This past week has been a busy one. We’ve been Christmas shopping, working on the RV (new name still pending), going to the beach, going to see movies, and eating pizza.
My parent’s neighbor, John, has been helping us to get the refrigerator to work right. We haven’t gotten it to work yet, but we’re getting closer. We also got the toilet unplugged (a problem I didn’t share previously), and I sanded and re-painted the stairs.
The kids have been working hard on their school work this week, so we treated them with a trip to the beach. The East Coast of Florida has been experiencing red tide over the past few weeks. The worst of it is north of where we are in St. Lucie County, but when Kim and the kids visited the beach, it was littered with dead jelly fish. Last year, not knowing what it was, Louis picked up a jelly fish and was stung on both hands. He was much more careful this year.
We also went to see two movies this week. On Thursday we went to see the Golden Compass and Friday night we saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Kim, Louis and I liked both movies. Shelby liked National Treasure, but didn’t like Golden Compass. She’s not a big fan of fantasy movies.
We had heard that Golden Compass (rated PG-13)was not appropriate for kids, but then last weekend I read that the book had been selected as one of the best books for kids. We decided to find out for ourselves. The story was very inventive and in my opinion was good for kids, but it was pretty violent. There was a lot of killing of people and animals. I don’t have a recommendation either way.
We also found time to visit DaVinci’s Pizza in Port St. Lucie. I’ll post a review soon.
In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Review: Sir Pizza
Sir Pizza is a chain of pizza restaurants in central Tennessee. They have been in business for 40 years and in 2007 received the “Ruthie Award” for best pizza restaurant in Rutherford County (TN). We visited the store on TN Hwy 231 in Murfreesboro.
The theme at Sir Pizza is medieval. Knight helmets are used as lights, family crests grace the walls, and the furniture is dark and heavy. In my opinion, it’s an unusual décor for a pizza restaurant, but no one asked me.
We visited Sir Pizza on a Tuesday night which is 2-for-1 pizza night. Erica, our waitress, explained that we could get two pizzas for the price of one. We had never run into such a deal, so we questioned her about the promotion. She advised us that we would receive one free pizza for every pizza we ordered. We ordered a medium sausage and mushroom pie, and a small cheese pie for Louis. Erica said we would receive a free medium sausage and mushroom pizza as well as a free small cheese pizza. What a deal!
We had high hopes for Sir Pizza, but I’m afraid we were let down. The crust at Sir Pizza was crisp and had a sweet taste. This was probably the best part of the pizza.
The sauce was rather blah. Kim detected a slight wine taste in the sauce, but I suspect that the taste was something else. In any case, the sauce did not have much taste.
Sir Pizza went pretty light on the cheese. The sausage was finely ground, but again, didn’t have a lot of taste. The mushrooms were cut large and there were a fair number on the pizza.
Obviously, we were disappointed in the pizza at Sir Pizza. However, the thing that made our experience even worse was the poor service. It took way too long to get our pizza. Then, when we went to pay, we were charged for the two medium pizzas and given the two small pizzas for free. Kim argued about this with the guy at the counter. He finally agreed to charge us for a medium and a small and give us a medium and a small for free. However, he never apologized and he obviously wasn’t happy with giving in.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give the pizza at Sir Pizza a 5. However, considering the poor service, I’ll downgrade their score to 4.
The theme at Sir Pizza is medieval. Knight helmets are used as lights, family crests grace the walls, and the furniture is dark and heavy. In my opinion, it’s an unusual décor for a pizza restaurant, but no one asked me.
We visited Sir Pizza on a Tuesday night which is 2-for-1 pizza night. Erica, our waitress, explained that we could get two pizzas for the price of one. We had never run into such a deal, so we questioned her about the promotion. She advised us that we would receive one free pizza for every pizza we ordered. We ordered a medium sausage and mushroom pie, and a small cheese pie for Louis. Erica said we would receive a free medium sausage and mushroom pizza as well as a free small cheese pizza. What a deal!
We had high hopes for Sir Pizza, but I’m afraid we were let down. The crust at Sir Pizza was crisp and had a sweet taste. This was probably the best part of the pizza.
The sauce was rather blah. Kim detected a slight wine taste in the sauce, but I suspect that the taste was something else. In any case, the sauce did not have much taste.
Sir Pizza went pretty light on the cheese. The sausage was finely ground, but again, didn’t have a lot of taste. The mushrooms were cut large and there were a fair number on the pizza.
Obviously, we were disappointed in the pizza at Sir Pizza. However, the thing that made our experience even worse was the poor service. It took way too long to get our pizza. Then, when we went to pay, we were charged for the two medium pizzas and given the two small pizzas for free. Kim argued about this with the guy at the counter. He finally agreed to charge us for a medium and a small and give us a medium and a small for free. However, he never apologized and he obviously wasn’t happy with giving in.
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give the pizza at Sir Pizza a 5. However, considering the poor service, I’ll downgrade their score to 4.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Hot Off The Presses: Column #2
Here's the second column I wrote about our trip. This one will be printed in the January issue of the Kickapoo Free Press.
Postcards From The Road
When Bad Things Happen To Road People
It has been said that you learn more when things go wrong than you do when they go right. If that is true, then I am now officially brilliant.
The first few weeks of our great big road trip have seen one problem after another. And the problems started just a few minutes after we left home.
In Westby, we pulled into the Ace Hardware to top off our propane tank. While pulling up the small hill into the parking lot, our motorhome got stuck on the ice. I couldn’t go forward, so I tried to back up. That was a mistake. When I backed-up, our tow dolly jack-knifed and our van (which was on the tow dolly) slammed into the corner of our motorhome. The damage wasn’t too bad, but the incident was an omen of things to come.
As we struggled to move the motorhome, the folks at Ace Hardware and Mr. Tire came to our rescue. They helped us get the van off the tow dolly and then put some sand on the ice so the motorhome could get enough traction to get up the hill.
As we were doing this, I noticed that we had run over a screw with the left front tire of the motorhome. The guys from Mr. Tire took a look at it and thankfully, the screw hadn’t penetrated too deep, so the tire wasn’t leaking air.
Before we left, Richard from Mr. Tire helped us add air to the tow dolly tires. As he was doing this, he noticed that the left wheel on the tow dolly was really loose. The nut that holds the bearing in was almost all the way off, which could have allowed the wheel to fall off the tow dolly. That would have been a mess.
I once read that it’s less important what happens to you in life than it is how you react to what happens to you. With that in mind, we decided to look at our little misadventure in Westby as a blessing rather than a curse. After all, if we hadn’t gotten stuck on the ice, we wouldn’t have found the screw in our tire and we wouldn’t have known that the wheel on the tow dolly was falling off. I guess it’s all in your perspective.
Space prohibits me from detailing all of our misadventures, but the results have been a cut hand, a sprained thumb, a scrapped leg, and a damaged tow dolly. The capper occurred on a Saturday night when we were on our way to visit with friends in Tennessee. On the way to their house, we hit not one, but two deer with our van. A buck and a doe were trying to cross the road. We hit the buck with the right front of the van and the doe ran head first into the right side of the vehicle. The deer both ran off, but our van was pretty badly damaged.
According to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche “that which does not kill us makes us stronger.” So even though we’re feeling a bit beaten down right now, we apparently are growing stronger with each mishap. I guess that’s one silver lining that is coming from all of the clouds of bad luck.
Fortunately, the bad luck hasn’t stopped us from seeing some great sights. During our first few weeks we’ve visited the Stones River National Battlefield, seen the unbelievable Christmas decorations at the Opryland Resort, and we attended a fantastic concert by Nashville native Jonell Mosser. We’ve also had the opportunity to visit with friends and family.
I’m a big believer in karma. With all of the mishaps we had during the first few weeks of our trip, I’ve got to believe that we are due for some very good karma the rest of the way.
Postcards From The Road
When Bad Things Happen To Road People
It has been said that you learn more when things go wrong than you do when they go right. If that is true, then I am now officially brilliant.
The first few weeks of our great big road trip have seen one problem after another. And the problems started just a few minutes after we left home.
In Westby, we pulled into the Ace Hardware to top off our propane tank. While pulling up the small hill into the parking lot, our motorhome got stuck on the ice. I couldn’t go forward, so I tried to back up. That was a mistake. When I backed-up, our tow dolly jack-knifed and our van (which was on the tow dolly) slammed into the corner of our motorhome. The damage wasn’t too bad, but the incident was an omen of things to come.
As we struggled to move the motorhome, the folks at Ace Hardware and Mr. Tire came to our rescue. They helped us get the van off the tow dolly and then put some sand on the ice so the motorhome could get enough traction to get up the hill.
As we were doing this, I noticed that we had run over a screw with the left front tire of the motorhome. The guys from Mr. Tire took a look at it and thankfully, the screw hadn’t penetrated too deep, so the tire wasn’t leaking air.
Before we left, Richard from Mr. Tire helped us add air to the tow dolly tires. As he was doing this, he noticed that the left wheel on the tow dolly was really loose. The nut that holds the bearing in was almost all the way off, which could have allowed the wheel to fall off the tow dolly. That would have been a mess.
I once read that it’s less important what happens to you in life than it is how you react to what happens to you. With that in mind, we decided to look at our little misadventure in Westby as a blessing rather than a curse. After all, if we hadn’t gotten stuck on the ice, we wouldn’t have found the screw in our tire and we wouldn’t have known that the wheel on the tow dolly was falling off. I guess it’s all in your perspective.
Space prohibits me from detailing all of our misadventures, but the results have been a cut hand, a sprained thumb, a scrapped leg, and a damaged tow dolly. The capper occurred on a Saturday night when we were on our way to visit with friends in Tennessee. On the way to their house, we hit not one, but two deer with our van. A buck and a doe were trying to cross the road. We hit the buck with the right front of the van and the doe ran head first into the right side of the vehicle. The deer both ran off, but our van was pretty badly damaged.
According to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche “that which does not kill us makes us stronger.” So even though we’re feeling a bit beaten down right now, we apparently are growing stronger with each mishap. I guess that’s one silver lining that is coming from all of the clouds of bad luck.
Fortunately, the bad luck hasn’t stopped us from seeing some great sights. During our first few weeks we’ve visited the Stones River National Battlefield, seen the unbelievable Christmas decorations at the Opryland Resort, and we attended a fantastic concert by Nashville native Jonell Mosser. We’ve also had the opportunity to visit with friends and family.
I’m a big believer in karma. With all of the mishaps we had during the first few weeks of our trip, I’ve got to believe that we are due for some very good karma the rest of the way.
Hot Off the Presses: Column #1
In addition to recording our travels here on this blog, I am writing a monthly column in the Kickapoo Free Press, a monthly newspaper/magazine distributed in Southwest Wisconsin. Here is the first column that was printed in the December issue of the paper. In my next post, I'll include the January Column.
Postcards from the Road
Realizing A Lifelong Dream
In 1942, at the age of just 15-years old, California teen John Goddard sat down and wrote out a list of 127 adventures he wanted to achieve during his lifetime. He dubbed the list, “My Life List.” The list of adventures included things like explore the Nile River, study primitive culture in New Guinea, and climb Mt. Everest.
I read about Goddard in 1998 and his story prompted me to make up a life list of my own. By Goddard’s standards, my list included some rather tame adventures. But more important than the intensity or difficulty of the adventures was the fact that I had actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and had created my very own “Goddard List.”
One of the 38 adventure goals I set for myself was to someday take my family on an extended cross-country trip in an RV. At the time, I had a three-year old daughter and there didn’t seem to be any rush in realizing my RV dream. There was plenty of time to achieve this cross-country adventure.
Since that time, I’ve had a fairly busy life. We’ve moved five times, had another child, started a business, and I’ve battled cancer. Up until now, I’ve had plenty of excuses not to buy an RV and hit the road. In fact, it’s always easier not to do something than to commit to doing it. If you really want to, you can always find a reason not to do something. Excuses are easy to come by, but making a commitment regardless of the available excuses is a lot harder to do.
Now, nine years after making my Goddard List, with my RV adventure so far unfulfilled, it’s time to make a decision. Either we are going to take the plunge and realize our dream (it became “our” dream a few years ago), or my Goddard List is just going to become a collection of someday wishes. I’ll either be a “doer” in life who makes things happen, or a dreamer who let’s things happen.
In making the decision of whether or not to go on this cross-country trip, there are a lot of things to consider. How will our business fare with both Kim (my wife) and I gone? How will we educate our kids? Do we have the budget to stay out on the road long-term? How will we get our mail? Where will go?
We’ve thought a lot about it. We’ve considered all of the issues and we’ve finally made a decision. We’ve decided to take the plunge. We’ve decided that we would rather take the risk and make the most of the experience than live with the regret of never trying. We’ve made the commitment and we’ve decided that now is the right time to live the adventure.
By the time you read this, assuming everything goes according to plan, we will be living on the road. The plan is to take off on or around Thanksgiving and not come back to Viroqua until June of 2008. I’ll be writing a monthly column chronicling our travels and I hope you’ll follow along. It should be a great ride.
Postcards from the Road
Realizing A Lifelong Dream
In 1942, at the age of just 15-years old, California teen John Goddard sat down and wrote out a list of 127 adventures he wanted to achieve during his lifetime. He dubbed the list, “My Life List.” The list of adventures included things like explore the Nile River, study primitive culture in New Guinea, and climb Mt. Everest.
I read about Goddard in 1998 and his story prompted me to make up a life list of my own. By Goddard’s standards, my list included some rather tame adventures. But more important than the intensity or difficulty of the adventures was the fact that I had actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and had created my very own “Goddard List.”
One of the 38 adventure goals I set for myself was to someday take my family on an extended cross-country trip in an RV. At the time, I had a three-year old daughter and there didn’t seem to be any rush in realizing my RV dream. There was plenty of time to achieve this cross-country adventure.
Since that time, I’ve had a fairly busy life. We’ve moved five times, had another child, started a business, and I’ve battled cancer. Up until now, I’ve had plenty of excuses not to buy an RV and hit the road. In fact, it’s always easier not to do something than to commit to doing it. If you really want to, you can always find a reason not to do something. Excuses are easy to come by, but making a commitment regardless of the available excuses is a lot harder to do.
Now, nine years after making my Goddard List, with my RV adventure so far unfulfilled, it’s time to make a decision. Either we are going to take the plunge and realize our dream (it became “our” dream a few years ago), or my Goddard List is just going to become a collection of someday wishes. I’ll either be a “doer” in life who makes things happen, or a dreamer who let’s things happen.
In making the decision of whether or not to go on this cross-country trip, there are a lot of things to consider. How will our business fare with both Kim (my wife) and I gone? How will we educate our kids? Do we have the budget to stay out on the road long-term? How will we get our mail? Where will go?
We’ve thought a lot about it. We’ve considered all of the issues and we’ve finally made a decision. We’ve decided to take the plunge. We’ve decided that we would rather take the risk and make the most of the experience than live with the regret of never trying. We’ve made the commitment and we’ve decided that now is the right time to live the adventure.
By the time you read this, assuming everything goes according to plan, we will be living on the road. The plan is to take off on or around Thanksgiving and not come back to Viroqua until June of 2008. I’ll be writing a monthly column chronicling our travels and I hope you’ll follow along. It should be a great ride.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Seeking Refuge in Florida
It’s Friday night and Shelby and I are sitting in Panera’s in Jensen Beach, Florida. It’s not exciting, but it’s good to be in the warmth of Florida. It’s also good to be visiting with my parents for a while.
On our way to Florida, we decided to skip our trips to Birmingham, AL and Atlanta in favor of seeking the shelter of Mom and Dad’s house. We’re kind of like young birds out for our first flight. It’s good to be out on our own, but it sure is nice to know when there is trouble, we can fly back to the safety of our nest. The only difference is we aren’t young anymore (and we don’t eat worms). Even so, it sure is nice to have Mom and Dad’s place to use as a port in a storm.
I spoke to my friend Neil Wallace today. We were supposed to stop in Birmingham to see Neil and his wife Gail. As it turns out, Neil is in Chattanooga right now refereeing the Division I-AA national football championship between Appalachian State and Delaware State. It’s an honor to be picked to ref such a high profile game. Congratulations, Neil. You must be doing a good job. Of course, that’s no surprise. You always do.
Tomorrow we will be visiting my sister and her family in Wellington (near West Palm Beach). The weather is supposed to cool off tomorrow (down into the 60’s), so the kids are kind of bummed that they won’t be able to swim. I know all of our friends back in Wisconsin feel REALLY bad for us. They are dealing with a foot-and-a-half of snow on the ground, high winds, and temps in the single digits. I guess temps in the 60’s here in Florida aren’t so bad (although I’ll probably have to trade in the shorts for jeans – boo hoo…).
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
What's In A Name?
Early on, we started referring to the RV as The Big Rolling Turd in honor of the motorhome in the movie RV. It was a funny name and it seemed especially appropriate considering the poor condition of the RV’s interior.
Since then, we’ve had the interior of the RV steam cleaned and put in new carpet and laminate flooring. The interior has also been cleaned from top to bottom. It’s not brand new, but the RV looks (and smells) a heck of a lot better than it did when we bought it.
Our friend Caryl Holthouse suggested that maybe we have been having so much bad luck because of the negative name we had given to the RV. It makes sense. Think negative thoughts, get negative results. Think positive thoughts, get positive results.
With that in mind, we have stopped calling the RV The Big Rolling Turd. We are currently looking for a new name. My suggestion was “Kerouac,” in honor of Jack Kerouac, the author of the great book, On The Road. However, I couldn’t get any agreement from my family. Kim said the name gives her the creeps and Shelby said Kerouac sounds like a drug. Louis thought it was a monster, as in “Run away from the Kerouac.”
So I’m not going to get my way with the new name, but my unenlightened and overly-critical family can’t come up with a new name of their own. That’s where you come in. We are inviting all of our loyal readers (both of you) to chime in on a new name for our RV. If we like the name you come up with and we decide to use it, we’ll probably claim that we came up with the name ourselves, but at least you’ll know that you were involved.
Let us know what you think we should call the RV. Remember, we want positive results, so the name you suggest should be positive.
Good luck, and as always, please, no wagering.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Stones River National Battlefield
We’re all sitting in a Panera Bread catching up on email and visiting via IM. We went to Stones River National Battlefield today. The Battle of Stones River started on December 31, 1861 and lasted three days. When it was all over, nearly 24,000 people were dead (more than 13,000 Union soldiers and more than 11,000 Confederate soldiers). Many of the Union soldiers killed at Stones River are buried at the Stones River National Cemetery.
The National Battlefield includes a driving tour to significant spots not only in the park, but around Murfreesboro. We took a few pictures, but when you think about what happened in this place, it makes the mood kind of somber. It didn’t feel right to run around the park taking pictures.
We’re supposed to receive the new swivel pan for the tow dolly tomorrow. If we do, the plan is to leave on Wednesday and head down to my parents in Florida. The first week of our trip hasn’t exactly turned out the way we had hoped, and it has been much more expensive than we expected, but I can feel that things are starting to turn around for us. I expect things to get better from here on out.
The National Battlefield includes a driving tour to significant spots not only in the park, but around Murfreesboro. We took a few pictures, but when you think about what happened in this place, it makes the mood kind of somber. It didn’t feel right to run around the park taking pictures.
We’re supposed to receive the new swivel pan for the tow dolly tomorrow. If we do, the plan is to leave on Wednesday and head down to my parents in Florida. The first week of our trip hasn’t exactly turned out the way we had hoped, and it has been much more expensive than we expected, but I can feel that things are starting to turn around for us. I expect things to get better from here on out.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Today Was a Good Day
Today turned out to be a pretty good day. After a rainy morning, the skies cleared up and the temperature got up into the 70’s; unheard of for Middle Tennessee. In the afternoon, Jerry, Caryl, and the kids came over to see our new home. They hadn’t planned on staying long, but we ended up starting a fire and cooking hot dogs and s’mores for everyone, and we all made a night of it. It was great fun.
Tomorrow, I think we are finally going to make it over to the stones River National Battlefield. The weather hasn’t been cooperating up until now, but we should have some decent weather tomorrow.
By the way, today was my 48th birthday. It’s hard for me to believe I am that old. I still feel like a teenager (except for the occasional ache or pain). Sitting around a fire visiting with family and friends was a great way to spend my birthday.
Stupid Deer
This really is getting ridiculous.
Yesterday was a lazy day. Because we had gotten in so late on Friday night, we all slept in on Saturday morning. It was raining, so there wasn’t a lot we could do outside. That was too bad because there was a World War II re-enactment at the park. However, the weather was so bad that the re-enactors shut down the re-enactment early and went home.
Because it was so rainy, we decided to just hang out at the RV. Kim ended up doing more laundry, Louis watched Star Wars (again), and Shelby and I each ended up taking a nap. When I woke up around 4:30, I thought to myself, “Maybe we’re going to get through today without anything bad happening.” I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Holthouses invited us over to watch a movie with them. The plan was to stop and get something to eat, and then go to the Holthouses. We were on our way into Murfreesboro when suddenly a deer ran out in front of us. Right before we hit it, I could see that it was a young buck. What I didn’t see was that there was a doe right behind the buck.
I swerved as much as I could without going into oncoming traffic, but it wasn’t enough. We hit the buck with the right front of the van. The deer flipped up into the air, did a somersault, and landed in the ditch. I was sure we had killed it, but the buck jumped up and ran off into the woods.
Meanwhile, while we were hitting the buck, the doe ran headfirst into the front passenger side door of the van. She seemed to be fine and we saw her standing up on a hill a few minutes after the accident.
The kids both got really upset and started crying. I thought they may have gotten hurt, but they were just upset that we had hit a deer. Within a few minutes they had stopped crying and wanted to go look for the deer.
The Rutherford County Sherriff’s Department came out to take a report, but naturally we had just crossed into the Murfreesboro city limits, so we had to wait for a Murfreesboro police officer. The County Deputy and the Murfreesboro police officer were both very nice and very helpful.
Thankfully, the van is still driveable, although the right front light is broken, the right fender is damaged, as is the hood and passenger side doors. I think we are probably going to have to skip staying in Alabama and Atlanta so we can get down to Florida to have the van repaired. Of course, we can’t leave until we get the parts we need to repair the tow dolly first.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Uff da…
Yesterday was a lazy day. Because we had gotten in so late on Friday night, we all slept in on Saturday morning. It was raining, so there wasn’t a lot we could do outside. That was too bad because there was a World War II re-enactment at the park. However, the weather was so bad that the re-enactors shut down the re-enactment early and went home.
Because it was so rainy, we decided to just hang out at the RV. Kim ended up doing more laundry, Louis watched Star Wars (again), and Shelby and I each ended up taking a nap. When I woke up around 4:30, I thought to myself, “Maybe we’re going to get through today without anything bad happening.” I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Holthouses invited us over to watch a movie with them. The plan was to stop and get something to eat, and then go to the Holthouses. We were on our way into Murfreesboro when suddenly a deer ran out in front of us. Right before we hit it, I could see that it was a young buck. What I didn’t see was that there was a doe right behind the buck.
I swerved as much as I could without going into oncoming traffic, but it wasn’t enough. We hit the buck with the right front of the van. The deer flipped up into the air, did a somersault, and landed in the ditch. I was sure we had killed it, but the buck jumped up and ran off into the woods.
Meanwhile, while we were hitting the buck, the doe ran headfirst into the front passenger side door of the van. She seemed to be fine and we saw her standing up on a hill a few minutes after the accident.
The kids both got really upset and started crying. I thought they may have gotten hurt, but they were just upset that we had hit a deer. Within a few minutes they had stopped crying and wanted to go look for the deer.
The Rutherford County Sherriff’s Department came out to take a report, but naturally we had just crossed into the Murfreesboro city limits, so we had to wait for a Murfreesboro police officer. The County Deputy and the Murfreesboro police officer were both very nice and very helpful.
Thankfully, the van is still driveable, although the right front light is broken, the right fender is damaged, as is the hood and passenger side doors. I think we are probably going to have to skip staying in Alabama and Atlanta so we can get down to Florida to have the van repaired. Of course, we can’t leave until we get the parts we need to repair the tow dolly first.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Uff da…
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Jonell Mosser in Concert
Tonight we went over to visit with our friends Caryl & Jerry Holthouse. They treated us to pizza (Thank you, Jerry & Caryl) and then we went to see Jonell Mosser play at Third and Lindsley in Nashville. Wow, what a show.
I think Jonell Mosser is built differently than the rest of us. With Jonell, her vocal chords are attached directly to her soul. What a voice. She is a cross between Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, with a pinch of an Eric Clapton blues riff thrown in for good measure. Her dance moves reminds you a little of Joe Cocker, but you don’t go to see Jonell for her dancing. You go to hear her awesome voice.
Jonell’s band did a great job. Led by the legendary Reese Wynans on Hammond B3 and keyboards, the band was a great compliment to Jonell’s strong voice and stage presence. Wynans sits behind his B3 looking like a professor, but playing like a demon.
The highlight of the show was when renowned songwriter Gary Nicholson joined the band for Jonell’s version of Nicholson’s song, The Trouble with the Truth. Then Nicholson launched into his rocking song, Jacksboro Highway, complete with solos from Nicholson and Wynan, and a segue into the song, Fever. It was fantastic.
Another highlight of the show was when an audience member demanded a Christmas song and Jonell and the band did a great version of Silver Bells. Without a doubt, it was the best version of Silver Bells I’ve ever heard.
During the show, I was sitting next to a guy that was about 6’5” with his hair died magenta. As it turned out, it was Billy Prine and he joined Jonell for Angel From Montgomery, a song written by Billy’s brother John Prine.
It was a great night. We didn’t get back to the RV until about 2:30 am, but I could have stayed and listened all night. It must be cool to live in the Nashville area and have access to great live music like this every night of the week.
By the way, I haven’t said anything about it here before, but Jerry Holthouse is a songwriter. He wrote the song They Also Serve which was recorded by John Conley and was popular a few years ago.
I was talking to Jerry about the songwriting business and was surprised about how competitive the business is. Nashville is full of songwriters just waiting for that one big hit. Jerry is a graphic designer by day, but in his heart of hearts, he is a songwriter. Remember Jerry, nickel a fish!
I think Jonell Mosser is built differently than the rest of us. With Jonell, her vocal chords are attached directly to her soul. What a voice. She is a cross between Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, with a pinch of an Eric Clapton blues riff thrown in for good measure. Her dance moves reminds you a little of Joe Cocker, but you don’t go to see Jonell for her dancing. You go to hear her awesome voice.
Jonell’s band did a great job. Led by the legendary Reese Wynans on Hammond B3 and keyboards, the band was a great compliment to Jonell’s strong voice and stage presence. Wynans sits behind his B3 looking like a professor, but playing like a demon.
The highlight of the show was when renowned songwriter Gary Nicholson joined the band for Jonell’s version of Nicholson’s song, The Trouble with the Truth. Then Nicholson launched into his rocking song, Jacksboro Highway, complete with solos from Nicholson and Wynan, and a segue into the song, Fever. It was fantastic.
Another highlight of the show was when an audience member demanded a Christmas song and Jonell and the band did a great version of Silver Bells. Without a doubt, it was the best version of Silver Bells I’ve ever heard.
During the show, I was sitting next to a guy that was about 6’5” with his hair died magenta. As it turned out, it was Billy Prine and he joined Jonell for Angel From Montgomery, a song written by Billy’s brother John Prine.
It was a great night. We didn’t get back to the RV until about 2:30 am, but I could have stayed and listened all night. It must be cool to live in the Nashville area and have access to great live music like this every night of the week.
By the way, I haven’t said anything about it here before, but Jerry Holthouse is a songwriter. He wrote the song They Also Serve which was recorded by John Conley and was popular a few years ago.
I was talking to Jerry about the songwriting business and was surprised about how competitive the business is. Nashville is full of songwriters just waiting for that one big hit. Jerry is a graphic designer by day, but in his heart of hearts, he is a songwriter. Remember Jerry, nickel a fish!
Friday, December 7, 2007
If It Weren't For Bad Luck. . .
While Kim and the kids stayed at the park this morning, I ventured off to find a wi-fi connection that would work. I was able to log on and get all of my emails, so mission accomplished. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there.
After I got back to the park and had lunch, I was walking across the campground, slipped on a landscape timber, and went face first into the ground. My left hand went into the gravel and my right hand went into a fire pit. My right leg also hit the fire pit. What a klutz.
I came back to the RV so Kim could tend to me (I’m a big baby when I’m sick or hurt). After washing away the dirt, gravel, and soot, all that was left was a small cut on my right hand and scrape on my right thigh. I also think I sprained my right thumb.
Later in the afternoon I was walking across the same area where I fell when I stepped in a big pile of dog poop. I didn’t realize that I had stepped in it, so I tracked it into the RV. Thankfully, the clean-up wasn’t too involved.
After my latest mishap, Kim said, in her best southern accent, “If it weren’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have no luck at all.” So true.
P.S. -- Happy Birthday, Rhonnie!
After I got back to the park and had lunch, I was walking across the campground, slipped on a landscape timber, and went face first into the ground. My left hand went into the gravel and my right hand went into a fire pit. My right leg also hit the fire pit. What a klutz.
I came back to the RV so Kim could tend to me (I’m a big baby when I’m sick or hurt). After washing away the dirt, gravel, and soot, all that was left was a small cut on my right hand and scrape on my right thigh. I also think I sprained my right thumb.
Later in the afternoon I was walking across the same area where I fell when I stepped in a big pile of dog poop. I didn’t realize that I had stepped in it, so I tracked it into the RV. Thankfully, the clean-up wasn’t too involved.
After my latest mishap, Kim said, in her best southern accent, “If it weren’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have no luck at all.” So true.
P.S. -- Happy Birthday, Rhonnie!
Our Wi-Fi Nightmare Is Over
Hallelujah! I’m logged on to the Internet.
It took some work, but I’m finally logged on to a wi-fi system. Let’s hope I don’t have any more problems with this on the trip (wishful thinking).
We didn’t get as much done yesterday as I had hoped. Our electrical problems took up some of my time and then we had a small plumbing problem. As a result, we didn’t get over to Stones River Civil War Battlefield. I’m not sure we’re going to go today either because it is raining.
We ended up going to Opry Mills yesterday. It is basically a big mall, but with some stores and attractions you don’t find in other malls. For instance, our first stop was at the Gibson Showcase. It is part of the Gibson Guitar Company. They do the finally assembly of banjos at this facility. They also sell guitars and have a live music club in the store. Very cool.
We also went to Bass Pro Shop. All I needed was a pair of shoe laces, but it was fun looking at all of the other stuff too.
Afterwards, we walked over to the Opryland Resort & Convention Center to see the Christmas decorations. Unbelievable. I can’t imagine the kind of money they spend to decorate. Shelby said, “Dad, I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of this, but I am totally blown away.” It was that good.
With any luck, Kim and I are going to meet up with Jerry and Caryl Holthaus tonight to go see Jonell Mosser at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. Mosser is supposed to be great in concert, so I’m excited to see her. The kids will be staying at the Holthaus’ with a babysitter, and they get to watch TV and play video games, something they’ve missed horribly this week. Unfortunately, Caryl has been sick, so our plans are still up in the air.
It took some work, but I’m finally logged on to a wi-fi system. Let’s hope I don’t have any more problems with this on the trip (wishful thinking).
We didn’t get as much done yesterday as I had hoped. Our electrical problems took up some of my time and then we had a small plumbing problem. As a result, we didn’t get over to Stones River Civil War Battlefield. I’m not sure we’re going to go today either because it is raining.
We ended up going to Opry Mills yesterday. It is basically a big mall, but with some stores and attractions you don’t find in other malls. For instance, our first stop was at the Gibson Showcase. It is part of the Gibson Guitar Company. They do the finally assembly of banjos at this facility. They also sell guitars and have a live music club in the store. Very cool.
We also went to Bass Pro Shop. All I needed was a pair of shoe laces, but it was fun looking at all of the other stuff too.
Afterwards, we walked over to the Opryland Resort & Convention Center to see the Christmas decorations. Unbelievable. I can’t imagine the kind of money they spend to decorate. Shelby said, “Dad, I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of this, but I am totally blown away.” It was that good.
With any luck, Kim and I are going to meet up with Jerry and Caryl Holthaus tonight to go see Jonell Mosser at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. Mosser is supposed to be great in concert, so I’m excited to see her. The kids will be staying at the Holthaus’ with a babysitter, and they get to watch TV and play video games, something they’ve missed horribly this week. Unfortunately, Caryl has been sick, so our plans are still up in the air.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
More Problems
Last night was kind of a sleepless night. Our electric stopped working which affected the way the furnaces (we have two) were working. The coach batteries handled the load for a while, but they eventually drained down to where they weren’t working either. I had to get up a couple of times during the night to start the RV to charge the batteries and get the furnaces working right again.
As best I can figure, the electric went off in the park last night. I checked all of our connections and they were all fine. Then, without doing anything, the electric (and the furnaces) were working just fine this morning.
Another problem I hadn’t reported on previously was that the refrigerator wouldn’t work on propane. We’re trying to run it using electric now. The refrigerators in RVs are not especially effective, so we probably won’t know until tomorrow if it is cooling using electric.
Kim and the kids are back at the RV doing school stuff. I’m sitting in a Panera Bread writing this post, but once again, I’m unable to connect to the wi-fi network. It really is crazy that our network is so secure that you can’t log on from any public place. I’ve tried to log on at hotels and several different restaurants and coffee shops, but I’m never able to get a connection.
I’ve called our support people, but the best they’ve been able to do is have me re-boot the computer. When that doesn’t work, they tell me that I need to talk to the wi-fi administrator wherever I am to have them manually force me on to their network. Of course, the people at the wi-fi location don’t know the first thing about their wi-fi network.
Today, someone from our corporate headquarters called me to try to figure out the problem. Her advice was the same as everyone else’s. However, she is going to call the company that provides our Hot Spot Enabler (which is supposed to help us log on to wi-fi networks) to see if they can help. If you are reading this, I guess they helped (or I figured some other way to post this).
Until then, I need to head back to the RV to get the family so we can start our day’s activities.
UPDATE: The problem wasn’t with the electric in the park. Our converter stopped working and our coach batteries were draining. Now, we can use the electric in the motorhome, but we have to start the engine every once in a while to charge the batteries. Oh well, not that big of a deal, but a new converter costs about $250. Just add it to the list of things we have to get done once we hit Florida.
As best I can figure, the electric went off in the park last night. I checked all of our connections and they were all fine. Then, without doing anything, the electric (and the furnaces) were working just fine this morning.
Another problem I hadn’t reported on previously was that the refrigerator wouldn’t work on propane. We’re trying to run it using electric now. The refrigerators in RVs are not especially effective, so we probably won’t know until tomorrow if it is cooling using electric.
Kim and the kids are back at the RV doing school stuff. I’m sitting in a Panera Bread writing this post, but once again, I’m unable to connect to the wi-fi network. It really is crazy that our network is so secure that you can’t log on from any public place. I’ve tried to log on at hotels and several different restaurants and coffee shops, but I’m never able to get a connection.
I’ve called our support people, but the best they’ve been able to do is have me re-boot the computer. When that doesn’t work, they tell me that I need to talk to the wi-fi administrator wherever I am to have them manually force me on to their network. Of course, the people at the wi-fi location don’t know the first thing about their wi-fi network.
Today, someone from our corporate headquarters called me to try to figure out the problem. Her advice was the same as everyone else’s. However, she is going to call the company that provides our Hot Spot Enabler (which is supposed to help us log on to wi-fi networks) to see if they can help. If you are reading this, I guess they helped (or I figured some other way to post this).
Until then, I need to head back to the RV to get the family so we can start our day’s activities.
UPDATE: The problem wasn’t with the electric in the park. Our converter stopped working and our coach batteries were draining. Now, we can use the electric in the motorhome, but we have to start the engine every once in a while to charge the batteries. Oh well, not that big of a deal, but a new converter costs about $250. Just add it to the list of things we have to get done once we hit Florida.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Trip Into Nashville
Not much to report from today. It seemed to take us forever to get ready this morning. We still don’t have water in the RV, so we had to take showers in the park’s bath house. The bath house is nice and clean, but it’s not as nice as being able to use your own shower.
The kids enjoyed riding their bikes around the campsite. I’m glad we decided to bring their bikes. I can already tell that they are going to get a lot of use out of them.
We drove into Nashville to shop at the Camping World store. It was the first one we had been in and we were surprised that it wasn’t bigger. We bought a hose (for drinking water) and an ax. There was plenty of other stuff there that we wanted, but all in due time.
For lunch, we went to a place called Caney Fork Fish Camp right across from the Opryland Hotel. It’s a pretty cool place that is decorated to look like a rustic, Southern fish camp complete with a catfish pond right in the restaurant. The food was really good. I’d definitely recommend this place.
Kim did three loads of laundry this afternoon. We were without a washer and dryer for about two weeks before we left home, so the dirty clothes have been piling up. A few loads each day and we’ll soon be back at full force in the clean clothes department.
We drove into Murfreesboro tonight with the intention of catching up on emails. We just had to find a place that offered wi-fi. Our first stop was Blue Coast Burrito for dinner. Another good choice. The burritos were tasty and the different salsas they offered were really good. I especially liked their white cheese queso.
After dinner, we stopped at Books-A-Million to take advantage of their wi-fi. However, wi-fi is only free if you are part of their Millionaire’s Club. Too many places offer free wi-fi, no strings attached, so we decided not to patronize Books-A-Million.
Next we stopped at Hastings, a really cool bookstore in Murfreesboro. We checked to make sure it was okay to use their wi-fi and they were more than happy to have us. Unfortunately, Kim and I couldn’t get logged on because of the ridiculous security on our laptops. I haven’t been able to get email for three days now, so I’m going to have to find a place tomorrow where I can log on (and upload all of my very important blog posts).
After the kids do their school work tomorrow, we are planning on visiting the Stones River Civil War Battlefield and Cemetery. That should be interesting. Tomorrow night we’re going to head into Nashville again to see the Christmas decorations at the Opryland Hotel. They’re supposed to be awesome.
The kids enjoyed riding their bikes around the campsite. I’m glad we decided to bring their bikes. I can already tell that they are going to get a lot of use out of them.
We drove into Nashville to shop at the Camping World store. It was the first one we had been in and we were surprised that it wasn’t bigger. We bought a hose (for drinking water) and an ax. There was plenty of other stuff there that we wanted, but all in due time.
For lunch, we went to a place called Caney Fork Fish Camp right across from the Opryland Hotel. It’s a pretty cool place that is decorated to look like a rustic, Southern fish camp complete with a catfish pond right in the restaurant. The food was really good. I’d definitely recommend this place.
Kim did three loads of laundry this afternoon. We were without a washer and dryer for about two weeks before we left home, so the dirty clothes have been piling up. A few loads each day and we’ll soon be back at full force in the clean clothes department.
We drove into Murfreesboro tonight with the intention of catching up on emails. We just had to find a place that offered wi-fi. Our first stop was Blue Coast Burrito for dinner. Another good choice. The burritos were tasty and the different salsas they offered were really good. I especially liked their white cheese queso.
After dinner, we stopped at Books-A-Million to take advantage of their wi-fi. However, wi-fi is only free if you are part of their Millionaire’s Club. Too many places offer free wi-fi, no strings attached, so we decided not to patronize Books-A-Million.
Next we stopped at Hastings, a really cool bookstore in Murfreesboro. We checked to make sure it was okay to use their wi-fi and they were more than happy to have us. Unfortunately, Kim and I couldn’t get logged on because of the ridiculous security on our laptops. I haven’t been able to get email for three days now, so I’m going to have to find a place tomorrow where I can log on (and upload all of my very important blog posts).
After the kids do their school work tomorrow, we are planning on visiting the Stones River Civil War Battlefield and Cemetery. That should be interesting. Tomorrow night we’re going to head into Nashville again to see the Christmas decorations at the Opryland Hotel. They’re supposed to be awesome.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
If At First You Don't Succeed. . .
No false start this time. We hit the road, drove past the Ace Hardware without incident, and we were on our way. Just for safety’s sake, we stopped in Sparta to check the tow dolly and again in Mauston. Everything looked good.
Our trip out of Wisconsin and into Illinois was uneventful. We used more gas than I anticipated and it took longer to get places that we are used to, but the first day of our trip (discounting all of the disasters on our first attempt to leave town) went pretty well. We made it as far as Effingham, IL before we pulled over at a Pilot Truck Stop to sleep for the night.
We were up early on Tuesday and back on the road. We got into the Nashville area around 2:30 pm when we hit a big traffic jam on I-24. A semi had gone off the road and the police had two lanes on I-24 closed. Once we got past the accident scene we turned north on TN 231 through Murfreesboro and up to Lebanon.
The second day of our big adventure was going great until we pulled into the campground at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. The turn into the campground is a bit tight and the tow dolly didn’t like it one bit. The swivel pan that the front wheels of the van sit on swiveled as far as it could, but it wasn’t far enough. The pan twisted and torqued. We got the van off the tow dolly, but the swivel pan will never be used again. That was a $370 mistake. Ouch!
Tow Master (the maker of the tow dolly) is shipping out another swivel pan, but it won’t be here at least until Monday or Tuesday. It should be easy to install (knock on wood), but we are stuck here in Tennessee until we get it. Of course, there are worse places to be stuck. I had just hoped that we’d be able to get to Birmingham, AL to meet up with Neil and Gail Wallace this weekend. We’re supposed to be in Atlanta to see a couple of different people next week. For now, we’ll have to play it by ear.
Our trip out of Wisconsin and into Illinois was uneventful. We used more gas than I anticipated and it took longer to get places that we are used to, but the first day of our trip (discounting all of the disasters on our first attempt to leave town) went pretty well. We made it as far as Effingham, IL before we pulled over at a Pilot Truck Stop to sleep for the night.
We were up early on Tuesday and back on the road. We got into the Nashville area around 2:30 pm when we hit a big traffic jam on I-24. A semi had gone off the road and the police had two lanes on I-24 closed. Once we got past the accident scene we turned north on TN 231 through Murfreesboro and up to Lebanon.
The second day of our big adventure was going great until we pulled into the campground at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. The turn into the campground is a bit tight and the tow dolly didn’t like it one bit. The swivel pan that the front wheels of the van sit on swiveled as far as it could, but it wasn’t far enough. The pan twisted and torqued. We got the van off the tow dolly, but the swivel pan will never be used again. That was a $370 mistake. Ouch!
Tow Master (the maker of the tow dolly) is shipping out another swivel pan, but it won’t be here at least until Monday or Tuesday. It should be easy to install (knock on wood), but we are stuck here in Tennessee until we get it. Of course, there are worse places to be stuck. I had just hoped that we’d be able to get to Birmingham, AL to meet up with Neil and Gail Wallace this weekend. We’re supposed to be in Atlanta to see a couple of different people next week. For now, we’ll have to play it by ear.
Monday, December 3, 2007
D(eparture)-Day
D-Day came at 10:30 am on Monday, December 10. Unfortunately, it was short-lived.
As we pulled out of our driveway, my first concern was our icy road. Although it had been plowed, they hadn’t spread any sand and I was afraid we wouldn’t even be able to make it from our road to the highway. Fortunately, we made it with no trouble.
Our first stop was Ace Hardware in Westby to get propane. As we pulled into the drive, the Big Rolling Turd got stuck on the ice. I tried to pull up the hill to the propane tank, but the Turd wouldn’t budge.
I tried to back up, but the tow dolly doesn’t like to back up. In fact, the owner’s manual for the tow dolly says NEVER back up with the tow dolly attached, but I had to give it a try anyway. The tow dolly jack knifed and the front of our van (which was on the tow dolly) smashed into the right rear corner of the RV. The RV got scuffed up a little bit and the front license plate was ripped off the van. Otherwise, not too bad.
As we waited for the folks at Ace to put down some potash to give up traction to get up the hill, I noticed that the tires on the tow dolly were horribly under-inflated. When I towed the tow dolly empty after buying it, this made sense, but then I forgot to fill the tires after I got it home. Oops…
As I was walking back to the front of the RV, I noticed a screw embedded in the left front tire. D’oh! How many things could go wrong at one time? Thankfully, the Ace Hardware store has a tire store connected to it, so they took a look at the tire. As it turned out, the screw was short and hadn’t penetrated all the way into the tire.
As we were putting air into the tires on the tow dolly, Rich, the guy at the tire shop, noticed that the left tire on the tow dolly was really loose. The bearing cap was missing and the nut that holds the bearing in was almost falling off. He checked it over and it appeared that whoever greased the bearing (before I bought it) hadn’t tightened the nut. Rich tightened it and said he thought we would be alright. Even so, he suggested that we get a “bearing buddy” (cap over the bearing) before we hit the road. So it was back to Viroqua to the auto parts store.
We just had to laugh that we had only gotten three miles from our home and so many things had already gone wrong. And after about three hours, we were back in Viroqua getting ready once again to leave.
Of course, there is another way to look at this. If we hadn’t gotten stuck on the ice at Ace, we would have never known that the tires on the tow dolly were so under-inflated and we wouldn’t have known that the wheel was falling off the right side of the tow dolly. We also may have pushed the screw in deeper to where it did penetrate the tire. Overall, things worked out pretty well. I guess it’s all in your perspective.
Rather than jumping right back on the road, we’re going to get some lunch at Subway. Hopefully, we’ll make it more than three miles from home this time.
As we pulled out of our driveway, my first concern was our icy road. Although it had been plowed, they hadn’t spread any sand and I was afraid we wouldn’t even be able to make it from our road to the highway. Fortunately, we made it with no trouble.
Our first stop was Ace Hardware in Westby to get propane. As we pulled into the drive, the Big Rolling Turd got stuck on the ice. I tried to pull up the hill to the propane tank, but the Turd wouldn’t budge.
I tried to back up, but the tow dolly doesn’t like to back up. In fact, the owner’s manual for the tow dolly says NEVER back up with the tow dolly attached, but I had to give it a try anyway. The tow dolly jack knifed and the front of our van (which was on the tow dolly) smashed into the right rear corner of the RV. The RV got scuffed up a little bit and the front license plate was ripped off the van. Otherwise, not too bad.
As we waited for the folks at Ace to put down some potash to give up traction to get up the hill, I noticed that the tires on the tow dolly were horribly under-inflated. When I towed the tow dolly empty after buying it, this made sense, but then I forgot to fill the tires after I got it home. Oops…
As I was walking back to the front of the RV, I noticed a screw embedded in the left front tire. D’oh! How many things could go wrong at one time? Thankfully, the Ace Hardware store has a tire store connected to it, so they took a look at the tire. As it turned out, the screw was short and hadn’t penetrated all the way into the tire.
As we were putting air into the tires on the tow dolly, Rich, the guy at the tire shop, noticed that the left tire on the tow dolly was really loose. The bearing cap was missing and the nut that holds the bearing in was almost falling off. He checked it over and it appeared that whoever greased the bearing (before I bought it) hadn’t tightened the nut. Rich tightened it and said he thought we would be alright. Even so, he suggested that we get a “bearing buddy” (cap over the bearing) before we hit the road. So it was back to Viroqua to the auto parts store.
We just had to laugh that we had only gotten three miles from our home and so many things had already gone wrong. And after about three hours, we were back in Viroqua getting ready once again to leave.
Of course, there is another way to look at this. If we hadn’t gotten stuck on the ice at Ace, we would have never known that the tires on the tow dolly were so under-inflated and we wouldn’t have known that the wheel was falling off the right side of the tow dolly. We also may have pushed the screw in deeper to where it did penetrate the tire. Overall, things worked out pretty well. I guess it’s all in your perspective.
Rather than jumping right back on the road, we’re going to get some lunch at Subway. Hopefully, we’ll make it more than three miles from home this time.
Thank You, Roger!
Roger Lucey has been a great help to us as we’ve prepared for our big adventure. He’s counseled us on motorhomes, helped us move furniture (especially the heavy stuff), helped us load the RV, and last night he laid on the ground under the RV in 15-20 degree temperatures to hook up a new outlet so we would have lights on the tow dolly.
And it’s not like Roger doesn’t have anything else to do. He has a farm and works two jobs (one for us at the agency), not to mention he has a wife (Tara) and two kids (Alyssa and Landon). Roger’s plate was already full, but he found time to help us.
Thanks, Roger. We couldn’t have pulled this off without your help.
And it’s not like Roger doesn’t have anything else to do. He has a farm and works two jobs (one for us at the agency), not to mention he has a wife (Tara) and two kids (Alyssa and Landon). Roger’s plate was already full, but he found time to help us.
Thanks, Roger. We couldn’t have pulled this off without your help.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Trapped!
We’ve been trapped in our empty house for about 31 hours now. Last night the kids stayed at the neighbor’s house. It was a good thing because there is nowhere here to sit and there is nothing to do. Like most kids, they have to be entertained constantly, so they wouldn’t have liked it here last night.
Kim and I had a relaxing night last night. Even so, I sure could use a chair. We have one mattress left in the house that will be our mattress in the RV. Thankfully, we hadn’t moved it into the RV, so at least we have a place to sleep.
The snow plow came by early this morning to clear our street. Then the guy from C&C Landscaping showed up around noon to clear the drive. We were finally able to leave the house. I wanted to drive over to La Crosse just to kill some time, but Kim said “no.” The roads are still too slick. At least she was able to get up to the store to get us food for tonight.
Our plan for the outlet on the RV now is to re-wire a 6 pole large outlet in place of the current outlet. Then we’ll be able to plug the tow dolly directly into the RV with no adapter. This task is a little beyond my ability, but Roger says he can do it. Unfortunately, he has been tied up all day today trying to get his tractor started and then moving some hay bales. It’s dark now and I don’t know if he still plans on installing the outlet tonight or in the morning.
In a way, I guess it doesn’t really matter. I sometimes forget that we have lots of time. We’re not on a tight schedule and we don’t have to leave at a certain time.
Tonight, Kim is making chicken, a couple of turkey legs, mashed potatoes and gravy. I had suggested frozen pizza, but I guess her plan will work too.
Tomorrow should be our big day. I’m still excited, but my excitement is now tempered with the knowledge of everything that can and has gone wrong to delay the start of our trip. Rather than being hellbent to get started, I’m now focused more on just having a safe, wonderful trip. That’s what I’ll be praying for tonight.
Kim and I had a relaxing night last night. Even so, I sure could use a chair. We have one mattress left in the house that will be our mattress in the RV. Thankfully, we hadn’t moved it into the RV, so at least we have a place to sleep.
The snow plow came by early this morning to clear our street. Then the guy from C&C Landscaping showed up around noon to clear the drive. We were finally able to leave the house. I wanted to drive over to La Crosse just to kill some time, but Kim said “no.” The roads are still too slick. At least she was able to get up to the store to get us food for tonight.
Our plan for the outlet on the RV now is to re-wire a 6 pole large outlet in place of the current outlet. Then we’ll be able to plug the tow dolly directly into the RV with no adapter. This task is a little beyond my ability, but Roger says he can do it. Unfortunately, he has been tied up all day today trying to get his tractor started and then moving some hay bales. It’s dark now and I don’t know if he still plans on installing the outlet tonight or in the morning.
In a way, I guess it doesn’t really matter. I sometimes forget that we have lots of time. We’re not on a tight schedule and we don’t have to leave at a certain time.
Tonight, Kim is making chicken, a couple of turkey legs, mashed potatoes and gravy. I had suggested frozen pizza, but I guess her plan will work too.
Tomorrow should be our big day. I’m still excited, but my excitement is now tempered with the knowledge of everything that can and has gone wrong to delay the start of our trip. Rather than being hellbent to get started, I’m now focused more on just having a safe, wonderful trip. That’s what I’ll be praying for tonight.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Two More Days of Delays
Friday, November 30
6:15 am (12 degrees) – This is going to be the day we finally hit the road. We have a few errands to run and we still have some stuff to load into the RV. We also keep finding more and more stuff that has to go into storage. If we hustle, I hope to be on the road by noon.
8:30 am (12 degrees) – We really need to get moving because a big snow and ice storm is predicted for tomorrow. It would sure be nice to get on the road before the weather gets bad. If we can get far enough south, we may be able to miss it completely.
10:00 (13 degrees) – I dropped off four bags of clothes at Doc Jacobs office. He collects clothes for the migrant farm workers in the area. I then went to the office to do payroll and pay some bills. I also had to pickup up the checks and all of the paperwork from the office that I’ll need for the trip. I then went over to the post office to pick up the mail from our P.O. box. When I came back to the office, Kim was there. She’s still working on getting our long distance phone service switched over. It seems like the phone company would make this easier. While I was at the office, I ended up reconciling one of our bank accounts. This wasn’t planned and I didn’t get out of the office until 12:30 pm. At this point, I’m hoping we can hit the road by 3:00 pm.
2:15 pm (15 degrees) – I picked up a couple of things from NAPA. I needed an adapter so we can plug the tow dolly into the RV (for brake lights, turn signals, etc) and I had to get some Sta-Bil to add to the gas we are leaving in the lawn tractor, snow blower, etc. I also decided to get the oil changed in the Envoy. It was stupid waiting this long, but it would be even dumber to not get it done now. It will give me some peace of mind knowing that I’m handing the Envoy over to Roger with a fresh oil change. Things are taking much longer than I anticipated. When I got home, I cancelled our phone service at the house. At least that was easy. I was also greeted with a couple of loads of stuff that needs to be taken to the office. We’re not going to get out of town by 3:00 pm, but I guess it’s not that big of a deal. Even if we leave late tonight, we’ll still get down to Southern Illinois or Kentucky before the storm hits. It’s supposed to be a big one, dropping snow and ice as far south as Champaign, IL.
4:30 pm (15 degrees) – Shelby and I dropped off two loads at the office. When I got home, Kim and I decided that we were trying to pack why too much into the RV. We started thinning things out and now we have a couple of more loads to put into storage. Even though it is going to take more time to take the stuff over to the office, it will be good not having so much weight (and stuff we don’t need) in the RV. It’s already dark outside. I really don’t like this time of year. It will be good to head south into better weather and longer days.
6:00 pm (12 degrees) – I tried to start the RV, but the battery was dead. I hooked up the battery charger and am letting it charge for a while. I hope the only problem is the battery and not something else.
7:00 pm (10 degrees) – We’ve been loading things into the RV for the past couple of hours. The RV is filling up, but it doesn’t seem like the house is really getting any more empty. The cold outside is raw. It’s cold enough and windy enough to freeze you to the bone. As long as you keep moving it’s not horrible, but if you stop you’ll freeze. I just hooked the tow dolly up to the RV and I stood in one place for too long. Now I’m frozen. We decide to order a couple of pizzas. Shelby and I are going to take another load to the office while we’re waiting.
7:30 pm (10 degrees) – The RV started. A switch on the interior was left on and it killed the battery. The battery is now charged and the RV is running. We may get out of here yet tonight.
8:00 pm (8 degrees) – The pizza got here and a few minutes later Roger showed up. He wants to help load the van onto the tow dolly. When he sees the adapter I got to hook up the brake lights, he announces that it is not the right one. I realized this also when I was hooking up the tow dolly. Without brake lights, Kim doesn’t want to leave. I would rather leave now without brake lights than wait to drive in the snow tomorrow. We go back and forth. Kim wins. We’re going to wait to leave until tomorrow morning. Roger and I get the van on the tow dolly without incident. The straps fit over the tires. Hallelujah! We weren’t sure that they would.
9:00 pm (7 degrees) – Roger just called. He lost his cell phone while we were loading the van onto the tow dolly. Shelby, Louis and I look all over for it, but can’t find it.
9:30 pm (7 degrees) – The battery in the Envoy just went dead. What a night. I hook up the battery charger and let it charge for a while. After a few minutes on the charger, the Envoy starts up. Sometimes you just have to laugh when things go so wrong.
10:15 pm (5 degrees) – Shelby and I just dropped off the last of our things that are going into storage. It’s time for everybody to get in bed so we can get up early and beat the storm out of town.
Saturday, December 1
6:00 am (16 degrees) – We’re up and moving some things into the RV. I have to go get the right adapter as soon as the stores open. The rush to get out of town is exciting, but also exhausting. I just want to get on the road. The snow is supposed to start around 9:00 am.
8:30 am (16 degrees) – I’ve tried NAPA and the Agri-Center, but neither place has the adapter I need. When I go over to Tractor Supply, Roger is already there and he informs me that they do not have the right adapter either. However, he has figured out a way to make this work. He’s found some magnetic lights that mount on top of the van. An electrical wire runs from the lights to the plug in the RV and act as the brake lights, tail lights, and blinkers. He’s also found an adapter that will allow us to plug the lights into the RV. Time is growing very short. The storm is on its way. By the way, Roger found his cell phone in his own driveway.
8:45 am (17 degrees) – The lights sit perfectly on top of the van, the wire is long enough to reach the outlet on the RV, but the adapter is the wrong one. I have to run back up to tractor supply to get the right one.
9:00 am (19 degrees) – Tractor Supply doesn’t have the right adapter. It’s starting to snow and it’s not playing around. The snow is mixed with ice pellets and it is coming down heavy. The roads are already slick. We’re not going to get out of town today. Tomorrow isn’t supposed to be much better. Maybe Monday will be our lucky day.
9:30 am (19 degrees) – I’m back home and Kim has moved the last of our things into the RV. She agrees that we should not leave today, but we don’t have anything in the house. We’ll have to move blankets, food, clothes, toiletries, etc. back into the house.
7:00 pm (15 degrees) – The kids have been invited to spend the night with their friends next door. That’s good because they would definitely be bored here in our empty house. We don’t have much food, but Kim whips up a pasta dish that satisfies our hunger. We eat it in our empty living room in front of the fireplace. There’s nothing left to do now but wait for Monday.
6:15 am (12 degrees) – This is going to be the day we finally hit the road. We have a few errands to run and we still have some stuff to load into the RV. We also keep finding more and more stuff that has to go into storage. If we hustle, I hope to be on the road by noon.
8:30 am (12 degrees) – We really need to get moving because a big snow and ice storm is predicted for tomorrow. It would sure be nice to get on the road before the weather gets bad. If we can get far enough south, we may be able to miss it completely.
10:00 (13 degrees) – I dropped off four bags of clothes at Doc Jacobs office. He collects clothes for the migrant farm workers in the area. I then went to the office to do payroll and pay some bills. I also had to pickup up the checks and all of the paperwork from the office that I’ll need for the trip. I then went over to the post office to pick up the mail from our P.O. box. When I came back to the office, Kim was there. She’s still working on getting our long distance phone service switched over. It seems like the phone company would make this easier. While I was at the office, I ended up reconciling one of our bank accounts. This wasn’t planned and I didn’t get out of the office until 12:30 pm. At this point, I’m hoping we can hit the road by 3:00 pm.
2:15 pm (15 degrees) – I picked up a couple of things from NAPA. I needed an adapter so we can plug the tow dolly into the RV (for brake lights, turn signals, etc) and I had to get some Sta-Bil to add to the gas we are leaving in the lawn tractor, snow blower, etc. I also decided to get the oil changed in the Envoy. It was stupid waiting this long, but it would be even dumber to not get it done now. It will give me some peace of mind knowing that I’m handing the Envoy over to Roger with a fresh oil change. Things are taking much longer than I anticipated. When I got home, I cancelled our phone service at the house. At least that was easy. I was also greeted with a couple of loads of stuff that needs to be taken to the office. We’re not going to get out of town by 3:00 pm, but I guess it’s not that big of a deal. Even if we leave late tonight, we’ll still get down to Southern Illinois or Kentucky before the storm hits. It’s supposed to be a big one, dropping snow and ice as far south as Champaign, IL.
4:30 pm (15 degrees) – Shelby and I dropped off two loads at the office. When I got home, Kim and I decided that we were trying to pack why too much into the RV. We started thinning things out and now we have a couple of more loads to put into storage. Even though it is going to take more time to take the stuff over to the office, it will be good not having so much weight (and stuff we don’t need) in the RV. It’s already dark outside. I really don’t like this time of year. It will be good to head south into better weather and longer days.
6:00 pm (12 degrees) – I tried to start the RV, but the battery was dead. I hooked up the battery charger and am letting it charge for a while. I hope the only problem is the battery and not something else.
7:00 pm (10 degrees) – We’ve been loading things into the RV for the past couple of hours. The RV is filling up, but it doesn’t seem like the house is really getting any more empty. The cold outside is raw. It’s cold enough and windy enough to freeze you to the bone. As long as you keep moving it’s not horrible, but if you stop you’ll freeze. I just hooked the tow dolly up to the RV and I stood in one place for too long. Now I’m frozen. We decide to order a couple of pizzas. Shelby and I are going to take another load to the office while we’re waiting.
7:30 pm (10 degrees) – The RV started. A switch on the interior was left on and it killed the battery. The battery is now charged and the RV is running. We may get out of here yet tonight.
8:00 pm (8 degrees) – The pizza got here and a few minutes later Roger showed up. He wants to help load the van onto the tow dolly. When he sees the adapter I got to hook up the brake lights, he announces that it is not the right one. I realized this also when I was hooking up the tow dolly. Without brake lights, Kim doesn’t want to leave. I would rather leave now without brake lights than wait to drive in the snow tomorrow. We go back and forth. Kim wins. We’re going to wait to leave until tomorrow morning. Roger and I get the van on the tow dolly without incident. The straps fit over the tires. Hallelujah! We weren’t sure that they would.
9:00 pm (7 degrees) – Roger just called. He lost his cell phone while we were loading the van onto the tow dolly. Shelby, Louis and I look all over for it, but can’t find it.
9:30 pm (7 degrees) – The battery in the Envoy just went dead. What a night. I hook up the battery charger and let it charge for a while. After a few minutes on the charger, the Envoy starts up. Sometimes you just have to laugh when things go so wrong.
10:15 pm (5 degrees) – Shelby and I just dropped off the last of our things that are going into storage. It’s time for everybody to get in bed so we can get up early and beat the storm out of town.
Saturday, December 1
6:00 am (16 degrees) – We’re up and moving some things into the RV. I have to go get the right adapter as soon as the stores open. The rush to get out of town is exciting, but also exhausting. I just want to get on the road. The snow is supposed to start around 9:00 am.
8:30 am (16 degrees) – I’ve tried NAPA and the Agri-Center, but neither place has the adapter I need. When I go over to Tractor Supply, Roger is already there and he informs me that they do not have the right adapter either. However, he has figured out a way to make this work. He’s found some magnetic lights that mount on top of the van. An electrical wire runs from the lights to the plug in the RV and act as the brake lights, tail lights, and blinkers. He’s also found an adapter that will allow us to plug the lights into the RV. Time is growing very short. The storm is on its way. By the way, Roger found his cell phone in his own driveway.
8:45 am (17 degrees) – The lights sit perfectly on top of the van, the wire is long enough to reach the outlet on the RV, but the adapter is the wrong one. I have to run back up to tractor supply to get the right one.
9:00 am (19 degrees) – Tractor Supply doesn’t have the right adapter. It’s starting to snow and it’s not playing around. The snow is mixed with ice pellets and it is coming down heavy. The roads are already slick. We’re not going to get out of town today. Tomorrow isn’t supposed to be much better. Maybe Monday will be our lucky day.
9:30 am (19 degrees) – I’m back home and Kim has moved the last of our things into the RV. She agrees that we should not leave today, but we don’t have anything in the house. We’ll have to move blankets, food, clothes, toiletries, etc. back into the house.
7:00 pm (15 degrees) – The kids have been invited to spend the night with their friends next door. That’s good because they would definitely be bored here in our empty house. We don’t have much food, but Kim whips up a pasta dish that satisfies our hunger. We eat it in our empty living room in front of the fireplace. There’s nothing left to do now but wait for Monday.
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