Back in the Tampa Area

We had planned on spending a month down in the Keys, but the roof on the Santara caused us to leave a couple weeks early. Saturday morning we went to the Key West Sea Food Festival. It wasn't what we anticipated at all, it was just like most of the other festivals we been to, over priced crafts, over priced food, and everyone there wanting to relieve you of your money.

We had an appointment with Lazy Days on Tuesday to have the roof repaired again on the Santara. We tried to change it to later in the week, but we were told if we couldn't got it in Tuesday it would be sometime after the first of Feb before we could get it in, so we decided to leave Saturday after we visited the festival.

We drove out of the Keys to an Indian Casino outside if Tampa on hwy 997. We joined several other RVs taking advantage of the free boondocking in the casino parking lot. It being a Saturday night we had to see what was going on inside, and to Marcia's delight it was bingo night. We signed up for their free membership card and they gave us $20 to play on in their slot machines. I received an extra $10 because I was born in Jan.

Marcia wound up making $23 with her free $20 and I gave them their $30 back. After we took advantage of the buy one get one free buffet I went back to the rig to rest and Marcia went in to play bingo.

Sunday we drove the rest of the way to Seffner Fl where Lazy Days is located. We stopped in Venice and had lunch with Chuck and Terry, (my brother and his wife) it was a long lunch but we had a good time catching up, and the girls had to brag about the grand babies. Marcia got the upper hand because we have four and they have one and one still in the oven. Congrats to Cody and Nicole!

Monday we rented a storage building and unloaded the Santara. I now think Bob was right and we might have been a few pounds over the weight limit on the Santara. I really don't know how we had so much stuff packed in that RV. Thanks to Walt and Donna for stopping buy to help us unload or we would have never got it all unpacked and stored.

Today we turned the Santara over to Lazy Days, we are still hopeful that the insurance company will buy the rig and not repair the roof and ceilings. After looking at the stained ceiling for two months, and thinking about what might happen to the walls after it got so wet in MO when Shoreline allowed it to get soaked in a rainstorm while the second roof was being put on, and our concerns about the positive mold test, we will not be moving back into the Santara.

If it works out that the Santara is repaired we will put it on a consignment lot and have it sold, or we might put it on a lot somewhere and let friends and family use it as a get-a-way place. We already miss sleeping in our own bed, but feel better about not being exposed to the mold we found in the Santara when we did the mold test last week, even though we have not received the lab results as to what type of mold it was.

We will be hanging out in Motels until we pick up the new to us Kountry Star on the 29th. Although we may find a way to take a vacation on a cruise ship if we can get things worked out with the insurance company and Lazy Days on the Santara while we wait. Things could be a lot worse, after all we are in Tampa FL, and it is Jan.

Stay tuned and I will keep everyone informed as to what happens to the Santara, and how we enjoy being HOMELESS for a couple weeks.........