Spartan

 We left the TT park in Wilmont OH a few days before our two weeks was up so we could visit family in and around Lima. We parked the rig at the Ottawa Metro Park on Hwy 81. It is a real clean and neat park, 30 amp electric, water between sites, and a dump station. At $25 a night I think they want the campers to pay for the day use people and the disc golf players.

 We had a great visit with family, and we introduced Andrea to the L.E.O. club.  The first night we had to get our tenderloin sandwich from Happy Daz. Mark and Allison joined Ed, Andrea, Danny, Marcia, and myself. Their tenderloin sandwiches are so huge, Marcia and I split one. (partly because we are on a "reduction" diet.

 While in Lima we were checking on new wheels and tires for the motor home. We were given two names by the people at FMCA, Best One Tire, and Shrader Tire and Oil. Best One was right down the road from where we were parked so we checked there first. We are still waiting on them to call us back with the estimates.  Shrader tire called us right back with the quote, and they had no trouble finding and including the center caps. So we set it up for Friday to get new shoes all the way around the Kountry Star.

 Thursday Andrea hosted a BBQ, Andrea and Danny supplied the place and the burgers, and everyone else brought a side. We had about 20 show up, and it was good catching up, and the food was.....well like most of the get togethers,,, awesome.

 Friday we left the park and went to Shrader and got the new shoes put on. (they are pretty) We spent the weekend relaxing and today we parked the rig at Camp Spartan. Tomorrow the techs at Spartan will give the rig a service and a good going over........

In Ohio

We left CGGNHP Wednesday the 1st, and made it all the way to Lexington. The Kentucky Horse Park where we spent an evening with Randy, Doris, Missy, Wince, Tyler and Braydon. We had met this family 5 years ago at the horse park just after we went full time, and try to visit them every time we are near Lexington.

 They wanted us to stay a few days and watch Tyler drive a truck in a truck pull, and watch Braydon race his quad and motorcycle, but we had been sitting for two months and I wanted the wheels rolling, so we left Thursday am and drove to Cincinnati, where we stopped at the FMCA campground. When we joined the FMCA back in Jan we were invited to tour their headquarters, and since they give us two free days at their CG we thought we would check it out.

 Everyone at the office was busy trying to keep up with the daily routine and getting things ready for their rally in a few weeks so the tour wasn't what we had expected. With us not wanting to hang around a big city we elected to head on to the Thousand Trials Park in Wilmington Ohio so after the tour we packed things up and headed east.

 We arrived at the TT park and was quickly disappointed that all the full hook up sites were taken except one that wasn't real level, and in the middle of the woods. The only full hook up site would mean no satellite, so we elected to take a water and electric site where we could get satellite. We knew we could move to a full hook up site when one can open.

 Monday we drove the jeep to Lancaster Ohio to visit Phil and Linda, another couple we met 5 years ago in our first year of full timing. Phil and Linda own a home in Lancaster and use their rv for recreation like most working poeple do. But that is OK everyone has their own goals and desires in life.

 Today we waited for the rain and storms to pass so we could head to Wright Patterson Air Force Base. We plan on spending a few days here visiting our nephew (he works here) and seeing the sights around town. Marcia has a National Something she wants to see and get the stamp for her national parks Pass Port Book.

 Monday we will drift north to the Lima area to visit more family before we have to have the rig at Spartan's shop in MI.........

Got the "all clear" maybe.

Some how posting blogs don't seem to get done very often when we are sitting in one place too long. And spending time in Middlesboro Ky makes posting blogs a task I don't want to do, who wants to read about us going to eat with our kids several times every week?

Another bad thing about sitting in one place too long is the camera doesn't get used enough. I often think, "why didn't I take pictures"? Not only do I not get to share them with you all, I can't look back and see all the pictures I didn't take.

One interesting thing we did with the kids and two of the grands was a trip white water rafting. I must say I wasn't really into going until we got the boat in the water. We had a blast and I am very happy that I did do this with our kids, and as soon as the youngest grand gets old enough we will do it again.

I didn't take a single pic but others did and I'll share them with you all.

This was before we took off.

Here we are.

This is the lazy part of the river.

We did have two that "fell" out of the raft.

We had an awesome guide, he had us doing 360's while shooting the rapids. All the others in the other rafts were in awe, and the adventurous ones were wishing they were in our raft.

Then the next few weeks were more of the first few weeks, so I won't boar you with all the re-runs.

Today I got the all clear from my doctor, although he will be checking with the cancer doctors to make sure they don't want me for some reason or another. So unless I get a call or letter I'll be free to roam the country again until my next appointment in Dec. or maybe even June of 2013.

 Marcia has her final check up tomorrow, and we expect an all clear from her doctor too.

The next week will be busy getting all the things ready for our departure, sitting for two months things kind of get away from me so this is the week I catch up. This time next week we will be headed north..............

Time sure does fly by

 It really blows my mind to see how quickly the time between my posts goes by. I guess keeping busy with family, doctors, and the park has a lot to do with it. So I'll give you all the quick version of the past few weeks.

 Several weeks ago I had an in-grown toenail taken care of, but two days before my two week check up it got infected. So that resulted in the doctor removing the entire toenail. OUCH, so now I have to soak it daily for two or three weeks, and keep it wrapped until I go back for the two week check up which will be the second two week check up, but it doesn't hurt too much, (unless Marcia steps on it).

 Marcia had an annual physical and we are waiting on the blood tests to come back before we know anything, She will have a few other tests done before we leave the area. She also had an ingrown toenail taken care of, and because of the problems I have had with mine we are being extra careful treating hers.

 Marcia has wanted LASIK surgery on her eyes for years, and I have told her to do the research and have it done. Last week she had an appointment to see if LASIK would help her, and they scheduled the surgery for this past Friday. We got up really early and drove the 80 + or - miles to be there before 7 am. They let me watch the whole thing, and all I can say is, modern medicine has came a long way. Maybe I will do a separate blog on just the surgery?

 8 hours after the surgery we returned for a check up. (not two weeks) The doctor said she was doing great, and was seeing 20/30 and reading some of the 20/25 line. Now that doesn't sound really good until you think that they had put a lot of medicines in her eyes that day, and they cut a layer of her eye off and put it back after they took the laser to it. She has a follow up appointment Thursday.

 Marcia is really enjoying her duties at the CGNHP, and I have pretty much been a no show at the park leaving it all up to Marcia. I "might" help her out some when my toe gets better, or should I milk this out as long as I can???

 We are also getting to see family and friends a lot, getting Marcia's BINGO fix satisfied, and just enjoying life......................so until the next time....................

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

 Yesterday we mover the Kountry Star. It was a long drive, (about 5 miles) from the CGNHP Camp ground in VA, to a site close to the CGNHP Headquarters in Kentucky. The volunteers that were here left a day early due to stormy weather coming tomorrow.

 The park is located in three states, KY, TN, and VA. The massive 4 lane double tunnel goes through the park in KY and TN, one end is in KY and the other is in TN. The visitors center is in Middlesboro, also spelled Middlesborough, which is in KY. The Camp Ground is located in VA, and driving from the CG to the visitors center you must enter TN.

 Part of this explains how and why we confuse so many people when they ask "where you from". We were raised in KY about three miles from the point where you can stand in all three states at one time. Our tags are TN, because we use our son's address and he lives in TN about three miles from where you can stand in all three states at once. So being from KY it is natural to say KY when ask, and we are learning to say TN because of our tags.

 Our site for the next two months has full hook-ups, the satellite dish is in a very awkward position, but we get TV. We are also very close to or maybe in Bartlet Park in Middlesboro, so the view out the front windshield is a view of the park.

 We will start helping out where ever we can be used in the CGNHP this weekend. We aren't sure what or where we will be yet, but we know the staff is a great bunch of people, and they are fun to spend time with. So most of my blog posts will have something to say about the park for the next couple of months.........................stay tuned.............

Sea Salt

 As most of you know we just returned from a 7 day cruise, and I really have to warn everyone. The salt in the air from the sea will shrink all your clothes. I can't understand how it effects the clothes you don't take with you but it does. I think mine shrunk a size or two in just one week.

 Saturday 05-05-2012 we left the Thousand Trails Park in Clermont and drove over to Sumter Oaks RV Park near Bushnell. We were greeted by the Dub-U's Wanda and Wallace, Bennett and Bee, Fran and Sharron, Wayne and Diane, and several others in the park. We didn't even hook up the rig, Marcia just plugged in the electric so Leo wouldn't get too hot while we were away.

 Sunday morning 13 of us piled into two trucks and headed to Tampa. We dumped the bags out and waited on Wallace and Fran to park the trucks. Then we checked in, and boarded the ship. The first thing they told us was to go to deck 9 where the food was waiting on us. (they didn't have to tell us twice either)

 On deck 9 we found 6 different buffet lines full of food, one buffet line full of deserts, and three swimming pools. So needless to say we all started filling plates and stuffing our faces. After 1;30 we were able to put our carry on stuff in our rooms, and we had to check out our balcony.

We went back to deck 9 to watch the views as the ship took us through Tampa Bay towards the Gulf Of Mexico.

Here is Wanda and Wallace

Fran and Sharron

Wayne and Diane

Marcia and Myself

Bee and Bennett

And I didn't get pictures of Elaine, Don, and Elinor.

By now it was time to get ready for dinner, the fancy dinner where the waiter unfolds your napkin and places it in your lap. (I always try to beat him to that) We were all sitting at the same table, it was a long table. They ask for drink orders, then take appetizer and meal orders, someone brings bread, (hard bread) and after the the food is gone they take desert orders. You get to chose from a menu with several choices, and there is a menu for any day if you don't like the daily menu.

 After dinner there is always something going on if you want to do it, most nights we just hung out on the balcony. We did watch the comedy show one night, and the "love and marriage show" one evening. After the third night we quit going to the fancy dinner and just ate from one of the 6 buffets, the fancy dinner took too long and I was having a hard time sitting that long.

 On the ship there was a casino, several bars, gift shops, liquor store, main stage for events, a spa, three pools, three hot tubs, two or three dinning rooms, a gym, a water slide, and a bunch of staterooms. I'm sure I missed some of the things on the ship, but you get the idea that you can stay busy all week long just checking out the ship.

 Our first day was spent boarding the ship and leaving Tampa. Day two was at sea, day three we docked in Cozumel, day four we docked in Belize, day five was Mahogany Bay Honduras, Day six was Grand Cayman Island, and day seven was at sea. Sunday when we woke up the ship was cruising through Tampa Bay going back to the port.

 This is the quick version of the cruise, Marcia set supper on the table so I'll close this out and eat.....

Hommies Catch Up with us.

 After spending a few days with our boys, (and Miss Jaelynn) at Ft Stewart Ga where Jon is now stationed we headed south. Yea maybe the wrong direction this time of year but we do have the cruise and need to be in Tampa Sunday AM.

 Our first stop was a Passport America park between Titusville and New Smyrna Beach. It is a nice little park right off I-95. It has a clubhouse, pool, bath house, and full hook-ups, and the price is not too bad either.

 Marcia and I spent a couple days just playing on the beaches and relaxing.

 A couple of Marcia's closest running buddies from Kentucky were coming to FL to spend a few days, and they wound up pitching their tent at the same park. They said they were doing this trip on the cheap, so tenting it was the plan. I was having one of my days so I was in bed long before they arrived, but Marcia pointed them in the right direction and they had camp all set up by the time I crawled out of be the next morning.

Their day one was spent driving from KY to FL, but day two consisted of a trip to the beach. I elected to hang out at the rig and maybe drive over to the beach later. I know girls need their "girl" time.

Beth's niece, and Kristy's daughter frolicked in the Atlantic Ocean, they would let the waves wash them upon the beach, then they would roll back out with the returning waves.

And the "Three Amigos" lay in the sand watching.

That night was time to "unwind" so we broke out the "MARGARATOR" I really learned a lot by listening to those three, the more margaritas they had the better the stories got. We all managed to make through the night and the next day was moving day for us.

We packed up and rolled on over to the Thousand Trails Park in Clermont FL. When we checked in Marcia ask about the girls pitching their tent on our site, (remember they are on the cheap this trip) and to our surprise you can have two tents and ten people on a site. ( I hope I'm never on a site next to two adults and 8 screaming kids). So Marcia call Beth and told her she was welcome to pitch their tent next to us.

So for the past three days I have been pretty much a bachelor. Marcia and the girls have been visiting the Mouses House. Marcia got a deal on a four day, four park pass so they were taking advantage of it. Too bad they couldn't find a three day pass because three days is all we will have. We have to move to Bushnell to get ready for the cruise and the girls have to get back to KY.

I have really enjoyed having hommies around, and enjoyed being a bachelor during the days, and I know the Three Amigos and the two side kicks have enjoyed their time together. So tomorrow, (today really it is 3 am now) we will say good-bye, but like a lot of our RVing friends we know we will meet up again....