Camping World Seminars

Today, as I planned, I attended 3 seminars at Camping World. All were taught by the same man - Jeff.

TV Satellite Antennas Seminar

How timely this seminar was since Camping World is having a big sale on different types of satellite TV antennas. :)

There are basically two categories of satellite TV antennas:

1. portable ones that you set up each time you want to use it 
2. antennas that are permanently attached to the roof

Both satellite providers (Dish and Directv) work on each category, regardless of manufacturer although Directv HDTV can only be received using the Winegard Trav’lers.

The portables seem like the best to me even though they require set up each time. If you have an antenna permanently attached to your roof and you park in a wooded area, chances are you will not have adequate reception and your only option is to move; the portable can be moved around until you get a clear view.

To make the portables work, it’s a good idea to get a Satellite Finder which will show strength of signal as you are setting up.

I mentioned that they were having a sale. In fact, if you committed to a NEW two-year contract for standard (not HD) Directv, the antenna, cable, etc. was free. You would just have to purchase a receiver or, if you had one at home, you could take that with you.

I’m going to try to get along without a TV at least for a while. It will be a big adjustment, but I’ve got a lot of reading to do and may even get to writing again.

RV Roof Maintenance Seminar

The second and very informative seminar was on rubber roof maintenance and how important it is. Per the Camping World tech, the roof of your camper should be checked at least twice each year (he checks his quarterly). 

The roof maintenance, which I never want to tackle myself, consists of cleaning the roof thoroughly, checking for problems in the caulking around the edges of the roof and items like the A/C, vents, etc. adding caulking where needed and finally sealing the roof with a special sealant.

This seems like a job for Camping World each year, not for me. I have no desire to climb around on the roof. Maybe twenty years ago I would have done it, but not now. So now, I have another item for Camping World to do on Tuesday.

Tire Safety and Maintenance Seminar

The last and perhaps most important seminar, at least in terms of safety was about tire safety and maintenance. Let’s face it, when you’re tooling down the highway at 50 – 70 MPH and a tire blows, you could lose control and endanger yourself and others on the road.

Jeff started this seminar with a quiz: do you know how old your tires are? I did. The DOT on the tires tell you the month and year your tires were built.

He also asked when a tire should be replaced. My response was when the tire is 5 years old, regardless of tread. He said I was right though some experts stretch it to 6 years.

He also stressed that if one tire in a dually goes bad, both should be replaced because the difference in tread makes the tires track badly. I don’t have a dually, but some of you might want to know this important piece of information.

As I mentioned recently, I had wanted Camping World to install a tire pressure monitor system, but they didn’t have any in stock.

Jeff passed out brochures on the two systems Camping World sells. I’m glad they didn’t have the one on sale, because I really wanted one that not only monitors pressure, but also temperature and the one on sale did not monitor temperature.

In addition, I’m going to have to have metal valve stems installed since the rubber ones don’t hold up to the amount of tightening necessary for the sensors to work. The sensors take the place of the valve cap.

I guess I’ll order the system on-line from Camping World and have the system installed after I take my truck in for my 7500-mile service after I get back from Georgia. I’ll have Ford Service replace the valve stems when they put nitrogen in the tires.

Well, it was a great day for learning. I’m looking forward to visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom tomorrow. Then I can say, “Been there; done that.”

Until next time…

SPOT On!

In this post yesterday, I forgot to mention that while at Camping World, I purchased a SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker.

I had heard of these being used to find people in an emergency. In fact, it has a 911 button you can press, the result of which is that “in the event of a life-threatening situation, it sends your exact location (GPS Coordinate) and a distress signal to a GEOS 9-1-1 Emergency Call Center, which notifies the appropriate responders to come bail you out.”

What I didn’t realize when I bought it was that there were other functions:

1. The CHECK IN function “sends a text or an email and a link showing your exact location to let friends and family know you’re okay. Waypoints are stored so they can be reviewed later as well.”
2. The optional TRACK PROGRESS function allows friends and family to “track your progress in real time, complete with virtual views provided by Google Maps. All of your waypoints are stored so you can review your entire route at a later date.”
3. The ASK FOR HELP function, “in the event of a minor mishap, … sends a message and your location to request non-emergency help from friends or family.”

In addition to this blog, SPOT will help those who are interested to know where I am in terms of GPS coordinates and to be able to see exactly where I am or have just been using GOOGLE maps. I plan to do some exploring while I’m out and about and this will give me a back-up in case I get lost or hurt.

By the way, this uses satellite technology so it doesn’t rely on cell phone coverage or Wi-Fi. I just have to have a fairly clear view of the sky.

Unfortunately, because it took me almost 3 hours to set this up and test it, I never did get to my railings. Oh well, tomorrow is another day, but a day I plan on spending at some training sessions at Camping World:

• Which Satellite is Right for You? (at 10 am)
• Rubber Roof Renewal (12 pm)
• Tire Safety and Maintenance (2 pm)

It looks as if I’ll be tied up by this for the whole day and on Saturday, my friend Karen and I plan on going to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the day. Sounds like I’ll still be “railing” around next week, doesn’t it?

Until next time…

Railings vs Retirement – Today the Railings Won

Yesterday, I spoke to you about the joys of retirement and bragged about how I could put off important work because I was retired. Well, this morning, I could stand it no longer. I finally finished my railings, i.e., finished them except for the four posts.  As you can see from the following picture: I have repaired the last failing railing (like the rhyme?).

I tore down and replaced the two short boards with the ones shown here. This should be much stronger because I made room for the outer, reinforcement board to be nailed into the post on the left.

Tomorrow, I’ll work on the posts – at least, that’s the plan now. Who knows, tomorrow retirement may win again.

By the way, I went to Camping World today and made an appointment to take my camper in next week. I won't be able to put off hooking up the darned thing any longer. As most of you who know me are aware, I’ve been finding one excuse after another to keep from having to do this.

My appointment is for 8:30am Tuesday morning, but I plan on hauling the travel trailer over there on Sunday. Camping World will be doing what is known as a 45-point check. They check the thing from top to bottom and make sure everything is working, including electric, A/C, LP, range, heater, water heater, water tanks etc for leaks, black water and grey water tanks, tires, brakes, wheel bearings and who knows what else. I’m sure they’ll find some stuff to fix.

I’m also having two fans installed: an exhaust fan to replace the vent in the bathroom and an exhaust/intake fan to replace the vent in the living area.

I’ve asked them also to install a tire monitoring system, but they didn’t have one in stock – the service agent said they might have one in by Tuesday. If not, I’ll probably order one on-line and then have it installed when it comes in.

I look forward to getting this done so I can go camping a few times before I leave for New York.

On another note, check out the pictures below:

The above picture is of the cacti next to my driveway. The blooms, which appeared for the first time since I have lived here, are almost a foot tall. These look really impressive until you compare them with the ones in my neighbor’s yard. Of course, as impressive as these are, it also means there are a lot more spiky leaves to grab and poke you as you walk by.

Until next time…

I Love Being Retired!

In my last post (was it really Saturday?), I indicated I was going to spend the next day working on my railings. Well, here it is Tuesday and I still haven’t even touched the railings.

On Sunday, I basically goofed off for the day – I guess that’s a good thing since we all need a day of rest. I love being retired!

Yesterday, instead of working on the railings, I had to call for an Employer ID Number for my mother’s estate, visit her bank, close out her checking account and open a checking account in the name of her estate. It took about 3 hours/

After this, I felt justified in lunching at one of my favorite places: Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza. Not only do they have the best pizza around (not in my youngest brother’s opinion – his favorite is Westshore Pizza), but their chicken wings, Italian salad, and spare ribs are out of this world.

Today, instead of working on the railings, I went into Brandon and had a long breakfast/lunch with Joan, a friend of mine from where I worked before I retired. After I got home, I did the laundry and had a lot of eBay business to take care of. And, still, the railings haven’t been worked on.

I expect you can guess what I plan to do in the morning. Yep! Work on the railings… unless something more fun comes along. After all, I AM RETIRED!

Until next time…

My Kitchen Shelf Project Is Complete

As of today, I can say that my kitchen shelf project is complete. Today, I cut the Lexan and 1x2’s and put them together so stuff won’t fall off the the front of the shelves.

As you can see from the picture of them sitting on my kitchen table, I reinforced the bottoms of the 5” by 27 3/4” pieces of Lexan with the 24” 1x2’s. The Lexan will be levered into the front of the shelves with the 1x2 in front. Hopefully, this will provide enough support. The only way the stuff could slide off is if the Lexan breaks where the 1x2 doesn’t reach.

 

Tomorrow, I plan to try to finish the work on the railings of the ramp that goes up to the front porch of the house. I have two boards in one small section to replace and then have to cut and install posts in the center of each of the four long sections of railing.

This afternoon, I talked to my sister-in-law Esther, who finally was able to come back from Venice, Italy. She was delayed about a week because of the cancelled flights caused by volcanic ash. Wow, was she ever happy to be home! And are we ever happy to have her home safe!

Until next time…

Hard-Headed – I have Proof!

This morning, I put together the boards and Lexan that I’ll use on the shelves in my kitchen cabinet so stuff won’t fall off the right side and so the shelves can’t move to the right. See the pictures below:

Taking two pictures was probably overkill, but this way you can see my splendid handiwork. It went together pretty easily. I first fastened the 1x2’s to the 1x12 using two 2 1/2-inch screws on each side. I then mounted the Lexan over the gap that was left.

I was kind of worried that I would have to take down the shelves in order to get this masterpiece into position, but when I took this over to the camper, I found the piece would NOT fit because of another instance of NOT paying attention (see yesterday’s blog for a previous instance). Unfortunately, when I measured the height of the cabinet, I had measured from ceiling to the top of the board I put in the bottom. What I failed to take into account was the piece of metal rail attached to the ceiling which provides a place to use hangers for clothing. Needless to say, my handily crafted solution was a little bit too tall.

After I took it home and adjusted it, I took it back over to the camper and was able to slide it between the shelves and the wall without taking the shelves apart. If my camera battery hadn’t needed to be charged, I would have taken a picture for you. In any case, it’s in the camper where it’s supposed to go and will function as intended.

By the time I got that done, it was time to shower and change so I could visit my cousin Richard over in St. Petersburg. It was there that I acquired proof of my hard-headedness (is that a word?).

I took a couple of Christmas cacti over to him – his friend Roger wanted them. One of these cacti is older than I am and my mother has babied it for years. The other cactus was given to her by my Uncle Paul – she treasured this also because of that. The cacti took a beating this winter during that horribly cold spell we had, but I just didn’t think of them because it occurred while Mom was in the hospital.

After taking them out and closing the cover on my pickup truck, I caught my shorts pant-leg on the hitch ball and, after some incredibly talented dance steps, literally fell straight backwards, landing hard on my head. I didn’t see stars, but I was considerably shaken. And, my head bled a lot.

Dickie got me a towel with some ice and I held that on my head for a few minutes. I then wrapped my hair on top of my head to cover all of the blood, put on a hat (the one from Disney that says “You say Grumpy like it’s a bad thing.”) and we went to a British pub called the Horse and Jockey. They have fish and chips that are as good as almost any I have ever had. I couldn’t let a little blood stand in the way of the meal I had been anticipating all day. I took 3 Ibuprofen and still haven’t had a headache. As hard as I hit and as much blood as there was, it’s surprising I didn’t have a concussion.

Living alone, I try to be extra careful at home to make sure I don’t have to say, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Who would hear me? I guess I’ll have to be extra careful outside of the house also. I hope that’s the last time I fall like that or in any other way I could imagine.

Until next time…

Measure Twice, Cut Once, But Pay Attention

Why is it, do you suppose, that I spend most of my time scribbling on this post about my failures and foibles? Perhaps I just have too many.

As you can tell by the title, this may very well be another such instance.

This morning, I pulled my temporary coffee table loaded with tools out of my living room onto the porch and down the ramp to the back of my pickup. The wheels on one side really made it a fairly easy job, certainly easier than carrying each of the tools stored therein one at a time.

I opened my new cover, moved my bed extender out of the way, unloaded the tools from the cargo box (alias my temporary coffee table), then put the box in the back of the truck and loaded it back up. I moved it above the back wheels and secured it with a cargo bar that will prevent it from moving forward. The bed extender will prevent it from moving backward. In hindsight, it might have been easier to load it after I got it where I wanted it – that thing weighs a ton.

Anyway, the whole thing works well. I set my step stool inside the back too since I cannot reach inside the truck bed without it.

After this job, which took about 3 hours, I took a shower (boy, did that feel good!) and went down to Brandon to see The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I was entertained, laughing out loud a number of times. On the way home I stopped at the camper and re-measured the closet where my shelves are.

When I got home, I brought in the larger of the two pieces of Lexan I purchased the day before. My plan is to reinforce a piece of Lexan with 1x2 boards and install it on the right side of the shelves, not only to keep the shelves from moving right, but to keep the stuff on the shelves from sliding off to the right.

I needed to cut a piece of Lexan that is 15” wide. I used my framing square and very carefully measured a 15” wide section. I measured it the second time to make sure I had it right. I scribed the Lexan with a utility knife and it snapped off perfectly (quite an accomplishment, I understand).

My only problem was I had forgotten I didn’t have a square piece of Lexan and I needed to cut the 15”piece from the 48” length. Instead, not paying attention, I cut it from the 32” section.

But all is not lost. I will just use a piece of 1x12 I had left over and will fasten the Lexan on that a little ways down and reinforce the Lexan and the board with the 1x2’s. This will be even more sturday.

Once I get it screwed together, I’ll take a picture before installing it so you all can see what I’m talking about. It’s a safe bet I’m not describing this very clearly.

From now on, my new motto will be “Measure twice, cut once, but pay attention.”

Until next time…

My New Tonneau Cover and The Manhattan Declaration

 

My new Tonneau Cover was installed today. Isn’t it gorgeous?

 

I was a little surprised at how hard it was to pull the top down. There is a strap to grab hold of, but it’s an awful stretch for someone who suffers sore shoulders so often. I’ll add some kind of extension to the strap which will make getting hold of it much easier.

You also can’t tell be looking at it just how heavy it is to close. I think this will get easier once it’s been used a few times. In the meantime, next time you see me, I may have Popeye-like upper arms – heh, heh, heh!

The Manhattan Declaration

Anyone who has spent much time with me in the last year or so knows that I rarely miss the Glenn Beck show at 5 pm on Fox News Network. Today was no exception.

In keeping with his main themes of the last month or so (Faith, Hope, and Charity), his guests were Dr. Alveda King (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece), rocker Teg Nugent and a professor from Princeton. The discussion was about non-violent protest and how important it was in the 1960’s. They also talked about the Manhattan Declaration, a document that supports the sanctity of life, the importance of maintaining traditional marriage, and religious liberty. It has been signed by more than 460,000 people, including me.

If you wish to see the declaration and maybe even sign it, check out:

http://ManhattanDeclaration.org

 

Trapped in Venice, Italy

By the way, many of you know my sister-in-law Esther, the family’s own world traveler. She has been trapped in Venice by the Icelandic volcano, but has been told she will be flying out this Friday. Just imagine!

Until next time…

Another Rainy Day

Hard to believe, but it’s raining out again. However, I was able to go over to my camper and re-install the shelves in my kitchen cabinet.

See the pictures below:

In this first picture, you can see the boards I put in the bottom with the holes where I brought the legs up through. The bottom of the shelves do not move at all anymore, which adds to the stability of the whole unit.

In the second picture, you can see the shelves all set up. They are amazingly sturdy with only a few pieces of velcro here and there.

I will probably craft something for the right side which will serve two purposes:

1. Keep the shelves from moving to the right (they’re up against the wall on the left)
2. keep the stuff on the shelves from sliding off the right side

Because of the weight limitations, I’ll probably use a 1/8” thick piece of plywood and some 2x4 sections to hold it against the shelves on one side and against the wall on the other. There will also be a couple of pieces attached to the plywood that will span to the front inside closet wall to keep the plywood from coming forward. I’m doing everything I can to keep from putting nails in my walls anywhere.

I got a call today from Topper King in Brandon letting me know that the tonneau cover for the truck is in. It is painted the same color as my truck and will have a lock that works with my remote. I’m looking forward to getting it installed so I load the cargo box that’s pretending to be a coffee table into the back of the truck.

My appointment is at 11:30 tomorrow morning. If it’s not raining when I get home and if I get home early enough, I might make a stab at attaching the spring bars to my trailer hitch, or I might stop at Lowe’s to get the plywood and complete the shelf installation.

Until next time…

Rainy Day Activities

It has been raining here since sometime in the middle of the night. In fact, we lost electrical power for about 2 hours sometime during that time. I know this because I was awakened by the beeping of a couple of my UPS’s (Uninterruptible Power Supplies). This required me to get up and turn them off.

I’m surprised the beeping woke me up since I had been up pretty late reading, first, the manual on hitching and backing up, then a book recommended by Glenn Beck - Time Pirate: A Nick McIver Time Adventure. I found the manual on hitching and towing very helpful, though the proof of that will come when I actually try hooking up and driving the trailer.

The Nick McIver book is the second of a series (of two, so far). Not wanting to miss anything, I recently read the first in the series, Nick of Time. The books are supposed to be for kids, but like the Harry Potter series, I enjoyed them also. If you would like to read a couple of great books, I recommend them If you have or know children who like to read, or even if they don’t, I just know they will enjoy these books. They’ll learn a lot about history, loyalty, love of family and country, and courage.

Since I didn’t want to attempt to hook up the trailer in the rain, I spent the day inside. Actually, I would have had to spend some time anyway on my eBay business. I finally sold the 10-plate series called Last of Their Kind. I also sold 7 or 8 books. There’s a lot of paperwork involved, to say nothing of finding them and packing them up for shipment.

After my eBay business was completed, I finished Time Pirate, then watched a PBS special on Lewis and Clark I had recorded several days ago, and read my RV Travel ezine from yesterday.

I guess I’ll probably read a little more then go to bed early. Tomorrow is indeed another day. I’ll be finishing my camper cabinet, going to the post office, then going to Wal*Mart to see if I can find a container for storing my trailer spring bars, handle, and hitch ball assembly while it’s not in use. It came in a sturdy cardboard box. However, I’d like something just as sturdy, but impervious to water.

Until next time…

The Last Song

Today, my friend Karen and I went to see the movie The Last Song starring Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston. The book the movie was based on was written by Nicholas Sparks. It was a family-friendly film, but something of a tear-jerker.

Yesterday, I was able to cut the boards to length and put the holes in them to put in the closet. I hope this will keep the shelves from sliding around. This morning, I installed the boards in the bottom of the closet with the bottom legs up through the boards. Tomorrow, I’ll take a picture so you can see what this looks like. It really looks like it might work exactly as I hope. I’ll also add the velcro to the shelves and wall to improve stability. I sure will be glad when this is done.

Last night, I must admit to feeling a little overwhelmed about how the hitch goes together, even with the instructions that came with it. Then – I know it’s hard to believe – I had a bright idea: check out the internet for help with how all of this works. I found the best resource I’ve seen yet: a site with everything about hitching up, towing and even backing up. The instructions were divided into 12 chapters, with marvelous illustrations and pictures. Tonight, my goal is to read it, especially the parts about how to put the hitch together correctly.

Right now, the Lawrence Welk Show, a program on PBS my mother never missed, is just getting over. Wish she were hear to watch it with me. She would really have enjoyed this one – Joanne Castle, the honky-tonk piano player, was playing the accordion with Myron Floren.

Until next time…

A Hitch in My Plan

Today, very early, I set out for Weld-Rite to have a hitch installed on my truck. This was an absolutely impossible task since my truck already had a hitch!

Imagine my chagrin. I knew there was a hitch receiver and I had told the guy this on the phone when I made my appointment. What I really needed was the weight distribution arms, the hitch ball unit, and the brake controller. They installed these in short order and explained how everything worked. Of course, I immediately forgot almost everything they told me on my way home.

However, all is not lost. I do have the literature that explains how to operate these things. What I may not have is the muscle and agility to hook these very heavy bars to the camper. They seem to weigh a ton. but probably more like 30-40 pounds each.

This weekend, once I get the ants out from under the A-frame of the trailer, I’m going to give the whole thing a try. My friend Karen has agreed to help me. She’ll at least get a good laugh out of my trying to back up the truck so the hitch ball lines up with the trailer. And, once I get it hooked up (IF I can) and pull it out, how on earth am I going to back it up into the same place? It’s a little intimidating, but I’m determined to do it. Let’s face it: if I can’t my full-time RVing will be more than a little difficult.

Hope you got a smile out of this episode. I sure did. Just think of the adventures ahead.

Until next time…

Securing My Shelves

Today, I went to Lowe’s and picked up an 8-foot 1x12 that I hope will help me secure the shelves in my camper’s kitchen cabinet. I really need to get this done before I try to move the trailer.

As you can see from the picture, the shelves almost, but not quite, fill the closet.

The first thing I plan to do is cut the 1x12 to the width of the closet, then put holes in the board where the front legs can fit in. I will also cut another piece for the back wall with holes for both back legs. I’ll have to rip 3/4” off the board since the closet is only 23 1/4” deep.

Since the left and back edges of the shelves are flush with the wall, I plan to put some pieces of velcro on the wall and corresponding pieces on the edge of the shelves. I think 1-2” pieces of velcro spaced about 4-5” apart will do the job, since it really won’t be able to go anywhere once the 1x12’s are in place.

After that, I need to consider how to keep stuff on the shelves from sliding off the right side and the front. I think I might glue a panel on the right side and maybe cut some 4-5” high pieces of Lexan I can wedge in the front sections of all but the top shelf. I could use wood paneling, but I can see through the Lexan. If anyone has any ideas about this, I’d love to hear them.

Also, tomorrow, my cousin Richard is coming over and go to Camping World with me to look at trailer hitches. Once I’ve picked out the hitch and had it installed, I can make an appointment to take the camper over to have them check out all of the systems.

Until next time…

Simplifying Can Be Complicated

Today’s prepperupper blogpost referenced an article on simplifying your life. You can read that article at:

http://prepperupper.com/prepper-upper-how-to-simplify-your-life.html

(If you are interested in the prepperupper blog, go to http://doctorprepper.com. This site is maintained by James Talmadge Stevens, better known as Dr. Prepper, author of Making the Best of Basics --a terrific book on being prepared.)

In any case, as you all know, I am trying to get ready to hit the road full-time in my truck and travel trailer. If that isn’t simplifying, I don’t know what it is. It’s amazing how freeing it is to rid yourself of a lot of stuff.

Needless to say, doing this is not as easy as it sounds. With the limited space in a travel trailer, I have to divest myself of almost every treasure I own. Many of these evoke memories of Mark and my mother. I also have several treasures which were were given to me by friends or family and are hard to part with.

For example, I have a number of frog knickknacks, some of which were given to me by my dear friend Oretha Ziggler and her daughter, both of whom are now in heaven. Whenever I look at those precious little frogs, I smile and remember them.

Still, getting rid of all the STUFF is something I would have needed to do regardless – most of what I have would mean nothing to anyone but me. I don’t want my brothers and sisters-in-law to have to sort through all of this when I pass.

Federal Income Taxes

The last few days, I’ve been involved in that annual stress-fest: preparing my federal income tax. Today, I finally finished and e-filed them. This morning, when I thought I was done, Turbo Tax told me I would get a $4900 refund. I knew this couldn’t be right; it wasn’t. Instead I owed about $300. I can’t tell you I wouldn’t have enjoyed the big refund, but feel much more comfortable with owing a little instead.

I wish we could eliminate the IRS (note the-IRS spells theirs) and our income tax system could be replaced by a consumption tax. It could be administered by the current sales tax systems that already exist in most states and the taxes you pay would be based entirely on what you spend. This would be the fairest way to collect taxes, would jumpstart our economy, and would reduce the controls over the people that the income tax provides to the government.

Sorry for the rant, but the government is BANKRUPT and OUT OF CONTROL. And all political parties are guilty.

I guess I’ll go cool down.

Until next time…

A Quiet Sunday

One of my favorite things to do on Saturdays is reading my on-line RV Travel magazine. I learn so much about RVing. In case any of you would like to enjoy this publication, it’s a free subscription. Just go to RVTravel.com. The latest issue can be found at: http://rvtravel.com/issue424.shtml

Sure, there is some advertising, but web sites and maintaining them cost money. They do provide a place to make a donation to help with the magazine if you feel so inclined.

With my travel and other busy-ness, I didn’t get to last Saturday’s magazine until this morning and spent this afternoon reading the one from yesterday.

Today, I was reading my magazine while watching the Joan of Arcadia marathon on the Gospel Music Channel. What a great, family-friendly show that was, and with some of my favorite actors: Joe Montegna, Mary Steenbergen, Amber Tamblyn and Jason Ritter (John Ritter’s son who now has a small role in Parenthood).

From RV Travel, I learned the steps to take to level a trailer, got some great hints on campground electricity, some truths about deep-cycle batteries, read an article called Backing a Trailer 101 etc., etc. There are also a lot of references to intriguing places all over the country.

My cousin, Ethelyn, will be pleased to know that:

“A Pennsylvania woman has unearthed a 3.17-carat canary yellow diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park. The park's diamond mine is the only one in North America where the public can search and keep diamonds and other gems.”

I just know that she and her husband will want to stop there on their way to El Paso, TX to visit her daughter Susan and family. Might be kind of difficult to do if they fly.

Looking forward to tomorrow and, hopefully, completing my Federal Income Tax. As some of you know, Florida does NOT have a state income tax.

Until next time…

Movies and More

This morning, my friend Karen and I went to see “Date Night,” the recently released movie starring Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Mark Wahlberg. I had seen previews showing hilarious parts of the movie, and like always, worried that what I had seen in previews comprised all of humorous parts. Believe me, it did not. It was thoroughly entertaining and funny throughout.

Lunch

Lunch at Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza in Brandon was next on the agenda. There are three in the Tampa area – see: http://www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/hillsborough.html

If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by. They have a variety of delicious dishes, including “well-done” pizza (my favorite is pepperoni, calamata olives and sweet peppers), luscious chicken wings, spectacular spare ribs, tasty Caprese salad (fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil and sweet peppers), and so on. Service is great. The staff is friendly and helpful. I’m getting hungry for it again just talking about it.

Income Tax (Shudder!!!)

After I got home, I worked some more on my federal income taxes. I am determined to complete them by Monday evening and hope not to have to pay a fortune with the return.

Storage in My Pick-Up

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I had bought a big cargo box for the back of my pickup. This afternoon, I brought it in the house and tried loading my tools into it. I’ve managed to load my rechargeable drill, my rechargeable jig saw, my electric drill, my Black & Decker circular saw, my toolbox, a toolbox with an assortment of socket wrenches, and my bow saw. Believe it or not, there’s still a bunch of room left for when I clean out the tools in my .

I guess I’ll be using this box as a coffee table until my new Leer pickup cap is installed (it’s due in 2-3 weeks). Then, I’ll have to empty it, move it to the pickup, and reload the tools.

As the time to “hit the road” gets closer, I find myself getting excited about the possibility of being on the road full-time. Now if I can just get my house sold, I’ll be ready, or at least as ready as I’ll ever be.

Until next time…

Easter, 2010

This year, I spent Easter at my brother Jeff’s near Atlanta. Since I did not return until Wednesday evening and did not take my computer with me, this is the first chance I’ve had to post to my blog. From now on, though, there should be no excuse for not posting daily entries.

I took a few pictures of the family after we ate too much ham, macaroni and cheese, corn, asparagus (Jeff sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on it – yummy!), etc. etc..

Above is my sister-in-law, Kathy, and Jerry, a good friend of Jeff and Kathy.

Here are Jerry again, my brother Jeff, and his mother-in-law, Grace.

Here’s Grace again and my nephew, Chris.

 

Sleeping with the bear on his lap is my nephew, Greg.

Don’t I have a great family? I’m surprised they let me be a part of it.

What a beautiful time to be in Georgia. EVERYTHING was in bloom as you can see by the following photos.

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Believe me, these pictures do not begin to do justice to the splendor arrayed in Georgia this spring. What these pictures do not show is the pine pollen that was everywhere. By the time I got home, my gorgeous red truck was GREEN. A visit to the car wash down in Plant City restored the glorious red color.

I wish I could have taken a picture of some of the areas on my trip back. Between Atlanta and Macon, there was so much pine pollen in the air, it was hard to see very far ahead at times. From Macon through the rest of Georgia, what stood out were the spectacular wisteria vines, covering up the trees from top to bottom with their lavender flowers.

Today, after visiting the Ford dealer to have my bed extender installed, I went to Wal*Mart and bought a big cargo box for storing my tools in the back of my pickup truck. The box is 19” high, by 25” deep, by 38 1/2” and has wheels on one end, which is a blessing since it’s fairly heavy.

Next week, I plan to visit Camping World and have them install a trailer hitch on my pickup, then have them check out my travel trailer.  It shouldn’t be long now before I “hit the road,” as the voice of Homer Simpson tells me on my Tom Tom GPS unit.

Of course, my plans for camping hinge on whether I can learn to back up the travel trailer and even go around a corner without running over the curb.

Until next time…

Epcot, Glenn Beck, and My New Pickup

First, let me apologize for the long gap between the last time I posted my blog and now. Needless to say, I’ve been extremely busy, but that is no excuse. I imagine the length of this post might help make up for it.

Last weekend, I treated myself to a day at Disney and attendance at American Revival, a Glenn Beck rally with the theme of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Then, on Monday, I visited Jarrett-Scott Ford in Plant City and purchased a new Candy Apple Metallic Red Ford F-150 XLT pickup truck.

Epcot Center

On Friday, I visited Epcot Center. It was a perfect day to be strolling through the park. The flowers were even more beautiful than usual since Epcot is holding their International Flower and Garden festival. A few of the photos (in no particular order) I took during my visit are in the following album:

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What a gorgeous day it was! Not too hot and not too cold. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze, just enough to keep from getting too warm. I hope the photos will make it possible for you to enjoy my visit vicariously.

American Revival with Glenn Beck

I guess you could say that I am a fan of Glenn Beck. Unless I am out of my house or out of my car, I listen to Glenn Beck’s radio show five days per week, three hours per day. I always watch his show on Fox News at 5 pm Monday through Friday, even if not as it’s broadcast, since I record it every day.

I was so excited to learn that Glenn was coming to Orlando on March 27th and that I would be able to attend. I was not disappointed.

The program was extremely informative and entertaining. Glenn had three speakers discuss the Faith, Hope and Charity themes respectively. David Barton, David Buckner and Judge Andrew Napolitano were incredible, then Glenn brought it all together.

Faith

The solution to our problem is not in Washington, but from God through us.

David Barton, who probably owns more original documents from the time of our nation’s founding than any other individual, spoke on Faith. He pointed out that of the 192 nations in the U.N. this year, revolution occurs every 30 years. We’re more than 200 years old and have not had a revolution.

He spoke of the philosophy of our American Government as stated in the following 55 words of the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.

In his talk and in the printed materials we were given, David Barton pointed out that 4 unchangeable principles make up the heart and soul of American government:

1. There is a Creator.
2. The Creator gives specific inalienable rights to man.
3. Government exists to protect God-given rights.
4. Government powers are to be operated only with the permission of citizens.

He spoke of how great the role of prayer, and even fasting, played during the Constitutional Convention.

He also spoke about how our history has been revised and deconstructed. Truth has been distorted so long and lies repeated so often, it’s no wonder our citizenry is so deceived about the founding of our country and the character of the Founding Fathers. Were you aware that prior to 1815, our government had 1400 calls to prayer.

I was not aware, but apparently John Locke’s writings played a big part in the way our government was developed. I immediately downloaded John Locke’s writings to my Amazon Kindle. I’m looking forward to exploring this.

Did you know, for example, that the first Congress of the United States printed 10,000 BIBLES “for use in our schools?”

Hope

Glenn Beck says Hope can only be real if it is based on truth.

David Buckner, noted economist, who spoke on Hope, offered some really scary statistics:

The U.S. debt is multiplying astronomically:

1990 - $3.2 Trillion

2000 - $5.6 Trillion (75% increase)

2010 - $14.4 Trillion (157% increase)

Our level of spending is unsustainable. The risk is high.

If there is an increase of 1% in the interest rate, we would owe $144 billion.

If there is an increase of 16% in the interest rate, we would owe $2.3 trillion.

Consider the promises the U.S. has made:

$14.4 trillion to lenders

$6.6 trillion to Social Security

$36.3 trillion to Medicare

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$57.3 trillion - every man, woman & child owes $184,000

BUT as George Washington said: “WE MUST NEVER DESPAIR.”

No one knows what I want better than I do, so TRUST ME!

Americans are insightful, innovative and enlightened.

According to Charles Spurgeon, “A groundless hope is a mere illusion.

HOPE:

Home: It all begins here.

Ownership: Take control of the process.

Prepare: Avoid the FIVE fallacies:

• It never happened before
• It’s always gone this way
• Everyone else is doing it this way
• The experts say…why would you question me?
• Trust us…we’ll take care of you

Education and Engagement

79% of people believe we’re headed for an economic collapse.

Charity

The secret of CHARITY – YOU decide to give it away.

Our Constitution allows us to get rich and to do what we want with our money.

Judge Andrew Napolitano says the earth is either flat or round. An act of government can’t make it one way or the other.

Our Constitution is based on The Natural Law/ the Natural Order of Things. Our rights come from the Creator. These rights are inalienable.

Judge Napolitano make it clear that charity is not when the government takes your money through taxation and gives it to someone; it’s when you decide to give you money to someone or some organization.

GLENN BECK – KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Glenn’s message was almost more a sermon than a speech. It was extremely inspiring. Some of what he said I noted are:

Believe, he said. I was blind, but now I see.

It doesn’t matter where you were before; it’s where you are now.

Failure is a blessing!

It’s not compassionate to NOT let people fail.

Question with boldness – honest questions.

There’s no such thing as coincidence.

We have to figure out the value of our soul.

If God is for us, who can stand against us?

Don’t dismiss anything.

Never dismiss that inner voice.

Ghandi said: “Truth is an anvil; Non-violence is the hammer.”

We have the TRUTH. We know the TRUTH. We need to restore the TRUTH.

Next Actions:

1. Get a moleskin notebook.
2. Write down what you see, what you read, what you experience, what you feel.
3. Put it on paper.
4. Everything happening today is history; Pass this information on to the next generation.
5. Remember who we are.
6. Struggle makes life worth living.
7. Play offense; we are the majority!
8. Be our grandparents.
9. We have to be lifeboats for our friends.

Glenn indicated that he and his staff are developing a budget that will help us find the way out for the USA. It will require a 40 – 50% slash in spending and reducing taxes to about 12%.

My New Pickup

On Monday, I purchased a new Ford F-150 XLT Super-cab pickup truck. It has built-in SIRIUS radio, is candy apple metallic red, and compared to my Dodge Caravan, HUGE. See the pictures:

As you can see by the way it is situated in the parking spot, I haven’t quite got the parking down pat. For a couple of days, I didn’t realize how far down the driver’s seat was. Once I raised the seat (probably 2 – 2 1/2 inches) and lowered the pedals (all via power controls), I found it easier to know where I was.

If you want a laugh sometime, come and watch me try to back it into my driveway. I can’t imagine what will happen with a camper attached.

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Jeff’s to spend Easter. Next week, I’ll be talking with the folks at Camping World and hope to have the camper ready for its premier camping trip by next weekend or the one after. I have to get a hitch put on the truck and have the camper inspected, any repairs made, and learn how to operate everything. Camping World provides that service.

Whether I’ll be able to get the camper into a site is anyone’s guess.

Until next time…