It’s hard to believe, but we finally have everything moved out of the house and into storage. The process just seemed to go on and on, but it is finally over.
We hauled four more loads (truck and trailer full) to the office and two to Roger’s. Once again, the day was exhausting, but it feels so good to finally be finished. The only things left in the house are the things we will be taking with us on this crazy trip.
Tomorrow, I have several errands to run before we can head out of town. Kim will finish loading our clothes into the RV and when I get back home, I’ll load the last of our stuff into the storage area under the beast. It’s hard to believe, but we’re actually going to be hitting the road tomorrow (barring any unforeseen emergency).
* * * * * * * * * *
It started to snow around 8:30 or 9:00 tonight. At first it was a light dusting, but then it started to get a little more serious. Even though it started to snow more heavily, there was very little wind, so the snow just floated to the ground. It was beautiful.
I don’t have anything against snow. In fact, I like it. The problem I have is with the cold. Unfortunately, the two usually go hand-in-hand. If it would snow when it was 50 or 60 degrees outside, it would be great.
After we had moved the last item into storage and had locked the door, Kim and I stopped for a second and just watched it snow. By that time there was about an inch-and-a-half of the white stuff on the ground. The light behind my office made it just bright enough to enjoy the snowfall without ruining the view. It was very peaceful. At that point, I knew that we were just several hours away from heading south, away from the snow. It felt like the snow was a going away present just for us.
* * * * * * * * * *
Kim and I worked together to move the last four loads of the day. It was nice to spend some time alone with Kim, even if we were moving a bunch of stuff through the snow.
I’ve always been amazed at Kim’s work ethic. We may clash some times over her methods or the way she prioritizes, but I can’t argue with her efforts. She is a hard worker.
Several years ago, before we had kids, I used to race cars. Kim and I would take off for the weekend and go to places like Daytona or Sebring or Road Atlanta. Although racing was a ton of fun, it was also a lot of work.
People were amazed at all of the things Kim would do. She’d change tires, help me bleed the brakes, and work in the pits. She was a real trooper. She looked like a model, but worked like one of the boys. She was, and is, a good looking, hard working woman. (Note to Jerry Holthouse – That last line sounds like it could be a hit. Please include my name on the song credits).
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
We're Not Done Yet
The day dawned gray and windy. At least it was a little warmer today than it was yesterday, but it still wasn’t very nice. Even so, we had to head out early to get the rest of our stuff moved into storage.
Shelby and I made four trips to the office, three of those with a rented U-Haul trailer. We also made two trips to Roger’s to drop of the lawn tractor, lawn mower, snow blower, and the yard cart. Even so, we still have more stuff to move.
Tomorrow was supposed to be loose ends day. In fact, I had hoped we could tie up all of the loose ends by noon and then hit the road in the afternoon. But now it is going to end up a moving more stuff and loose ends day. And that means we won’t be leaving until Friday.
If I was uptight and wanted to stick to a schedule, then this might bother me. But since I’m a relaxed, easy-going guy just taking life as it comes, then I’m not bothered in the least.
Yeah, right. . .
Shelby and I made four trips to the office, three of those with a rented U-Haul trailer. We also made two trips to Roger’s to drop of the lawn tractor, lawn mower, snow blower, and the yard cart. Even so, we still have more stuff to move.
Tomorrow was supposed to be loose ends day. In fact, I had hoped we could tie up all of the loose ends by noon and then hit the road in the afternoon. But now it is going to end up a moving more stuff and loose ends day. And that means we won’t be leaving until Friday.
If I was uptight and wanted to stick to a schedule, then this might bother me. But since I’m a relaxed, easy-going guy just taking life as it comes, then I’m not bothered in the least.
Yeah, right. . .
Review: Davis Bros. Pizza
The pizza at Davis Bros. Pizza in East Peoria, IL is the oddest pizza I’ve ever had. That doesn’t mean that it’s not good. It is, but I’ve never had anything like it before.
Before I talk about the pizza, let me talk about the reputation Davis Bros. has developed over the years. The pizzeria started as a hole-in-the-wall bar in downtown East Peoria in 1948. They developed a unique pizza recipe that became their calling card.
Former East Peoria resident Kathy Trojack tells of an urban legend that was circulating when she was in high school that claimed that Davis Bros. used dog food on their pizzas. Like most urban legends, the claim is probably not true, but Kathy says the one thing she is sure about is that the original location for Davis Bros. was disgusting. Because of that, Kathy won’t eat there.
Davis Bros. new location isn’t fancy, but it is large and clean. The restaurant was pretty busy the night we were there, which may explain the spotty service. I think the problem was too many customers and too few waitresses. The waitresses that were there were just spread too thin.
Little Lou, Kim and I shared a sausage pizza with extra cheese. The menu at Davis Bros. is very confusing, at least for me. Since the sausage pizza doesn’t come with sauce (which I’ve never heard of before), we technically ordered a deluxe with no onions or green peppers. Thankfully, our waitress knew what we wanted, so we ended up with what we wanted rather than what we ordered.
As I said, the pizza at Davis Bros. is different. The crust is super thin, but not really crunchy like a New York-style cracker thin crust.
It’s hard to describe the sauce because Davis Bros. uses so little of it on their pizzas. This makes for a very dry pizza.
The sausage on our pie was very finely ground and there was an entire layer of it on our pie. The sausage had a good taste and gave the pie the majority of its flavor. The pizza was topped with two different types of cheese, mozzarella and American (or cheddar), I think. Even though there were two types of cheese, there wasn’t as much as I would expect considering that we ordered extra cheese.
Kim makes a good point about Davis Bros. Pizza. She says they make the kind of pizza you would make at home if you really didn’t know how to make pizza. Yet, they’ve built a business on their pizza that has lasted nearly six decades. Whether or not you like the pizza at Davis Bros. Pizza, it’s hard to argue with their success.
Overall, Davis Bros. Pizza is good, but not exceptional. It definitely is unique. Because of that, I really can’t give it a rating. It’s like trying to rate a dessert pizza with the same scale as a regular pizza pie. It’s pizza, but not really.
Before I talk about the pizza, let me talk about the reputation Davis Bros. has developed over the years. The pizzeria started as a hole-in-the-wall bar in downtown East Peoria in 1948. They developed a unique pizza recipe that became their calling card.
Former East Peoria resident Kathy Trojack tells of an urban legend that was circulating when she was in high school that claimed that Davis Bros. used dog food on their pizzas. Like most urban legends, the claim is probably not true, but Kathy says the one thing she is sure about is that the original location for Davis Bros. was disgusting. Because of that, Kathy won’t eat there.
Davis Bros. new location isn’t fancy, but it is large and clean. The restaurant was pretty busy the night we were there, which may explain the spotty service. I think the problem was too many customers and too few waitresses. The waitresses that were there were just spread too thin.
Little Lou, Kim and I shared a sausage pizza with extra cheese. The menu at Davis Bros. is very confusing, at least for me. Since the sausage pizza doesn’t come with sauce (which I’ve never heard of before), we technically ordered a deluxe with no onions or green peppers. Thankfully, our waitress knew what we wanted, so we ended up with what we wanted rather than what we ordered.
As I said, the pizza at Davis Bros. is different. The crust is super thin, but not really crunchy like a New York-style cracker thin crust.
It’s hard to describe the sauce because Davis Bros. uses so little of it on their pizzas. This makes for a very dry pizza.
The sausage on our pie was very finely ground and there was an entire layer of it on our pie. The sausage had a good taste and gave the pie the majority of its flavor. The pizza was topped with two different types of cheese, mozzarella and American (or cheddar), I think. Even though there were two types of cheese, there wasn’t as much as I would expect considering that we ordered extra cheese.
Kim makes a good point about Davis Bros. Pizza. She says they make the kind of pizza you would make at home if you really didn’t know how to make pizza. Yet, they’ve built a business on their pizza that has lasted nearly six decades. Whether or not you like the pizza at Davis Bros. Pizza, it’s hard to argue with their success.
Overall, Davis Bros. Pizza is good, but not exceptional. It definitely is unique. Because of that, I really can’t give it a rating. It’s like trying to rate a dessert pizza with the same scale as a regular pizza pie. It’s pizza, but not really.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
We're Getting Close
We made some progress today on packing the garage and moving stuff to the office. Shelby was a big help with packing the truck and carrying things into storage. There’s still plenty to do, but at least we’re moving in the right direction. When I'm done writing this post, I'll be heading back outside into the 19 degree temperatures to load the truck up for another load.
Kim is almost done cleaning the RV. It was unbelievably dirty and she refuses to start moving things into it until it is clean. She should be done with it tonight so we can start moving things in tomorrow.
We’re moving more stuff tomorrow and it looks like it is going to be a very full day. With any luck, we’ll be on the road on Thursday (or Friday).
Kim is almost done cleaning the RV. It was unbelievably dirty and she refuses to start moving things into it until it is clean. She should be done with it tonight so we can start moving things in tomorrow.
We’re moving more stuff tomorrow and it looks like it is going to be a very full day. With any luck, we’ll be on the road on Thursday (or Friday).
Going Where We Want, When We Want
Kim and I had an argument yesterday. Kim said we had too much to do and she wanted to postpone our departure date until Thursday. A little later, she suggested we wait until Friday to leave.
I was very reluctant to change our departure date. We already are a week-and-a-half behind our original schedule and I didn’t want to change our departure date yet again. I dug in my heels and said that I didn’t want to leave any later than we were already leaving.
Then Kim said something that struck a chord with me. She said, “The only reason we are supposed to leave Wednesday is because we decided we were going to leave Wednesday. Since we made that decision, why can’t we just decide to leave later?” She paused for a second, either to gather her thoughts or for dramatic effect. I’m not sure which. “This is our trip and we should be able to make the decisions about where we go and when we go.”
Kim was right. This cross-country RV extravaganza isn’t about keeping to an arbitrary schedule. One of the beauties of traveling in an RV is that you can go where you want, when you want. You’re not shackled by a pre-determined itinerary or airline schedules or even what you wanted to do a month ago. You’re free to do the things you want to do right now. I had kind of lost track of this fact.
So our new “schedule” calls for us to leave on Thursday or Friday of this week instead of Wednesday. This will allow us to spread out the things we still have to get done before we leave. We won’t have to kill ourselves to get ready. We can get things done in a more relaxed fashion.
And that’s another thing this trip is supposed to be about. We are supposed to relax and unwind. The trip is supposed to be enjoyable, not a race to the finish. So from now on (at least as much as I can) we will go where we want to go and we will go when we want to go. We will relax, unwind, and enjoy the journey.
This is our motto for today. Of course, it is subject to change without notice. If we’re going to be free to do what we want to do, then I am free to stick to an arbitrary schedule if I want, right?
I was very reluctant to change our departure date. We already are a week-and-a-half behind our original schedule and I didn’t want to change our departure date yet again. I dug in my heels and said that I didn’t want to leave any later than we were already leaving.
Then Kim said something that struck a chord with me. She said, “The only reason we are supposed to leave Wednesday is because we decided we were going to leave Wednesday. Since we made that decision, why can’t we just decide to leave later?” She paused for a second, either to gather her thoughts or for dramatic effect. I’m not sure which. “This is our trip and we should be able to make the decisions about where we go and when we go.”
Kim was right. This cross-country RV extravaganza isn’t about keeping to an arbitrary schedule. One of the beauties of traveling in an RV is that you can go where you want, when you want. You’re not shackled by a pre-determined itinerary or airline schedules or even what you wanted to do a month ago. You’re free to do the things you want to do right now. I had kind of lost track of this fact.
So our new “schedule” calls for us to leave on Thursday or Friday of this week instead of Wednesday. This will allow us to spread out the things we still have to get done before we leave. We won’t have to kill ourselves to get ready. We can get things done in a more relaxed fashion.
And that’s another thing this trip is supposed to be about. We are supposed to relax and unwind. The trip is supposed to be enjoyable, not a race to the finish. So from now on (at least as much as I can) we will go where we want to go and we will go when we want to go. We will relax, unwind, and enjoy the journey.
This is our motto for today. Of course, it is subject to change without notice. If we’re going to be free to do what we want to do, then I am free to stick to an arbitrary schedule if I want, right?
Monday, November 26, 2007
Review: Opie's Sports Bar & Grill
Opie’s Sports Bar and Grill isn’t your usual pizzeria. First, it is located in Wedron, IL, a very small town far off the beaten path. Second, it’s officially a sports bar, not a pizzeria. Yet, they are known for their pizza (and Aunt Bee’s fried chicken), which is the best in the area.
In the interest of full disclosure, the pizza chef at Opie’s is my brother, Mike. He and his friend Steve (who owns Opie’s) spent a lot of time experimenting with different sauces before they were happy with the sauce they now offer on their pizzas. Mike, Steve, and their friend John have become “foodies” over the past few years and they spend a great deal of their time brainstorming food, cooking food, and eating food.
Back at Opie’s we ordered a cheese pizza for the kids, and Kim, Mike and I shared a sausage and mushroom pie. Opie’s serves both a thin and thick crust. On Mike’s recommendation, we opted for the thin crust. We also chose to have the pie cut in triangles rather than squares (that was a mistake).
The crust came out thin and uniform. It was cooked just right; done, but not overdone. The sauce was a more tart, Italian style sauce than I am used to. It was tasty. My only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of it. We talked at length with Mike and Steve about this and everyone agreed that more sauce was needed.
The other ingredients were fresh and delicious. The sausage in particular was very good. The mushrooms were also good, but there weren’t enough of them. Since Mike is not a big fan of mushrooms and he knew he would be sharing the pie with us, he went a little light on the fungi.
The kids also enjoyed their cheese pizza. They said they thought it was really good, but the thing that told me that they must have liked it was that they finished the whole pie; something they rarely do.
I mentioned that we made a mistake not having the pizza cut into squares. I can't fully explain it, but the pizza at Opie's is made for squares, not triangles. Maybe it's because Opie's pizza reminds me of pizzas we used to get from Gario's or Tony Weeds in Aurora, IL when I was a kid. It was always good and always cut into squares.
Overall, the pizza at Opie’s was very good. I would give it a 7 out of 10. If you are ever in Wedron, IL, stop by Opie’s for a pizza and a beer. And tell them Lou sent you.
In the interest of full disclosure, the pizza chef at Opie’s is my brother, Mike. He and his friend Steve (who owns Opie’s) spent a lot of time experimenting with different sauces before they were happy with the sauce they now offer on their pizzas. Mike, Steve, and their friend John have become “foodies” over the past few years and they spend a great deal of their time brainstorming food, cooking food, and eating food.
Back at Opie’s we ordered a cheese pizza for the kids, and Kim, Mike and I shared a sausage and mushroom pie. Opie’s serves both a thin and thick crust. On Mike’s recommendation, we opted for the thin crust. We also chose to have the pie cut in triangles rather than squares (that was a mistake).
The crust came out thin and uniform. It was cooked just right; done, but not overdone. The sauce was a more tart, Italian style sauce than I am used to. It was tasty. My only complaint was that there wasn’t enough of it. We talked at length with Mike and Steve about this and everyone agreed that more sauce was needed.
The other ingredients were fresh and delicious. The sausage in particular was very good. The mushrooms were also good, but there weren’t enough of them. Since Mike is not a big fan of mushrooms and he knew he would be sharing the pie with us, he went a little light on the fungi.
The kids also enjoyed their cheese pizza. They said they thought it was really good, but the thing that told me that they must have liked it was that they finished the whole pie; something they rarely do.
I mentioned that we made a mistake not having the pizza cut into squares. I can't fully explain it, but the pizza at Opie's is made for squares, not triangles. Maybe it's because Opie's pizza reminds me of pizzas we used to get from Gario's or Tony Weeds in Aurora, IL when I was a kid. It was always good and always cut into squares.
Overall, the pizza at Opie’s was very good. I would give it a 7 out of 10. If you are ever in Wedron, IL, stop by Opie’s for a pizza and a beer. And tell them Lou sent you.
Running From Mediocrity
I’m currently reading a book called “States of Mind” by Brad Herzog. Herzog is probably best known for his children’s books (E is for Extreme, K is for Kick, etc), but he has also written two travel narratives. In addition to “States of Mind,” which was published in 1999, he also wrote “Small World” in 2004.
In these travel narratives, Herzog travels around the country in an RV, stopping in small towns and writing about the interesting, quirky, and inspiring people and stories he finds there. I was first attracted to these books because of the RV angle, but what has hooked me are the stories he tells and the observations he makes.
I recently came across a passage in “States of Mind” that helps to explain one of the main driving forces behind our cross-country RV trip. In this passage, Herzog and his wife Amy are out sailing near Friendship, Maine with Bill and Caroline Zuber. As Herzog explains, the Zubers have lived their lives by their own dictates. They gave up jobs and businesses, and even their home, to live the way they wanted, where they wanted. Herzog says:
“It was then that I realized what I admired so much about Bill and Caroline Zuber. They were in total control of their lives. They had taken it upon themselves to define the moment. It was a concept that became the credo of our cross-country tour and, indeed, a blueprint for our future, so much so that Amy and I turned the journey into a search for a home, setting lofty criteria for the life we wanted to live and looking for the environment that would meet them. We even began a list of fifty things we wanted to do before we died – attend a rocket launch, raft the Colorado River, catch Springsteen at a small venue – to make sure our epiphany wouldn’t be lost over the years amid the haze of compromise.
“Too many people I know – and these are young people, people with options – seem to settle for entrenched mediocrity, merely tolerating their day-to-day existence. A few even seem to revel in misery, the late hours or cold winters or tyrannical bosses or shunted dreams. They trudge through fifty weeks of tedium to enjoy two weeks of reprieve – maybe three weeks, if they’re lucky enough to get a promotion.”
I feel the same way. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and regret that I never lived the way I want to live. I don’t want to be a living example to my kids that life is a series of struggles and compromise the only option. I want them to see, through my example, that life is something wonderful and the only thing you have to do to live your dreams is to choose to do it. I would rather fail spectacularly than to never try.
I hope this helps to explain at least part of my motivation. I sometimes have trouble explaining myself, but I think Herzog has hit the nail on the head.
In these travel narratives, Herzog travels around the country in an RV, stopping in small towns and writing about the interesting, quirky, and inspiring people and stories he finds there. I was first attracted to these books because of the RV angle, but what has hooked me are the stories he tells and the observations he makes.
I recently came across a passage in “States of Mind” that helps to explain one of the main driving forces behind our cross-country RV trip. In this passage, Herzog and his wife Amy are out sailing near Friendship, Maine with Bill and Caroline Zuber. As Herzog explains, the Zubers have lived their lives by their own dictates. They gave up jobs and businesses, and even their home, to live the way they wanted, where they wanted. Herzog says:
“It was then that I realized what I admired so much about Bill and Caroline Zuber. They were in total control of their lives. They had taken it upon themselves to define the moment. It was a concept that became the credo of our cross-country tour and, indeed, a blueprint for our future, so much so that Amy and I turned the journey into a search for a home, setting lofty criteria for the life we wanted to live and looking for the environment that would meet them. We even began a list of fifty things we wanted to do before we died – attend a rocket launch, raft the Colorado River, catch Springsteen at a small venue – to make sure our epiphany wouldn’t be lost over the years amid the haze of compromise.
“Too many people I know – and these are young people, people with options – seem to settle for entrenched mediocrity, merely tolerating their day-to-day existence. A few even seem to revel in misery, the late hours or cold winters or tyrannical bosses or shunted dreams. They trudge through fifty weeks of tedium to enjoy two weeks of reprieve – maybe three weeks, if they’re lucky enough to get a promotion.”
I feel the same way. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and regret that I never lived the way I want to live. I don’t want to be a living example to my kids that life is a series of struggles and compromise the only option. I want them to see, through my example, that life is something wonderful and the only thing you have to do to live your dreams is to choose to do it. I would rather fail spectacularly than to never try.
I hope this helps to explain at least part of my motivation. I sometimes have trouble explaining myself, but I think Herzog has hit the nail on the head.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Time To Get Back To Work
The Thanksgiving holiday is over and we are back to work. And with only three days until we start our trip in earnest, there is plenty still to do.
Today was spent cleaning the RV and re-installing the furniture. Everything went pretty smoothly until it was time to install the sofa. The new carpet covered the holes where the bolts go that secure the sofa to the floor and I had a heck of a time finding them. Things finally worked out, but it took a lot of time.
Tomorrow we’ll finish cleaning the RV, pack everything in the garage, and make sure everything in the house is packed and ready to be moved on Tuesday. We’re also taking the RV over to Coulee Region RV to have the tire extender installed.
It’s late, so I’ll cut this short for tonight. Once I have more time I’ll post the reviews of the pizza we had at Opie’s Bar & Grill in Wedron, IL and at Davis Bros. Pizza in East Peoria.
Today was spent cleaning the RV and re-installing the furniture. Everything went pretty smoothly until it was time to install the sofa. The new carpet covered the holes where the bolts go that secure the sofa to the floor and I had a heck of a time finding them. Things finally worked out, but it took a lot of time.
Tomorrow we’ll finish cleaning the RV, pack everything in the garage, and make sure everything in the house is packed and ready to be moved on Tuesday. We’re also taking the RV over to Coulee Region RV to have the tire extender installed.
It’s late, so I’ll cut this short for tonight. Once I have more time I’ll post the reviews of the pizza we had at Opie’s Bar & Grill in Wedron, IL and at Davis Bros. Pizza in East Peoria.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
We're Back
We just got back from Kim’s parents where we spent Thanksgiving. It was good seeing everyone, but I kept thinking about all of the work that needs to be done when we get home. Of course, the preoccupation didn’t keep me from eating.
We had a great Thanksgiving meal at Kim’s parents house. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and all of the other trimmings. After dinner, a bunch of Kim’s relatives stopped by and brought dessert. We had a bunch of different desserts and they all looked good. I only sampled three (pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie) and they were all good. The next day I tried Kim’s Mom’s carrot cake (it was also good), but I didn’t have room for it on Thanksgiving.
On the way to Kim’s parents we stopped and visited my brother Mike. Mike and his friend Steve developed a pizza sauce that Mike has bragged about for years. I finally had to try it. We went to Steve’s restaurant/bar, Opie’s Bar & Grill in Wedron., IL, to give the pizza a try. In an upcoming post, I’ll review the pizza.
On Friday night we had pizza at Davis Bros. Pizza in East Peoria, IL. I’ll review the pizza in an upcoming post, but for now I’ll say that it is one of the most unusual pizzas I’ve ever had.
Time for bed now. Tomorrow we have to get back to work.
We had a great Thanksgiving meal at Kim’s parents house. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and all of the other trimmings. After dinner, a bunch of Kim’s relatives stopped by and brought dessert. We had a bunch of different desserts and they all looked good. I only sampled three (pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie) and they were all good. The next day I tried Kim’s Mom’s carrot cake (it was also good), but I didn’t have room for it on Thanksgiving.
On the way to Kim’s parents we stopped and visited my brother Mike. Mike and his friend Steve developed a pizza sauce that Mike has bragged about for years. I finally had to try it. We went to Steve’s restaurant/bar, Opie’s Bar & Grill in Wedron., IL, to give the pizza a try. In an upcoming post, I’ll review the pizza.
On Friday night we had pizza at Davis Bros. Pizza in East Peoria, IL. I’ll review the pizza in an upcoming post, but for now I’ll say that it is one of the most unusual pizzas I’ve ever had.
Time for bed now. Tomorrow we have to get back to work.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
An Unintended Day Off
What a waste of a day. I woke up this morning and felt horrible. I stayed up for about an hour and then went back to bed. I stayed there until 4:30 this afternoon. As you might have guessed, I didn’t get anything accomplished. Kim packed a few more boxes, but we didn’t get anything moved.
We talked to the carpet store late this afternoon and found out that they were just finishing up the carpet in the RV. So Kim and I headed up to Coon Valley and picked up the Big Rolling Turd. Although it was dark when we picked up the RV, I have to say that the flooring looks great. I’ll know more tomorrow, but we’re happy about it right now.
Shelby is feeling better, but her throat is still raw. The doctor says she doesn’t have strep throat. She has a virus and it just has to run its course. She’s getting her energy back, so good health should just be a day or two away.
Tomorrow we are going to visit my brother and then we’re going down to Kim’s parents for Thanksgiving. After the holiday, we’re coming home to finish moving things and get the RV cleaned and packed. I guess a couple of days of rest will do us good, but I’m anxious to get things done. It's time to hit the road.
We talked to the carpet store late this afternoon and found out that they were just finishing up the carpet in the RV. So Kim and I headed up to Coon Valley and picked up the Big Rolling Turd. Although it was dark when we picked up the RV, I have to say that the flooring looks great. I’ll know more tomorrow, but we’re happy about it right now.
Shelby is feeling better, but her throat is still raw. The doctor says she doesn’t have strep throat. She has a virus and it just has to run its course. She’s getting her energy back, so good health should just be a day or two away.
Tomorrow we are going to visit my brother and then we’re going down to Kim’s parents for Thanksgiving. After the holiday, we’re coming home to finish moving things and get the RV cleaned and packed. I guess a couple of days of rest will do us good, but I’m anxious to get things done. It's time to hit the road.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Another Day, Another Delay
The start of the day wasn’t so great. First thing this morning we got a call from Tim at the carpet store letting us know that they had run into a problem putting the laminate flooring in the RV. Part of the sub-floor under the linoleum in the bathroom had gotten wet and needed to be replaced. It’s not that big of a deal, but it’s just another delay that we really don’t need.
Speaking of delays, our original schedule had us leaving on our trip today. Then we had to push it back a couple of days and our new departure date was going to be Wednesday, November 21. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be ready Wednesday either, so we are changing our plans again.
Our new plan calls for us to leave next Tuesday, November 27. We could probably leave earlier, but Thanksgiving is this week and we are going to be spending time with Kim’s family. Unfortunately, rather than staying with them all weekend, we’re going to have to come home to get the Big Rolling Turd ready to hit the road. Every day we delay our departure we are increasing the odds of getting a heavy snow before we leave. And we don’t want that.
Speaking of delays, our original schedule had us leaving on our trip today. Then we had to push it back a couple of days and our new departure date was going to be Wednesday, November 21. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be ready Wednesday either, so we are changing our plans again.
Our new plan calls for us to leave next Tuesday, November 27. We could probably leave earlier, but Thanksgiving is this week and we are going to be spending time with Kim’s family. Unfortunately, rather than staying with them all weekend, we’re going to have to come home to get the Big Rolling Turd ready to hit the road. Every day we delay our departure we are increasing the odds of getting a heavy snow before we leave. And we don’t want that.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
A Day of Rest
Today was a fairly lazy day. I made one trip with the van to drop stuff off at the office. I’m so sore, I didn’t dare take another load over. I think Kim and I both needed a fairly laid back day. Kim taped up some boxes in the basement and finished packing the kids’ rooms, but otherwise took it easy. However, we’re back at it tomorrow.
Yesterday was anything but a day of rest. Kim and I were using the U-Haul truck to move some boxes to the ofifce and we were struggling to get it done. Thankfully, our friends Roger and Tara once again came to the rescue. They showed up at the office (even though they had their own work to do) and helped us get everything out of the truck and into the basement. They were absolute life savers. After everything was moved into the office and we got cleaned up, we went out to The Firehouse to have dinner and celebrate. I'm going to miss our dinners with Roger and Tara over the next eight months.
I hate to admit it, but it’s looking more and more like we are not going to be able to hit the road until next weekend or the beginning of next week. We might get the Big Rolling Turd back tomorrow from the carpet store, but we still have to re-install the furniture and clean the interior and storage areas before we can get started. We also have to pack the RV. On top of that, we still have some stuff in the house to move into storage.
I’m anxious to hit the road, but one of the goals we have for the trip is to relax a little bit. We’ve been stressed out pretty much non-stop for the past seven years. A little relaxation will be welcome. So I guess there’s no need to rush to get started. If we take a few extra days to get ready, what will be the harm in the long run?
We haven’t decided yet if we are going to postpone the start of the trip. We’ll talk more about it and see what we can come up with. Maybe we’ll make a decision tomorrow.
Yesterday was anything but a day of rest. Kim and I were using the U-Haul truck to move some boxes to the ofifce and we were struggling to get it done. Thankfully, our friends Roger and Tara once again came to the rescue. They showed up at the office (even though they had their own work to do) and helped us get everything out of the truck and into the basement. They were absolute life savers. After everything was moved into the office and we got cleaned up, we went out to The Firehouse to have dinner and celebrate. I'm going to miss our dinners with Roger and Tara over the next eight months.
I hate to admit it, but it’s looking more and more like we are not going to be able to hit the road until next weekend or the beginning of next week. We might get the Big Rolling Turd back tomorrow from the carpet store, but we still have to re-install the furniture and clean the interior and storage areas before we can get started. We also have to pack the RV. On top of that, we still have some stuff in the house to move into storage.
I’m anxious to hit the road, but one of the goals we have for the trip is to relax a little bit. We’ve been stressed out pretty much non-stop for the past seven years. A little relaxation will be welcome. So I guess there’s no need to rush to get started. If we take a few extra days to get ready, what will be the harm in the long run?
We haven’t decided yet if we are going to postpone the start of the trip. We’ll talk more about it and see what we can come up with. Maybe we’ll make a decision tomorrow.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Another Busy Day
Wow, what a day already. Kim has been taping up boxes and I’ve been loading the boxes into the U-Haul. It’s lunch time now. Then more taping, loading, and eventually unloading at the office.
Kim called the carpet store this morning only to discover that they still haven’t started on the RV. Kim didn’t get nasty, but she was firm enough that the owner of the carpet store came in today to work on the job. He hopes to have it done mid-day on Monday.
I found the tire extenders I need at Coulee Region RV in West Salem. Bill in their Parts Dept. has bee really helpful. He made an appointment for us to bring the RV in on Tuesday.
The plan is still to hit the road on Wednesday. The house will be all packed up and in storage, but we’re not sure if the RV is going to be ready. We’re going to go pick it up tomorrow so we can clean it and then take it back to the carpet store so they can finish it on Monday. Then when we get it back on Tuesday, after we take it to the RV store to get the tire extenders installed, we still have to reinstall all of the furniture. When that’s done, then we have to pack all of our stuff into the RV. We’re going to be cutting it close.
Poor Shelby is still sick. She's going to miss Honor Band today. Her throat is really sore and swollen. Kim was going to take her to the walk-in clinic, but it closes at 12:00 noon and Kim didn't call until a little after noon. If Shelby is still sick on Monday we'll have to take her to the doctor then.
Okay, lunch is done. Time to get back to work.
Update: I forgot to mention that it has been snowing all day. We had almost a half inch on the ground this morning, but it has melted. Even though it has warmed a bit (I think it's about 38 right now), the snow is still falling. There's just enough to make everything sloppy and to make the ramp for the truck slick. For all of you in Florida reading this, why aren't you up here enjoying this weather (and the big move) with us?
Kim called the carpet store this morning only to discover that they still haven’t started on the RV. Kim didn’t get nasty, but she was firm enough that the owner of the carpet store came in today to work on the job. He hopes to have it done mid-day on Monday.
I found the tire extenders I need at Coulee Region RV in West Salem. Bill in their Parts Dept. has bee really helpful. He made an appointment for us to bring the RV in on Tuesday.
The plan is still to hit the road on Wednesday. The house will be all packed up and in storage, but we’re not sure if the RV is going to be ready. We’re going to go pick it up tomorrow so we can clean it and then take it back to the carpet store so they can finish it on Monday. Then when we get it back on Tuesday, after we take it to the RV store to get the tire extenders installed, we still have to reinstall all of the furniture. When that’s done, then we have to pack all of our stuff into the RV. We’re going to be cutting it close.
Poor Shelby is still sick. She's going to miss Honor Band today. Her throat is really sore and swollen. Kim was going to take her to the walk-in clinic, but it closes at 12:00 noon and Kim didn't call until a little after noon. If Shelby is still sick on Monday we'll have to take her to the doctor then.
Okay, lunch is done. Time to get back to work.
Update: I forgot to mention that it has been snowing all day. We had almost a half inch on the ground this morning, but it has melted. Even though it has warmed a bit (I think it's about 38 right now), the snow is still falling. There's just enough to make everything sloppy and to make the ramp for the truck slick. For all of you in Florida reading this, why aren't you up here enjoying this weather (and the big move) with us?
Friday, November 16, 2007
A Very Long Day
All of the heavy stuff got moved today. Roger and I did all the heavy lifting and we were able to get everything into the back room at my office. We'll be moving boxes and all of the smaller stuff tomorrow. A lot of the stuff will be going in the basement at the office, although some will go in the back room.
I'm absolutely exhausted at the moment. I have to say that Roger was a huge help today. We started moving stuff at 8:30 am and didn't get done until after 8:00 pm. We only stopped long enough to get lunch. It was a long day.
I don't know what is going on with the new flooring in the RV. We didn't hear from the carpet store today. When Kim finally called, they were already closed. I sure hope they got the flooring done.
I wasn't able to find anyone in town that carries the extensions for the rear tires. I'm going to have to call the RV store over in West Salem tomorrow to see if they have one in stock. Then I'll have to make arrangements to have the extension installed.
Today was the kids last day of school. Louis had a great day with everyone giving him a big hug at the end of the day. Shelby had band practice beginning at noon and she was supposed to have a concert tonight and tomorrow night. Unfortunately, she got sick during practice today and it's not looking good for her to participate tomorrow. It's too bad because Shelby was chosen as one of the best 7th grade trombone players in the area and being chosen to be in Honor Band is a pretty special thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't look llke things are going to work out for her this year.
Tomorrow's another big day, so I'd better get to bed. Good night. . .
I'm absolutely exhausted at the moment. I have to say that Roger was a huge help today. We started moving stuff at 8:30 am and didn't get done until after 8:00 pm. We only stopped long enough to get lunch. It was a long day.
I don't know what is going on with the new flooring in the RV. We didn't hear from the carpet store today. When Kim finally called, they were already closed. I sure hope they got the flooring done.
I wasn't able to find anyone in town that carries the extensions for the rear tires. I'm going to have to call the RV store over in West Salem tomorrow to see if they have one in stock. Then I'll have to make arrangements to have the extension installed.
Today was the kids last day of school. Louis had a great day with everyone giving him a big hug at the end of the day. Shelby had band practice beginning at noon and she was supposed to have a concert tonight and tomorrow night. Unfortunately, she got sick during practice today and it's not looking good for her to participate tomorrow. It's too bad because Shelby was chosen as one of the best 7th grade trombone players in the area and being chosen to be in Honor Band is a pretty special thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't look llke things are going to work out for her this year.
Tomorrow's another big day, so I'd better get to bed. Good night. . .
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Another Untimely Death
Another untimely death took place in Coon Valley, so the carpet installer/funeral director is tied up again today. The owner of the carpet store (the brother of the funeral director) says that he has made arrangements to have someone else install the flooring and that it will all be done by the end of the day tomorrow (Friday). We’re getting pushed back more and more. Kim would like to push off our departure until Wednesday, but I’m still shooting for Monday. Either way, we’ve got a lot to do.
We realized a couple of days ago that the extension to put air in one of the rear tires is missing and the tire is soft. It’s an easy fix, but in order to do the job, you have to have a big jack (probably 10 ton or bigger). I found a tire store in town that has the jack to do the job, but they don’t have the extension. Now I’m trying to track down an extension so the tire store can do the job on Saturday. I called the local RV store, but they closed early today, so now I have to wait until tomorrow.
Our efforts at getting the house packed up are going slow. We’ll be packing things up tonight in preparation for moving all of the big, heavy stuff out tomorrow. My hope is that we can get all the big stuff moved tomorrow (Kim says she doesn’t see any way we can get that done in one day) and then move all of the boxed items on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll see. . .
Today is Louis’ birthday. He is eight years old. I can only imagine what he is thinking about all of this. He’s looking forward to our trip, but I don’t think he really understands completely that we are going to be living in a big metal box for eight months.
I want so much for this trip to be a positive experience for the kids. Probably my biggest fear in taking this RV trip is that I’m going to somehow let the kids down. I know they are excited and I know they are resilient, but I keep wondering if I’ve overlooked anything that could turn out to be negative for the kids. God, I hope not.
* * * * * * * * * *
UPDATE: We just made the decision not to leave on our Great Big Road Trip until Wednesday, November 21. We still plan on stopping to see my brother on the way south, but then we are going directly to Kim's parents. That means we will be skipping the trip to Springfield. The kids will probably never learn who Abraham Lincoln is, but we need the extra couple of days to get ready.
We realized a couple of days ago that the extension to put air in one of the rear tires is missing and the tire is soft. It’s an easy fix, but in order to do the job, you have to have a big jack (probably 10 ton or bigger). I found a tire store in town that has the jack to do the job, but they don’t have the extension. Now I’m trying to track down an extension so the tire store can do the job on Saturday. I called the local RV store, but they closed early today, so now I have to wait until tomorrow.
Our efforts at getting the house packed up are going slow. We’ll be packing things up tonight in preparation for moving all of the big, heavy stuff out tomorrow. My hope is that we can get all the big stuff moved tomorrow (Kim says she doesn’t see any way we can get that done in one day) and then move all of the boxed items on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll see. . .
Today is Louis’ birthday. He is eight years old. I can only imagine what he is thinking about all of this. He’s looking forward to our trip, but I don’t think he really understands completely that we are going to be living in a big metal box for eight months.
I want so much for this trip to be a positive experience for the kids. Probably my biggest fear in taking this RV trip is that I’m going to somehow let the kids down. I know they are excited and I know they are resilient, but I keep wondering if I’ve overlooked anything that could turn out to be negative for the kids. God, I hope not.
* * * * * * * * * *
UPDATE: We just made the decision not to leave on our Great Big Road Trip until Wednesday, November 21. We still plan on stopping to see my brother on the way south, but then we are going directly to Kim's parents. That means we will be skipping the trip to Springfield. The kids will probably never learn who Abraham Lincoln is, but we need the extra couple of days to get ready.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A Big Decision
Our lives are shaped in large part by the decisions we make. Like a rock being thrown into a pond, the ripples flow outward and affect the pond far from where the rock entered the water. Decisions that we made five or ten years ago have led us to the point now where we are going cross-country in an RV. I hope that the decision to take the RV trip will have a positive impact on all of us, but particularly the kids, in the years to come.
I know that’s kind of deep thinking from a relatively shallow guy like me, but that’s what I was thinking about this morning as I laid in bed unable to sleep. Getting the RV ready, moving everything into storage and making all of the plans for our trip consume our time and efforts, but my biggest concern is how the trip will affect everyone in our family. Obviously, I think it is going to have a positive impact, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing it. Even so, I can’t help but be concerned.
I know that’s kind of deep thinking from a relatively shallow guy like me, but that’s what I was thinking about this morning as I laid in bed unable to sleep. Getting the RV ready, moving everything into storage and making all of the plans for our trip consume our time and efforts, but my biggest concern is how the trip will affect everyone in our family. Obviously, I think it is going to have a positive impact, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing it. Even so, I can’t help but be concerned.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Of Tow Dollies and Untimely Deaths
The news for today: We bought a tow dolly and someone died in Coon Valley.
To elaborate, we decided to bid on a tow dolly on EBay last night. Using a tow dolly to tow our van behind the Big Rolling Turd isn’t a perfect option, but it is cheaper than the other options. So we bid on the tow dolly and we got it. I’m going over tomorrow to West Bend, WI to pick it up. The pictures and description look good, so I think we made the right move.
As I explained in yesterday’s post, the person installing the new flooring in our RV is also a funeral director. The family owns a funeral home and a flooring store. Unfortunately, someone in Coon Valley died, so the funeral director is tied up until Thursday. I’m going to take the RV over to them tomorrow (Wednesday) night and they’re going to install the flooring on Thursday and Friday. That pushes our schedule back a little bit, but we should be okay.
Kim and I went over and got a bunch of empty boxes from the Agri-Center today. The van was completely full. I hope we got enough because we really don’t have time to go back and get more.
I finally tore down the plastic shelving in the garage and basement today. I’ve been avoiding this for over a week, but when I finally started doing it, it only took about an hour. Sometimes the anticipation of doing something is worse than actually doing it.
Tomorrow is going to be a fairly big day. First thing in the morning we’re going to have a meeting at the office to finalize how things are going to work in our absence. Then I’m going to take off to get the tow dolly. When I get home, we’re going to have to take the RV up to Coon Valley. It should be a full day.
By the way, Sarasota Steve dropped by to read the blog. Steve has Mote Marine as a Google Alert and when I mentioned in a previous post that we would be visiting Mote while we are in Sarasota, Steve was alerted. Thanks for stopping by, Steve. Don't be a stranger.
To elaborate, we decided to bid on a tow dolly on EBay last night. Using a tow dolly to tow our van behind the Big Rolling Turd isn’t a perfect option, but it is cheaper than the other options. So we bid on the tow dolly and we got it. I’m going over tomorrow to West Bend, WI to pick it up. The pictures and description look good, so I think we made the right move.
As I explained in yesterday’s post, the person installing the new flooring in our RV is also a funeral director. The family owns a funeral home and a flooring store. Unfortunately, someone in Coon Valley died, so the funeral director is tied up until Thursday. I’m going to take the RV over to them tomorrow (Wednesday) night and they’re going to install the flooring on Thursday and Friday. That pushes our schedule back a little bit, but we should be okay.
Kim and I went over and got a bunch of empty boxes from the Agri-Center today. The van was completely full. I hope we got enough because we really don’t have time to go back and get more.
I finally tore down the plastic shelving in the garage and basement today. I’ve been avoiding this for over a week, but when I finally started doing it, it only took about an hour. Sometimes the anticipation of doing something is worse than actually doing it.
Tomorrow is going to be a fairly big day. First thing in the morning we’re going to have a meeting at the office to finalize how things are going to work in our absence. Then I’m going to take off to get the tow dolly. When I get home, we’re going to have to take the RV up to Coon Valley. It should be a full day.
By the way, Sarasota Steve dropped by to read the blog. Steve has Mote Marine as a Google Alert and when I mentioned in a previous post that we would be visiting Mote while we are in Sarasota, Steve was alerted. Thanks for stopping by, Steve. Don't be a stranger.
Monday, November 12, 2007
What's Love Got To Do With It?
It happens all of the time, yet it never ceases to amaze me when you try to do something out of the ordinary (like a cross-country RV trip) and friends and family are only too eager to tell you that you are making a big mistake. I’m sure that on some level, the rejection of your idea (whatever it may be) is based out of love and concern, but it never seems to come across that way.
I look at these things differently. My first reaction is always to be supportive and to offer any help I can. If someone wants to do something that I think is a mistake, I don’t assume that my few moments of thought should outweigh and override the considerable consideration that the other person has given the idea. I just want to see people get what they desire and if it is possible, I want to help them get it.
Okay, enough of that. In other news, Roger and I replaced the two broken springs on the hydraulic leveling jacks this morning. It was not an easy task and there’s no way I could have done it without Roger’s help. We also went and filled up the propane tank. In case you were wondering, our propane tank holds 16 gallons.
The next task is to take the Big Rolling Turd to have the new flooring installed. The laminate flooring was in stock at the carpet place and the carpet we ordered is supposed to arrive today. I was hoping to take the Turd to Seland’s (the carpet store) today, but Tim at Seland’s hasn’t called me back to let me know if I should bring it up today or tomorrow. The one potential hold up is that Tim’s brother, Mark is going to install the flooring. Mark is also the funeral director in Coon Valley, so if anyone died in Coon Valley over the weekend, our flooring job may be delayed. Such is life in a small town.
We are debating whether or not to buy a tow dolly to tow our van behind the RV. There is one for sale on EBay right now that is located over near Milwaukee. It’s exactly the type of tow dolly that we need and it is a heck of a lot less expensive than what it would cost to put a transmission fluid pump and brake buddy on the van (about $4,000), but it’s not as convenient as towing the van with all four wheels on the ground. The auction is over in about three-and-a-half hours, so we need to make up out minds pretty quick.
I look at these things differently. My first reaction is always to be supportive and to offer any help I can. If someone wants to do something that I think is a mistake, I don’t assume that my few moments of thought should outweigh and override the considerable consideration that the other person has given the idea. I just want to see people get what they desire and if it is possible, I want to help them get it.
Okay, enough of that. In other news, Roger and I replaced the two broken springs on the hydraulic leveling jacks this morning. It was not an easy task and there’s no way I could have done it without Roger’s help. We also went and filled up the propane tank. In case you were wondering, our propane tank holds 16 gallons.
The next task is to take the Big Rolling Turd to have the new flooring installed. The laminate flooring was in stock at the carpet place and the carpet we ordered is supposed to arrive today. I was hoping to take the Turd to Seland’s (the carpet store) today, but Tim at Seland’s hasn’t called me back to let me know if I should bring it up today or tomorrow. The one potential hold up is that Tim’s brother, Mark is going to install the flooring. Mark is also the funeral director in Coon Valley, so if anyone died in Coon Valley over the weekend, our flooring job may be delayed. Such is life in a small town.
We are debating whether or not to buy a tow dolly to tow our van behind the RV. There is one for sale on EBay right now that is located over near Milwaukee. It’s exactly the type of tow dolly that we need and it is a heck of a lot less expensive than what it would cost to put a transmission fluid pump and brake buddy on the van (about $4,000), but it’s not as convenient as towing the van with all four wheels on the ground. The auction is over in about three-and-a-half hours, so we need to make up out minds pretty quick.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Our Itinerary (Part 1)
Last night I started making reservations at the various campgrounds where we will be staying beginning next week through the end of January. I’ve posted our itinerary for our first couple months on the road below. Unfortunately, I had to change our itinerary a bit.
The first change was also the most painful. During the week of January 14 we were planning on staying at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, FL. We were looking forward to our stay because we were all going to get the chance to go snorkeling and the kids were going to take a class up the road at Biscayne National Park.
Unfortunately, John Pennekamp is completely full that week (in fact, most weeks during the winter), so we had to find another place to stay. Luckily, I was able to find an open space at the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park. I haven’t had enough time to check into all of the things that are offered at Everglades National Park yet, but I know we’ll be able to go kayaking and fishing. We also could just use the park as a base camp, but the campground is so deep in the park (over 30 miles from the entrance) that going anywhere will be quite a drive.
The other change we had to make was moving from Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, FL to Little Manatee River State Park in Wimauma, FL (between Bradenton and Tampa). Myakka River State Park was filled up during the week of January 21. The worst part about the move is that we will be further away from our niece, Danielle, who goes to school at Ringling College in Sarasota. Thankfully, we will still be able to drive into Sarasota without too much hardship, but it would have been nice to be closer to Danielle.
We are really down to crunch time now. Only eight more days until we start heading south. We have a ton of stuff to pack up and move into storage and we have precious little time to do it. I’m confident that we’ll get everything done in time to hit the road on November 19, but I’m not looking forward to moving all of our stuff.
Here’s our itinerary for the first two-and-a-half months of our adventure:
Week of November 19 – We will be starting our journey by visiting my brother Mike (as opposed to Kim’s brother Mike) in Wedron, IL. Mike is a cook and he claims he has come up with the best tasting pizza sauce known to man. He is going to cook up a pizza for us so we can judge for ourselves. We hope to make it to Springfield, IL by the end of the day on the 19th. We’ll be staying at Sangchris Lake State Park and will be visiting the Lincoln sites. Then we’ll be heading back north to East Peoria where we’ll be spending Thanksgiving with Kim’s family (including her brother Mike).
Week of November 26 – On Monday we’ll be making our way to Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon, TN. During the week we’ll be visiting with our friends Jerry and Caryl (as opposed to Kim’s parents Jerry and Carol). We’ll be checking out the Christmas decorations at the Opryland Hotel, we’ll be visiting the country Music Hall of Fame, and we plan on taking something called the NashTrash Tour of Nashville. It is supposed to be hilarious. The thing I’m looking forward to the most is attending a concert at the world famous Bluebird Café.
Week of December 3 – We’ll be staying at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL. The park will be our home base for visiting Huntsville (US Space and Rocket Center, Earlyworks Hands-on History Museum), Birmingham (Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute), and Montgomery (Rosa Parks Library & Museum, Civil Rights Memorial, W.A. Gayle Planetarium). While we are in Birmingham, we are going to hook up with our friends Neil & Gail Wallace at Area 41 Pizza Company. It’s supposed to be real good.
Week of December 10 – Our home for the week will be the campground at Stone Mountain near Atlanta. This is one of the few private campgrounds we’ll be staying in (and paying through the nose for the privilege). This week we’ll be spending time at Stone Mountain Amusement Park as well as visiting the World of Coca-Cola, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center and Library, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. In addition, well be visiting with our friends Randy Pobst and Kevin & Jackie Walsh.
Week of December 17 through January 13 – We will be spending the time around Christmas and New Year’s with my parents in Port St. Lucie, FL. We have a lot of things planned for our time with my parents including visiting with our many friends in the area. We also hope to try some pizza places we’ve never tried before and maybe catch some live music.
Week of January 14 – We’ll be staying in the Everglades National Park. The week will be filled with fishing, canoeing, and other fun stuff. I still need to do a little research to find out what is available in and around the park.
Week of January 21 – Little Manatee River State Park in Wimuama, FL will be our home base for the week. We are going to visit our niece, Danielle, and tour the campus of her school, Ringling College. We’ll also be visiting the Ringling Circus Museum, the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, and the Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary.
Week of January 28 – We’ll be staying at Cedar Key Sunset Isle RV Park, another private campground. Cedar Key bills itself as being what Florida used to be like. This will be a rather relaxed week of kayaking, fishing, and visiting some of the state parks in the area, including the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge).
Beginning in February we will continue our journey through Pensacola, New Orleans, several stops in Texas, and then continue heading west. More on that later . . .
The first change was also the most painful. During the week of January 14 we were planning on staying at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, FL. We were looking forward to our stay because we were all going to get the chance to go snorkeling and the kids were going to take a class up the road at Biscayne National Park.
Unfortunately, John Pennekamp is completely full that week (in fact, most weeks during the winter), so we had to find another place to stay. Luckily, I was able to find an open space at the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park. I haven’t had enough time to check into all of the things that are offered at Everglades National Park yet, but I know we’ll be able to go kayaking and fishing. We also could just use the park as a base camp, but the campground is so deep in the park (over 30 miles from the entrance) that going anywhere will be quite a drive.
The other change we had to make was moving from Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, FL to Little Manatee River State Park in Wimauma, FL (between Bradenton and Tampa). Myakka River State Park was filled up during the week of January 21. The worst part about the move is that we will be further away from our niece, Danielle, who goes to school at Ringling College in Sarasota. Thankfully, we will still be able to drive into Sarasota without too much hardship, but it would have been nice to be closer to Danielle.
We are really down to crunch time now. Only eight more days until we start heading south. We have a ton of stuff to pack up and move into storage and we have precious little time to do it. I’m confident that we’ll get everything done in time to hit the road on November 19, but I’m not looking forward to moving all of our stuff.
Here’s our itinerary for the first two-and-a-half months of our adventure:
Week of November 19 – We will be starting our journey by visiting my brother Mike (as opposed to Kim’s brother Mike) in Wedron, IL. Mike is a cook and he claims he has come up with the best tasting pizza sauce known to man. He is going to cook up a pizza for us so we can judge for ourselves. We hope to make it to Springfield, IL by the end of the day on the 19th. We’ll be staying at Sangchris Lake State Park and will be visiting the Lincoln sites. Then we’ll be heading back north to East Peoria where we’ll be spending Thanksgiving with Kim’s family (including her brother Mike).
Week of November 26 – On Monday we’ll be making our way to Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon, TN. During the week we’ll be visiting with our friends Jerry and Caryl (as opposed to Kim’s parents Jerry and Carol). We’ll be checking out the Christmas decorations at the Opryland Hotel, we’ll be visiting the country Music Hall of Fame, and we plan on taking something called the NashTrash Tour of Nashville. It is supposed to be hilarious. The thing I’m looking forward to the most is attending a concert at the world famous Bluebird Café.
Week of December 3 – We’ll be staying at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL. The park will be our home base for visiting Huntsville (US Space and Rocket Center, Earlyworks Hands-on History Museum), Birmingham (Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute), and Montgomery (Rosa Parks Library & Museum, Civil Rights Memorial, W.A. Gayle Planetarium). While we are in Birmingham, we are going to hook up with our friends Neil & Gail Wallace at Area 41 Pizza Company. It’s supposed to be real good.
Week of December 10 – Our home for the week will be the campground at Stone Mountain near Atlanta. This is one of the few private campgrounds we’ll be staying in (and paying through the nose for the privilege). This week we’ll be spending time at Stone Mountain Amusement Park as well as visiting the World of Coca-Cola, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center and Library, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. In addition, well be visiting with our friends Randy Pobst and Kevin & Jackie Walsh.
Week of December 17 through January 13 – We will be spending the time around Christmas and New Year’s with my parents in Port St. Lucie, FL. We have a lot of things planned for our time with my parents including visiting with our many friends in the area. We also hope to try some pizza places we’ve never tried before and maybe catch some live music.
Week of January 14 – We’ll be staying in the Everglades National Park. The week will be filled with fishing, canoeing, and other fun stuff. I still need to do a little research to find out what is available in and around the park.
Week of January 21 – Little Manatee River State Park in Wimuama, FL will be our home base for the week. We are going to visit our niece, Danielle, and tour the campus of her school, Ringling College. We’ll also be visiting the Ringling Circus Museum, the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, and the Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary.
Week of January 28 – We’ll be staying at Cedar Key Sunset Isle RV Park, another private campground. Cedar Key bills itself as being what Florida used to be like. This will be a rather relaxed week of kayaking, fishing, and visiting some of the state parks in the area, including the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge).
Beginning in February we will continue our journey through Pensacola, New Orleans, several stops in Texas, and then continue heading west. More on that later . . .
Thursday, November 8, 2007
No Rest For The Wicked
Today will be a busy day. Right now, the upholstery in the RV is being steam cleaned and deodorized. I’m not sure how long that will take, but when it is done, then Kim and I have to go back to Coon Valley to pick out wood flooring to replace the linoleum that is in the kitchen and bathroom (yes, we’re spending more money). Then, we are going to drop off a bunch of toys and clothes that we are donating to victims of the recent flooding.
I’m hoping we can get all of this done by noon. When we get this stuff done, then I have to get a P.O. Box for our mail, submit a forwarding order, and pick up some empty boxes at the local hardware store (Nelson’s Agri-Center). We need the boxes so we can start packing up the house.
That’s the plan. What do you think the odds are that I’ll get everything done?
UPDATE: Things didn't go exactly as planned, but by the end of the day, I got everything done. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. T-minus 10 days and counting. Time is sure moving fast.
I’m hoping we can get all of this done by noon. When we get this stuff done, then I have to get a P.O. Box for our mail, submit a forwarding order, and pick up some empty boxes at the local hardware store (Nelson’s Agri-Center). We need the boxes so we can start packing up the house.
That’s the plan. What do you think the odds are that I’ll get everything done?
UPDATE: Things didn't go exactly as planned, but by the end of the day, I got everything done. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. T-minus 10 days and counting. Time is sure moving fast.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Painting is Done
The painting of the Big Rolling Turd is complete. I finished the second coat of Kilz today, so my part of rehabbing the Turd is done (for now). We’re having the upholstery all cleaned tomorrow (including the treatments around the windows and the ceiling), then Kim is going to get busy cleaning the rest of the RV.
At 3:00 this afternoon it was only 39 degrees. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing out of the north making it feel even colder. I’m anxious to hit the road and start heading south. As much as I like living in Wisconsin 7-8 months out of the year, I really dislike the winter months.
If I get a chance tomorrow, I’ll post our itinerary for November and December. People have been asking about where we’re going to be when, so I hope this will help.
At 3:00 this afternoon it was only 39 degrees. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing out of the north making it feel even colder. I’m anxious to hit the road and start heading south. As much as I like living in Wisconsin 7-8 months out of the year, I really dislike the winter months.
If I get a chance tomorrow, I’ll post our itinerary for November and December. People have been asking about where we’re going to be when, so I hope this will help.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
What A Difference A Day Makes
Today was a better day. The weather was the same as yesterday (cold & windy), but I got a lot more done.
The day started off with Habit for Humanity arriving to pick up some furniture that we donated to them. It was good to get the stuff out of the basement and it is good to know that the furniture is going to an organization that can really use it. Another good thing is that I’m not going to have to move it into storage :-)
After Habitat for Humanity left, I got busy painting the sub-floor of the RV. Generally speaking, I am not a good painter because I am not patient enough to be careful. Even so, the painting went well. As Johnny Bench used to say in the old Rustoleum commercials, “No runs, no drips, no errors.”
Kim thinks we should put a second coat of paint on the floor just to make sure that the dog pee smell doesn’t return. I don’t want to do it, but I think she is right. So tomorrow, I’ll be adding another coat of Kilz to the RV. As long as we have everything out of the Big Rolling Turd, we might as well get it done now.
Another new development is that we are thinking about replacing the linoleum that is in the RV. It covers the kitchen and bathroom areas. The linoleum was in relatively good shape when we got the RV, but somehow we’ve gotten a couple of small rips in it. Since the linoleum is faded and dated anyway, and since we’ll have the floor guys in there already to replace the carpet, I guess it makes sense to get the job done now.
We’re thinking about putting in either more linoleum or a floating wood laminate floor. At the moment, we don’t know what we’ll be looking at for cost, so we’re not sure which direction we’re going to go. My guess is that we’ll choose to do whatever is cheaper.
Because I’ll be painting again tomorrow, I’ll be getting another day behind on moving things into storage. We only have a week-and-a-half to go, so I really need to get busy on that. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the last day I’ll be tied up with the RV and then I’ll be able to turn my attention to moving out of the house.
T-minus 12 days and counting. . .
The day started off with Habit for Humanity arriving to pick up some furniture that we donated to them. It was good to get the stuff out of the basement and it is good to know that the furniture is going to an organization that can really use it. Another good thing is that I’m not going to have to move it into storage :-)
After Habitat for Humanity left, I got busy painting the sub-floor of the RV. Generally speaking, I am not a good painter because I am not patient enough to be careful. Even so, the painting went well. As Johnny Bench used to say in the old Rustoleum commercials, “No runs, no drips, no errors.”
Kim thinks we should put a second coat of paint on the floor just to make sure that the dog pee smell doesn’t return. I don’t want to do it, but I think she is right. So tomorrow, I’ll be adding another coat of Kilz to the RV. As long as we have everything out of the Big Rolling Turd, we might as well get it done now.
Another new development is that we are thinking about replacing the linoleum that is in the RV. It covers the kitchen and bathroom areas. The linoleum was in relatively good shape when we got the RV, but somehow we’ve gotten a couple of small rips in it. Since the linoleum is faded and dated anyway, and since we’ll have the floor guys in there already to replace the carpet, I guess it makes sense to get the job done now.
We’re thinking about putting in either more linoleum or a floating wood laminate floor. At the moment, we don’t know what we’ll be looking at for cost, so we’re not sure which direction we’re going to go. My guess is that we’ll choose to do whatever is cheaper.
Because I’ll be painting again tomorrow, I’ll be getting another day behind on moving things into storage. We only have a week-and-a-half to go, so I really need to get busy on that. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the last day I’ll be tied up with the RV and then I’ll be able to turn my attention to moving out of the house.
T-minus 12 days and counting. . .
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
I’m having trouble getting going today. I’m still not feeling great, but I need to get things done. I went out to the RV and removed the last of the carpet staples. The sub-floor is ready to paint, but I’m having trouble working up the ambition to do it. I’m falling behind schedule and I don’t like it.
Kim is alone in the office today. Roger is still combining (harvesting) his corn, so Kim had to go in and hold down the fort. She needs to start spending more time at home getting ready for our road trip, but she had to be at the office today. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Maybe it’s the weather that’s making me unambitious today. It was hailing this morning and then it started snowing this afternoon. It’s just one of those gray Midwestern winter days. It’s the first we’ve seen this year, but I’m sure it won’t be the last. Hopefully, we’ll be on the road and heading south before we get too many more days like today.
Okay, here’s what I’m going to do. I have to pick the kids up at school in about 45 minutes. After I pick them up, I’ll come back home and start painting. That’s the plan. Let’s see how things work out.
UPDATE: Well, things didn’t work out as planned. After I picked up the kids, Kim and I had to go to Coon Valley to pick out carpet. The carpet has to be ordered right away in order to have it delivered by next week when it is supposed to be installed. Although we looked at the carpet, we did not finalize our choice. I’m hoping we can still do that tonight so the carpet can be ordered first thing in the morning.
So it looks like tomorrow will be painting day. I hope I can summon up enough ambition to get things done tomorrow.
Kim is alone in the office today. Roger is still combining (harvesting) his corn, so Kim had to go in and hold down the fort. She needs to start spending more time at home getting ready for our road trip, but she had to be at the office today. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Maybe it’s the weather that’s making me unambitious today. It was hailing this morning and then it started snowing this afternoon. It’s just one of those gray Midwestern winter days. It’s the first we’ve seen this year, but I’m sure it won’t be the last. Hopefully, we’ll be on the road and heading south before we get too many more days like today.
Okay, here’s what I’m going to do. I have to pick the kids up at school in about 45 minutes. After I pick them up, I’ll come back home and start painting. That’s the plan. Let’s see how things work out.
UPDATE: Well, things didn’t work out as planned. After I picked up the kids, Kim and I had to go to Coon Valley to pick out carpet. The carpet has to be ordered right away in order to have it delivered by next week when it is supposed to be installed. Although we looked at the carpet, we did not finalize our choice. I’m hoping we can still do that tonight so the carpet can be ordered first thing in the morning.
So it looks like tomorrow will be painting day. I hope I can summon up enough ambition to get things done tomorrow.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Carpet Removal is Done
HALLELUJAH!
The carpet is all out of the Big Rolling Turd. The job was much more difficult than I expected and the carpet was much more filthy and disgusting than you can imagine. But the carpet is out of the RV and I’m very happy.
Unfortunately, the job took its toll on Kim and me. Last night Kim had a headache from breathing in all of the crap that we stirred up by tearing out the carpet. I’m having the same problem today. My sinuses feel like their full of dust.
I was supposed to be painting the sub-floor with Kilz today, but that chore is looking like it may have to wait until tomorrow. We have very few days (just 16) left until we start our great adventure. I hate to waste even one day, but unless my headache improves, I think I’ll be staying in the house today.
I need to give a couple of shout outs today. First, there’s no way I could have gotten the carpet all done yesterday without Kim’s help. Thank you, Kim. We make a good team.
Also, a huge thank you to Roger for helping me winterize the Big Rolling Turd last night. I wasn’t sure how to do it and the temperatures in our area have been below freezing at night, so I really needed Roger’s help. To make Roger’s help even more appreciated is the fact that he had just started combining about 200 acres of corn last night, and he still found time to come over and help. Thanks, Rog!
The carpet is all out of the Big Rolling Turd. The job was much more difficult than I expected and the carpet was much more filthy and disgusting than you can imagine. But the carpet is out of the RV and I’m very happy.
Unfortunately, the job took its toll on Kim and me. Last night Kim had a headache from breathing in all of the crap that we stirred up by tearing out the carpet. I’m having the same problem today. My sinuses feel like their full of dust.
I was supposed to be painting the sub-floor with Kilz today, but that chore is looking like it may have to wait until tomorrow. We have very few days (just 16) left until we start our great adventure. I hate to waste even one day, but unless my headache improves, I think I’ll be staying in the house today.
I need to give a couple of shout outs today. First, there’s no way I could have gotten the carpet all done yesterday without Kim’s help. Thank you, Kim. We make a good team.
Also, a huge thank you to Roger for helping me winterize the Big Rolling Turd last night. I wasn’t sure how to do it and the temperatures in our area have been below freezing at night, so I really needed Roger’s help. To make Roger’s help even more appreciated is the fact that he had just started combining about 200 acres of corn last night, and he still found time to come over and help. Thanks, Rog!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Review: Great River Roadhouse
The Great River Roadhouse on U.S. 35 in DeSoto, WI was a very pleasant surprise. When we first moved to Viroqua, we were disappointed that the only pizza place in town was Pizza Hut. Since we tend to be pizzaholics, this was a concern. Then we tried the Great River Roadhouse.
The first thing you notice when you enter the Great River Roadhouse is the atmosphere. The exterior resembles a northwoods lodge which is continued in to the interior. Stuffed animals and antique handsaws share space with neon beer signs and nautical hardware like boat pulleys and lanterns. Through the front windows you can watch tug boats pushing barges down the mighty Mississippi River which is right across the road. The view to the Mississippi is occasionally obscured by a passing freight train, which serves to add to, rather than detract from, the atmosphere.
Of course, the atmosphere is just window dressing. The real star is the pizza. The Great River Roadhouse pizza features a thin crust that serves as a strong foundation for a slightly sweet sauce and mounds of cheese and other toppings. I’ve never had a bad pizza at The Great River Roadhouse. My favorites include sausage and mushroom, taco, BLT (very good), and my all-time favorite buffalo pie, which has wing sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. It’s fantastic.
We’ve had the opportunity to sample pizza from around Wisconsin and have never found a pie that can touch the Great River Roadhouse. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the pizza at the Great River Roadhouse as a solid 7.5 (and I’m even leaning toward 8). It is the best pizza we have had outside of Chicago.
The first thing you notice when you enter the Great River Roadhouse is the atmosphere. The exterior resembles a northwoods lodge which is continued in to the interior. Stuffed animals and antique handsaws share space with neon beer signs and nautical hardware like boat pulleys and lanterns. Through the front windows you can watch tug boats pushing barges down the mighty Mississippi River which is right across the road. The view to the Mississippi is occasionally obscured by a passing freight train, which serves to add to, rather than detract from, the atmosphere.
Of course, the atmosphere is just window dressing. The real star is the pizza. The Great River Roadhouse pizza features a thin crust that serves as a strong foundation for a slightly sweet sauce and mounds of cheese and other toppings. I’ve never had a bad pizza at The Great River Roadhouse. My favorites include sausage and mushroom, taco, BLT (very good), and my all-time favorite buffalo pie, which has wing sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. It’s fantastic.
We’ve had the opportunity to sample pizza from around Wisconsin and have never found a pie that can touch the Great River Roadhouse. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the pizza at the Great River Roadhouse as a solid 7.5 (and I’m even leaning toward 8). It is the best pizza we have had outside of Chicago.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Removing Carpet is Hard to Do
I didn’t think it would be this hard. Removing the carpet from the Big Rolling Turd has been a difficult and trying experience. I finally got the carpet up in the bedroom and I’m working on the front of the RV now. Rather than being tacked down in the front, the carpet is glued directly to the plywood sub-floor. I’m hoping that the going is a little easier and quicker once I get into the living area of the RV.
I plan on having all of the carpet out of the RV by tomorrow. I need to get it done so I can start moving our stuff into storage. We are just 17 days away from hitting the road and we still have a ton of things to do. Kim and I are working on a schedule for the next 17 days to make sure that we don’t forget to do something.
I’m also thinking about tweaking our itinerary a bit. After we leave Illinois after Thanksgiving, we are supposed to go to a state park in Bardstown, KY where we will have easy access to both Lexington and Louisville. However, we only have time to stay there for a couple of days before we are scheduled to be in the Nashville area for a few days. Rather than rushing through both areas, I think we’ll skip Kentucky and spend an entire week in Nashville. We have friends in the area and we want to make sure we have plenty of time to visit with them.
This is going to be a hellacious couple of weeks. I’ll be happy when we’re finally on the road.
I plan on having all of the carpet out of the RV by tomorrow. I need to get it done so I can start moving our stuff into storage. We are just 17 days away from hitting the road and we still have a ton of things to do. Kim and I are working on a schedule for the next 17 days to make sure that we don’t forget to do something.
I’m also thinking about tweaking our itinerary a bit. After we leave Illinois after Thanksgiving, we are supposed to go to a state park in Bardstown, KY where we will have easy access to both Lexington and Louisville. However, we only have time to stay there for a couple of days before we are scheduled to be in the Nashville area for a few days. Rather than rushing through both areas, I think we’ll skip Kentucky and spend an entire week in Nashville. We have friends in the area and we want to make sure we have plenty of time to visit with them.
This is going to be a hellacious couple of weeks. I’ll be happy when we’re finally on the road.
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