Thursday - 31 Mar/16

Today looks pretty decent. 10% chance of rain (later in the day) and mid-80's F. A few clouds and 60% humidity with a steady breeze.

Charlotte was up and ready; but she decided to pass on going to the Craft Hall this morning. Many of the crafters have already left for home. She will use her sewing machine in the motorhome today.

Folks are preparing for departure shorty by cleaning the leaves off the top of their RV's, dismantling their screen porches or closing the window shields on their "Park Models". This made for more than the normal traffic to the dumpsters as they cleaned up.

Several others were heading to do their laundry before heading home. Others were off to the swimming pool. As usual, there were the walkers, joggers and bikers (pedal power) doing their morning thing.

A drive through the park yesterday revealed about 15-20% have already departed for home. Tentatively, about 2 weeks for us before we plan to depart. Of course, this will depend on the travel weather. Tornados are already hitting in Oklahoma!

My first project was to assemble the new leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher then give it a test run. It even has an over-the-shoulder bag to hold the mulch.

Charlotte tried it. She can't wait to use it at home. It works well!

Next up was adding Velco strips to hold the mat onto the RV step I  made for the entrance. I thought the mat backing would hold it in place; but it does move at times. Problem solved!

Charlotte next finished up a half dozen of the "Pie" Hot Plate Mats.

I spent time organizing loose hardware item boxes. Nuts, screws, washers and bolts (No - that's not a newspaper headline about two crazy people who raped women in a laundry and then ran off - grin) were taken out of their separate packages and put into a larger compartmental container similar to the one I had given Charlotte for her sewing items.

I then prepared 3 smaller containers for Charlotte's later use from the emptied containers. That was the hard part - it took over an hour to get the labels removed. Don't you just hate it when labels do not peel off easily? The effort wore down a few of my fingernails; but I finally got the labels cleaned off.

Charlotte continued working and next completed 4 pillowcases. Two more "Route 66" ones for the motorhome and a pair of "Cat" pillowcases for "Kat" who takes care of our cats when we are down south. (Did you "CAT"ch the theme here?).

The usual TV evening.

We had a busy day without evening leaving the park!

Wednesday - 30 Mar/16

Today was a "Take It Easy" day.

We slept in - at least until 8 a.m.

Charlotte skipped crafts and worked on projects in the motorhome until after lunch.

I'm trying to get over the sore muscles from my 5 hours of contortionism required yesterday to put the Del Sol back together after installing the trunk release and other items.

The afternoon was spent going from JoAnn Fabrics to Hobby Lobby to a whole bunch of $ stores. Charlotte did pick up fabric and yarn at JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby; but it took several tries at the $ stores to finally find the battery powered flickering candles for her luminaries.

It was now 5 o'clock. With the nice weather (partly cloudy - at least no rain) comparatively speaking. We decided to take the top off the Del Sol and cruise the backroads to get to Harbor Freight in Apopka, FL.  There are closer Harbor Freight stores; but we can take country roads to get to this one and avoid hectic traffic being it was now "Rush Hour". Our quest was to pick up a Combo 3-in1 Electric Leaf Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher that was on sale. Mission Accomplished!

Made it back to the motorhome in time for the Double Jeopardy half of Jeopardy.

TV rounded off the evening.

Tuesday - 29 Mar/16

Charlotte was off once again to the Craft Hall for 9:00 a.m. I started on replacing the trunk release cable in the Del Sol shortly after.

I was surprised when she returned about an hour earlier than usual. She had completed today's project which was a mason jar luminary. The inside is lined with a thin paper with a printout of star bursts, etc. It is lit using a mini-candle (battery operated). Just unscrew the top to turn it on or off. It makes a relaxing flickering candle. Neat!

I was working on replacing the trunk cable release when Charlotte returned. Now I know why Mike (my back home (Canada) Honda mechanic) declines this task. It is totally labour intensive which would result in a ridiculous service charge of a hundreds of dollars.

I had previously removed the rear interior of the Del Sol to install the replacement radio antenna and left it out. Most of the rain and thunderstorm alerts were once again going north and south of us giving me a window of 5 or 6 hours to complete the work. I needed 5 of those hours to complete the work.

I did take an 20 minute break for lunch. Charlotte made one of my favourites - Spanish Rice. Yummy!

Charlotte continued finishing up the several extra cutouts she had made of previous projects, She completed 5 more of the microwave plate lifters and was working on the first of several round "Pie" (looking) mats for placing under hot serving dishes. Once again, all neat, as usual.

Finally the trunk release cable was in and working. Time to put the trunk back together.

Then it was time to reinstall the trunk holder's (for the roof) replacement release cover, all the rear panel parts and the driver's seat back into the car.

Just in time! The worst of the storms went around us; but we would be under a steady rain for the evening. Good thing. The 80's F and high humidity took it's toll. I had a nap for a few hours and woke just before Jeopardy. Once again Charlotte made Strawberry Shortcake for supper. Again - a treat!

Charlotte continued working on more of the hot plate mats then on to knitting socks while we watched the usual NCIS Tuesday night double header on TV.

Even though we didn't go anywhere - it was a busy day.

Monday - 28 Mar/16

Rain all around; but it totally missed us today.

Charlotte was off to crafts this morning (instead of afternoon) for 9 a.m.

I placed an online order for a set of strut supports for the Del Sol.

• One Front Upper Strut Tower Brace Bar (Goes Under the hood)
• One Rear Upper Strut Tower Brace Bar (Goes to the trunk)
• One Front Lower Tie Arm Stabilizer Bar (Goes under the car)
• One Rear Lower Tie Arm Stabilizer Bar (Goes under the car)

They will add torsional strength to the Del Sol by bracing the strut towers. It will not only improve handling; but should be a benefit when towing behind the motorhome.

Charlotte returned a little after the noon hour. She had completed a hot plate lifter for the microwave. It is placed under a plate or bowl in the microwave. After cooking or warming the item can easily be removed by lifting using the corners. Neat as usual! She has five more all cut out and just awaiting completion.

I made Marie Callender's Turkey Pot Pies for dinner.

Otherwise it was a day to relax. We both had an afternoon nap after a phone call to Liz's. Our girl's were spending Easter Dinner together so we called to get a two for one phone call to wish them Happy Easter.

Then we each had a nap. We are getting better; but the cold is still hanging on.

We awoke in time for the end of the evening news and Jeopardy. Supper was just dessert: Strawberry shortcake. A nice treat!

Scorpion and NCIS L.A. finished the evening.

Sunday - 27 Mar/16

Today is Easter Sunday.

It is the Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after his burial (after the Crucifixion).

Easter is also linked to the Jewish "Passover". In many languages, the words for "Easter" and "Passover" are identical or very similar.

Customs associated with Easter that may be observed by both Christians and non-Christians include Egg Hunting, Easter Bunnies and Easter Parades.

CBS Sunday Morning on TV as usual. Then it was time to prepare for Easter Dinner.

An Easter Potluck Dinner was celebrated in the Rec Hall with the largest crowd ever - over 300. Charlotte brought a huge bowl of carrots as our contribution to the event. This is probably the last major park event for the (High) Season as most Snowbirds will be heading homeward soon.

We had the pleasure of sharing our end of the table with Kathy and Tony from Indiana. We had plenty of time for conversation as we were the last table called for going to the Potluck table.

Luckily, there was plenty of food left for us to choose from.

The dessert table also had a large selection although the tastiest had already been picked over.

The rain continues; however again it mostly missed us last night. South of us (Poinciana, FL) there was deluged of hail that was as much as 3.5" thick in places. Wow! The ground looked like a snowstorm had hit there. (No - it didn't make us homesick! - grin).

Today it was cloudy with high humidity (90%) and temps in the 80's F.

We arrived back at the motorhome after the dinner in time to watch the last half of the U.S. College (Girls) National Hockey championship.

Then it was nap time.

Jeopardy and TV round off the evening.

Rain came in the evening around 10 pm; but it was steady and not severe.

Saturday - 26 Mar/16

Today was not really an active day.

Mid-80's F and cloudy. 70% chance of rain; but it went around us all day until 7 p.m. Then it was a steady rain with the thunder major storms still missing us.

Mid-afternoon we went to do a major food shopping at Publix. It took an hour and a half. We did all the aisles and are now pretty well stocked up until we head home. We bought a lot of BOGO's (Buy One - Get One) and saved 30% on our total bill.

Charlotte's only project today was another "Origami" purse. They are so cute!

I worked on alternative "Going Home" plans to be prepared in case bad weather changes our timing or direction.

A lot of "Channel Surfing" to find something on TV. On Saturday and Sunday 50% of the TV time is "Paid Advertising" - many for car dealers.

We watched a few episodes of "Elementary" and Rizzoli & Isles" between local news programs.

That's it for today.

Friday - 25 Mar/16

Today is Good Friday!

Good Friday is a Christian Religious Holiday commemorating the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In the U.S. it is not a Federal Holiday. States, cities and counties have the option and Florida is one of the 12 states were local government offices and courts are closed, as well as some banks and postal offices in those counties and municipalities where Good Friday is observed as a holiday.  In Canada Good Friday is a Federal Holiday. In the Province of Quebec individual employers have the option to opt for Good Friday or Easter Monday as a holiday.

It is also International Waffle Day! We were going to go out to iHOP(International House of Pancakes) for breakfast; but we "Waffled". (grin).

 

Charlotte organized her supply of thread and bobbins into one of the large storage containers I had bought for her at Harbor Freight. She then completed the two table runners she had cut out the other day. They will match the placemats and napkins she already made as gifts for our girls - neat!

Although much of the rain usually bypasses north or south of us - last night we had a "Light Show". Two "Supercells" passed over dumping from 2" to 4" or rain in the area. There was a Tornado watch; but none materialized. Some areas also got half-dollar sized hail. We didn't.

The lightning was extremely close with dozens of strikes as it passed over. The rule of thumb for lightning is: After a lightning flash, count ("One-Mississippi", etc.) or Stopwatch the seconds until you hear the thunder. Divide the seconds by 5 = miles away. The "Flash" and the "Crash" were often almost instantaneous (less than a second apart) making several strikes were close! As usual, all was dry by morning.

Charlotte needed a "JoAnn" Fix! Hey! She hasn't bought material since Wednesday (grin). It was dry when we left; but by the time we arrived it was raining heavily. It was washing across the parking lot in waves.

Finding matching material can take quite a while. By the time (an hour and a half) Charlotte emerged the rain had stopped. It was time for a Steak 'n Shake where the milkshakes are half price between 2 and 5 (am or pm). Charlotte ordered a classic Vanilla and I a Blackberry Chocolate Chip. Mmmmmmmmm...Good! (So were the burgers).

After supper I also needed a "Fix!" We made a quick stop at the Harbor Freight in Leesburg. It was just a few miles down Hwy 441 from Steak 'n Shake. They often offer coupons for Free items with any purchase. Charlotte and I were both customers. She now has 2 stainless steel magnetic bowls that she can use to hold pins, etc. when quilting. We each bought a mini-measuring tape to qualify for the freebies.

Made it back to the motorhome just in time for Jeopardy. A regular TV evening followed. Bedtime was again early as we still are feeling the wrath of the cold bug which hasn't completely departed from our bodies.

Thursday - 24 Mar/16

Charlotte was off to the Craft Hall for 9 a.m. again today. She has a couple of projects on the go.

I paid some bills on the internet and worked on computer updates. Then I had a nap. I'm still coughing; but not as often. The last two busy days must have caught up to me.

Charlotte returned while I was asleep and had lunch made by the time I awoke.

I continued doing computer work which included planning some going home alternatives in case weather necessitates plan changes.

Charlotte finished the second "Origami Purse" - they're really neat.

 

She also put the finishing touches on a table runner/centerpiece. Another is cut out and ready to be finished.

Then,  it was Charlotte's turn for a nap. I guess the last two busy days had caught up with her too. It was now my turn to make supper while she slept.

The clouds have now hidden the sun (late afternoon) making it darker than normal. Large storms have already passed north and south of us. This often happens for our location; however we will be having varying degrees of rain for the next four days.
With the temps back into the 80's F I hope it does not get too humid.

Just a TV evening to end the day.

Wednesday - 23 Mar/16

Charlotte was off to the Craft Hall for 9 a.m.

By 9:20 a.m. I had received a phone call from Bryan of Central Florida Auto Salvage in Zephyrhills, FL. The Del Sol parts I had ordered yesterday were ready for pickup. Now that's fast!

Charlotte returned from the Craft Hall with a completed baseball motif pillowcase. Nice job!

She had also completed one (of two) origami purses she is currently working on. They are called "Origami" because of the way they are folded. Neat!

Just before 1 p.m. we headed out. Before leaving the park we stopped at the Office. I paid this month's electric bill while Charlotte checked with Julie on materials required for next week's craft class.

Our Primary Mission was to return to Zephyrhills, FL to pick up the ordered car parts. I'm still impressed with their quick service.

I took a different route today. My plan was to go through Center Hill, FL so I could surprise Charlotte with a stop at Beasley Mfg. Inc. It took about 45 minutes to get to their location. I wanted Charlotte to have a good supply of the nylon mesh type material she uses to make the large (bag) purses.

The staff here were so helpful. All the cut pieces were rolled up into one huge roll. It was too large for the trunk; however we were able to load it into the Del Sol through the (electric) rear window. Charlotte now has yards and yards of mesh in more than a dozen colours for future projects.

We then headed off towards our primary mission stop: Central Florida Auto Salvage in Zephyrhills. It also was a 45 minute ride. Bryan was again an excellent help and we were soon on our way back with the parts I had ordered.

The return trip would take an hour and a half. It was a virtual repeat of yesterday's return complete with the treat of the wonderful orange blossom fragrance. Needless to say, we didn't see the full moon as it was mid-afternoon (grin).

We stopped at the JoAnn Fabrics in Tavares, FL so Charlotte could pick up some materials required for next week's craft project. JoAnn did not have all the items necessitating an additional stop.

Our next stop, Hobby Lobby was in Mt. Dora. There Charlotte completed the material list and found some additional patterned material for a different project.

It was now after 6 p.m. I knew I had to do my duty and pulled into Chili's for supper. We slowed the completion of our meal by a few minutes because we could see that we would be driving back into a beautiful; but blinding sunset. We left just as the sun set and arrived back at the RV park (OMS) just before dark.

Bonus: A bag and note were attached to the RV entry door grab handle. Jean, a fellow crafter, left two lovely pieces of material as a thank you for material Charlotte had previously given her. Crafters are nice that way!

We've had another busy day and since we are not completely over fighting our colds it wiped us out.

Bedtime will be a little earlier tonight.

Tuesday - 22 Mar/16

Another cool start to the day; however the skies were clear which made it a really nice day even if it wasn't into the 80's F.

After lunch we headed for Central Florida Auto Salvage in Zephyrhills, FL. An online check indicate they had a few Del Sol's in their yard. The trip took about an hour and a half; however it was a pleasant drive as I was able to avoid all the heavily congested roads to get there.

 

Since we would be going right by JoAnn Fabrics I naturally, or is that automatically,  pulled in (grin). "Have Coupon - Must Shop" EH! Charlotte bought some yarn for making socks and "scrubbies".

Along the way we stopped at a Roadside Fruit Stand on SR-50 and Charlotte was able to purchase a basket each of both Blood and Honey Bell oranges (which were bagged). A large bottle of Tupelo Honey was also purchased. We don't want to run out when back at home.

Finally, we made it to Central Florida Auto Salvage were Bryan, at the front counter, was super helpful. It is always a pleasure to deal with someone who is knowledgeable and Bryan was all that. A salvage yard usually dismantles high demand parts then stocks and inventories them. Low demand (or large items) are usually removed if ordered. When you are looking for parts on a low volume 21 year old foreign made auto like a Honda Del Sol chances of them being removed and on a shelf are remote to say the least.

Bryan hooked me up with Rob who was also very helpful (and patient). He took me to the location of the Del Sols so I could check for the parts and their quality. The console portion I required was missing on all - an obviously less than sturdy part that others before me must have also required. I did locate a few parts and placed my order. Bryan will call when they have been removed and I will return to pick them up.

I had a two items planned as a surprise for Charlotte. First up was a stop at Hancock Fabrics in Lakeland, FL - just off the Interstate (that's a "family joke" - it's only "Bill Miles"). She was lucky enough to be able to find a few different patterned fabrics that were not available at JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby or other stores close to the RV Park.

Surprise Two was just a few miles down the road (also in Lakeland) and just in time for supper. Nick introduced us to the original "Manny's Chophouse" in Haines City, FL two years ago. If one is near - we have to go - it's that good!

This restaurant is a virtual duplicate of the original, Route 66 styled, 60's Roadhouse restaurant and, like the original, it was packed.

I sent Charlotte ahead while I finished parking the car. I couldn't believe that in the short time that elapsed before I could get inside there were over two dozen customers already waiting in line. I checked and couldn't find Charlotte among them so I proceeded into the dining area.

WOW! Charlotte managed to get the last available table. At Manny's the parking lot is always full and the line waiting is always "out the door."

Our usual order (for Steakhouses) was the 9 oz. Filet; Charlotte's Medium w/ Baked Sweet Potato (huge).

My Filet was Medium-Rare and my w/Baked Potato was equally huge. Both were cooked to perfection! Bill's "Steak Rule" is cut thin, salt well and eat immediately. The "eat immediately" is because a Med-R steak has very little extra heat and I don't like my steak cool or cold. Not surprising, we had to take our potatoes "to go". We were both too full to finish (actually, we barely had a bite).

Supper allowed the 20 miles of 6 lane traffic through Greater Lakeland to thin out while we ate. By the time we were back to 2 lanes the traffic was sparse and we were then on the "Back Roads" which made it a nice drive the rest of the way back.

Bonus: The wonderful aroma from the Orange Blossoms is something that defies description. Passing a few groves in blossom was such a treat.

Thanks to DST (Daylight Saving Time) we were able to get almost all the way back before dark. The last 20 minutes in the dark was also a treat. The clear sky with a perfect Full Moon was stunning.

We had a busy; but enjoyable day. We won't need to be rocked to sleep tonight.