And they call the Wind Moriah!!!

That song line came to mind yesterday as I was fighting the wind...I can well remember my Dad playing that song on his guitar and singing it....I sure miss him now, I know he could give me some pointers!! Actually, he already has...thanks Daddy!
The shower was good last night, the hot water heater rocks....at least for one...not sure, how it would be if there were 5 in here like they say it can sleep/handle, that might be a challenge!! But I'm good to go.  Was really glad I got the towels washed before the shower. ALL the things in the rig are brand new, and every time I used the hand towel I got lots of lint on my hand. I was dreading becoming a lint ball after a shower, but I was going to take a shower and it was going to happen...so was really glad to get them washed once. I do have a beach towel from home, and would have probably used that, but was good to get this much cleaned and ready. I'm close to Fort Riley...cool looking place from I70...there is a rig here that has a HUGE piece of MIL equipment on it..wonder where he's headed.
 I slept great, but woke up early, guess I figure maybe if I start early the wind won't be up yet...yeah right!!

Night #2...again with truckers but a little different....

Was lying in bed this morning and remembered one of the funniest parts of yesterday. I'd stopped at a QT to rest for a minute, potty (trying to save those holding tanks), and get more water. I parked in a pull up space that was very long, but would have to back out, that was ok, there was plenty of space. I looked around the rig and noticed a couple in a dually pick-up, I waited to see if they were going to go, they didn't so I started out slowly. Got backed out, took a left on a side street out of QT, then to a light to take a right back on the main drag. You see, there are tricks to lefts and rights in these rigs that have a "tail" or length to them. You come up to a curb to about where your hips are at the curb, then turn, this way you know you won't clip the back. So...yahoo I had learned this so I haven't clipped any corners...so the light turns green, I ease up (another thing I'm totally comfortable with, taking my time....the world ain't gonna end for Joe Blow behind me if I go slow...but if I don't it might cost me!!), turn right and off I go slowly. I had not noticed the couple in the dually were behind, now beside me. They came up beside me and HE gave me the thumbs up, and she did too!! Woohoo....I'd done it right and even a guy thought so.....I'd been warned by many folks that men watch women in RV's...so this was too funny. I'm sure, I'll entertain MANY with my lack of skills, but this time I got it right!!! Kudos!!!

Had my yogurt parfait, as Shea calls it, and I"m good to go.....my neighbors have pulled out, so I know it's time to go.....go west woman, go west!!!


next post....from Colorado!!

From Effingham, IL to Grand Junction, KS....a long, but Good Day!!

I woke up to very cold and very uneducated about the thermostat....so I got dressed quickly!!! I slept great, and I needed to hit the road. I needed to cover at least 500 mi and I did.....but it was a loooong day.

I was on the road by 830a and things were going well. Evidentally my younger yrs of RV'ing have paid off...I didn't leave anything open or on a counter to fall off...so no crashes or new noises....but there is plenty of road noise in this baby!!! I was getting hungry..I didn't stop to even eat breakfast this morning, I wasnt't hungry and I wanted to hit the road...plus, I had decided since my eating yesterday had consisted of cereal/strawberries and crackers I was going for a hot meal.....which was my first lesson of the day.  I decided it was time to eat so the next exit with a Denny's was it.....I get off and go to it, which u can see from the exit and the parking lot is very small...so I see a Post Office across the street....it's empty and closed...woohoo...score!!! But there was a reason it was empty...a BIG sign that said, if u park here u will be towed.....okey dokey....no time for that...so I park long enough to use my own potty and get back on the highway.....lesson 1.....if the sign on the highway does not say.....RV/BIG RIG friendly....skip it!!! OK...got it. I have already learned that before I go into a parking lot I look for my exit...however, this small rig fits in some good places and I can back it up....once, I'm on the road with 40' plus a Jeep, I can't back up!!! So I will have to think differently, but at least I'm heading in that direction. And, you'd be surprised and how many empty lots there are if you need to pull in for just a min, never looked for them before, but they are everywhere.
Ok, back on the hwy and I see a sign for Blue Springs Cafe' (as seen on Food Network)....wow, really...so I exit and they don't open until 11a...so 2 strikes down. By now I'm really hungry and it's time for old faithful.. Waffle House come up pretty quick...woohoo....my answer!! There were guys smoking in there, humm, I guess they didn't get the memo in this state!! I get in and out and I"m on my way, but by now the storm I've been watching has hit and I drive in rain for about 20-30min. Not bad, and again, I need the experience. I'm sure Mickelson practices golf in the rain cause he knows sooner or later he'll have to play in it. After I run out of the rain, it's cloudy but even that turned to sun and it was another great weather day for me....thank you God for not making me learn EVERYTHING in this one trip!!
Rolling down the road I see a furniture place that has every color of the rainbow Adirondack chair..they were great, then I saw signs for the Louis and Clark Museum and a tractor museum...wish I'd had time.
I'm close to RT 66 too, but no time to detour, maybe i'll come back here one day when I can move slower.

Rolling along and going good....I see a billboard that reads "Do You have BRA problems?"
Humm....I don't think so, but evidentally if I did, this shop could help me...hillarious! Time for a gas stop and I've learned to look for truck stops, just love them, LOTS of room. However, I saw a sign that said RV Express, ok, I'll bite. I exit and quickly find it, it is a gravel parking lot with water and electric meters for $20 a night....I guess some folks can't live w/o amenities and just don't like sleeping with truckers....pity. Another lesson, RV Express is not a gas station, but I find one, and gas up. Apollo RV ask me to check the oil everytime I gas up....well, that requires help for me, I can see, but not REACH the oil stick. As luck would have it an SUV w/3 guys and 1 gal was right beside me, 2 of them had on camo, they had to be nice, so I started chatting, asked where they were headed....Canada...black bear hunting!!! Ok, didn't expect that answer, cool! There's is a 30hr drive, they were 9 down..whew! One of them helped me and I was good to go.
I am beginning to see rolling hills and different landscapes, not so much flat anymore, it's nice to see the changes. I crossed into Missouri and it was neat...right over cool high bridges and the Missouri River, I learned to hate Missouri as I rolled into Kansas City. That city is as bad as ATL, even on a Sat!!! AND...there was road construction.....AAAAHHHHH!!! My GPS was giving me commands so fast I couldn't keep up and I missed a turn, I couldn't get over 2 lanes, so we re-routed and I think I got to see some cool countryside I might have missed...I learned later, I missed a toll road...good for me!
So...back on I70 and VERY glad Kansas City is in my rearview mirror .....I cross into Kansas and all is well for a while, then we get into wide open space where those Kansas winds make themselves known. WOW, now I know how a pilot feels with a headwind, except these were side winds and forced me to go slower and have to work the wheel a lot. That is hard driving, and no cruise control. I fought that wind a long time and was going to go to Salina, but when I stoped for gas in Grand Junction I decided to stay. The gals working here were so friendly, it's next to a Wal-Mart (my new BFF), and I was really pooped. So I asked if I could top off my water tank so I could take a shower and i proceded to park next to a truck. I told her I was solo and would I be ok, you see last nite it was so late no one really knew anything about me or this RV but it was only 730p and it would likely be obvious I was solo....she pointed to one truck and said, "park next to him, that's a father/daughter team, you will be fine"....so I headed to the lot. I introduced myself and they were nice folks....so here I am in trucker world again, but I"m just fine and it's another freebie!!! And....since the sheets and towles in here were all new and needed badly to be washed once, I got that done....who knew you could do laundry here!!! BONUS!!!! And they have showers, but I did use my own...so another day of many lessons. It's been a true learning experience.

What have a seen:
cool barns and farmhouses
HUGE tractors
Lots of signs for wineries...so sorry I can't stop
some beautiful rolling hills and countryside

What have I learned:
1. I like to hug the right side of the road, have heard that sound many times when I roll over the strip to stop you, but I'm getting better. My driving teacher says everyone does that, it will get better.
2. If an RV'er needs over LET HIM OVER....don't speed up and go around him....he's doing all he can and for him to correct a missed exit is HUGE, you know your own city and will be fine, help him out.
3. I need to remember to walk around the rig before taking off from any stop, just to make sure all is well. I do some, but I forget some...need to do it everytime.
4. Also be aware of my height with trees and lower roof lines like at gas stations, have been ok, but need to watch.
5. Who cares what type of food a place has, if the Rig fits....go for it!!!
6. I'm really glad my Class-A has light switches I can reach, I have to stand on the booth bench for the A/C unit and a light, and in the bathroom I have to step up into the shower to turn on that light....hillarious.
7. I really miss my music...no Sirius/CD's or AUX outlet for the IPOD in this little rig!! So, everytime a station turns statically I scan....I've at least been very entertained at times, and I can tell u the 3 states I've covered today ALL like this song that goes like this...." chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit"....I've heard it several times today!!! what a hoot!!!

The Apollo guy told Susan that this was probably the lowest end unit that they had.....I totally agree!!!
But it is serving my purpose!!


So...that's it for day #2.....I have lots of miles to cover tomorrow, and my trucker neighbor told me that the wind will be there, but he thinks it's going to shift direction tomorrow so might be better driving, I surely hope so.
Fighting it is no fun......so, good night from Kansas....tomorrow....Colorado Springs or bust!!!

Good Early Morning from Illinois!!!

My first day started about 230p....Susan raced me to the pick-up destination as I finished my work day and had a conf call. Thanks to me, we missed our exit, which cost us a few miles, but once corrected we were good to go. The town of Decatur, IN is very small.....but they do seem to be bustling with RV manufacturing and where they make m'....they have to stock m'...so Super Wal-Mart was close by.
For those just joining my adventure, I will back up a little. I am doing an RV relocation for Apollo RV, from their factory in Decatur, IN to Denver, CO. I'm in a Class-C (cab-over), 25', self contained vehicle. This is not exactly what I plan to live in...but it will (has already) given me some great experience on the open road.
They pay for the gas...give me $200 for misc expenses, give me bedding, towels, camp chair for free...so what's there to think about.....GO!! So I did.

My home for a week next to Susan's mini.....

Now...back to my first day/night. Eric...the guy waiting on me to pick up was very nice but anxious to get the walk-thru done...so, I've already discovered a few things we didn't go over, but that's ok, I'll call the help number or figure them out. We went over the inside, outside and paper-work in 1hr....Susan hung with me, she's awesome. I'll miss you!!
I decided to forgo the Wal-Mart stop for putting miles behind me while I had daylight. I hooked up my Rand McNally GPS and took off....nothing to it. It's like a big car. It's gas, not diesel, and drives very easily. I'm VERY glad I've already taken one driving course...many things came back to mind...watch the TAIL SWING....in this rig is not too bad....my rig will be 40' plus my Jeep....but this still gives me a feel for it all.

I put about 300 mi behind me, and it was really easy. When I crossed into IL I gained an hour...so that was cool. As it was getting dark it was time to be done for today....so I exited where I saw a Pilot gas station and asked if they had an outdoor water spigot...I needed some water in my tank...I was also hunting a Wal-Mart...time for some groceries....as always, God lead me to the right place....the next exit had everything I was told...awesome. I stopped at the Flying J...got water and then went about .5 mi and found a Super Wal-Mart...woohoo.....life was good. I've learned Flying J's are very RV friendly..they had 3 lanes where u could buy gas, dump your tanks and take on water all at this one lane....WOW....one-stop shop and heaven for an RV'er. There was a guy next to me pulling a travel-trailor...and he was doing all that...we laughed that this was better than a Wal-Mart. I was just finishing taking on water and was about to put my hose away, when he said..."oh that's yours"...I said..."yep"...he said , "oh, I thought there would be one here...I don't have one, can I borrow yours to fill up"...I said,,"sure"...so we chatted as his tank filled....this was his maiden voyage...he's headed to St. Louis to a race and didn't think he'd need a hose since he wouldn't have any hook-ups where he's going.....Rookie.....he will learn. I know I have LOTS to learn...but I've thankfully gotten a few things under my belt!! So, down the road to WalMart...I parked way out, but not too many folks anyway. I go get the shopping done and bring it all back to the rig to put up. I hesitantly decided to pay the $5/day unlim use for the generator when I picked it up....now I"m glad....turned that baby on...had lights, and the water pump would now work...cause I had water....woohoo...life was looking good.
I got it all put up, and I finally put away my clothes...I do have one slide, but believe it or not, there is parking lot etiquette and not putting down leveling jacks, or slides or awnings out are part of that...so, I was ok to get around without it. This rig is BRAND NEW...had 10mi on it when I picked it up....all the kitchen stuff had to be unwrapped....the sheets and towels are new...which means never washed!! That's nice....but I was a bit hesitant to have to sleep on new, maybe scratchy sheets....but ya know, it was just fine. Seems if you are tired enough..it don't matter!!!! I got the bed made up...which is a challenge...it IS NOT a walk around..it is in a corner...but I got r' done and climbed in. Then I remembered I didn't put the parking brake on, prob not a big deal but since they asked you to when u park I got up and did it, but when I sat down in the drivers seat I decided I didn't like where I was parked at the end of a parking aisle....so in my PJ's...I moved to a diff spot in the parking lot....more in the middle of all the truckers...so if some nut came ripping thru the parking lot, they would hit them first!!! OK...so I like my spot better...and for the first time in my life, I slept with truckers!!!! Probably, won't be my last time....but it worked beautifully. I was hummed to sleep by the sound of those 18-wheelers they never turn off. I'd seen a cop patroling the lot, so I really felt just fine...and as we in RV world say...it was FREE!!! Free is good. I have a campground booked for Mon-Thur at $40/nite with FULL hook-ups....yikes, that's really high....but since I'm not really paying it...I did it. For Sun nite I'm staying in this campgrounds over-flow lot...no hook-ups, for $10....so all is well. But for Fri and Sat nites...I figured I'd wing it....and so far that has been just fine. I found out last nite I can stay for free at the Flying J...so maybe I'll try that out tonite!!! My first RV solo nites and I'm in parking lots....TOO FUNNY!!! But they are good learning ground. Teaches you what your rig can really do w/o hook-ups.
Mom...this generator is almost as loud as the one on the Born Free and I can still hear you guys saying "turn the water pump off"....so...all these yrs later, that has proven to be good learning.

What have I learned:

1. I have a love/hate with truckers.....they cause me some sway when they pass, but they are good to follow and quick to let me know when I can get back in a lane.
2. Rest stops are my friends.....big rig friendly and very nice...gives me a few min to walk and saves the holding tanks.
3. Class-C gas rigs are very noisey on the road.....OMG!! I've driven several rigs like I want and they are very quiet...as is their generator...so I'm certainly not in a cadillac....but that's ok....this was meant to give me exp and will make me appreciate my rig even more.
4. Flying J's are the BOMB.....they have it all...including lots of turn space...HUGE parking lots....LOVE THEM.
5. Sleeping with truckers ain't all bad.....and it's free!!
6. Love my new Verizon hot spot....works like a champ. I got it a week ago to try it and see if I can use it for work and personal...so far...so good!

What have I seen:
Lots of flat and fields of stuff...not sure what.
A gorgeouse sunset, and moon rise.....was beuatiful.
Some cool trees and blooming flowers...spring/summer have arived. But it is cool this morning.
Some cool windmills and old barns....Deb, you would be going picture crazy.

Time to hit the road...now that I have "stuff" in here I wonder what new noises I will hear today as it all shifts around!!! Wonder what I will see today and how much it will change as I head west.....the mountains will come into site by tomorrow for sure, maybe today.

I'm out.....time to put some miles behind me!!!

The BIG Day!!!!

After 3 wonderful nights with friend Susan, and her Mom, in Indianapolis I'm headed to Decatur, IN where I will pick-up a 25' Class-C to relocate to Denver for Apollo RV. This will be an adventure. My first real driving experience...and solo. This will be a little different than what my normal traveling will be, but will be good experience. I have to cover 1200 mi in 3-3.5 days.....I see some music and miles in my future.
I will miss having a tow vehicle, but this will be good driving time and hook/unhook experience.
Stay tuned for the adventures along the way.........it's gonna be fun!!!

RV Driving School...the RV of my DREAMS...a little Disney, birthdays and Mother's Day

Wow....April was busy!! I spent almost every weekend looking at RV's. I thought I was sold on a Winnebago Journey.....then I figured out what my problem was, why I couldn't pull the trigger. Since I will be working full-time, I want/need a REAL work area. I don't want to work off the dining table....so hello Phaeton 40 QKH Bunkhouse......it's a beauty. I came up with the idea that I will take out the bunkbeds and create a REAL work area....I've even already talked to the guy that will do the work....WOOHOO....I finally found THE ONE!!! However...I'd only seen it on the internet....until i went to LazyDays for my driving school...and they had a 2013 model...WOW....it was all I'd hoped it would be....I could really see me living in this rig. Now I'm challenged to find a 2011 or 2012 model....2013 is a little pricey for me. So the hunt begins, but at least I know exactly what I'm looking for, and that's HUGE.
Driving school was wonderful ....the classroom part was about 2-3hrs. The instructor has been doing this for many yrs and he's VERY good....thanks Bob. The driving part was in the LazyDays campground area, and was about 15min each...but was very good. After I get my rig I will do a one-on-one class and really learn my rig, but this was very good and gave me some great things to think about.
And....perhaps I'll remember them when I take off on this weekends adventure. I signed up to relocate an Apollo Class C Rv from Fort Wayne, IN to Aurora, Colorado.....woohoo...my first real RV adventure. I can't wait. This will be a bit different than when I'm in my own rig, but this will give me driving time and experience. The trip is about 1200 miles....Apollo give me 3k mi, $750 in gas money, an additional $200 in expenses and 7 days to do this......no problem! So...I will pick up on Friday before Memorial Day and drive like crazy. I will wing it Fri and Sat nites for where I will stay, maybe a Wal-Mart....cause my real destination is Colorado Springs where I have a campground for 4 nites, and maybe 5 if they can get me in on Sunday. So, I will drive 6-8 hrs on Fri and Sat and finish it on Sunday. I need to be parked and ready to work by Tues. I will work as usual Tues-Fri and then return the rig to Aurora on Fri. and fly home. This will be a good taste of working from the road....with two HUGE differences....this rig is much smaller than what I plan to buy and I won't have my tow....Jeep. So, I need to plan ahead to have supplies before I park for the week...it's going to be an adventure. My friend Susan, that went to Italy with me, might go along, if so, we will get a rental car in Colo Spgs and make things easier...but we'll see.
So, April was a great month....I found the rig that I think will work for me and driving school was awesome.

Took a weekend trip to Disney, I needed a fix. Met my niece Brittany and her son, my great nephew 2yr old Quinton, we had a blast at Epcot. Took Denny to Fishbones for his birthday dinner and met his grandson Joseph for dinner another night....it was a great get away, what's not to love, I was at Disney...enough said!!

May started with Denny's 70th birthday party....Mom and Shea came into town and we celebrated for 5 days, I think he had a good time. Then I whipped up to ATL to be there for Mother's Day and Dylan's 1st birthday and Daddy Dave's 30th, what a great party...whew, it was a busy 10 days, but loads of fun.

                              Mommy Brooke, birthday Daddy Dave and birthday boy Dylan....

Little Man is 1 yr old now!!!

Uncle Brad and Aunt Cindy I'm loving this toy...thanks guys!!!

Got back to my beaches and things settled a little. Now it's time to head west on my first real RV adventure.....stay tuned, this is gonna be fun!!

Happy Valentine's Day to me....

I found the exact Jeep I wanted, however, it was in Columbus, Ohio....WOW!! OK, one good thing a good friend lives there...so, got she and her fiance' to go check it out. All systems go...so, I sold the Tucson on Monday....flew to Columbus on Wed, bought the Jeep on Thurs, Valentine's Day, and Kathy and I hit the road. We were running from snow and bad weather so we drove 16 hrs straight and rolled into Sarasota around 4p on Fri....but we did it. We had a ball...it was a hoot...and I got sick after that, but it was all worth it...and I LOVE the Jeep...it's just fun to drive. Now I'll be searching for the right bike rack....needs to be a hitch model....one thing at a time.
The new job is going just fine. I did a few days in the office and have been home since then. Have been searching for my RV...I've actually discovered a 2013 Journey 34B, that I really like. So, now I'm all confused again...but it's ok. I have some great friends helping me stay focused and researching things so I'll be fine. I have a 1 day driving school sched in April at Lazydays....I'm really excited about that.

This is a big decision and I still have lots of things to do, but it's fun. Sometimes all the info runs together, but I've enjoyed all the research.

I was able to go over and visit some RV friends that are wintering about 1.5hrs from me....was great to visit with them. They have been fulltimer's for 3yrs and they offered up much food for thought. And much to my surprise they gave me my first "house warming" gift....a Rand McNally GPS unit. WOW...was that cool, thanks Dee and Jim....I know I'll be using that.
I can't wait to get into this world, but I can't rush and make mistakes (I'm sure I'll make enough of those once I'm on the road).....so, in good time...but I know it's getting closer.

For now....time to hit the hay....I'm still a working girl too!!!

Stay tuned....things are changing all the time!!

Happy 2013.... and Happy Birthday Mom!!

As expected New Year's was very quiet...in fact I would have missed it had Shea not woken me up. So...no big deal there. January has been fairly quiet, have been able to be in FL a good bit. The Tampa RV Supershow was AWESOME. I was there for 7hrs on Saturday and had a blast. I got LOTS of education which is always good. I have decided my home on wheels will be a Winnebago. I learned I don't like the layout of the 2013 RV models, so I will be hunting a 2012 model. I like the Journey 34Y and the Adventurer 37F...big decision. AND...one I will be making very soon.
The best part of January was a new job offer from Travelport. I will once again be able to work 100% from home, so very soon  I will buy my RV and go see this great country we live in. I have many decision to make and lots of work to do, but that will be the fun part. OK, some won't be fun....but most will be. I'll just stay focused on the end result and keep going. I can't wait to have birds, and nature be my cube mates.

On Feb 2 we celebrated my Mom's birthday....she is so awesome. We had brunch at South City Kitchen, and then went to Piedmont Park for a nice stroll. It has thankfully been a mild winter, so a walk was wonderful.
                                                Mom with Chad and Ashley

                                                 Mom with her 4 daughters

The next day I went shopping for a vehicle that I will flat-tow behind my RV. I'm about settled on   a Jeep Liberty....just a few more things to check out and I'll have that decision behind me...
Whew...one down....1000's left to go!!!
Many things to do, can't rush them....all things in good time.


Have a great day.........it sure was nice in Atlanta today.