Tiffin Phaeton Motorcoach
Our new hallway on wheels
West Coast Bound!
After Colorado, Jimmy and I were heading for home. We had only a few days to get to San Jose and make it to Miss Mia's 6th birthday party...
That's when the fun really started! Can you imagine driving along on a nice spring day and all of a sudden it starts to SNOW! I mean, this was our virgin cruise and Jimmy was still a "newbee". But he did a great job and now he has his "Snow Badge!" :o)
May 22, Colorado
So, where was I???? Oh yes, Ohio! No, wait, wasn't it South Dakota? Oh, I forget. I just remember that we were heading for Valerie's. She is one of my oldest "best" friends! Jimmy had to fight the extremely high winds all the way across Iowa & Nebraska. We were all over the freeway!
Val and her husband, Nathan, have been living in and around CO/AZ for a long time. They were in the process of buying a house and although we didn't get to see the inside, the outside looked fantastic! I couldn't be happier for them. It was so great to see Val again. I remember meeting her when I was five and she was four and she was sitting on the curb watching the neighborhood kids playing in the street and she said to me "Don't play with them, they're MEAN!" That was it, I was hooked and we (mean kids and all) grew up together all the way through high school. It was an ideal childhood. Cupertino was a 'mecca' of young families with lots of kids to choose from. We played without fear of "Code Adams", and "Megan's Law". Riding bikes until the street lights came on, hide and seek, block parties, crab apple fights and playing at the school that was right on the block... Val and Marie lived behind and over a few houses and I would walk the fence and jump into their back yard to play. Oh yeah, and swimming ALL DAY once they got a pool. That was the BEST! Oh and I can't forget those summers of cutting apricots!
(and I still have my knife!!! :o)I am sure Mrs. Garcia would be so proud of Val. She had the cutest little house, she even cooks! Now if she would only age like the rest of us (ME!)
It was a terrific visit...
Maryland, here we come...
April 29th
Zorma's travels to MD and beyond...
Leaving NC was tough; we would have liked to have spent more time with Great Grandmother. She is very well taken care of and seems to be quite happy with her situation so that made it a little easier to leave. We do have plans on going back because we miss her a lot, she is so fun to be around. There is so much history rambling around inside her 93 year old head!
The drive up to MD was pretty uneventful until we got to WASHINGTON DC! We finally manage to get out of the city and back onto the highway...
We were just a short way from the Rapposelli's... YEAH!
We tried to surprise the kids because they didn’t know exactly what day we were coming but it turned out we were getting there at the same time as school was being let out and bringing Zorma into the school parking lot wasn’t going to happen so we went straight to Karen’s house and only beat the kids by about 5 minutes. They were soooooooooo excited to see the new home on wheels and couldn’t wait to get a ride. Had half the neighborhood gallivanting through it until Grandad used his “grumpy” voice and kicked them all out so we could get her parked and set up for an extended stay in Rising Sun, Maryland. Longest stay ever with the Rapps and it was FANTASTIC!!!!!! We spent every minute we could with this wonderful family and enjoyed every single one of them… Em and Thomas are the best kids; smart, funny, adorable, happy and just plain FUN! They truly love each other and rarely argue… Karen and Tommy are doing an amazing job with them. And with both parents working, ‘Mom-Mom’ and ‘Pop-Pop’ Rapposelli are really a blessing. I only wish I had as much time with all my grandkids everyday!
With work, school, baseball, dance classes, scouts, friends and family functions, the Rapposelli’s are a very busy bunch.
NASCAR Day on May 14th. [By Jimmy]
Tommy and Karen (their kids & brother Sterling & his family) were going to a NASCAR race and I was invited to go…for FREE. It was the NASCAR Dover 200 Camping World Truck Race and we were going to be sitting in the DuPont Box Suite, refreshments and food included!
This was my first pro-level event in 40 plus years. The last time that I went the event cost $7 for the day… in the sun… no food and no ear protection. But the cars that were racing were actual cars from a showroom. They had been street legal at the point of purchase. You can’t say that about NASCAR race cars today.
I may have been quiet all day because I was taking it all in, and I was very impressed with the facility at Dover Raceway. I’ll likely never have a chance like that again; thanks Tommy & Sterling for making it happen. Flat out, I had a great time, and did I mention it was FREE? Aric Almirola won that day and it was over too quick. The whole day can be summed up into one word; NIIIIIIICE!
May 15th... Happy Birthday KitKat and Betsy!
Today we went to see the Charm City Cakes(“Ace of Cakes”) store again. Last time it was January and about 10 degrees and it was dark so it was a super fast stop. This time we were able to go over and check it out, take some pictures and feel like real ‘tourists’… I would have LOVED to of gotten a picture of the inside just for Valeri and Daniel, but you can’t get in without an appointment. Oh well, it’s too bad Duff doesn’t know how talented Val and Daniel are or I’m sure he’d hire them on the spot! That's OK; we have our own California Duff... :o)
From there we took a trip to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore to meet up with my cousin Peter and his family. Haven’t seen them since Alaina was 3 and she is now 14! Still has the same adorable face with her big blue eyes and bright smile. She now has 2 younger siblings, Patrick and Julia. Both were born in Japan while Peter was stationed there with the Navy. Patrick is only 8 months older than Julia so needless to say, Lisa is one busy mommy. Em and Thomas had such a fun afternoon with them. I just wanted to say how VERY proud I am of Peter and Lisa. Peter's been in the Navy for over 20 years and has worked hard to climb up that ‘corporate’ ladder and is now working in Washington DC for some Admiral or another. He is a graduate of Annapolis, has been deployed many, many times and has had to suffer great lengths of time away from his family. Not to mention moving around every few years, to not only different states but countries as well. His children are extremely well adjusted and well rounded and that says a lot for both Peter and Lisa… Thanks guys for taking the time to come and see us. It was a terrific day!
And before we knew it, it was time to hit the road again. We can’t wait to go back; we might even get in a few more weeks next time! There were tears all around when we left! I think Thomas was more upset about Sammie leaving than us! That boy REALLY needs a dog!!!!!!!! I would have left Sam if she would have stayed, she was fantastic with Thomas and Emily, never snapped at them once, and that is saying a lot for her…
May 17th,
Left MD and headed for Ohio to see my Uncle Pete and Aunt Maureen again. It was a great place to stop and rest and found their ‘summer’ home as warm and welcoming as their ‘winter’ home in FL. I just LOVE those guys! This time we got to see Justine and her hubby, Artie. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen them as well (not as long as Peter and Lisa though) and they are adjusting to Ohio life just splendidly… I couldn’t be happier for all of them, it is well deserved…
May 19th,
Now we are off again, heading for our “home away from home”, South Dakota. And, as we quickly found out, South Dakota is a really beautiful state, with lots of friendly people, can’t wait to come back actually…
Next time we’ll stay awhile and see the sights.
May 22nd,
And now I’m lying on the bed as Jimmy fights the high winds of Nebraska, heading towards Colorado and a visit with another life-time pal, Val Garcia-Pemberton. She has been away from California for a long, long time and it will be very nice to see her again.
4-30-10
A trip to North Carolina wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Schrontz's... They are so special to us and we have such a long history that I just can't imagine what my life would have been like growing up without them. I am very happy that our travels will allow us to visit with them more often then in the past.
It was great to see Cindi (yup, spelled with 2 i's) and her hubby, Dave. North Carolina certainly does seem to agree with them all...
Even Sammie was welcomed into the fold. Looks like Mary and Les just may be getting a new dog. Sammie's job there was done!!!
May 1st Hi, it's Jimmy again!
We spent 2 days (Saturday & Sunday) in Durham seeing my mom. We got to show Mom the new coach. We couldn’t get the coach very close to her apartment so she had to walk about a ¼ mile to where we had to park. We took her for a ride to Costco and she was so happy to be able to help me drive... No back seat drivers license needed!
This visit to Durham was the first time that we ran into the problem of not having a car to drive around. We intend to rent a car when needed but this stay was going to be short and we(I) decided to not rent one on this trip. We(I) also decided to cut the visit short because it was too awkward to get mom in and out of the bus after her having walked so far to get to it, remember, she’s 93 now! Another factor in the short stay was that we were staying in the Wal-Mart parking lot and it was under construction during the week. Our visit to Durham was on the weekend and come Monday morning our wakeup call was going to be early and loud and we would not have been able to leave the bus in front of mom's place like on the weekend.
We(I) decided that we would come back to Durham and we would have a car or a rental and we’d have a proper parking spot for Zorma. Needless to say, Mom was thrilled to see us and we were sorry to leave. 
She is an amazing lady, always the "Southern Belle"!
We spent 2 days (Saturday & Sunday) in Durham seeing my mom. We got to show Mom the new coach. We couldn’t get the coach very close to her apartment so she had to walk about a ¼ mile to where we had to park. We took her for a ride to Costco and she was so happy to be able to help me drive... No back seat drivers license needed!
This visit to Durham was the first time that we ran into the problem of not having a car to drive around. We intend to rent a car when needed but this stay was going to be short and we(I) decided to not rent one on this trip. We(I) also decided to cut the visit short because it was too awkward to get mom in and out of the bus after her having walked so far to get to it, remember, she’s 93 now! Another factor in the short stay was that we were staying in the Wal-Mart parking lot and it was under construction during the week. Our visit to Durham was on the weekend and come Monday morning our wakeup call was going to be early and loud and we would not have been able to leave the bus in front of mom's place like on the weekend.
We(I) decided that we would come back to Durham and we would have a car or a rental and we’d have a proper parking spot for Zorma. Needless to say, Mom was thrilled to see us and we were sorry to leave. 
She is an amazing lady, always the "Southern Belle"!
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5-11-10 The adventures of “Super Nonny”…
Took the kids to Wally World to get them new scooters. They were still using the little baby ones from when they were like, maybe 3… Em is 9!!! It was high time to retire Spiderman and the Princesses.
So we walk into the store and “Oh look”, there is a Dunkin Donuts in this WM. So Nonny, being the HUGE sucker that she is buys the kidd’s a donut. While I was waiting to pay for the milk and Gdad’s soda the young girl (maybe 17) who was waiting on me keels over and faints and I hear this “CRACK” when her head hits the floor. So I run around to try and get behind the counter where she is, but can’t find any kind of opening so I just figure I’ll jump over the counter.
RRRRI G H T! First off, the counter was about 3 feet tall so I couldn’t get enough arm strength to lift this fat, old body onto the counter. So Jimmy comes up behind me and lifts me up by my rump and I stand on the counter and try to step past the cash register but didn’t have enough clearance and my left foot caught the top of it and it knocked me off balance and I went crashing down into the rack of freshly made donuts! Landed all my weight on my right leg, which immediately gave way and I went down almost on top of the original patient… :) So, now she is coming around and trying to stand up, and I am in waaaaaaaay too much pain to stand up so I drag her back down onto the floor with me and tell her to just sit for a minute. By then the jerk of a manager finally gets over there and he is waaaaaay more worried about the cash register that just exploded all over the counter. Jimmy is furiously trying to put the cash register back together with his handy-dandy little tool kit he always carries around with him... Meanwhile, I take turns massaging her bumped head and my screaming knee and we sit and just talk for a few. She says she has low blood pressure and we chat about blood tests etc and she finally gets up and goes to call her mom and then the full impact of what I’d just done to myself becomes perfectly clear as I now have to get up off the floor… That is very tough for me on a good day! But, I managed to drag this fat ass off the floor bringing powdered sugar and colorful sprinkles with me… I hobbled out of there under my own steam but it was not a pretty sight. Oh and then the guy wants us to pay for the drinks and tries to charge us again for the donuts I’d already paid for. He was such an ASS…
From there we went to the sports department for the scooters and I figured I might as well pick up a knee brace; I mean, I was already there…
We get back to the house and I’m in a world of hurt so we get out the ice bags and I spend the evening laying around, not even able to go upstairs with the kids or anything. Boo Hoo! Had to sing my goodnight song from the bottom of the stairs…
But I do get out to Zorma and Jimmy gets me in bed and I spend the next 9 hours in complete agony. So the next morning we get up and go to a local (yeah, local is always like 40 minutes away out here in the sticks) and get some x-rays and some crutches (and some Vicodin ‘baby’) and I am feeling sooooooo much better! :o)
No torn ligaments or broken bones, just a bad sprain… I am happy to report there is no surgery in my future, as I am sure Jimmy is too.
Today is day 3 and I am already walking with just one crutch.
I’m on the mend… YEAH!
From now on…
*
*
*
…just call me Grace!
Zorma's Travels
12-2010
With a very heavy heart I must add some sadness to this post. On December 18, 2010, Betsy's husband, Matt was tragically killed in a storm near her home in Georgia. My heart is broken for her and wish her only the very best in the future. My thoughts go out to her kids as well. Sooooooooooooo sad!
4-28-10
9 hours later, with only one puppy potty stop, we pull up to The Mitchell’s Georgia home. “Hooooooonk…” Has anyone ever not seen a really dear friend for almost 40 years and then see them and instantly become 14 again???? It was AMAZING! Betz and I just started yammering away and we had to make ourselves go to bed so Betsy could get up with her 12 year old son, Andrew, to start her day as a mother/teacher/wife/business owner. No wonder I never hear from her!!! jk Betz! We had the nicest time visiting and then the next day she took us to Atlanta for a field trip to the original Coke museum. Never knew that the guy who started Coke was from Atlanta. It was back in like 1885 or something. Very cool tour.
Then we got to go see the Centennial Olympic Center from back in 1996. Sat and watched kids play in the water fountain with the Olympic rings as the back drop. They had a great music show that was the perfect ending to a perfect trip. Or so we thought!!!
Then Betsy decided we all “needed” Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which was only “a few blocks up” and proceeded to give us a ‘tour’ of central Atlanta, both the good side and the not so good side. She passed the Coke museum 3 times, all the while claiming to know “just where it was up the street a ways”… Jimmy was relentless and had her almost in tears (Bless Her Heart :) He and Andrew were unwilling to give up on her because she had promised Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Just so “ya’ll” know, Atlanta is a BEAUTIFUL city! All the old brick houses and huge trees lining the streets. I just didn’t have the heart to ask her to pull over so I could get some pics, she might have completely lost it at that point.
BUT, we did eventually find it and it was jelly doughnuts all around. I’m not sure who was happier, Jimmy & Andrew cuz they got their doughnuts or Betsy cuz she had gotten us there! We had such a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!
Then it was time to go back to her house where we talked and looked at pictures and reminisced for hours. I was really sad to leave this morning but we are on a schedule and needed to get moving. We are now off to North Carolina to visit with the Schrontz’s and Jimmy’s mom. I could really get used to this traveling / visiting lifestyle! A great big 'thank you' to the Mitchell’s for such a warm and wonderful welcome and visit.
4-24-10
FT. MYERS (western side of the state) was HOT… First night, we got invited to a dinner party at some of Di and Bobby’s friends and had such a good time. Laughed ALL evening; I’ll tell you, those MA/New York/Jersey folks sure do know how to tell a joke. Wish I would have had a movie camera with me. Could never do the jokes justice like they told them. Oh yeah, and REAL Italian cooking, amazing meatballs!!! Yummmmmm…
Bobby and Di, as always, such wonderful hosts and so generous with their time. It was so much fun! Thanks again for letting us stay behind your restaurant the “Arizona Pizza Company” in Ft. Myers. Great place to eat! Hope next time we come through we’ll be able to stay a little longer.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL
4-26-10 Packed up and cruised on over to the other side of Florida and stopped to visit with my Uncle and Aunt.
The eastern side seems much cooler; not sure if it’s just the unpredictable spring weather or if it’s the coastal winds etc. But it was really beautiful... Went to the beach and spent the day walking through the surf, looking for shells and getting some exercise.
Poor Sammie was a wreck, really nervous about the waves, which were pretty small compared to our California beaches. She got a little wet and didn’t seem to mind but ran like a banshee every time a wave came in. The water was soooooooooo warm compared to Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay, but still a bit chilly for swimming; would have gone in though if I’d had a suit on. We both got laughed at for our poor white bodies! Everyone is so tan here, even this early in the year. Aunt Maureen “hooked me up” with her secret and I’ll have a nice golden tan by the time I wake up in the morning!
Their “Snow-Bird” home in Port St. Lucie is just beautiful, they have such a great winter get-away.
They live in a PGA complex (yes, that is a P-rofessional G-olf A-ssociation)… There are 3 major pro golf courses within the complex and they also have professional learning centers on site. We’ll have to see about getting Danny some lessons down there! I swear, my Uncle Pete is amazing, he never changes… I remember when I was 13, just after my dad died and I was able to go east to visit family I stayed with my Uncle and Aunt and my cousins and I had THE best time! I NEVER wanted to leave. Really, I cried all the way back to California. Unk is so much like my dad only waaaaaaaaaay more laid back. He is just a love… Every time I see him, I feel my father’s warmth coming through. “Smith’s”, ya gotta love um!
That same summer I stayed a few weeks with my “oldest” friend, Betsy and her family in New Jersey. Our dad’s worked together at Lockheed and our families became fast friends. We traveled all over California together as kids with lots of camping trips! Well now Betsy is the mother of 4 and lives in Georgia. So, off to Georgia we go!
4-30-10 12 Noon
Jimmy decided to fill up the coach before we left for a long day of traveling and we went off to look for a truck stop that I “know” I saw just down the road.
…and it BEGINS!
Right out of the gate we turned the wrong way and after a mile or so we figured we ought to turn around. In a 40 foot motor home… This thing doesn’t exactly do U-turns! But, he did it at the first wide spot in the road he came to and we went looking in the other direction. Found a local station with a good price on diesel and just manage to get into the parking lot and we sat and waited behind this little sports car, and we waited and we waited some more. Turns out, I guess he was inside having lunch or something because he never showed up. Jimmy is not comfortable backing up, well, he’s never even tried it! So he manages to get us out of that gas station and he heads back up the way we just came and… Oh, look, he needs to make “another” U-turn to get into the travel center that I “KNEW” I saw yesterday!!! So, needless to say, Jimmy is now an expert in U-turns!
So glad that is over! He was a wreck…
Has it ever taken you a whole HOUR to get gas into your vehicle from the time you decide you needed it and were within .05 miles of 3 or 4 of them??? But we did it and we got a good laugh out of it and Jimmy was rewarded with a Mc-e-D’s value meal!!!
4-28-10
Week one is already behind us and we haven’t even started this blog… Spending time with family is so heartwarming, I feel all filled up with love and warm fuzzies!
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!
04-19-10 06:00 am San Jose, CA
4 - 50 pounds of large suitcases all packed - check…
4 - 50 pounds of large extra boxes taped up - check…
1 - 7 pounds of dog drugged and in airplane approved carrier - check…
1000 - goodbye hugs and kisses for my babies - check…
Get to airport (on time, I might add) to get ready for a long day - check…
It's "up, up and away"...
Get to Tampa Airport in Florida and call hotel to get the shuttle to be picked up… “What do you mean the shuttle is at the mall tonight?????”
…and IT BEGINS!
Luckily a taxi came by that was big enough to fit all of our paraphernalia… He was not a happy camper trying to get all that luggage into the van. Let’s just say, he earned his tip that night.
When the lady at the counter of the hotel saw what we were bringing in she up-graded us to a suite so we could fit it all in. The room was HUGE! Why can’t we ever get that kind of luck when we are down at Disneyland with the whole gang…
Ok, so the next morning we are ready to leave for the RV dealership and the hotel shuttle van is sitting outside and I kind of “suggested” that since it cost us $50 bucks to get a taxi the night before that maybe they could run us over to Lazydays.
Got to the Welcome Center at Lazydays and the entire load had to be dumped in the parking lot. I swear, we looked like The Beverly Hillbillies!!! Then the salesman, Alan Pullaro, comes out and says “Oh, I tried to call you and ask if you could come later this afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!
...and IT CONTINUES!
So Jimmy and Alan get all the luggage inside to be stored in his office because the coach wasn’t ready yet… I take Sammie inside so I could use the restroom and she proceeds to ‘POOP’ on the floor right in the middle of this beautiful sales office. UGH! But, the good thing about Sam is that when she does that, it’s just her marking her territory and she has been GREAT ever since and is wonderful in the RV. Which is a good thing because I think Jimmy would feed her to the alligators if she did that in our brand new home…
When we decided to come to Florida to get the RV, we got all kinds of “promises” of this wonderful club house we’d have access to delicious food and cocktails etc… We were getting a 3 year membership for buying our coach with them. That first morning since Alan was going to be with other customers all morning he sent us over to the cafeteria for some breakfast to kill some time. Ever had those (and I use this word loosely) omelets that are made out of yellow rubber and have some kind of soupy stuff inside that is supposed to be from Denver or someplace??? We sat there going “WTH”???? But, we ate it and walked around and checked everything out and ran into Alan again and he said “Let’s go get some lunch”… Now, we were not the least bit hungry and not looking forward to another meal in the cafeteria so we kind of hemmed and hawed but he talked us into it. OMG! We were taken to the “Crown Club” and showed around. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! Super nice people “Josee had to put up with Sammie while we went into the dining room”…
Lunch was absolutely delicious and the folks that ran it were amazing. Ok, this is more like it!!! We were about to spend the next 5 days in this place and check out this schedule:
Breakfast 8:00 am – 9:00 am (I know, waaaaaaaay to early for this California girl)
Yummy custom made omelets and/or fried eggs, tons of fresh fruit, bacon/sausage, muffins, hot and cold cereal. It was awesome!
Lunch 11:30 am – 1:00 pm This time you get a menu and have a half dozen choices to choose from plus weekly specials!
Happy Hour 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm (3 drink minimum)… you believe that!??? They had a full bar, beer on tap and specials like Mud Slides and margaritas… Ok, I had ONE Mud Slide, but only ate the top ¼.
They had a full green salad bar, assorted pasta type salads and 2 types of hot h’orderves like chicken wings or fingers, meatballs, lasagna, ziti, etc… AND then they had a dessert to choose from. My favorite night was the “make your own Sundae” night.
So, we proceeded to spend Tuesday – Saturday EATING our way through Lazydays and dang it if we didn’t gain 5 pounds apiece! I’m happy to report that I did get Jimmy out for walks every day (it wasn’t’ very hard because we didn’t have a car to get around in and our coach was being worked on everyday)… We got taken to Wally World (Wal-Mart) one day to pick up a few things for the coach and that was fun but we were worried we might miss “Happy Hour” so we were a little rushed!!!
...When in Florida…
But the best part was the friends we made. I always knew “campers” were usually a really great group of people but these folks were AMAZING! We got talking with one couple who had been there for 21 days!!! They took us to the grocery store one day to pick up a few essentials. We really liked them a lot…
So, we come back from “Happy Hour” and the coach is really HOT! Great, what happened to the air conditioning? Jimmy starts flipping switches and plugging and unplugging things, but no luck. He goes outside and opens up the generator hood and the “neighbors” all start coming out of the woodwork! I’m in the bedroom with no shirt on and I start to walk out to the kitchen/living room and there is this stranger standing in the cockpit… Ummmmmmmm, HELLO! I hightailed it back to get redressed and come out to find at least 4 couples all standing in and outside of the door, trying to help Jimmy figure out what is wrong. Well, long story short, it was a Lazydays site problem and Jimmy got LOTS of advise of what to look for and how to fix this and that. We were so popular the next morning at breakfast!
See what I mean, great people!!!
We waddled our way out of there on Saturday afternoon and headed for Ft. Myers. What a GREAT place Lazydays is. We would HIGHLY recommend it if you are looking for a coach. Fantastic sales and service!!! From start to finish, it was an A+…
9 hours later, with only one puppy potty stop, we pull up to The Mitchell’s Georgia home. “Hooooooonk…” Has anyone ever not seen a really dear friend for almost 40 years and then see them and instantly become 14 again???? It was AMAZING! Betz and I just started yammering away and we had to make ourselves go to bed so Betsy could get up with her 12 year old son, Andrew, to start her day as a mother/teacher/wife/business owner. No wonder I never hear from her!!! jk Betz! We had the nicest time visiting and then the next day she took us to Atlanta for a field trip to the original Coke museum. Never knew that the guy who started Coke was from Atlanta. It was back in like 1885 or something. Very cool tour.
Then we got to go see the Centennial Olympic Center from back in 1996. Sat and watched kids play in the water fountain with the Olympic rings as the back drop. They had a great music show that was the perfect ending to a perfect trip. Or so we thought!!!Then Betsy decided we all “needed” Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which was only “a few blocks up” and proceeded to give us a ‘tour’ of central Atlanta, both the good side and the not so good side. She passed the Coke museum 3 times, all the while claiming to know “just where it was up the street a ways”… Jimmy was relentless and had her almost in tears (Bless Her Heart :) He and Andrew were unwilling to give up on her because she had promised Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Just so “ya’ll” know, Atlanta is a BEAUTIFUL city! All the old brick houses and huge trees lining the streets. I just didn’t have the heart to ask her to pull over so I could get some pics, she might have completely lost it at that point.
BUT, we did eventually find it and it was jelly doughnuts all around. I’m not sure who was happier, Jimmy & Andrew cuz they got their doughnuts or Betsy cuz she had gotten us there! We had such a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!
Then it was time to go back to her house where we talked and looked at pictures and reminisced for hours. I was really sad to leave this morning but we are on a schedule and needed to get moving. We are now off to North Carolina to visit with the Schrontz’s and Jimmy’s mom. I could really get used to this traveling / visiting lifestyle! A great big 'thank you' to the Mitchell’s for such a warm and wonderful welcome and visit.
4-24-10
FT. MYERS (western side of the state) was HOT… First night, we got invited to a dinner party at some of Di and Bobby’s friends and had such a good time. Laughed ALL evening; I’ll tell you, those MA/New York/Jersey folks sure do know how to tell a joke. Wish I would have had a movie camera with me. Could never do the jokes justice like they told them. Oh yeah, and REAL Italian cooking, amazing meatballs!!! Yummmmmm…
Bobby and Di, as always, such wonderful hosts and so generous with their time. It was so much fun! Thanks again for letting us stay behind your restaurant the “Arizona Pizza Company” in Ft. Myers. Great place to eat! Hope next time we come through we’ll be able to stay a little longer.PORT ST. LUCIE, FL
4-26-10 Packed up and cruised on over to the other side of Florida and stopped to visit with my Uncle and Aunt.
The eastern side seems much cooler; not sure if it’s just the unpredictable spring weather or if it’s the coastal winds etc. But it was really beautiful... Went to the beach and spent the day walking through the surf, looking for shells and getting some exercise.
Poor Sammie was a wreck, really nervous about the waves, which were pretty small compared to our California beaches. She got a little wet and didn’t seem to mind but ran like a banshee every time a wave came in. The water was soooooooooo warm compared to Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay, but still a bit chilly for swimming; would have gone in though if I’d had a suit on. We both got laughed at for our poor white bodies! Everyone is so tan here, even this early in the year. Aunt Maureen “hooked me up” with her secret and I’ll have a nice golden tan by the time I wake up in the morning!Their “Snow-Bird” home in Port St. Lucie is just beautiful, they have such a great winter get-away.
They live in a PGA complex (yes, that is a P-rofessional G-olf A-ssociation)… There are 3 major pro golf courses within the complex and they also have professional learning centers on site. We’ll have to see about getting Danny some lessons down there! I swear, my Uncle Pete is amazing, he never changes… I remember when I was 13, just after my dad died and I was able to go east to visit family I stayed with my Uncle and Aunt and my cousins and I had THE best time! I NEVER wanted to leave. Really, I cried all the way back to California. Unk is so much like my dad only waaaaaaaaaay more laid back. He is just a love… Every time I see him, I feel my father’s warmth coming through. “Smith’s”, ya gotta love um!
That same summer I stayed a few weeks with my “oldest” friend, Betsy and her family in New Jersey. Our dad’s worked together at Lockheed and our families became fast friends. We traveled all over California together as kids with lots of camping trips! Well now Betsy is the mother of 4 and lives in Georgia. So, off to Georgia we go!
4-30-10 12 Noon
Jimmy decided to fill up the coach before we left for a long day of traveling and we went off to look for a truck stop that I “know” I saw just down the road.
…and it BEGINS!
Right out of the gate we turned the wrong way and after a mile or so we figured we ought to turn around. In a 40 foot motor home… This thing doesn’t exactly do U-turns! But, he did it at the first wide spot in the road he came to and we went looking in the other direction. Found a local station with a good price on diesel and just manage to get into the parking lot and we sat and waited behind this little sports car, and we waited and we waited some more. Turns out, I guess he was inside having lunch or something because he never showed up. Jimmy is not comfortable backing up, well, he’s never even tried it! So he manages to get us out of that gas station and he heads back up the way we just came and… Oh, look, he needs to make “another” U-turn to get into the travel center that I “KNEW” I saw yesterday!!! So, needless to say, Jimmy is now an expert in U-turns!
So glad that is over! He was a wreck…
Has it ever taken you a whole HOUR to get gas into your vehicle from the time you decide you needed it and were within .05 miles of 3 or 4 of them??? But we did it and we got a good laugh out of it and Jimmy was rewarded with a Mc-e-D’s value meal!!!
4-28-10
Week one is already behind us and we haven’t even started this blog… Spending time with family is so heartwarming, I feel all filled up with love and warm fuzzies!
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!
04-19-10 06:00 am San Jose, CA
4 - 50 pounds of large suitcases all packed - check…
4 - 50 pounds of large extra boxes taped up - check…
1 - 7 pounds of dog drugged and in airplane approved carrier - check…
1000 - goodbye hugs and kisses for my babies - check…
Get to airport (on time, I might add) to get ready for a long day - check…
It's "up, up and away"...
Get to Tampa Airport in Florida and call hotel to get the shuttle to be picked up… “What do you mean the shuttle is at the mall tonight?????”
…and IT BEGINS!
Luckily a taxi came by that was big enough to fit all of our paraphernalia… He was not a happy camper trying to get all that luggage into the van. Let’s just say, he earned his tip that night.
When the lady at the counter of the hotel saw what we were bringing in she up-graded us to a suite so we could fit it all in. The room was HUGE! Why can’t we ever get that kind of luck when we are down at Disneyland with the whole gang…Ok, so the next morning we are ready to leave for the RV dealership and the hotel shuttle van is sitting outside and I kind of “suggested” that since it cost us $50 bucks to get a taxi the night before that maybe they could run us over to Lazydays.
Got to the Welcome Center at Lazydays and the entire load had to be dumped in the parking lot. I swear, we looked like The Beverly Hillbillies!!! Then the salesman, Alan Pullaro, comes out and says “Oh, I tried to call you and ask if you could come later this afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!
...and IT CONTINUES!
So Jimmy and Alan get all the luggage inside to be stored in his office because the coach wasn’t ready yet… I take Sammie inside so I could use the restroom and she proceeds to ‘POOP’ on the floor right in the middle of this beautiful sales office. UGH! But, the good thing about Sam is that when she does that, it’s just her marking her territory and she has been GREAT ever since and is wonderful in the RV. Which is a good thing because I think Jimmy would feed her to the alligators if she did that in our brand new home…
When we decided to come to Florida to get the RV, we got all kinds of “promises” of this wonderful club house we’d have access to delicious food and cocktails etc… We were getting a 3 year membership for buying our coach with them. That first morning since Alan was going to be with other customers all morning he sent us over to the cafeteria for some breakfast to kill some time. Ever had those (and I use this word loosely) omelets that are made out of yellow rubber and have some kind of soupy stuff inside that is supposed to be from Denver or someplace??? We sat there going “WTH”???? But, we ate it and walked around and checked everything out and ran into Alan again and he said “Let’s go get some lunch”… Now, we were not the least bit hungry and not looking forward to another meal in the cafeteria so we kind of hemmed and hawed but he talked us into it. OMG! We were taken to the “Crown Club” and showed around. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! Super nice people “Josee had to put up with Sammie while we went into the dining room”…
Lunch was absolutely delicious and the folks that ran it were amazing. Ok, this is more like it!!! We were about to spend the next 5 days in this place and check out this schedule:
Breakfast 8:00 am – 9:00 am (I know, waaaaaaaay to early for this California girl)
Yummy custom made omelets and/or fried eggs, tons of fresh fruit, bacon/sausage, muffins, hot and cold cereal. It was awesome!
Lunch 11:30 am – 1:00 pm This time you get a menu and have a half dozen choices to choose from plus weekly specials!
Happy Hour 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm (3 drink minimum)… you believe that!??? They had a full bar, beer on tap and specials like Mud Slides and margaritas… Ok, I had ONE Mud Slide, but only ate the top ¼.
They had a full green salad bar, assorted pasta type salads and 2 types of hot h’orderves like chicken wings or fingers, meatballs, lasagna, ziti, etc… AND then they had a dessert to choose from. My favorite night was the “make your own Sundae” night.
So, we proceeded to spend Tuesday – Saturday EATING our way through Lazydays and dang it if we didn’t gain 5 pounds apiece! I’m happy to report that I did get Jimmy out for walks every day (it wasn’t’ very hard because we didn’t have a car to get around in and our coach was being worked on everyday)… We got taken to Wally World (Wal-Mart) one day to pick up a few things for the coach and that was fun but we were worried we might miss “Happy Hour” so we were a little rushed!!!
...When in Florida…
But the best part was the friends we made. I always knew “campers” were usually a really great group of people but these folks were AMAZING! We got talking with one couple who had been there for 21 days!!! They took us to the grocery store one day to pick up a few essentials. We really liked them a lot…
So, we come back from “Happy Hour” and the coach is really HOT! Great, what happened to the air conditioning? Jimmy starts flipping switches and plugging and unplugging things, but no luck. He goes outside and opens up the generator hood and the “neighbors” all start coming out of the woodwork! I’m in the bedroom with no shirt on and I start to walk out to the kitchen/living room and there is this stranger standing in the cockpit… Ummmmmmmm, HELLO! I hightailed it back to get redressed and come out to find at least 4 couples all standing in and outside of the door, trying to help Jimmy figure out what is wrong. Well, long story short, it was a Lazydays site problem and Jimmy got LOTS of advise of what to look for and how to fix this and that. We were so popular the next morning at breakfast!
See what I mean, great people!!!
We waddled our way out of there on Saturday afternoon and headed for Ft. Myers. What a GREAT place Lazydays is. We would HIGHLY recommend it if you are looking for a coach. Fantastic sales and service!!! From start to finish, it was an A+…
Our First Adventure with an RV
We pulled away from the house, filled up with fuel (diesel for the truck, gas for the generator and propane for the heat and cooking tanks). Pulled out with high expectations of our first day on the road and immediately the tension of pulling this huge 32’ trailer became hauntingly imposing. I had to plan all routes to exclude hard turns because this truck had a short bed and couldn’t make sharp turns without punching out the rear windows of the truck. Oh, I almost forgot to add that I was bringing down a bunch of stuff for the kids, Daniel and Val. The big item that I’m bringing is the Harley. I had to spend a lot of time strapping it down because I didn’t want this busting loose on the trip to San Jose. We also brought down a queen mattress set and a lot of clothes and a treadmill.
After 3 hours of slow driving, 55 or less and bouncing all over the place, we arrived in front of Val and Daniels. We couldn’t pull up because of a low branch but Daniel was quick to saw it off and drag it into the front yard and we were able to pull all the way in front of their house…and the neighbor’s too.
Cindi and I and the kids slept in the trailer the first night. The next night I slept on the green bed in the living room. Cindi and the kids slept in the camper the next night. It slept okay but didn’t have TV access or computer access so I stayed inside.
On Tuesday, October 20th, we pulled out of San Jose to head to Pacifica to do our first RV campground. Again I was panged with the high tension and my drama of pulling this thing and needing diesel before we got all the way there. This damn truck only goes 150-175 miles on a tank when pulling this trailer. The truck has a very small tank and exacerbates the fueling. We had to go down El Camino Real to find a gas station that had diesel and then we had to maneuver all over town just to get the right approach on the station.
Finally fueled and back on the hunt for the RV Park. Here’s an angst. The GPS doesn’t route you for big rigs or bus routes. Another thing, this truck’s side mirrors SUCK. I can’t see shit down the sides of the trailer when going straight, let alone when turning. It has no convex mirrors or cameras or anything to make it easier to tow. If this was going to be my experience with living in an RV, I’d pull over and put a “For Sale” sign on it and look for a motel.
We arrived at the RV Park and I was temporarily relieved that we had arrived. After checking in, I discovered that I had to back this pig up into a slot. Remember the part about the no sharp turns. I had to get under the hitch and wack this lever with a crowbar to allow me to slip the 5th wheel back to allow sharp turns. 45 minutes later and with the assistance of another concerned RV owner (the one I was supposed to park next to) we were able to get this big fucker backed into a slot. Not the one that I was supposed to be in but two over (and further away from my helpers' RV). He says that he was aiming for another slot but somehow we put it 3 stalls over. I didn’t give a shit. All I wanted to do was get out of that truck. I had to make 5 trips around that RV Park to get into the right position to back up.
.JPG)
Finally, it was time to rest. Oh wait, I got to hook this pig up (for the first time) so that we can have power, water and sewer dump. I had to raise the jacks, brace the kingpin with a broken tripod. I fixed the tripod so that it would take the weight off the overhang and we wouldn’t bounce in the trailer. Finally, I get inside and turn everything on. Oh wait, I can’t remember how to get hot water. 1 hour later and a phone call to Mike, I have hot water. Now I can relax. No, I just remembered. We have to get online with the free WiFi. Finally, at long last, I can rest. Shit, I’ve got to raise the antenna and search for TV stations. 
When I finally did get to bed, I died.
Walt Disney Museum, October 22nd and Cindi’s birthday. With the truck detached, we were able to get to the museum with no problems. It was a good start to a good day and it was beautiful in the Presidio and the weather was wonderful. I expected to spend a couple of hours in the museum and then go have lunch. Five and half hours later we finally got out of there. It was a great and wonderful experience but once done, I don’t see us going back. It's a well spent $40. They have a cafeteria there but it was really expensive. We headed for a real tourist trap, Pier 39.
Start date October 16th, 2009
Dinner in San Francisco. Well we didn’t get there, we only got close. We stopped in this nice little place that was made up to look like a 50’s grill and we ate there. It was near Ghirardelli Square. When we were done eating we walked around the Ghirardelli Square and ate some free chocolate and left for the RV Park. We were in the city so long that we had to deal with the commute traffic. It wasn’t too bad since we didn’t have a timetable or a schedule to keep. I’m really getting into this retirement.
Go for a hike on October 23rd. This is part of the doing what the birthday girl wants. Yesterday was great and it continued today. We drove down hwy 1 a few miles and saw a sign for a farmer’s market. We pulled over but the market wasn’t opened yet so we went to the shore to go for a walk. There was this hill that went up about 2-300 feet. We climbed up and got a little winded but that was okay. When we got to the top, you could see that there was another hill further up that would give you a better view of the coast to the north.
We climbed up that one, and the next one; have I ever mentioned how much I hate heights????! Fortunately, it was all downhill from there.
We were heading back and we decided that we'd drop a penny on the trail
and on every trail that we take for the next few years. So we took pictures of the penny and continued back to the truck and then to the farmer’s market. Got some fresh fruit and vegetables and then headed back to our white trash home. When we got there, Cindi wanted to take the bikes to the store and get more food and rent a movie. Done and done. The movie sucked. The food was good. The sleep was pretty good.
Hitch’n Up on October 24th. Actually, this part went really well. I couldn’t get the trailer pigtail to hookup in the truck bed. I remember that Mike said that the bumper hookup was the same so I just draped the pigtail over the tailgate and plugged it in. Brakes and lights worked, time to go. Check out was 10 and it was getting on to 10:30 and I wanted to get moving.
Finding fuel (again with this small tank). This damn truck is really thirsty. I’m still in the Oakland foothills and I need to find a flat, easy access, large clearance gas station with diesel. I pull off the freeway where sign indicated a truck with big D indicating diesel fuel for truckers. I get down the ramp and there is no sign of left or right for the big D. I choose right and of course the big D is to the left. I did find this private brand gas station with some on pump out of service and that leave 3 others to work my huge load into. 30 minutes later, I finally get my turn.
Screwing up the pigtail. After refueling, I had to work my way out of the small gas station. In the process, Cindi noticed that the trailer pigtail was damaged. I pulled across the street to an open lot. OMG, the pigtail had been dragging on the freeway and removed about 1/3 of the cable. I checked and the brakes still work but turn signals and brake lights don’t fully function. So I’m able to continue home with minimal danger.
Finally back in Roseville. Now I’ve got to get the pigtail replaced. At least I’m familiar with the area and know where to go and hopefully I can do this myself without having to move the trailer. I’m guessing with my luck so far that I’m going to have to take it in to Camping World and leave it there for a while. Good! I hate 5th Wheels! I’m so glad we decided to go with the bus. It convinced me that we have made the right decision for us. While driving down the road, Cindi can move about and go to the potty, lay down, get me a soda, work on her computer (offline) and I can play big bus driver and blow my air horns and scare the crap out of everyone.
After 3 hours of slow driving, 55 or less and bouncing all over the place, we arrived in front of Val and Daniels. We couldn’t pull up because of a low branch but Daniel was quick to saw it off and drag it into the front yard and we were able to pull all the way in front of their house…and the neighbor’s too.
Cindi and I and the kids slept in the trailer the first night. The next night I slept on the green bed in the living room. Cindi and the kids slept in the camper the next night. It slept okay but didn’t have TV access or computer access so I stayed inside.
On Tuesday, October 20th, we pulled out of San Jose to head to Pacifica to do our first RV campground. Again I was panged with the high tension and my drama of pulling this thing and needing diesel before we got all the way there. This damn truck only goes 150-175 miles on a tank when pulling this trailer. The truck has a very small tank and exacerbates the fueling. We had to go down El Camino Real to find a gas station that had diesel and then we had to maneuver all over town just to get the right approach on the station.
Finally fueled and back on the hunt for the RV Park. Here’s an angst. The GPS doesn’t route you for big rigs or bus routes. Another thing, this truck’s side mirrors SUCK. I can’t see shit down the sides of the trailer when going straight, let alone when turning. It has no convex mirrors or cameras or anything to make it easier to tow. If this was going to be my experience with living in an RV, I’d pull over and put a “For Sale” sign on it and look for a motel.
We arrived at the RV Park and I was temporarily relieved that we had arrived. After checking in, I discovered that I had to back this pig up into a slot. Remember the part about the no sharp turns. I had to get under the hitch and wack this lever with a crowbar to allow me to slip the 5th wheel back to allow sharp turns. 45 minutes later and with the assistance of another concerned RV owner (the one I was supposed to park next to) we were able to get this big fucker backed into a slot. Not the one that I was supposed to be in but two over (and further away from my helpers' RV). He says that he was aiming for another slot but somehow we put it 3 stalls over. I didn’t give a shit. All I wanted to do was get out of that truck. I had to make 5 trips around that RV Park to get into the right position to back up.
.JPG)
Finally, it was time to rest. Oh wait, I got to hook this pig up (for the first time) so that we can have power, water and sewer dump. I had to raise the jacks, brace the kingpin with a broken tripod. I fixed the tripod so that it would take the weight off the overhang and we wouldn’t bounce in the trailer. Finally, I get inside and turn everything on. Oh wait, I can’t remember how to get hot water. 1 hour later and a phone call to Mike, I have hot water. Now I can relax. No, I just remembered. We have to get online with the free WiFi. Finally, at long last, I can rest. Shit, I’ve got to raise the antenna and search for TV stations. 
When I finally did get to bed, I died.Walt Disney Museum, October 22nd and Cindi’s birthday. With the truck detached, we were able to get to the museum with no problems. It was a good start to a good day and it was beautiful in the Presidio and the weather was wonderful. I expected to spend a couple of hours in the museum and then go have lunch. Five and half hours later we finally got out of there. It was a great and wonderful experience but once done, I don’t see us going back. It's a well spent $40. They have a cafeteria there but it was really expensive. We headed for a real tourist trap, Pier 39.
Start date October 16th, 2009
Dinner in San Francisco. Well we didn’t get there, we only got close. We stopped in this nice little place that was made up to look like a 50’s grill and we ate there. It was near Ghirardelli Square. When we were done eating we walked around the Ghirardelli Square and ate some free chocolate and left for the RV Park. We were in the city so long that we had to deal with the commute traffic. It wasn’t too bad since we didn’t have a timetable or a schedule to keep. I’m really getting into this retirement.
Go for a hike on October 23rd. This is part of the doing what the birthday girl wants. Yesterday was great and it continued today. We drove down hwy 1 a few miles and saw a sign for a farmer’s market. We pulled over but the market wasn’t opened yet so we went to the shore to go for a walk. There was this hill that went up about 2-300 feet. We climbed up and got a little winded but that was okay. When we got to the top, you could see that there was another hill further up that would give you a better view of the coast to the north.
We climbed up that one, and the next one; have I ever mentioned how much I hate heights????! Fortunately, it was all downhill from there. We were heading back and we decided that we'd drop a penny on the trail
and on every trail that we take for the next few years. So we took pictures of the penny and continued back to the truck and then to the farmer’s market. Got some fresh fruit and vegetables and then headed back to our white trash home. When we got there, Cindi wanted to take the bikes to the store and get more food and rent a movie. Done and done. The movie sucked. The food was good. The sleep was pretty good. Hitch’n Up on October 24th. Actually, this part went really well. I couldn’t get the trailer pigtail to hookup in the truck bed. I remember that Mike said that the bumper hookup was the same so I just draped the pigtail over the tailgate and plugged it in. Brakes and lights worked, time to go. Check out was 10 and it was getting on to 10:30 and I wanted to get moving.
Finding fuel (again with this small tank). This damn truck is really thirsty. I’m still in the Oakland foothills and I need to find a flat, easy access, large clearance gas station with diesel. I pull off the freeway where sign indicated a truck with big D indicating diesel fuel for truckers. I get down the ramp and there is no sign of left or right for the big D. I choose right and of course the big D is to the left. I did find this private brand gas station with some on pump out of service and that leave 3 others to work my huge load into. 30 minutes later, I finally get my turn.
Screwing up the pigtail. After refueling, I had to work my way out of the small gas station. In the process, Cindi noticed that the trailer pigtail was damaged. I pulled across the street to an open lot. OMG, the pigtail had been dragging on the freeway and removed about 1/3 of the cable. I checked and the brakes still work but turn signals and brake lights don’t fully function. So I’m able to continue home with minimal danger.
Finally back in Roseville. Now I’ve got to get the pigtail replaced. At least I’m familiar with the area and know where to go and hopefully I can do this myself without having to move the trailer. I’m guessing with my luck so far that I’m going to have to take it in to Camping World and leave it there for a while. Good! I hate 5th Wheels! I’m so glad we decided to go with the bus. It convinced me that we have made the right decision for us. While driving down the road, Cindi can move about and go to the potty, lay down, get me a soda, work on her computer (offline) and I can play big bus driver and blow my air horns and scare the crap out of everyone.
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