60,000 Miles (09-02-13)

It’s hard to believe the truck has 60,000 miles on it, but it does, and it was time to buy a new set of tires.  That’s just one of quite a few chores we’ve been taking care of in Michigan.  It’s one of the more expensive chores though. Ouch.  Paul is pretty happy with the new Michelins, so that’s a consolation, I suppose..

The guy who runs the storage lot where we store our jet boat called us a couple of months ago to tell us there is a hole in the shrink wrap, so we drove over, patched the hole, and headed on our way. One of these days we’d love to figure out a way to get the boat to Arizona, or somewhere else where we could use it!

Our next stop was our storage unit where we keep our household goods.  We passed by our old house on the way there.  It’s a nice house, but we sure don’t miss all the “stuff” that goes along with house ownership!








 

Digging into our storage unit usually requires us to toss a bunch of stuff into the hallway.  We always hope no one will need to get past us while we are there.

I know most of our full timing friends sold all of their household goods, and every year Paul and I reassess whether it’s worth paying for another year of storage, and every year the answer is yes, so I guess this works for us at this point.

The RV Park we’re staying in had a yard sale on Saturday, and everyone could put stuff out that they wanted to sell.  We took advantage and grabbed a bunch of stuff from storage to sell off.  Some of it is our daughter’s stuff, and she was happy to make a few dollars (without having to do the work!)  We did ok- the most important thing being that we got rid of stuff that we don’t need or want anymore. 

Paul is using some of the “down time” to make some changes to the valances on the windows.  Me, I just make sure I’m close by to hold up the other end for him. 

In between chores, we’ve managed to spend time with friends!  There’s never enough time to see everyone, and I hardly ever remember to get the camera out, so I have very few pictures. Mason was very happy to have his picture taken in between his attempts to entertain the cat though.  I was still working with his mom, Pennie, when she became pregnant with him, but we were gone before he was born. We've seen him several times since then though!

The next few days will be full of other "stuff" that needs to get done before we leave here (hopefully) on Friday. 

It’s Amazing What We Get Used To ! (08-30-13)

But first- you know when you’re on vacation, and on your second to last day being away from home, you start packing up some of your stuff, preparing to leave, and all of a sudden, you just want to be home?  Well, that’s what happened to Paul and I.  Once we knew we were leaving Canada, we were suddenly in a rush to get back to the states.  So, off we ran, putting lots of miles behind us every day, and we ended up arriving  in the states 3 days ahead of schedule. Crossing the border was no issue, we were asked a few questions, and then he told us to have a nice day.  Gee, and I had made sure we had eaten all the meat and produce we had, just in case! 

Anyway, this post is more about the differences I noticed being in Canada. My thought started when I was surprised at how happy I was when we arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland a few weeks ago, and it got me thinking. As we’ve toured each province of Atlantic Canada, our destinations have gotten more and more remote. In Labrador, the most remote, we ran out of paved road after just an hour of driving (I am sure other areas have paved roads?).  New Brunswick, our first province, didn’t seem too different than being in the states, with Costco, Kohls, and Tim Horton’s (think Dunkin  Donuts) available, and restaurants on every corner.  There were a few things that did change right away though.

We had no data plan for our cell phones and ipad in Canada.  We pretty much got used to that fact, although I will admit that we did pick restaurants based on whether they have Wi-Fi, and we forgave each other for sitting at the table with phone in hand.  On the flip side, its strange, I think, that we are so used to having the internet at our finger tips that we missed not being instantly connected, whenever and wherever we want.   2 years ago, neither of us even had a smart phone, never mind an ipad! Now I would have to admit that if my ipad broke, it would be replaced within days, not weeks.  I, personally, had to get used to the fact that my phone was not the one receiving phone calls.  We only added Canada to Paul’s phone plan, so all of our calls went to him.

One of the things I loved about our time in Canada, is that the cream they use for their coffee is real cream, not “fat free” non dairy creamer, like I am used to.  Every morning, my coffee tasted like it was from a first class coffee shop.



Instead of google, we used paper maps and tour books to do our research and planning.(this made planning much less fun for me).  We definitely got used to making sure the tour books and maps  went with us in the truck every day! When writing my blog, my memory is so bad that if I can’t remember a fact correctly, I usually just “google” it to make sure I have it right. In Canada, I had to cheat- I typed notes on my iphone- so I’d have the details for later.




There is one exception to the map thing.  I spent $1 and bought a map app for the ipad.  It’s the best dollar I have spent in a long time. Once the maps are downloaded, they are accessible offline, so I can use it as a second GPS as we travel. It’s been invaluable.

We adjusted fairly well to the metric thing.  We learned to  do the mental math fast enough and accurate enough to wing it when dealing with kilometers, meters and kilograms.  Well, maybe not kilograms. The stores list certain items by the pound, and certain items by the kilogram or gram, so we were always confused.   Mostly if we were buying something its because we needed it, so we just closed our eyes and put it in the basket.  We completely looked the other way when buying diesel.  It was $5 a gallon when we got here and it only went up.


There are certain numbers we made a special point to learn in metric. 

The height, and width of our vehicles are some of those numbers. Nothing like scrambling at the last second when a sign on the highway states “all vehicles over 2.6 meters wide MUST exit”.

After New Brunswick we moved to PEI, where the restaurants and grocery stores are few and far between, and large chain stores are non-existent. No Wal-Marts here!  We were in vacation mode on PEI so we really enjoyed not being inundated with the usual suspects for stores and restaurants.

In Nova Scotia, Halifax is sort of an oasis of urbanism.  The city has the only two Costcos in Nova Scotia, and although there isn’t a bunch of chain restaurants, there is no shortage of great places to eat.  

The rest of our stay in Nova Scotia was far more like PEI- very few restaurants and the grocery stores are mostly Co-ops-grocery stores that are owned by the townspeople.

We also had to get used to seeing street signs in Gaelic, as well as English, although, it really didn’t take much getting used to.

Before we left for Newfoundland we took advantage of the semi large town of Sydney, Nova Scotia to stock the refrigerator and freezer.  Having experienced shopping on the mainland, we had no idea what to expect on the island, and we arrived with literally enough food to last the entire 3 weeks, if need be.  The produce on Newfoundland is not what we are used to at all and we bought very little of it.  We are used to freshness and variety and I think the stores on the island struggle to provide that. 
I am not saying one way of being is better than another, many of the things we got used to had nothing to do with the fact that we are in another country.    It just dawned on me when we arrived in St. John’s and I was smiling, that I had missed some of the things I am used to having.

I was happy to see Best Buy, even though I didn’t need to buy anything.  I was thrilled to see Costco, although the lines were so long we left without buying anything.  The second time we tried to go, on Wednesday, it was closed!! Apparently there’s a local holiday that we knew nothing about!

Television is something else we’ve gotten used to.  Well, Paul is used to having at least a few channels to surf, so he has gotten use to reading more books for the last month or so, and I really don’t care much about TV, so I have been enjoying the quiet.  Most places in Canada, we had NO television channels at all.







As Paul and I travel, we go through urban as well as rural, and downright remote, places.  We shy away from the urban pretty regularly.  Neither one of us is a city dweller, and a little goes a long way with us (especially driving a dually!)  I, for one though, have discovered I would feel too cut off, living too far from a metropolitan area.  As much as I bemoan the fact that we can predict what restaurants and stores we’ll see when we arrive in a new city (Best Buy, TJ Maxx/Ross, Applebees,  Target, Kohls, Olive Garden etc) I guess I’ve gotten used to those places being there when I want them!


So, now we are back in Michigan, visiting with friends, shopping in our storage unit, and going to doctor appointments, for the next week. 

Two weeks of recovery done....

I had my 2nd post-op doctor's visit this morning.  Every time we see him he seems to change the gameplan a little.  Originally he said I had to stay put for a month, and then I could leave for a couple of weeks. Last week he said I could leave for a couple of weeks after today.  Today he said I need to come in again in 2 days and again next week- then I can leave for 3-4 weeks.  No big deal but we have to keep adjusting our plans. So now we are going to stay here for another 3 days and then leave for the other Rv park that's not too far away.
      Overall though, the surgery went awesome and my recovery is going very well. The muscles in my foot seem tense, as if they aren't working quite right.  He said that's because I haven't had much range of motion in that joint for so many years, the muscles haven't really done much work in a long time, and now they are.
        So, Paul is finishing some projects and possibly starting another one.  He may build in an electric heater into the wall so we won't have to use the portable one we have.  We have a furnace with a full heating system but many times we just need a small electric one to take the chill out of the air.
The weather has been great, although its getting a little cold at night.  Last night it was in the mid 30s. Today its in the high 50s and the sun is out.

Dinners!

Last night we went out to dinner with friends and had a great time.  Tonight we went out to dinner with friends and had a great time. Tomorrow night we are going out to dinner with friends, and I am sure we'll have a great time!  I'll have to go on a diet, but it's worth it.
   Originally we were going to leave here this weekend and drive to an RV park about an hour from here for a couple of weeks, but we are going to stay here until my doctor's appointment on Tuesday instead.  Paul has been on a buying frenzy, buying "stuff" for the trailer while he has time order it, get it shipped and install it all. So far he has installed a water softener, but he wants to secure it better, so he has that project to finish.  He bought a heating element for one of our air conditioners so it can be used as a heat source, and he has that installed.  He ordered a part to install on  the awning to our largest slide so that water won't puddle in it, but it hasn't arrived yet.
In general he's been getting a lot done while waiting to be able to get on the road again.

One week of recovery done...

One week down, a few more to go....I had my first follow up visit yesterday and was very happy to hear that I will probably only have to stay in Michigan for another 3 weeks instead of 5 weeks.  Because this surgery was less invasive than the one originally planned, the recovery is faster. He did say that once the damage builds back up again (hopefully 5-10 years), my only option will be joint replacement.   I still have to wear the Cam Walker for another week, but that's ok, I really don't want to smash my foot at this point anyway.  I can walk around as much as I want as long as I don't overdo, so we are checking out wedding venues and making plans to go out to dinner with friends before we leave here this weekend (headed about 45 minutes south).  I think we may head to the West Virginia area for a couple of weeks before coming back to Indiana for Thanksgiving.

the view from my lounger

Post Surgery

Just a quick note to let everyone know I am out of surgery and back at the trailer. Everything went fine, although he couldn’t do everything he planned to do.
The original idea was to move the joint between my toe and my foot back a bit and rebuild it, so I would be able to flex my foot when walking, which  I couldn't do because of arthritis and bone spurs.
     There was too much cartilage damage to be able do that, so he just reshaped the bone, and removed the spurs, and he feels that I should have full range of motion and it should keep me for the next 5-10 years, at which time I will have to completely replace the joint.
The good part is that the recovery from this should be quicker…

Thanks for the good thoughts!

Michigan

Well, I am sure it wouldn't surprise anyone at Valassis to hear that I have a sore throat.  I went to visit my former co-workers and friends, and talked non-stop for about 3 hours.  It was so great to make the rounds and see everyone, although there we a few people I missed. I am hoping to see people again before we leave.
   We are at Haas Lake Park again- we arrived here after spending a couple of days in Muncie with Jess and her new fiance. I've discovered that I don't take any pictures when I am visiting people.  The only pictures I took in Muncie were of Jess trying on wedding gowns, and I can't post any of them!  Tomorrow we are checking out a couple of potential wedding venues for Jess since its the last day I'll be able to do anything for a while.  I had a doctor's appointment this morning, going over the details of my foot surgery that is scheduled for Wednesday.  I was pretty much assuming I would get crutches and be able to hop around as much as I want, as long as I put no pressure on my foot, but he tells me I need to pretty much stay home for  two weeks and keep walking to a minimum.  Ugh. 
Anyway, since I will be recuperating, and not exploring, there won't be too many blog posts in the next few weeks.

"Christmas morning"

Thats what it felt like the other day when Paul and I were rummaging through our stuff that we have in storage. We brought to storage a few things that we don't think we need  anymore in the trailer- like the tennis rackets that I swore we would use now that we don't work anymore. More importantly (and fun) were the very few things that we had access to once we got there.  In the big metal cabinet near the entrance, we found the carpet shampooer!  We were able to reach both bikes, and one of my favorite small flower pots.  We didn't actually need or get that much stuff, but it was fun to sort through and see what we might want.  And being able to get the bikes was a nice bonus.  I hope we use them more than we did the tennis rackets, though.   The timing is good since we have to come back here in a month or so anyway, we should have a good idea by then as to whether they are worth keeping with us.
      I took a leap and booked my foot surgery today.  They are already booking in October and I will need to be here for a minimum of 6 weeks, maybe even 8,  which brings our stay here very close to the potentially nasty winter weather in November.  Our only other option is to put it off until spring, and we really don't want to do that because it will interfere more with our activities than if we do it now.  We may winterize the trailer for the last two weeks and stay in an extended stay hotel, but we'll decide that later.
   We had more visitors yesterday (friends from my work) and had a great, relaxing afternoon with them!  Paul really enjoyed meeting all my friends, since he has been hearing their names for years.   Last night was our last social outing- we went out to dinner with a friend of Paul's.  When we lived here, we would meet Al and his wife occassionally for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  Al's wife couldn't be here last night, so it was just the 3 of us.  She is in Texas, staying with their 31 year old son who was just diagnosed with oral cancer and is beginning Chemo and radiation therapy.  Thats not something that any parent should have to handle, and they have dropped everything to be there for whatever he needs.  In addition to that, they are in the midst of planning their daughter's wedding, so their lives have been in quite an upheaval lately!
   Our visit here has been whirlwind and short, but it's nice to know that we will be back this way sooner rather than later.  Tomorrow we hope to head north.

old friends and new friends

Mason!

Pennie, Mason and Maria

Now that the medical portion of our trip is taken care of, for now, we have begun the socializing portion of our visit. Several of my good friends from work came over for dinner the other night. The evening went by so fast! It almost makes me glad we'll be here for a month in October, so I can take more time to see people!   It was really awesome for me that Paul got to meet people that I have talked about for a long time, and I got to spend time with some friends and their families.

    Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hair cut by my favorite hairdresser in Ann Arbor.  It was nice to have it cut by someone I know and trust.  In the afternoon, it was Dozer's turn for the doctor.  We took him to a local vet to get his shots and make sure he is healthy.

 

      Last night was  the time for new friends.  Paul and I are members of a group called " Escapees".  They are, in general, people who live in an RV and travel full time.  Last night we met two couples, fellow escapees, for dinner in Brighton MI.  Karla and Eric are from Michigan as well, and have been here most of the summer.  Mary and Paul were living in CA when they decided to go on the road full time  last year.  We all "went full time" within months of each other, so we had a lot in common.  We had a great dinner and an awesome time with these two couples, comparing stories, and future plans. Hopefully we'll meet up with them again soon, maybe for the holidays in Arizona.