Sunday - 31 Jan/16

As usual, it was "CBS Sunday Morning" on TV from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. At least a little bit of good compared to the deluge of tragic events on the local news. The worst today on the latter was a toddler killed in a "Drive-By" shooting.

Then it was brunch in the motorhome before getting ready and heading out at 1:30 p.m. to the Orange Blossom Opry for the "Drifters" matinee show at 2:30 p.m.

Similar to most shows, it was virtually a sellout. The large (12 at times) "Opry" Band opened and played a variety of classics that covered all genres. They are a great "House" band! They entertained for about 45 minutes before giving a 15 "Break" to the audience before the main act.

Actually, years ago it was because of the number of fake "The Drifters" groups appearing (in Florida) that the state passed a law in 2007 making it a misdemeanor for people to take the stage using the name of a band if they're not really the band who made the name famous. Ironically, this law was introduced by Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, of the "Sha-Na-Na", a group that made a career of "Covering" other groups hits.

Bands will still be able to use the name of the original acts if at least one member of the group was a member of the original act and has the legal right to use the name. If an organization holds a legal trademark, it would be able to use the trademarked band name even if no original members are involved. Tribute bands could perform as long as it's clear that's what they are.

"Truth in Music" laws now exist in over 2/3 of the (United) States.

Dear God! I hope "Elvis" is exempt (grin).

N.B. The founder and original lead singer of "The Drifters" was Clyde McPhatter, who has been dead for 30 years!! Contrary to popular belief Ben E. King was not "an original" member of the group. With over 65 members, including icons such as Clyde McPhatter, Ben E King and Johnny Moore. in over 60 years the brand continues today with this being the only official line up in the world.

They sang their (and others) 60's hits: "Up On The Roof"; "Under The Boardwalk"; "Save The Last Dance For Me"; "Stand By Me" and "Mustang Sally" to mention a few. The voices were powerful and harmonious as they performed their "In Sync" dance moves.  the "sell-out" crowd enthusiastically clapped and sang along to several of the songs.

In their anecdotal moments they restated the same words we heard when we last saw them a number of years ago in Las Vegas. I paraphrase: "You can understand all the words; no low-rider pants (plumber's butts);  no curse words; just good, clean old-fashioned fun and pictures are allowed (no flash)."

The time (about 75 minutes) went by too fast!

After the show we turned East out of the parking lot and 5 minutes later were at "Gator Joe's Beach Bar and Grill" on the edge of Lake Weir in Ocklawaha, FL. This "Key West" style restaurant was founded on the water's edge in 1926. This is a favourite spot to eat.

This is our usual waterfront spot. It was packed (as usual). We ordered our "usual" (their famous  Fish Basket). The food was great (usually is) and we couldn't completely finish everything (not unusual). Notice a theme here! (grin).

A little over a half hour later we were back at the motorhome arriving just before dark. We then settled in for a night of "Channel Surfing" TV which, for a Sunday evening, was not unusual. Notice how the blog began and ended with the same theme? (Sorry, enough of that - grin) .

Saturday - 30 Jan/16

Cool; but a nice day w/partly sunny skies. Temps to 70F later today.

Charlotte headed to the Rec Hall to buy tickets for the Chinese Auction. A "Chinese Auction" is where you purchase tickets and deposit them in the container (bag) assigned to each item. Tickets were available up until 2 p.m. when the drawings would then be held.

While Charlotte was making executive decisions on what choices to make at  the auction I checked to see if the Del Sol battery had taken a charge overnight. No such luck. It had a dead cell. I continued to check online for the best battery (Group 51R) for the car. The car is 21 years old and batteries of that size and style (Battery posts on top) are getting harder to come by.

I wanted an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. The special mat acts like a wick between the battery plates. Only enough electrolyte is needed to keep the mat wet. If the battery cracks it will not leak as there is no free liquid to escape. They never need maintenance and resist vibration. An AGM type battery is only available by special order. I would have to buy a standard lead acid (Flooded) battery. This odd-ball sized AGM is usually not in a store stock; but may be ordered. When you need a battery - you need a battery! You don't need to wait.

I checked all local auto parts suppliers and Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, K-Mart and Home Depot for a quality 51R battery. Only three had that size lead acid battery in stock with only one having the top quality version available. I called Batteries Plus in Mt. Dora to check for an in-stock Duracell Ultra Premium Gold 51R Battery for the Del Sol. It was confirmed. I "Jumped" the dead battery to get the car started and then departed.

Online I was able to get a 10% discount and a $10 mail in rebate making this the best deal. It was also the store with the highest quality battery in stock with the most power (500 Cold Cranking Amps/615 Cranking Amps), best price ($126.99 ) and longest warranty (36 month free replacement; 65 month pro-rated warranty). Kenneth was excellent.

He installed the battery quickly and I was soon on my way.

I arrived back at the motorhome in time to return with Charlotte for the Chinese Auction drawing at 2 p.m. We had the pleasure of sharing a table with Sue, a fellow crafter of Charlotte's, from Sarasota, FL as we awaited the draw.

 

The hall was packed. It took over an hour to draw for all the items that had been donated to the auction. The proceeds will benefit a Veteran's association and a charitable support group. Unfortunately, we didn't have any luck in the draws.

We had a late-afternoon "Lupper" (Lunch/Supper) before heading to the Mt. Dora Community Building Theatre for the play "Assisted Living: The Musical (How the Older Half Lives)". 

Mt. Dora still has the downtown Christmas Lights shining which were very pretty.

We parked a few steps from the main entrance. Considering all the tickets (except for 3) were sold we were certainly lucky enough to be able to get 4th Row Center seats  .

Assisted Living: The Musical^® is a 75-minute vaudeville-esque revue written for two actors and a pianist. The show’s host couple enters heaven, suspecting their son pulled the plug… to get his hands on Dad’s vintage Corvette. They don’t seem to mind. Instead, the couple fondly remembers Pelican Roost, an active, full-service retirement community.

There, eighteen different characters sing and dance, revel and kvetch, celebrate their way through later life.

Naomi Lipshitz-Yamamoto-Murphy regularly upgrades her living arrangements as an unintended consequence of spousal mortality.

A Stetson-ed lawyer promises that legal compensation hides in every act of aging.

A Wellness Center nurse actively — very actively — recruits organ donors.

A 93-year old Cadillac owner redefines “Drive Thru Window.” There were several other characters/skits/songs that were all hilarious. There were no sad songs, no Depends^® jokes and no f-bombs in Assisted Living: The Musical. Just good, clean fun!

The sell-out crowd enjoyed the show, even joining in on a few song chorus lines (the words - they didn't get up and dance - grin).

The very funny evening was over all too soon!

We were back at the motorhome a about 9:30 p.m. filling the remainder of the evening with random TV programs.

Friday - 29 Jan/16

Sunshine! We welcomed the big change from 2 days (almost 3") of rain.

"Jean's Back!" Our neighbour down the street and a fellow crafter had just pulled onto our street. They had returned from Canada where they had been for several days on personal business. Charlotte was overjoyed! She had to stop in and say; "Hi", before we departed for today's road trip.

I stopped in at the office to pay the electric bill for this month before we left the park. The office crew were quite busy with the arrival of today's mail.

Our road trip today was to the Images Art Show in New Smyrna Beach (in the historic downtown) which was beginning today. This is a "Juried Show" with  250 (or thereabouts) pre-judged participants.

A half hour out we made a stop at the Key West Lime Shoppe in Deland, FL. We needed a refill of items we bought the first time we stopped there a few weeks ago. The original (Kermit's) shop is in Key West, FL - this is the factory. It only took a few minutes for Charlotte to restock with large tins of Key West Lime Cookies and Peanuts. Yummy stuff!

In less than half an hour we arrived on Canal Street, the historic downtown area in New Smyrna Beach, FL.

The annual show was just starting and a few artists were still setting up their wares. The display tents covered several blocks. Some streets had a single row down the center with the wider streets having a row on both sides rows. The largest section had rows on both sides and another row down the center.

We usually just enjoy art shows. At our "age and stage" of life we do not need additional paintings. We have nearly a hundred already in storage in our basement at home. The motorhome doesn't quite lend itself to large canvases (grin). There was a lot of vibrant colours and interesting items in all types of media which including mixed (and mixed up - another grin).

After more than an hour of walking (today's substitute for our weekly flea market exercise) we returned to the car. It was now warm enough, due to the clear skies, to take the top off the Del Sol and enjoy the sunshine on the ride to our next destination.

Charlotte tried to coax it out of me; however I kept it a secret until our arrival at Jeremiah's. This landmark has been a mainstay in Mt. Dora since the 80's. The owner, Wayne, started the business when he was 19 and still runs it today. Jeremiah's prides itself on fresh home-style cooking and great service and good value. We can happily attest to these facts!

The eclectic interior décor alone is worth the visit.

 

Charlotte couldn't stop saying how great her Blackened Mahi tasted. I totally enjoyed my Liver and Onions. My portion was so large I couldn't even start the baked potato. It came home with us.

The last stop, another surprise for Charlotte before heading home, was the Mt. Dora Olive Oil Company.

Charlotte has always enjoyed sampling the wide variety of infused Gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamic flavours. It took a while; but she finally decided on a few flavours. Who thought Chocolate Balsamic could taste so good?

Correction! We made one more stop. "Sew What?" (The Sewing Room) in Umatilla, FL has unusual hours. It specializes in making long arm quilting available through an "in store" rental program. They setup a long arm sewing machine and quilters can then sew elaborate (or simple) stitch patterns onto their quilts. The size and bulk of large quilts make it impossible for normal sewing machines to stitch to the center of the quilts. We had stopped a number of times here only to find it closed. Today we decided to take a chance. To our surprise, it was open. Charlotte will be returning when her T-Shirt quilt is in the final stages to complete the quilting using the "long arm".

Finally, we made it back to the motorhome.

The Del Sol had been getting harder to start during the last few days. I carried my Jump Start Pak in the trunk and today I needed it. This morning it just "clicked"; but wouldn't start. I have been trying to figure out if it was a "Dead Spot" in the starter or a "Dead Cell" in the battery. We had to "Jump Start" it at every stop today. I now knew it was not the starter. The question now: was it a dead cell or just a poor connection to the battery. When we arrived back at the motorhome it was still bright enough to allow me to work on it for over an hour. I disconnected the battery, cleaned the terminals and the connectors, applied anti-corrosive to the posts and hooked all back up again.

I then pulled out my retractable extension cord from an RV compartment and hooked up my battery charger. I will know by tomorrow morning what the problem is. If the battery retains a charge it was a poor connection. If it looses it's charge it is a "dead cell" and I will be off to get a new battery.

Then it was the usual TV evening until bedtime.

Thursday - 28 Jan/16

RAIN! When it wasn't foggy it was raining lightly. When it wasn't raining lightly it was raining heavily. That describes today.

This was a just a TV and Movie day.

Nothing else to describe. It was a "Slow News Day!"

Wednesday - 27 Jan/16

The rain was heavy and steady all night. Predictions were for 2 - 3 inches in some areas and 1-2 inches in most. We received a little over 2.5 inches. It stop around 8 a.m. and was dry an hour later except for a few road puddles in depressions. There was a tornado that touched down 3 times quite a bit south of us near Pompano Beach, FL.

Again, we are just relaxing until today's "Legends Show" which is once again in The Villages. Today it was at the Savannah Center. This show featured some of the best female singers of the Rock 'n Roll era.

We left for the Rocky and the Rollers 5 p.m. show at the Savannah Center in The Villages. It was sold out as usual. We relaxed in the lobby until the doors opened at 4:30.

This time I had enough advanced notice to get good seats in the 7th row.

Rocky and the Rollers Lady Legends show opened with "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (of Company B)". Like this number, the whole show was high energy. Rocky's 3 female vocalists were excellent with really strong, pure voices. The large group had a full "Big Band" sound that really filled the hall.

First up after their session was "Little Peggy March".  At age 13 she was only 4' 9" and thus the nickname. She is still the youngest female (age 15) to have a Billboard 100 #1 hit with her million selling "I Will Follow Him". March also became the first white female solo artist to hit #1 on the Billboard R and B chart. She received a number of standing ovations for her strong, powerful voice.

"Little Peggy March" was followed by The Crystals. When discovered by Phil Spector not one was out of high school. This group had an original member, Dee Dee Kenniebrew, as the lead. They opened with "Da Do Ron Ron" (a personal favourite of ours). They also received a standing ovations for a number of their hits which included: "And Then He Kissed Me" and "He's a Rebel".

Next up were Shirley Alston Reeves (born Shirley Owens June 10, 1941)  and her Shirelles' were also in fine voice. The Shirelles were the premier breakthrough girl group of the era and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. They sang a number of their hits including: "Mama Said (There'd Be Days Like This)"; "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"; "Baby, It's You"; "Foolish Little Girl"; "Everybody Loves a Lover" and the show-stopping "Soldier Boy" which she dedicated to all the veteran's in the audience.

We thoroughly enjoyed this great show as did everyone else. It closed with another standing "O"!
This was another entertaining evening!

After the show we stopped at JoAnn Fabrics on the way back for materials some upcoming craft projects Charlotte is doing.

The it was a stop at Burger King for a light supper. The 5 for $4 meal is just right for us. A small cheese burger, small fries, 4 chicken nuggets, a medium drink and a cookie is just the right size.

As we were leaving we noticed folks trying to get their car started. Some of the new autos are so packed under the hood the battery is stored under the back seat. I suspect that the rain (moisture) was drawing some of the power not giving enough to the starter to kick the motor over. I put my "Jump Starter Pak" on their battery yet the solenoid still clicked.  It needed more "Juice". We then hooked up Jumper Cables to one of their friends cars.

The first try didn't do it so I tried an "old trick". I had them rev the motor a little on the jumping auto while turning on the parking lights of the "dead car" for a short period. The flow of juice through the full system seems to perk up the battery quickly and lets the power flow better through the system. It might just be "an old wives' tale"; but the next try worked!

We were back at the motorhome in a little over 5 minutes preparing for another rainy evening. The rain will be less than yesterday's with only a half inch.

The Wi-Fi, which was useless all day, suddenly started working about 11:30 p.m. Completing the blog finished the day.

Tuesday - 26 Jan/16

This is "Nothing Tuesday". No park events that we participate in happen on Tuesday. We will be taking it easy until it is time to leave for the Johnny Rivers concert this evening.

Charlotte spent time colouring.

Adult colouring books are great for relaxation. They can be quite intricate and are a lot of fun.

Charlotte also did a little crocheting and I worked on my computer program design to pass the day. Soon it was time to head to the Sharon L. Morse Center for the Performing Arts in The Villages for this evenings Johnny Rivers concert. I didn't find out about this concert until most of the tickets had been sold. We were at least lucky enough to get seats in the "Nosebleed Section" (grin).

Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella, November 7, 1942, New York City) does not show his age (73) in the least. While in his youth the Ramistella family moved from New York to Baton Rouge, LA. Johnny, influenced by the distinctive musical style of Louisiana, began playing guitar at the age of eight. He was taught by his father and uncle. No wonder I was impressed with his skill as the lead guitarist.

Johnny, while still in junior high school when  he started sitting in with a band called the Rockets. led by Dick Holler, who later wrote"Abraham, Martin and John" and "Snoopy vs The Red Baron". Johnny made his first record at 14 (1956) while in High School.

In 1958 while on a trip to New York City he met DJ Alan Freed who advised him to change his name to "Johnny Rivers" (after the Mississippi River that flows through Baton Rouge).

I thought my having two hearing aids and being in the "Nosebleeds" hindered the sound; however after the second song someone down below yelled; "Turn up the mike!". Everyone either cheered or yelled; "We can't her you!" Once the microphone was adjust the sound was great as was the concert!

Johnny's repertoire included pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. He charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit singles between 1964 and 1968, among them "Memphis", "Mountain of Love", "The Seventh Son", "Secret Agent Man", "Poor Side of Town", "Baby I Need Your Lovin' " and "Summer Rain" all which he sang during the show. Other songs during the evening that I really enjoyed were "Get Your Kicks (On Route 66)", "Maybelline" and "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu". 


Lesser known facts are that Johnny co-founded the Monterey Pop  Festival, scored 2 Motown hits: "Baby, I Need Your Lovin' " and "Tracks of Your Tears", and introduced Wolfman Jack while hosting one of the weekly Midnight Special TV shows. The Wolfman went on to host the show for 12 years.

Charlotte insisted I have my picture taken in the lobby of "The Sharon". Cheese!

After the show Charlotte and I stopped at Steak 'N Shake for a late supper. As we entered we both noticed a nicely dressed young man (11-13 yrs) in a neat white dress shirt sitting with his mother at the front counter. He was enjoying a milkshake.

We were cheerfully greeted by our waitress who later "cashed us out". The evening was to get interesting!

 This lovely lady was to go through extremes of emotion. She was shaken by a customer in the booth next to ours who referred to her using the "N" word. After his leaving she said to us that the word did not hurt as much as the memories it brought back of the sufferings her grandmother had endured, This was the "Low".

While serving us she related the "High". The lady (with the young man) at the counter was not being served by any of the other waitresses. Despite having nearly a dozen clients she did not want this person to be ignored any longer and went to serve her even though she was not in her section. (Actually, she did the same for us. While we waited at the entrance for a few minutes, it was her cheerful voice that said, "I'll be with you as soon as I can".) She explained to us that this lady was kind in her words and her comforting touch sent an unusual vibration through her body. To our waitress's surprise the lady left a $100 tip. She truly felt that God guided her to serve this lady who was ignored by the others.

Charlotte and I believe we have seen a UFO and perhaps now, an Angel. The two extremes: Good and Evil were in the restaurant this evening. Along with our tip (no not a $100 - grin) we left a Loonie and a Toonie (Canadian $1 and $2 coins). Perhaps these two coins will reminder out waitress of the Lady and her Son. Good beats Evil every time! Angel 1 vs Evil 0.

It was a quite ride back to the motorhome (except for a cop pulling over a driver right beside me).

We will be quick to fall asleep with the rain that began falling after midnight. Always a nice way to end the day.

Monday - 25 Jan/16

It was touching the freezing point this morning so we waited until mid-morning before heading out to the Webster Flea/Farmer's Market. Clear cold and cool; however because the air is do dry it will warm to above 70F by afternoon.

For more than 50 years, Webster Westside has been open on Monday, rain or shine, year round. It is the place to find everything imaginable with 35 acres of open air markets plus additional covered buildings.  In the market, you can find produce, flowers, bakery items, jewelry, plants, boutique items, furniture, musical instruments, electronics, hardware/tools, pet supplies crafts, clothing - just about everything. They are especially known for great deals on good quality antiques and collectibles. Food vendors of all types are everywhere. They also have antique car and motorcycle show/swap meets and sister weekend market.

It was an easy drive. I avoided the busy roads as much as possible. We were there in under an hour. As usual the place was packed.

There was even a "As Seen On TV" booth. We found 1 item (we hadn't actually seen it on TV - grin).

Items of about every description imaginable. Indoors, Outdoors, Under tents or in buildings.

A number of the permanent buildings are identified by the colour they are painted. We were heading to the "Yellow" pavilion following a "lead" about a booth that had Boyds Bear (Resins) Bearstones.

At the very end, inside a storage shed we found a shelf of Charlotte's favourite collectible. She has to check the numbers on her list. It is hard to keep track of the over 200 she has at home.

She found a few she was interested in and bargained for a "deal".

She repeated the process at another booth a few pavilions later and left with another bag full.

Time for a snack break. Can you guess! Right - the Funnel Cakes!

We always find a few good "Diz Pins" every time we come here. We added 3 to our collection before working our way back to the car. Every time we come we never complete all of the market. After walking for more than 2 hours today we only got through about half. We were tired and getting warm so it was back to the car.

It was a great afternoon to take the top off the Del Sol and enjoy the sunshine. I took another route back, again avoiding the busy roads. The route was planned on purpose so I could surprise Charlotte with a stop at the Yalaha Bakery for Munch (Mid-afternoon Lunch - grin). There is a reason this was voted the #1 Bakery in Central Florida. The steady flow of customers testified to this fact.

We ordered a "Two Share" lunch. (2 lunches to share): Cranberry Chicken w/Walnuts and Smoked Knockwurst w/Kraut and Potato Salad and a Pretzel.

We made a quick stop at Publix for juice and milk. Charlotte remained in the car so we wouldn't have to put the top on. We wanted to enjoy the sunshine all the way back to the park.

Just a regular TV evening to round out the day. The only drawback was the Wi-Fi was so slow it took 3 hours to do the blog.