Thu - 12 Jan/17

Great weather for the next week. Mostly sunshine and temps around 80 F. The weather generally has been running about 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year. We are not complaining!

The usual morning routine.  At 9 a.m. I dropped Charlotte off at the Craft Room which already had several tables set up with sewing machines.

Charlotte set up, as usual, near the back wall.

I then took the computer out of the trunk and walked to the Lodge next door. I also set up in my usual spot centered along the back wall across from the wood burning fireplace.

I continued to work on tasks that required the internet. As usual a number of folks drifted in to check their email. Most had tablets, They completed their work and were gone within a few minutes.

I completed my internet tasks before Charlotte was finished so I put my computer in the trunk and went inside to join her. She had just complete 1 of 4 pillowcase she is doing for Liz for their trailer.

We stopped at the RV to drop off the computer and sewing machine and to pick up computer #2. I use this computer for a backup. When I took it out of it's case to charge the battery I discovered it had a broken screen. I have no idea how that happened. I have replaced screens on laptops in the past; however the case was warped so I thought it best to bring it in to a computer shop.

I found "Computer Corner" on-line in Leesburg, FL that did just that. It was near the Harbor Freight so I knew where to go. We brought it in for an estimate. We should get a call tomorrow and then can decide if it is worth fixing.

It was now time for lunch. Once again we decided on "Steak and Shake" on the way back on US-441.

It was almost 2 pm. We planned on taking advantage of "Happy Hour" to each get a milkshake at half price to add to our usual "Shooters" (3 small burger w/fries platter).

We still had 15 minutes "To Kill" before 2 pm so we parked and went next door to "Check Out" the Goodwill store. It was huge! This was our first time in a Goodwill store. As we looked around I found a light beige shirt which I purchased. All my shirts are dark and the "Resident Photos" to be done next week for the "OMS Directory" require I wear a light coloured shirt. Problem solved!

We returned to the Steak and Shake (now after 2 pm) which was packed as usual during Happy Hour. We ordered our meal which included a Blackberry Shake for Charlotte and a Turtle Caramel Nut. Their shakes are rated #1 on the Zagat Survey.

We then returned to the motorhome to relax until this evenings show in the Main Rec Hall. We left at 6:30 pm for tonight's entertainment:  "Spittin' Image". The identical twin brothers, Blain and Brian Swabb have appeared at OMS a number of times. They have always played to a packed house.

This is a picture of both of them (grin).

They have been playing music for over 43 years. They did everything from Motown to Bluegrass with Rock 'n Roll and the Blues thrown in. The performed for 15 years in their own nightclub "My Brother's Place" (don't try to figure out which brother - another grin) then went back on to touring. Originally from Greenville, OH they now spend a lot of time on the road doing over 400 shows a year.

Charlotte’s especially enjoyed when they played a Country “George Strait” medley – leading off with two of her  favourite songs – “Amarillo By Morning” and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

They also added a lot of humour to their show. They spent a great deal of time down on the floor with the audience. I thought it was funny except when I got picked with two other audience members to go up on stage.

Prior to the start of the show one of the brothers commented as he walked by (our usual seats near the back)  – “You think your safe here!”. Charlotte, not wanting to be picked, said; “Let’s move back more” which we did.

That move was "Good News  – and Bad News! The "Good  News" was that we got to meet a really nice couple from NY²   (That’s NY Squared = New York, NY - AKA "The Big Apple" - grin). They just arrived at the park and are neighbours a few sites down (on the corner) of our street.

The "Bad News" was that he still found me and I ended up on stage with two others.

Each of us had to open and close our mouth when tapped on the head. We also had to nod "Yes" when we were tapped on the back. Along with this we had to move our hand in an upward (Italian?)gesture as they played an Italian tune (something like "O Sol O Mio".? We were the Lip Sync Dummies.

The walk home after the show was enjoyable. It was still "Shirt Sleeve" warm and the full moon was shining on Lake Pearl.

We watched local TV News (on timer) to end the day

Wed - 11 Jan/17

Another great day - going up to mid-70's F.

I dropped Charlotte off at the Craft Room and parked the car outside. Charlotte put the sewing machine in the car trunk so she could use it later if she finished today's craft.

I took my computer to the Lodge next door to use the Wi-Fi to update the previous blog entries for this year with pictures.

I don't have enough data on my phone account to use it for a hotspot so I will try to publish a blog for each day by the next morning using the park Wi-Fi Hotspot.

Charlotte finished her craft work early. She got the sewing machine from the car trunk and continued working on another project. At noon she came to tell me she was returning to the motorhome to make sandwiches for lunch. I remained to work on updating previous blogs.

I finally finished all the updates and returned to the motorhome in time to have my lunch - for supper. It was a full 9-5 day. At least the blogs are now up to date.

I then printed out copies of the updated blogs.

Nothing else is on the agenda for today. A regular TV evening - then bed.

Tue  – 10 Jan/17

Craft Day = Up at 7 a.m.

I drove Charlotte to the Craft Room for 9 a.m. I parked outside and walked down the sidewalk carrying my laptop computer to the “Lodge”. This is one of the 3 places in the park with a Wi-Fi Hotspot.  With the craft session going on the chances of a table or power outlet being available would be slim. This is why I decided on going to the Lodge just next door.

My mission today was to start adding pictures to the blog entries that I had already made. First up I register my wireless Bluetooth earphones then used them to listen to an audio book while working on the blog.

Charlotte was working on a crocheting project today and finished early. She completed a 9” square which will be added to those done by others and eventually will be joined to make a quilt that will be donated to someone with cancer.

Charlotte returned to the motorhome to make sandwiches for lunch while I continued updating past blogs with pictures. I completed updating the first 5 blogs for this year with pictures. Then I returned to RV for a late lunch.

We watched TV until the completion of the Dr. Phil program. Then it was time to head for the S
Savannah Center in The Villages. We were looking forward to the ( 5 p.m.) “Laugh a Little” with Rich Little show. We had good seats in row 4.

Rich Little, born in Ottawa, ON, first made an impression as an impressionist (grin) on Canadian TV in the mid-60’s. He was then “discovered” by American TV and has been a fixture “South-of-the-Border” ever since. The Villages, being America’s largest 55+ community (120,000+), is the perfect venue for Rich. Everyone here can remember from personal experience, all the stars he impersonates.

Rich entertained us for over an hour and a half with comedy and humour delivered with the “voices”, mannerisms and anecdotes of numerous stars of TV, stage and screen. It brought back 50 years of memories of “the times of our lives”. We once again got to experience the singers, actors and TV personalities we grew up with.

The show chronicled the career of Rich Little. A talented charcoal artist, Rich presented his sketches of the stars he portrayed with his impressions on a large stage screen. The screen was also used to show numerous actual TV clips of his appearances portraying these same stars.

After the show, Rich graciously appeared for autographs and pictures. He was also selling his current book “Little by Little” with all proceeds going to the Gary Sinise Wounded Warriors Charity.

We highly recommend “Laugh a Little” with Rich Little to all of our generation. It was exceptional!

 

Supper, on the way back to OMS, was at our usual Steak and Shake on Hwy-441.

 

We both had “Shooters” (3 mini-burgers w/fries).

 

For dessert we each shared the “Fat Man’s (???) and a Napoleon after arriving back at the motorhome while watching NCIS.

Various TV (surfing) programs and writing the blog (for publishing tomorrow morning) finished the evening.

Mon – 9 Jan/17

Another cold evening with temps down to the high 30’s F.

Today our plans were to go to the Webster Flea Market in Webster, FL so we remained in bed until 9 a.m. There was enough to keep us entertained on the local news. A massive manhunt is on after a wanted killer shot and killed a police officer at a Walmart, shot at other officers and escaped by committing a “car-jacking”. A second officer was killed when hit by a car making an illegal turn (on a red light) while he was on his way to assist in the search.  Another officer was also injured while responding. Over a dozen schools in the area of the search are in “Lockdown” while a massive police presence concentrated on a specific area of Orlando. A SWAT team went door-to-door in an apartment complex. Many residents either could not leave areas or go home due to safety concerns as a massive police search continued.

We left for the Webster Flea Market about 9:30 a.m. We took a slow scenic route along Lake Eustis to Tavares, FL. This is the way we go to Jo-Ann Fabrics. From there we took SR-19 towards Howey-in-the-Hills; but turned just before arriving there and headed on different routes through Yalaha, Okahumpka and Center Hill to Webster, FL. This is a less busy and very scenic way and takes about an hour.

Webster is the “Grand Daddy” of Farmer/Flea Markets in this area. It is on Monday’s and the hundreds of vendors attract thousands of cars. Although being a sunny day, the market wasn’t quite so busy today because of the unusually cold weather. This was great for us as we don’t do heat and humidity well.

We found a variety of items as we walked through the many rows set up in the fairgrounds. Charlotte bought some items for an upcoming craft project while I got a business card holder to use for my RV ID cards. I tried to get a few extra car keys made; but they didn’t have a match for my 22 year old Honda Del Sol.

Charlotte enjoyed looking at the puppies that were for sale.

 

Three separate stops in different areas of the market yielded 10 “Boyd’s Bear Resins” for Charlotte’s collection.

It took us over 2 hours to navigate (only) about half of the market. We then decided it was time to head back before the afternoon rush.  There was “Method in our Madness”. We would stop at the Yalaha Bakery on the way back for a late lunch.

 

This has become a favourite stop for us to make whenever we can. Today we each had a half sandwich and soup. Charlotte had the “Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad” and I had the Turkey Sandwich – both were on Crusty Bread. There were 2 soups available so we ordered one of each: 1) Lentil and 2) Bread.  This was the first time for the Bread Soup which is made with pretzels (traditional type - not the skinny straight ones). It was really good.

We were stuffed! This meant dessert, which is the bakery’s specialty, would be coming home with us. We picked four: Black Forest Cake, Napoleon, a tart called a “Fat Man’s (darned if we can remember the last word)” and a treat (honey and almonds on a cream filled cake) that had a German name that we also forget.

It was now warm enough to take the top off and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. The “Cold Front” is on the way out and it will get warmer over the next few days.

We made a stop at our usual Jo-Ann Fabrics store to pick up a yard of fabric and a different size knitting needle. Needles have a variety of numbers to identify the size. Charlotte bought a 4 cm instead of a #4 set of circular needles last trip. Now she has the correct set.

We were back at the motorhome in time for the local evening news. The manhunt for the “Cop Killer” is still intense with all area police agencies out in full force.

What can I say - the park is "Going to the Birds."

We each shared a dessert for supper. We will try to resist temptation and save the remainder until tomorrow (grin).

Not a lot on TV on Monday night. It will be a double Law and Order: SVU then Scorpion at 10 p.m. followed by local news at 11.

That will be it for today.

Sun – 8 Jan/17

The temps dropped to the mid-30’s F during the night.

Despite this we were cozy in bed while we had coffee cake for breakfast while watching CBS Sunday Morning.

Then it was time to head out – going South. Although cool, it was a sunny day. We took the “Back Roads” which were really quiet on a Sunday.

 

First stop was Harbor Freight in Apopka, FL were we picked up a few (4) magnetic tool strips, two 4” magnetic bowls and a plastic box of smaller (25) boxes (for stuff).

 

Then we were off on Hwy-441 to Costco in Altamont Springs, FL. I had seen a Keurig Coffee Maker there on the last trip and thought it had good features at a good price. This was before our coffee maker quit working. We were returning to see if they still had some in stock.

They did so we picked it up along with 2 cooling pillows, 2 more “InstaCrates” (we got 2 last trip and wanted two more) and a box of blueberries. It was a quick in and out.

We decided to pass on hotdogs at the “Costco Café” as it is not inside; but outside and today outside was cold!

 

We returned on Hwy-441 which was less busy than on week days. The plan was to stop at Renniger’s Florida Twin Markets.

 

 

We changed our mind when we realized this was the second Sunday of the month and it was “Guitars & Cars” Swap Day making it really crowded.

This decision to pass on stopping at the Flea Market was a “Double Whammy”. Lunch was going to be a bucket of “Mini-Donuts” which is a regular treat for us when we stop here.  

Solution for one “Whammy” was that we would go to the Webster Flea Market on Monday instead.

 

Solution for the second “Whammy” was lunch at Golden Corral just a little bit down Hwy-441. This was a good decision as the weekend features Prime Rib which was excellent.

We were back at the motorhome in time for the second NFL “Wild Card” game (NY Giants vs Green Bay Packers).

After the game we called both of our girls back home. We don’t get Canadian News; however the local news stations were showing really bad storms in the northern USA. Thankfully the bad weather missed them; but it is 20 Below in the Great White North.

The good news was that Marty’s (Grandson and Goalie) team won Bronze in a hockey tournament and Marty and Nick also got in some snowboarding last week. Marty has to go back to school tomorrow (Boo-Hoo!).

That wraps up our 4^th Sunday in the park. My – How time flies!

Sat – 7 Jan/17

The storm continued throughout the night and woke us up several times. The lightning often was so close there was only a fraction of a second between the “Flash” and the “Crash”. Since the "Rule of Thumb" is each second = 1 mile, some of the lightning strikes were within a few hundred yards. The crashes were so loud we were awakened a number of times during the night; however going back to sleep again with “Rain on the Roof” was easy.

Today was a good “Sleep in” day.

After a late breakfast, Charlotte chopped celery and onion to add to the Potato Salad we will be taking to the “Pot Luck” at 5 p.m. in the Rec Hall. The Bean Soup is made each year from the leftover ham from the Christmas Dinner. It is always delicious. We will have to be there by 4:30 or we will be 15 minutes late.

We passed on going to the Craft Show at Spanish Springs in The Villages due to the weather. Today was quite cool and very damp and windy which along with cloudy sky did not encourage an outing. Our only event for today will be the “Bean Soup Pot Luck” in the Rec Hall this afternoon. Until then it will be TV time.

In the meantime, I did a little work adding photos to the earlier entries in this year's blogs. I had not inserted pictures previously because of the park Wi-Fi situation. I will continue to add pictures, probably on Tuesday morning, when Charlotte goes to crafts. I will then go to the Lodge to make updates.

We needed our coats for the walk to the Rec Hall for the Pot Luck. It will cool down to the mid-30's F this evening. It won't be until Tuesday that the daytime highs return to the 70's F.

There was a good crowd for the Pot Luck (as always). We were lucky - Table #2 was the first called to start the meal. We filled our plates with a nice variety of "Pot Luck" dishes while a bowl of "Bean Soup" was brought for each of us at our table. There were also a wide choice of desserts making choosing difficult.

We arrived back at the RV just as the Local News was starting. We were shocked to hear an attack by a single gunman happened at Orlando International Airport had leaving 5 dead and 8 injured. It appears the shooter was ex-military from Alaska with mental problems and may not be linked to terrorism.

This isn't the same world we knew just a few short years ago.

Random TV will wrap up a relatively quiet day. 

Fri –6 Jan/17

Friday morning was a “do nothing” morning – or at least only do little.

A few items were transferred to the “Going Home” compartment outside. These are items that we will be taking home in the car when we return to renew our out-of-country insurance. After remaining 24 hours in our home province we receive another 95 days of coverage. The cost of returning home is much less than the cost of adding the additional coverage. The additional 95 days (after the 24 hr stay) is free compared to paying thousands for the same number of days of coverage. Besides, returning gives us a chance to visit family and friends. We are enjoying it here; but we do miss them.

Wally’s Garage (Tavares, FL) picked us up at the park just after lunch. Charlotte returned with me so that we could go from there to do a little shopping, go out for supper and then to the Herman’s Hermit concert in the Villages.

The car now has all new engine belts for the power steering, A/C and alternator. They were pretty well done even though they were only 22 years old and had only done over 500,000 km of service (grin).  It also has new rear brake pads and a engine tune-up. The motor always ran well. Now it has returned to being “as smooth as butter”. Wally did an excellent job!

First stop was Jo-Ann’s, also in Tavares. Charlotte picked up 4 pillow forms for an upcoming project she will be working on during craft days at the park.

I had an enjoyable conversation with Pershing. He noticed our Ontario license plate and asked where we lived. He lived for a period in Orillia, ON. I noticed he had a “Tuskegee Airmen” Patch on his jacket. This was the popular name of a group of African-American military pilots who fought as a unit in World War II. Today the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is a U.S. National Park in Tuskegee, AL. It is on our list of places we want to visit.

Next, we were headed to “The Villages”. Usually, we take the “Back Way” from OMS; however since we were already in Tavares, we continued on Hwy 441. Naturally, we had the “Top Off” so we could enjoy the sunshine and great weather. We would have just enough time to have a meal before going to the 5 p.m. Herman’s Hermit’s show.

The Lady Lake section of “The Villages” has virtually every chain restaurant imaginable. We wanted a “Sit-Down” meal rather than “Fast Food”; however we also needed  quick service. I decided the “Cracker Barrel” that was fairly close to our concert destination would be the best choice.

After ordering, Charlotte went to the “Country Store” in case there was something there that she didn’t know she needed. There was – she found a neat “Ball Cap” that had a more feminine profile for wearing in the Del Sol when the top is off.

 

Meanwhile, I tried to solve the Triangle puzzle that is available at every Cracker Barrel table. Today I solved it on the first try! Usually I get it down to 2 pegs remaining and solve it occasionally. Of course, Charlotte was in the store at the time and didn’t get to see my masterful maneuvering.

 

We each enjoyed our meal and arrived at the Savannah Center in The Villages about 10 minutes before show time.  As usual, both shows (5 and 7pm) are sellouts each time it comes to The Villages.

 

 “Rocky and the Rollers” are the traditional “Front Group” for Herman’s Hermits when they play here. They are regulars at “The Villages” and have been entertaining at various venues for the last 18 years. They would be the “American Rock ‘n Roll” before the “British Invasion” part of the show. This eight man band played a variety of American classics. Their full sound was excellent, especially in their version of Chicago’s Megahit “25 or 6 to 4”.

Then it was “The British Invasion” led by lead singer Peter Noone. This multi-talent English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor is best known as “Herman.” Originally, he gained this nickname because of his resemblance to  ”Sherman “of “Bullwinkle & Rocky” cartoon fame. The “S” was removed becoming “Herman and his Hermit’s” which again morphed into “Herman’s Hermits”, the #3 group (after The Beatles and the Rolling Stones) in the British Invasion of the ‘60’s. They sold over sixty million recordings, with fourteen gold singles and seven gold albums. The Hermits were twice named Cashbox's "Entertainer of the Year".  Noone studied voice and drama at the Manchester School of Music, where he won the Outstanding Young Musician Award. He has also played a number of acting roles on television, including that of Stanley Fairclough in the soap opera “Coronation Street”.

As Herman, Peter Noone also performed on hundreds of television programmes and appeared with Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye. He starred in ABC's musical version of The Canterville Ghost, Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of the classic Pinocchio (in which he played the title role), and three feature films for M-G-M: Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter, Hold On! and When The Boys Meet The Girls.

 His skill was certainly evident. What a fantastic show! The show was a seamless blend of many of their top hits coupled with humorous anecdotes. Peter was so natural and so funny this could easily have received equal billing as a comedy show. Of the hundreds of shows we have seen this concert has to rank right up there as one of the best – ever!

They sang many of their classic hits which included: "I'm into Something Good", "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter", "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am", "Silhouettes", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "Just a Little Bit Better", "Wonderful World", "There's a Kind of Hush", "A Must to Avoid", "Listen People", "The End of the World", and "Dandy".

Several times the audience was encouraged to join in and sing parts of the song. "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am" was virtually total audience participation.

Peter was even available immediately after the show for pictures and autographs.
Today Peter Noone is a naturalized, U.S. citizen and currently lives in Santa Barbera, CA.

The weather reports for the last few days have concentrated on the “Cold Front” coming in. Because of this I could not believe how nice it was outside after the show.  I removed the top for the ride back to OMS. The 6 lanes of HWY-441 are usually quite busy; however, it quiets down substantially in the evening. It is also very well lit. For these reasons we took this way back rather than “The Backroads”.

Our last stop was at our usual “Publix” for a few needed grocery items.  When we came out it was still quite warm; but it had begun raining lightly. This was to change substantially by bedtime. As the front came through we varied from light rain to downpours, rolling thunder and lightning that lit up the skies. It is easy to understand why Florida is the “Lightning” capital of the world.

This continued through until 8 a.m. Then it was “Tree Showers” (water falling from the leaves of the huge oaks)  for another hour or so.

Thu – 5 Jan/17

Up at 7 a.m.

Today’s weather will be a repeat of yesterday – mid 70’s F; but with clearer skies, less humidity and very little wind.

I brought the Del Sol in to Wally’s Garage in Tavares, FL. It is about 10 minutes away from the park. Wally was kind enough to give me a ride back to OMS. I arrived back just before Charlotte left for crafts.

Before leaving Charlotte informed me that our Hamilton-Beach coffee maker had quit working. The unit was purchased in Canada. That was a “Good News/Bad News” kind of thing.  The “Bad News” meant a replacement had to be shipped to our home address in Canada. This meant we would be buying a coffee maker in the U.S. as I don’t think giving up coffee until we go home in April is an option. The “Good News” was the Canadian units had a 5 year replacement warranty compared to 1 year in the USA. It also meant we would be paying the fee to cover shipping ($10) in Canadian Funds.

 

As proof that the unit was no longer functional I had to cut the cord then send a picture of the unit w/cut cord to Hamilton-Beach. Upon confirmation a new unit will be shipped to our home.

The time required to look up the service phone number, make the call, wait on hold, provide the necessary information, cut the cord and take and send the confirmation photo by email meant it was now after 11 a.m. and I had done nothing else.

By the time I checked my email and did some on-line banking it was 11:15 and no RV chores had been completed. Boy, did I feel guilty!

To ease my conscience I went out to “Dump” the RV’s holding tanks. Each site has an underground sewer line that can be connected to the holding tanks. The toilet system in an RV empties to a holding tank which stores the waste until it is “Dumped”.  Very little water is used allowing for a fair amount of waste to be stored before the holding tank fills to capacity. Most RV’s have a “Black Water” tank that stores sewage and a smaller “Grey Water” tank that stores the effluent from the sinks and shower.

Starting Saturday a cold spell will be arriving along with a good chance of a steady rain. I would rather “dump” today before the tank is full and the weather is nice than to have to go out (possibly at night) when the weather is miserable.

That being done, I had enough time to warm up the remainder of the Spanish Rice for lunch. It was just as good the second time around.

We are doing our best to relax. We channel surfed TV after lunch. TMZ, Harry (Connnick Jr.) and Dr. Phil were among the shows we watched. I also “Surfed the (Inter)Net” looking for a replacement coffee maker.  We decided on checking out the unit we saw at Costco a few days ago. We didn’t need one at the time; however it caught our attention when we “Cruised” the store.  With space limited on the RV counter we want to check it out for size. We also decided to go early on another day to avoid the “afternoon rush”.

Quitting “Cold Turkey” is hard. Late afternoon I did a few more “compartment” arranging tasks.

Now I don’t feel so “guilty”.  

We then waited for a call from “Wally’s Garage”. The call came just before 5 p.m. I asked Wally to check everything. A brake inspection revealed the front set were fine; however Wally will be replacing the rear brakes tomorrow morning.  We will get the car back before the noon hour.

A few years ago I was fortunate to “find” Wally. At that time, when I stopped at a “chain auto repair store” when the A/C quit working, I was presented with a $1500.00 estimate to replace the compressor. A similar estimate was received at another chain service shop.

I sought another opinion and was referred to Wally’s Garage. Wally cleaned a leaky valve and refilled the refrigerant and all worked again. A “Word to the Wise”: Many “Chain” shops don’t pay mechanics a good salary. The mechanics; however can earn a big commission from sales they recommend. These businesses may trust their workers recommendations; but I don’t!

Similarly, often inferior parts (not OEM quality) may be used by these shops to increase profit. Wally’s business was built on top notch work using top quality parts. Good maintenance, parts and service are the reason our 22 year old Honda Del Sol Si runs and looks like new, even after over 500,000 KM.

Thursday is not a great TV evening. After supper it will be Jeopardy, Family Feud and channel surfing while we play Scrabble.

That’s about it for today!

N.B. Friday’s blog may not be published until Saturday. I am thinking of doing the blog on the following days. In this way I will be able to use the park Wi-Fi in the clubhouse allowing me to include pictures; whereas I don’t have the data/bandwidth when I use my phone as a hotspot. The clubhouse/lodge/multi-purpose rooms close in the early evening before we return from some outings so the blog will be regular; but most often, a day late.

Wed – 4 Jan/17

We enjoyed listening to the rain on the motorhome roof at various times throughout the night. It dropped the temperature making it feel more comfortable. We enjoy the fresh smell of the evening air as it is drawn in over the bed.

The bedroom windows do not slide. They open by tipping upward. This allows for good ventilation even in a downpour. The RV also has 2 roof vents with multi-speed fans. Closing all the other RV windows and turning on a roof fan draws the refreshing evening air in over the bed. We only use the A/C when it is extremely hot and humid.

The temps today will only rise to the high 70’s F and the dark clouds, rain, humidity and windy conditions are not with us today.

Being a craft day we were once again up at 7 a.m. 

To our surprise the outlet in the kitchen had no power. The microwave had power; but Charlotte would have to do without her morning coffee and breakfast would be cereal; but no toast.

Electricity in an RV is a complicated issue with relays and breakers and control panels that link together several power systems. The 12 volt power from the engine alternator, batteries and a power converter as well as a 120 power system from a 50 amp generator, a 15, 20, 30 or 50 amp electrical plug-in (shore power) all are integrated mechanically and electronically. Propane is added to the mix as an additional source of power to be included with the electricity and battery power to allow an alternative method for cooking, hot water heating and refrigeration.

After breakfast I started to try and find the reason for our power outage. There are several power points in this multi-layered system to check. These include switches, electronic controls/displays, fuses and breakers.

There was power from the outside electrical box. Those breakers were on as were the main breakers in the motorhome power breaker panel. The electronic “Intelligent Power Control” that rations power to various appliances if a full 50 amps is not available was showing all was OK. Next was a secondary panel that had “Auto” type fuses that further controlled relays and circuits. All systems ahead of the fuse panel were functioning so this is where I would begin.

I checked out each of the “Auto” type fuses and all were OK. I was puzzled?

Next I took the outlet apart in the kitchen and it did not have any loose wires as I had suspected.

Charlotte then remembered the English Muffins we had for supper last night were not as crisp as usual. I checked the toaster in a different wall outlet. It did not work. I thought the toaster malfunctioned last night and blew out something in the electronic circuitry.

I turned on the 50 amp generator which would disconnect the 50 amp shore power and recycle the electronic power control. The electronics take about 2 minutes to “sense” the amount of power that is available. Then it turns on the appropriate number of relays – one at a time. I heard all the relays click on; but that did not switch on the kitchen outlet. I was puzzled?

I took out my circuit tester and discovered that there was no power to the kitchen fuse in the circuit fuse box. I also discovered that the outlet in the bathroom was not functioning either.

No matter! It was now time to drive Charlotte (and her sewing machine) to crafts.

When I returned to the RV I set my phone up as a “Hot Spot” and downloaded a service manual from the internet for the “Intellitec 50 Amp Smart EMS” that controls the motorhome’s RV power. I searched on-line to see if others had a similar problem. None were found.

Stuck for a solution I phone my son-in-law, Nick. He owns “Nick’s Mobile RV Service” back home in Canada. I am biased; but he is “The Best in the Business”. In the summer (RV season in Canada) I tease him, saying he only works half a day: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. (grin). What can I say – when you’re good – you’re busy!

I explained the situation to Nick and without hesitation said; “Re-set the GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) in the bathroom.

Problem solved! Thanks, Nick.

(P.S. I also wished him a Happy Birthday – which was today!)

Now, it all made sense!

Hindsight is always 20-20. Unlike house wiring, an RV has fewer circuits. A typical RV may only have a few more outlets than a single large room in a house. This simplified system reduces both cost and weight. For this reason, outlets in more than one area in an RV are on the same electrical circuit.

I had not realized that the bathroom and the kitchen were on the same circuit. A GFI is a safety device designed to shut off power when the chance of a shock (Short Circuit) occurs. Last evening Charlotte spilt water on the kitchen counter. Water must have splashed into the outlet causing the GFI in the circuit to immediately kick off the power in the kitchen (as well as the bathroom, where the circuit GFI is located). This was why the fuse in the panel did not have power as it is after the GFI in the electrical circuit and the GFI had shut the power off due to a “Short Circuit” condition occurring.

Going backwards from the outlet the power flow is:
Outlet  = Fuse (Panel) = GFI = Circuit Relays (EMS) = Breaker (Box) = Main Breaker  (Breaker Box) = Outside Power Plug (Shore Power) = Outside Breakers (Shore Power) = RV Park Power System.

I thought I had checked everything in the circuit; however, I did not realize there was a GFI in that circuit and did not check for one.

Lesson learned! (Thanks again, Nick)

All was  up and running and I put everything back together in time to make Lunch (Spanish Rice) before it was time to return to pick-up Charlotte at Crafts. Charlotte was just coming out as I arrived.

After lunch was over and all was cleaned up we actually relaxed.  We channel surfed for a few TV shows. One was “boring” enough that Charlotte “dozed-off” and had a nap mid-afternoon. That is when I started today’s blog.

Hey! We really are trying to “take it easy”. OK! Charlotte and I both felt “a little guilty” doing nothing this afternoon. Charlotte felt better after sweeping the floor and tidying up the RV. Likewise, I felt better after making a few storage compartment adjustments.

Toasted tomato sandwiches were on the menu for supper (w/Hellman's, of course).

Tomorrow looks like a repeat of today’s great weather - Mid-70’s F under sunny skies with low humidity and a light breeze; however cold and rain are coming for the weekend.

Then, we both settled in to watch the local news and Jeopardy before we start TV surfing for the evening. When we hit a dull program we will adjust by playing Scrabble or Quirkle!

That’s it for today!

Tue – 3 Jan/17

Today is a craft day meaning we are up at 7 a.m. The TV is set to come on automatically in the bedroom.

We usually watch local news on TV on WESH (Daytona Beach, FL).

Another 85 F day before a cold front arrives. Temps are running 10-15 F above normal since we arrived so a cold front means it will be closer to what is normal for this time of year. It is so dull and cloudy causing cars with automatic headlights to be on this morning.  It is not as windy as yesterday meaning it will probably get very uncomfortable later in the day as the heat and humidity increase. The 30% chance of rain didn’t happen yesterday; but I don’t think it will miss us  today.

Charlotte walked to crafts in time to arrive by 9 a.m. Today will be a craft day not a sewing (machine) day.

This morning I did my usual business and email check and updated the computer as needed. Then it was time to sort out a few more compartments in the RV. Surprisingly, each compartment takes about an hour to unload, sort and repack.  This also always causes a “Ripple Effect” as items or moved to more suitable storage areas.

Then it was time to remove my “Travel Beard”. Each year I start an “RV” beard before travelling south. This year it was a lot thicker than usual with an extra month of growing time due to a late departure. A cancelled medical appointment delayed our departure by a month. Charlotte might wonder who the “Stranger” in the RV is when she returns from the craft session.

Today was a short session. Charlotte returned before 11 a.m. with a cute ”Christmas Tree” decoration to show for her efforts. Little squares of material are glued in the middle then attached to a Styrofoam cone that sits in a small terra cotta flower pot for a base. When she returned to the RV she added little red ribbons to make the creation even prettier.

It now sits proudly on the steering wheel table amidst the “Snow People”, Christmas cards and the plants.

Being home so early, we both watched “The Price is Right” before having hot dogs for lunch.

Then we were off to Wally’s Garage to make arrangements to have a little maintenance done on the Del Sol. After 500,000 Km it needs a new alternator belt. It is also leaking a little oil so an oil pressure switch and a valve cover gasket will be replaced.  The work will be done this coming Thursday morning.

We took the long way back through Tavares, Mount Dora and Eustis running through various showers along the way. We then made a stop at our usual Publix. Charlotte got her hair cut at "Hair Cuttery" in that complex while I went into Publix for a few needed items. When done, I re-parked near the Hair Salon. It was only a few minutes before Charlotte emerged all “Coiffed”.

The increased humidity required we make a stop at the Ice Cream Shop in Umatilla (grin). After enjoying a few scoops of their high quality ice cream we returned to OMS.

Many area locations tied record high temps.  It did get cooler after a short, heavy rain.

Tuesday is probably our most consistent TV evening of the week. After Jeopardy and Family Feud we will stick with CBS (NCIS/NCIS New Orleans) until time for the local news.

Chances are we will just be having “Nibbles” for supper this evening.

That will wrap up another day in the Land of (not so much) Sunshine.

Mon – 2 Jan/17

Still in the 80’s F today. The humidity will increase making it less comfortable. 30% chance of a (Florida) shower later tonight and tomorrow. Florida showers are short and all dries up just as quickly. Despite the chance of rain, none came all day.
We will (try) to do little again today.

Charlotte made McD’s again for breakfast. Still Mmmm…good.

It seems funny to be watching the Rose Parade today; however with New Year’s Day falling on Sunday this year, the parade, as by tradition, is moved to Monday. Each year the creativity of the floats and the amazing animations are better than the year before. The unfortunate part is that many do not get to watch it because they are back at work.

Orlando had a float in the parade commemorating those that died in the Pulse night club massacre.

Not a lot of TV choice with a day full of “Bowl” football games. It provided mostly background sound as we did other things around the RV. We tried; but had to do something.

Charlotte worked on a few unfinished projects and completed her “Row by Row” quilt and the “Whirlygig” decoration. She also swept the leaves off the patio. We then sat outside for a bit to enjoy the warmth (or the coolness) of the breeze.

I then spent the next 2 hours organizing the two compartments just outside of the RV entrance door. Engine oil and RV specific fluids, car cleaning and waxing stuff as well as the laundry hampers, soap pods, drier sheets, toilet paper and paper towels soon filled up both areas.

It took me another hour before I had another compartment organized with “Going Home” stuff.

By suppertime the Flat Screen TV was set up in an outside compartment. Now we could watch programs outside on the patio.

Charlotte made pizza for supper. We buy small individual pizzas then add extra pepperoni, cheese, olives and onions making them a more filling treat. After supper we went outside to watch TV and enjoyed the cooler breeze there until it was time for Jeopardy.

Well, we did manage to do at a little less today – but, it was hard.

That’s it for today.

Sun – 1 Jan/17

Wishing all a great start to the New Year!

The warm has returned with clear blue skies that will bring temps above 80F today. There is; however, quite a high, steady wind blowing the flags straight out.

There was a "Full House" at the New Year's Eve Dance last night.

We don’t usually stay up past midnight; however, we didn’t leave the dance until they showed the countdown (ball drop) from Times Square.

We stood a while outside the clubhouse to watch fireworks that were lighting up the sky on the other side of Lake Pearl near the Umatilla Airport. We could also hear fireworks from all directions. With the departure of the cold front it was actually as warm after midnight as it was during the daytime.

We stayed and watched the New Year arrive in NOLA (New Orleans, LA) with the “Fleur-de-Lis” drop. The Fleur-de-Lis is the symbol of Louisiana. It comes from the French Catholic heritage of the Acadians that settled the area.

The “Drop” took place in Jackson Square, one of our favourite stops (and usually our first) when visiting NOLA.

In New York, Times Square cleared out very quickly after the ball drop; however I am sure that Jackson Square and the adjacent French Quarter (including Bourbon Street) partied on ‘til the wee hours of the morning.

We put the TV on timer; but we were asleep before Los Angeles celebrated. You might say we were in La-La Land” before LA-LA land hit 2017.(grin)

This morning, as usual, we watched CBS Sunday Morning. Today it was while we remained in bed.

We called our girls back home to wish them Happy New Year. Liz, Nick and Marty went night skiing at Mount Titus near Malone, NY. They didn’t leave for home until after the midnight fireworks.

Kat and Gord were asleep before the ball dropped. Kat, a wine store manager, was tired out from this, her most hectic time of the year. She will now enjoy a few well deserved days off, having worked every day for the past few weeks.

As for us, we vowed to “Do Nothing” for the next two days. Of course, that will remain to be seen!

For starters, I did a printout of a new “Boyd’s Bear” list with the additions we picked up yesterday. I also checked the email. I also had to replace a few of the ink cartridges so I could finish the printing.

Charlotte relaxed watching TV while keeping busy knitting a baby hat.

Throughout the afternoon we did little “odds and ends” organizing jobs around the RV. We also watched some TV. I worked on the computer and Charlotte continued knitting. Then we both nodded off. I guess the busy (and late) day yesterday caught up with us and we needed a nap.

What was to be Munch (Mid-day Lunch), toasted sandwiches made with the tomatoes we bought at the Lake County Farmers Market on Thursday, ended up being supper. Charlotte did such a tasty job I requested a second.

The combination of being New Year’s Day and Sunday meant the rest of the day’s TV time involved a lot of channel surfing since we are not into watching (American) football that filled a lot of air-time.

Needless to say, we will be heading for “La-La Land” at our usual time tonight.

Well, it was our intention to take it easy today!