The Word for Today - Benign

It is with great pleasure that I report the Word for Today is "BENIGN".
"How do you spell relief?" B-E-N-I-G-N!

(If this doesn't make sense to you see my last post - Life's Lumps.)

Life Has Lumps Sometimes

Like a good girl, I had my yearly mammogram a few weeks ago. A week later I got a letter and a call from my doctor saying there were some suspicious "lumps". I went to the hospital for a Diagnostic Mammogram on Thursday. After the first film, I started feeling light-headed and asked for ammonia. It didn't help any that this test squished me even harder than a normal mammogram. The technician had me sit on a tall chair for the rest of the pictures and it was all I could do to get through it. I had tried to tell myself that this was "nothing" but I think my body's reaction showed more how I really felt.

A few minutes later, Dr. Norris, the doctor reading the film, came in. He said the suspicious area showed up and he wanted to do a biopsy. I told him I was "allergic" to pain so he said he'd give me some Zanex ahead of time to help me cope. Meg, the coordinating nurse, called me at home and we set up the appointment. She was very descriptive and the whole procedure sounded awful. I had a very rough night with not much sleep.

Ed took me to the hospital Friday morning at 9:30. Meg, the nurse, was very supportive and understanding since she'd had 3 biopsies herself. (We later learned she had cancer, surgery, chemo, etc. But she was determined to get back to normal life. She's perfect for this job.)

While in the nurses' area signing the 2,000 forms, there was a nurse who looked familiar to me. I asked her name and before she finished saying it, I knew who she was. Sandi and her husband, Charlie Collette were in my scuba club in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida! They moved up here 5 years ago to Briery Branch, which is about 15 miles from Singers Glen. Charlie was a boat captain, has retired, AND they now have a motor home! Everyone was entertained listening to us discuss the various people we remembered.

Then, it was time for the biopsy. The machine is in a large van, shared by several hospitals. I was on a table on my stomach with my poor boob hanging down through a big hole. They REALLY squished, squashed, and squeezed to take more films from various angles. They decided which shot gave the best view and then clamped down hard in that position.

About the time Dr. Norris started giving me the Novocaine shot and inserting the "tube", through which he withdrew tissue, the nurses started asking me about scuba diving and had me chattering through it all. I told them that I thought they squeezed me to give me so much pain that I hardly noticed what the doctor was doing. I was on the table about 20 minutes. Dr. Norris said the lump seemed smaller than he had expected and he didn't think it was cancerous. If it is, they've caught it very early so can nip it in the bud.

Ed brought me home and I slept all afternoon. Today I feel weak - like limp spaghetti - and my poor squished boob is tender. But it's over. Now I just have to wait till Tuesday evening for the results. Breast cancer does not run in my family so I'm reminding myself of that. At least the biopsy is behind me.

Never again will I think, "Oh." when someone tells me they had a biopsy. Lumps are lumps, wherever or however they appear in our lives.

RV's Need Homes, too!

Ed has worked diligently at getting a shelter constructed for the RV. He's spent hours considering which design and construction materials to use. Then, as with any construction project, once you get estimates and hire someone, you're pretty much at their mercy ........oh, and the weather plays into this, too!
Our two acres is all hills. The only flat piece of land was between Mother's sheds and barn. So, that's where it's going. The sides are up and surely do look tall, don't they?

After a day of putting in rebar and a couple truckloads of gravel, they poured the concrete today.

Maggie's Murder Mystery Party

Some people think nothing ever happens in the boonies but that's not altogether true! Saturday night we went to a Murder Mystery Party at Maggie's house in Singers Glen. (Maggie is the gal who house-sat for us while we were in Florida January-March and she's also my hairdresser.)

It's the 1st Annual Deadwood Poker Tournament Party!

For weeks, people have been pouring into the small western town of Deadwood for the biggest poker tournament this side of the Mississippi. As the tournament concludes, a celebration party is planned at the Deadwood Saloon.

Bonnie Banker, Marshal Dalton, Sally Starr, Holly Hickok (Maggie), Black Barbara, Minnie Money, and Harry High-Stakes

Mitch Maverick, Gambling Jack, Montgomery Money,
Clay Coldwell, Jesse Wales

Here's Montgomery Money (Ed) and Minnie, his daughter, (notice her bustle).

I was Black Barbara, an outlaw. ("She's been in town all week and no one knows quite why.") I borrowed the dress and hat from a lady who grew up in Singers Glen and keeps such items for the Singers Glen Opera every 5 years. My friend, Beth, came and helped me dress. I never could have gotten it put together without her. The bustle she pinned stayed put and once I put in the five antique 10" hatpins that Uncle Bob loaned me, the hat stayed on. It was awesome to wear an authentic dress and hat made long ago. Several of us studied the dress and were amazed with the hand stitching and the hand worked buttonholes.

We didn't solve the mystery as to who murdered Mitch Maverick, but we ate some good food and had some laughs. There were several people I didn't know and if I see them on the street, I'll have to say, "Hello, Bonnie Banker" or "Hi, Gambling Jack" because everyone stayed in their roles all evening!

Mother's Mishap - The Rescue Squad...

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

The Rescue Squad took Mother to the Emergency Room Sunday night, March 30th, with severe hip pain. They did an X-ray and a CAT scan but found no fracture. Her doctor saw her Monday afternoon. He agreed with the ER doctors that it appeared to be a hip sprain/strain and prescribed bed rest.

Mother could not think of anything specific she did to bring on such pain. It is my sister, Anita, who saved the day. About 9 p.m. that evening, Anita called from Ohio, having just talked to Mother, and asked us to go check on her. Maybe Anita's motherly instincts sensed the pain in Mother's voice. And, sure enough, we called the rescue squad. Thank you, Anita!

Her doctor is sending Home Health nurses in for several weeks. One is an Occupational Therapist who helps with life skills such as bathing and gives her exercises. The other one is a Physical Therapist who focuses on exercises to build leg and arm strength.

For me to manage all her meals, meds, and sleep at her house was taking its toll. We were blessed to find a lady to come in to help out with various household needs. Ed has been a Godsend through all this.

I think there is light at the end of the tunnel......Mother started feeling a bit better yesterday. She has "graduated" to a cane and has put her bedside potty chair into storage. We're in the process of adding grab rails in the shower and bathroom for added safety.

Tomorrow, the therapist plans to start working on getting up and down the outside back porch stairs. Mother's looking forward to going back to her Wellness Center for her water aerobics class three times a week and for just getting out in general.

But....but, it's spring now, isn't it?

We're back in Virginia and.........wait, how could this be - - SNOW?? During the night I got up and as I glanced out I thought that the moon surely was bright - NOT! The ground, trees, and bushes were covered with snow, although there was none on the roads. It melted quickly this morning but as I sit here at 3:30 p.m., I'm looking out the window at snow flurries. Maybe having St. Patrick's Day, First Day of Spring, and Easter all in one week, confused Mother Nature??

It's amazing how much there is to do after being gone for 10 weeks. I'm almost caught up with the laundry and Ed's already making calls to get the concrete pad poured and the RV shelter built. This is one time that I'm glad I'm a pack rat because I'm coming across quite a few items from our other motor home. Also, I have enough clothes for 3 wardrobes so don't need to buy any more -- but please don't tell Ed that, OK?


BTW (by the way) I'd surely like to hear from you, either by email or click "comments."

Catch up Posts

As I learn more about blogging, I am learning how to make things easier for our readers. That said, I'm going to lead you to two posts that were added/updated. Click on the titles here: St. Pat's Day and Heading Home & Pelican Place & Mary's Grandchildren

Also, my scuba diving buddies are living in their RV full time (They're called full-timers.) and they're both computer geeks. Click here for a sample of their newsletter. You might want to subscribe: Geeks On Tour Newsletter

St. Pat's Day and Going Home Soon

We are here at The Great Outdoors for one more night. Tomorrow, we return the coach to Coastal RV and will go over the additional things that need to be fixed. We'll leave the Explorer and get our Mercury.

Then we'll go south to Rockledge to return Barb's cooler, pick up some mail, and buy some oranges for Mother. At which point, we hit the road......and will arrive in Singers Glen, Virginia on Wednesday night.

I need to start packing and will have to do some figuring. I want to leave as many things here as possible because there are lots of items we still have from our other RV that will make life more convenient. I plan to bring some of the little things on the plane when we return in a month or so.

p.s. Today we went to a huge shopping center about 20 miles west of here where Ed finally found his pastrami on rye at Toojay's Deli. I had corned beef, cabbage and carrots so now I should have good luck, right?

Playing House

When we were kids on the farm in Virginia, Daddy let us use an old chicken house as our playhouse. He even put a couch and an old table in there. That's kind of how I feel in the RV!

I've pointed out to Ed that we have 30 days to report any problems and even if we don't get them fixed right now, they'll be noted and Lazydays will take care of it later. Those 30 days are slipping by!

We found Coastal RV on U.S. 1 south of Titusville and they fixed everything that we had found up to that point....they have worked with Lazydays before so they just billed Lazydays directly without having us as middlemen.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Barbara returned from Jim's last Saturday and I knew we were in her space. I've been in her position before and it's taxing.........even though we're clean and quiet, you know about "your space".
Barb works at home, which made me all the more aware that we needed to move on! She was gracious but I felt she needs some time to herself. Barbara is a medical editor and works soooo hard - getting in 8 hours a day. She works at home from 4:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. I admire her self-discipline, especially after she showed me what she does. Doctors dictate notes, sometimes in their bathroom or cars, and a computer interprets it and types it out. Just as with literal language translation, this doesn't always make sense.

Barbara sits with headphones hearing the doctor while looking at the same thing on the screen. She goes in word by word and changes phrasing, correcting grammar, and any other detail you could imagine. Friday we packed our Mercury with the things Mother couldn't carry on the plane and things we wouldn't need in the RV, such as our winter coats. We left the Mercury at Coastal RV and off we went in our motorhome and tow car. We're staying at The Great Outdoors, a fancy resort with park homes and RV lots. They gave us a few free nights, in hopes that we'll buy, of course.

Back to the "Playhouse Concept". It's such fun to have everything right at your fingertips! It's a good thing Walmart is nearby because we go get a few things every day. It's amazing how many things we take for granted, such as dish detergent, dishtowels, bathroom cleaner and spray, drawer organizers, etc.

It looks like we'll leave the resort Tuesday morning, which will put us home on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. The weather is perfect today - 75 degrees with sun and a breeze. That's it from the Angelil's Playhouse for today!

Space ShuttleLift-Off at 2 :28 a.m.

"Spurting flames into a pitch-black sky, space shuttle Endeavour momentarily turned night to day as it blasted off at 2:28 a.m. ET Tuesday on a marathon mission to deliver the first Japanese section of the International Space Station." USA Today

We saw this Japanese section when we were at Kennedy Space Center a couple of weeks ago so I was motivated to get myself awake at 2:20 a.m., put on my jacket, shoes, and glasses and stand in Barbara's driveway (we're house-sitting for her here in Rockledge, FL about 20 miles from the Space Center).

All of a sudden, a huge area of sky was brightly lit - so bright that it looked like the Northern Lights, except it was all yellow from where I was sanding. I can't imagine how many watts must be produced to light such a large area! Then, I saw the fireball from the shuttle rise for only a few seconds until it disappeared into the thick cloud cover. (I didn't take this photo.)

Ed said he'd just watch the videos but this morning observed that they keep the cameras so close on the shuttle that you can't get a sense of the overall picture, which makes me all the more pleased that I got up for it!

Murphy's Law Strikes Again

The latest plan is that we will leave the RV and tow car here in Rockledge (near Cape Canaveral) in storage. In the meantime, we'll go to Virginia and get the concrete pad poured and the shelter built. Then in April, we'll fly down, hop in the RV, and make our first trip as we meander our way back to Virginia.

Now, Murphy and his laws step in: On the way here from Tampa, we discovered the dash air conditioner doesn't cool and the fan only works on high. We found a place to store the coach inside with electricity (to keep the batteries charged). Ed went up there this morning to do a few things and take it to a repair place . After driving all the way there, he realized the RV keys were in our other car. So, I headed out with the keys and got into a traffic jam. The light where I got caught stayed red for 20 minutes. Finally, I arrived.

Turns out this covered storage place had some parasites?? in the building so we decided to move it. We found Coastal RV on U.S. 1 and it appears that we've caught a break from Murphy, FINALLY! The guy there knew exactly what needed to be done to fix the dash air and fan. They also install many of the same brand of braking system that we have for our tow car so they can finish the step that they couldn't get done at Lazydays.

Within an hour after getting back to Barb's place, they called....had fixed the fan and were analyzing where the leak must be causing us to be totally out of freon. He also said they often work with Lazydays and can send them the invoice directly - YAY!!

Best of all, we can park the RV there for 6 weeks for only $50 a month, including the Explorer tow car!! This fellow, Paul, must be from Rockledge. We're discovering that this is a town of 26,000 people and they're open, friendly, and helpful.......reminds me of the good folks in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia!

We think we've figured out the way things work at Lazydays. They sell you the coach, have you come live in it with an electrical hookup on their dime and 2 free meals a day. They lull you into thinking they've really done a PDI (Pre-delivery Inspection), as their paperwork implies. At that point, they'll fix things -- but only the things that you discover.

Thank heavens, we're covered for 30 days. Now we're thinking that we really should live in it a few days and test everything!!! If Coastal RV can get everything finished soon we will likely do just that!

Mary's Beloved Grandchildren

We've been in Florida since January, house-sitting for a dive buddy in Rockledge, which is near Cape Canaveral. My grandchildren now live in North Florida and we met in Ormond Beach at the River Grille for lunch March 9th. Ormond Beach was a significant place because their Grandfather Alan's father (their great-grandfather) was named Ormond Barrows. The family used to come down from Connecticut to winter in Ormond Beach, thus his name.

Their adoptive family has provided them with a stable, warm home atmosphere. All the kids seem so well adjusted, and are obviously loved Ed even commented on the way back to Rockledge on what nice kids they are......friendly, out-going, and easy to talk to.
There's just something special about holding a baby the day it's born that creates a bond. This probably meant more to me because I didn't have children of my own. I saw a page in a magazine where a gal and her father stood in front of their front door for a picture on her birthday every year, likewise with the mother. I've done that with these three kids and it's such fun to see the adult grow older and the baby grow bigger.

After we get back to Virginia, I'll add a few more from previous years. Hopefully, it'll inspire all parents to do this......it makes such fabulous memories.

Added June, 2009 - I finally got a sample finished.....
Due to some unusual circumstances with my step-grandchildren, I was not able to quite keep within the original format mentioned above. However, I treasure what I have managed to capture.

(Click on the each page below to see a larger version.)

You also might like to read a post from June, 2009.
Click here to read --> Save Your Memories

 

Lazy Days Means Just That!

We are still at Lazy Days, the largest RV dealer in the world. But, how can we complain with free electric hook-up for our RV, breakfast and lunch served free, a nice lounge with computer Wi-Fi, nice TV's and Starbuck's coffee all day.

We met a nice couple in the driving class on Wednesday and it's funny........out of the hundreds of people here for service, we keep running into them. This morning we had breakfast together and learned he's a retired IBM-er from Raleigh, N.C (Art and Sandi Lloyd). We learned so much just from talking to them (and other RVers). They were there for warranty work and said they'd learned that even if they had a Monday morning appointment, they allowed at least a week. Instead of getting bent out of shape, they were glad that all sorts of things got fixed.

It would be hard to describe what details we've gone through in the last few days but this process of living in the RV in their Delivery Park Area is extremely helpful. It seems we keep finding more little things wrong and it's good to get things done while we're here. But, we do observe that the squeaky wheel gets the oil and find we have to keep checking with the coordinator to keep things moving. Actually, I keep the running list of things to be done but Ed does the talking to the fellow. I have a feeling that things would take even longer for a woman alone.

One of the folding chairs that match the fabric in the RV was broken. The wood shop was going to fix it yesterday.....all the pieces were there. This morning we planned to pick up the repaired chair and hit the road only to find out that they're not allowed to repair it because if we sit on it and it breaks and injures us, we could sue. Another example, they're not allowed to help us hook up our tow car because if something happens.....you know, the same old story, they could get sued.

Ed asked them to check the wiper blades as they appear to be different sizes and drag. When they checked that, they found the pump for the window washers didn't work. So they put in a new pump and new blades on the wipers. All this is included in the price of the RV.

There were a couple of things in our contract they couldn't do, such as a slide-out for the batteries. The compartment they're in was too short to accommodate the mechanism. For that, we got a voucher for the value of the part + the installation fee to use at Camping World. Fair enough! Camping World is like a candy store for RVers......I always see gizmos that would be nice to have. I did get a paper towel holder that's supposed to allow one hand to tear off one sheet at a time. Sounds great.....I hope it works.

By the way, Lazydays isn't really lazy.....but they are busy!

Our First Night in the Coach

Here we are in the Delivery Park of Lazy Days RV Sales in Tampa, Florida. I'm going to start this post and finish later. We slept in our motorhome last night for the first time and are constantly adding to a list of a gazillion questions. They have a Walkthrough Specialist who spends 1-3 hours or more to show and explain every switch and gadget both in and outside the RV. It was raining yesterday so Dennis, our Walkthrough guy, showed us only the basics. Today, our Walkthrough Specialist, Larry, was probably here almost 3 hours.

Right now we're in the middle of a driving course. We had the classroom this morning and 13 of us will drive for about 10 minutes.....on flat, straight areas, curves AND, backing into a parking place. I learned to drive on a tractor so am feeling a bit cocky but underneath, I'm not sure I can do this!

Ed is in his element....spent a couple of hours last evening reading the manuals. We slept terrible - I was too hot and Ed was cold and the mattress was too hard even for me. We'll have to look into a pillow-top mattress pad or something. Every time I turn around, I find another nicety. I was trying to open the curtains that cover the front windows at night and was moaning that they were broken.....NOT.......they have the strings you pull like your draw drapes at home!

The employees at Lazy Days are incredible. We took the Explorer over to install the baseplate, etc. for towing and had breakfast. Then we took the tram to the building where the class was and back for lunch (free breakfasts & lunches while here). We wanted to return to the RV, so Ed saw a man heading for a golf card and asked him for a ride. He answered several questions on the way over here and got us another technician who was working nearby to explain the levelers. Oh, there's so much to know!

We're off, will finish later.

The driving portion of our course was very helpful. I need practice but have a much better understanding of how different a motor home is from driving a car. The instructor says anyone can drive the front end of a coach but it's knowing where and how the back end swings that takes additional knowledge and skill.

Already, we 're finding as we did with our other motorhome.......RVers are outgoing, open, friendly, and helpful. The ages run from 30-80 - mostly couples but some families. We talked to a couple today who told us they're in their 80's and are here buying their 10th coach! They started camping in 1954 and motorhoming in 1972.

Well, I'm beat and my head is swimming with information so will sign off for tonight.

In a Holding Pattern

"Good things come to those who wait" seems to be what's happening now as we wait for our RV to be ready. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big believer in Delayed Gratification* but sometimes it's difficult to be patient. The motor home was supposed to be ready for us today. Two of the parts didn't come in, so it's not ready. Hopefully, we'll be going tomorrow for our live-in, check-out days.

That is a nice feature of Lazy Days.....we live in our RV in their campground free for several days. This includes breakfast and lunch, a newspaper delivered daily, cable, a full hook-up, seminars, and a driving class. First, the Delivery Person will show us how to work everything in the coach from the sewer set-up to the microwave/convection oven. This is our time to try everything to be sure it works properly. It's Lazy Days' time to have the rig leave them in tip-top shape. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

*Delayed Gratification
In my viewpoint, delayed gratification seems to be a lost skill these days. This "I want it all, and I want it NOW" mentality just isn't the way life works and has caused a crumbling of our society. I think this applies to issues such as people being way behind on their credit card payments, who keep on buying and charging anyway. I am of the old school who believes in saving up until have all the money before I buy something and I know I sleep better at night because of this. These days, people get furniture and don't have to pay for 2 years.....so by the time they start paying, the furniture's OLD!

I think it also explains the rampant epidemic of obesity, which has become a major cause of death. I fight with myself constantly not to eat fattening food, except now and then. I'll be a Weight Watcher member forever and it's a daily effort but it will help my health and best of all, I will be able to wear my clothes without having to go into the "Chunky Chicks" department in stores.

Such a shame.........delayed gratification builds one's strength, self-respect, and character..........

Go to Alaska in February???

I must take a moment to share a special blog with you. Lois and I have been friends since first grade, were college roomies, and have stayed in touch all these years.

Lois taught high school home ec. for 20 years and decided she wanted something different. She went back to James Madison University and got a degree in Psychology (I think that's right.) She became a licensed psychologist and first went into practice with a group. A few years ago, she and a partner started their own practice, which has gone quite well.

As a friend along the way, I had never noticed how totally SMART and curious Lois is. Just being around her makes one feel alive! How many people do you know who go to Alaska in February to help with the Iditarod dog sledding races?

Hope you also enjoy traveling with her: http://www.iditaroddreams.blogspot.com/

Dive Buddies and Bowmans – Small World

This small world never ceases to amaze me! I was looking at the blog of Chris and Jim Guld, scuba diving buddies from "way back when". Chris and Jim have been full-timers since 2003. On their website, they have links to other blogs and I assume that these links are from people they've met on their travels.

I opened one of the links and clicked to view his (Len's) latest post. Lo and behold, it was an essay about Obama that was emailed to him from Eldon Bowman!!

Eldon Bowman is one of my favorite cousins and I couldn't imagine that there would be too many “Eldon Bowmans” in the world. I emailed the blog owner, Len. Sure enough, it was "our" Eldon. Len went to J.M.U. with him and they have kept in touch.

Read Eldon's entire essay from February 16 - Inspiration and Politics

"It seems everyone agrees that Barack Obama is an inspiring speaker, .... But some call him inspiring in an almost accusatory fashion--like he is an empty vessel without depth to back up his inspiring words. So, I have been pondering on inspiring leadership as I head down the road, and I would like to share some of my thoughts. Though what I say applies to other areas of human experience, I will limit my comments to politics........MORE>>."

Eldon's wife had another view - Inspiration - a Differing Viewpoint
Len writes: ...Eldon's family is very unique, indeed. There are 9 of them and they cover the entire spectrum in politics and religion. Some years ago they started an ongoing email conversation between all members of his family to include their spouses on these sometimes very contentious subjects in an attempt to find common ground and to better understand each other....MORE>>
Barbara Bowman writes: "....It is pretty typical for Eldon and me to disagree in politics and Obama is no exception. Suffice it to say, I have not fallen under his spell.......MORE>>"

Pelican Place

Ed, Mother, Phil (my bro), and I went to a restaurant on Cape Canaveral called Grill's, which is on the water. The pelicans hanging around gave us a free show. They were everywhere and we happened to be there in the afternoon when fishermen were coming in to clean their catch for the day. As they worked, they flipped scraps off the table into the water below. It was hilarious to see about 25 pelicans fight and go after each bite. One would get it and others would sometimes take it right out of their beak!

We went back to Grill's another day for lunch and once again enjoyed our food but enjoyed the pelicans even more! Ed and I were ready to go and Mother was still on the dock watching the pelicans.

"Houston, we have NO problem!"

Mother, Ed, and I have been house-sitting for one of my scuba diving buddies in Rockledge, a town near Cape Canaveral, Florida. We came the first week of January and plan to return to Virginia in the middle of March - yes, we're "snowbirds" this year.

My brother, Phil, came from Texas for a long weekend. Mother, in her usual curious manner, said, "Let's go to Kennedy Space Center." It turned out to be a fantastic day. We got a wheelchair for Mother, which worked well for all. It was one of those blue-sky-fluffy-cloud days, in the 70's, and those clouds were there the whole day!

We first saw an IMAX 3-D movie - the kind where you wear those funny glasses so you feel like you're in the movie - of walking on the moon. We took a bus tour, which included 3 different stops. We saw two of the modules that were to be added to the space station in the next two launches.

 Lastly, we went through some of the displays and saw another remarkable IMAX movie about life inside the space station. One of our questions was answered - yes, they do shave, exercise, etc. The guy would shave a bit, then release his razor and it would just hang right there in midair.

It's hard to really perceive how humongous these shuttles are! We saw Europe's $2 billion science lab, Columbus, which was anchored to the space station on February 12.

This is a great animation showing all the segments of the Space Station, the modules and the international partners that have helped create it.
Click here: SPACE STATION MODULES

On January 7th, (Phil had to leave so missed it by 2 days), we drove about as close as we could get to see Shuttle Atlantis go up. The seven astronauts who went up, switched places with the crew who had been there there for a while. One of the returning team members had been on the satellite for 120 days.

When the shuttle returned, there wasn't really a good place to see it land so we stayed here in Rockledge to watch it on TV. Thank heavens Barbara had warned us about the sonic booms. There were 2 booms and they were LOUD!

We might get to see 2 launches - the next one is scheduled for March 11th.

Jeep, jeep, where are you?

Well, my idea of just finding a little jeep to tow behind the RV hasn't been quite as easy as I thought it would. Seems that jeeps are so popular that if one comes in on a trade, it's often sold within a hour after putting it up for sale!

This tow vehicle must have the ability to be towed 4 wheels down (dollies or trailers are too much of a hassle) and, hopefully, it won't rack miles while being towed. That really narrows the field so we 're looking mostly at Jeep Cherokees and Ford Explorers.

Naturally, we want something at a good price so we're looking at older models. I'm making the whole process more difficult because I want a color that matches or blends with the motor home colors.

Today we thought Ed had found the perfect one online - a beige Explorer. When we got there, it was white (I'll bet a guy put it on their site. Guys don't know the difference in creme, winter white, ecru, or eggshell, do they?). White will "do" since the RV does have one white strip on it. We're going back to test drive it tomorrow.

Update as of February 23rd: We now own a 1997 WHITE Ford Explorer which is in amazingly good condition with leather seats, sunroof, a 10 CD changer, and shiny paint.

We still need to install a Neutral Tow Kit that will allow the Explorer to be towed all wheels down and a supplemental braking system that will cause the Explorer's brakes to be applied when the coach's brakes are applied. This shortens the stopping distance by almost a third and is now required by law.

Lazy Days will install the base plate on the car which lets it be connected to the tow bar. It's one step at a time and Ed's staying on top of it. Who would ever dream there would be so much detail involved?