Sunday .. I hope you are more observant than I

 Today’s picture:

 

This is Kennedy our winking great grand (She belongs to Stephen and Jennifer)

BUT for today:

Thank goodness my CC has an expiration date.  I have mentioned that I am being told to renew my MS265 or something to do with Word which I have used for years and I like it.  But originally it cost about 20$ on a disc.

Now with this new laptop they are billing me $99.99 for a year. I don’t need it that much.  If my card had not expired it would have automatically renewed.  So I am glad the card expired. Victor suggested a substitute I am going to use, I think.

I do not remember allowing them to continue to take it out, but being as dumb as I am on the stuff here on the NET, I very well may have.

WE are starting to have a paperless and cashless society.  I couldn’t believe it a year or so back when I went to buy a lawn mower the seller would not accept a check, it was in an upscale neighborhood.  He asked if I used Zelle or something like that, of course I do not.

I wanted the mower, so I had to get cash and come back, at least he did accept cash. LOL

I am getting more confused by the day with things that do not fit my mindset.

Enough, take care and have a great Sunday.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:   Thanks for coming our way…

Saturday, Sunday is coming up!

 Picture of the day:

For now:

Florida has been our home: Key West, Tavares, Deltona and Leesburg. (Sherry cannot settle down) WE use a mail service in Eustis to keep from changing addresses too much LOL.

We arrived back in Florida a week or so ago. Many Snowbirds wait until now to move in, and the influx is obvious. We have lived in Florida full time and part time; we still appreciate Florida’s weather.  Although Florida has a lot of out of state folks, we have met many ‘from birth’ folks here.

One, our former friend and Pastor, the Rev. Wayne Carter.  Wayne was an admirable man. In his youth he was a little wild; even a stock car driver for a while.  He married the sweet Juanita and I think she settled him down. ;-0

Since Wayne had held secular jobs before becoming a minister, he knew what it was like to work and the pit falls of job insecurity.  From that perspective he (like my dad) viewed his congregation.  Knowing their normal everyday situations and problems.  Many Floridians depended on the Citrus industry. As it has folded many folks are out of work.

We talked about that from time to time; seeing churches fold because of poor planning and leadership of pastors. Many pastors walk their churches into debt that cannot be sustained with even a small set-back. That allows a church to be placed in debt so far, as income drops BIG debts cannot be paid.

One of his statements I have seen too true is: Pastors are the worst MONEY managers in the world and need a council with backbone (not yes men) to guide a church.

Very few churches have complete transparency. I feel it is common-sense to KNOW where your hard-earned money goes. I feel it is very important for church go-ers (members) to know how their donations are spent.

I have a big problem with TV ministries in general. I cannot send money anywhere, not knowing how it is used. That would bother me.

In the past 10 years we have witnessed churches in our denomination fail, and buildings sold, because of poor foresight. Churches moved into millions of $ in debt that cannot be sustained.  That is sad.

WOW, reading over this, I hadn’t meant for it to be so DOWN!  Yes, of course I need prayer, and advice. Thanks in advance….

Nite Shipslog

PS.   

I do appreciate you stopping by the Shipslog, we are transit for a while.  Hopefully SHERRY will learn and settle down.          ;-)

Friday .... Names that are initials only

 Today's pic:

 
One of my Feral kittens sleeping on my lawnmower. I miss the cats.  Maybe some will show up at our new home.

Now for today:

Sheila who moves around a lot but now in Florida mentioned my ref to R.E. and Mary. She said she had kin with the same names and the RE was just initials. This R.E. Was Robert Everett methinks, but RE to us. HOWEVER, she sure kicked in a couple memories. 

In the military I knew at least 2 men with ‘initials only.’ My nephew Ted joined the USMC with RC Jones.  When that happens the yeoman records it as R (only) C (only). At the first muster Ted recalled as names were called the DI called out "Ronly Conly Jones," no one responded and everything got quiet. RC spoke up, “I’m RC Jones, that might be me.”

Also, we have a good friend, YZ Isaacs.  He says he has brothers and sisters; all names are letters only. The funny part of that is My company built YZ’s house. I had the habit of taking a grand kid with me at times.  During that time it was Sherece.  Grandma asked where she was going and she said proudly, “To YZ IZZ’s house.”

Taken from our pier when we lived on Lake Dora here in FL our frequent visitor. Alligator.

IF l had been named letters only I would have liked DD, then my initials would be DDD, or 3D. LOL

What letters would you have liked or preferred?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

YEP,  Sherry and I are still Gypsies…  same tent!!!!

 I guess we are stuck in this lifestyle…. ;-)  

Thursday… Remembering…

 Today’s picture:

 

Sherry and I are happy whether we live in a mansion or a tent. (Of course we have never had a mansion!)

BUT for today:

When we started traveling full time we had no aim.  We wanted to see high profile places such as Yellowstone, Mt Ranier and Mt Vernon.   But we got a kick out of the small towns and communities. I have said before we had a plan to drive 300-400 miles and stop for a week.  During that week travel the area to see what was there.

WE saw many of our former president’s homes and some of the leaders of our country during revolutionary & civil war time. Funny about Presidents, one of the low profile presidents, President Buchanan history and quotes sticks out above Truman, Reagan and Washington. (I mentioned this in a blog in 2017.)

Buchanan never married, but the thing I remembered most was the quote as he and Lincoln rode in a coach, pulled by horses of course, to Lincoln’s inauguration. President Buchanan said to Abe, “If you are as happy taking this office as I am leaving it, YOU SIR, ARE ONE HAPPY MAN!”

What struck me at Mt Vernon was how they stored the ice cut in the winter that lasted way into the summer. Also George was a Bible reader and his Bible was there on a podium. It was the original 1611 King James version. Just scanning some words were spelled different than I am used to.  Examples:

“sawes”®“saws”

“harrowes”®“harrows”

“yron”®“iron”

“yron”®“iron”

“passe”®“pass”

“brick=kilne”®“brickkiln”

“And thus”®“and thus”

 

It is not a big thing and I am sure the words mean the same, it just read different to me.

I liked Monticello also.  Jefferson had some fantastic clocks. I was fascinated by one weight driven pendulum clock that the weights went thru the floor down to the basement, allowing it to run longer without pulling the weights back up!

Trail name Cricket, she was starting the 100 mile wilderness, at this point she had walked 2100 miles.

Above is a family from Denmark hiking  The AT

This is "In Tents", his trail name.  He gave me permission to take his picture if he didn't have to get up!!!  (Our trail name was The Overland Hermits".

Anyway today I am just doing my normal, 'old man thang', remembering. LOL

As I close this I want to wish you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR…  This is 2026, now get used to using it. LOL I am so old I typed “This is 1926” and had to correct it.

Nite Shipslog

PS:   Thank you for coming his way.  Blogging is headed down the road as Journaling did a few years ago.  I miss so many of the bloggers who have dropped out, slowed down or passed to the other side..…

Wednesday… Disappointed but still hopeful

 Pic of the day:

A small obstacle on the Appalachian Trail created by Beavers.  I still want a Diesel Pusher to drive, but I also want to do this again before I am 90. BEFORE an OLD MAN tries to take over my body.  I was a kid when this was taken, about 66 yrs old.

 

SO for now:

So, we DID NOT get the coach we were looking at.  The deal fell through when the dealer, PPL, found too much wrong with the coach that was listed on consignment.

BUT, as I said in a previous entry, it is good to learn.  I learned a lot by working with a salesman named Brandon. WE enjoyed our interaction with him.  I sorta liked him because of his name, Brandon.  That was the name of our great granddaughter’s dad. Brandon was a good worker and worked for me as a subcontractor for a good while. I could depend on his work as an A/C man.  BUT like many in this country Brandon died by accidental overdose.  Sad that Stella will not get to know her dad as she grows up.

So naturally the name Brandon stuck with us and to make the relationship closer, he was the proud father of a little girl, still a baby.

All that aside, Brandon will continue to look for coaches that fit our guidelines.

In the last 30 years, this couple of gypsies have interacted with many folks in the RV world, some of them dealers and sellers.  As I said, we learned something in this case, and learning is always important. I feel that Brandon (and Conner) plus PPL gave us the truth about the coach and were going to hide nothing. I know salesman have a bad reputation, but I will not put them all in the same category.

Yes, I want to do it again! This is Sherry ahead of me. A shot from what Hikers call ROCKSYLVANIA.  Hikers say boots go to Pennsylvania to die!

All that said, we (I) would like to end our RV life driving a Diesel coach.  That ‘life’ is steadily trying to reach the 90s.

I just read what a hundred year old man said.  His advice is: Don’t let the ‘OLD MAN’ take over your life, ignore him.  Now methinks that is good advice, and I will try to follow it.

Take care my friends and I hope to be telling you soon we have found the ‘ONE’ we want!

Meanwhile, if you are looking for an RV, and in Florida, give Brandon and PPL a shot.

Nite Shipslog

PS.   

I do appreciate you stopping by the Shipslog.

Monday...Sorta in Limbo

 

Before I start; About RV blow outs.  Yes we have had a few blowouts. The funniest one or oddest one was when it blew out, golf-balls flew. The previous owner had used 6 golf balls inside to balance the tire. Yes, I looked it up, and it is NOT unusual. But no, we did not put golf balls back inside the replacement tire. AND  Huh uh, the big coaches are not in danger of rolling with tire problems...

SO for now:

There is something disconcerting about plans being put on hold by something out of your control.

Our new to us coach continues to be brought up to standards, so we are still a little anxious.  Since we just completed a move from house to house and moving was a pretty big job. Now we will complete a move from coach to coach when all is done. Truthfully it will be a BIG job because we have a lot of stuff to move and this move will be done in a half day along with being told how to run the one we are getting.

You would be surprised how different one coach is to another.  The heat/AC is always different.  There will be different procedures for water/ and water pumps. Lights will operate differently and doors are always a trick to get used to; believe it or not. An example this coach we are in has 4 doors in a 5’ sq area, we call it the hall of doors!

Cabinets, Closets and storage will be much differently arranged.  The one that is tough for me and is ‘my job’ is Engine maintenance and procedures plus the leveling-jacks always take some learning and getting used to. The slides, learning the new procedures is always important.

So doing just the ‘walk-thru & instructions takes 3 hours. WE are guessing 4 hours just to move our stuff. Sometimes I forget all we have in the basement. LOL

Of course that is all contingent that the transfer goes normally.  But we chose this, and we are looking forward to the change.

Nite Shipslog

PS.   Remember, moving is always fun.  LOL

Sunday…. Learn as you live

 

BUT for now:

I read that some wise person was recorded as saying:

A MISTAKE is not a REAL MISTAKE if you learn from it.  You should consider it a teaching incident.

I never make mistakes, forget or just do wrong. HA HA! I consider all or that just living and learning. Lately I am LEARNING A LOT. ;-)         :-o

There are times that an education is costly. Tires are very important on an RV.  One rule is never use your tires past 5 yrs old, no matter the tread (VERY FEW RV TIRES ARE WORN OUT!).  That one is very hard for me to follow, and we have had a few ‘blow-outs’.

My first learning experience was when I was having brake work done on our first big coach.  The mechanic said, “Sir, you should check the date on your tires his one is 7 years old. He DID NOT SELL TIRES either.”

I should have listened.  WE had a blowout within 100 miles. OUCH. I was also told I should always buy good name brand tires, they really last longer.

I once ordered a new set of tires on the net. FEDEX delivered them. That was a big load and the tires looked good, and they were half price of ‘Goodyear’.  Big mistake. We lost two of those tires to Blowouts within 500 miles of usage.  That was a very expensive learning experience. OUCH!

The average big coach has 6 some 8 tires. The average ‘good’ tire is now over $700 so you can see that is one big expense in living in one of these things. WE do use a road service called ‘Good Sams’.  They will come out and change the tire, but you must buy the tire.  Very few RV’s carry a spare.  WE just buy the tire, sometimes used, if a good one is available.

But after living nearly 30 years, mostly in an RV, my education has been good, but at times very expensive.  RV’ing is not a cheap lifestyle, but cheaper than buying a $500,000 home you don’t need. LOL Taxes alone will equal any number of tires and expenses of the RV.

358

Nite Shipslog

PS.   Remember,

 

Saturday ...Alcohol I never thought people drank that stuff.

 Picture of the day: 

 

 For today:

I used some alcohol today to clean a sink.  Someone has used Clorox to clean our sink; the sink is a heavy fake marble. Clorox disturbs this type of surface allowing it to stain so I thought I would try alcohol and the latest comet that is gentle to surfaces now..

As soon as I smelled that alcohol my mind went back to when I was 4.  My sister Shirley was about 7. She fell on a concrete porch holding a glass pitcher and left many cuts on her hand. WWII was going on big time and many meds and first aid materials were rationed due to all the battlefield usage. At that time, we lived in the country and Alcohol was the prime infection fighter.

I can still hear her scream as daddy held her and poured alcohol on her hand. It seemed like an hour, but was probably 3 or 4 minutes. I was crying with her. Dad was trying to apologize, “Sorry honey, I must do this.”

I had experienced many small cuts and scrapes I knew it burned but seeing the many cuts hurt me. She and many of us from those times kept scars all our lives due to lack of funds and availability. Many people had cuts that should have been stitched but folks had to roll with the punches dealt with in life.

Strange what a smell does to you. I can still remember the smell of ‘cashews’ when dad took us to Sears and Roebuck. They always had a snack center close to the entry.  And there was that Pop Corn smell when you entered a movie theatre.

What smells kick in memories to you?

 

Nite Shipslog

 

PS:  Sometimes I miss my good seller, it has aged out and not sensitive anymore.  BUT Sherry still smells good!