nice long shower tonight and a pleasant stroll back to the coach in the dusk. Have a new neighbor for a few days. He will move down the way later. He lost his wife in January and his coach is "preserved:" his wife's teddy bear collection is in the front window and a picture of his dog hangs in the back window. Spry older guy with a defribillator bump on his chest.

Lori called whilst I was in the midst of doggy doody duty with Buster. Will have to look in the morning to see if Goody was productive. Too much happening to watch. Fortunately I caught the Oprah episode a few years ago and have the protocol down: carry plastic baggies, turn them inside out, make the collection, turn it right side out and zip it up! Discard. (Last step is optional- I prefer to do it this way.) I always wonder what the dogs think, though! Upon returning Lori's call , they have been in the thick of painting etc., at the house and I will look in on her tomorrow. But she is getting excited. She is liking what she sees.

Oops!

Palm Beach Park County Airport- a busy little place is right behind my space. I enjoy the watching, (not always hearing) helicopters and small planes taking off and landing. My Rawlins friend Dr. Larry Miller who was a member of the "did" club said "There are two kinds of small plane pilots: those who have landed with their wheels up and those who are going to land with their wheels up." This person joined the club yesterday. This took place about 200 yards behind me. 

the Entree for Christmas Dinner; Grilled King Salmon, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus. From the hands of the master chef. 

Some of the Appetizers Jason prepared for our Christmas Day picnic here in the park. Self caught- smoked Salmon to die for. 

Steak Tartare, joined the other exotic canape's 

A Christmas Cake or David and Jacqui's home? Two wonderful parties here.

The Parties are Over

The parties are over and what nice parties they were: Cocktail party at David's house on the 22nd. Mostly work associates but some others attended. The house is very nice, the host and hostess gracious and kind, the guests cosmopolitan. "Peace on Earth" could have been the theme. For all the partisan nastiness in the world, attendees represented in some degree, Turks, East Indians, Iranians, Brazilians, Blacks, Hispanics, and goodness knows what all else. All personable, smart, charming and kind. It was very interesting and pleasant. Great canapes produced by a hard working chef, fine wine, a baby grand player piano, and things to do and see.

Christmas Eve found us at the same venue for a dinner party in the pool verandah. This mix was more family and close friends and once again I was welcomed warmly by virtue of being Jason's dad. The food delicious, the service outstanding- enjoyed the many kids as well as contemporaries. Families are amazing and interesting. They all have their characters and personalities.

As nice as these parties were, the one that touched my heart the most took place right here in John Prince Campground on Christmas day. Jason came with all the fixings for a feast including mashed potatoes from scratch. Just us kids as Lori was in Texas where mom and her Grannies depend on her for their Christmas celebrations. Cooking, and listening to my iPod over the coach speakers- a lot of the music that is important to me was also important to Jason so we bopped around and mouthed the words. Lori had released a generous slab of King Salmon she caught in Alaska this summer and we fired up the grill. Baby asparagus, canape's that hit all the right spots. We passed a delightful and memorable Christmas before he stuffed my refrigerator with all sorts of left-overs which have seen me through this day. Matt called to tell us about Christmas in Oregon. Eve fixed them a prime rib for Christmas Eve and they were getting ready to deep fry a turkey. Little Audrey enjoyed her first Christmas -video is promised. Jason invited me to another party-Texas Hold 'em Poker with his witty friends but I just wanted to savor my nice day and hold on to my money so I sent him off for a "boy's night out."
Emailed friends. The doggies ate well and got an extra walk and a scratch. Talked to Rich. The Casper Christmas was good. Still smiling.

Today has been productive. Got a lot of cleaning and re-organizing done. Got some Hawaii pix from Richard including the rescue. He is doing a CD. Lori is flying in tonight. I took a picture of the unfortunate airplane that landed with wheels up right here in my backyard. Neighbor Barry pulled out for central Florida where they live-they brought their coach down to spend the holidays with their kids too.

Countdowns

Counting down to Christmas and to January 4, when the kids move. Spent a few hours at the new home site for Jason and Lori. The place has been pretty much gutted but progress is being made. The tilers were sweet and industrious. The wrong tiles lifted, the new ones done as originally specified, made a huge improvement. Spent some time lurking and looking menacing in regard to the General Contractor though. The drywaller did not show. The General Contractor was about half snide with Lori. She sticks by her guns though. She had bought sandwiches for all-including the O.F. Sometime in there her cell phone was lost but we found it. Bless her, she bought me some Florida garb-Tommy Bahama shirts which are acceptable attire for David's holiday party. I am running out of excuses to duck Jason's boss' party and am told that picture taking would be welcome. So I am prepared to enter into this with a happy heart.

Talked to Rich in Hawaii yesterday. He had been to the Pearl Harbor monument and they got a rare tour of the lower decks of the Missouri- engine rooms, ancient computers, etc. and I could tell from his talk that this was a good experience. They head home on the 23rd. A nice gift from him from Harry and David's arrived here at John Prince park. That was thoughtful. Always enjoy a great pear!

Showering yesterday there was a kid a few stalls down (all showers have individual outside entrances but the ceiling is high) who was really into the "Twelve Days of Christmas," singing with gusto and tunefully and fairly skilfully but only so far as a "partridge in a pear tree." Pretty amusing as he applied every variation and nuance from vibrato to sotto voce to recitative. A great talent awaits the world if he can only learn the words. Singing in the shower is, I think, a universal impulse that gets drummed out of us.

Lori trying on some of the new paint to see how it goes with the tile. The new house is a little gem-will be perfect for them. Secure, in a cul de sac, all maintenance done by the association and a nice little pool and yard. Complete remodel is underway. Pets allowed. Boynton Beach feels like a community-great shops, chains, restaurants and a cross-section of ages and types of people. 

Just for the Halibut

Romano's Macaroni Grill's halibut with risotto. Always good Italian food.The bread with "Italian butter" is the greatest. Pictured here with some specially imported Cohiba gaspers. 

Cool Day if 72 degrees F is cool

Mostly puttered around setting up camp and TRYING to get my kitchen counter cleared off. Made progress but a stranger couldn't tell. Too much stuff! Made it to the Gatehouse to order the "honey wagon" tomorrow. For six bucks somebody comes around and empties the waste tanks. A bargain in my book. The Canadians have a designated person in their crowd who goes to each of their trailers and unhooks the wheeled storage tanks they use, hooks it to his bicycle and hauls it to the dump station. I find this whole process hilarious as people using all kinds of tow vehicles make their way with blue tanks of toxic sludge to the drain. For me the anonymity of a paid soul is well worth the price. Don't want to meet him, don't want to shake hands. Last year my site was on the road to the dump station and I saw some "tragic accidents" that made me laugh for hours.

Talked with the maintenance man who was mowing the lawn and gave him a cold Coke. He told me FEMA was going to install sewers and put in 35 RV sites with trailers right across from my site which is now a big playground. I have been processing this information all day. When I was out at Lake Okeechobee last year a whole string of FEMA trailers were out there. Mostly migrants displaced by last year's hurricanes. I had concerns about the safety of my property. I don't know if this was fear and prejudice or justified. This park is very well run and we see a Palm Beach County Sheriff's car at least four times a day. It will be an interesting experiment/experience. There is one person directly across the playground who has a $250,000 plus RV and a Hummer and two Dobermans. I would say his reaction is going to be predictable. I enjoyed meeting the maintenance man. He was Hispanic with an accent- from Massachusetts! He said this was the third time that Congress Avenue had been repaved in the last 18 months. It has failed inspection each time. Told me how to get to the main post-office in 5 minutes. Always pays to visit with the locals a bit.

Met the kids at their new house- they need to be out of the condo and into this place by January 4 and it is going to be close! The tile people had screwed up-they specified a random pattern and they got a chessboard. Lori was not pleased. A do-over on the morrow I am sure. Lori is off to Texas for her family Christmas on Thursday. Jason is going to miss it for the first time with all that is going on. He wants me to go to his boss's holiday party but I do not see that as career enhancing for him. We will see.

We went to dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill and had a nice visit. I got lost on the way because the turn signals on the Jeep are on the blink and I chickened out on a lane change. Had a great cup of coffee after dinner which is why this is being typed at 2:00 am. Saw a great bumpersticker on my way home: "If I wanted to listen to the crap coming from your stereo, I would be sitting in your car."

Busy Day in dystopia

At home- two time zones away I am the local slug-a-bed. In Florida with warm air and the eastern time zone, I was waiting for the Laundromat to open. What with the well freezing back home and lots to do before I left- the dirty laundry was brought to Florida in a garbage bag. What seemed appropriate to wear then were not all wise choices but the lot is clean. I was back home, laundry done, Bacon egg and cheese biscuits for all residents, before the Wyoming offices were were even open.

Alas, I had to bug Casper again for a Social Security number and the Riverton Office time sheets were not here but those problems were remedied as well as a couple of other issues that had come up. The humidity played havoc with my laser printer feeding the checks so the payroll checks for some look a little weird- I think still cashable. The mail was another problem. One entrance to the park is closed and the other empties onto Congress which like its namesake is so dysfunctional as to be useless at this time-paving. In short, I could not turn left after going three blocks in 30 minutes and had to turn right which led me to nearby Lantana. Nobody could tell me where the Lantana post office was. So I bought a few groceries and left the mail in the outgoing mail at the park gate. They said that the postman was way late but had not come yet. They would see that he got the mail. So I am hoping for the best-payday is Friday in Wyoming. These problems should resolve themselves by next payday.

The vehicle scrubbing tools were still out-does anything really dry down here? So I washed the Jeep with the Zip Wax process. No discernible difference cosmetically- kind of like putting lipstick on a pig.

I will try to snag Ted Fish or Jason to help put out the awning. It really is a two person job especially when one of the persons is me. The Quebecois are not very friendly although when I was searching the net for the French word for "rude," I discovered that this is just their way.
Am forming some cultural opinions based on observation although this is admittedly a small sample of Canadians. I prefer being left alone in most circumstance so this will work out well. Disdain is a game two can play.

Buster spotted the raccoon last night. I think he has been watching. I thought he was looking at his own reflection in the bedroom window- he is a vain little creature but he started raising hell. I caught a glimpse of something scampering. The dogs are settling in. We played on the grass in the backyard today. They really are very good dogs.

Making Mulch from Hurricane Wilma's Devastation

Sixteen hours a day logs and branches are hauled into the park where they are sorted, stacked, and mulched by the biggest chipper shredder I have ever seen.

John Prince Park is officially closed but the identification tags that hang from our rearview mirrors gains us a wave-through from the security guards.

Other parts of the park are just as beautiful as ever. Have been too busy to start taking the beauty shots yet- but that is about to change. 

MORE from Hawaii and Florida

Due to the time difference, Rich is zigging when I am zagging but finally we connected tonight. (After I had called him in the middle of the graduation ceremony) Caught him this time in the car on the way to a pu-pu dinner, the graduation party follows. The straight scoop on the "lost in the rain forest" saga was that Val's folks, Stan and RubyAlice, were the ones who rode the helicopter out. Richard rode in the Search and Rescue fire truck. To cap it, when getting out he stepped on the "whooper switch" on the fire engine setting off a startling blast. Aleve has them all able to move today. Rich's daughter Heather had called during this adventure to ask what he wanted for Christmas. He called her back and said a GPS! ym

Cuz Donna called this morning: 16 degrees in Denver and snowing. Palm Springs tomorrow. Brother Bob called this afternoon: 19 degrees in Iowa and Illinois. They are on their way to see the new Lincoln Museum/Library.

Lori and her friend Naomi from Chicago, got back from their cruise. We all met for lunch at Chili's-which has great food and was common to our destinations. Great to see Lori and Naomi and hear about their trip. Took a shopping romp through the 99 Cent store. Got some disposable cups and plastic table cloths before Jason gave me directions to K-Mart and we went our separate ways. I bought a curtain and rod to hang to cover my doorway as the neighbor's dining window looks right into my door window. Would hate to spoil their appetites.

Did a second complete wash of the coach this evening. This time with some wax in the water. This plan being completed, I can now spread the awning and set things up for real. Had followed Jason's advice this morning and washed the coils on the air conditioner. When I returned in the heat of the afternoon, the doggies were comfortably cool and so was I. Found K-Mart and home without turning on the Garmin GPS! Progress is being made.

Tomorrow is Monday- will undoubtedly meet the Fish's at the laundromat. Up and at 'em.

Report From the Rain Forest and Florida

Brother Rich has called a couple of times. Once to rhapsodize about the rain forest and the black orchids, the next returning my call-he is with RubyAlice and Stan, Valerie's folks and they have been on a long hike- it is 2:30 pm in Hawaii (7:30 pm in Lake Worth) and they seem to be lost. They are contemplating a helicopter ride. Fortunately they all seem to have the giggles and a cell phone so I won't worry too much.

Roasty-toasty day here in Florida- up to 82 degrees. The air conditioner is working better. Started the day with the Coastal RV guy coming here to fix my leaks. Pure incompetence-it took him 10 minutes to fix Rec-Vee's sloppy work. Picked his brain about some needed equipment and where to get it and set off to buy a 30 amp extension cord and miscellany. Did you know they make awning repair tape? I made significant progress today. Moved the coach further back on my lot, more shade, better parking for the Jeep. Jason came by after running his many errands and helped me set up the satellite dish. His mathematical approach allowed us to get a hit and I now have many of my channels- not all but more than the one off-air channel. Bought some supplies at a frantic Wal-Mart. Vowed to avoid that place until after Christmas. I gave the coach a good scrubbing- to get the road grime off, extended the little awnings, arranged my camping furniture a bit. It is starting to look homey around here.

The long term tent camping area near where I am has some hurricane refugees. Camping is not a lark for them. There is a huge pile- more than three stories high, and close to 300 feet long of trees, fronds, etc., that is being shredded and turned to mulch. There are still many downed trees and stoplights and street signs are gone. Quite a few blue tarp roofs. The damage was significant. You can easily see that the less economically privileged are hurting the worst and the longest.

There was a young raccoon in my palm tree last night. Fun to watch and not much afraid of me. Gave the doggies their heartworm medicine yesterday and noticed this morning that Buster had barfed. Will need to call the vet and see what to do. I am nearer water this time- mosquitoes are present.

Also discovered in the light of day that the shower stall I picked in the dark the night I arrived was clearly marked "Women." Oops! Having been in both, I can say there is no discernible difference in facilities.

Everybody is hanging Christmas decorations. There really are some outrageously kitschy displays. Trailer-trash modern-with money! Of course I bought a string of lights- I will compete! Maybe I'll decorate my Jeep. Give a guy awning tape, an inverter and 200 lights and something bad is going to happen! I brought the dragonfly lights that Manu gave me for my birthday. hmmm.

Final word from Richard- they DID send a helicopter after them. He was laughing so hard he could barely speak. Hope he got pictures.

The Buzzard has Landed!

Arrived at John Prince Campground about 3:30 Eastern time and am barely hooked up because I am not sure how I want to park-nose first or tail-first. But I had to get the air conditioner running to cool off the dogs. The engine air conditioner was barely cooling-haven't used it for months so we arrived hot and tired-a day early it turns out. The park has one entrance completely closed-park headquarters for Palm Beach County is gone whether due to Wilma or forward planning. But my planned entrance was completely blocked and the other entrance had signs saying the park was closed until further notice due to hurricane damage. I had sweat on my sweat at that point. I eased by a security guard and a Sheriff's officer and got to the check-in office and found a friendly face.

It is still pretty toasty in here- after getting my coach central air conditioning repaired last year I expected better performance. Hence the decision about nose in or nose out: where do I want the awning?

I am in a French-speaking neighborhood. Quebecois abound. Friendly enough, some dogs unleashed. (Buster did so well on his leash today. I am proud of him.)

Had a nice surprise when I checked in-Lisa Kesler had a Christmas present waiting here for me. Feels like a book but I am saving it for the day. (Unless I get desperate or weak)

Made contact with Jason and we will make Jeep arrangements tomorrow mid-day. He is sweet-the darn thing has been nothing but a pain for him. First it got towed because the registration wasn't current. Then the battery kept going south. He had it checked today and a second new battery put in and was driving away and discovered the glove box light was not shutting off. Perhaps that was the issue. Time will tell. Lori is cruising with some chums. Brother Rich is on his way to Hawaii with Valerie. Cuz Donna flies to Palm Springs for Christmas and golf on Monday.

The weather has been great-but I guess I brought ice storms to Georgia in my slipstream. Thought I was in for it this morning because I awoke to a few pitter pats of rain and looked out into a sea of gray...turned out a Ryder truck pulled in close to me last night and I just thought it was a fog bank. Never mind!

Lake Park Georgia, Milepost 2

Arrived here at about 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard time. The weather was great, the traffic grueling. Had to stand on the brakes a few times. It is unavoidable in the "scrum" that passes for traffic flow on I-75. I am glad I came through (beltway) Atlanta, Georgia but I believe I will seek another way home. Imagine Denver rush hour for 100 miles.

All the driving has resulted in fat ankles and I slept in positions to help that condition but the resulting elimination of fluids went on all night and into the day. Three unscheduled stops and I had forgotten they dislike the concept of "blocks." down here. Getting turned around in some of these smaller burgs is a trick that involves looking for a red light and several miles of driving.

Goody assumed her driving position so readily I skipped her one/half diazepam this morning and regretted it. Those things really do help her. Buster rode on the "doghouse"/console for quite a few miles. He usually likes to see where we have been. Goody likes to see where we are going.

They both were a little on the hot side when we pulled in so the rear ceiling fan is pulling cool air into the coach as I write. Very comfortable. Down to 67 degrees now. They are zonked.

The people here at the Flying J are very friendly. Got to chatting with a black woman truck driver who was a stitch. My black beret broke the ice. Will probably ditch it tomorrow. I have needed it to keep my bereft head warm. I think that problem is going away. Will need something to keep the sun off. A brand new fire engine is parked next to me. I think I will go look at it. Still a sucker for fire engines after all these years. I am in exactly the same spot I parked in coming out of Florida Last April. Had doo-doo head neighbors then. Enough for now. Should be at John Prince Campground tomorrow. Thunderstorms predicted. Doggies are stirring; need dinner and a walk.

Resaca, Georgia on my mind

Rand-McNally and Garmin had a big fight this morning coming out of Pontoon Beach, Illinois. I finally stepped in and decided in favor of Rand but the Garmin GPS moaned and complained for more than an hour until I headed south on I-57, then the Garmin said "Aha!" Took a turnaround and about 18 miles of wasted time but the Rand plotted trip was just the ticket. I am in the South. Spinach and bacon and beans and rice on the buffets. The dogs have discovered deep fried chicken gizzards. I am looking for shirts that say "Will work for gizzards," for them.

Chicago dominates the mind when it comes to Illinois but southern Illinois is just beautiful. Prosperous farms and two-story hundred-plus year old houses dot the countryside with industry in well-disguised pockets. Driving through Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, there are discernible differences in landscape that account for the stereotypes but it is all nice to look at. Some of the agricultural spreads in Kentucky are picture-book perfect. Coming through the Smoky Mountains into Chattanooga was great: some scenery; lakes and mountains and steeeep grades that rival anyplace. Oak forests with pine in places have a different look from what I'm used to seeing-very enjoyable.

Crossed several of the major rivers and was amazed at the width (and the height of the bridges) and flow of them. If the Interstate traffic allowed it I would have liked to taken pictures. But the truck traffic is heavy and everybody is hell-bent to get where they are going. Illinois has a 55 mile per hour speed limit for trucks and motorhomes. This is reasonable and so much more pleasant a way to drive. The rest of the day I felt "shoved around" and for what? I passed many that passed me several times. At the end of the day 30 more miles?

Cuz Donna called early with a forecast for Atlanta that I need to watch for-ice perhaps. Better than having the TV on when you have a cousin with a cell phone.

It was a long day that culminated in rush hour traffic in Chattanooga and a race to see what would give out first-the road or my bladder but it came out just about right. We are polluting the air with our gasoline generator while breathing fumes from the diesel generator next door. Time to shut her down and relax a bit. Easier day tomorrow after we brave Atlanta. Georgia is as tall as Wyoming is wide-will still be here tomorrow.

Pontoon Beach, Illinois

Which way to the beach? I don't see any beach. Short driving day today-as planned and it was plenty. I-70 is filled from about 50 miles out to St. Louis and the closer you get to the city the more crazy it gets. This northern beltway IS the better way to go. Brand new, spacious Flying J here and clear spaces for RV's in the ex-urbs. Fields and businesses surround. May try the Hen House for breakfast if they are open early tomorrow. My place is staked out and we are settled. Generator is genning, radiator is radiating and the pistons....well they are working too!

Called the offices to check in and do a little business and the doctor for my last test result (a do-over) and I am healthy for a high mileage model that has been abused.

Turned out I did get some callers last night. "I always wanted one of these RV's. Can I come in and see?" My ever protective fierce dogs hightailed if for the bedroom. So I decided to polish the 20 gauge in the living room. No fear for my person but a flat tire or similar would have ruined my day. Saw her knock on a Peterbilt next door and enter. Exited in short order.

I have always wondered how much time I had operating on battery power. With a long evening last night I found out. Fortunately the coach and engine batteries are isolated from each other so starting and re-charging were no problem. The furnace ran a lot last night although the weather is relatively mild. That must have done it. This outfit has two furnaces and I was running the small one.

Before the driving got intense. I enjoyed the countryside. Have crossed the wide Missouri three times and the mighty Mississsippi once. Those bridges are engineering marvels. Too bad you can't enter and exit them without a jaw snapping bump. No good pictures yet.

We will relax and gather ourselves for the big charge tomorrow to Resaca, Georgia.

Enjoying a Pennsylvania Dutch Licorice drop. Watching the dogs sleep is putting me in the mood to do the same but I will busy myself so sleep comes at the right time tonight.

Rocking Across Nebraska to Kansas City, MO

Nebraska is a long way across but I had a great day. Calls from cuz Donna,son Matthew, daughter-in-law Cheryl and Audrey. What fun. Audrey was jumping and being gleeful in the background. Cheryl's mom was on her way over from Eve's house where she is staying while having a pre-Christmas visit. All are well.

About Kearney,NE I broke out the iPod. This gift from Jason, I did not even know I wanted, has turned out to be a gateway to enjoying music once again. You put your own music on it through your computer. When I was in Oregon, I got into son Matt's fabulous "20 plus years of being a DJ" music collection. So I have put nearly the "Soundtrack of My Life" onto the darn thing. I plugged it in and it plays through the stereo system in the coach so we rocked across Nebraska and part way to St, Joseph, MO. Everything from " Build a little birdhouse in your soul." to "Aquarius." Need to find some Jim Croce and Kris Kristofferson to fill in some holes. Can't find them on iTunes yet. Of course there is room for gobs more on it. No commercials, no talk radio, just music I like. Peak experience.

Saw mile-long trains filled with Wyoming coal all the way from Lingle to Lincoln. They get the coal and we get the hole.

Rolled into the Kansas City Flying J at dusk to find that RV's were not really welcome here- not enough space and no restaurant. Got gassed up. Got some chicken strips and a couple of sides of veggies from the Deli and am sandwiched in between semis across the street. The trucks are idling so my generator is just part of the chorus. There is a girl going from truck to truck selling something. It's a little dark outside for Girl Scouts selling cookies so I wonder what is going on? Many sirens earlier, broke out a scanner and am listening to the police calls.

Talk about good dogs! Mine are the best. We take a little one o'clock break and they are out the door and all business attended to pronto. Of course we take a little time to stretch legs and have a sniff around. Then they are ready to hit the road again. Goody is needing a little help both in and out these days but she is a good sport and seems to enjoy herself most of the time. Sitting up high as I am in the coach I have occasion to notice how many truck drivers are traveling with dogs. Quite few women truck drivers- many of them look quite petite (the parts I can see anyway) whereas the men tend toward the gargantuan. A lot of truck drivers are "totally connnected:" fireplug built men walking around with glowing ear plug/headsets chatting away with invisible "others." Kind of bizarre looking. Have not asked how they perceive me and will probably skip that part.

Short and Sweet

Here we are at the Flying J in North Platte, Nebraska. Had to drive in the dark a bit more than we expected but we are off the road and gassed and fed, and the doggies walked and now zonking hard. Had the all time worst waitress in the world and she got the Art Roberts treatment complete with popping eyes and the whole attitude that used to scare the bejabbers out of us kids. She was "honeying" and "sweetie-ing" the livelong night but I still ratted on her and was told "We have more problems with that girl."

Much milder here. Drove with the window down for awhile. Weather forecasting seems to predict a gradual warming trend. Pleasant trip so far. Up and at 'em early tomorrow. Going to Kansas City. I understand that they've got some swingin' little women there.

Picking Up the Pace

The Coach is back in my hands after much too long away, too much money spent and too little work completed. The mechanic shop seemed to perform better than Rec-Vee which left my house in a mess as well as not doing the awning. They did fix the 12 volt outlet that they installed and never worked but now if I plug in any power supply a loud hum comes from the stereo. Whenever I would call Lew I would ask "How are you?" He would reply with "I haven't got a clue!" and then bray at his own cleverness. Turns out he was right.

Mobile Officing will get the acid test this year. I have been cleaning up, packing, and getting caught up on the bills, etc. Even at home the 'Fair Elante'" serves as the corporate office for our businesses. How we'll do 2300 miles from the driveway is an open question but I am betting just fine. Both Casper and Riverton offices report daily via scanner and E-mail as well as cell phone.

Doctoring is done for me as well as the critters. Interestingly, the same amount was spent on biped and quadruped medicine per each. But we are all fit to travel and have necessary meds. Always a bit of a relief to get an objective opinion.

Christmas on an advanced schedule has added to the pace. Will visit each of the neighbors and a few friends in town before Friday. I am operating almost entirely by list these days.

I have mapped the itinerary on Rand-McNally's website. Their output and options are much better than "Good Sam" and other mapping sites. This time I am going almost exclusively on the "Flying-J path" The middle of the country is not so hot for Verizon Broadband Internet though the phone service is fine. So I will sign up with the Flying J wifi and also consume gas so rapidly I will get discounts on my gas loyalty card. Staying free in the parking areas is another plus. Their food is usually pretty good and any forgotten traveler needs are readily available. They have also wisely located on the beltways in Kansas City and St. Louis. St. Louis is a particularly nasty place to navigate the traffic so this will work pretty well I hope.

The bitter cold is making it easier to say "goodby." The well froze last night. It makes me hurt, besides. I check the temperature in Lake Worth and 75 degrees looks pretty good to me when the thermometer here reads 10.