RV-Dreams Journal

Mexican Riviera Cruise, Day Two - (Pacific Ocean)

Like I said in yesterday's entry, I was up at 5:00 am.  Not much else going on, so I uploaded pictures and did the Journal entry.

But the ship's internet connection dropped right before I posted.  So I had to come back later in the day to post.

Back at the room, I changed to go work out.  Linda decided to come along.

By this time it was 8:00 am and the fitness center was packed.  No treadmills or eliptical trainers available.

So we decided to walk the ship's quarter mile outdoor "track".  We ran into John and he walked with us.  After a mile, I left the other two to their power walking and ran a mile.

Then it was time for the breakfast buffet.  Of course I ate too much.  :)

Our cabin steward had made up our room, added ice to our ice bucket, etc.  Our bathroom is bigger than in the fifth wheel, but the bedroom is about the same size.

We put on bathing suits and went to find a couple of chaise lounges overlooking the pool.  Linda even took her beading since she got an order yesterday.  Hey, I might be able to write this cruise off as a business expense.  :)

We waited for our group to show up.  First, Therese joined us after her early morning spa treatment.  Then John found us.  It's amazing on a ship this big with 14 decks, that we can find each other so easily.

John wanted to go to the casino for an 11:00 am "gaming lesson".  I tagged along since I'm not much for sitting out in the sun doing nothing for very long.

We entered the afternoon's blackjack tournament and then watched as some of the dealers gave lessons on a few of the table games.

Then it was back to find the group.  We found them on chaise lounges in the front of the ship overlooking the bow.  Since it was away from the pool, it was much quieter with lots more space. 

Those are hot tubs on the bow.  There are at least seven hot tubs in various places.

We saw a couple whales breaching in the distance.  Cool.

John & I went to get a little lunch.  When we returned, the others decided it was time for them to get lunch.  John & Dan held down the spot and I went to take some pics.

I told you cruises are all about the food.  :)

Here is a quick shot of one of the day's activities.  This would be a participant in the "hairy chest" contest.

My next activity was a sports trivia contest in the Red Lion Sports Pub.  Tough questions.  I only got half of them.  The winner was a group that got 2/3 of them right.  :)

Then I met John at the casino for the 3:00 blackjack tournament while the girls were meeting at Gatsby's Bar for a martini tasting.

We didn't do so well in the tournament.  But I plopped down $60 at a table on the way out.  I got on a hot streak and walked out fifteen minutes later with $200!

We found the ladies and chatted for awhile.

Then it was time to get ready for our dinner reservations at 6:00 at Le Bistro.

It's a "specialty" restaurant with French cuisine.  "Specialty" restaurant means it has a cover charge.  But the food doesn't cost extra.

Food throughout the ship is no extra charge and that includes tap water, coffee, juice, and milk.  Soft drinks, bottled water, and alcohol costs money and they automatically add a tip to all of those.  So a soft drink will run about $2 a pop and alcohol is more like $6 a pop.  It can add up quickly if you're not careful.

Linda and I stuck to our water.  :)

Jonny & Christian are wine experts and bought wine for the table at dinner.  Linda was enjoying that.  :)

As was Sheila.

That's Dan on the left, Therese in the middle, and John on the right.

Jonny on the right and Christian in the middle.

This was my lobster & scallop martini.

Linda had a chilled halibut appetizer.

And we both had escargot in tiny pastries with garlic and butter.  Yes, that is snails.  But oh were they good!  Linda loves escargot.  :)

Next was french onion soup.  Then we had beef tenderloin and braised short ribs.  And we finished things off with a creme brulee and apple tart.

What a delicious meal and terrific service!   Five gourmet courses for a total cost of $30.  Wow!

Now our plan was to eat dinner at 6:00, go to the karaoke bar at 7:30, participate in the Family Feud game at 8:45, and finish off the evening with the Not So Newlywed Newlywed Game at 10:45.  But we ate dinner for 3 1/2 hours.  :)

So we just went to a lounge and listened to a band for a bit.  But that didn't last long and we all broke up about 10:00.

Back in the room, our bed had been turned down and the towel dog greeted us.  :)

See?  I told you they make animals out of towels.  :)

That was it for day two.  Linda was feeling quite good today.  A welcome relief.

We drifted off to sleep easily.

Tomorrow, we are still at sea and I'm entered in a Texas Hold 'Em tournament.  Beyond that, no plans other than to kick back and enjoy.  :)

September Financial Summary

September 2007 Results

Campground Fees $450.00 ($15.00 per day) - Budget $750.00

Though our budget is $750 a month, our new goal after the purchase of our Jeep is now $450.  Happy to have made that goal again this month. 

RV Clubs $39.00 - Budget $0.00

Renewed my annual Good Sam Golf Club membership.  It more than pays for itself with discounted greens fees throughout the year.

RV Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Propane $10.00 - Budget $10.00

Cell Phones $84.99 - Budget $81.00

Satellite Internet $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Note:  Satellite internet is no longer included in our regular expenses.  We now classify it as a business expense and we paid $798 in December 2006 for all of 2007.

RV Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Satellite TV $72.70 - Budget $75.00

RV Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $50.00

Diesel $0.00 - Budget $300.00

We didn't tow the rig in September and didn't drive the truck at all. 

Gas $196.81 - Budget $0.00

Here's one of those new categories related to the Jeep which of course we didn't budget for in 2007.  We drove the Jeep 1,000 miles in September. 

Truck Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $35.00

Jeep Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Truck Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Truck Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Groceries & Dining Out $359.83 ($11.99 per day) - Budget $400.00

Yay!  We finally stayed under budget in this category.

Our Groceries & Dining Out budget is based on $10 per day per month PLUS 1 really nice dinner out or a couple of medium priced dinners out ($100 total). 

Laundry, Clothing, Hair Care $432.95 - Budget $70.00

What!!!!?  Laundry has been free this month.   So it was all in Clothing & Hair Care.

Let's see.  There was the $100 salon appointment prior to the wedding we attended.  And the $93 fake hair which is supposed to pay for itself in the long run.  :)

And the $165 Mary Kay skin care purchase that covers us for the year.  And the new purse and new shoes for the cruise.  Oh, and don't forget the new bras for $89.  :)

Entertainment $39.00 ($1.30 per day) - Budget $200.00

Only one round of golf for this category this month. 

Insurance - Health, Life, Umbrella, Etc. $180.48 - Budget $0.00

What happened here?!  Well, we finally got comfortable enough to pay our health insurance premiums monthly through automatic bank draft.  In the first two years of full-timing, we wanted to make sure we paid our health insurance up front as a safety net.  But financially, it's better to pay monthly and let the extra money grow in our investments.  So we switched it over and our monthly payments started in August.  Of course we didn't budget the rest of the year for monthly payments (we had budgeted for an annual payment in July), so we will have to be careful.

Medical & Dental Expenses $326.29 - Budget $50.00

Well we had about $180 in expenses related to Linda's boating injury - doctor visit, prescriptions, etc.  And we had $146 in teeth cleaning which we self-insure.

Miscellaneous $258.06 - Budget $200.00

Various gifts and Sam's Club renewal.

RV Upgrades/Budget Cushion $0.00 - Budget $420.00

Totals $2,450.11 ($81.67 per day) - Budget $2,641.00.

Well, it looks okay.  But I was hoping to be $420 under budget rather than just $191 under.  That last category, RV Upgrades/Budget Cushion, is used up, so it's out of play.

So I'm a little disappointed.  But hopefully we will finish the year strong and under budget.  :)  

Now, I will keep including the following in these monthly reports until we believe otherwise:

I am still completely convinced that we could live on the road for $1,500 a month all-inclusive if we workamped year round.

And I also have no doubts that we could cover that $1,500 number with a combination of workamping and our little businesses.

We choose not to work that hard, but it is very comforting to know that we can do it if we have to.  If our investments tank, we are gonna be just fine.  :)

Note:  We got an email regarding the above statements.  It was well thought out, and I considered it carefully.  The gist of the email was the fear that the above statements make it sound too easy to live as a couple for $1,500 a month as full-timers.  He was concerned that we would be misleading folks about expenses and the ability to find workamping positions.  I agreed with the writer that finding year-round workamping opportunities is not that easy, but I still feel, speaking only for ourselves, that we can do it if we need to.  For tips on finding opportunities, check out our Earning A Living On The Road page, and my article on RV-Dreams Lifestyles called Finding Fulfillment As A Working RVer.   

For a look at this year's numbers through September go to Our 2007 Actual Expenses. To see our budget click on Our 2007 Budget.

On the income side, we brought in over $1,481 on our various ventures.  Our business expenses totaled $300, so we had a nice little profit of $1,181.00.

Our business income & expense summary statement is now available at Our 2007 Business Financial Summary page.

Mexican Riviera Cruise, Day One - (Los Angeles, CA)

Well, some folks sent us donations to help pay for our internet connection on the ship. And it's 5:00 am, so with the three-hour time difference, I'm up anyway.  I figured I might as well give you a rundown of our first day. :)

We were up at 4:30 am and got to my parents' house around 5:30. We packed all our stuff in Mom's Saturn and headed off to the airport.

My Dad had planned to ride along, but we didn't know that and there wasn't enough room. I felt bad, but I gave him a hug and told him it was just going to be a quick "drop & drive" anyway.  :)

We checked in at the self-serve kiosks and waited in line to get through security. Linda is not in good enough shape to stand for very long, so she was able to sit for awhile before joining me in line.

We got through security with only one question. "Ma'am, what's in this bag?" That was as her beading supplies were going through the X-ray machine. :)  We got our shoes back on and I took a picture of the security area.

That got me a good stare from someone in a uniform.

We got on our short 20 minute flight from Louisville to Cincinnati. By the time we landed, Linda's back was already sore. It wasn't going to be good on a 4 1/2 hour flight to Los Angeles.

We had a long walk and had to change concourses for our next flight. So we flagged down a golf cart to give us a ride.

I got us something to eat and Linda took a pain pill and a muscle relaxer. Our feeling was we could at least knock her out during the trip. That may have been our worst decision for the day.

We are not sure, but I think the medication coupled with the long flight, the altitude, and a little turbulence was just too much for her system. She had to use one of those little bags in the back of the seats. Not once, but twice.

She was miserable and there wasn't much that could be done for her. I just kept an eye on her and kept her supplied with tissues from my seat mates.

It turned out the couple sitting next to me and the couple behind Linda were all going on our cruise. I had nice conversations with them while Linda was just trying to make it.

Finally, we landed in L.A. We waited for the plane to empty. Then the flight attendants helped us and gave her some ginger ale. They had a wheelchair ready for her at the gate. It was not a good start.

The airport staff wheeled her to baggage claim while I lugged the carry-ons. We unloaded her onto a bench and I went to get the luggage off the carousel.

Linda called Eileen & Tony. You see, Eileen & Tony are readers that live in Southern California. And they volunteered to drive 40 miles from their home to pick us up at the airport and shuttle us to the cruise terminal. The RV-Dreams Family comes to the rescue again!

They arrived quickly and helped get us loaded up. Unfortunately, they didn't get to meet the REAL Linda. But we sure enjoyed the hour or so that we did spend together.

We got a few pictures in front of the ship ...

and with hugs and handshakes, we parted. Thanks so much Eileen & Tony! I'm not sure I could've managed getting a cab, all the luggage, directions, and Linda on this day.

Then Linda started going downhill again, so I had to get her onboard the ship. I was so distraught, I forgot to offer our chauffers anything for their trouble. Sheesh.

We got through cruise security just fine, but then there was a line to get checked in to board. Linda sat down and I joined the herd going through the maze. I got the attention of a staff person and asked her if she could get a wheelchair for Linda who was obviously not in good shape.

She requested a wheelchair and went and sat down by Linda and talked to her asking if she needed anything. They were wonderful! And they got us to the front of the line so we could board more quickly. Then they wheeled her all the way to our stateroom. Thank goodness for all the help.

Fortunately, you drop your luggage as soon as you get to the pier and it is reunited with you at your stateroom.  At least I didn't have to fool with the four big bags.

It was going to be a couple of hours before our luggage arrived, so we just got Linda into bed. We hoped that some sleep would cure her.

Our stateroom isn't too bad. I'll get pictures when Linda is not in the shot sprawled on the bed and not looking her best.  :)

We have a large picture window, but we look out at the lifeboats. I guess that's good or bad depending on if you are an optimist or a pessimist. :)

I left her to sleep and went to explore the ship. I had to cancel a shore excursion that Linda wasn't up for doing. So I did that and then I went and signed up for a poker tournament they are having on Monday.

Afterwards, I just wandered and hoped to find the rest of our group. I took a few photos along the way.

This is the main atrium.

The pool area.

And even the Goodyear Blimp showed up to bid us Bon Voyage!  :)

I finally found Therese & John and Jonny & Christian. Right where I thought they would be .... near the pool, and nearer the outdoor bar.  :)

It was great to see everyone, but I had to explain the bad news about Linda.  Fortunately, Jonny is a doctor, so that will help.

We had to do the mandatory ship safety drill before sailing, so Therese & I went back to the stateroom to see how Linda was doing. She had gotten some sleep.

Then we realized that Linda hadn't had her coffee for the day, so we knew part of her headache problem was the lack of caffeine. I grabbed a Diet Coke and fixed her a drink.

I think the caffeine and seeing Therese made her feel a little better. At least well enough to grab our life jackets and go out on deck for the safety drill.

After that, we went to Therese & John's stateroom. On the way, we stopped at the Internet Cafe ....and we signed up for 250 minutes of internet time. By purchasing it today, we got and extra twenty minutes. So I guess we will be communicating at least a little bit. :)

We made it to their cabin. Hey, these balcony rooms are nice. :)

After chatting there a few minutes, we headed back out to the pool area.

There we met up again with Jonny & Christian and the last couple of our group, Dan & Sheila. That perked Linda up just a little more.

She even got in on the toast ... even if it was just Diet Coke.  :)

We were sailing by this time, and there was a "welcome" buffet out by the pool. I went and got Linda some food. So the fresh air, the caffeine, the food, and seeing our friends seemed to combine to make her feel a whole lot better. Things were looking up at the Bier Garten.

We used to go on houseboat trips with this group in our younger days, and Linda would always "go ugly early" as we called it. She would ALWAYS overdo it the first day and feel terrible the second day. So I just told everyone she was getting day two out of the way in advance. Unfortunately, she wasn't having any of the fun that usually went with day one. :)

Sheila brought a blinking "I'm 50" pin for Therese and then added a foam pink tierra to go with it. The girls were gonna have a good time for Therese's 50th birthday, which is why we are all here. :)

It was a gorgeous afternoon as we coasted along the coast. We even got to see a pod of whales spouting in the distance. There were a bunch of them, but they were too far off for pictures.

A couple of our guys have already gotten lost on the ship after forgetting their room numbers. But after we all got back together, we moseyed down to the buffet restaurant - one I could wear shorts in after 5:00 :) - for anyone that was hungry.

Nice sunset.  :)

Linda didn't eat but the rest of us had a plate. But we didn't overdo it. We all split up around 8:00 pm. Since it was 11:00 pm eastern time, we were getting tired.

We went back to the room, and then made a brief stop at the Internet Cafe as Linda wanted to check emails. She got online at one of the terminals and I took the laptop to see if I could get on the Wi-Fi. She was successful, but I wasn't.

We hit a 9:30 comedy show in one of the lounges. Now either we were really, really tired, or the comedian wasn't very funny. So we went back to our room, and we were both asleep shortly after the lights went out.

Whew! It was a really bad day there for awhile, but we were all so happy Linda came back to life in the afternoon. :)

So now I'm up early on Sunday morning and in the Internet Cafe writing the Journal entry for Saturday. Linda is the one who is pushing me to write while we are here. So I guess I will be doing the entry each day ... maybe. :)

Well, off to see what day two holds - we will be at sea all day. So I'm hoping it's a whole lot of nothin'. :)

The One Before The Cruise - (Louisville, KY)

Well, this is it.

The last entry before our cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  Now I will be taking the laptop.  And the camera, of course.

But I don't know if we will be making any Journal entries from the ship.  It may be too much of a hassle.  It may be the internet connection is too slow, and therefore, too expensive.  It may be that we stay so busy I don't have time.  It may be that I just don't want to do it.  :)

So there are certainly no guarantees that you will see Journal entries while we are gone.  I'd give it odds of about 80-20 that you won't.  :)

Of course at some point you will see them, and they will have lots of pictures.  I'm excited to be going somewhere new with opportunities to get some interesting photos.

Now the month-end financial entry will also be delayed and we won't be in the Chat Room Monday night for weigh-in.  And we won't be receiving or returning emails until we get back.  It will take us awhile to get caught up, so please be patient.

But don't forget about us while we are gone!

We started packing early today.  But we still had laundry to do and we had to pick up our truck bed cover.

We went to my parents' house to do laundry, pick up another suitcase, and have sort of a farewell dinner.  I went to get the truck bed cover which had been repaired and weather treated.  It looks pretty good.

Linda designed yet another bracelet.  So she made these for the girls in our group on the cruise.

The little palm trees even have coconuts.  :)

Back home, we continued the packing.  Even though this cruise line, Norwegian, has free-style cruising, they still have a "resort casual" dress code in the restaurants for dinner.  I had to pack much more than I really wanted.

Seven pairs of shorts and seven t-shirts and a couple pairs of sandals should have done it.  But noooooo.  I even had to throw a sport coat in the suitcase "just in case".

The next time I'm on a boat overnight, I hope it's one of those Windjammer Barefoot Cruises or a charter on The Moorings with just a few friends.  Changing clothes three times a day is not my idea of relaxing.  :)

By the time we were done packing, we had a separate suitcase for shoes, and four suitcases overall in addition to our two carry-ons each.  And Linda has a bad back, so travel days are not going to be fun for me.

Linda is taking everything!  And she is still worried she is forgetting something.

All right.  I'm ready to just get there, put on my swimming trunks, and have a fru-fru drink by the pool.  We're gonna have a great time!

And you all get to come along!  Even if it is on a longer time-delay than usual.  :)

Cruise Wardrobe & Web Ads - (Louisville, KY)

Man, it stormed and poured all morning.  We couldn't sleep with all the weather, but we stayed in bed watching some TIVOed shows until after 9:00.  This was kinda nice.  :)

After the rain stopped, Linda went to the grocery to pick up a few items for our trip.

Afterwards, she went to her Mom's to look through some potential outfits for the cruise.  As it turned out, she realized that this would be the last day she would see her Mom for who knows how long.

They will head to Florida for the winter before we get back.  So Linda was glad she spent the afternoon there.  And it was an unexpected, emotional "see you later" for her.  I would have tagged along had we realized.

I watched the President's Cup golf event and played matchmaker for the "TIME" writer and full-timers willing to be interviewed.  :)

I also spent time putting our first "paid ads" on the RV-Dreams website.  We were contacted about placing a few text ads on five pages with links to a couple of websites for RV, car, and boat donations for charity.  That arrangement actually came about before we knew anything about the "TIME" article - guess they'll get their money's worth.  :)

I may need some help from some of our web-advertising saavy folks to assist me in pricing ads.  I don't have a clue about what we should charge.  I expect to get a few inquiries, and I will certainly be soliciting some RVing-related advertising.  :)

So I guess you could say I was sort of "working" all afternoon.  :)

Well, except for the time I took to clean up our suitcases that had been riding in the back of the truck.  We kept suitcases anticipating there might be a time or two we would need them.

Turns out that was a pretty good idea.  Plus, we keep extra seasonal clothes vacuum packed in space bags inside the suitcases.  So in addition to having them if we need them, they provide a little extra storage space.

Linda arrived home with cruise clothes to complete her wardrobe for the eight days we will be at sea.

I have found out that you can't wear shorts in most of the dining rooms/restaurants on the ship.  That was a rather disappointing revelation.  :)

So she also brought home a couple of casual shirts from Adam to go with the few pairs of slacks that I have.  Sheesh, I have to dress up more on "vacation" than I do in a year's time as a full-timer.  :)

Linda gave me a haircut, then she fixed us some flounder for dinner.

After that, we just settled in for her favorite night of TV - "Survivor" & "Grey's Anatomy".

We were asleep shortly thereafter.  Just one more day before we are off on a plane to L.A. and a tour of the Mexican Riviera.

It should be a lot of fun .... except for the having-to-wear-long-pants part.  :)      

Beads, Birds, & A New Calling? - (Louisville, KY)

Linda left for a beading gathering around 9:30.  She now has several of my relatives doin' the beadin' thang.  And today they got together to place a bulk order to get better pricing.  :)

While she was gone, I piddled around.  I listened to music, returned a few emails, corresponded with the "TIME" writer, did a little research, watched a little TV, and watched the many birds flying around.

We ran out of birdseed .... again.  So they were all after the morsels left in the window feeders.

This Downy Woodpecker peeked in on the way to getting some seed.

I got a good look at this Chickadee ....

and this Titmouse.

And all three species appear in this shot.  :)

It was a bit of an overcast, rainy day.  But rain is desperately needed in the area.

Our host, Tom, came by.  He returned Linda's casserole pan with a request for the Spaghetti Amore recipe.  :)

He also said his father-in-law was still in the hospital, and we would be getting new neighbors today.  With Vern's medical issues, one of Karen's sisters and her husband are arriving in their motorhome to stay for awhile.

Linda arrived home in the afternoon while I was preparing for a financial counseling session I was doing in the evening.  She forgot to get birdseed while out and she was none too happy about it.

It's not like her to forget her birdies like that ... and she was pretty steamed.  I would have laughed if she wasn't so mad.  But I know when to keep my sarcasm under wraps .... most of the time.  :)

Then we heard a knock at the door.  It was Vivian, Karen's mom and Vern's wife.  We hadn't yet met her and she came to introduce herself.  We chatted with this sweet lady for a little while before she headed back to the main house.

As I was getting ready to leave, Karen's sister and brother-in-law pulled in.  Nancy & C.T. are full-timers and are one of the reasons these wonderful RV sites exist.  :)

We met them briefly and offered our internet service to them.  It's kind of nice that they will be right next door while we are gone for the cruise.  Free internet in exchange for watching over our place.  :)

Then I left for my appointment.  It was going to be my first real financial counseling session.  I am seriously considering being a "mobile financial counselor" to earn a little income as we move around.

I read something that said you should "have the heart of a teacher and a passion for walking people through their specific situation".  I think I qualify in both of those areas and that wouldn't make it seem like a job at all.  The rewards from helping others would mean as much if not more than making a little money to support us.

Anyway, we had a good session this evening.  I'll have to think about it a little more and figure out how to do it without overly restricting our travels.  But I think we could make it work.

Since we have our own simple financial strategy help us get to where we are in a relatively short period of time, I've wanted to share with others and especially counsel young people.  The younger they are, the better chance they have for freedom at an earlier age .... if they are willing to listen and not fall into the traps that we did as young adults.

And freedom is what I'm preachin'.  So many of us have been imprisoned by money issues.  I want to help folks escape from or avoid that prison.

Then, maybe they can follow their passions and really live the life they want.  Heck, maybe even a few would like to be nomads, wandering around the country in an RV.  :)

Magazine Interview & More - (Louisville, KY)

We had only one thing on our mind early this morning.  We were getting a phone call at 10:00 am from a writer with a major national weekly magazine.

Now when Linda told me that we were being interviewed, I had to admit I was skeptical.

She said "TIME Magazine wants to interview us!"  I said "TIME Magazine?  Are you sure?  Time-Warner owns lots of different magazines.  Maybe she said she was from Time-Warner."  Linda insisted "She specifically said TIME Magazine.  They picked up the press kit from the RVIA pitch on full-timers that we helped with."

Linda wrote down the writer's name.  I searched the internet but wasn't sure if we had a correct spelling.  I found nothing.  So I was still slightly skeptical.

Why would TIME, a news magazine with between 3 & 4 million subscribers and who-knows-how-many-newstand-sales, be doing a story on full-time RVers?  That's one of the reasons we wanted to keep it under our hat until today - just to be sure.  :)

We had plans to be at my parents' house around 11:00, so rather than taking a chance on a spotty cell phone connection at the rig, we went into town early so we could use their land line and speaker phone.

Liz called promptly at 10:00.  I didn't rush right in and ask if she really was with TIME.  I let her ask her questions first.  But then I grilled her at the end.

She really is with TIME!  I got the correct spelling of her name and found several articles she had written.  :)

RVDude on the Forum came up with this mock-up.

Too funny.  :)  Now we certainly won't be on the cover and the story certainly isn't all about us.  We just happened to be the first interview.

I asked if the story was going to be part of some overall theme of the magazine for the week it will appear.  Maybe a "getting out of the rat race early" issue?  Nope.  Sounds like it will be a filler article, but that's quite all right.  :)

Actually, we are going to help Liz find one or two more couples to interview.  The article is going to focus on the trend toward full-timing before retirement.  So she is looking for one or two couples where at least one of the partners is still pursuing a career or "regular job" (not workamping) while on the road. 

So, if you fit that description and would like to be interviewed, please let us know.  Now, before you do that, consider whether or not you really want your story out there.  If you have a website, you may or may not want to let that be known.

It's one thing to be "public" within the safe confines of the RVing world.  It's quite another thing to have national or even international exposure to millions of people with quite a few whackos in the mix.  :)

I have to admit I'm a little nervous.  This may fall under "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."  :)

Hopefully, the exposure will help us pay some expenses to keep us on the road.  But will it result in email volume that overwhelms us?  And what about the nuts out there that ruin things for everyone else?  Will we regret this?

Well, we are going to have a positive outlook that the good will outweigh the bad, but we will prepare ourselves just in case.  We can handle it .... I hope.  :)

We spoke with Liz for about an hour and she asked many of the questions we normally get.  She was very nice and followed up with an email later.

She is lining up photographers in our area to take some pics for the story.  Hopefully, that will get done this week.

Liz said the story has been approved and it will appear in an upcoming issue, although there are no guarantees.  She will update us in a couple of weeks.  We'll let you know.

How exciting! And scary at the same time.  :)

As for the rest of our day, we made arrangements for an old friend to give my folks a quote on carpeting their house.  Since they moved in last year and we ripped up the carpet, they have been living with the hardwood floors.

The floors are nice, but old.  They are a bit slick, cause a bit of an echo, and sometime you can catch your foot on the head of an nail that works its way out.

Linda used to be in the carpet business many years ago, so we called on an old friend.  He gave my parents an amazing price, and he scheduled the installation while we are still here in town to help.  What a guy! 

My mom was quite pleased and they took us to lunch.  It was a good day for all of us.

We moved on to a couple of other errands and we made a stop to deliver a flamingo bracelet to Dianne, the future full-timer we met on Saturday.  We visited with her and her adorable Yorkie, Gypsy - a tiny little non-barking perfect-for-full-timing dog.

Dianne & Jerry have a beautiful house.  Another couple with a gorgeous home that is willing to give it all up for the freedom of the road.  :)

Back home, we relaxed and watched some new shows.  Linda made a list of things to get done before our cruise.  And I popped into the Chat Room to tell the regulars about our interview.  They often get to be the first to know everything.  :)

Well there you have it.  TIME Magazine.  What a hoot!  :)

   

Truck Bed Cover & Golf - (Louisville, KY)

First we had our weigh-in.  Linda lost 1 1/2 pounds and I gained back a 1/2.

We left around 9:00 and dropped off our truck bed cover at Fitzimmons for a little repair of a seam.  Since we have some new folks that are interested in the bed cover, here is a summary I wrote last year that includes pictures.

We started by dropping in on Fitzsimmons Auto Glass & Upholstery just to see if they might be able to squeeze us in to fix our truck bed cover.  It took a minute, but James remembered us.  James is the one who designed and installed our truck bed cover.

And since we have had a few emails on the subject, I'll try to describe the bed cover and enhance the description with some photos.

Last year, before hitting the road, we took our truck to James to see if he could design a custom cover for our truck bed.  Our vision was to have something that could be used while the fifth wheel was hitched so we could use the bed for storage 100% of the time.

James and Linda put their heads together to come up with the design.  It's basically a boat cover attached to the rails and tailgate of the truck with snaps (just like on a boat).  Up by the cab, the cover is attached to a heavy duty cord that slides in and out of its own little railing if we want to remove the cover completely.

In the center of the cover, James cut a hole large enough for the kingpin.  He added velcro around the hole and installed a flap that covers the hole when we are not hitched up.  Then he installed a zipper from the hole to the tailgate that allows the cover to open up until we are hitched.  The zipper is hidden under another flap so that it doesn't show and so that it is protected.

Once we are hitched, we pull the cover tight around the kingpin.  The edges of the hole in the cover slide into a position such that the hitch can move when we turn without damaging the cover.

We zip the cover from the tailgate toward the hitch - no easy task when hitched up.  So we developed a tool with a handle and a hook to push the zipper closed and to pull it open.

Here is how it looks without the trailer.

And here are some views with the trailer hitched.

In addition, James installed three removable, fiberglass bows across the bed - front, back, and middle.  With the bows up, water drains off the bed cover.  We can't use the back bow when hitched, so we have to remove it. 

This set-up is not completely waterproof, especially around the hitch, but everything we have stored forward of the hitch has stayed dry.  Items nearest the tailgate also stay dry - most of the time.  We only store things there that can take a little moisture.

Our buddy James is busy, but is going to have us fixed up by Friday.  Again, all it costs us for any repairs is a few chocolate donuts.  :)

The rest of the day was spent at the Chariot Run Golf Course in Southern Indiana.  We were sponsored by our Merrill Lynch advisor, Laura, to play in a golf scramble.

Since I cleaned house the other day and put the camera out of sight, I keep forgetting it.  Chariot Run is the golf course of the Caesars Indiana casino and it is pretty nice.

After our barbecue lunch, we teed off around 12:30.  With Linda bowing out, we only had a threesome, but she rode along.

Our team was not the best (understatement), but I played well for the first eight holes and we were three under par.  After that I had a brain spasm and completely lost it for the next seven holes.  We bogeyed all seven.  Not good in a scramble.  :)

We righted the ship enough to finish with three pars, but four over in a scramble is terrible.  We finished dead last.  But not by as much as we expected.  :)

We had fun.  We won some door prizes including a couple of $40 golf shirts, and I won some golf balls in a putting contest.

By the time we left, it was after 6:00.  And with the record heat for the day, I was exhausted.

Back home Linda made a little breakfast for dinner, and I programmed all the possible combinations of new TV shows for recording and took a shower.

At 9:00 pm eastern, we popped in the Chat Room for a little while.  Linda chatted until she could barely keep her eyes open while I did the dishes from dinner and from her casserole the night before.

Then it was off to bed.  We've got our interview in the morning, so we need to be sharp.  More on that tomorrow as we reveal a little more information.

A Forum topic was started on the subject of our interview and the magazine has been guessed.  But you will still have to wait to find out for sure.  :)

We'll let you know how it goes.  See ya.  :)

My Big-Hearted Gal - (Louisville, KY)

This will be a short entry today.

For some reason I didn't sleep well.  My main activity was flipping channels during football and golf.  And after I made us a late breakfast, I took a few naps throughout the day.  :)

Linda beaded and early in the afternoon said "I want to make dinner for the family."

She was talking about dinner for our hosts.  Assuming they would be at the hospital all day, she wanted to have something for them they could just heat up when they got home.

So she got out of her recliner, left her cold compress behind, and with her back aching, made a batch of her Spaghetti Amore for these folks we barely know.

Karen was so appreciative when Linda handed over the casserole.  And she reported that her sixteen year old son had said "The farm feels safer with them here" after our visit to the house last night.  :)

Yes, I have a little fun at my lovely wife's expense in this Journal from time to time, but she is a tremendous person I wouldn't trade for the world.

Whereas the full-timing lifestyle has helped break down a few walls around my heart, she has always "worn her heart on her sleeve" as they say.  I'm proud to have her as my partner and traveling companion.  And this lifestyle allows me to appreciate that more than our previous lifestyle.  :)

So here's to my big-hearted gal.  You make it a wonderful life, my dear.  :)   

   

New Friends, Family, & Late Night Scare - (Louisville, KY)

At noon we met Louisville readers Dianne & Jerry (DJ Wannabees on the Forum) at a nearby Mexican restaurant.  We had hoped to meet them while we are in town, and today was the day.

They have their house up for sale and are planning to start the full-timing lifestyle in the fall of 2008.  Actually, they are planning on starting as soon as their house sells and they can buy a motorhome, but they won't hit the road until Jerry can retire next year.

Their plan is to eventually settle down again, but they want to full-time for awhile first.

After treating us to lunch and an ice cream, they followed us to the horse farm.  They loved our little sanctuary and are hoping it may be a place they can live after their house sells.  We'll put in a good word for them.  :)

We walked down to feed the horses a few peppermint treats.  After chatting for awhile, Dianne bought a couple of bird feeders and a bracelet (Thanks Dianne!), and we eventually parted with the usual hugs and handshakes.

More nice folks.  Ah, the perks of maintaining this website.  :)

Later on, we headed to Linda's mom's house for dinner.  It was sort of a family-gathering, Mom's-birthday (this Tuesday), football-watchin' evenin'.  Linda's brother Jon and sister-in-law Denise joined us from Lexington.

During the yard sale last weekend at my parents' house, I did the laundry.  This week, Linda tried to do it and got most of it done, but her back is still not up to that chore yet.

We don't want to take any chances, so we cancelled her participation in a golf scramble we have for Monday.  And it looks like we are going to have to cancel a shore excursion adventure we had booked during the cruise.  It was a pretty physical tour.  As much as Linda wanted to do it, it's probably best that we don't.

Before Jon & Denise arrived, we watched the end of a pitiful Louisville football performance.  Oh boy, that was ugly.

Before the Kentucky - Arkansas game came on, we had our sloppy joes dinner and broke out a low-fat strawberry-chocolate cake Linda made.

We had an enjoyable evening watching the game.  Kentucky has been an SEC underachiever in football for many years, so it was impressive to see them win on the road as a ranked team.  They haven't been a ranked team since 1985.

Jon & Denise, being from Lexington, were especially enthusiastic.  :)  And very cautious.  It's been tough being a Kentucky football fan for many, many years, but their loyalty was rewarded on this evening.  :)

After all the goodbyes, we headed home.  We pulled into the farm around 10:30.

We noticed all the lights on at the main house and we were shocked to see a fire engine with lights flashing pulling in behind us.  We turned off the driveway toward our rig.  And the fire engine followed us!

What's going on?!  Is our fifth wheel on fire?!  Seeing no problems, we spoke to the driver.  We hadn't made the call, so we sent them to the house.

Soon an ambulance came in and we were worried about our hosts.  With lumps in our throats, Linda & I walked up to main house to see if there was anything we could do.

We didn't know if Tom & Karen were home and we were concerned about Karen's elderly parents.  We were relieved to see Karen, but her father had to be taken to the hospital.

He had shoulder surgery a few days ago and he had fallen earlier in the day.  With some uncharacteristic symptoms, they called paramedics as a precaution.  We were so glad it was not worse, but felt for Vern.

Whew!  We were scared on several different levels.  We hope Vern gets well and can return home soon.

We let Karen know we were available if her mother or son needed anything while she went to the hospital.  Then we walked back to the rig.

We calmed down and eventually went to bed.

I think we may just hang around tomorrow just in case this nice family needs anything.  Fortunately, we don't have anywhere to be.

We'll be thinking about you Vern.  :)