RV Blog--Life in a Box. This just ain't 'camping' any more....

Friday, December 26, 2003:

Happy Holidays!

I know that no one really wants to hear about the wonderful Winter weather here, so I probably shouldn't mention that we're enjoying sunshine and temps in the 70s this week. And I doubt if you want to hear about the fresh Florida strawberries, and oranges, and tomatoes and such. Which leaves us with the crowded roads and and towns that overlap, all the way from Tampa to Orlando! And WAY TO MANY people!
The awning has now been up for 3 weeks. It doesn't seem to mind the 'winds' a bit!
Looks like we could be moving again--down to the Swamps! We're getting quite comfy here, but the job that the guys are looking at is down around Lake Okeechobee. We're going to take a run down there and get a feel for the area. They tell us you can ride around on the palmetto bugs.....! Gators, snakes, skeeters and giant cockroaches does NOT sound promising! Gotta go see for ourselves!

We came home the other day to find Santa and the Mrs. riding around in a golf cart in the Park, passing out Christmas gifts to the tenants! That was a neat touch! Christmas day was a quiet one for us. With no family around, it was certainly strange. First Christmas we've spent on our own since before Lana was born. We bought ourselves a new car stereo and installed it in the RV a week or so ago--that was our gift for this year! Sure saved on wrapping paper!!! :) So, I've packed up the Christmas decorations already, and shipped most of them off to Illinois, out of the way until I need them again! Next up is a good housecleaning and a trip to the laundry--dirty clothes are getting out of hand! And I'll have my newest photos back tomorrow! Maybe I'll get the website updated! With my slow connection speed, it may take hours--but I have all nite!!! :)

And so--Happy New Year!

Dinah // Friday, December 26, 2003
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Sunday, December 14, 2003:

Greetings! Today we're experiencing one of the benefits (at least, in our opinions) of living in an aluminum "box". Rain on the roof! Lots of it! :) After all those months in South Dakota, where a typical rainfall measures .04 INCHES, this is a real treat. We'd much rather it wasn't happening on Keith's only day off this week, but we have to enjoy what comes--when it comes! And the temps are in the 60s! :)

Yesterday I got a glimpse of the local flea market/farmers market and came home with an armload of fresh produce. One of the perks of living in Florida in the winter! I can hardly wait to get in there past the produce! The place is huge! It's open Friday, Saturday & Sunday and fenced off and protected by dogs the rest of the week.
So, we're experimenting with the awning--and hoping that the insurance is good if the experiment fails! Left it up to protect our little freezer beside the trailer. We've got it 'guyed' out' and the rain is running off it quite nicely. We just don't know quite what to expect from the 'winds'. Down here the news people panic when the wind gets "up" to 18 mph--and in SD that's classified as a 'light breeze'. The awning should be just fine in the kind of "wind" we've seen down here! We hope. :)

Meanwhile...I think I'll take a nap!

Dinah // Sunday, December 14, 2003
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Wednesday, December 10, 2003:

Christmas decorations are out of their boxes and scattered out on surfaces in our little "box" and there are lights on the awning and a little 'yard tree' lit up outdoors. The campground has one of those big, infaltable snowmen at the entrance. They should make snowmen that look like they're melting to use as decoration down here! LOL! It's in the 60s this morning (at 4:30 AM) and supposed to rain and get "cold" later.... I feel like I've been in a sauna! Bluck!
I know, all you cold people hate it when people in Florida whine!
Monday the boys went job-hunting, Monday afternoon they had jobs. Yesterday we were up at 4:45 and Keith was out the door at 5:15 AM and got home at 7:00 PM. They're not amused. I believe the comment was something like, "It's a lie. Slavery was NOT abolished in the South!" Keith's running a roller, and LD is on a dozer this week. At least the work is easy! They're on the road about 2 1/2 hours total every day, so this is probably a temporary job!
Meanwhile, I'm on foot! LD's truck is cutting up and Shirley had to lend her car to her daughter, to drive to work in Orlando. Which leaves both of us sitting--4 miles apart! I may have to learn how to go back to bed after he leaves in the morning!!! I think that there's a cheap car in our near future, because there's NOTHING within walking distance of where we are! Except more mobile home communities and rv parks!
Maybe when daylight gets here, I'll walk the dogs and shoot up the rest of the roll of film so I can get that website updated! Later....

Dinah // Wednesday, December 10, 2003
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Sunday, December 07, 2003:

And so, yesterday we took off down I-75 through south GA, dragging our little winter home behind us. What a ride THAT was! That stretch of highway appears to have had nothing done to it since the 60s! Rough as a cob! Things that had stayed put inside the trailer for the rest of the trip were tossed around like bingo balls for 120 miles! It's a good thing I'm an experienced packer! Nothing broken, nothing spilled.
We're done traveling for a while, at last. Our 'campground' is a miniature trailer park, in the midst of bigger retirement parks. No mobile homes--just campers. Most of the RVs here have been sitting here for years. The one next door is green with mold, or fungus or whatever! But it's a nice little spot, and pretty quiet, in a low traffic area. It will do nicely! :)
Now for the part where we "spread out"! :) Patio furniture and the mini-freezer out, roll out the astroturf, open the the awning and make it semi-permanent, put up the dog fence.... Make ourselves at home! Oh, and find an income to support us! Minor detail.
And FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE!!! LOL! Our friends led us in yesterday--and we haven't a clue where we are! Good thing there's MapQuest! I saw a Publix on the way in, but not much else useful...not sure we could find it again. So, we'll have to do some exploring! All we know at the moment is that we're south of I-4 and not sure how to get back to it! LOL!

Dinah // Sunday, December 07, 2003
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Saturday, December 06, 2003:

We parked our "Box" in the driveway at the home of some long-time friends in TN--just for the nite. But, the temps dropped, the rain fell, drizzle set it--up in the Smoky Mnts. 8" of snow fell... So, we stayed another nite! :) Yesterday, in the cold, drizzly weather, we pulled out and headed further south!

To warmer weather, you say? NOT SO! Here we sit, in the Walmart parking lot in a little town south of Macon, GA--and it's just as cold!!! BRRRRR! We paused at a Flying J yesterday and dumped the holding tanks and bought more propane--so the furnace is doing it's job and our potty is empty--so life is good!

Did I say "life is good"? I meant "noisy"! A shiny new motorcoach pulled in next to us last nite, and, as near as we can tell, these folks are "green" RVers! Their generator has run since they got here--they appear not to realize that this is just not "done." Obviously, no one told them that their furnace will run off the batteries for a long time. I hate to think how much propane they've wasted, running that generator all nite! Not to mention the NOISE! *sigh* They'll learn.... :)

This evening should find us in Winter Haven...unless we decide to stop somewhere else along the way! LOL! We're only 8 hours away, and we still have friends between here and there! Of course, LD & Shirley, down in WH, keep calling and asking "are you here, yet?".... But them we'll be seeing all winter! :) LD has been job-hunting all week, and has several places lined up where Keith has to put in applications, but there's no definate job to start, as yet. And the bill collectors haven't found us.... LOL!

Guess I'll wander across the parking lot in search of fresh coffee at the WM and do a little browsing, since my computer battery is fading fast.... Catch ya later.... Dinah

Dinah // Saturday, December 06, 2003
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Thursday, December 04, 2003:

No problems getting on down to Knoxville. We had a fun evening with Suzi and her family, and her hubby found someone to unload the rest of his unused reloading stuff onto! Like we NEED another box of reloading stuff to store away in this little cottage-on-wheels.... LOL! Spent the nite surrounded by the rumble of idling semis in a big truck stop!

We were only on the road for about an hour yesterday and are parked in the driveway of more long-time friends. Last nite's "white noise" was the steady sound of rain on the roof--which is still with us this morning. In fact, when I let the dogs out to potty, it appears that we are sitting in the middle of a lake! Something tells me that we're not likely to move from this spot today! Keith had to unhitch the trailer to get it level and I'm NOT getting a mental picture of him out there in the cold, pouring rain hitching it back up! Ah well. "We might not pass this way again..." seems to be our unofficial motto! After all, Florida isn't going anywhere! And neither are we, today! LOL! At least it isn't snowing--yet!

Dinah // Thursday, December 04, 2003
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Monday, December 01, 2003:

DECEMBER 1???? Where does the time go?

Keith is under the trailer and/or the truck, checking out brakes on the camper and the dual range transmission--which seems to be stuck in low range. He figured that while we're sitting on a nice asphalt driveway and the sun is shining and the meals are good--he'd best be doin' some 'wrenching'. I'm carting laundry to the basement and getting it all done before we pull out tomorrow.

We're going to Knoxvilld go meet Suzi, my long-time email pal, and her hubby and kids. They just moved there from southern CA and I'm really excited to finally be able to see her face to face. Yeah, I know. It's old hat for a lot of you, but it's the first time I've gotten to meet anyone! Now if I could just get to Idaho to see KT.....

Dinah // Monday, December 01, 2003
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