Marathon TX to Deming NM

First, thanks to everyone who voted in the poll...no more pop-up window, I'll go back to the old way of just having it open in a new tab (or window depending on your browser). The good news is that the playing around with tables helped me figure out how to work with some quirks so now I think the overall format is better.

So, yesterday morning I got up in time to take some sunrise photos before hitting the road. Great start to the day....


Got everything unhooked and put away (much quicker when only staying one night) and headed west once again...still on US90. More great scenery, several hawks, deer crossing the road, many dead skunks (what's up with that?), some tumbleweeds, very little traffic but more RVs than the day before. I even had a Harley-Davidson semi rush to pass me to just slow down and stop in town...just a few miles down the road. Gave me a giggle.


Before I knew it I was crossing the border into New Mexico. I stopped at the first rest area to pick up a map and other info and snapped a few photos. VERY nice area and up to 24 hour parking permitted. Further down the road was another official Border Patrol stop...but they were just waving everyone through.


It was only another 85 miles to the Dream Catcher SKP RV Park in Deming, NM. I had called them earlier in the day to be sure there was ample pull-through parking. I arrived around 4:30 only to realize it was only 3:30 thanks to the change to Mountain Time Zone. Definitely not a very visual area like the park in Marathon, but it's always good to visit the SKP parks and visit other Escapees. I managed to snap a few sunset photos before buttoning up for the night (I didn't even hook up to the water due to the forecast low temps.)


I got all the clocks reset including the timer for the bedroom lamp and then tackled the DirecTV issue. I managed to Google the answer as to how to change the time display on the guide BUT it seems as though the actual broadcast times are tied to my billing address...Central Time Zone. So now my prime time TV starts at 6 pm and ends at 9 pm. That should help get me on an more morning schedule whether I like it or not. LOL!

Today I got up early but the sunrise wasn't worth shooting. I stayed in my night clothes until around 11 am when I finally decided to go take a campground shower. Pure heaven...20 minutes to lather, rinse, repeat as needed...a HOT, STEAMY 20 minutes. Sometimes a girls just gotta....

I did a little more reorganizing of stuff, mailed out some patches that had been ordered by women riders and a get well card to a friend who was just in a motorcycle accident (she's going to be fine but slow recovery). I spent about two hours sitting outside in the sun reading....then went for a walk....then read again. 60's & sunny, perfect day. Here's some photos I took while walking, including some tumbleweed for anyone who's never seen it.



As I was sorting through stuff, I found the wireless doorbell I bought at Home Depot and decided to test it out. The inside chime part I used Velcro on the back to attach it. It used 2 C batteries and no telling how long they will last so I wanted to be able to easily take it down. I searched for the right place to put it and found it - just over the valance beside the door. The best part is since the batteries make it heavy, setting it on the valance took the weight off the Velcro. The outside doorbell I put just underneath the entry assist handle (I'm sure it has another more real name but that's the best I can do....). Works great!


As the temperature was quickly dropping I started closing windows and as I went to close the front door I noticed two little Schnauzers walking past and barking. I hollered out, "Hey, I know those two dogs...". The lady walking them came back towards me and we laughed. It was Wanda, one of the Camp Hosts I met while at Branson. She and her husband Wallace are here now, he's cooking the Saturday breakfast in the morning. That's what I meant about feeling at home at SKP parks.

Next, since I was on an ambitious bent, I decided to cook dinner...honest! When I did my last shopping at Wal-Mart I had picked up a package of Tilapia filets, some boneless skinless chicken breasts and ground round pre-made burgers. I hadn't taken time to separate them for the freezer so did that. Well, the chicken was greasy and had a slight odor...out it went. Food poisoning is NOT something I want right now (or any time). I froze the rest, leaving out one fish and one burger. So tonight I had Italian green beans and a lean burger on whole wheat double fiber bread. YUM! Cleaned it up and went out to unhook the water for the night.

I currently plan to stay here through Monday. I've discovered that I need down time after several days of driving. I get tired, cranky and my arthritis bothers me, especially my hands (RVers death grip syndrome). It's quiet here, big changeover in rigs every day but this way I can easily do my laundry on Sunday night, dump & take on fresh water Monday morning in preparation for hitting Quartzsite on Tuesday.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

How to see things....

Well, since some viewers aren't liking my handy dandy method of using pop-up windows for viewing larger photos (and I'm not happy myself, I love the pop-up but also get irritated with having to scroll back down after closing the window), I'm posting a poll to get a consensus on what method the majority prefer. (Now keep your fingers crossed that this works!)

How do you prefer large photos to open?

Current method using a pop-up window

Open in new browser window (or tab)

Put medium size image in blog (no large view)

Put large size image in blog (no thumbnail)

other

View Results simplepolls.com

If you choose OTHER, please type your idea in the little box! Thanks...

More tonight on my trip yesterday and the park I'm currently in - Dreamcatchers SKP Park in Deming, NM.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Marathon Motel & RV Park - Marathon TX

I headed out before 9 (an early start for me) but had been awake since around 6 am. It was cold....33 according to AccuWeather and inside it was 57. Brrrrr....fired up the generator, turned on the heat and crawled back into bed till it warmed a bit.

The entire day was spent on US90 and what a wonderful drive it was. To some people the scenery is boring and bland. To me it shouts with passion....I love seeing what time and nature control, land that refuses to give in to the whimsy of man, refusing to be tamed. Since there were few places to stop when the scenery was worth a photo, the majority of these were taken out my windows while driving so forgive me for the quality. LOL!

Oh, and excuse the odd spacing...tried using HTML code to create a table so I could put two photos side by side and it seems to want to leave a LONG blank. Will keep working on it.

[click any image to see larger photo]

I had a new experience today...around Del Rio (a much larger town than I anticipated) I went through a border patrol check. My first thought was wondering if I was crossing into Mexico highway 90....LOL! Two nice young ladies, one with a gorgeous German Shepherd, asked me a couple of questions and sent me on my way. Guess I don't look very threatening...good thing I wasn't wearing leathers, showing off my tattoos and sitting on my old Harley.

I pulled into the Marathon Motel & RV Park about 3:30. It's a Passport
America park and is $12.50 for the night. Plenty of time to get set up, take some photos, get online, go for a walk, take some sunset photos and then enjoy the communal fire while I chatted with some folks from Washington state who are also new to RVing.

[click any image to see larger photo]

Today was a wonderful day....it fed my soul and tonight I feel very full.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Days One & Two - from the road

DAY ONE: I got up and after a quick forum & email check, I started working on the last few things that needed to be done before I headed off to Camping World. The first thing I did was take off the windshield cover, wipe it down and pack it away. That is one of the best purchases that I have made! Next was disconnecting the power and packing the surge guard & lock (they go in the bin on the other side of the RV....this bin is too full.)

I unhooked the water, emptied the water filter and packed that all away, still loving my brass quick connects and plan to pick up a couple more. Then it was time to dump....my, what a surprise I had in store. My black water valve had been seeping and it was scheduled to be replaced today. But this time when I took the cap off, it was FULL! Eeeeep! I hated to let any out on to the ground but there was no choice....I dripped as little as possible, hosed it down with hot water and then sprayed my water/bleach mix on it as well. Got the hose connected (I have the Rhinoflex Hose and love it since it expands to 15' from 45'), dumped the black, closed the valve and headed inside.

Another new adventure....the Lily Pad came with a black tank wand but it required hooking up a garden hose and dragging it around and through the RV to use it. No way was I going to do that... Then someone posted in the Escapees forum about a new adapter that let you use it from your bathroom sink. I had picked one up at Camping World during my last "vacation" there and this was my chance to use it. Worked like a charm...which meant I could use hot water as well. My black tank gauge is still off but getting better. The gauge on the gray tank appears to be finally working. I then dumped the gray, rinsed everything down and filled my fresh water tank. [Note: someone commented yesterday wondering why I filled my fresh water tank rather than just putting in what I needed to get me to my next stop. First, I'm too new to know how much that would be , but second since I am blacktop boondocking I need the water and third, I only have a 20 gallon tank so even full that's like another person on board.]

Things went downhill from there....I remembered I needed to check my tires. Front driver side, good. Back dual driver side, good. Driver side air bag, good. Trailer driver side, good. Trailer passenger side, good. Back dual passenger side, good. Passenger side air bag, a little low. Front passenger tire, not so good. They should be at 80# and it was at 40#. Another Eeeeep!

Since I knew I was headed to Camping World. I figured I'd just put air and and let them check it out. So I dug out my little handy dandy Husky jump start/compressor and proceeded to start it running. (You can see a pic of it here.) I watched it for a bit, saw it slowly climbing but I knew it would take a while to put at least 30# in so I went inside to work in there. I came back out and took a peek, expecting to see it at at least 50-60#. Another Eeeeep - it was registering zero and the compressor was losing at inside (like maybe the hose was disconnected).

Okay, now I HAVE to do what I hate doing....ask a favor. Went over to the neighbors and they brought over their small air compressor and we filled up the tire and I added some to the air bag on that side as well. Finished everything else up, did a second and third walk around, pulled forward a foot, got out and did another walk around. Phew!

Arrived at Camping World and they got me in on time...I even added several things to the list: besides re-torquing my RV wheels I asked them to do the trailer as well; I had them adjust the parking brake sensor so maybe I can finally use my levelers; got a new shower head installed since my shut-off wasn't shutting off fully; got the microwave trim kit installed; replaced both the black & gray slide valves (thus getting rid of the last source of outhouse smell when traveling ); had them refill my windshield washer fluid which had run out on the way there.

I picked up a few things but most importantly I replace my busted Husky handy-dandy with a new one from Xantrex. Mine was out of warranty and it weighed way too much to try to mail in for repairs. Since I had gotten it with rewards points, I didn't feel bad about getting a new one. Spent the night in the parking lot....sticky, humid night with bouts of rain.

DAY TWO: Headed out about 9 am after a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee. While I didn't have a firm appointment time with the BMW dealer in San Antonio, they were expecting me in the morning. The trip over was uneventful and light traffic except for one spot north of San Antonio.

The dealership was very easy to get to and brand new. They are a combined shop, BMW & Triumph bikes and import sports car repairs as well. I gave them the list of all the things I needed addressed and then headed out with two of the guys to unload the bike. They wouldn't even let me pull the duffel bags out....kept grabbing them out of my hand. I must have looked weak or tired. LOL!

In about two hours I had a new rear tire, chain greased & adjusted, clutch & brake lever rotated upward (and I can now do it myself if needed), expandable saddle bags working & sprayed with silicone spray (but they are still stiff), got a bottle of the right oil to carry with me and the adapter for my Gerbings electric gear put on the battery so I can use them.

I headed out towards Hondo, TX where I planned to spend the night at a new Super Wal-Mart. I really needed to stock up on some groceries and had a few other things to get as well. About 10 miles down the road I realized I had gone the wrong way...oh well, I was headed in the right general direction. A few miles further and I saw a Home Depot sign close to an exit. That would be the perfect spot to stop, pick up a few things using the last of my gift card and re-orient my directions.

The new routing took me NW on highwy 46 to Bandera, TX. Boy, did I ever wish I was on the bike...or that at least there was a spot I could pull over and take some photos. Really pretty ride! I could live there....not that I could afford it. LOL!

Eventually I made it to Hondo, got permission to park, shopped till I was ready to drop and will now close. (I know...another LONG post.....LOL!)

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Getting ready to roll!

I love staying in one spot for a month because I bring out more things and The Lily Pad feels even more like home. I hate staying in one spot for a month because I bring out more things and when it's time to go they have to be put away.

Yesterday was laundry first and finishing the books I was reading so I could swap in the library here. I restored my printer in the chair and put away other items that had accumulated on the two shelves in front of my entertainment center (this is the shelf that the drawer pulls out onto and is a nice out of the way spot to stack things out of the way and yet still have them handy.

Next step was to pull all the rolling duffel bags out of the trailer and pack away all the riding gear that had accumulated inside. I put them all up on the picnic table and took a slightly different approach to packing the stuff. Spent over an hour on that. Then I starting taking down anything that needed to be stored outside....my solar lights, the extension cord plugged into the battery trickle charger, etc. I pulled the totes out from the basement storage and putting things away. In general the organization in the basement storage is still working. It was really foggy and gray until around 1 pm then the sun came out and it got quite warm! Nice to finally sleep with the windows open again.

Today the sun came out for about an hour. It was supposed to hit 80 and it made 78 but was bearable with the clouds (I am NOT a hot weather person....LOL!). Once I did my morning email/forum checks (still have a bunch of email backlogged...but figure that will get done while waiting for Camping World to get done with the rig tomorrow afternoon), it was time to get busy again.

I pulled all the rugs out of the RV (one runner in front of the couch, one in front of the sink, one at the top of the steps coming in, one beside the bed and one in the bathroom - just in case you were interested) and set them on the picnic table. Dug out my Swiffer and after sweeping did a quick mopping of my Pergo floor (boy do I ever LOVE that!) and the bathroom linoleum. Washed and semi-dried the rugs (they all have a rubber backing that you're really not supposed to dry but I usually dry them a bit). Took them back and laid them over the picnic table to dry a bit more.

Since the sun was out and I was feeling pretty energetic, I decided to at least clean the cab outside...it was filthy. I came here in rain, spent several more days during the month with rain and top that off with lots of dust-filled wind and you end up with a pretty disgusting rig. I should have taken a photo...oh well. The worst of it was the hood where there were black circles where the cabover drips hit. I could have stood the rest of it...well except the encrusted bugs. LOL!

I've been using Protect-All since reading the recommendations from other RVers. Two micro-cloths, spray, wipe and dry. As dirty as The Lily Pad was, it took a little work but the wax job done in Elkhart (they used Meguire's Spray Wax) did put down a good base and that helped. Well, you know what happens when you start cleaning something that's really dirty...you end up doing more than you anticipated. The south side of the rig was bad so I kept going...doing the bottom half where I could easily reach...rounded the back and yup, filthy so did that as well. Last side, the north, wasn't so bad but what the heck, I'd come that far so did it as well. The higher parts aren't too bad (and who is looking up there anyway), the only place left that I wish I did was the front of the cabover and the under the cabover. But I would have had to get the ladder down to do that and I was pretty well whipped at this point....and I still had to load the bike and deal with putting away some of the inside stuff.

Mark, one of the guys from MN parked across from me came over while I was cleaning the outside and asked if I wanted help loading the bike. I thanked him and said yes. He needed to run to get groceries and I told him I needed to grab something to eat first anyway. Made a sandwich and sat down to rest before tackling the bike. I knew I needed to get it done because there was no guarantee anyone would be handy to help in the morning. But I was beat....figured I could rest for an hour, then tackle it.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a gentleman I didn't know was outside. He wanted to know if I had Wi-Fi access to the park. I explained that sometimes I did, sometimes now. Well, they had added a new router in the kitchen area and he was hoping it would work in the row where I was. He was currently parked at the back by the river. I checked the signal and sure enough...good signal (so I turned off Verizon and have been on the freebie since then). We got to chatting and he was shocked to discover that the motorcycle was mine and I was solo. He used to ride and is thinking about getting back into it. Well, he offered to help me load it and since he had experience with it and Mark really didn't, I took him up on it.

He hooked up the trailer and one thing was clear...I could never have put up the stablizers on the trailer without help. I could have done the rest of it but it was nice, as tired as I was, to not have to worry about it. Now picture this...t-shirt, knee-length shorts, no helmet, no gloves and over the calf boots. What a photo that would have made! LOL!! I got it loaded with Art monitoring from behind.

I then did the tie-downs, using the new ones that I bought in Branson. Worked great....except I can't tighten them. Just not enough strength...that means I have to find ratchet style ones that will work and not slip like the last ones. It's always something!

By the time all was said and done, I was REALLY exhausted and had strained my back. My left hip has been bothering me for over a month (off & on) and that's the side that I pulled. Took a nice hot shower and that helped a bit.

Sorry for the long blog....for anyone that has made it this far, I did snap a so-so sunset photo. Someone posted a comment on my sunrise blog that no one would really know the difference. The main difference here is that the sunsets just aren't as pretty as the sunrises (when it's not foggy or cloudy).

There is minimal stuff that needs to be done in the morning. I will fill my fresh water (the water here is pretty good), dump the tanks, check air pressure in all the tires, filling as needed, do my last minute checks and then hit the road. I don't have to be at Camping World until 1 pm so there is no reason to rush. Tomorrow night will be spent in the Camping World parking lot and Tuesday morning I head to the other side of San Antonio to get a new rear tire put on the BMW. Then it's HEAD WEST, old lady! LOL!!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

See, I can do it!

Do what? Get up in time to see the sun rise. Here are two shots I managed to catch at 7:15 this morning.

So regardless of what some may think....I CAN get up in time to see the sun rise. LOL!

The rest of the morning was spent showering and getting ready to head about 50 miles to have lunch with some BMW riding friends from Houston. The morning was brisk and the temperature wasn't rising quite as quickly as I would like so I planned to wear my Gerbings electrics (socks, gloves & jacket liner). I had already dug out my Sidi boots (haven't worn them much since they have a bigger toebox than my CruiserWorks boots but the do have a better non-slip sole with dirt/gravel) and repacked my saddlebags (in case I opted to do a little shopping).

So, pulled on my electric socks over lightweight knee socks, pulled on my First Gear HT Overpants (noticing there was still quite a bit of dead bug guts on them....LOL!), hooked up the socks, changed the quilted liner in my Tourmaster Trinity jacket to the Gerbing electric jacket liner and started to hook up the socks to the jacket liner and then hook it all up to my temp controller. Phew...cords everywhere! Suddenly I realized on my Harley I had the plug attached directly to the battery and had never gotten that done on the BMW! EEEK...sure am glad Ara and I didn't stay late in San Antonio that night....would have been a disaster with non-working electrics. One more thing added to the list for the BMW dealer next Tuesday.

Fortunately, by the time I stripped off all the electrics, put on two pairs of socks, put my jacket liner back in and dug out my regular warm gloves, the temperature was finally climbing a bit and I knew the electrics wouldn't be needed.

It was a nice ride over to Moulton, I could have taken some photos but was enjoying the ride too much. The front tire was still a little light on the road so when I finally got to Moulton, I adjusted the suspension again. I only had about a 10 minute wait for Mike & Barb to show up. Thanks to a TON of great conversation, only a couple of photos were taken. We had a great time talking bikes, gadgets & RVing (Mike has a Lazy Daze Class C motorhome). The time passed all too quickly and we parted company. The sun had gone behind the clouds again and I actually had a few raindrops on the way back.

All in all, a pretty darn good day! Tomorrow will be a sadder one...Ara will be leaving the park to head easterly. His company will be greatly missed, I look forward to hopefully seeing him in Moab come April when he will show me the ropes of boondocking.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

My turn now....

Well, it figures. I started the game of tag and now it's my turn again. LOL! I got tagged again by Mike & Gerri...I love this game! So here we go again...you're going to end up knowing me better than my ex-husband! LOL!

Once again, here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
3. Share the 5 top places on your "want to see or want to see again" list.
4. Tag a minimum of 5 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes nothing!

5 Random and/or Weird Facts:

1. I love tomatoes, tomato sauce, catsup but hate tomato soup. I love bananas but not once they start to get ripe.
2. I love having a nickname. I never had a nickname as a kid...in fact never had one until I was 55 and started riding a motorcycle
3. I never ate fried chicken until I was 17, never had a taco until I was 28 (never even knew what it was).
4. I first tried skiing at age 45...thought I'd hate it (and suck at it since I was never athletic) but I actually enjoyed it.
5. My eyes are such a dark blue that most people don't realize they are blue.

Since I already did my top five see again/want to see list, in honor of the new movie "Bucket List", here is my retitled list.

My Bucket list:

1. Try whitewater rafting.
2. Ride my motorcycle in Alaska & Hawaii.
3. Go for a hot air balloon ride.
4. Visit Australia (okay, so this is on both lists)
5. Continue to RV and enjoy every day to its fullest!

Okay, now to tag the next round of bloggers (and not all are RV related)...

Next!

1. Nick & Terri/Gypsy Journal
2. Tina/Paper Mojo
3. Nolan & JoAnn/2 On the Road
4. Dick/RV Travels with Huggy
5. Fab Grandma

Okay, so what's new since my last post? Not much....cold, cold, cold nights....down into the 20's. Tuesday night I got up around midnight and found no water. Bundled up and did a quick disconnect at the campground faucet, hoping nothing had been damaged. Last night most of the campground was preparing ahead of time...forecast was for 22 degrees.

Since it wasn't the middle of the night, I didn't need a flashlight and I wasn't dressed in sleepwear and freezing, this time I did it right. Fortunately for me I had picked up several sets of brass quick-connects at the Escapade. What a lifesaver! Turn off the water, disconnect. Disconnect that hose from the water filter, drain and connect to itself. Then disconnect the outlet side of the water filter and let that drain. Spend a couple of minutes getting most of the water out of the filter, toss it all into the storage bin.

This morning, reconnected it all...discovered that it might be a good idea to let the water filter fill with water before turning on anything inside. The air pockets produce a pretty big splash in the toilet. Fortunately it was clean water.....

I got my new-to-me custom seat yesterday....for the motorcycle, nothing custom for MY seat. LOL! I managed to get it mounted all by myself (thank you to Ara for showing me how to take it off and put it back on). Geared up and rode to get some groceries and drop off some mail. So far I like it. Tomorrow will be a 100 or so mile ride, we'll see how it does on more than a 10 minute trip.

[click to see larger photo]

The old seat is on the left, the new seat is on the right.

This weekend is supposed to warm up to the low 70's which is fortunate. I have to pull the bags out of the trailer, repack all my gear and then load the bike. I also need to reorganize some of my totes and what's in them and the easiest way to do that is to pull them all out onto the ground. Will take me the two days to do what I want but this month has been good about showing me what I am using and what I'm not (at least not yet). I suspect that within a year I will have shed a lot more "stuff", especially clothes.

I am now booked up pretty much through the end of March. Initially I will take about a week, give or take a few days, and head to Quartzsite, AZ. There I will boondock with the Escapees SOLO group. I'll be dividing my time between the SOLOs, the Full-time Graduating Class of 2007 (both Escapees affiliated) as well as some local friends. I leave 'Q' on the 23rd and travel a whole 25 miles to the little town of Bouse. I will be staying at the Desert Pueblo RV Resort where I will meet a couple of folks down from Alaska for the winter. The husband is very active in The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum.

After a week there (good rate of $80 +electric) I head to Gila Bend, 130 miles back to the SE, and Augie's Quail Trail RV Park. I'll spend a week there but since I will be returning after 10 days and staying another three weeks, I'll get the monthly rate of $340 including electric. During those 10 days I'll be inducted into the Elks (so I'll officially be an Elk and a Lady Moose) and I'll be attending the Gypsy Journal Rally (if you are in the SW and have nothing to do the middle of February - check it out!). The first day I take a half day driving school where I HOPE to get better at backing my trailer. When the rally is over, then I head back to Gila Bend. I'll be ready to relax & rest at that point...LOL!

Tentative plans for March at to be in Black Canyon City and if I can get my boondocking set up before April, I hope to do some boondocking in Moab area where Ara plans to be. He'll help me get my feet under me...he lived on a sailboat for years and has been camping/RVing for a while now. I still have so much to learn and "in the middle of nowhere" boondocking will be a challenge. It will be nice to have someone help me learn the ropes before attempting it on my own.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Looking over my shoulder....

A peek into the past...I wrote this article January 1999 after our initial foray into full-time RVing. Enjoy - I think you'll recognize a few things!

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My ReVolutions for the New Year

... did I hear you say it should be Resolutions? Another year is rushing towards us. This past year has been very exciting. Mike & I have learned a lot of new things about RVing, but I know there is always room for improvement. To that end, I have come up with a list of the top 10 things I need to change. I hope you'll have as much fun reading them as I did writing them.

I Resolve:

TO bite my tongue when I know we're lost.
The more people I talk to, the more I know that it's true - men really DO hate to ask for directions. But with an RV, I think it should be different. If you're going to be lost, relax and enjoy it. You may never pass this way again!

TO quit yelling "THE OTHER LEFT" when helping my partner backup.
I used to think I was the only person to have this problem, but now I know better. No matter which way you direct them, they will always go the other way. So, just steer them opposite of where they need to be!

TO use my time at the Laundromat for something better than reading a 5 year old "True Confessions".
Yes, I have been known to be that desperate. Since I'm a writer, this would be the perfect place to "people watch" and build new characters. So, remember that the next time you see a middle-aged woman with pen and pad in hand, staring at you with a crazed look on her face!

TO keep my eyes open when we drive through areas of road construction.
Don't panic, I'm not the driver. But I do have a bad habit of holding my breath and closing my eyes when the going gets "tight". I guess if I'm ever going to learn how to drive this rig (and that is an emergency must), the first step is getting used to those tight spots!

TO make the bed more than once a week (whether I think it needs it or not).
I know, laid back lifestyle & all - once a week should be fine. It sure is with me, but Mike thinks tripping on the covers once a day is much more preferable to tripping every time he walks into the bedroom!

TO learn to cook in my convection oven.
Okay, maybe this is a stretch - cook, that is. I'll just commit to learning how to use it!

TO stop being embarrassed when I can't remember the name of the folks I just met.
I know I should work harder on remembering, but that's a lost cause. Anyway, I think it will make me a more memorable character this way. They'll always describe me as that "crazy-looking, middle-aged lady who could never remember our names". At my age, it's much more fun to be interesting rather than proper!

TO file our bills and other papers more often.
Mike says that making "piles" on the far end of the couch doesn't qualify as filing (which is something I only do when I don't have room for my feet anymore). I have to admit it will make it easier to find that Sam's Club receipt we need - when we need it!

TO make my brother happy by calling the catalog folks and getting off their mailing lists.
He keeps telling us we get more mail in one week than they do in an entire month. This will be a tough one - I think they need to start a "Catalog Shopper Anonymous". I know I'm addicted!

TO "Enjoy Life. This is NOT a Dress Rehearsal!"
Need I say more? Happy New Year to everyone, everywhere!

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Things have obviously changed quite a bit...technology for one thing, having a GPS helps with directions and two-way family radios as well as back-up monitors help with backing (although I'll bet folks still holler about the OTHER left).

I did sign up with an Opt-Out service to start getting rid of the gazillion catalogs that still manage to find me, even after many moves and I now use a mail forwarding service rather than abusing family. LOL!

My current rig doesn't have a convection oven but since I'm only cooking (and I use that term VERY loosely) for one, that's fine. In fact, the real oven will probably get taken out to make room for batteries and an inverter.

I do make my bed every day...maybe not quite as nicely as at home, but that was a quirk Mike had and was one thing I started doing regularly after he died. (I know that gives him a smile.)

I still don't remember folks names...so if you have met me before and see me again, PLEASE remind me who you are. I ran into a couple in Livingston and the lady very obviously remembered me and I was too embarrassed to tell I that I hadn't a clue as to who she was. If she is reading this, I apologize!

My filing still stinks....that is something that will be addressed this winter...sometime. Honest!

As to driving, well, that became a necessity but not the 36' (or 38' - still can't remember) Class A we had...but my little 26' Class C. That was challenge enough for a while.

I am still a true believer in the "Enjoy Life! This is not a dress rehearsal" philosophy. Life is for the living and that is what I intend to do!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna