Fun day - Day 1991 (Year 6, Day 165)

Zephyrhills, FL

We had another get-together with our RV-Dreams friends (we had a   get together on Feb. 10th of this year: https://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/2019/02/delayed-post-day-1697-year-5-day-228.html).  For a background, we first became acquainted with Linda and Howard Payne, the founders of RV-Dreams, in 2011 when we first had the idea that we wanted to become RV full-timers.  It's something they had done and they shared (and continue to share) their knowledge and experience through their website, blog, forum and rallies.  They have a following of several thousand folks. We attended our first rally in 2011 where we rented a cabin at the campground.  After we bought our new home (June 2014), we attended 2 more rallies with them.  We have met many friends through their forum and rallies and continue to stay in touch with them.

Anyway, one member (Kelly) decided to reach out to any "RV-Dreamer" who was in the Central Florida area for another get together.  It's snowbird season, so quite a number of folks are here, although many had to travel over an hour to get to the park in Lakeland where it was held this time (1/2 hr; 25 miles for us).

The weather was perfect (78* and sunny) and the park was very lovely.  Had a really nice time.

      

Breathing update - Day 1989 (Year 6, Day 163)

Zephyrhills, FL

Nothing exciting going on in life; just an update regarding my recent breathing problems. 

The pulmonologist ran an allergy screening.  Turns out I'm highly allergic to elm.  I didn't even know we had elm trees here; I thought they were all live oaks.  Guess I'll need to check that out.

But at least we now know that this was asthmatic allergies and hopefully just seasonal.  At least the antihistimine and corticosteriod is helping to keep it under control (the only problem is that I've developed thrush in my mouth, due to the fact that no one -- not the doctor or pharmacist -- told me I'm supposed to rinse after inhaling; so now I'm on an antifungal as well).

Thanksgiving - Day 1982 (Year 6, Day 156)

Zephyrhills, FL

First, an update on my health: the asthma seems to be in control now.  Still having a few bouts of difficulty breathing  here and there but it is mostly improved.  The chest x-ray and pulmonary function tests were within normal limits.  I have a follow up appt. with the pulmonologist on Tuesday, 12/2.

Lately, however, I've been having a severe flare-up with the arthritis in my knee, which has made it extremely difficult and painful to make any bending motions on it (which includes sitting and steps) or when I initially put weight on it (getting up), and I have needed to use a cane to get around.  It's a little bit better today.  No idea what sets it off, but the NSAIDs don't help.

In any event, I am extremely thankful that despite these medical woes, it is nothing life threatening; it could always be such much worse.

Now, in the spirit of the holiday, more things I am thankful for:  my health, my husband and best friend who takes such great care of me, my children.  Despite financial difficulties (Mitch out of work almost a year now), like my health, it could still be so much worse.  G-d indeed takes care of all our needs and I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table.  I am grateful for new friends:  although we weren't able to make the trip up north to spend the holiday with the kids, we invited our new next door neighbors (Kelly & Michael) to join us for a Thanksgiving feast.  They brought their own turkey (and plates and utensils) and I made a Tofurkey.  That was the only non-vegetarian item; Kelly went out of her way to cook a lot of yummy side dishes (as did I).  Another neighbor was walking by to visit with Michael, so we invited him to join us as well (he recently returned from a tour in Afganistan).  It was a very lovely evening.  So much to be thankful for.

A strange sight - Day 1966 (Year 6, Day 140)

Zephyrhills, FL

When I look out my "dining room/office" window, my view is of my neighbors "farm" (veggies and chicken coop).  Most of the time I will see a chicken or 2 walking around, and sometimes a rogue rooster chasing them.  Today I saw about 50 of these.  I believe they are either snowy or cattle egrets or possibly ibises.  I do see them, in groups of 2 or 3, every here and there, but never in such a large group.  I do recall seeing a family of about 8 or 9 back in February (https://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/2019/02/birds-day-1684-year-5-day-215.html).  Maybe this is the same family who migrated back south (with all the human snowbirds!) and either grew their family or brought along all the aunts, uncles and cousins!!!


  

Update on health - Day 1966 (Year 6, Day 140)

Zephyrhills, FL

I'm still experiencing what the dr. alleges to be asthma attacks (can't get enough air into my lungs).  The inhaler does work, but it makes me feel very lightheaded and dizzy.  I don't feel that the steroids or antibiotics worked at all.

Went to the dr for a follow-up yesterday.  He put me on another type of inhaler (Symbicort) and anti-histamine, and scheduled me for a chest x-ray (today) and pulmonary function test (11/22) with follow up with the pulmonologist (12/3).  Dr. is now leaning towards a diagnosis of COPD, but I don't know where I would get that from as I'm not a smoker (quit in 1992) and am not around other smokers, although dr. explained it could be dormant from years ago.  I guess the tests will tell.  This is all very new to me.  I'm thinking it may be more of an allergy.  When I suggested this, dr. said he wanted to explore lung problems first and if everything is negative, then he'll recommend seeing an allergist.

Anniversary, and finally, a fun day! - Day 1965 (Year 6, Day 139)

Zephyrhills, FL

First, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my beloved husband - now 41 years.  This time last year we were in Jamaica renewing our vows.  I find it hard to believe that I didn't post any pictures last year; in fact, it doesn't look like I made more than a slight mention of the trip other than promising to post about it (guess I broke that promise).  It was a fantastic and very memorable trip.  Our daughter and her husband, as well as my sister and her husband joined us.  Here are a few photos:

  


As for the fun day yesterday, our friend & neighbor (Ellie, who has joined us for Shabbat a few times), is a singer/songwriter and member of a band (name of band is RED. As she points out, "it's not a political statement or the color of my hair (which is bright red), but very simply: Rick, Ellie, Dennis." 

The band was scheduled to perform in Tampa at a place called Sweetwater Organic Farm, which was also holding a farmer's market.  Normally, we wouldn't have made the 1 hr schlep just for the concert, but we love farmers markets, which are very hard to find on Sundays, so that was the deciding factor to go.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any vegetables there (either from their farm or other local farms).  There were only a handful of vendors: 4 food places-mostly juice bars & 1 tamale place, a clothing place, honey, and soaps.  Oh well. 

The music, however, was really fun.  I've never heard Ellie play before and I was very impressed by her talent.  Here is a very brief video clip and a photo of the band. Mostly they play folk songs, blues and bluegrass; lots of toe tapping, foot stomping and clapping songs.

 

Update - Day 1960 (Year 6, Day 134)

Zephyrhills, FL

Not much to report on yet, except for my health status.  For the past few weeks, I've been experiencing shortness of breath and coughing -- the signs of my annual bought of bronchitis.  Two weeks ago, I discovered very odd bruises on my body for absolutely no apparent reason, and I sent a message to my doctor whether it was something to be concerned about.  The response was that they made an appointment for me yesterday(a week later).

Turned out that all the bruises faded and no other ones appeared, so it's still a total mystery.  However, in the interim, I've been coughing and grasping for air, thinking it's the annual bronchitis that happens when the weather changes (had this for the last 20 years).

Doctor examined me and said definitely NOT bronchitis as none of the symptoms for that were present.  His diagnosis was an asthmatic allergy, which is also common with weather changes.  He prescribed steroids for 6 days and an inhaler.  It's only been 1 day and I feel about a 5% improvement with my breathing, although I feel a 30% improvement in the pain and mobility in my hip!  (Steriods weren't prescribed for that and it's not at all healthy to be on them long term, which is sad because it's the first time I've actually had any positive results in that regard).

Hopefully I'll be reporting again within the week, as a good friend of ours in the campground (Ellie), who is also a member of a band, is performing at a farmers market in Tampa on Sunday.  We really hope to be able to attend (not to mention our excitement to find a farmers market open on a day other than Saturday).  Also running low on our 72% Trader Joes dark chocolate, so need to make a run there as well.

More... Day 1950 (Year 6, Day 124)

Zephyrhills, FL

This was the 2nd Shabbat (Friday night) in a row that we were woken from sleep with all the alarms ringing about a tornado warning in the area (side note: I spoke with several of my friends who have lived in the area all their lives and they all agreed this is a result of climate change; it is NOT a usual occurance). 

In any event, I looked at the local radar maps (admit we turned the tv on in addition to the internet on our phones) and saw that the area of concern was a bit north of us, although we were still in the "cone".  Rather than running to the CVS 2 miles away, we decided it probably wouldn't be hitting our campground and chose to go to the bathhouse on premises instead.

Thank G-d the tornado touched down about 10 miles away and we didn't even experience even any wind.  All was good.

Still... although we have the ability to go wherever we want in the country, looking at weather & climate patterns, there doesn't seem to be anywhere in the US that's safe year-round, whether in a tornado, hurricane, extreme snow or wildfare zone.  We are very grateful that for the past 5 years we've been fairly safe, albeit with warnings to seek immediate shelter, but there is still the fear of the future.

Bit of a scare - Day 1942 (Year 6, Day 116)

Zephyrhills, FL

Last night (Friday night, Shabbat), we were woken up very abruptly at about 11:30 pm, when 2 simultaneous, loud alarms went off: our weather station, and my phone emergency alert.  Almost in unison, they both said "this is an extreme severe weather alert.  There is a tornado in your area.  Take shelter immediately."  Being Shabbat, we weren't on emails or anything to learn that there was even a watch in the area so this caught us off guard (then again, at 11:30, we'd have been sleeping anyway).  There is a tropical disturbance in the gulf, but the effects were supposed to be flooding and storm surges along the coast; and we're about 40 miles from there.

In any event, we quickly threw on some clothes, ran to the truck (with the sky opening and crossing the lawn in ankle deep water) and very quickly drove 2 miles to the 24-hour CVS, where we sat it out in safety and comfort for about 1/2 hour, while watching the weather broadcast from my phone (we only grabbed my phone and a magazine to read--Mitch's idea!). 

There were 3 tornados; the closest one to touch down was about 20 miles away.

Thank G-d we are safe and we were quick enough to run for cover. And thank goodness for a 24 hour store!!!

More on the holidays - Day 1936 (Year 6, Day 110)

Zephyrhills, FL

Yom Kippur services were very inspirational and the fast was relatively easy.  I hope we've been "inscribed in the Book of Life" for another year, and for a sweet year filled with good health and prosperity (and I wish that for all my friends and family!)

Still a few more holidays to go: Sukkot (Sukkos, depending on Sephardic or Ashkenazi pronunciation) is the Festival of Booths, where we (1) commemorate how our ancestors lived in booths during their travels in the desert, and (2) to physically internalize how G-d provides for all our needs -- when we are commanded to live outside, in a very non-permanent structure (we don't actually live in it, but we do try to spend as much time as possible in it, including meals).  Mitch is currently outside building our sukkah (the 4th time since we've been on the road).  A full description can be found here (including the link to the YouTube video showing the origin of our Sukkah in the Sky):  https://mitcheryl-rv-journey.blogspot.com/2016/10/sukkot-day-851-yr-3-day-118.html

Unfortunately, our shul will not be holding Sukkot services for the first 2 days, so we will pray (and shake the lulav/etrog) at home.  The following week are the final festival days of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (google it!).  Then we're done with the holidays until Chanukkah.

Still thinking along the path of leaving here for the Raleigh area first week of November, but it's totally dependent on whether (1) the place Mitch was given work will come thru (they didn't this week and it's looking very doubtful); and (2) if there's anywhere in the area for us to stay that we can afford (there are 2 mobile home parks, but last I heard, they didn't have any open sites). So it's a totally PIBE (Play It By Ear) situation.

Will keep you posted....

UPDATE:  Sukkah finished.  Here, with and without Mitch sitting in it:

   

Rosh Hashanah - Day 1925 (Year 6, Day 99)

Zephyrills, FL

This is the first time since we've been "on the road" that we were in the same place for both Passover and the High Holidays (which we consider to be Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot).  The longest we were ever in a place was 9 months in Asheville, NC, but it looks like here will be even longer.

As always, the services both days were mostly inspirational, spiritual and occasionally boring; they were from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  They were followed by a really awesome lunch spread (which isn't very common; in the past we were invited to people's homes for a fancy lunch).

Of course, returning to reality met me with 41 client emails, so I'm totally exhausted; been a long working day (note: NOT complaining!  Work is good, although I'd prefer to be in full retirement!)

Nothing new with Mitch.  His alleged new boss (who allegedly hired him but hasn't given him any work yet) said he call him today (almost 5:00 and still nothing).  The plan at this point (and plans are made in bubbles!) is that if nothing gets firmed up by the time all the holidays are over at the end of October, we are going to move up north, to the Raleigh area, and settle down there for a while while Mitch looks for employment in that area.  Yes, there are cold winters, but still not as bad as NJ. It gives us the chance to be closer to our beloved daughter and we absolutely love the Jewish community there.  But again, I emphasize that plans are made in bubbles.  There's also a chance there won't be anywhere for us to stay (can't afford the Fairgrounds where we usually go until Mitch works, as it's about $1K/month) and the 2 mobile home parks, last I checked about 2 months ago, didn't have any sites available.  So who knows?

Really looking forward to the day when we can travel where and when we want.  This isn't the lifestyle we had planned when we took to the road.  Not that it's at all bad and I'm really enjoying it.  Just wish we could travel a little bit more.  But my philosophy of life is that we're exactly where we're meant to be at any given moment.  So I'm trying to make the most of every moment we're here in Zephyhills.

Another update - Day 1920 (Year 6, Day 94

Zephyrhills, FL

When I last wrote 10 days ago, Mitch was out in Albuquerque doing an assignment with the AF Nat'l Guard, and was to return around midnight on Wednesday (I should have updated the blog on Wed., 2 days ago, but work was crazy busy.  Not that it isn't right now, but I really need to get this down).  Anyway, the job ended a little bit earlier than expected and they had another job up in Burlington, Vermont.  So instead of sending him home on Wed, he was sent up to VT instead.  The job may not be finished by today (Friday) but he made it very clear that he needs to be home on Monday and Tuesday which is Rosh Hashanah.  So the deal is that if the job isn't finished by this weekend (2 co-workers are staying longer), they will fly him back up there next Wednesday, to return the following Monday in time to be home for Yom Kippur.

Meanwhile, on the way to pick up my groceries yesterday, the truck wouldn't start (the last time I had truck problems was when Mitch was in Reno.  I'm beginning to think I'm being tested!).  The problem is most likely bad batteries, which were replaced only in December and are under warranty.  I found a local distributor / mobile tech.  He removed the batteries yesterday for testing and return and will come back today with new ones (waiting for the shipment).  Hopefully!!!

Meanwhile, Mitch is expected to return within minutes of the start of Shabbat tonight.  Can't believe it's been 10 days we've been apart (seems like only 2 or 3!)

What's going on in our lives? - Day 1910 (Year 6, Day 84

Zephyrhills, FL

As always, nothing exciting.  Haven't explored any interesting places.  Life as always.  Of course, always grateful that we're alive, have our health, have food on the table and a roof over our head.  Some day, perhaps, our dream to travel where and when we want will come to fruition.

For me, most days my 10 active clients keep me fairly busy. Thank goodness they ALL don't have needs on the same day!

For Mitch, he is still (since Dec. 2018) looking for employment.  He gets calls almost daily from various recruiters and has many irons in the fire, but no firm offers yet.  A bunch of very interesting ones (including for a cruise line) that we're hoping for.  At the moment (today, 9/17 thru next Wed. 9/25 midnight), he has another one-off assignment installing WiFi at an Air National Guard airforce base.  In July he did this in Reno, NV. Now he is in Albuquerque, NM.  If he can do 2 of these jobs a month, we could survive financially, although I have mixed feelings about him being gone.  On one hand, I enjoy my freedom and the lack of having to clean up clutter; on the other, I miss him terribly.

Today, the campground has hired a company to trim all the trees here.  They are currently cutting down the tree above me.  I hope they know what they're doing and it doesn't fall on me!!!

Update from yesterday's post - Day 1900 (Year 6, Day 74

Zephyrhills, FL

Wow, another milestone day (#1900)!

So... nope, not happening, at least not with Butter.  Owner changed her mind and isn't ready to give him up yet.

We'll keep looking for that perfect pet!  If it's meant to be, I'm sure its path will cross with ours.

Possible new family member??? - Day 1899 (Year 6, Day 73)

Zephyrills, FL

Ok, the argument since we started full timing 6 years ago, was whether or not to get a pet (we needed to re-home our 3 kitties as they were old and none of them would have been able to travel well).  For years, we've been literally "on the fence" -- one day thinking yes, it'll be great and other days thinking about all the reasons not to (particularly either for dogs not wanting to walk it in inclement weather and cats, not wanting to modify the trailer to accommodate a convenient place to put a litter box, plus the risk of having it claw up the furniture).  How much energy and dedication were we willing to invest in training?

 Nearly every day has been a struggle as to getting off the fence and deciding where we want to be.  Emotionally, we've desperately wanted a "fur baby" to join our family, but practically we've given ourselves lots of reasons why it wouldn't work.  We've been living vicariously through other people's pets.

With my arthritis problems and both of us needing much more exercise, we came to the conclusion that having a dog would FORCE us to go out for a walk at least 2-3 times a day.  Strong argument for the reasons to do so.  So we started researching (we want a rescue or a re-home, not from a breeder, puppy mill or retail store).  We had a criteria list a page long, including a dog that doesn't require a LOT of exercise (would be happy with 2-3 short walks a day) and that doesn't have a high energy level.

I found a Facebook group devoted to lost & found pets as well as pets that need new homes.  Someone contacted me almost immediately.  She has a shih-poo (cross of shih tzu and mini toy poodle) that needed a new home because she had a toddler and another one on the way and couldn't give it the attention it needed (she has it's parents as well).

This dog meets just about EVERY criteria on our LONG list.  So... on Sunday they are going to come here to meet us and to determine if they think we're a good match.  They really don't WANT to re-home it and are not in any rush to do so, but they know that it's important to do so since they can't give it the attention it needs (it's a very young couple with a 2 year old and another on the way).  They want to make sure it's going to the right and best home.

I know this will be such a home.  Question between now and Sunday is (and the question which is the reason we've been sitting on the fence for so long) is whether we are ready for the commitment of a pet.  I think we are.  "Where there's a will, there's a way."  For me, the greatest reason that's been holding me back for a dog is not wanting to take it out for a walk to do it's business in bad weather (far more reasons for a cat).

I truly think, after 6 years, that we're ready.  Can't wait until Sunday. Will post the results.  Fingers crossed that my next post will be an announcement of our new family member!

PS: here's a photo of "Butter Ball".  Feel free to Google "shih poo" for more photos and info on the breed:

Some excitement? Day 1891 (Year 6, Day 65)

Zephyrhills, FL

Hopefully there will be NO excitement, but we need to be prepared, as the first major hurricane - Dorian - is being forecasted to hit our area.  Today is Thursday and it should arrive on Sunday into Monday.  We decided it really isn't feasible to leave here with the rig.  But the contingency plans to ride out the storm are (1) go to a shelter if that's an option; (2) stay at the shul or possibly someone from the congregation's home; (3) find a hotel (not a great option as we don't have the $$$). 

Assuming the rig is ok when we return (if we need to leave at all), we have filled the water and propane tanks so we can survive for at least a week if the power goes out.  We have plenty of food and bottled water.

This is a bit scarier than the tornado warning we had a few months back.  We lived thru Sandy in 2013 and had no power for 3 weeks and although we were blessed with no damage beyond a tree limb pulling part of the gutter down, there was so much destruction all around us.  On the bright side, there are quite a few permanent residents here in the park who have lived thru many FL hurricanes and all said that the worst was Irma in 2017, and then there were only lots of branches down.

I have every confidence that we'll get thru this just fine.  But still, it's scary.  Just need to have faith.... and a plan!

Still nothing - Day 1876 (Year 6, Day 50)

Zephyrhills, FL

I know it's been 25 days since I've written.  Unfortunately, there's really nothing exciting or different going on in our lives.  We haven't been out and about to explore due to (1) no discretionary income as Mitch is still out of work; (2) my severe arthritis (bone on bone in my left knee and same in the left hip, and a bit of degeneration in my right knee and right shoulder); and (3) oppressive heat and non-stop thunderstorms (typical Florida summer weather).

Of course, when Mitch does finally get a job offer, I'm sure we'll have just days to pack up and move.  He currently has quite a few irons in the fire, most of them being in Tampa, Jacksonville and Raleigh.

There were a few repairs made this month.  The valve to the black tank was stuck in the open position, which is not a good thing!  (the black tank holds the sewage; gray tank holds the water from the sinks and shower).  The reason is that a lot of water is required to break down the paper and other solids, so the stuff sits in the tank, breaking down with all the water that you flush with, until it gets full and then you open the valve and it goes down into the sewer (when you're attached to a sewer line).  If the valve is open, then the sewage goes straight into the sewer and the solids don't have a chance to break down, which means they will stick to the inside of the tank and eventually build up into a very  hard "poop pyramid," which blocks up the tank so nothing can get past it.

Anyway, that was a fairly easy fix (by an RV tech) which was just to replace the valve.  Warranty covered that expense.

The other repair was fairly major which involved our front awning which was on it's last legs and finally just gave way when Mitch was in Reno.  It took a while to get it repaired because of the non-stop rain, but we finally had a few hours this morning that they were able to get it done (it started pouring just as they put in the last screw).  Normally, I'd say since an awning isn't as important as, say, the frig or a/c not working since we really only use it to block the sun or sit outside in the shade, it was critical here because the torn fabric prevented the awning from resting flush against the trailer, which would be extremely dangerous to drive with, especially on the interstate at 70mph.  So we really couldn't move anywhere until it was fixed.

So, that's life in a nutshell.  At least my work is keeping me very busy most days.

Mitch coming home! - Day 1851 (Year 6, Day 25)

Zephyhills, FL

Mitch was expected to be home at 6:00 am on Friday (leaving Reno at 6:30 pm Thursday), but some time during the day on Thursday, the company decided they needed him to work an extra day to finish up the job.  They didn't bother consulting with him in advance but just went ahead and rebooked his flight to leave on Friday evening.  He made a big fuss about it, explaining that for religious reasons, he doesn't travel on the Sabbath and needed to leave on Saturday night instead (and he would have told them that if they had bothered to ask).  But they decided to accommodate him and change the flight again and grant the extra day at the hotel, car and meals.  So he should touch down at 5:15 am Sunday morning and I'll see him in less than 12 hours!  It's been a really long 1 1/2 weeks (and 2 Shabbats by myself), although I did invite Ellie over again and we had a wonderful time.

Another truck "adventure" - Day 1847 (Year 6, Day 21)

Zephryhills, FL

Ok, last week (Wed. when Mitch left for Reno), when I took the truck out for a shopping run, I felt that something wasn't quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  It didn't seem to have a lot of power while accelerating, but then again, I was on 30 mph streets, so it was hard to tell.  I chose not to go to Shabbat services because I was afraid it would break down.

Yesterday, I had an appointment for xrays and labs (for my hips and rheumatologist follow up).  I had a little bit of trouble getting it to start.  While driving, I noticed the gas tank was a little below 1/4 (I never like to go below that), so I switched to another tank (we have 3 totaling 105 gallons) which put the gauge up to FULL.  While driving the 2 miles to the doctor, it still didn't feel right: the idle was weak and it felt like it was going to stall.  I did make it to the office ok.

On the way home, I had a little more trouble getting it to start and the feeling of it being about to conk out was much stronger.  I was going to stop en route at the supermarket to pick up a few things, but decided not to tempt fate.  That was a good decision because just as I was about to cross the street into my RV park, it did die.  After what felt like an eternity (but was probably only about 5 minutes) I was able to get it started again, at which point I slammed on the gas pedal and went as fast as I could into the campground to my site and landed safely.  I'm sure someone "up there" was watching out for me.

Anyway, I arranged for my friend to take me to Walmart to pick up my groceries (that I buy online) on Thursday and figured Mitch will deal with the issue when he gets back (which will be 6:00 am on Friday, so that's really not very fair to him).  When I was a bit more calm and level headed this morning, I thought the best I could do is find a diesel mechanic in the area.  I lucked out!!! I actually found a mobile diesel truck repair place that not only answered the phone on the first ring, but said they could be here within 1/2 hour! (I had a client call so I needed to push it out another hour).  I checked out their reviews and they come out to 5 stars.  And yes, they deserve every star!

Bottom line is that the problem was that I was out of gas in all of my tanks!  There is something wrong with the gauges so for the time being, we'll need to use paper, pen and math to figure out  how much gas we're consuming since we can't rely on the gas gauges now.  While they were here, they also did an oil and fuel filter change.  Total was only about $350 (plus the gas they had to run out to buy) which is very low.  Would have been closer to $800 at a mechanic shop.  Anyway, truck is now fixed and purring.  Glad I was able to get the problem resolved and not leave it to Mitch.  I know he'll need a lot of decompression time when he gets home.

Hey y'all
Mitch here.  In Reno Nevada! 
Yes, by myself.
Previous post by Cheryl explains why I'm out here alone.
First of all.
Besides the 9 hrs of flying with two layovers I discovered that Reno is almost as weird as Austin Texas
Here's my first photo getting off the plane in Reno

Still quite a shock, even though I've been in Vegas before.

Now we'll talk about my work later.
It's after shabbos, needed to go get some food, decided to stop off here.

So, I wandered into the annual chalk art festival 

Couldn't resist stopping and listening to the band ...

Here's a SHORT sample clip of this blues band..(only 25 mb), but I DO have a 200 mb clip if you really  really want it!

Anyway amazing time
Here are a few photos of the chalk art

That's called "Escher's water park"  (as in M.C. Escher) complete with a 3-D interactive photo op!
and here is a full link to the pictures I took from this festival

anyway that's it for now...

Mitch

Mitch in Reno - Day 1842 (Year 6, Day 16)

Zephyrhills, FL

Mitch is still seeking employment in the IT field.  He gets lots of initial interviews but nothing has jelled yet for anything full time.

Interestingly, he got a call around noon on Tuesday.  There was a need to install a computer system at a military base in Reno, Nevada -- can he be there tomorrow (Wednesday)?!!!  When he got the call, he was with me at the doctor's office, so it just wasn't possible logistically.  He left on Wed. at 6:00 am and is expected to return at 6 am on Friday!  The flights they arranged for him really suck big time (3 stops on the way over, and red-eye returning).

Who knows -- maybe this company has nationwide contracts and can keep us traveling?  We shall see what happens next.  But at least, it's a few $ in our pocket.

I have to admit this (being apart) is new to me.  Whenever one of us has gone out of town on business, it has always been me (to the UK 3 times, San Antonio recently).  But this is the first time I'm left at home and Mitch is away.  Thankfully, during the day, I have a lot of work which distracts me, but the evenings are a little hard as it throws me off the routine.  For example, I'm not making fancy dinners (just throwing up veggie burgers in the microwave) and not making it to be ready by 6 so we can go to sleep by 9.  Can't watch our usual "tv" stuff (which is downloaded) because I shouldn't get ahead, so watching real tv or YouTube.

Was having a hard time figuring out what to do for Shabbat.  I don't want to invite myself to the rabbi as I don't want to sleep over and I can't drive at night.  Can't see myself making a special meal, baking challah, even setting the table for myself alone.  So I invited a friend to join me to give me an excuse.

Meanwhile, looks like Mitch may have a lot of extra time on his hand over the weekend and the day he returns home (11:00 pm flight) so he has the chance to explore the area of Reno/Lake Tahoe.  I sure do hope he takes advantage and takes lots of pictures and maybe even journals stuff.  MITCH --- I invite you to put a post here to record Reno!

Quick Update - Day 1829 (Year 6, Day 3)

Zephyrhills, FL

The hydraulic system is finally back up and running.  It needed a new pump, which was replaced last week and then an additional part (the trombetta).  So now we can leave when we need to, and the bed goes up & down once again.

Mitch has a job offer that looks very promising; he signed a contract today.  It is very similar to what he was doing as an IT freelancer in NJ: various installations, builds and repairs.  Jobs will be all over central FL, from east to west coasts.  He still needs to meet with the owner to iron out a few details, and we have yet to see how many assignments (and therefore how many hours) he'll have.  If it turns out to be way too few hours, he'll need to continue job hunting.  But even so, any little amount of work is better than nothing at all.

Another "RVersary" - Day 1826 (Year 5, Day 365)

Zephyrhills, FL

Here we are again - just completed our 5th year of this RV lifestyle, and still loving it.  Granted, it hasn't gone according to plan (mostly by not being able to go where and when we want), but we still do get to travel a little bit, see different parts of the country and meet interesting people, some of whom become lifetime friends.

This time last year, we were in Augusta, GA.  We then traveled to Virginia Beach and then to our current location in Florida.

For me, my favorite highlights were the great Jewish community in Augusta (including being able to park our home on their property for the High Holidays), the day on the boardwalk and sand sculpture tournament in VA Beach, and our 40th anniversary vow renewal in Jamaica.  The least favorite highlight was Mitch losing his job at the end of December (and as of now, 6 months later, he is still looking for work). 

Once again, this year has been mostly uneventful in terms of travel and getting out and doing fun stuff mostly due in part to (1) not having discretionary income and being on a very tight budget; and (2) the arthritis in my hip and knees have made it very difficult to do a lot of walking.  I also haven't been willing to rearrange my weekly schedule - to do my work in the evening in order to go out during the day.

Repairs on the truck and trailer have been minimal, although our current problem of the hydraulic system not working is still not resolved.  RV tech replaced the pump but still needs another part, which hopefully will arrive some time this week.

Who knows what this year will bring.  My hunch is that the job Mitch finally lands will be a static one, requiring us to settle down in one area, probably until retirement.  In that case, we will most likely find a campground or mobile home park to stay at long term, at least giving us the opportunity to take the rig out for vacations or weekends. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

A fun weekend - Day 1819 (Year 5, Day 358)

Zephyrhills, FL

This past weekend was Mitch's great-nephew (Duncan, son of Adam, son of Mitch's sister Jane) bar mitzvah in NJ.  It was actually a double bar  mitzvh (b'nai mitzvah) as he shared it with his very close cousin Ben (son of his mother's sister).

We flew up there on Friday and returned Sunday night.  We had a really wonderful time.  The services were very inspirational and the party was a lot of fun.  One of the things they had there was a photo booth.  I had a bit of fun with that:



There was another lost beach opportunity yesterday (Monday).  Mitch had a job interview in Clearwater and dragged me with him.  He dropped me off at a nearby Starbucks so I could get a little bit of work done and we had hoped to take a walk on the famous white powder beach.  Unfortunately, it was raining, as it has been daily for the past 2 weeks.  Instead, we decided to scope out some campgrounds and mobile home parks in the area, in case he was offered the job (which he learned today, he wasn't).

Update to update - Day 1805 (Year 5, Day 336)

Zephyrhills, FL

Since my last post, my left knee has become just painful and my right knee has become excruciating (it should be noted that on Saturday, during Shabbat services, I was literally crying from the pain -- this coming week, when we have 3 days of services in row due to the holiday of Shavout: the giving of the Ten Commandments, I will not be standing at the assigned times.  The worst pain I experience is mostly upon getting up and getting down.

Anyway, I saw the orthopedist yesterday and he took xrays of the right knee.  He agreed that the left knee was bone on bone but the right one had arthritis behind the knee cap and possibly a degenerative tear (but they won't do an MRI yet).  He gave me a cortisone shot in each knee and recommended physical therapy, and agreed, if available locally, aquatic therapy (it is -- just need to get pre-authorization from insurance co).  It's been a nightmare trying to pin all this down, but I will pursue.  And hopefully, if we need to move before all the PT is completed, I'll be able to transfer it to another location.  Meanwhile, the pain medication prescribed is Tylenol, which doesn't even help me for a headache.  So I plan to be in insufferable pain for a while.  But it is what it is.  Thankfully it's not worse.  It's only joints.

Update - Day 1800 (Year 5, Day 331)

Zephyrhills, FL

Wow, I like even numbers -- today is 1800 days since we officially hit the road (and in a few weeks, it will be 5 years!!!)

So... update on the health side.  Nose no longer running and cough is only slight, so much better on the top of my body.  But... I have been in such absolute excruciating pain with both of my knees since last week.  They were sort of achy when I returned from San Antonio; I thought perhaps because I didn't walk as much as I was used to.  But when I returned, I did start walking again and the pain became significantly worse.  It was so bad on Thursday that I decided to go to the urgent care center to get an xray (it was my left knee that was excruciating; the right one was only painful).  They found almost no cartilage and lots of bone spurs.  Yesterday and today it is my right knee that has me in tears because of the pain.  I was given Prednisone and found an hour here or there of relief, but nothing to write home about yet.  I am lucky to have an appt with my regular doctor tomorrow (Monday) and I will ask to have the other knee xrayed and also an MRI, in case there's anything else going on in there.  What I'm having trouble understanding is that if it's arthritis, I don't think the pain would come about almost overnight; it's generally gradual and I would have felt something at some point.  I have never had problems with my knees until 2 weeks ago, so how could the condition be that bad?  Only thing is, I didn't have any injuries or sudden movements that I recall.  In any event, no matter what we find, I can't really take any action until Mitch finds a job, especially if it involves surgery, as I can't make the time commitment if we have to move.

Update on the hydralic situation... nothing yet.  The RV tech wasn't able to come last week; he finally got back to us after 4 days to admit that he had the flu and couldn't come out at least for another week.  But he referred us to his colleague, who will (allegedly) be coming out tomorrow afternoon (hopefully I'll be back from the dr. by then).

Meanwhile, on the job front, last week Mitch got quite a few calls from recruiters (at least 3 different recruiters were calling him about the same position!).  Clearly he meets the criteria for the job; now they just need to get him an interview with the company and give him an offer already!!

Please G-d this will be a week filled with good news.  We need it already.

Getting better - Day 1795 (Year 5, Day 326)

Zephyrhills, FL

I do wish I could post more often; that there was more exciting stuff happening (or anything, at that) happening in our lives.

Getting better, slowly but surely.  It started with a scratchy throat in San Antonio.  When I returned home, the next day it was a full blown sore throat with a runny nose and the start of a cough.  Since then, the throat eased up, but I was full of congestion and coughing up and blowing out a lot of phlegm.  Last night was the first time I slept through the night and I only used 3 tissues instead of half a box.  So finally getting over this.

But now for maintenance/possible repair problems with the RV, possibly something to do with the hydraulic system.  We discovered the problem on Friday with the bed.  There's a switch that makes the top part go up and down (to make it easier to change the sheets as well as to semi-sit up while lying down; great feature!).  We had a flat box stored under there which Mitch needed, so he raised the bed to get it.  Then... the bed would not go back down.  We discovered that the mechanics work with a hydraulic piston.  UPDATE:  We were able to lower the bed manually by disconnecting the piston. Of course, the switch won't work now until we get the system fixed.

Now, in order to accurately check the hydraulic fluid level, we need to hitch the truck up to the rig.  In order to hitch, we need to raise or lower the landing gear (jacks) which are also hydraulic.  Mitch was able to lower the rig a bit, but he lowered it too far so that it was too low to slide into the hitch.  But when he tried to raise the jacks, they would not go up.

We got quite a few different opinions and tips from various online sources as well as RV peers, including to check the solonoid switch (which we had to learn what that was, where to find it and how to check it; Mitch is doing that now).  I have a hunch that will not be successful and we'll need to call in a tech.  UPDATE: no, it didn't work.

Thank goodness we don't need to pack up and leave in a few days, as it can take a week or more before we can get an appointment (although with our luck, Mitch will get a job offer where we do need to leave in a few days!)

So far, he still has a lot of leads but no responses.

San Antonio - Day 1783 (Year 5, Day 314)

Zephyrhills, FL

I returned from San Antonio on Sunday, 4 days ago.  It was a fun and very productive and inspiring conference, in which I made a lot of new friends & colleagues, came back with a great plan to further grow my business, learned a few great tips & tricks, and had one really awesome day of sightseeing before the conference.  This post will focus mostly on the tour day.

I arrived in SA on Monday, May 6th at approx. 5:30pm.  Thankfully it was an uneventful flight and only a 10 minute ride to the hotel in the downtown area.

It is a very historic hotel (the Menger), which is not only the oldest running hotel in the US, but where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders.  Many, many other famous people stayed there and there were also many galas held in the grand ballroom for the rich & famous. There is both the original building which claims to be haunted (at least 2 of my colleagues stayed in that section and had "experiences" to tell about!) and the modern section. 

Here are some photos of the main entrance and ceiling:

    

And my room.  The bathroom was larger than my living room!

      


After I settled into the room, I needed to have dinner.  My roommate already had other plans and I didn't know anyone else who had arrived early, so I went to the Riverwalk Shops which is a mall adjacent to the hotel and bought a sandwich in the food court.  One interesting thing I noted -- I'm not sure if I find this sweet & romantic or extremely touristy and tacky (probably the latter) -- is that lining the street on 2 sides of the hotel are horse drawn carriages of various shapes (Cinderella's pumpkin, a heart, etc) and which are adorned with colorful lights at night.  Here are a few examples:

          


My impression of the city:  the downtown is very diverse architecturally, with a mixture of very old, Spanish buildings and modern buildings. Murals abound (more of that later).  Like most downtown areas, it's very congested and difficult to find parking.  With our truck, it would be virtually impossible.  Interestingly, every street has electric scooters and bikes for anyone to take for free to get around (although there's been a lot of resistance as people have been getting hurt due to reckless "driving").  Nice place to visit, but I'm not in a rush to return.

The tour was led by a tour company on a luxury bus (I was expecting something like a trolley).  The tour was 50% riding with the guide telling us about what we were seeing out the window, and 50% getting off the bus to walk around a specific site.  In my previous post, I mentioned a mobility scooter I would be renting, and I can tell you what a godsend it was!  I never would have been able to keep up with the walking, and it was so easy for the driver to load it into the cargo bay after I pressed the button to fold it.

We got on the bus at 9:00 am and finished the tour at 4:30 pm.  Guide made it clear that we was not getting on the highway and was taking a lot of back roads (some were truly tiny, narrow streets in residential areas - kudos to the bus driver!!!) so that we could see the "real meat and potatoes" and not all the touristy hype, although we did visit a number of tourist sites.

San Antonio has a huge art renovation project and so you see lots and lots of incredible murals all over the place.  Here are some photos, from buildings as well as on every pillar at an underpass.  There were hundreds more but I only took a few photos: (the last one is on the side of Children's Hospital)

  

Our first stop off the bus was the San Antonio Library, which I think is on par with the NY Public Library - ginormous (although this one is very modern).  There was a particular piece of artwork that the guide wanted to show us in the library, honoring the history of the city.  Here is a photo of the entrance, the hallway to leading to the mural and the mural itself:

     


Next up on the tour was the San Fernando Cathedral: the oldest cathedral in the city with a very interesting history.  You can read more about it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_San_Fernando, particularly about Our Lady of Guadalupe, who appears in many, many pieces of art around the city (as well as Saint Anthony whom the city is named after).  Some photos: the last one is a plaque on the floor which marks the exact center of San Antonio.

    

Next up on the tour was the outdoor studio of a famous San Antonio "faux bois" artist, Carlos Cortes (it's not part of the regularly scheduled tour, but our guide is a personal friend of his and since he was around, wanted to him to show off his work, which can be found all around the city, and probably the world).  Faux Bois is the artistic imitation of wood or wood grain; Carlos works in concrete.  Here are some photos of his work and you can find more at his website: http://studiocortes.com/index.htm

     

Next up, we got a history lesson about the various Missions in San Antonio (and South Texas in general).  We started at the Mission San Jose Visitor's Center which housed a small museum and showed a film.  The history is really quite sad, particularly with regard to how the Native American tribes were killed or forced into slavery to build the missions.  Here are a few photos of the main sanctuary and the living quarters behind it.

     

The Alamo is also a mission, but has historical significance as it was used as a fort during the Texas Revolution. Here is the front of the building (which was around the corner from the hotel):  Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to take the tour.



After the missions tour, it was time for lunch.  The bus brought us to the Pearl district, which started as just the largest brewing company, but expanded into a little privately owned "neighborhood" of shops, restaurants and even the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).  Everyone got off the bus and immediately ran in their own directions (it was self paced and we had about an hour 15 minutes).  I heard about this awesome totally vegetarian restaurant called Green, where I headed for lunch.  I wish, wish, wish they had nationwide locations!  Here are a few photos I took of the murals inside the restaurant:

  

After lunch, we rode around a bit more, looking at more murals.  Then, time for another 45 minute break at a Mexican marketplace.

   


There's this really awesome bakery.  Photo of the display case is only a tiny fraction of the entire display (click on the photo to enlarge and really view the goodies).  Entering the bakery is quite an experience as well.  Too bad I didn't have time to figure out what to buy, as I had planned to meet up with 2 friends for margaritas.

  



That was pretty much the end of the tour.  It ended at the front of the hotel and the tour guide walked with everyone around the corner to the Alamo, where folks could do their own tour (unfortunately, I had a family emergency, which, thank G-d, worked out for the best, so I didn't do the tour).

The only item I left out about the area is the famous RiverWalk, which is basically a lot of stores, restaurants, bars and entertainment along the San Antonio river (not sure why they call it a river; it looks more like a canal). A group of us went for dinner there.  I ordered sesame crusted tuna which I didn't realize would be sushi-grade.

   

And now, just a few odds & ends tidbits:

Met 3 other fellow Jews (one isn't in the photo).  There was an "after party" when the conference was over on Friday night, and we all lit Shabbat candles together and did kiddush over the wine:



The party was held in the room of our organization's President -- the Teddy Roosevelt room, where Teddy Roosevelt actually stayed.  It was a HUGE suite which easily fit all 50 of us:

  

Each day of the conference, there was a buffet breakfast and lunch.  This was one of the cute decorations on the table:



A group photo:



Lastly, on Saturday, I learned that my cousin Bobby, whom I haven't seen for about 10 years, lived in San Antonio.  I was fortunate that he was around and didn't have plans that day, so he met me at the hotel.  We spent some time in the lobby looking at family photos that he brought on his laptop, and then had lunch at the food court.



Oh, and a really awesome aquarium in the Tampa airport at the Southwest terminal:



I'm really revved about taking the next steps to grow my business.  The only complaint I have upon my return is that I returned with a sore throat, runny nose and coughing as well as very bad knees.  Not sure why I'm having so much trouble with the latter but if it doesn't get better by next week, I may need to see a doctor.  Maybe I twisted something when I had to contortion my way into the bed (as I didn't have a much needed step stool to get into it!!).