We often have non-RVing folks ask us what we do with all the spare time we must have on our hands now because we are currently unemployed. We reply that our days are usually so full that we aren't sure how we ever had time to work! It really is amazing how various activities are quick to move in on any "free time" we think we'll have.
As an example, we were invited to help the Escapees RV Club at their booth at the Tampa RV Show. Thankfully we had lots of antibacterial hand gel because flu season isn't the best time of year to get close with 1000's of people, but we thankfully escaped un-infected and had a marvelous time meeting folks, looking at RVs (looking NOT buying!), stocking up on various RV doo-dads, and socializing with the rest of the Escapees crew. I guess the 3 days we spent resting our sore feet at a nearby campground afterwards counts as "free time" though!
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| Us manning the booth at the Dallas RV Show last September -- Featured in the latest Escapees magazine! |
The rest of January and February were mostly spent frequenting a few of our favorite Florida state park campgrounds (one near Jupiter and one just west of Orlando). They are both near family and friends and provide good pre-pollen weather to catch up on minor outdoor motorhome maintenance items such as waxing, checking/fixing seals, flushing water heater, etc. While near Orlando we splurged to go into Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park so we could experience the new Pandora section and rides. The multi-hour waits for the rides were not fun, but it really was spectacular if you are a fan of the movie, Avatar. We also squeezed in the safari ride so I could visit the giraffe. Expect to hear more about other giraffe visits over the next few months as I have a new obsession ;-)
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| Jeffrey being lit up by the black lights at Pandora |
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| River boat to see Trapper Nelson's settlement at Jonathan Dickinson State Park |
On our way to spend March near Gainesville, FL, we stopped for an appointment at the Cummins service facility in Ocala. We had been seeing damage to our serpentine belt this past year and it was time to figure out the cause so we didn't have to keep replacing it. Lucky for us, the culprit was just a tiny rock that had kicked up into one of the grooves of our crank-shaft pulley wheel. Even luckier is that they were able to get it out and the pulley didn't have to be replaced which would have been expensive. Unfortunately a bunch of engine pieces have to be removed in order to access this pulley, so we still had to fork over money for a few hours of labor. Career note: Become a motorhome diesel mechanic in the next life as they make good money!
We are now nicely settled in at the RV Park near Jeffrey's dad, Jack, and are enjoying time and Gator sports with him through early April. We also took a week to meet my dad and mom Sheila in Nuevo Vallarto, Mexico -- home of one of our lovely timeshare properties. The weather there was awesome and the 4 of us really kicked back together.
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| The Nelsons (and 1 Martin) enjoying dinner at the beach in Mexico |
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| The lovely sunset we saw at dinner. |
On a somber note for us both, this trip visiting with my parents is one of many we'll be making to spend time with them this year. It greatly saddens me to share that my wonderful father has been diagnosed with cancer. He has decided to forego risky chemotherapy as it is not curable. His bravery in the face of this challenge is truly amazing and I'm so proud of him for always living life on his own terms. He and his wonderful bride, Sheila, spent over 10 years of their retirement living full-time aboard a sailboat when he retired from the Army and they have traveled extensively in the years since. We were lucky to share many of their adventures and they have clearly passed their "wanderlust" on to us!
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