She came, She conquered

  

     Well another Christmas season is here and that can only mean one thing, another full out assault on my Visa card from our beloved Kelsey.

    The week started out innocent enough as cold weather here in Florida kept everyone pretty well cooped up. The cold weather kind of cramped everybody's desire to shop so things were going pretty good. We did manage to get an air-boat trip in and thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the local wildlife refuge. After the tour we dined at the Crab House and enjoyed watching the activity on monkey island while we ate.

     Then things took a turn for the worse. We took off for Disney to see Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney. I thought it would be a good idea to stay at a Disney hotel and let them do the driving so we we stayed at the All Star Movies resort. A pretty good idea if I do say so myself. I did however forget that the room key is also a charge card. Kelsey of course was well aware of this.

     The first night wasn't too bad and we had a great dinner at Portobello's in Downtown Disney. The appetizer, baked sliced portobello mushroom on a bed of polenta was awesome. We did a little shopping that night but so far so good.

     The next day we again took off for Downtown Disney to finish our shopping and make dinner reservations. As I was strolling along Kelsey yelled  words no man ever wants top hear “Vera Bradly”. Now the serious pain was beginning. You can almost buy a car for what they get for a purse. Fortunately they didn't have a full sized purse that Kelsey liked so she settle on a little wallet looking thingy. That was the shot over the bow for my poor old Visa card. After that it just didn't stop.

     That night we went to Cirque Du Soleil and really enjoyed the show. If you get anywhere near Orlando put this show on your agenda. Awesome stuff. After the show it was time for dinner. This time we choose Raglan Road (Irish food) in Downtown Disney. Once again the food was truly outstanding. Kelsey says her new favorite desert is bread pudding and yes it was that good. By this time my Visa was gasping for breath and I wasn't sure it was going to survive. 

       To make things even worse at the resort we decided to check out the arcade room. BIG MISTAKE. I used to be good at that stuff but Kelsey absolutely kicked my butt at everything, even air hockey. I used to dominate an air hockey table. I even shifted to Nascar racing and of course she proceeded to kick my butt four times in a row.  Guess it’s time to start looking for my old folks home, the end must be near.

     She heads home tomorrow and we will certainly miss her but my Visa card will once again be safe. Just think, in a couple of years we can start this all over again with baby Ella.

Summer of 2011

      Okay I confess. Before we got to Michigan I didn't think that there was any way a baby could ever impress me. I mean all they do is eat, sleep and poop, right? Then along came baby Ella, what a doll. She totally won my heart with her first smile. When she looks up at you and gives you one of her cute little smiles it's just so damn adorable. I am going to certainly miss the little goober this winter and am looking forward to seeing her in the spring.

      After listening to the kids tell their horror stories about having to work in the fields as kids (yes, I made them help me pick strawberries when they were young) we decided to try it again for old times sake. We took MJ and baby Ella strawberry picking and enjoyed a very pleasant morning in the berry field. Of course we also got to enjoy some of Sheilas' delicious strawberry pies (MJ is the only person I know that picks berries faster than me). With strawberry picking being so successful, we decided to tackle raspberries at the same farm. MJ, Rosie and Kelsey helped us pick raspberries during our Labor Day celebrations and we used them for topping on our french toast breakfast, excellent!! There is nothing better than fresh picked berries. We picked our berries at Middleton Berry Farm and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It's a family run farm that is setup to ensure families have a good time and enjoy their picking experience (note: Lynn and Dustin were conveniently absent). The farm even includes a little petting zoo with goats and rabbits. If you're near Holly, MI be sure to check them out. .

      During our July family camping trip with my sister Nancy &; Bruce and brother Ron and his Nancy we took a trip to the NFL Hall of Fame. Even though there weren’t any recent Browns on display I really enjoyed my time there and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about going. 

      Another highlight for us was the nearby golf course, Heather Highlands. They have an executive course that Sheila and I managed to get on at least once a week. We enjoyed the course layout and spent an awful lot of time strolling around the course looking for balls that we miss-hit. My game didn't get much better but Sheila improved significantly.

      There is a definite nip in the air which can only mean, it's time to head south. We are currently in Monroe, MI and will be heading for Erie, Pa in a couple of weeks.

A day late

One Day old

Hey, look how cute I am

MJ and Ella

Proud Papa

Getting her "baby fix"

Another excellent Nancy breakfast

We had planned on getting to Michigan well before Dustin and MJ’s baby was due but Ella being a little girl had her own ideas. She was born on May 7^th instead of on the 21^st so we were still in Shipshewana at the time. We ended up getting here on the 8^th, a day late as usual. She is absolutely cute as a button and very well behaved. We are staying at a campground about six miles from Dustin’s’ so we get to spend a lot of time with  Ella and it’s a quick trip for Sheila to get her “baby fix”.  I am trying to teach Ella to bring Gramps a beer but it’s not going well so far. Guess I’ll have to step up my training.

Bruce and Nancy came to the campground for Memorial Day. Lynn, Rosie and Kelsey also got a campsite here so some of the family  celebrated the holiday together. The weather wasn’t great but good enough to spend a fair amount of time sitting around the campfire telling lies about the good old days. Dustin and MJ spend a lot of time teaching Ella about camping this weekend so everyone took turns spoiling her. Not bad only two weeks old and already an experienced camper.  It’s always fun to spend the holidays with family and this year was exceptionally good.

Now it’s time to start teaching Ella about golfing and fishing.

Lesson #14.....Keep Looking

Well the lessons are getting further and further apart but they are still coming.

When we first arrived at Nashville we started noticing a strange odor in the camper (Sheila said it smelled like onions, I thought it smelled like sewer gas). We searched and searched but couldn't find any possible reason so decided that it must be some sort of a vent problem with our sewage tank. When we turned on the exhaust fan in the bedroom the odor quickly got worse so we abandoned that plan (only after trying it a whole lot of times). Eventually the odor would go away so we would forget about it but it kept coming back. Also during this time we noticed that the lights started flickering. We sure didn't connect flickering lights with a foul odor. Last night the odor got bad enough to wake me up but I couldn't think of any actions to take so I went back to sleep. Sure enough, early this morning we were awakened by the sound of our propane leak detector alarm going off. I opened the windows and isolated the propane tanks but of course the odor was still there. Sheila went outside to check things out when I heard “Hey, I think I found it. It's the slide hydraulics.” Since that pump wasn't running I was dubious but decided to check it out. Sure enough what looked like smoke was rolling out of the slide hydraulic compartment(that compartment is right under the bedroom). Turns out it was steam from boiling battery acid from one our camper batteries. While I looked for a switch, fuse or some sort of breaker to isolate the battery, Sheila called a RV repairman. He advised me to just disconnect the leads. I wasn't crazy about reaching over a boiling battery to disconnect it but didn't see any other choices so I went for it. It was really uneventful and was quickly resolved. I had also just read an article from an RV magazine that Ron & Nancy had given me that said you should always change both batteries not just one to ensure even charging rates. Fortunately camping world is right next door to the campground so it was easy to confirm the two battery replacement theory and get the new batteries. Everything is now back to normal and I now know that boiling battery acid smells like sewer gas (or onions).  

Nashville, here we come.

Well an excellent month at Mexico Beach Florida is winding down. As usual now that we are getting ready to leave the fishing is getting really excellent. Yesterday we caught about twenty fish including whiting, catfish, a small shark, and a ton of lady fish. A neighbor gave us some tips and gear for catching flounder but I guess we will have to wail until fall to catch our first flounder. (We will definitly stop here again on our way to Crystal River)

Ron and Nancy spent last week visiting and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. They stayed at the El Governor Motel and that place gets two thumbs up from me on the view they had of ocean sunsets.  Ron and I spent a lot of time fishing and didn't kick butt but we didn't get shut out either. Ron did hook two really good sized fish that broke his line but we didn't catch any pompanos, flounders, or sharks.  Guess I still need some work on my guide skills. I really enjoyed the night fishing we did and only wish we could have caught the one that got away. We also spent a day running around Panama City Beach, where Ron kicked my butt on a go kart track.

We are pulling out of here Friday and heading for Nashville, Tennessee, then onto Holly Michigan to see the kids and welcome a new grandchild.  

Mexico Beach Ahhhhhh.......

Well another great winter in Crystal River is over and we are starting to make our way North. After spending what seemed like forever getting the camper out of our spot in Rock Crusher Canyon we headed to our second favorite spot, Mexico Beach, Florida. We plan on spending about a month here enjoying the sunshine and beaches. Hopefully by then things will have warmed up enough that we can head North to Michigan with a few side trips at Nashville and Shipshewanna. Dustin and MJ are expecting a baby girl in May and Sheila definitely wants to be around to play with the newborn. It's their first so they don't even know what's about to hit em yet so it should be fun to watch.

The kids (Lynn, Rosie, Kelsey and Sophie) came to Mexico beach for a visit and have been soaking up the sunshine. They are staying in a cabin next to the camper so all thoughts of peace and quiet are on a temporary hold. There really isn't a whole lot to do here so I was afraid the kids would get bored but I think they are still in the “resting” mode so just hanging around the beach seems to be good enough for them. We did manage to find a three level go-kart track in Panama City that was awesome. It's the first time I have ever had to use the brakes on a go kart. Those little suckers could really fly going downhill and no I didn't beat Kelsey.

Cruising

The Inspiration.

Looks like she's up to something doesn't it?

Another tough day!

Yup this retirement stuff is tough.

John & Rosie (good friends)

Lynn & Rosie at Margaritagrill.

Our boat for the air boat ride.

Being the sweet, kind , loving husband that I am, I decided it was time to give the wife a much needed break. (She keeps telling me that I'm impossible to live with). After an exhausting search I found the perfect vacation for my dear wife. (Actually John & Rosie called with the info and Sheila booked it) We have been talking about taking a cruise for a long time and decided it was time to go for it.

We just got back from our Caribbean cruise. The weather was perfect, the food was good and the company was great. We went on the carnival cruise ship “Inspiration.” The ship was pretty well decked out, two theaters, a pool, a water slide and an adult only area with a couple of hot tubs. My favorite part was the 7/24 pizza shop and the 7/24 ice cream machines. Of course I gained six pounds, so it's a good thing the trip was only 5 nights long. On the last day we got delayed twelve hours due to dense fog shutting down the harbor so we got an extra day of just hanging out and stuffing our faces. We thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling at Grand Cayman and the shopping at Cozumel brought back a lot of memories of Mexico. The wife came back well rested and ready to put up with me for a little while longer.

When we got back Lynn and Rosie were waiting for us. We didn't do much while they were here but went on an air boat trip that was pretty cool. We got to see quite a bit of the local waterways, including sponges, coral, migratory birds and fish. All in all it was a very enjoyable trip.  

Oooops....and for a change, not my fault.

We spent a day running around Cedar Key, a neat little village on the Gulf about 45 minutes North of Crystal River. One of the more unusual places there was a clam farm, that's right, a clam farm. It turns out that Florida is the #2 state for the production of farm raised clams (Virginia is #1). It was kind of neat to see how they raised clams from eggs to baby clams, in various hatchery tanks. After about six months, they put them in nylon mesh bags and dump them in the ocean to finish growing. That process takes another year and a half. All in all, the process was pretty cool and trust me the clams taste great. 

What happens when you cook spaghetti squash in a microwave and don't pay close attention?   A significant explosion that's what. The boss claims she punctured the squash with a fork.....but I'm just saying. There was spaghetti squash guts everywhere and it sounded like a cannon had gone off in the camper. Fortunately there was no damage done, just a little cleanup and a tripped breaker, but now I have just one more thing to give the wife a hard time about.

The cold spell has finally lifted and we are once again getting back on the water to  watch the manattees settle in for the winter. If you get to this part of the country in the winter, make sure you get to someplace that you can watch the manatees. It's pretty awesome to watch them glide within inches of your kayak. 

Merry Christmas- a little late

 

Kelsey came down the week before Christmas for a visit. We thoroughly enjoyed her visit and managed to get in a few touristy things.

We went over to Universal for a day to check out the Harry Potter stuff at the park. The new ride was pretty cool but the crowds were ridiculous. The lines to get into the stores in Harry Potter land were over an hour long and when we went to leave the park at around 10:00 AM they warned us that if we left we needed  to get a ticket to get in line to get back into that section of the park (fortunately we got there at 8:00 AM when the park opened). One of the souvenirs I picked up at Universal was a magic wand (it was a gift for my favorite daughter) and since I got it I have been receiving non-stop grief over paying good (big) money for “a stick, a dumb ol stick”. If that magic wand worked, I'd turn them both into toads just to teach them a lesson.

 

While we were there we also took in a Blue Man Group show. I would highly recommend this show to anyone heading that way. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show and spent a lot of time laughing at the routines.

Kelsey didn't get to kayak with the manatees but we did enjoy a nice day on the Rainbow River paddling on the crystal clear water (there were lots of people snorkeling and SCUBA diving), enjoying the weather and spending time with Kelsey and our good friends John and Rosie. I felt a little sorry for Kelsey though, (no not really) Rosie and I tied off to Kelsey's kayak and made her tow us back to the dock, about a mile or so. She only whined a little bit about sore shoulders the next day so I guess it couldn't have been too bad. 

Santa brought me a new kayak (it arrived a little early though) and I can't wait for enough warm weather to really break it in. The weather here has been pretty cold so far and we have only managed to get on the water a few times. Kelsey has more time paddling it than I do but I'm sure that will change soon and we will once again be playing on the water (Santa is still looking for a kayak for the boss, she's not sure what she wants).

WE'RE BACK !!!

Well our one week stay at Mexico Beach turned into a three week stay. We were having such fun meeting with old friends and fishing that we didn't want to leave. We ended our stay with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner on the beach at Toucans restaurant. Rosie had a couple of brothers and their families come visit them for the holidays. It was fun meeting them and I had a ball fishing with the little guys. Our original plan was to leave there and head for southern Florida and check out some new campgrounds for next year. With the extended stay we just ended up coming to Crystal River, where we spent the last two winters.

We enjoy seeing new places but it's also good to get parked at a place you like for an extended stay. (Butch actually said it was good to be home as we set up.  I thought that her was being silly but then I stopped to think that we spend more time here than any other one place so for now I guess that it is home.)  We are getting settled in and are looking forward to another winter here. Many of the old geezers (like me) will start showing up this week and that means golf season is about to start. (can't wait)

After pretty much continuous whining, pleading and begging I finally made an executive decision (which of course means no, Sheila did not approve, and yes I will get paybacks for this) and rented a golf cart for our stay here at Rock Crusher Canyon. Now I am the classic old retired guy, cruising the campground in his golf cart being about as lazy as a guy can be. As it turns out I'm pretty good at being lazy, go figure.