Rally Year (sorta)

After two and a half years full-timing we have never been to a big RV Rally. We had plans for the 2010 Escapade in Elkhart Indiana but recovery from surgery delayed our trip. All the other time our travels just did not put us close enough to a rally and we always had something going on that interfered with our getting close enough.

This year was going to be different. The Good Sam Rally was in Phoenix last week and we went on a day pass to check it out. Then there is the Carriage Travel Club's Texas National in April in Amarillo Texas which is directly on our path from the Phoenix area to the Kansas City area. Finally, this years Escapade is in September in Sedalia Missouri which we thought about attending as we get back to the Kansas City area in the fall after our summer along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

With the exception of the already attended Good Sam Rally we are afraid this year might be a bust again rally wise. As we posted earlier the forecast for an unusually stormy spring has caused us to change our travel plans leaving the Phoenix area. We are bypassing tornado alley which has caused us to cancel out of the Carriage Club Texas National and our plans to spend a month in the Kansas City area in the spring. With so little time in the Kansas City area this fall we are probably not going to the Escapade either except for maybe a day trip.

Oh well there is always next year,

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Full-timing with 3 cats - JJ the computer cat

Living in a small space leads to our cats finding interesting places to sit or sleep.

Here is JJ working on our blog, and we bet you thought it was Bob or Jo that did all the blogging.

Here is JJ worn out after trying to figure out the new tablet.

 We have really enjoyed having our cats with us as we full-time, just another example that it is best to make your full-timing home as alike your old sticks and bricks as you can.

Till next time,

JJ

March Madness!!

Bob is going to spend the next four days immersed in March Madness (NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament). Again this year all four games are on different networks (CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV). A few years ago when we had DirecTV in our old sticks and bricks Bob signed up for "Mega March Madness" from DirecTV which was basically the same thing but you had to pay for the option plus you were at the mercy of CBS who sometimes switched games so the same game may have been on all four channels. This happened enough to be annoying.

With the four networks on DirecTV and all in HD Bob can control which game he watches and catch all the exciting endings which is bound to happen. Bob finds himself cheering for the underdog even though it may damage his bracket. It will also be nice this year as his alma mater, Iowa State, is in the tourney for the first time since 2005.

Another good thing about being in Arizona in March is that the idiotic daylight savings time does not go into effect here. What that means for March Madness is that the games today and tomorrow tipoff a little after 9:00 a.m. local time which means Bob won't be up after his bedtime tonight because he gets to do this all over again tomorrow.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Change of Plans

We have a change of plans, instead of coming through tornado alley (TX-OK-KS) to the Kansas City area in what is projected to be the worst tornado season in a number of years we are heading straight north from the Phoenix area into Utah, Idaho and across Montana and North Dakota and then up into Canada for Bob's fishing trip in mid-June. We know we still have a chance for tornadoes but going from tornado alley where it is almost guaranteed to a chance seemed like a good idea, plus we get to see parts of the country we have never seen. We also know that we may see cooler temperatures and maybe some snow but that is much better than tornadoes. We "plan" to be in the KC area in mid-September for about a month. We love the full-timing lifestyle and plan to do it as long as we are able but we have learned the one thing you really cannot control is the weather. This way we won't be controlling the weather but maybe, just maybe, changing our odds.

2012 Spring Training

As we learned from our previous visits to the Cactus League Major League Baseball can be fun again! We saw the Kansas City Royals play the Texas Rangers. The sky was blue and the temperature was in the low 80's so it was a little warm in the sun for us. Lucky we were able to scoot into a shady portion and enjoyed the game. This is how MLB should be, you park right across from the stadium paying no parking fees and the admission fee is reasonable. Concession prices are a little higher than they should be but hey you paid no parking and the tickets were cheap :-)

Having said all that some parks in the Cactus League do charge for parking so it will probably just be a matter of time before the Cactus League is also overpriced and no longer a fun, fan friendly event.

Till next time,

Bob & Jo

Thought things would be different when full-timing

We really thought things would be different after we started full-timing and a lot of things are. We are seeing great places and meeting new friends while connecting with old friends and family. But unfortunately one thing is still the same; it still takes about 3 trips to the RV/hardware stores to get everything figured out for a DIY repair.

The first two years we owned our RV we were under a bumper to bumper warranty so Bob just sat and watched as the work was being done. We are now past the warranty period so Bob is now the RV tech. We started having toilet problems, the seal in the tank was causing slow foot pedal action and it was starting to leak around the seal. Replacing the seals went pretty good considering that the instructions said there would be four (4) mounting bolts for the tank to base. Turns out there were only two (2) but it took a phone call to Thetford to confirm that.

With the toilet back together with new seals and bolted to the floor so all is well right, not quite. Turns out there were two problems with the seal and the foot pedal and Bob only fixed the seal. To fix the pedal the arm had to be removed, all of this could be done with the toilet still attached to the floor which was good news. Taking the arm off of course was harder than it was supposed to be. Then there was a drive shaft that had to be pulled out and the excess grease removed from the shaft and the hole. But this just could not be accomplished even with a phone call to Thetford and a lot of grunting. So fine, put it back together and deal with it the next day. The arm snapped right back on with a convincing click, that is until you used the foot pedal and it fell off. So it was off to the RV store to get a new toilet. We wanted to get the exact model so the hookup would be easier but of course that model was not in stock at the RV parts store.

Now Bob tried to make sure that he had enough parts to finish the job. Of course the water supply for the old toilet would not align with the new one so with three plastic couplings and a 1/2" plastic tube and a new toilet Bob headed home, but first he stopped at Ace Hardware for a flexible hose to see if that would work. Turns out the shortest hose available was still too long for the small space behind a RV toilet. The next trip to the RV parts store was due to the fact that the cramped spaces made a tube length that put the two plastic couplers back to back with no way to pry them apart. If they leaked Bob did not want to find that out AFTER the store was closed thus having no toilet for the overnight period which Bob visits a few times. Bob got there moments before the store closed.

Turns out the junction did not leak and the toilet was installed with no further incidents but it still took three trips to complete the job. Funny how some things never change.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Where are all the Sci Fi fans?

We just watched our DVR'd 'The Big Bang Theory' and in it Sheldon listed what he knew best, outside of Theoretical Physics of course. The list included; Star Trek trivia, Star Trek: Next Generation trivia, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine trivia, Star Trek: Voyager trivia, and model trains. What struck us was that he failed to mention Enterprise (or Star Trek: Enterprise) trivia. That series was very good but only lasted four years due to low ratings. We wondered then what was wrong with so called Sci Fi fans.

Now we are wondering the same thing when a great show like 'Fringe' is having ratings problems. Take the best of the weirdness of X-FILES and combine it with a dual universe that allows each actor to play multiple roles so you get great acting, great stories from JJ Abrams, an all around great show.

So give the show a chance, we bet you will like it.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Wickenburg has the most polite kids

We went to Wickenburg Arizona yesterday for Gold Rush Days. It was another great day and the weather was wonderful so the place was packed. There was no parking to be found. We lucked out when we were going down a dead end road to turn around and a car stopped to talk with us. She saw the Missouri license plates from Bob and Wilma's car and was expecting to meet some people from Missouri at Gold Rush Days and wondered if they drove out to her place. We said we were looking for parking and she offered a spot in front of her house which we readily agreed to. A little further walk but it was a space at last, thanks Beth!

By this time we decided to skip the parade and walk through the vendors for awhile. Jo ending up buying a purse but we mostly just gawked. Now to the kids, we ate at the Saddle Club's BBQ event and there were kids of all ages helping out, either serving or busting the tables. We never met kids, and we mean all of them, that were so polite. It was yes sir, yes ma'am, can I help you this that? It was incredible. The food was also really good, BBQ beef, chuckwagon beans and cole slaw.

After lunch we walked through the rest of the tents and saw some stuff we might have been interested in if we had still been living in a sticks and bricks. It was so liberating to be able to say that was really cool but have no inkling to buy it, full-timing just saved us some money yesterday!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Got our first spam

Once we turned off word verification we got our first spam message ever. We still have approval set for comments so will keep that for now and catch the spam that Blogger misses.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Just turned off comment verification

Blogger changed the verification for posting comments to a very hard to read two word system. We did not know that it was even set for verification but we just turned it off.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Full-timing is a numbers game

Continuing the full-timing theme which we started in our last posting, "To full-time or not to full-time" we got to thinking that full-timing is really a numbers game. By now you have heard the old adage that the RV can entertain 6, feed 4 and sleep 2, well that got us thinking. Since this not a sightseeing post there will be no pictures.

Living in an RV full-time is a numbers game. Having items that can accomplish multiple things allows you to pack more of the stuff you need to really make this lifestyle just like living at home but a home where you park it.

The key number for full-timing has to be 'multiple', we know not really a number but if you can take things with you that can perform multiple duties then you begin ahead of the game. First on that list has to be Dawn Detergent which can be used for dishes, black tank maintenance and makes a great addition to your presoak arsenal for laundry. Second on the list has to be our Cuisinart Griddler which we use to make pancakes, paninis, and a flattop grill for bacon and eggs. Finally, no RV or home should be without a crock pot which can be used for soups, casseroles, meat dishes and desserts.

For a lot of reasons though the all time favorite number with respect to full-timing has to be "2".

After over two years of full-timing we have come to realize that "2" works real well in the wardrobe department. Come to think of it maybe it is only Bob that feels "2" is a good wardrobe number : ) He has two pairs of jeans, one that he wears until way past it should be washed and so it goes into the laundry. Then he wears the other pair way too long to. This goes for dress pants, dress shorts, and bum around shorts. He has "2" pairs of tennis shoes but for different reasons. One pair is for when it is wet outside and he needs to take them off immediately while the other pair is for inside and nice weather.

"2" also works for the pantry. Face it there are some things you just don't want to run out of but you also can't store "2" of everything. This pantry system makes sense for items that you use everyday like Kleenex, distilled water and toothpaste and other item that are used daily and can justify the space they take up.

Other nnumbers of note:

200 - we like to travel about 200 miles each day. When we started out we thought our target would be 250 but have come to like the shorter trips.

65 - when traveling our maximum speed is 65 mph for a lot of reasons but mainly for the tires, 65 mph is the safe speed for the load that we are towing.

10-2 - and we don't mean Dr. Pepper. On travel days we like to leave about 10a and arrive at our destination by 2p avoiding rush hour traffic.

30 - we would like 30 minutes notice for guests, with three cats some dehairing is always needed.

So as you can see "2" has worked real well for us and is our favorite full-timing number, even if we have "2" cats too many. But the best overall use of "2" comes when we are asked this question, 'how many people does your RV sleep', we smile and answer that it sleeps "2"!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

To full-time or not to full-time

We have seen on various forums the question come up as to whether or not a couple should consider full-timing in an RV so we thought we would offer up some hints to help in that decision. It will not cover which type of RV because there are so many options there and that is best left up to the couple. Just make sure you are happy with the layout of the RV after reading this article and make sure it has plenty of storage. The real key to have fun full-timing is to take what you like about living in a home with you on the road, albeit a much smaller home.

First and foremost both of you must want to at least give it a try for a good length of time, at least 2 years. The first 6 months to one year you will be questioning your sanity but just give it time, it is an adjustment just like anything else. For us we had plans of downsizing and RV'ng winter and summer. Then we realized we could just postpone the purchase of the downsized home and try full-timing. It was one of the best decisions we have made.

Secondly you need to realize that all the 'stuff' that you have accumulated over the years is just that, 'stuff'. It is amazing how liberating it is to be able to live with just the small amount of 'stuff' that you can bring with you.

So you have made the decision to full-time and to get rid of most of your 'stuff' now you need to make the RV seem like a home. We break that into major categories.

Water pressure; get a good water pressure regulator that does not cut down on the water flow. We got the Watts 263A which is one of the best you can get. We also put an aerator on the faucet in the kitchen.

Long showers; you may not be able to take as long of showers as in your old sticks and bricks but with some planning you can take a pretty good one. With a good showerhead like the Oxygenics Body Spa you get great pressure that feels like a home shower that does not use that much water so that the 10 or 15 gallons of you hot water heater will go a long time. Then just wait between showers for the hot water heater to recover. A good tip is that it will recover faster if you have both the propane and electric turned on for the hot water heater.

Laundry; we recommend getting a washer and a dryer or a washer/dryer combo and doing the laundry in your new home. It may be smaller loads but you will find that a benefit of this lifestyle is that you will probably have less laundry to do. We have a combo and just do laundry while we are watching a movie or television. If you already use a laundromat then disregard this suggestion as it will be an easier transition if you do things as if you were still in your home.

Speaking of television; if you like to watch TV then get a good satellite dish, we have an automatic dish on the roof, and also bring the comfort of home and get a DVR. Full-timers can also get a waiver and get what is called Distant Network Service from Dish or DirecTV which gives you the east coast or west coast feeds of network television. This way you won't miss your favorite shows. DVR'ng your shows will also allow you to extend your sightseeing adventures.

Speaking of sightseeing; if you love to travel and want to see more of the USA but don't like the hassles of airline travel then full-timing just might be for you. We have been full-timing for 2 and 1/2 years and have barely scratched the surface of what we want to see.

Take it easy; try to go no more than 250 miles in one day and then stay there for a week or more to get recharged for travel. When we absolutely have to be somewhere fast we still only drive 200-250 miles and stay for 2 nights.

Hookups; for the first year always get full hookups (electric, water and sewer) and try to get 50 amp electrical whenever possible. With 50a you can run what you want when you want it and not have to worry have tripping breakers. Save boondocking (no hookups at all) for the second year of your trial.

Full-timing is not for everyone but if you do this you will make it your personal experience. For us having to take short or worse yet, Navy showers is too much like camping. When we lived in our home we had a laundry room so we brought that with us. The same goes for television watching. And don't get us started on hookups, boondocking is not for us in fact we consider 30a electrical to be too much like camping.

We hope that we have helped those that might be considering a move to full-timing because we would love to see you on the road sometime. One of the best things about this lifestyle is the great people you will meet.

Finally the best advice we can give to full-timers heading out for the first time is that the first thing you should pack is your sense of humor because you will need it, especially for the first 6 months.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

With all the hiking that Rick and Paulette do serving as an incentive we decided to go hiking at the Estrella Mountain Regional Park, a Maricopa County Park in the Phoenix area. We had a free pass at the park thanks to Paws and Friends, thanks guys. We went with our friends Bob and Wilma.

With plenty of water, hats, walking sticks, sunscreen and sturdy shoes we started out on what would be a three mile hike in the desert. We really like the desert, at least in the winter that is. The weather for the hike was perfect with the temps in the low 70's. We know that we are in our winter home area when we start to see the Saguaro cactus, a large, tree-shaped and tree-sized cactus native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Mexico and a very small part of California. The Saguaro blossom is the State Wildflower of Arizona which only appears after 36-69 years depending on how much water is available. Also very dependent on the amount of water is the growth of the signature arms which appear at age 55-90. The full height of the Saguaro with long arms usually takes about 200 years.







What was neat on this hike is that we saw the carcass of a Saguaro showing the woody spines that support the giant cactus and the fibrous material between the spines that no doubt store water, showing here:


















We also saw how the arms attach to the main body, showing here:


















After slipping and sliding on the desert trails consisting of sand and rocks and gravel we made it back to the car and it was lunch time. After discussing many options we headed to Dino's Greek and Italian Grill and it was a good choice. Between the four of us we sampled both Greek and Italian fare along with an American entry. Bob had a lamb wrap with a side salad, Jo had a huge calzone that she was only able to eat half, Wilma had a gyro salad that was also huge that she could not finish, and Wilma's Bob had a Bacon Swiss Chicken sandwich and fries. We all commented on how good the food was and how we need to go back. The dipping sauce, the house marinara, for the calzone was excellent so Jo's Bob is already making plans to go back for their pasta.

We went back to the park and sat outside and read the paper and books and worked on the new tablet for awhile. It is so nice to be able to sit outside with our Kindle and Tablet and be able to read the screen. The stiffness and soreness did start to set in so we either have to hike more or less; now which one do you think we will choose? For supper we split the leftover calzone and some leftover pizza from Papa Murphys. That evening we had a pretty sunset.

















Although we enjoyed the hike we are not the hikers that Rick and Paulette are so we'd tip our hats to them if we weren't so dang sore.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Full-timing with cats; A Kodak Moment

Unfortunately without a Kodak. Living with 3 cats is interesting; full-timing with three cats is an adventure. Cats are known to be very inquisitive and an open cabinet door or an open hole in the wall (more on that later) are an invitation they just cannot pass up.

We have tons of photos of our cats getting into the pantry or cabinets or closets but this was a first. Bob was replacing our LP/CO detector and when he pulled out the old one he left a 3" x 6" hole. The connector used was a crimped one and not a removable wire nut so Bob went hunting to see if we had some. Coming back to the doorway where the detector was mounted Bob saw a cat sniffing at the hole and cat hair around the hole. When you live with three cats in 359 sq. ft. seeing cat hair everywhere is not an immediate alarm but we decided to count noses and could only find 2 cat noses. Sure enough Sandra had wedged herself through the hole. Luckily she is a chow kitty so we just had to get the treats and she was ready to come back through. Well what goes through the hole of course does not come back quite as easily. Squalling like a stuck cat for her treats she finally realized both legs had to go through first and then she was back through. We blocked the hole until Bob could finish.

Once we were done we realized we should have taken a picture but we were in a little panic especially when she tried the first couple times and failed. We were not about to let her try again just to get a good photo op. Here are a couple of photos of Sandra's adventures in cabinets.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Day trip to Quartzsite

Or as it sometimes called, the Q (but not the Q from Star Trek). This was our second day trip to Q with our friends Bob and Wilma. We blogged on our first day trip last year here.

When we were planning on full-timing we thought we would spend some time in Quartzsite and do the boondocking thing. But as we full-timed we got so accustomed to the conveniences of 50a full hookup sites that we now consider 30a full hookup sites to be too much like camping. We have a washer dryer combo so we always have the grey tank valve open and have no idea of how long we could go before we filled the grey tank. Because of this we take long hot showers so we are sure it would only be a couple of days before we had to dump the grey tank. Long story short - boondocking does not appear anywhere near the top of our bucket or todo lists.


Then we thought about just staying in Q for the week of the RV Show but being there and seeing all the nonstop traffic (thanks to Sandie for the pictures, or is it Jeri) we now realize that a day trip is about all we can handle. Our hats go off to the adventurous one who boondock and love it and can handle that traffic all day, every day of the RV Show. We can handle big crowds and traffic but only for a short time. As the day wore on we longed for a place where there was not a person within inches of you or cars backed up to the horizon.















We bought some things of course and had a good lunch this year, chicken on a stick, shrimp on a stick, and a pulled pork sandwich. Homemade ice cream on the way out was a treat. We really wished we had read Jim and Sandie's blog on Q before we left because we might have recognized some of the members of their Q group that was working at the Big Tent. We also somehow missed the cord wrappers booth which Bob was going to investigate further. Well have to save something for next time.
















Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Our Snowbird Code of Conduct

Arizona loves our money as snowbirders but always seem to work in a complaint or three; bad drivers, too much traffic, not liking the constant smile on our faces, etc.

There is a 'Code of Conduct' for a lot of things; overnight stays in parking lots, pickup after your pets, etc., so we have adopted a 'Snowbird Code of Conduct' that we hope will counter some of this negativity. We always:
- drive during the day during the week; we'll leave rush hour and the weekend to the locals.
- eat out for breakfast or lunch during the day during the week; we'll leave the happy hours to the locals because it is hard to be happier than retired and living in a nice warm place for the winter. We also rarely eat out for the evening meal because we don't like to drive after dark.
- shop at Wal-Mart, Target, and grocery stores during the day during the week and never before a big holiday; we'll leave the big crowds and long lines to the locals in the evening hours and weekends.
- go to movies during the day during the week; a few times we have been the only people in our movie of choice.
- go sightseeing during the day during the week; generally not a problem because the locals never see the sights where they live anyway.

And finally, we always:
- have a smile on our face; it is easy in this lifestyle so what if it is one of their complaints.

We realize that if you are still working and driving in rush hour traffic, waiting in line to eat, suffering long checkup lines at Wal-Mart that you need something to complain about. With our 'Snowbird Code of Conduct' we know they are not complaining about us.


Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Anniversary and a new tablet

Four years ago on January 22nd Bob went to work for the last time and it shocks us just how fast the time has flown by. Jo had already retired and we spent about 18 months fixing up the house for sale so we could begin full-timing.

This is also the first blog entry using Bob's new Android tablet, an Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Bob wants the tablet and Android cellphone to completely replace his laptop. So far he has moved his tasks and calendar to his Droid3 and is evaluating a finance app to run on the tablet. The one stumbling block he is not sure of is a good label printing app for the Christmas mailing, but there will probably be more before this effort is over. Getting photos off of the camera and onto the blog will have to be figured out.

We want to try and keep up with technology before it gets too far ahead of us. Jo recently got a Kindle Fire and she really likes it. Bob thought about getting a Kindle but then realized he could use the tablet for reading e-books and quite possibly get rid of a laptop.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

This is why we hesitate to recommend food

Believe it or not we don't blog about some of the places that we eat at and like because sometimes one visit can be a fluke and not a regular occurrence. That is why we generally have a rule of 3 visits before we blog about food or add to 'Our Favorite Things! (Food)'. We almost blogged about the new Hash Brown Stacks at IHOP after only one visit because we have eaten there before and generally get good food.

The first visit was a dream, crisp hash browns covered with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, melted provolone cheese and an over medium egg and then covered in hollandaise sauce. Jo just got that with pancakes and Bob added ham to the plate and pancakes. The portions were large enough to take the pancakes home for breakfast the next day. A very enjoyable meal that was blog worthy.



The second visit was vastly different for many reasons; Bob's egg looked like a half moon, Jo didn't have any mushrooms at all, the ham was overcooked and a little dry, and the portions were much smaller so we ended up eating the pancakes there. We did mention about the mushrooms to the waiter and he did offer another portion or sauteed mushrooms but Jo does not like to be a bother, she just wanted to let them know about it. We would have felt bad if we recommended this and anybody got the second meal instead of the first, our reputations would have been tarnished, 'Our Favorite Things! (Food)' would be meaningless. :-)

In spite of all that was wrong with the second visit it was good enough, and the memory of the first visit was still there, that we will try the Hash Brown Stacks at IHOP at least one more time.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

We are famous (sorta)

Our picture from our stay at Rifle Gap State Park this summer has made the big time, it is the cover photo for the Yahoo Carriage Group. The cover photo changes periodically so here it is but click on the link to see it in all its glory on Yahoo.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Whole lotta eating going on - 2012 edition

Seems like these days we are celebrating a birthday month instead of a birthday. Jo's birthday is in January and as we have mentioned before we have signed up for a number of frequent diner programs and a few of them offer free meals or desserts during your birthday month. So far Jo has enjoyed a free hash brown stack at IHOP that was pretty good. Yesterday she got a free dessert, which she shared with Bob, at Abuelo's. The meals at Abuelo's were excellent and we highly recommend eating there if you get a chance as they have numerous locations across the country. Jo had the lunch enchiladas (one guacamole and one spinach) and Bob had the Pasta la Paz (shrimp and chicken and veggies in a chile roasted tomato cream sauce). Both entrees and the flan was excellent and we are already talking about our next visit.

Still on the docket for Jo's birthday month is a free entree at Famous Dave's, free breakfast at First Watch, $25 loaded on her Landry's Select Card that we will use at a Claim Jumper, and a free breakfast at Mimi's that we will use today.

If you are going to get older there at least has to be some benefit and eating your way through your birthday month with free food just might qualify as a benefit.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo