Friday - 15 Jan/16

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT!

A light rain this morning before a heavy storm front passed through from the Gulf of Mexico. It was intense and concentrated in a  long line. Weather is a big deal down here. They track the storms with "state of the art" radar and broadcast details for cities accurate to the minute. They show the city names with the arrival time on the screen with constant updates. It passed through OMS in Umatilla, FL right on cue.

The winds (up to 60 mph) and heavy rain caused a few accidents. A possible tornado warning which didn't materialize. Neither did the hail in our area although a few other locations got pelted. The narrow band was intense. It passed in less than an hour dropping rain at over 2" an hour. The large puddles on the road and on the ground were sopped up by the sandy soil in less than half an hour.

It was pretty well over by noon which meant we would be getting ready to head to the Quilt Show in The Villages. This is not the "Big Show". The Major Show only occurs every second year which is why it was held at a smaller venue. this year. It is mostly for retailers to display their wares. Instead of at The Villages larger Savannah Center the show is held in the smaller La Hacienda Recreational Center.

Charlotte went into the show while I found a seat in the entrance hallway. I couldn't see the need to pay $10 to watch her shop.

The seat was really comfy. Bonus: It came with great folks who were most helpful.  The wonderful thing about travelling is the great people you meet along the way. The more than an hour Charlotte spent (I use that word literally - grin) passed by quickly.

The was a silent auction going on in the hallway. They have a neat way to do this. The tickets come in a set with all having the same number. You sign a sheet (name and contact info) attached to an envelope and hand the sheet back in in at the booth. The sheet has the number of your tickets on it. All they have to do is match the winning ticket number(s) to the sheet number - then contact you by phone, email or address. I bought tickets (52) for Charlotte. She had fun deciding into which box she wanted to place her ticket(s). I had fun watching her agonizing over her decisions (another grin).

Outside the sky was now clear blue after the morning's deluge. This is par for Florida. After the show it was just across the road and around the corner to Chili's for Lupper. (That' s like Brunch - it's Lunch and Supper - grin).

We next stopped at Office Depot (Summerfield, FL) for printer ink (I print copies of the blog for Charlotte to proof read) and then crossed the road to Walmart to look for suitable trays to use in my current RV project. As usual, we also found additional items we didn't know we needed (grin).

Then it was back to OMS by dusk. Just a little too dark and a touch too cool to enjoy having the top off the car for the drive back.

I measured the trays before making the purchase. They initially appeared to be able to fit. The main tray section is fine but the lip around the top edge was just a fraction too wide. I will be returning them to Walmart tomorrow. Then it's back to the drawing board. I will have to find an alternative solution.

A quiet TV evening to end the day.

Thursday - 14 Jan/16

Morning began with temps below 50 F. We actually got up with the alarm (TV comes on) at 7:30 a.m. Charlotte was off to sewing for 9 a.m. She will try to complete the sewing of the place mats that she cut out yesterday.

Not so cold last night. The neighbours plants all seem to have survived. Every now and then the sun peaks through for a few minutes then it clouds over again. Temps will reach the mid-60's F before the possible thunderstorms and rain arrive tomorrow (mostly before noon).

Wow! Hurricane "Alex" is the first January hurricane sine the 1930's. This is the fourth known to occur in January. At least it will just stay in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and not do much harm.

I'm anxious for my UPS delivery to arrive today. It contains the materials I ordered for my next shelving project. UPS Tracking indicates it is now out for delivery. It should arrive sometime today at the park office.

I then performed routine tasks this morning before starting dinner. I try to have it ready for Charlotte's return at noon on sewing days. She was the first to arrive and the last to leave today's session.

It was Movie Time after dinner. We watched Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfieffer in "What Lies Beneath" (2000). (Don't watch it alone in a dark room). It is not really a horror movie; but plenty scary with a good plot.

When the UPS tracker on the computer showed my package had been delivered I followed the proper procedure:

      1. I went to our mail box.

      2. I picked up the "You Got Mail" card

      3. I Brought it to the Olde Mill Stream Office.

      4. I exchange the card for the package.

Julie and Linda were on duty (just part of the great staff). After a little laughter (they're a great staff here). Almost impossible to get out of the office without some teasing going on.  I then headed back to the RV with my package.

I worked on the unwrapping, organizing and assembling the components for my pull-out shelves while Charlotte sat on the sofa and hand sewed the finishing touches on the place mats.

Charlotte complete the 6 place mats by suppertime. They look great!

I only partly finished my installation. The supports and 3 pairs of Accu-Glides are now in place. The glides can be placed in any of the slot levels giving good adjustablity. Placement will depend on what we decide to store on each shelf. I still have to decide on how I am going to construct the shelves and then finish the installation. The odd shape (15" depth and 5.5 inch width) are going to make it tricky. I was just able (with a little squeezing) to manage to make the installation due to the size and the fact that I cannot take anything apart to make adjustments.

Charlotte made Pizza for supper just in time to eat while watching Jeopardy. She makes liberal additions of cheese, pepperoni and toppings to make it a lot more hearty....mmm good!

The regular TV programs (and surfing) rounded out the evening.

Wednesday - 13 Jan/16

We slept in - didn't even hear the TV come on at 7:30 a.m.

It was because of all the Sunshine and Fresh Air yesterday! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I finally got up a little after 9 a.m. It was too late for the start of sewing for Charlotte. It really doesn't matter, it's a do-your-own-thing gathering anyway.

We decided to just relax today(or at least as much as we can - grin). It was a TV morning.

The folks walking by looked cold. They had coats, hats and mitts on to keep them warm on their morning walk. It was back to being dull again today. Glad we enjoyed the sunshine yesterday.

Our neighbour's newly planted palm trees looked none the worse for last night's cold.

Today the Wi-Fi is so slow this morning it took me 4 hours just  to update the Apps on the iPhone.

Charlotte made it until 1 p.m. before giving in to the urge to do something. She began cutting out the material for place mats. I continued with computer updates (slowly) and checking the email.

We both worked with one eye on the Flat Screen (for Movies) while working at our tasks. Mostly we listened. The movie up from our collection was an early Tom Hanks: "The Man with One Red Shoe". It was an enjoyable situational style spy comedy without the outrageous, high tech action. Hey! Comedy without today's guttural humour, etc. Just fun.

Charlotte finished cutting out the material for the place mats. The binding will be done on another day as it will need the sewing machine set up to complete.

Nothing else for today. The usual TV evening.

That's it for today.

Tuesday - 12 Jan/16

Coldest night of the year. Below 40 F.

Bonus: The clear blue sky and warm sun was certainly welcome after weeks of mostly gloomy clouds.

Charlotte had a new material list for crafts so we headed to JoAnn Fabrics after brunch with a pre-stop at Publix to get tickets for the Powerball. I'm really looking forward to trying to spend that 1.5 Billion (or more) prize. Some are predicting it will hit closer to 2 Billion by this Wednesday's draw.

It took Charlotte about an hour to find the fabric she wanted. She found a nice piece of material, changed her mind, picked again and then did it all over again. She finally was happy with her choice.

The time needed for Charlotte to choose allowed me to take the top off the Del Sol and enjoy the great sunshine even if it was on the edge of cool at 65 F. The additional time also made it possible to program "Mabel" (our GPS) along routes not taken previously to Clermont, FL.

We really enjoyed the slower and less crowded roads as well as the warmth of the sun. The lack of wind and the fact that air does not "whip around" in the Del Sol like in most convertibles made it a totally enjoyable ride.

I filled up with gas at BJ's (Club Store) and went nearby to Olive Garden for a relaxing late lunch. It took us forever to decide with so many tempting offerings.

We finally made our choices by the time we finished the salad and a few bread sticks.

Charlotte finally decided on the Garlic Rosemary Chicken. Charlotte loves rosemary and they added some extra on top at her request. It was really enjoyable.

I ordered the Cucina Mia! (Create your own pasta bowl). Easy as 1,2,3. I choose 1. pasta (Rotini), 2. sauce (Traditional Meat) and 3. Sausage (Italian, of course). It was also quite good.

We completed lunch in time to get back on the road in the sunshine. We return by the same route taken to Clermont. I was such a nice day and an enjoyable route. We didn't miss the multi-lane traffic at all.

Made it back just before dusk. It looks like clouds are starting to come in for the evening which should act as a blanket and keep it from getting as cold as last night.

Not much on TV this evening after NCIS. of course, unless you are interested in the President's State of the Union Address. I think we will be going to sleep early this evening as tomorrow starts at 7:30 a.m..

It was a busy and enjoyable sunshiny day.

Monday - 11 Jan/15

Back to being the Sunshine State today. The cold spell coming from the North has cleared the skies and we get to see the sun for the first time in many days. The downside is that the temps dropped to the high 50's F today and the clear skies mean frost warnings this evening. Warmer and rain again by the weekend.

Our busy day yesterday meant we just relaxed this morning. Breakfast was brunch (Egg McMuffin style) about 10:30 a.m. Always good!

Charlotte left a little earlier for the afternoon craft session being she had to set up her sewing machine today. Usually she only brings the sewing machine for quilting sessions. Today's craft will involve quite a bit of sewing. She indicated that she might be later than usual today.

There are few empty lots making it even harder to get on the Wi-Fi. Even if folks are not using the Wi-Fi actively the computer may be using part of the resources if it is turned on. Most folks don't turn off the Wi-Fi setting on the computer even when using it for other purposes. Many also set their cell phones and tablets to use the WI-Fi service as there is not data cost receiving internet in this manner compared to use their phone data service. Technically, with the park so full, the Wi-Fi might be being accessed by hundreds of devices in the park. The more the demand the slower the service. The Wi-Fi worked much better by later in the afternoon. Perhaps a lot of cell phones went out of range as folks left the park for day trips in the nice weather.

I decided this would be a good time to do a dump of the sewage tank. I wouldn't want to have to go out in really cold weather if the tank gets full.

Next up it was time to make more storage room in the outside compartments. It's getting pretty full. Despite being cool it was nice to see the sunshine when working outside. It just required a light jacket to keep the cool wind from making it too chilly.

Charlotte is planning to put her Snow Family away clearing room on the steering wheel tabletop for other items of interest.

I had some things  the needed to go into storage; but there should be enough room to hold her "family" when she decides to make the move.

These chores kept me busy until Charlotte returned after crafts. As predicted, she was back much later than usual. It is a big involved project and she only got it partly completed. The crafters involved plan on using the Wednesday sewing craft time to complete the project. Charlotte; however wants to use that time for another project so she will work on it this evening being it is almost completed. The main circular pieces can be arranged in any order making it into placemats, a table runner or even a tablecloth depending on the number of circles made and how they are joined together. Very Pretty!

Charlotte made supper earlier (4 p.m.) than usual as we hadn't had lunch due to the late brunch. The sliced chicken sandwiches were great! Dessert was a few pieces from our Claxton Fruitcake stash.

Wi-Fi returned to be unpredictable and slow by suppertime. Perhaps folks are back home (with their cell phones) in the park?

No plans for anything other than the usual TV evening. We always look forward to Jeopardy. I have also come to enjoy Scorpion on Monday's as well.

Sunday - 10 Jan/16

The Internet was virtually non-existent. Again it appears to be the provider not the park that is at fault. It appears to not have the IPv6 working just IPv4 which is the older protocol. For this reason yesterday's blog may not have gotten out until late Sunday. Today's blog may not get out until Monday - time will tell.

The Sunshine State it ain't! A little brighter today; but no direct sunshine. At least it is not raining.

CBS Sunday Morning as usual. (If you are a regular follower I bet you already knew that - grin)

We decided, shortly after 11 a.m., that a road trip was in order. We decided on the Daytona Flea and Farmers Market as our destination.

It was rated by USA Weekend as one of the top 5 markets in the country. It was also a "Certificate of Excellence" winner on Tripadvisor.

It was an easy ride to our destination. After Deland we just followed US-92 to our destination. The market runs parallel to I-95. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot in the first row; otherwise it would have been a long walk as there is always a large crowd.

The market is open, rain or shine, from 9-5 on F-Sa-Su. Today there was the addition of an Arts and Crafts aisle which is a regular feature on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The first Saturday of the month is when car enthusiasts display their cars from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the West parking area.

Charlotte's first impression was that the interior market area was well lit and spotlessly clean. Free admission, free parking and the large number of quality vendor booths (1000+) make this deserving of it's high ranking.

 I was lucky enough to find a deal on Honda ball caps. 3 for $10. I decided on black instead of red.

I was fortunate enough to get a complementary iPhone screen clean. I didn't really needed a protector.

We stopped for an orange flavoured soft serve after about an hour of walking. We then continued on shopping. A number of the booths were very similar (probably the same vendor). Duplicate booths were most often selling sun glasses, cell phone cases, team logo items, nostalgia signs and socks. This is a common practice in large flea markets.

 There were 2 "As Seen On TV" booths with many items that I had never seen on TV.

The Arts and Crafts item aisle had only half of the tables with vendors. Most were crocheted items.
 It took us two hours of steady (slow) walking to do all of the interior aisles before heading back to OMS.

Pangs of hunger forced us to make a stop in downtown Deland, FL. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it). Actually, it was so we could return to Bill and Frank's "The Brickhouse" restaurant for the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna. Charlotte enjoyed it so much on a previous visit it was worth a redo.

We both ordered the Tuna and once again it was worth the trip. "Nuff said!"

Once again it was an easy ride back to OMS. We stopped at the Rec Hall so Charlotte could check for new material lists for upcoming craft sessions. There were two.

Back at the motorhome an email with a picture of Camper sleeping with her new buddy, Buddy. I guess they are now buddy-buddy.(grin)

IPv6, the newest email protocol, appears to have come back online making the Wi-Fi usable again. It is still terribly slow; but at least it is working.

We were not hungry because of the very late afternoon meal at The Brickhouse. Well buttered popcorn was our evening treat.

We watched (listened) to another B/W Hitchcock classic as I worked on the blog and Charlotte checked out the materials lists she had just picked up at the Rec Hall. Charlotte discovered she is in need of material so an upcoming visit to JoAnn Fabrics will be required.

TV rounded out the evening.

Saturday - 9 Jan/16

Back up to high 70's F.  It is showing mainly sunny this morning; however, it will take at least until mid-morning for the fog to burn off and we get to see Old Sol. Cloudy in the afternoon and a good chance of rain (60%) this evening day; although it will be only a trace. The "drenching" that they talked about all week during the weather broadcast will be crossing to the North of us.

Darn! (That's Dar n - I know how to spell damn - grin) Checking the email I found out through the newsletter from The Villages Box Office that Felix Cavaliere's Rascals will be playing at the Sharon L Morse Center for the Performing Arts on Feb 27th. To Bad! We will probably be back home for a visit at that time. I would have liked to see the concert. In my youth, I once (as in one time) worked as a "Roadie" for The Young Rascals helping the band set up when they played in my hometown. I can still remember the surreal experience of listening to them play "It's a Beautiful Morning", their big hit at the time, and realizing it sounded just like the record. A big deal for a teenager!

The agonizing over how I will convert the other tall cupboard into a pull-out pantry is over! I won't!
I finally decided that because it is so short  (depth 15") and only half the height of the unit I just made I would loose too much storage space making it into a pull-out.  The 6" wide door opening only compounds the problem.

A pull-out pantry brings all the shelves out at once limiting the height of what can be put into each shelf. It's great for cans; however larger items (like cereal boxes) need a lot of top clearance. The wider the object the shorter it has to be for it to be placed on the shelf. I decided to equip the cabinet; as small as it is, with pull-out drawers. Each drawer pulls out individually enabling placement of full height objects into each drawer.

I placed an order with Rockler Woodworking and Hardware for materials to start the project. It should be here in less than 2 weeks. It probably won't be shipped until Monday (weekend order) and I opted for the cheapest rate. The quickest shipping would have cost $100 (Canadian). It may take twice as long to get here; however shipping cost is only $15 (Can.). And now I wait!

A 1 1/4" QwikTray kit will make the drawer height adjustable (up or down) in the cabinet. The 4 vertical corner posts (pilasters) hold the drawer slides (white horizontal bars in demo photo). They may be re-positioned up or down at any time.

Three 14" Accuride 100-lb Zinc Full Extension drawer slides. They are little pricey. I hope the quality will pay off. Full extension slides allow the drawer to extend completely out of the cabinet making it easy to access all items.

By then it was time for "The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation" on TV. This is such an interesting program - similar, in a way, to Daily Planet. Neat to see how inventions and technology work. "The MO You Know" multiple choice trivia style questions are also interesting and informative as is MOcabulary. The latter two features are named after the programs host Mo Rocca,

Brunch was the remaining Banana Pancakes left over from yesterday. Still great!

Nothing on TV worth watching after Innovation Nation. Half of the TV stations are showing either cartoons or infomercials. We decided to pass on the monthly car show in downtown Eustis being the weather is gloomy. The moisture level (on the TV continuous local weather channel) is fluctuating between 96 and 100%. By the time the fog burns off the clouds will be here, Time to choose a video.

There are still a few from the Hitchcock collection we haven't viewed. First up was "Marnie". Mark (Sean Connery) marries Marnie (Tippi Hedren) although she is a habitual thief and has serious psychological problems. He tries to help her confront and resolve them. We followed up with two more Hitchcock oldies before switching to TV.

Charlotte got to embroider while listening. I did computer program chores and updates as I listened to the plots unwind. Printer grief had me worried that it was finished. After a few "Head Cleaning" runs it appears to be working again.

The clouds arrived before the sun could break through. It was extremely gloomy all day. Chips and Dip / Scoops and Salsa for supper as we channel surfed. Only half a Jeopardy due to a long running football playoff.

A two hour Dateline Saturday Night Mystery ended the evening.

Friday - 8 Jan/16

Guess we were tired - we slept in until 9 a.m. It wasn't too hard with the light rain serenading the RV roof. We just rolled over and dozed back off to sleep.

Charlotte made Banana Pancakes for breakfast....mmm good!

An e-mail from daughter Liz pointed out that something I was aware of for a few years; however now might be enforced. Although staying in the USA for 182 days is possible and not a problem with crossing the border, per se, the problem lies with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) not Immigration.

A new information-sharing agreement between Canada and the United States, the "Entry Exit Initiative" (effective Jan/2015), allows officials to track how many days Canadians have spent in the U.S. Prior to the agreement, the both countries could only track entry dates, not exit dates.

A common misconception is that Canadians regularly travelling to the U.S. for long stays can spend up to 182 days, or six months, in the U.S without being considered a resident for tax purposes.

For people travelling to the U.S. for long stays year after year, it's actually 120 days, or four months, averaged using a special formula over a period of three years. The Formula: total number of days spent in the current travel year is added to 1/3 the total number of days spent in the previous year, and 1/6 the number of days spent in the year prior to that.

To avoid being considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes by filling out a Closer Connection Exception Statement form annually.

Note: The above exemption is null and void if you stay more than 183 days although other exemptions can be made.

Canadians who overstay their welcome in the U.S. are at risk of:

• Being considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes and having to pay taxes on worldwide income.
• Losing their Canadian residency for tax purposes and their health care.
• Being deemed illegally resident in the U.S. and being banned from the country for three to 10 years.

Keep accurate records of where and when you visit the USA. Day trips are counted! (Generally, there are exemptions to this too.)

This law has been on the books for years and was designed to tax U.S. nationals living in other countries who were trying to avoiding paying taxes. It has always been available for enforcement.

The rules of length of stay haven't changed, only the information that can be shared between borders, making it now easy to enforce. 

Will They? That's a "Crapshoot". 

(Craps is a game in which players make wagers on the outcomes of rolls of dice. Because dice tumble randomly and the outcome is not predictable, craps is a game of chance. From this we can infer the meaning of the metaphorical term crapshoot—that is, a situation whose outcome is not predictable.)

All I can say is that if the IRS did start enforcing this law to the letter the economies of the southern USA would take a serious hit in the winter months. Any RV park we have stayed in over the years has had at least 20% Canadian RVers in the prime months (J/F/M).

Be safe and file the form - better safe than sorry!

While I ranted on (above) Charlotte completed an example of a Travel Jewellery Bag she will share with the craft group at a later date. The ribbon pulls to close the bag.

The bag opens to reveal several compartments in which to hold items. She did a great job! (as usual) Really cute and handy, too.

Sun start to peek through around noon (only for a short time). Temps climbed to mid-70's. We decided to go on a road trip: Destination - Flea World in Sanford, FL. While searching the web to see if it was open on Friday I noticed an article that said it was closing soon (actually in August 2015). I was confused - it still had a website. Who operates a website for a closed business? I phoned the number listed and received an answer. It was closed - the site is still up to sell equipment and land. It sure would be helpful if they indicated that on the website so it doesn't confuse non-locals like me.

Change of plans. We decided to go shopping locally instead. Charlotte needed a pot to re-pot a plant. I checked out the hardware I am thinking of using for the upcoming pantry project.

Next, it was across the road to the Publix. This store is twice the size of the one we usually go to near OMS. By the time we came out it was dark. I loaded the groceries into the trunk while Charlotte stood in line for Powerball tickets. Not even 1 number right on our last ticket. Hope we are luckier this time - we sure could use the Billion (Yes, with a B) Dollar prize. This will be the largest lottery prize ever - anywhere!

Made it back in time for Jeopardy. It didn't really matter. For some reason the reception was very poor or non-existent for this channel. We turned to other channels and checked back occasionally. That channel only returned for the revelation of the answer for Final Jeopardy.

Channel surfed and watched a variety of programs until bedtime.

Thursday - 7 Jan/16

A dull day in the morning; however the clouds burnt off by afternoon and it was sunny with temps near 70 F.

Charlotte headed off to sewing at 9 a.m.  Those aren't lights on the car; they're the reflectors. It was so dark the auto flash on the camera went off.

While Charlotte was gone I did routine tasks. Because we find the new pull-out pantry I installed a few weeks ago so handy I am trying to figure out how to convert another kitchen cabinet. It is such a pain to have to empty a shelf to get at what is at the back. It's size, shape and location make it a difficult task as it cannot be removed like a regular kitchen cabinet. It will be even harder to work there being it is so small.

I had dinner made for Charlotte's return. It was a repeat of yesterday's offering.

We relaxed with TV until it was time to get ready for today's outing. We left at 4 p.m. for the Savannah Center in the Villages.

The 5 p.m. (early) show was a "Tribute" show featuring The Boxers (Simon and Garfunkle) and Fire and Rain (James Taylor.) They play The Villages about once a year. Our seats were right up front.

The Boxers appeared for the first half-hour. They brought us back to the 60's era and "Folk Songs". They played most of Simon and Garfunkle's hits and sounded as good as the originals. Can anybody say "Hootenanny".(grin)

Hootenanny was also an old country word for "party". Nowadays the word most commonly refers to a folk music party with an open mic, at which different performers are welcome to get up and play in front of an audience. This was a staple of local entertainment in the 60's. Probably the forerunner (or at least inspiration) of Karaoke?

A short break then it was time for The JT Experience (James Taylor). The original group of 4 musicians expanded to 9. The same lead singer as previously; however in The Boxers he did not look like Simon or Garfunkle. Now he bore a striking resemblance to "Baby James" (except he was not bald under the trademark cap). This session provided over an hour of James Taylor's best. An additional treat was that 7 of the 9 sang. They all had strong, powerful voices adding to the enjoyment. As revealed by introductions during the show, all except for 2, were members of 2 families. This explains why the voices melded so well when singing in unison.

After the relaxing and most enjoyable entertainment we made an unusual evening (a little after 7 p.m.) stop at Joann's. Here Charlotte picked up some odds and ends needed to finish a few projects. I had the privilege of picking fabric for place mats she will be making for our girls - hope they like my choice.

This 6 lane section along Hwy. 441/U.S. 27 in Lady Lake,  borders the "Spanish Springs" section of The Villages. It is virtually one continuous shopping area with all the "Big Box" stores and restaurant chains you can think of lining both sides.

Feeling famished (my big word for the day - grin) we decided on the Longhorn Steakhouse on the other side of the parking lot. It was packed; however most patrons came for 6 p.m. and the wait was short.

We both order the featured sirloin steaks (upsized to 8 oz.). Charlotte ordered the Savory Parmesan Crusted Sirloin (Medium) w/salad and baked sweet potato. My choice was the Smokey Bacon (Medium-rare) w/salad and loaded baked potato. Both were perfectly grilled! As they advertise: "You Can't Fake Steak!"

Being dark, we decided on returning to OMS by the "Big Road" as the roads are well lit rather than taking the dark back roads. Traffic is light this time of night and the extra few miles weren't noticeable. What was noticeable were the signs of many stores and restaurants that aren't as visible during the day. Local sign regulations (Monument Signs) combined with landscaping make it hard to find many of these stores even when you know the area where they are located.

We were both tired by the time we got back to the motorhome. I didn't even turn on the computer to do the blog. We put the bedroom TV on timer and were both asleep before "Elementary" finished.

Wednesday - 6 Jan/16

A pretty dull day - weather and all! We missed the rain which crossed Florida and headed into the Atlantic just south of us - all 2"-3" inches of it.

Charlotte was off to sewing at 9 a.m. I actually slept in and didn't even hear the alarm. (TV comes on at 7:30 a.m.)

I at least had dinner ( cheddar scalloped potatoes, corn, smoked ham slices ) made when Charlotte returned at noon.

Charlotte worked hard at hemming her embroidered towels.

She then cut out a few dozen 9" and 14" circles for upcoming projects. I couldn't be so neat and precise!

We watched (more liked listened) to a few Hitchcock B/W Classics while Charlotte did more embroidery and I did computer work programming maps for upcoming travels into "Mabel" (our GPS).

In the afternoon we talked to Kat (daughter). We just needed to test out her new Smart Phone (grin).

The usual TV evening; but there was not much on other than the "People's Choice Awards" it wasn't hard to go to bed early being we would be getting up again at 7:30 a.m. again tomorrow.

We went to bed with visions of sugarplums winning the Powerball dancing in our heads. (grin). A "Half-Billion" dollar jackpot will do that to you. Hey, that's almost the GNP (Gross National Product) of some small nations!

That wraps up today.