It is getting harder and harder to write my blog as the holiday get closer. Seems like I am going into vacation mode (I'm always on vacation). This year was fairly easy. I didn't buy many gifts. A lot of our family agreed to NO gifts. It takes the pressure off and definitely saves money. Everyone asks us if we have been saving a ton of money now that we are in the RV. Oddly enough. . . no. There are so many accessories needed to go along with the 5th wheel. We have been sending so much. The good thing though is we have the money to spend whereas before, we were scrounging by. The few Christmas gifts we did buy have taken up a bit of money as well. Hopefully as soon as the holidays are over, we will start saving a ton.
Last night Jason and I joined our friends Jackie and Justin for our 3rd annual holiday dinner. We were down one couple this year, but we glad to carry the tradition on even if it was only a double date. True friends are so hard to find.
Today Jason and I enjoyed an early lunch at our favorite spot Panera. I just can't get enough of it. I even got a "You look really pretty" from Jason. I guess I should do my hair more often :) Taylor enjoyed her hour at the dog park. Soon we are off to my parents to do a load of laundry and Jason will attend a jiu jitsu class tonight. It will be his first time back in almost a year. Injuries to his shoulder and ankle have kept him away. I think Miss Universe tonight is calling my name. Probably because we only get a few options and it's one of the only channels in English.
I am not crazy about our new spot. We had the option of 3 different ones and Jason thought this would be the best because of its proximity to the dog park. It is nice to be able to walk to the park rather than loading the car and driving, but I can't seem to be able to open a window without seeing a building or RV. Our other 2 sites had amazing views and were very private. I get to pick the next spot :)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Bringing our home with us
Ocala was great. It was so nice getting to spend time with my in laws. We spent time shopping, cooking, baking, watching Virginia and Charlie participate in their neighborhood Christmas musical, and visiting downtown Ocala. Virginia got tickets for us all to tour a home built in 1890 called Seven Sisters Inn. It was such an experience. I love old construction.
We again set a plan to leave Ocala by 2pm so we could arrive in Sebring before dark. . . again another plan bites the dust. We didn't leave until 4:30pm. Jason purchased a truck tool box and spent a lot of time organizing his tools. I guess it needed to be done. The drive to Sebring was easy breezy. Hwy 27 is so nice to drive. Easy to pull over and get gas or food. It was kind of weird using our 5th wheel bathroom and feeling 'at home' and yet being in the middle of a gas station parking lot. It was odd.
Sebring was a good time as well. We ended up getting there around 8:45pm and set up camp in the driveway. Everyone congregated in our 5th wheel living room. We fit 9 people in there comfortably. It was nice to see that we could have a group of people over our house still. Mom, Sean, and Dustin arrived later in the night around 11:00pm. A few conversations later and we were all in bed. It was nice being able to escape to our own home. We could set the thermostat at the temperature we wanted, use our own pillows, etc. When we woke up, we knew we had something to eat guaranteed.
Mom scheduled family pictures at Sears. 8:00am was a tough wake up call after all that driving and the trip we just left, especially when it takes an hour to do your hair. Pictures were kind of a hassle. Trying to fit 12 people into 1 frame is not easy. When the fan in the room in broken and there are 12+ people with body temps @ 98.6 and above, it makes for a really nice sweat box.
We ate a traditional Christmas dinner full of turkey, pork, yams, mashed potatoes, etc. There were 2 new additions to the table this year, 1 being Justin and the other being Sissy (grandma and grandpa's new dog). It just so happened that she was ready to be picked up from the humane society the day we were all there.
We decided to not exchange gifts this year. It just gets too costly and at this point, everyone has everything that they need anyways. Of course mom and Sean had to get for us. They don't think they have to oblige to the rule. Jason and I got some great gifts from them. A customized sign for the 5th wheel, accessories, an ornament, a grill, and a custom vinyl wall quote from our favorite song 'Home'.
After dinner and gifts, we went to the Sebring circle. It's become a family tradition. It was Justin's first year visiting so we had to show him the awesomeness Sebring has to offer :) Dinner after lights was a must. I don't know why people insist on easting Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon and expect that meal to hold everyone over until the next day. Cody's Roadhouse sure did hit the spot followed by a few rounds of catch phrase (it's our families new favorite game).
Our Sunday was spent driving to Camping World, shopping, saying goodbye to Mom, Sean, Dusty, and Tara because she was going back to Orange Park with mom. Grandma and Grandpa drove Jason and I back to the house, stopping for lunch at Manny's Chop House for another amazing meal. The new goodies we bought from Camping World helped out a lot in the packing up process. It only took us a half hour this time. We are getting good.
Our drive back was enjoyable. I just love our road trips. It's where we talk the most. Jason brought up buying a house on the West coast. He mentioned not being too thrilled with the supply on the East coast, adding the cost being higher is just not worth it. Music to my ears. Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, . . . I'll start looking :)
Back to Markham we went. New campsite this time. Closer to the dog park is always appreciated by Miss Taylor. The next 10 days will be spent running errands, catching up on laundry, checking off things on my to do list, and organizing the RV a bit more. Our next destination is Cape Coral for a post Christmas party with the Allis family.
We again set a plan to leave Ocala by 2pm so we could arrive in Sebring before dark. . . again another plan bites the dust. We didn't leave until 4:30pm. Jason purchased a truck tool box and spent a lot of time organizing his tools. I guess it needed to be done. The drive to Sebring was easy breezy. Hwy 27 is so nice to drive. Easy to pull over and get gas or food. It was kind of weird using our 5th wheel bathroom and feeling 'at home' and yet being in the middle of a gas station parking lot. It was odd.
Sebring was a good time as well. We ended up getting there around 8:45pm and set up camp in the driveway. Everyone congregated in our 5th wheel living room. We fit 9 people in there comfortably. It was nice to see that we could have a group of people over our house still. Mom, Sean, and Dustin arrived later in the night around 11:00pm. A few conversations later and we were all in bed. It was nice being able to escape to our own home. We could set the thermostat at the temperature we wanted, use our own pillows, etc. When we woke up, we knew we had something to eat guaranteed.
Mom scheduled family pictures at Sears. 8:00am was a tough wake up call after all that driving and the trip we just left, especially when it takes an hour to do your hair. Pictures were kind of a hassle. Trying to fit 12 people into 1 frame is not easy. When the fan in the room in broken and there are 12+ people with body temps @ 98.6 and above, it makes for a really nice sweat box.
We ate a traditional Christmas dinner full of turkey, pork, yams, mashed potatoes, etc. There were 2 new additions to the table this year, 1 being Justin and the other being Sissy (grandma and grandpa's new dog). It just so happened that she was ready to be picked up from the humane society the day we were all there.
We decided to not exchange gifts this year. It just gets too costly and at this point, everyone has everything that they need anyways. Of course mom and Sean had to get for us. They don't think they have to oblige to the rule. Jason and I got some great gifts from them. A customized sign for the 5th wheel, accessories, an ornament, a grill, and a custom vinyl wall quote from our favorite song 'Home'.
After dinner and gifts, we went to the Sebring circle. It's become a family tradition. It was Justin's first year visiting so we had to show him the awesomeness Sebring has to offer :) Dinner after lights was a must. I don't know why people insist on easting Christmas dinner at 2 in the afternoon and expect that meal to hold everyone over until the next day. Cody's Roadhouse sure did hit the spot followed by a few rounds of catch phrase (it's our families new favorite game).
Our Sunday was spent driving to Camping World, shopping, saying goodbye to Mom, Sean, Dusty, and Tara because she was going back to Orange Park with mom. Grandma and Grandpa drove Jason and I back to the house, stopping for lunch at Manny's Chop House for another amazing meal. The new goodies we bought from Camping World helped out a lot in the packing up process. It only took us a half hour this time. We are getting good.
Our drive back was enjoyable. I just love our road trips. It's where we talk the most. Jason brought up buying a house on the West coast. He mentioned not being too thrilled with the supply on the East coast, adding the cost being higher is just not worth it. Music to my ears. Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, . . . I'll start looking :)
Back to Markham we went. New campsite this time. Closer to the dog park is always appreciated by Miss Taylor. The next 10 days will be spent running errands, catching up on laundry, checking off things on my to do list, and organizing the RV a bit more. Our next destination is Cape Coral for a post Christmas party with the Allis family.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Hit the road Jack
On Sunday, Tara and I drove over to Naples to visit with our cousins Maggie and Ryan and their daughter Hannah. While we were there we would do a quick 6 month old photo shoot and also take their Christmas pictures. The shoot went great. Hannah was the perfect model (I think it's because we started her out the day of her birth with a photo shoot in the hospital). She was so well behaved and probably my best subject yet. Hanging out with Maggie and Ryan was great. We got a chance to chat while at lunch and catch up. Tara and I eventually took off and headed back to the East coast.
We stopped at Markham to check on the RV. Markham has the Toys for Tots run at the park, so there were thousands of bikers in and out of the park all day. I was kind of happy that we weren't there. The RV was perfect and all the crowds had cleared before we even got there. I wasn't too comfortable staying the night (not because of the bikers) because the morning before, I was awoken with the bright lights of our bedroom ceiling. I later found out that Jason had to turn the lights on the catch yet another frog in the bedroom. Awesome! So I didn't feel comfortable staying in a room that frogs are somehow figuring out how to get in while being all alone. No thank you! Off to my dad's we went. We had left Taylor there for the day anyways, so her and I slept on the couch.
Why is there ever a plan involved in trips? Trips should consist of zero planning. That way when nothing goes according to no plan, I don't get upset :) Of course we had a plan. Jason was suppose to be at my dad's to pick us up right after shift around 8:15/8:30ish. 9:30 rolls around and he finally shows. Of course he had to go to the RV store and spend $100 on things "We absolutely needed!" Whatever. Off to Markham we went. It was time to load up our 2 weeks of site F 4 and hit the road. Long story short. . . around 1:30pm Jason comes into the RV and says "Are you ready to say I told you so?" I am always ready for that. My response was "Yes, I am just excited to find out which thing you are referring to." Side note. . . I love being right :) So the silly scooted that he just had to borrow from his friend OJ doesn't seem to sit on the rack well enough. It seems to be bouncing all over the place. Of course it's the racks fault. Stupid thing says 500lb weight capacity and can't barely seem to hold 180lbs. Maybe it's because it's a stupid scooter and the back tire is hanging off the back of the rack. Maybe because it's really a bike rack and not a nerd mobile holder.
I get a text from my mother-in-law around 1:45ish asking us if we had left yet (we are headed to Ocala to see her). At that point we still had bikes on the ground, the 5th wheel not hitched up, Jason freaking out, slides not pulled in, etc. I don't know how, but it all came together and we were headed to the station to drop this stupid scooter off. The ride to the station was horrible. It was my first time in the truck while towing the RV. Oh man. Taking a 33.5 foot 5th wheel down the craziness and construction of 595 was almost unbearable. I literally almost threw up twice due to anxiety. The scooter bounces with every bump we hit and the gallons and gallons of water left in the tank shook us around like a bumper car. Thank goodness nothing happened.
After eliminating the stress and weight of the scooter as well as the 500 extra lbs of the water, we were smooth sailing. It made such a world of difference. Of course we were both starving as soon as we got on the road. We were approaching 4:00pm and were worried about rush hour. On top of that, we can't just pull up to a regular drive through and order our meal anymore. Rest stop it was! We pulled into the first Turnpike rest area we found. Of course those would all be under construction as well because nothing could just be easy. We park with all the huge trucks and jump out. Jason runs in because he needed food first. We don't want the Hulk to come out. Taylor and I wondered over to the grass area so she could use the ladies room. All of a sudden. . . I spotted it. . . it was like a angel came down and said "Here is a little slice of heaven on Earth. A little calmness amongst your crazy day of anxiety." What was it you ask? No not a bar. It was a designated dog park area!!! Taylor and I ran straight through the parking lot across the the gate. It was so nice being able to take her off her leash and let her run around for a few minutes. I didn't have to worry about food on the floor because people rather not touch the nasty garbage cans. I wasn't worried about cars flying by and almost hitting her. It was perfect. She of course was the only dog in the park, but I was just happy she could stretch her legs/
Jason came out with a personal pan pizza (the new stops have better food now). I probably looked like a kid in a candy store. I was so excited to show him the dog park area. After a half hour of getting food, dog park time, and loading back up, we were ready to hit the road again. We stopped a few more times for gas, food, and the bathroom. We almost forgot that the RV was behind us because of the easiness of the drive. We made it to Ocala around 9pm, stopped at Subway for a quick bite to eat, and then to Virginia and Charlie's for a change of scenery. We positioned the RV just off their driveway in the grass. We have a great sunset view out the back window.
While setting up, I noticed one of the tree frogs on the grass just outside of the RV. That little brat hitched a ride all the way from Markham. I tried to set everything up inside so Charlie and Virginia could see our new house. Sure enough. . . another tree frog in the bedroom. Jason used the infamous cup and plate contraption and got that guy out. A few minutes later I go in the RV bathroom to wash my hands and. . . another FROG! What the heck? Jason to the rescue again. He thinks they were sitting on the slides at the park and then when we pulled the slides in, they came in also. All more the reason I asked him if he swept the slides first. . .
Finally all the frogs were out of the RV and we were able to show his parents the house. They loved it. They jokingly talked of building a huge hanger for their airplane and toys and just living in one of these. We went into their house and watched some tv, talked a bite, and enjoyed a drink. Our bed never felt so comfy. Taylor settled right in as if nothing had changed. Technically her home was the exact same way only her yard changed. We have been so excited to get this thing on the road. Ocala is a good start. A 4 1/2 hour drive, no nightly charge, able to plug in still, and most importantly. . . able to see family for the holidays. Love it! We leave for Sebring on Friday to see my mom, Sean, Dusty, and that whole side :)
We stopped at Markham to check on the RV. Markham has the Toys for Tots run at the park, so there were thousands of bikers in and out of the park all day. I was kind of happy that we weren't there. The RV was perfect and all the crowds had cleared before we even got there. I wasn't too comfortable staying the night (not because of the bikers) because the morning before, I was awoken with the bright lights of our bedroom ceiling. I later found out that Jason had to turn the lights on the catch yet another frog in the bedroom. Awesome! So I didn't feel comfortable staying in a room that frogs are somehow figuring out how to get in while being all alone. No thank you! Off to my dad's we went. We had left Taylor there for the day anyways, so her and I slept on the couch.
Why is there ever a plan involved in trips? Trips should consist of zero planning. That way when nothing goes according to no plan, I don't get upset :) Of course we had a plan. Jason was suppose to be at my dad's to pick us up right after shift around 8:15/8:30ish. 9:30 rolls around and he finally shows. Of course he had to go to the RV store and spend $100 on things "We absolutely needed!" Whatever. Off to Markham we went. It was time to load up our 2 weeks of site F 4 and hit the road. Long story short. . . around 1:30pm Jason comes into the RV and says "Are you ready to say I told you so?" I am always ready for that. My response was "Yes, I am just excited to find out which thing you are referring to." Side note. . . I love being right :) So the silly scooted that he just had to borrow from his friend OJ doesn't seem to sit on the rack well enough. It seems to be bouncing all over the place. Of course it's the racks fault. Stupid thing says 500lb weight capacity and can't barely seem to hold 180lbs. Maybe it's because it's a stupid scooter and the back tire is hanging off the back of the rack. Maybe because it's really a bike rack and not a nerd mobile holder.
I get a text from my mother-in-law around 1:45ish asking us if we had left yet (we are headed to Ocala to see her). At that point we still had bikes on the ground, the 5th wheel not hitched up, Jason freaking out, slides not pulled in, etc. I don't know how, but it all came together and we were headed to the station to drop this stupid scooter off. The ride to the station was horrible. It was my first time in the truck while towing the RV. Oh man. Taking a 33.5 foot 5th wheel down the craziness and construction of 595 was almost unbearable. I literally almost threw up twice due to anxiety. The scooter bounces with every bump we hit and the gallons and gallons of water left in the tank shook us around like a bumper car. Thank goodness nothing happened.
After eliminating the stress and weight of the scooter as well as the 500 extra lbs of the water, we were smooth sailing. It made such a world of difference. Of course we were both starving as soon as we got on the road. We were approaching 4:00pm and were worried about rush hour. On top of that, we can't just pull up to a regular drive through and order our meal anymore. Rest stop it was! We pulled into the first Turnpike rest area we found. Of course those would all be under construction as well because nothing could just be easy. We park with all the huge trucks and jump out. Jason runs in because he needed food first. We don't want the Hulk to come out. Taylor and I wondered over to the grass area so she could use the ladies room. All of a sudden. . . I spotted it. . . it was like a angel came down and said "Here is a little slice of heaven on Earth. A little calmness amongst your crazy day of anxiety." What was it you ask? No not a bar. It was a designated dog park area!!! Taylor and I ran straight through the parking lot across the the gate. It was so nice being able to take her off her leash and let her run around for a few minutes. I didn't have to worry about food on the floor because people rather not touch the nasty garbage cans. I wasn't worried about cars flying by and almost hitting her. It was perfect. She of course was the only dog in the park, but I was just happy she could stretch her legs/
Jason came out with a personal pan pizza (the new stops have better food now). I probably looked like a kid in a candy store. I was so excited to show him the dog park area. After a half hour of getting food, dog park time, and loading back up, we were ready to hit the road again. We stopped a few more times for gas, food, and the bathroom. We almost forgot that the RV was behind us because of the easiness of the drive. We made it to Ocala around 9pm, stopped at Subway for a quick bite to eat, and then to Virginia and Charlie's for a change of scenery. We positioned the RV just off their driveway in the grass. We have a great sunset view out the back window.
While setting up, I noticed one of the tree frogs on the grass just outside of the RV. That little brat hitched a ride all the way from Markham. I tried to set everything up inside so Charlie and Virginia could see our new house. Sure enough. . . another tree frog in the bedroom. Jason used the infamous cup and plate contraption and got that guy out. A few minutes later I go in the RV bathroom to wash my hands and. . . another FROG! What the heck? Jason to the rescue again. He thinks they were sitting on the slides at the park and then when we pulled the slides in, they came in also. All more the reason I asked him if he swept the slides first. . .
Finally all the frogs were out of the RV and we were able to show his parents the house. They loved it. They jokingly talked of building a huge hanger for their airplane and toys and just living in one of these. We went into their house and watched some tv, talked a bite, and enjoyed a drink. Our bed never felt so comfy. Taylor settled right in as if nothing had changed. Technically her home was the exact same way only her yard changed. We have been so excited to get this thing on the road. Ocala is a good start. A 4 1/2 hour drive, no nightly charge, able to plug in still, and most importantly. . . able to see family for the holidays. Love it! We leave for Sebring on Friday to see my mom, Sean, Dusty, and that whole side :)
Friday, December 7, 2012
Something was on my head
Jason decided to bring a friends scooter home for us to try out. We ended up taking it to a restaurant across the street from Markham for lunch. This very nice gentleman in a lifted F-250 thought it would be super to honk his obnoxious train horn at us scarring me to death. I felt like we were on the stupid scooted from Dumb and Dumber when it shakes. I thought we were going down for a quick second. Asshole.
The dog park with Taylor was fun. She is definitely losing weight as many people have mentioned. I am excited to see how much she weighs the next time we go to the vet. The last time she was almost
40 lbs and Dr. Bufaleri put her on a diet. . .
Jason was invited out with the guys from work last night. I finished addressing, adding pictures, and labeling our Christmas cards. 7:04 am I felt something land on my head while sleeping. There had been a large moth swarming around the front door for a few days. I swatted at my head but felt it land just on the other side of my head. I swatted it again thinking it must just be the moth. I saw an object fly (actually it jumped) over to my nightstand. As I moved our wedding picture to kind of trap the 'moth' underneath it, I saw it! A tree frog jumped onto the wall of our bedroom. I jumped up in a panic and screamed to Jason. "Jason. Get up. There is a frog and it was just on my head (completely out of breath)." I was freaked out. We had one another tree frog in the RV. It had hopped in and accidentally was squished in the door frame of the bathroom. Tara saw it and bent down to explore what was stuck to the inside of the door and noticed it was a smashed frog only after touching it :) Of course she freaked also. So Jason jumps up to confirm that it is a frog and I am not just trying to get him out of bed early (now that I think of it, that would be a great idea). Jason runs out to the kitchen, I hide under the covers with the dog. I couldn't have it jump on me again. He comes into the bedroom with a paper plate and a styrofoam cup. Awesome! He did manage to trap the frog in the cup and release it outside. I didn't want him to kill it :)
Just another day in paradise.
The dog park with Taylor was fun. She is definitely losing weight as many people have mentioned. I am excited to see how much she weighs the next time we go to the vet. The last time she was almost
40 lbs and Dr. Bufaleri put her on a diet. . .
Jason was invited out with the guys from work last night. I finished addressing, adding pictures, and labeling our Christmas cards. 7:04 am I felt something land on my head while sleeping. There had been a large moth swarming around the front door for a few days. I swatted at my head but felt it land just on the other side of my head. I swatted it again thinking it must just be the moth. I saw an object fly (actually it jumped) over to my nightstand. As I moved our wedding picture to kind of trap the 'moth' underneath it, I saw it! A tree frog jumped onto the wall of our bedroom. I jumped up in a panic and screamed to Jason. "Jason. Get up. There is a frog and it was just on my head (completely out of breath)." I was freaked out. We had one another tree frog in the RV. It had hopped in and accidentally was squished in the door frame of the bathroom. Tara saw it and bent down to explore what was stuck to the inside of the door and noticed it was a smashed frog only after touching it :) Of course she freaked also. So Jason jumps up to confirm that it is a frog and I am not just trying to get him out of bed early (now that I think of it, that would be a great idea). Jason runs out to the kitchen, I hide under the covers with the dog. I couldn't have it jump on me again. He comes into the bedroom with a paper plate and a styrofoam cup. Awesome! He did manage to trap the frog in the cup and release it outside. I didn't want him to kill it :)
Just another day in paradise.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Working like crazy
Oh my goodness. It's been quite a while since my last post. I have been a busy girl. Friday I had a photo shoot here at Markham. I had the pleasure of 'shooting' two beautiful little girls and one loving momma. It was such a fun photo shoot. I then had another shoot on Sunday, this time at my favorite Robbin's park. This shoot was a bit more intense, but just as fun. Not only did I 'shoot' a cute little boy and his parents, but their parents as well. It was a great family affair.
After the photo shoot on Sunday I stopped by the old house. I had emailed the family asking about our mail and making sure they were settling in alright. Ellie invited me over the house. She jokingly told us to bring a paint brush. Jason wasn't able to go just yet. He thought it would be just too hard still. I managed to make my way over there. It was extremely weird being back there again. It was the same house of course, just with different things inside of it. They hadn't had any time to unpack yet. There were boxes everywhere. The kids seemed to be loving the house. They had to show me their rooms and how they were decorated. Super cute! They ripped up the carpet in the master and the end room. They are putting laminate wood down. They already painted the back room (2 tone blue), master (a southwestern tan), and guest bathroom (dark blue). They put up a chain link fence in the back yard along the canal (safety reasons with the kids). It was definitely a different look. The dad opened the sliding glass door in the back. It was a weird moment. I remembered exactly what that sounded like. It sparked a few memories. Jason would not have been able to handle the changes. When I went back home and told him of the changes he seemed to have a negative reaction, even stating that it was too soon to see it all changed.
Jason has been working like crazy. I hate when he is gone for long spans. It's that much harder to get back into the groove of things once he is back home. We kind of establish our own ways of doing things when we are apart that are hard to merge back with one another once back together :( We are much better after just one day apart.
My days have been spent editing photos, Christmas shopping, taking the dog to the park, and running errands. Jason and I thought tiki torches would add a great deal of ambiance to the camp site. Do you know how hard it is to find tiki torches during December? HARD! I finally found them in a far away neighborhood at a Lowes. I absolutely love them and the way they make the site look.
Tara and Justin ate dinner over the other night. I wasn't expecting the visit, but it was definitely welcomed. Pork, rice, grilled squash, and ginger salad always does the trick.
We have been planning a few trips. Jason is going to Colorado with the guys for his 30th and we are still trying to decide on our annual anniversary trip (even though our anniversary was back in November). Trying to figure out if we want to go to Chicago, New York, or this great lodge we found in Asheville, North Carolina. Anyone have any thoughts on those locations? We would fly and just stay a few nights.
Tomorrow night Justin, Tara, Jason, and I are going to light up Cooper City. It's becoming a tradition. Kind of like Founder's Day. We will then go out to dinner and watch a movie here at the RV. It should be fun.
After the photo shoot on Sunday I stopped by the old house. I had emailed the family asking about our mail and making sure they were settling in alright. Ellie invited me over the house. She jokingly told us to bring a paint brush. Jason wasn't able to go just yet. He thought it would be just too hard still. I managed to make my way over there. It was extremely weird being back there again. It was the same house of course, just with different things inside of it. They hadn't had any time to unpack yet. There were boxes everywhere. The kids seemed to be loving the house. They had to show me their rooms and how they were decorated. Super cute! They ripped up the carpet in the master and the end room. They are putting laminate wood down. They already painted the back room (2 tone blue), master (a southwestern tan), and guest bathroom (dark blue). They put up a chain link fence in the back yard along the canal (safety reasons with the kids). It was definitely a different look. The dad opened the sliding glass door in the back. It was a weird moment. I remembered exactly what that sounded like. It sparked a few memories. Jason would not have been able to handle the changes. When I went back home and told him of the changes he seemed to have a negative reaction, even stating that it was too soon to see it all changed.
Jason has been working like crazy. I hate when he is gone for long spans. It's that much harder to get back into the groove of things once he is back home. We kind of establish our own ways of doing things when we are apart that are hard to merge back with one another once back together :( We are much better after just one day apart.
My days have been spent editing photos, Christmas shopping, taking the dog to the park, and running errands. Jason and I thought tiki torches would add a great deal of ambiance to the camp site. Do you know how hard it is to find tiki torches during December? HARD! I finally found them in a far away neighborhood at a Lowes. I absolutely love them and the way they make the site look.
Tara and Justin ate dinner over the other night. I wasn't expecting the visit, but it was definitely welcomed. Pork, rice, grilled squash, and ginger salad always does the trick.
We have been planning a few trips. Jason is going to Colorado with the guys for his 30th and we are still trying to decide on our annual anniversary trip (even though our anniversary was back in November). Trying to figure out if we want to go to Chicago, New York, or this great lodge we found in Asheville, North Carolina. Anyone have any thoughts on those locations? We would fly and just stay a few nights.
Tomorrow night Justin, Tara, Jason, and I are going to light up Cooper City. It's becoming a tradition. Kind of like Founder's Day. We will then go out to dinner and watch a movie here at the RV. It should be fun.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
@ home with a newborn
November 30, 2012
Jason had to work today so Taylor and I were on our own. I had a photo shoot later in the day so the first art was consumed with deleting old shoots off my camera, making breakfast and lunch, taking Taylor to the dog park to wipe her out, and get ready for the shoot. The weather wasn't looking to good while I sat at the dog park. I grew worried about the shoot. Luckily when 3 pm came around the weather miraculously started getting better.
The shoot went well. It went very quickly. When working with a 1 year old and a 7 year old, you have to move fast. I have been asked not to post any pics of this shoot until after the holidays. Completely understandable. These pics will make a great gift. The only issue with the photo shoot was Taylor. Because Candice brought a truck full of props, I wanted to stay fairly close in proximity to the RV. Not a good idea. Taylor apparently could see us the whole time thus making her howl throughout the whole shoot.
I kind of lost it for a few moments later on in the night. Here it is Friday night and I am stuck in an RV by myself with a separation anxiety ridden dog who can't bare a second without me. I felt like I had a completely dependent newborn baby. I had Christmas shopping to do while Jason was away at work but wasn't comfortable with leaving Taylor in the RV alone. She would either howl the whole time and bother our neighbors (the walls aren't very thick) or she would mess things up like the screen and window treatments again. Jason suggested taking off to my dad and Tam's house dropping Taylor off before I ran my errands. When I got to their house, no one was home. Jason just so happened to take their house key off of my key ring leaving me no easy way to get into the house. That was all fine and dandy until it started raining and Taylor began freaking out because she was getting wet. Perfect. Nothing can just be easy I guess. I finally was able to find a way in and kind of enjoyed the idea of sitting and catching up on some of my favorite shows I recorder on their DVR. Long story short. . . I ended up watching my Real housewives and Giuliana and Bill episodes thus missing Target but getting to spend time with everyone. Pizza always makes things better.
It was a bit nerve racking coming back to a dark county park. I left all of the RV lights on so it would be a bit more lit. I expressed my nerves about returning home for the night alone to Jason. I think I made him feel a little bad. When I walked into the RV. . . it was just magical. I felt so 'at home.' The Christmas tree was lit. The fireplace was on. The RV was the perfect temperature to snuggle up in the covers. I called Jason and told him the good news. I think he felt relieved.
Another day out here at Markham. I have a day of errands and editing in store for me. Everyone pray for me and more so Taylor. I pray she lets me get out of the RV for my shopping. I hope I don't come back to a completely destroyed house.
The shoot went well. It went very quickly. When working with a 1 year old and a 7 year old, you have to move fast. I have been asked not to post any pics of this shoot until after the holidays. Completely understandable. These pics will make a great gift. The only issue with the photo shoot was Taylor. Because Candice brought a truck full of props, I wanted to stay fairly close in proximity to the RV. Not a good idea. Taylor apparently could see us the whole time thus making her howl throughout the whole shoot.
I kind of lost it for a few moments later on in the night. Here it is Friday night and I am stuck in an RV by myself with a separation anxiety ridden dog who can't bare a second without me. I felt like I had a completely dependent newborn baby. I had Christmas shopping to do while Jason was away at work but wasn't comfortable with leaving Taylor in the RV alone. She would either howl the whole time and bother our neighbors (the walls aren't very thick) or she would mess things up like the screen and window treatments again. Jason suggested taking off to my dad and Tam's house dropping Taylor off before I ran my errands. When I got to their house, no one was home. Jason just so happened to take their house key off of my key ring leaving me no easy way to get into the house. That was all fine and dandy until it started raining and Taylor began freaking out because she was getting wet. Perfect. Nothing can just be easy I guess. I finally was able to find a way in and kind of enjoyed the idea of sitting and catching up on some of my favorite shows I recorder on their DVR. Long story short. . . I ended up watching my Real housewives and Giuliana and Bill episodes thus missing Target but getting to spend time with everyone. Pizza always makes things better.
It was a bit nerve racking coming back to a dark county park. I left all of the RV lights on so it would be a bit more lit. I expressed my nerves about returning home for the night alone to Jason. I think I made him feel a little bad. When I walked into the RV. . . it was just magical. I felt so 'at home.' The Christmas tree was lit. The fireplace was on. The RV was the perfect temperature to snuggle up in the covers. I called Jason and told him the good news. I think he felt relieved.
December 1, 2012
I forgot to mention that one of our favorite neighbors Al stopped by Markham the other day and surprised us. He knew we were out here and brought his dog Foxy to the dog park. He found our cars, knocked on our RV door, and completely surprised us. He literally surprised us seeing as we were sleeping still.Another day out here at Markham. I have a day of errands and editing in store for me. Everyone pray for me and more so Taylor. I pray she lets me get out of the RV for my shopping. I hope I don't come back to a completely destroyed house.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Business Card Anyone?
My grandparents have been RVing for years. They created a business card with their information to pass out to people they meet throughout their travels. I don't know why I didn't think of doing this before even buying the RV. That isn't like me to forget such a fun and creative idea. After meeting our second set of neighbors; Randy, Tina, Cocoa, Cinnamon, and Cookie, I thought "Wow. I would really like to keep in touch with these people, but not give them our full information." Laying in bed last night I was reminded of the business card idea. . . So of course I woke up this morning and spent a bit of time creating our very own card to pass out to perspective friends.
I recommend anyone who has been brave enough to try RVing to go a step further and make one of these. I used http://www.vistaprint.com/ and got them fairly cheap. 250 cards for $10. Not too bad!
I have been being very lazy with the trash here at the campsite. You are suppose to leave your bag out front so the camp 'janitor' can drive around in her golf cart and pick it up. Easy enough. Well I like to just sit it outside of our camper door in this make-shift garbage we created using a laundry basket.
Well. . . the raccoons love that I did that as they feasted all night long on our leftovers and even better decided to string our garbage all over our site. Because Jason had a doctor's appointment this morning, I was left to pick up all of my laziness.
A little issue I am seeming to have (and only me by the way) is the shower. Whenever I take a shower, I seem to get water up underneath the shower walls, into the pan, thus soaking the whole bathroom floor. I have run in after one of Jason's showers to inspect and nothing. Not one drop of water. Only me. I think we may need to run a line of silicon sealer along the bottom of the shower stall to prohibit it from happening. I didn't think I showered funny. Maybe I do.
We have an anthem to our thus set journey and travels. There is a song by Phillip Phillips called HOME that we just fell in love with. I blogged about it in the past when we heard it driving home from the closing of our house. It has truly become almost like a traveling motto to us. Jason has been trying hard to learn the song on the guitar (he is almost there) and I even had my mom order us something special for Christmas that goes along with the song. Here is a link to the song. . .
I am obsessed!!! Apparently he was the 2011 American Idol winner and this song was the theme song for the 2012 Olympics (that I also obsessed over). Who knew? I guess I should pay attention more :)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Sound the ALARM
Jason came home today from work and cranked the air conditioner down so cold. He then goes into the shower leaving me in the living room to freeze to death. Thinking I turned the temperature up, I turn the furnace on instead. I started smelling a melting of plastic odor and then was stunned by the fire alarm. Fireplace? Nope. Turned that off. Oven? Nope. Gas was off. Jason screams from the shower and I realized the furnace was on. Even after turning it off, the air on, and telling Jason what I did, the fire alarm sporadically decided to sound. So picture this. . . Jason in the shower screaming at me thinking I have set the entire RV on fire, the stupid alarm screeching, me standing under the fire alarm waving a dish towel in front of it (because that is what you do duh), and the dog is in a complete panic. Just another day in paradise.
We took the couple of hours Jason had off of work to decorate the RV for Christmas. I tried to decorate last night while he was working, but was guilted with "Oh you are decorating the tree without me?" Of course I had to wait for him :) So we have our mini Christmas tree up and decorated. We went with our traditional schmorgesborg of ornaments this year. Jason said we have the prettiest tree. That made me feel good. He hung out stockings over the fireplace which is something we have never done before. They just didn't look good hanging from the rocks of our old fireplace. If we could only get lights out front on the RV awning. . . that would make it feel a lot like Christmas. Only problem is the more you put up, the more you have to take down before moving.
We took the couple of hours Jason had off of work to decorate the RV for Christmas. I tried to decorate last night while he was working, but was guilted with "Oh you are decorating the tree without me?" Of course I had to wait for him :) So we have our mini Christmas tree up and decorated. We went with our traditional schmorgesborg of ornaments this year. Jason said we have the prettiest tree. That made me feel good. He hung out stockings over the fireplace which is something we have never done before. They just didn't look good hanging from the rocks of our old fireplace. If we could only get lights out front on the RV awning. . . that would make it feel a lot like Christmas. Only problem is the more you put up, the more you have to take down before moving.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
What a Ruckus
We left to run errands for a couple of hours yesterday. We had lunch at Panera (like usual). Jason can't seem to pick a different restaurant. He tells me that we have to run by Honda so he can purchase a new boot for his 4 wheeler. It apparently was the reason the 4 wheeler was pulling while we were camping. While picking up the boot, there just happened to be a Honda Ruckus scooter there for sale and Jason just had to look at it. When he wants something he turns into Taylor. He gives me these puppy eyes and look like 'What do you think?' I think NO. I think you get everything you want. Would you be alright if I spent this much money this often on jewelry? He would not be happy. So a half hour later we are driving in the car. Come to find out he knew they had the scooter in store. He had been looking it up online and mentioned the $2,200 price tag online but $1,800 price in store. "You knew it was there the whole time? That is why we went there?" OMG. I could have killed him.
It happened. . . it was bound to happen and I am surprised it took this long. When returning from running errands, we were greeted by a howling beagle as we approached the RV. I was praying she hadn't been howling the entire time we were out. Our neighbors would hate us. Taylor decided while we were out to mess up almost all the shades in the RV. One shade refuses to stay in the upright position now. Only down! The blinds on the door (which had been fine but not able to rotate) are now completely crooked. This did not happen because of Taylor. No No No. This happened because my husband thought he could take them off, fix them, and put them back on. Great honey. Now both you and Taylor have messed up the window treatments. Perfect.
For today, my to do list is as follows;
1. Check in (we tend to not check in until day 2 for some reason)
2. Clean up the RV a bit. Finish getting the clean clothes away and the closet organized. I probably should wash the rest of the dishes also.
3. Take Taylor to the dog park for a bit (try and get her all nice and tired prior to leaving).
OMG a bird just flew into our front door window. Stupid bird you messed up my list order. Of course Taylor has to bark for 10 minutes now because of it. Thanks.
4. Maybe leave Taylor at the dog park. . . :)
5. Entertain Candice and Michelle for a bit (love guests).
6. Stop by Lowes to pick up a few tiki torches for out site.
7. Run to Sams for a bit of food shopping (love how I buy in bulk even with a mini fridge/freezer).
8. Back to the RV so I can start decorating for Christmas (Jason was too tired last night).
9. Cook our traditional tortellini dinner for Tara and I.
10. The Voice
11. Start writing out our Christmas cards (because I didn't do it yesterday).
12. Do my nails. They are a hot mess (trust me).
I don't know how I ever got any of this crap done when I was working. Oh yeah. . . I was a walking zombie. So attractive.
It happened. . . it was bound to happen and I am surprised it took this long. When returning from running errands, we were greeted by a howling beagle as we approached the RV. I was praying she hadn't been howling the entire time we were out. Our neighbors would hate us. Taylor decided while we were out to mess up almost all the shades in the RV. One shade refuses to stay in the upright position now. Only down! The blinds on the door (which had been fine but not able to rotate) are now completely crooked. This did not happen because of Taylor. No No No. This happened because my husband thought he could take them off, fix them, and put them back on. Great honey. Now both you and Taylor have messed up the window treatments. Perfect.
For today, my to do list is as follows;
1. Check in (we tend to not check in until day 2 for some reason)
2. Clean up the RV a bit. Finish getting the clean clothes away and the closet organized. I probably should wash the rest of the dishes also.
3. Take Taylor to the dog park for a bit (try and get her all nice and tired prior to leaving).
OMG a bird just flew into our front door window. Stupid bird you messed up my list order. Of course Taylor has to bark for 10 minutes now because of it. Thanks.
4. Maybe leave Taylor at the dog park. . . :)
5. Entertain Candice and Michelle for a bit (love guests).
6. Stop by Lowes to pick up a few tiki torches for out site.
7. Run to Sams for a bit of food shopping (love how I buy in bulk even with a mini fridge/freezer).
8. Back to the RV so I can start decorating for Christmas (Jason was too tired last night).
9. Cook our traditional tortellini dinner for Tara and I.
10. The Voice
11. Start writing out our Christmas cards (because I didn't do it yesterday).
12. Do my nails. They are a hot mess (trust me).
I don't know how I ever got any of this crap done when I was working. Oh yeah. . . I was a walking zombie. So attractive.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Parkham' @ Markham
It was a bit bizarre waking up Thanksgiving morning in our RV. Our first official holiday out of the house felt a little unsettling. I usually have the house all decorated for each and every holiday. Without any decorations, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving. Jason and I went over Grammy and Poppy's house for the holiday. I left early so I would be on time. I left Jason (not dressed at 2:40pm and have to be there by 3pm. . .) to drop the dog off at Dad and Tam's. Didn't want to leave her in the RV for that long of a time frame. We have to start her off with short trips. Side note; she was so hoarse from howling while we were gone the first week. Of course I was the first one to Grammy's. She seemed happy with the large pumpkin pie and specialty cupcakes I brought for dessert. Jason's only job was to drop the dog off at dad and Tam's, pick up the whipped cream in the fridge, and come over to the house. 45 minutes after 3pm Jason, dad, Tam, and the kids show up. . . with a new type of whipped cream. Apparently Jason forgot the whipped cream and asked if they could stop at a gas station. The one job he had!!!
Dinner was great. Grammy is such a good cook. Tara and Justin were visiting with his family, so they joined us half way through. There is nothing better than sitting at Thanksgiving dinner and having your stepmother's mom talk to you and your husband about her travels in an RV and how she used to go to bike week. That would be a great conversation. . . until she brings up riding around naked with all the other old people on their bikes. Not something I am wanting to picture right about now, but thanks for the visual and uncomfortableness you have now created.
Catch phrase is always a blast with out family. I don't think you can have a bad time playing that game, no matter who it is played with. I realized we have a few cheaters in the family though, but I won't mention any names.
Jason and I left Grammy's and decided to stop at Target (black 'Friday shopping). I was shocked that Jason even agreed to go with me. It actually wasn't bad according to Jason. We ended up buying a tv for the RV bedroom. I am such a tv person, I needed one in there.
We woke up at 5:30am Friday morning. Jason had to be to work at 7:15am. I could not believe I was awake before the sun. It did make for a gorgeous picture. I am actually glad he woke me up so early because it took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to put everything away, lock, latch, pull the slides in, hook up, and take off. Hopefully we can get better at doing that so our time goes down. I can't get up that early every time we have to move.
Monday, November 26, 2012
We are now back at Markham park after 3 nights/4 days off. Jason worked 72 hours straight while I stayed at my dad and Tammie's. It was a tad difficult staying there. As an adult, you want your own space and your own things. I actually missed the RV bed. It was hard to live out of a bag. Luckily I was able to do 2 loads of laundry there while I visited. It was nice to visit with Dad, Tam, and the kids.
Setting up at Markham was fairly easy. This time we reserved a pull through spot completely asphalted. I was a lot easier to level and stabilize the jacks. Jason and I were a bit cranky. 4 days off from one another is tough. It's hard to get in the swing of things again. Taylor settled right in. She waisted no time claiming her recliner back. Our new spot seems a lot less 'buggy.' Our first spot was full of bugs. They actually made me so mad. They would all come in when we would open the door. I am praying that they do not come in at our new spot. Although we loved the trees, bushes, and shade, Jason and I feel that they were the major reason for all of the bugs. Our new spot has a lot less trees and shrubs.
For now, Jason and Taylor are resting. I am blogging of course. Planning on putting up our mini 4 foot Christmas tree and decorate the RV. Going to start writing our Christmas cards soon and planning out our calendar. A cup of coffee is definitely in my near future.
Excited to see Michelle, Candice, and Tara tomorrow night. They are all planning on making a quick stop out to visit.
Dinner was great. Grammy is such a good cook. Tara and Justin were visiting with his family, so they joined us half way through. There is nothing better than sitting at Thanksgiving dinner and having your stepmother's mom talk to you and your husband about her travels in an RV and how she used to go to bike week. That would be a great conversation. . . until she brings up riding around naked with all the other old people on their bikes. Not something I am wanting to picture right about now, but thanks for the visual and uncomfortableness you have now created.
Catch phrase is always a blast with out family. I don't think you can have a bad time playing that game, no matter who it is played with. I realized we have a few cheaters in the family though, but I won't mention any names.
Jason and I left Grammy's and decided to stop at Target (black 'Friday shopping). I was shocked that Jason even agreed to go with me. It actually wasn't bad according to Jason. We ended up buying a tv for the RV bedroom. I am such a tv person, I needed one in there.
We woke up at 5:30am Friday morning. Jason had to be to work at 7:15am. I could not believe I was awake before the sun. It did make for a gorgeous picture. I am actually glad he woke me up so early because it took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to put everything away, lock, latch, pull the slides in, hook up, and take off. Hopefully we can get better at doing that so our time goes down. I can't get up that early every time we have to move.
Monday, November 26, 2012
We are now back at Markham park after 3 nights/4 days off. Jason worked 72 hours straight while I stayed at my dad and Tammie's. It was a tad difficult staying there. As an adult, you want your own space and your own things. I actually missed the RV bed. It was hard to live out of a bag. Luckily I was able to do 2 loads of laundry there while I visited. It was nice to visit with Dad, Tam, and the kids.
Setting up at Markham was fairly easy. This time we reserved a pull through spot completely asphalted. I was a lot easier to level and stabilize the jacks. Jason and I were a bit cranky. 4 days off from one another is tough. It's hard to get in the swing of things again. Taylor settled right in. She waisted no time claiming her recliner back. Our new spot seems a lot less 'buggy.' Our first spot was full of bugs. They actually made me so mad. They would all come in when we would open the door. I am praying that they do not come in at our new spot. Although we loved the trees, bushes, and shade, Jason and I feel that they were the major reason for all of the bugs. Our new spot has a lot less trees and shrubs.
For now, Jason and Taylor are resting. I am blogging of course. Planning on putting up our mini 4 foot Christmas tree and decorate the RV. Going to start writing our Christmas cards soon and planning out our calendar. A cup of coffee is definitely in my near future.
Excited to see Michelle, Candice, and Tara tomorrow night. They are all planning on making a quick stop out to visit.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Visitors
Day 5 cont'd
What a day we had. It's so funny that we have more visitors out here at Markham than we ever had at our Cooper City house. Justin, Jackie, baby Emma, and their dog Jasper joined us around lunch time for a quick tour and then fun at the dog park. It was great catching up with them. Jackie really seemed to love our RV. She didn't give that generic, "Oh nice" expression. She pointed out almost everything she liked in detail. You can't fake that! It made me feel really good.
Dinner went well. Taco Tuesday is always a hit. We haven't had beef tacos in a while. We usually use fresh fish. Although the beef tacos got the job done, I think we will stick to fish tacos. So yummy. Jason even surprised me and did all of the dishes after dinner. Such a proud wife moment.
We went for a walk after dinner with Taylor. It's a shame that it gets dark now at 6 pm. I feel like the day ends so early. The exciting part for Jason was he got to test out his new flash light on the walk. The best part for me was seeing lightning bugs. Yes lightning bugs in Broward County. So awesome!!!
If our first set of visitors weren't awesome enough, we had a second set later at night. Jason's friend Oj stopped by with his little brother. They too couldn't believe the size of the RV. I think everyone is pleasantly surprised once they come over and see it. We aren't living in a tent. It's not a pop up camper. It's gorgeous and we love it. The consensus is that it is very warm and 'homey.' That it gives off a cabin feel.
I thought about things that I miss from the old house. . . There actually weren't as many things as I thought there would be. I think I mentioned already about missing the ability to open the back door and let Taylor out. This whole walking her for every potty break is horrible. Plus, walking in my pj's in the freezing cold sucks. Trying to cover up so the friendly older men don't see me is always challenging. Second thing I miss is my garbage disposal. I know it's silly, but when only liquids can go down the drain it becomes difficult when doing dishes. Jason said he misses his garage the most. Having all of his tools at his fingertips. We even had his buddy Justin bring a tool out with him because we didn't have it. Of course I miss things like my laundry room and the ability to do laundry anytime of day.
I do not miss the millions of acorns dropping from the trees. I do not miss cleaning a 2,700 sq ft house. I do not miss all of the junk mail. Now my dad and Tammie enjoy that.
I did come across a bit of a problem. I am in charge of desserts for Thanksgiving. When I went to the store to purchase desserts (I am not attempting to bake in my kitchen just yet) I realized that I didn't have enough room in the refrigerator to store them prior to bringing them. Bummer. . .
Today Jason and I will be traveling back to our old stopping ground to pick up a few things we left with the neighbors and to bring some gifts to those we already miss. Then off to Publix for those desserts. Maybe we will leave them in Dad and Tam's fridge.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
You bought a mini house
Day 4
It was my first day without Jason here with me. He unfortunately had to work. I wondered how I would feel all by myself here. Would I be nervous, scared, uneasy? Would I leave and go to my parents for the night? I woke up from a great nights sleep. Jason had the air on full blast at a low 68 degrees of course so the fireplace came in handy. It was just enough to get the chill out of the living room air. Taylor is just the cutest thing ever all snuggled up on the couch or recliner with her blanket. Pretty much every spot in the RV is hers. As long as she is comfy she can lay wherever she wants.
My morning went pretty much as it normally would if we were at the house. I made a bite to eat, blogged a bit, and took Taylor out to pee. The only difference this time was that we walked to the dog park rather than around the block. There weren't very many dogs during the week.
I packed up a few of the expensive items from K & K RV store that we found for much cheaper at Wal Mart. I was able to return the items saving us $55. The people at the store didn't seem too happy about it. I wasn't too happy that they went to Wal Mart and jacked up the prices for their store. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice. . . that won't happen.
I ran a few errands while being in the city. Taylor got into the trash the night before eating burnt cookies and raw chicken. I was a bit nervous about her so I dropped her off at Dad and Tam's while I was out. She seemed excited to be coming back with mommy to our 'house.' Tara came over yet again. This time it was because I needed her to sleepover and take Jason's spot in the bed. Thank goodness one of my 10 channels got the Voice. I hadn't been able to watch it in so long. I can't believe Mackenzie was kicked off and I didn't even get to see it.
I made our usual tortellinis for dinner only I didn't have that many. Grilled cheese sandwiches helped fill our bellies along with another batch of chocolate chip cookies. Dishes are so easy to wash and put away when they are right in your face. There is no avoiding them when your kitchen is in your living room.
With any big purchase you are bound to find a flaw or two. I know when we bought my car we found a few things here and there that weren't perfect. Jason's truck had a foggy headlight that needed replacing. Of course I should expect something as big as an RV to have a few issues here and there. There is just so much you can look at during the demo and walk through. Our blinds on the front door had a few strings clipped which didn't allow the blinds to rotate, a bit of the linoleum seemed to not adhere to the floor, and the shower head holder was cracked. To all the RV owners and future buyers out there. . . our advice (actually Jason's) is to live in the unit for a month. He says write all the flaws down and then call the dealership to get them all repaired at once. If you are like us, your dealership isn't right around the corner. It would be more of a pain than anything to bring it there and back for every problem. I guess he is right. After all, it is under warranty for the next 2 years.
Day 5
I was awoken to Tara saying, "I feel like you bought a mini house." My response of course was, "We did." Everything is to scale, just in tighter quarters. It's not a mansion. I am actually happy we didn't buy a longer unit. Our RV seems to be a perfect fit thus far.
One thing I do miss is just being able to open the back door and let Taylor out. I now have to worry about finding shoes and a jacket and making sure my pajamas aren't too revealing. I wouldn't want any of our close neighbors to see the goods :)
Grandma and Grandpa Suggs stopped by today on their way home from the races at Homestead. They always have good advice when it comes to RVing. They stayed just a few minutes. Enough time to see the 5th wheel, check on the hook ups, etc. I am excited to see them for Christmas.
I'll try again today to get photos uploaded. Every time I plug my camera in I get a Communication Error message. For now I will just wait for Jason to get home. He had to pick up a few things from my dad's after work this morning. The best thing about staying local for the first week or two is all of our belongings are not too far away in case we forgot to bring a certain thing with us.
4 nights here already and not a fire yet. Hopefully tonight we can light one. Plus, it's Taco Tuesday!!!
Monday, November 19, 2012
This box of a thing becoming our HOME
Day 1
The day finally came. We were so excited to pick up our RV and it wasn't a moment too soon. It was hard enough sleeping on a couch for 2 nights let alone 2 months. Jason got off work in the AM and met me at my parent's house before driving to Palm Beach. After signing some paperwork, going through a 2 hour demo of our RV, and Jason's new 5th wheel hitch being installed, it was finally time to hook up and hit the road. My stomach was in knots. I couldn't believe the guy trusted Jason to back up and fit the hitch all by himself. After all, it would be his first time doing this. It actually wasn't as hard as I imagined, but my stomach was still spinning at the thought of Jason driving this huge monstrosity of a thing down the highway for an hours time.
We pulled out and immediately missed our turn. I was more concerned with getting the first photo of our RV on the road than I was reading the signs :) We made our way to the highway and the pictures continued to snap. People seemed to be extremely annoyed with us as we drove the speed limit and they swerved around us. I literally stopped breathing when semi trucks would pass Jason.
Not only were we traveling in rush hour traffic, but God's humor grew in strides with things like rain and missing another turn. Jason drove over to Markham Park where we would be staying for our first week (somewhere local to everything we've ever known but still with full hook ups and the opportunity to learn the ins and outs), slot A 7. With daylight savings taking away our sunshine early, Jason had to park and set up in the dark. All of our 'first times' seem to be fairly extreme on the scale and not at all easy like everyone said it would be.
The bed called to us louder and louder with every passing minute. It actually turned out to be softer and bigger than I expected. Coming from a king sized bed, I was worried to go down to the queen.
Day 2
I woke up at 7:30am. . . I haven't done that since my last day of work in July. Maybe I was just excited to start our day. We spent all of that day talking with neighbors, breakfast at Panera, running up to the RV store (K&K off 441 and Stirling Rd. - a bit expensive and large amount of cheap dollar store items for more money), and getting organized a bit more. The hook ups on the RV are mid way down while the site hook ups were in the very front of the spot. Of course the hoses the RV dealership sent us with weren't long enough to reach, so $400 in hoses, locks, and chocks were a must. When we returned from the store with all of our goodies, we couldn't help but get so pissed off when the brand new sewer hose we bought was too short. . . the 20 ft hose only went half the distance. Fan-fricken-tastic. Still no sewer hookup means filling tanks without a release. When they get full. . . what happens? I didn't want to find out.
Tara came out to see the RV for the first time. I think her expectations were extremely low at first, but seemed to be pleasantly surprised after just a couple of minutes. After all she just like Taylor ran right in and sat down. Jason made cheeseburgers and hot dogs on the George Forman grill for dinner while Tara had a cheese sandwich. We haven't bought a good gas RV grill yet. We may even be able to hold off a bit. The George Forman worked great. It was my first time cooking on a gas stove. I was extremely nervous but I did it. Mac-n-cheese and green beans for sides was a good start.
I took my first shower in the RV tonight. I do wish we would have found one with a bigger shower stall. The one we have is called a neo-angle shower and it is pretty tiny. Definitely not like our shower was at home. It's only a 'one person' stall. I ran out of hot water half way through. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Jason and I laid in bed talking about how we loved that we could still entertain people. We didn't need that huge house to do it. Our RV bed actually is bigger and more comfortable than I expected. I haven't had a good nights sleep in a while, so it is nice to be able to sleep soundly. The only thing about the bedroom is the second air conditioner we had installed is extremely loud. Bummer.
I ask Jason almost every hour "Are you happy we did this?" He responds every time with "Oh yeah!" I think Taylor likes it and wouldn't trade it either.
Day 3
I am starting to miss watching my TV shows. No more DVR for us. We barely get 3 channels from our satellite that I even care to watch. I guess it gets us outside more. I'll have to try and look my shows up online (Greys, Real Housewives, etc.). We basically wake up in the morning, make a cup of coffee, make a bite for breakfast, and head to the dog park with Taylor. Our spot at Markham is A 7. It was actually the last spot available out of 88. With the Thanksgiving holiday they were all booked up. A 7 is near the road and the very first spot when pulling into the camping area (those are the negatives). Positives about the spot are it's the first spot so it's closest walking distance to the dog park, unrestricted lake view, completely canopied by trees and brush which provides privacy and shade. We will probably request this spot every time.
I laid outside in the hammock today. Took a mini nap. Taylor joined me for some of it. I heard Jason on the phone with his dad. I am assuming Steve asked how we were doing and Jason's response of "Living the dream" was just so cute. We took Taylor to the dog park. Next time we will bring our own chairs. Seating is limited there. I guess mainly because it is Sunday and everyone in the world brought their dog to the park today. Justin and Tara came over again. The boys went mountain biking while Tara and I went to Target for a few more needed things.
Dad and Tammie, Briana and her girlfriend, along with Chesney came out to see the RV. The kids seemed to like it. 'Camping' is always a fun thing for the kids. Tammie thought it was nice but wouldn't be able to deal with the short lived hot water showers. I can barely take them either. We all walked over to the dog park. We stayed for over an hour as we all sprawled out on the grass and talked. It was a lot of fun.
Justin and Tara stayed over for dinner again. Chicken on the George Forman grill and rice and green beans on the stove. I was even able to make cookies in our oven. . . I had Jason light to pilot with the lighter and then brought the oven to 350 degrees. I originally put the cookies in when the flames were high and at full power. That batch burned. No I know I have to wait until the oven preheats and then provides an even temperature. The cookies came out great. Justin and Tara took off while Jason and I ran out to Wal Mart to buy more sewer hose. We still were not hooked up and at this point every tank was full. No using water or flushing allowed until we get these tanks hooked up to the sewer! Wal Mart in Sunrise was crazy. Now I remember why I love going to Target instead. With another $150 spent, we headed home. It's so funny to think of our RV as home. Jason asks me all the time if I have the house keys. My response is "No. I don't have any house keys." I then realize he is talking about the RV keys. It will take me a little while to get use to this all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)