Hallowe'en

I'm ready for the trick or treaters who might knock on my door, but to tell the truth I hope I don't get many. I think the last time I gave treats away on Hallowe'en was when I lived in Ireland. My house in North Carolina was up too high a hill for the kids to be bothered climbing up for a measly candy bar!

I went to the farmer's market today and found that they may (or may not) be there next week. I think the one downtown is open year around, so we will go back to that one eventually. The produce is just too good to ever want to go back to a supermarket, even one with an organic section.

Then to Costco where I finally found replacement filters for the Brita pitcher. Now that I'm giving the dog filtered water as well, I will need to change the filter more often. The cost for 10 filters, about a year's supply is only $42, which amounts to approx 12 cents a day - much cheaper than bottled water, and much better for me and the environment.

I was so tired last night and even into this morning. I really feel the lack of doing my stretching exercises, so will get back to them starting this evening. I just needed a break for a day or so. I need to find a nice, not-too-large outdoor mat for setting outside the truck camper. Something large enough to lay down my exercise mat so I can continue my routine while I'm away from home.

I have just about everything I'm going to buy for the camper ahead of time, although I'm sure there will be little things I'll want to get once I'm in the camper and see how it fits my needs and wants. I'll go to Home Depot for a 1 gallon gas can (for the generator) and maybe I can find a suitable ground mat there. I hate to pay Camping World prices, although they do have some nice looking ones.

After being comfortably cool in the 60's the past week, the coming week will be comfortably warm in the mid 70's range. I think I will prefer comfortably cool, but I don't really get to choose, do I?

I was clicking to enlarge the photos I posted from the party yesterday, and saw one where Chili is in the background looking like a devil dog, with eyes glistening. I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of this very sweet Dobie that were taken a few months ago. I was getting ready to give her some treats, but of course with a Dobie it's best to set the treats in the palm of your hand. If you hold them up with your fingers, those teeth just can't get at them as well.



She is 11 years old, which is hard to believe when you see the energy level and the speed with which she can run. She is just a gorgeous, sweet animal!

Birthday party

I woke up late, for me, at 8:30 a.m., and Lady was still snoozing next to my bed. I had a very leisurely morning, and went to Joe and Sarah's for Keira's 1st birthday.

Donald made the cake. It was three layers, a chocolate, a vanilla, and a marble, with a butter cream frosting under the orange outer layer of fondant. Perfection!


Here are some shots from the party.




And a few more - One is a photo of Sarah's mom and brother, and another is of Arianna from the back. She was tinkerbell, and looked so cute from behind I just had to include that photo. One photo is of the birthday girl with her very own cake, and another is a picture of the two older girls "helping" her eat it.





I got home about 6:00 pm and walked Lady. As soon as we came back home (and she got her treats, of course) I changed into warm pajamas and fleece robe. It's only 57F but for some reason I am cold. Cold and very tired. No stretching for me tonight - I'm going to be in bed early!

Setting up the iPod

I tried last night to set the thing up, and even downloaded instructions found on the web. As could be expected, the computer screens I was supposed to see were showing nowhere on my Mac; I was instructed to register the product, but found nothing to give me a clue how to register it, and to download iTunes to the iPod. There again, no further instruction. I went through every clickable item on my Mac's iTunes but found nothing to allow me to download it to the iPod.

I decided to quit for the evening as I was too tired to go any further. Then I could not turn the thing off, and frustration was mounting. I heard the couple from upstairs talking out on their steps, so I went out and asked if one of them could turn it off for me! I'll get back to it soon, but just don't feel like dealing with it yet. I know I am going to like it though - once I can get it properly installed and running. I spent a big part of yesterday creating the playlists I want on it.

The Roadrunner has an informative link on her blog this evening: http://rvingquartzsite.com/?p=397

I thought I would post it as well, as it is an alert to folks who will soon be going to Quartzsite with their pets. Evidently there is a big problem this year with canine distemper, so it's important to make sure vaccinations are current. The Park I am going to is about 40 miles from Q, so I would think it would be vulnerable as well. In fact, anyone traveling to the southwest this winter would be wise to double check their pets' shot records. Thank you Theresa (Roadrunner) for this information.

I recently read a book about the high incidence of cancer in pets, and it was interesting to me because I seem to know so many folks whose dogs have died of cancer over the past few years, and it seems the number of pets with tumors is increasing. The book goes into many possible causes, including chemicals in the water, and vaccinations. I have started filling Lady's water bowl from the Brita pitcher rather than the tap so as to avoid some of the worst chemicals. I had just about decided to stop all vaccinations except those required by law (mainly rabies), but with the possibility of coming into contact with distemper, I'm going to bring her up to date with that one also. I don't like the way they lump so many vaccinations into one shot, and cover up to 3 years with it. I wonder if that just isn't too much for some dogs' system to handle.

Tomorrow my youngest granddaughter turns one year old, and of course there is a birthday party to go to. I'm looking forward to donning my party hat and celebrating! Actually I think most folks are going to wear Halloween costumes but I'm not doing that. I might stop someplace on the way to see if I can find a cheap witch's hat, but that's as far as I'll go.

Back in business

Thanks to all those who wished me well, and I'm happy to say I feel a whole lot better today. It was my own fault. I have never been a big eater, preferring small meals and small portions. Now I'm trying to put on weight while doing a tremendous-for-me amount of exercise, and this resulted in an overload on my system. I had a terrible gallbladder attack (which the doctors insist on calling acid reflux), and I took a handful of Prevacid and went back to bed to suffer it out. The Prevacid is OTC, which is only a fraction of the prescription strength, and I spaced them out over a few hours, so didn't worry about overdosing.

I felt better by yesterday evening, and now after a good night's sleep, I'm ok although still wary. I have to eat, but wish I didn't.

First thing yesterday morning, before I started feeling bad, I made my absolute last trip to Walmart. I found about half the items on my list, the unimportant half, and at the checkout asked for $100 cash back. The cashier gave me a $100 bill and said I should go to their "money center" for smaller bills. I was the 4th person in line at the money center, and didn't get to the counter for 10 minutes. The teller couldn't believe that I was sent to her to get what the cashier should have given me, and that I had to wait in line all that time. A lot of good it did me by that time.

Thanks to Karen-in-the-woods for her recommendations on a set of very small speakers for my iPod (which I haven't even unwrapped yet). I ordered them from Amazon and they are on the way to me. I need to sit down and figure the iPod out, but will wait until the mood hits me, otherwise I'll just be frustrated with it. It was nice back in the day when you went to a store, bought a product, brought it home, and turned it on. Long gone, those days. Now things must be installed, programmed, password protected, and other steps before you even know if you like the darn thing (or even if it works at all and you have to send it back for a replacement). Does this make me anti-technology? I don't think so, just pro-simplicity and customer satisfaction. And for those of you who find satisfaction is doing all the stuff yourself, I say "more power to ya".

Depending on weather and other possible circumstances, I should be leaving for Arizona in about 3-1/2 weeks. Next week I plan to start getting together the things I will need to take with me, and I'm already crossing items off the list because of space limitations. I need to get right down to absolute necessities (clothing, generator, cooler for whatever I eat/drink on the way, computer, dog food, et.) and what I don't carry with me I can buy while I'm there.

For example, I have planned on using disposable plates due to smaller fresh water and holding tanks, but if my truck is packed to the ceiling I'll just have to buy some in AZ. I don't know why I feel like I have to have everything with me, but reality is sure to set in when I start loading up all that stuff. Whatever I carry has to either be stowed inside the truck cab overnight, or carried into the motel with me.

I'm starting to get excited, but not nearly at the fever pitch I'll hit in another week or two.

No blog today

I'm not feeling well at all, so I don't think I'll do a blog today. If I feel better later on, I might be back.

More generator talk

If you can take another few remarks about my generator purchase yesterday, I would first say how relieved I am that common sense won out over whatever the female version of "macho" is, and that I bought the cute little model! I was really hurting by yesterday evening, all night, and into this morning, just from picking the larger one up! I'm fine now after stretching this morning and drinking the protein shake. (That stuff is wonderful - I must have been totally depleted of the protein I needed, but it seems to work fast.)


I should have asked yesterday if there was a remote starter available for the genny. However, in looking online this morning it seems that the remote system is available for generators about 2 steps up from mine, so I will just have to pull the cord to start it up. This is really comical to me as I normally don't have anything to do with remotes and here I am thinking about how nice it would be to have one. It wouldn't truly be like using a remote, but more like what I had in the 5th wheel which was a switch inside the rig to start the genny - I could also start it from a switch outside at the unit itself.

As for remotes, you guys reading this can go on all you like about how wonderful and necessary remotes are. You are forgetting that guys almost always hold the remotes, and that includes husbands, sons, and boyfriends. So I just got used to the fact that I never had control of the remote, and when I was by myself I could never find it - usually hidden deep down under a cushion where it would be available when the guy wanted it. I actually don't mind being remote-less - they have way too many buttons with symbols that make no sense to me. But then I don't need them for the few electronics I use - computer, printer, etc., don't even come with a remote that I'm aware of.

An advantage to the inverter generator that I bought is that it is safer when powering sensitive electronics. Now I don't understand much about inverters or converters, as much as I've tried to wrap my brain around it. I just know that somehow the power is converted from alternating current to direct current, and back again, and that my computer and MiFi should be safe, as well as any other such electronics - including a TV if I should ever get one. If I decide to add a solar system as I'd really like to do, I'll have to learn more inverter/converter-speak, but for now I just want to know that I won't fry my computer.

I had a talk with the apartment manager this morning about my parking space while I'm gone, and he assured me that it is assigned to my apartment and that there won't be any problem when I return from my travels. We also discussed the possibility of my being on the road when the lease expires, and he said he can do a 90-day lease as many times as I need one, and that if I'm not here at the time we can do it via fax. So that leaves my mind at ease about that potential problem.

I'm nearly ready to roll.

It's like Christmas!

After my morning stretch routine I tried the hi-protein shake with strawberries, bananas, whole milk, and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. WOW! Very tasty.

I had located several places that advertised Honda Generators, so made the rounds to see what I could find. I tried lifting both the 1000 and 2000 models, and could lift the 2000 from the floor back up onto the shelf, but it was not easy. I think if I had to do it very often I would come to hate it, just as I found the large propane tanks barely manageable when they were full. I always got the full tanks up into the bay, but seriously thought about replacing them with the next smaller size.

I talked at length to one of the staff, and then he sent me to the desk to get more info. The man at the desk zeroed in on what I wanted it for, how I might be planning to use it, etc., and strongly recommended the 1000, which I ended up buying.

I don't like A/C and wouldn't purposely go camping anywhere it would be terribly hot to begin with, as I've always preferred cooler weather. I plan to stay well away from Death Valley! I rarely use a microwave, and don't have a TV, nor will I bother with a vacuum cleaner. The model generator I bought will keep the batteries charged, and I expect to spend more time outdoors than inside. So I'm thrilled with it. As long as I can use my computer, the lights, my hair dryer on low, I'll be happy. If I need a lot of power for some reason I will stay in a campground from time to time and plug into 30 Amp.

I realize this style of RVing, or camping, isn't for everyone. It especially doesn't appeal to most fulltimers. It's a great world when we can each do things in our own way, which doesn't preclude anyone from commenting and voicing their own opinions. So if you don't like my style, just fire away, but understand that I cherish my right to follow my own choices just as I respect yours.

I was eating my lunch when FedEx stopped by with my iPod. It is a pretty thing, and looking at the directions I think I can get started with it, although it will be much easier to have my son do it. I might as well take the easy way out on this one, as I need to save a chunk of brain power for getting to know the ins and outs of truck campers. I've learned to pace myself, and exert my energy for things I enjoy doing.



So I've given myself two presents today, and I'm pretty happy with both of them.