Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Warm and Wild

Another fabulous day in paradise. Weather has been unseasonably warm for The Harbor City, properly known as Melbourne, Florida. No excuses not to get out and live!

We rode our bicycle.

We ran like a bullet.


We oohed and aahed.

Life is goof!



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Monday, December 29, 2014

Free Entertainment

I have to stop and rest often while out on my bicycle. I can't seem to get my body to agree this is a good thing, but one reason I chose this park to camp in this winter was because I could more or less safely exercise on my bicycle daily. It's pure torture but I grin (grimace!) and smile and wobble along with a doggy in my front basket.

I drag myself out daily unless it's pouring down rain. My doggy loves riding, because one of our breaks is at the off-leash doggy park about a mile away. Harley can get in his running and walking exercise while I recuperate from the ride. Also, it seems many days, I don't have the energy to both give him lengthy walks and give me a workout on the bicycle, so being in this park this year is a huge bonus for me!

Sometimes we get to stop, rest and enjoy some free entertainment. This gives my aching body a rest before I resume the thrill (torture!) of bicycling.

There is a local club here with remote controlled sailboats that come out to the park 2-3 times per week to race their sailboats. The wind pushes the little boats and the admirals ashore use a remote controlled wireless device to steer and tack the boats. It's fun to watch!








The view from the bicycle...

In the background is the little lake where the sailboats race.


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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Exhaustingly Home


Home is where I bark my dog, I mean bark my pike, um bark and bite, seesh... park my bike...


Riding my bicycle to the park and bark park and park park is exhausting. I wobble, stop and restart. I never thought re-learning to ride a bicycle after 40 something years would prove so ridiculously challenging. Furthermore, I am so exhausted from my short excursions that nothing else gets done.

Harley is famous. I was riding in the middle of nowhere on a dirt path figuring I was safe from traffic. Finally we came across 2 ladies walking 1 dog. As we rode past, one lady said "Oh look here come Harley on his bicycle."

No mention of the clown peddling with all her might trying to stay upright... I gave them a breathless smile (for not calling me a clown).

Life is goof!

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Friday, December 26, 2014

Another beautiful day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and fabulous holidays. Angels went out of their way to make my holidays super bright. I feel so humbled and very grateful.

My day was super low key, but fantastic because the sun came up and I watched it arise. I have so very much to be thankful for.

My silly dog celebrated his 5th birthday with enthusiasm and joy. At the dog park we were the only ones around, but he danced, pranced and ran like a bullet.

The park where I torture myself (oops, I mean ride my bicycle) was quiet, it was nice to ride the bicycle without the stress of speeding traffic. Some folks come inside the park where the posted speed limit is 15mph to drive 40mph. Not sure why that is. The park road is mainly a big loop, so what is the big hurry?

As one approaches the campground, the entrance road is 10 miles an hour (posted) and the campground itself is 5 mph (also posted). A few folks think 5 means 55. Maybe they see double (or somebody spiked their eggnog!)

Other days they slow down to gawk at me wobbling around uncertainly  on my shiny red bicycle with a silly monkey dog in my front basket and the garbage in my back basket as we head for the daily dumpster drive. Some days I tie a long skinny scarf around my forehead like a headband with the long ends flying in the wind behind my back (I have to peddle really fast for this!)

I pray the big fast cars and SUV's don't run me down, and so far, my prayers are answered (though it's still a bit dicey at times.)

Life is goof!



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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Four Paws and a Tail Old


It’s Harley’s birthday! He if four paws and a tail old, which makes him 5 years by human calendars. He is an endless puppy who is spoiled rotten. He found both his birthday toy and Christmas toy two weeks ago (bad doggie!)




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Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Past

Fun Holiday Stuff I wrote from Christmas past:


A Whale of a Christmas Tale (Caribbean mayhem)


Have Your Elf A Merry Christmas (Really bad jokes and puns)



Super Easy Christmas Fruitcake Recipe (Read it if you need a smile)


How to Make Bedroom Slippers for Christmas (Read it if you need a giggle)


Silent Night (A video to view if you need peace and tranquility)


Oh look, someone decorated their Palm Tree for the Holi-Daze!
Well, what the heck, Christmas comes but once a year...

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Sunday, December 21, 2014

Winter Solstice



Days are short, lines are long, yawns are frequent.

The bears have the right attitude… hibernate.

They are so lucky! They can fatten up then diet while they sleep.

Now there’s an idea I like.





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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Leftovers

More than once I've had people tell me they don't eat leftovers or someone they love and cook for refuses to eat leftovers. This is mind boggling to me. I grew up in an era when it was unconscionable to let good food go to waste. My  efficient lifestyle is such that I use every scrap of food. In many cases I purposely cook too much so that I have leftovers to store in the fridge for future reference (to be eaten!)

I am talking about homemade leftovers, not restaurant leftovers. That's a whole different subject for another day.

Homemade leftovers don't have to be consumed at the very next meal, you can wait a day or two, just cook and eat something else in the interim to change things up. Most leftovers will happily keep three to five days  if they have been properly stored in air tight containers and the fridge is kept at an icy cold temperature around 34-40F degrees.

I used to cook exotic meals on yachts for charter guests and in spectacular vacation villas in the Caribbean. I never served leftovers on charter yachts or in the vacation villas. People were paying for fine dining. Besides, any leftovers were happily consumed by the crew or hired help.

Those were some fun days, but now life is very different for me.  Now my cooking is very simple and easy, but I must admit, my past gives me a craving for a huge variety of foods.

Many times I remake leftovers into something new. I thought maybe I should start collecting photographs of leftovers I remake as an inspiration for other cooks.

Rummaging around my fridge, I found the following leftovers:
Half of a baked acorn squash
Lima beans (dried beans slow cooked in the crockpot)
Rice pilaf (made with herbs, onions, garlic and peppers)
Chopped chives

I split the acorn half, divided up the leftover beans into the well of the squash, topped that with the rice, then garnished with chives.  A few minutes in the microwave brought this dish to life.



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Monday, December 15, 2014

15 Things I Wish I Had Known When Buying My Used RV for Fulltiming



I am celebrating my 5 year anniversary of owning my little old motor home which I have lived in fulltime year round since buying it.  It was a 1994 model  built on a 1993 chassis, bought in 2009, so my bill of sale says it’s a 1994 but my state’s registration insists it’s a 1993. Registering my motorhome was my first introduction to the New Math that is apparently unique to the RV industry.

Here’s my advice for those desiring life on the open road in your own little old wheel estate.

First and foremost, learn the NEW MATH because this  lifestyle has it’s own exclusive way of interpreting numbers that I am still confused about but will attempt to explain anyhow.

RV Definitions for the Sticks and Bricks Folks
In the USA rolling homes are often referred to as RV’s. This stands for either Recreational Vehicle or Residential Vehicle or Rolling Vessel. Caravans are the favored terms in other cultures also meaning a camper equipped with living quarters such as a motor home or trailer of fifth wheel which is a trailer with a fancy hitch.

OK, on to my list of advice:

Driving Techniques
When things fall off the motor home, pull over and pick up the pieces. (That stuff is expensive!)

Gas Mileage (And the New Math)
Everyone lies about the miles per gallon, especially the sellers and dealers of a used RV‘s. If you keep detailed records of your gas purchases and miles driven, you will either (A) go crazy or (B) come up with about half of what everyone else claims.

Repairing a Motorhome
Fill your tool box with super glue, WD-40, Gorilla Tape and several credit cards. Oh and throw in a few tools if you feel up to it. (Remember if a hammer doesn’t fix it, then you have an electrical problem. )

Affording RV Parts
When gear falls off other people’s RV’s, most folks are unaware and keep on driving, leaving debris in their wake. Slam on your brakes and pick up their parts (this will save you a bundle in the future.)

RV Repairmen
Most RV repairmen get attached to you quickly and love your company. They love you so much, they sometimes break other things or fail to properly fix the initial repair so that you return again and again to bask in their love for you. Small wonder they greet you with open arms and generous smiles.  Greet them with open wallets. They will love you even more.

Best Way To Keep your RV Carpet Clean
Remove all carpet and replace with vinyl flooring.  A broom is much easier to store than an upright vacuum cleaner.

Broom Closet
Nearly all motorhomes thankfully come with a little broom closet.
90% of the  RV’s don’t come with room to store a proper vacuum cleaner, you know the big upright kind that is strong enough to keep all that fancy carpet clean. This is one of several practical jokes the RV designers have in store for you.  So why can’t you store your big carpet-beater vacuum cleaner in that nice little broom closet? Well, there just isn’t room because the engineers have thoughtfully placed a toilet and sink in there.

Planning Your Annual Maintenance and Repair Budget In 3 Easy Steps (More New Math)
Come up with a yearly figure you can afford that seems reasonable and generous.
Multiply by ten.
Set aside twice this amount.
This will cover your maintenance and repair costs for about half the year.

Campgrounds, RV Parks and Web Pages (Newfangled Math)
By searching the internet you can often find beautiful RV Parks in desired locations with rates you can afford. Thanks to the marvel of modern computers, a web page can be updated with new pictures and correct camping rates in about 2-3 minutes. Sometimes when one shows up,  the campground looks nothing like the pictures. That’s because the beautiful pictures are from 15 years ago when the park was new and pristine. One place I went to promised a beautiful Rec Hall. I think they meant to spell it Wreck Hall, because it was a complete nonfunctioning mess.  I’ve also discovered that typically the camping rates are out of date by at least 5 years (and the current cost nearly double.)
For some obscure reason unique to the camping industry, most RV parks take about 5-7 years to update their current rates and another 10-15 years to update their pictures. Thousands upon thousands of RV parks are not on the internet at all. As of this writing, this is still an unsolved mystery no one can explain.

State Parks and Other Municipal Campgrounds (Bone up On That New Math Again)
In some areas these appear to be cheaper than privately owned campgrounds. However, they are also notorious for advertising wrong rates or posting a “net rate“. Figure in another 30-50% in miscellaneous charges that may include some or all or  part of any  of these: sales tax, accommodation tax, tourist tax, city tax, county tax, non-resident tax, garbage tax, parking fee, entrance fee, extra person fee, pet fee plus (drum roll) a reservation fee.  A simple cash register receipt for a one night stay is often printed out two feet long sometimes describing these assorted extra fees in detail. Other times you are given the total cost, and it’s up to you figure out how a $14 night stay turned into $27.48 per night.

Boondocking (and the New Math)
This is generally free and describes camping without access to any utilities. Everyone will tell you that boondocking will save you a  fortune in campground rents. Many of these folks are “boondocking” with a $7,000 generator, $3,000 in solar panels plus $4,000 in battery banks, inverters and converters,  in order to “save “ on nightly campground rents.

Workamping (More New Math)
Trade work in your spare time for campground rent. Sounds easy. Saves money. The advertisement will say something like “Work 15-20 hours per week in exchange for campground rent and utilities.” When you show up, they hand you a list of duties that will only take 30-50 hours each week.

Fulltiming, Pets and Storage
Campers come with tiny storage areas typically suited for a small family  to spend an occasional weekend away. If you decide to fulltime in your motor home, leave the family at home. (Just kidding!) Most go full timing as a single or couple with their pet(s). Figure on using about 20% of the space for your personal belongings and food. The pets will need at least 50% the storage space for their food, toys, bedding, leashes, tethers, sweaters, coats, blankets, pet carriers, vet records, food and bowls. The rest of the storage area you  will need to stuff with cash, checkbooks, credit cards, travelers checks, gold, silver, an arm, a leg… cause you are going to need every bit of it. Don’t worry as those run out the dirty laundry, forwarded mail and broken parts will fill those areas. Also you need a long handle grabber apparatus. This is not for hard to reach areas in the motor home, but rather for dumpster diving. (Wealthy campers throw out good stuff!)

Barefooting 
Another funny joke the RV designers like to play on unsuspecting fulltimers is leaving no room for the garbage pail or storage for shoes.  In that case, just go barefoot whenever possible and only own one pair of shoes for emergencies. (Store these under the gas pedal.) The garbage problem is easily solved by multi-tasking. Several times a day walk barefoot to exercise the dog on the way to the campground dumpster. That way you don’t have to worry about where to keep the garbage can, the dog gets a walk and you toughen up those bare feet.

Conclusion
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but if you keep a good sense of humor and study up on that newfangled RV math, it might just be your ticket to heaven (or trip to bankruptcy). I find that being wildly delusional keeps the smiles rolling along.

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Friday, December 12, 2014

Space Coast Lightfest







A few scenes from the Space Coast Lightfest  in Melbourne, Florida.

Happy Holidaze!

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Thursday, December 11, 2014

It's Not April Fools

I've been writing erratically but much of my stuff is in woeful need of serious editing before I post it here. Lots of interruptions keep me confused. Either the internet is crashing or my computer does something erratic.

In the interim, Santa sent me an early elf to help out around the motorhome. I now have much needed assistance with some of the repair projects that require four hands, two brains, duct tape, paper clips, lots of good luck and a few curse words thrown in for good measure. What fun!

Murphy's law.
If I am ready to post on the internet, it crashes for the next 2 days.

I think technology is having a major meltdown or maybe it's just me and my old simple equipment. My phone doesn't take pictures or do text or reach the internet. It's supposed to make and receive calls.

When friends try to call me, my phone doesn't ring, it goes to voice mail. About 3-6 days later, my phone company alerts me that I have a voice mail message. Calling the phone company about this problem over and over does nothing to fix the issue.

However, when a wrong number or overseas law-breaking telemarketer calls my number, the phone ALWAYS rings.

How does that happen?

Lately one annoying wrong-number person with a slurred voice (drunk?) calls me about 3or 4am. I keep telling them to LOSE my number, who they want is not here, is never going to be here and getting their drunken calls in the middle of the night is no longer fun and entertaining. So why do they keep calling the same wrong number over and over?

Why doesn't my phone ring in the middle of the day when a friend tries to call me?

It's a dadgum mystery.


Monday, December 08, 2014

Holiday Cheer


A bicycling friend is trying to coax me to get out more on my bicycle. It's been a very long and slow re-learning curve for me. But we rode a few miles to go watch the motorcycles. They were doing a Sunday ride to donate Toys for Tots. Each participant had to donate a new toy or ten dollars cash. Many riders had piles of toys on their motorcycles and some comically had stuffed animals riding with them.

Getting there and back required riding my bicycle near and in traffic yesterday. I am still confused and scared, but working on getting the hang of that. When all was said and done, I checked with google maps and was ASTONISHED we had rode 6 miles!

For me, this is a major milestone. Of course we had to stop 3 times, I was having troubles, but what the heck, I eventually made it back home again. Seeing the hundreds of motorcycles parade by was a huge treat. We stopped to watch them all. I managed to catch some pics. Harley dog enjoyed the outing too. We saw some little doggies riding on motorcycles too.






This was the 33rd annual toy run hosted by the Brevard (Florida) county chapter of Abate of Florida. 

Season's Greetings!

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Saturday, December 06, 2014

Today Is The Best Day of My Life!

Today is the best day of my life!

Well.

Um.

I say that every day.

Well... most every day! But it's true! Today is the best day of my life!

Sunset in South Carolina a few weeks ago.

In a few days I will be celebrating 5 years in my little old motorhome.

Five years! I am amazed and astounded. I am still ALIVE and the motorhome is still home and well, it may be falling apart around me, but it's home. The rolling hospice. The miracle on wheels.

I feel like dancing! Celebrating! Jumping for joy!

Angels wants me to live, every day is a marvelous miracle.

I haven't been able to write much lately. I've been pushing myself hard with alternative treatments which includes that 8 letter dirty word... exercise. Yuck yuck yuck.

5 years ago I couldn't walk 50 feet.

Now I can walk almost 2 miles!

And I bicycle.

A dear sweet angel showed up on the scene to fix my bicycle and boy has it been pitching a fit. The bike chain seized up on me. Oops!  Then I rode to the dog park yesterday. When I came out to get on the bicycle to go home, my back tire was flat as a pancake.

I was pushing the bike down the road with the doggy. A couple offered to let me use their bicycle pump. Wheeeee!

Pumped up the tired tire and made it back to campground where it went flat again.

Gee wiz.

My angelic friend came along and managed to fix all that for me with a trip to the bike shop for a new inner tube. WOW! My friend installed it all for me. Yippee doodle doo!

So I had to climb back on it and ride again. *Sigh*

It's pure torture but I plaster a big smile on my face and silently chant in my head. "This is good. This is good. This is good..."

Life is goof!

My current campsite in Florida. 

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Thursday, December 04, 2014

Alaskan Airboat









Henry Van Dyke:
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look at the stars."

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Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Rainbows and Rides

I had to skip a day posting. I went on a day trip in the wheel estate with doggy and a friend. It was fun but exhausting.

Harley claims every bit of his passenger chair.

The bright yellow flowers were the last to survive from the colorful bunch my friend bestowed upon me. 

Harley fell off the top of his passenger seat, dive bombing into his food dish.
He broke it.
That's coming out of his toy allowance.

My rolling hospice or my padded  cell.
Only 9 pillows and a doggy.
I prop up the big pillows to make a sofa or a lounge chair sometimes.
I am thrilled my bedroom/sofa comes with 3 big windows on all 3 sides.

Our day trip started out with a brilliant rainbow just a mile from the campground.

We drove into the storm down this country byway in the Florida prairie.

Harley used to be scared of the moving scenery as a puppy, but now he loves to watch the world roll by.
He is sitting with my friend on his trip south.

Slow down. Drive carefully.
We were on a country road when traffic suddenly backed up and came to a standstill.
On highway 68 going east we found this horrible one-vehicle wreck.
Emergency crews had already rescued the driver.


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