Pro Bowl!

By the title of the blog you know what I am going to be doing tonight. While it is not like the Super Bowl at least it is football. I am sad that I only have tonight and next Sunday and then football season will be over. That means I don't have anything to watch on Saturday (college ball), Sunday, Monday night, or Thursday night. Oh well, guess I'll just have to start reading a lot again.

Right now I'm waiting for my dinner to cook - individual pizzas. Dan has already had his and mine is in the convection oven. Simple tonight, but then it's football night in the Mihlfeld household.

I got all the laundry done today - so once again we are caught up. I did two loads in the laundromat and one here in the unit ($4.00 total). You know I'm going to miss this cheap laundry - but then again, when we get to Georgia we won't have to pay for laundry (that's one of the things we get for working). It is hard for me to think that we will be in GA in just three weeks - which means the "Great" adventure is getting closer. Dan is so excited about this trip - we looks and looks at the map and the Milepost that we have. He doesn't want to make any definite "schedule" but I would like to at least have an idea of where we are going each day - I know that we don't want to make a 'hard and fast' schedule - but I wouldn't mind one that is written in "sand" instead of "concrete".

I also got the financial stuff done today - YEAH! Balanced the checkbook -paid the bills for February - and was even able to put a little in savings. Even with the cruise we did much better this month than we have done since we started this little adventure - and part of that has to do with eating at home all the time. We spent a total of less than $100.00 all month on eating out - and that includes Denny's the other day. That is something for us. Plus we only filled up the truck three times all month - $205. in fuels for the truck - amazing!!! We only spent a little over $2,500 this month (including lot rent). Not too bad! Now, if we can just repeat that this month it would be amazing! We will just have to try and continue to do what we did this month - other than the cruise (wish we could do another cruise, but no this again - plus we had paid for it in November, so it was not included in this months total.)

Well, I'm going to go eat my pizza now and watch the football game. Hope you guys have a good week this coming week - those of you that are in cold country - try and stay warm - those of you that are in the rain - try and stay dry - those of you that have both - well, you know what to do.

I'll talk to you tomorrow!!!!

A Rainy Day in North Florida

I woke up last night to thunder and it rained all morning here. The weather turned out to be nice today after about 11 am. We went up to Denny's, by the interstate, for breakfast this morning - I had a coupon for 20 percent off the meal and it expired after today. So, we decided that we would go up for a breakfast out. Of course we ate pretty late in the morning - we left the 'house' around 10:00, so we didn't need lunch today.

We did go by Bud and Joyce's' today when we got back. I had some storage containers that I was not going to use so I wanted to take them over to Joyce. Bud had to do a trip on the river on the pontoon boat and asked Dan if we wanted to be the "first mate" -which, of course, he did. Any excuse to be on the water. They did a tour for a group that was having a birthday here in the Village. Dan really enjoys being with Bud and they really have a good time together.

I came home and did a few things around the house. I did cook Cashew Chicken for dinner - it was really pretty good, even if I do have to say so myself. Now the kitchen is cleaned up and the coffee is made. I think that I will just take a couple of pills (for my headache) and go to bed early.

I hope that you all are having a good weekend and staying dry and --------------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Lake City

Today Dan and I went over to Lake City. I had a friend who told me that the best nail salon around was at (don't laugh) the Wal Mart in Lake City. Well, my family knows that I have had a bad nail for about three years (I split it when we moved to Dowling Park from Franklin almost three years ago). Anyway, I have tried everything from nail glue, nail hardener, hoof repair stuff, finger guard, keeping it cut off, etc. and nothing has worked. So, I decided that I only had one only choice (other than having the nail removed) and that was to try acrylic nails. So, we went to Lake City, to Wal Mart, to the nail salon and I got acrylic nails. I would have to say the girl was very good - she did not make them too thick so they do look natural - plus we didn't make them long (actually they are a little shorter than I normally wear my nails, but that's okay). She recommended that I keep them on until that whole nail grows out - which will be awhile. Anyway, we will just keep filling in and keep them short and see what happens. I'm sure that other Wal Marts around the country have good nail salons in them and I'll just have to keep trying and see what happens. (It only cost me $20.00 - I didn't think that was a bad price - what do you think Melissa???)

While I was getting my nails done Dan did some shopping in Wal Mart - we actually found a new garbage can for the unit and he picked up a few things for fishing and stuff like that. Then we drove down to Home Depot and looked there but didn't see anything we needed. We also made a quick stop at Office Max and got the hanging files that I was looking for. So, now we have everything we had on our list.

We had dinner at our friend Patty and Dino's house tonight. Joyce and Bud were there also - it was nice having the "group" together again, if it was only for one meal. We had a good time just sitting around and talking after dinner. Patty cooked a wonderful meal and Joyce brought a fabulous dessert. Of course, I didn't take anything (sometimes I feel so inadequate). We did have a great time together and I hope that we will be able to spend some time together before we leave in a couple of weeks. (Yes, hard to believe that we will be leaving in just a couple of weeks!)

I don't have much else to report for tonight - I'll sign off - hope everyone had a good week. Oh, BTW, I got a message from some friends in Franklin and it is snowing HARD there - as of a couple of hours ago they had over 7 inches and it was still coming down. Unbelievable. Hope they all stay indoors and stay safe. Hey Crystal, is it snowing in Atlanta????? You guys take care and ---------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Just out running around with Dan

Guess what? I still haven't done all the financial stuff that I thought I would get done today. Dan decided this morning that we needed to go to town and pick up some things - and it turned into an all day trip.

First the list - 1.) Bathroom scales, 2.) New garbage can, 3.) throw rug for doorway, 4.toaster, 5.) window scraper, 6.) Round brush, 7.) Hanging Files - you get the idea. We had to take one rug back to Lowe's so we looked for some of the things on our list there - No toaster - no rug - no garbage can - yes window scraper. Oh well, let's try the good ole stand-by - Wal Mart. Toaster - yes, garbage can - no, bathroom scales - yes, round brush - yes, hanging files - no. We did get some things at Wal Mart, but there were still things on our list that we did not get - like the garbage can. Oh well, we'll just have to keep looking for what I want.

After we left Wal Mart Dan was hungry - what else is new. We went all the way back through town to Ken's Bar B Que and had some lunch - then we went over to Peebles to look for some Dearform slippers for me (they didn't have to ones I want - boo!). THEN Dan decided he wanted to go out to Suwannee River State Park and talk to the Volunteer Coordinator - she was not in the office, some where on site - but we couldn't find her. Anyway - we left our name and phone number and told the girl in the office that we would be interested in this time next year (we might even do November and December IF we had the same schedule we had down at Highlands Hammock). We'll just have to wait and see - wouldn't that be a good thing to have a work schedule already set up for a year from now! Yeah - now I'll just have to see if we get a phone call.

By the time we got all that running around done it was 4:00 in the afternoon. We did get home in time to watch the Jay Leno interview on Oprah. You know, I'm not going to take sides because I don't watch late night TV - but I thought that Jay did a good job in this interview. I would have to say that he is right - we, the public, have no idea how TV works and we should not take sides in this. I don't think Conan is and I don't think that Jay is - it is just business. IF anyone is the bad guy it would have to be the network - at least in my opinion, but what do I know.

Dan and I fixed dinner tonight - sirloin steak, baked potato, and another nice salad. GOOD eating! I really don't know what I'm going to do tonight - there is nothing worth watching on TV tonight (once again, just my opinion). Maybe I'll just read.

Tomorrow - once again, I'll try and get the financial stuff done. We are going to dinner at a friend's house tomorrow night and I think Neil and Carol are coming up so we might be going up to Valdosta on Saturday if they do come up. I'll let you know.

I really don't have anything else to report - so ------------------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

I'm Done!!!!!

Wonders of wonders - I finished the laundry today! (And I didn't have to resort to any strange things to do it either!) I also spent a lot of time today getting the unit clean - I mean deep clean. I decided that if I was going to do this today I needed to do a bit of "Spring Cleaning" - I know a lot of people don't thing about doing Spring Cleaning on a RV but this is our home and so it needed to be done. I know that we haven't been in the unit too long - just about four months, but it still needed to be done.

I also went through all the financial records today - pulled out all our records from last year and put in some storage files to go in the storage unit - unless we find out from the tax guy on the 9th that I don't need to keep all this stuff. So now all my files are straighten out and ready for the new year. I went through all the mail (the stuff that you just stick in a drawer when it comes with the belief that you will go through it all. Well, today I did. I have a couple of surveys to fill out and mail -one for the hospital in Sebring (think that will be a favorable one - not!!!) and the other one is for the Montana. I'll fill those out tomorrow. We are also going to call Good Sam to get an insurance quote on the unit and the truck. Supposedly we can save some money - it never hurts to call and see.

I did not get the checkbook balanced, but that is on the list to do for tomorrow. Since I don't have to worry about doing anything around the house I'll have all day to work on the financial end of this operation. I'll also call the mail service people tomorrow and get that set up again, that way we'll have about a month before we leave for Georgia, so if we have any problems we can get them straightened out before we leave.

Tonight for dinner we had Mexican food - beef and bean burritos with Spanish rice. Tomorrow we will have a steak - actually we were suppose to have it tonight, but it didn't get thawed out today - soooo, we 'll have it tomorrow night. Plus Dan will fix it on the grill. Ummmm!

Well, I don't have anything else to report today, so I'll sign off for tonight. Melissa, you are on the downhill slide for the week - just a couple more days. You can do it!!!!! Take it easy everyone and ---

I'll talk to you tomorrow!!

Will the Laundry Never Cease????

Laundry, laundry, laundry! It seems like every time I turn around I have more laundry to do - will I ever get caught up???? I even have a load just sitting over in the Laundromat waiting for in the morning because I didn't want to do it tonight. Of course, this is a load of throw rugs - I haven't done rugs since we moved into the new unit - so I do think it was time. Anyway, MAYBE I'll have it all caught up by tomorrow night.

Dan and I also worked on rearranging the basement and getting it all packed up for our trip. Dan has decided not to take his fly tying chest with us on this trip out, so that left a lot of room in the basement. I am still taking my sewing machine, but IF I don't use it this trip out when we get back next winter I will unpack it and put it in storage. We are going to have so much room in the basement I don't know what we are going to put down there. But at least we will have the room if we need it.

Tomorrow, along with trying to get the laundry finished, I am planning on doing a deep cleaning on the unit. It is time for me to do it - you know the mopping of the floors and all that kind of stuff. That should take a whole take a couple of hours IF I take my time. I also want to get the checkbook and the little "black book" caught up. Hopefully I'll be able to transfer some money into savings (keep your fingers crossed!).

Today we also went over to Joyce and Bud's just to check in - Joyce wasn't home but Dan was able to talk to Bud for a little while. Then we went and checked the mail - at least we are getting less and less. Dan wants to reactivate our mail service in Panama City - we never did use it before, but he thinks that we need to start using it before we head out again. Joyce was a good friend and picked up our mail for us while we were in Idaho last summer and then mailed it to us when I called her. However, we don't want to impose on her to do that all the time. We still have an account with the company in Panama City - we just have to reactivate it. Guess I'll need to do that in the next couple of days too.

We fixed a pork loin on the grill tonight of dinner - along with one baked potato (it was large and we split it) and a nice salad. Dan sorta burned the bottom of the pork loin but after we trimmed that part off it was really very good. We have about half of the loin left over so I'll fix something with it tomorrow for lunch. We are really trying to be good and eat at home all the time. We don't know how much weight we gained on the cruise - the bathroom scales we have quit working so now we need to buy a new one. Dan likes to keep track of his weight (which is a good idea for him, I would rather go by the way my clothes fit). Dan does have a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks - he hopes to have lost any weight he has gained by then - maybe even lose some more than the point he was at before the cruise.

Well, I don't have that much else to report - so, I'll sign off for tonight, and -----------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow

Finishing the Laundry

No, I'm not going to bore you again tonight with stories from our cruise, but I just liked this picture and after a day of rain I thought it would cheer us all up.

Today was a day of trying to get the laundry finished - did two loads of jeans at the laundrymat here in the park and one load of towels in the unit - I still have one more load to do - the sheets on the bed. That was the "big" job for today.

I did fix dinner in the crockpot today - Great Northern Beans with Ham. Then I chopped up an onion for Dan and fixed us some cornbread. Then Dan cleaned up the kitchen for me - even made the coffee - WOW!

I did call down to Lakeland today and make an appointment for the pups to see their Vet - we have to have a letter from their vet which states that they have had their rabies vaccination - listing the manufacture of the medication, has to have the pups picture on it and signed by the Vet. I will take the letter from Canada so their Vet can see what they require. We will take the rest of the stuff that we have here down to the storage unit at the same time that we see the Vet. Spend the weekend down in Lake Placid - coming up to Lakeland to see the girls there one day then back to Melissa's to spend the night. It will probably be the last time we see the girls in Lakeland before our trip to Alaska in May. I am hoping that Melissa will be able to come up to Helen, GA for her grandmother's 80th birthday in April. I really hope she and Justin can work it out so they can be there. We'll talk about that more as the time gets closer.

I really don't have much to talk about tonight - I just went on and on last night so I guess that I will let you off easy tonight. I hope that you all are having a good week at whatever you are doing. Hope you enjoyed the picture above and ------------------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Home from the Cruise!

We're home! (Thought this was an appropriate photo to show the end!) Anyway, let me give you a run down of the last week.

We got up Friday morning and did our last minute getting things together. We loaded the pups up and headed to Neil and Carol's by 10:00 AM. We didn't have any problems on our ride down and got to Carol and Neil's around noon. After lunch Carol and I headed down to Crystal River for a little shopping at Penny's (they had a really GOOD sale) where I picked up a couple of shirts. Then it was time for my hair appointment - the girl did a good job I think especially since she had never cut my hair before. Anyway, after my hair appointment Carol and I headed back to the house. We got back to their house about 5 pm and then they had a surprise for us for dinner. We thought that we were going to eat dinner at their house, but they had a different plan. We went to a little diner just around the corner from their house that had only been open a couple of weeks. We could get there on the golf cart and the food was pretty good. After dinner we came back to the house - looked at some wildlife (they have lots of deer and wild hogs that feed through their yard) and then it was time for bed. We knew that we had to get up early - around 5 to be able to get to the bus in Crystal River by 7. Saturday morning we were on the road by 5:45 (wonder of wonders) and were on site when the charter bus arrived. Everyone was on board (all 60 of us) and we were on the road to Miami by 7:30. It was an uneventful trip down and the boarding on the ship was fairly easy. Our room would not be ready until after 2 so we headed up stairs to the buffet for lunch. After we had a nice lunch we explored the ship some before we headed for our stateroom. We always get a balcony room and this time was no exception. While the room was a little small (probably the smallest balcony room we have ever had) it was very comfortable. The ship sailed around 4 pm and Neil and I stood out on the deck while we were leaving the port. Then it was into the Bliss Lounge for the football game (Saints/Cardinals). Too bad that the game didn't go as I wanted, but the second game did (Yeah Payton and the Colts!) We went back up to the buffet for dinner Saturday night and then went back to our room to unpack and go to bed.

Sunday was a sea day and it was spent just relaxing and exploring the ship. We did have dinner in the dining room and were able to sit in the back of the dining room with a wonderful view of the sunset from our table. Dinner was very good - but we (Neil, Carol, Dan and I) decided that we would not be eating in the dining room every night and spending more meals in the buffet.
-

Monday we reached the Dominican Republic. Not exactly the best port of call. This is the beach on the back side of the island. We had decided to take a tour called "Discover Samana" and it was a bus ride down a dirt road for about four hours to reach this beach. On the way all we saw was a lot of shacks and unfinished foundations. The really sad thing about that is - this is not the poorest country in our hemisphere. We don't have any idea how lucky we have it.




As we were leaving port I did get another pretty picture in Samana - the sunset.

Dan took this picture of me on the beach - there wasn't anything to do after we got to this beach - we didn't have bathing suits or towels or anything like that - but they (the tour people) left us on this beach for an hour. Go figure!

We left Samana and headed for Tortola. Monday night, after dinner, we went to one of the best shows that I have ever seen on any cruise ship. It was called "Oh What A Night Tribute" and was with four guys that have been on Broadway doing this show. It was fantastic!!!!!! Not only were the songs ones we all know (Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons) - they were performed perfectly. We all really enjoyed the show and looked forward to being able to see them again on the last night of our cruise.

On Tuesday we reached Tortola around 8 am. Dan and I had decided NOT to do any more tours - Dan didn't want to ride on a bus again. Carol and Neil did an afternoon tour on a boat and then rode a bus back to the ship right at the time we were set to sail (5:30). They were impressed with the island and afterwards Dan says that he wished we had gone on this tour. Oh well - maybe the next time.

Actually, Dan and I did not even leave the boat in Tortola - but I did get a nice picture from our balcony.

We set sail at 5:30 for St. Thomas which we have been to before - it was one of the island that we went on our very first cruise and we really thought it was a pretty island however, we knew that we did not want to do a tour - When we had come to St. Thomas before we had done a tour with a individual on the pier and he did a fabulous job (Carr was his name and there were 10 of us in our group). Anyway, we did get off the ship and walked into town and did a little looking around, but did not buy anything.

As a side bar - we noticed that, while people were of course cruising, they were not buying things in ports or even on the ship. I know that we did not buy ANYTHING which I think is a record for us. The only money we spent was for a "soda card" which meant that all I had to do was show my keycard and I got a Pepsi at no charge. I purchased the "soda card" right after we set sail (while watching the football game) and they put a little sticker on my keycard so I didn't have to do anything else. I think that we certainly made the purchase cost effective. We did the one tour and there was one other purchase that I will tell you about at the end.

Wednesday morning saw us in St. Thomas. This is the harbor in St. Thomas - I don't think I have ever seen that many boats in a harbor - plus there were a lot of yachts - one even had a helicopter on it. HUGE! St. Thomas is a beautiful island, but it is also a very expensive place to live. Anyway, we were suppose to leave at 7 but there were people that were late -(did you know that cruise ships will not leave you?). So, about 45 minutes after we were suppose to leave, we finally had everyone back on board.

Thursday was a day at sea as we were heading for NCL's private island Great Stirup Cay. We did have some excitement (depending on your point of view) on Thursday, but I didn't think about getting my camera so I could take pictures. Dan and I were in our cabin when Dan realized that we were not moving. We went out on deck and found out that the ship was waiting on a Coast Guard helicopter to evacuate a gentleman that had had a heart attack. We didn't move for well over an hour before the helicopter got there and then it was about 45 minutes of maneuvering before the evacuation was complete. I don't know why I didn't think about going back to our cabin and getting my camera, but I didn't. So, I don't have any pictures of the helicopter but take my word for it - it was pretty awesome! After that excitement - Dan and I, along with Carol and Neil, went back to our respective cabins and got ready for dinner. We had decided to eat in the dining room again and there certainly weren't many people there when we made it down. After a nice dinner we went to the show which was a couple of guys that did juggling. Actually they were pretty good and they were very funny.

Friday morning we arrived at Great Stirup Cay. Dan and I went over around lunch time and had some bar-b-que on the beach before heading back to the ship. We decided to go in the hot tub for a little while and just relaxed on board. (We are not big beach people but it was nice to relax on board without a lot of people to fight.) We spent part of the afternoon packing our luggage - we wanted to make sure we wouldn't be pressured after dinner. We had everything ready to go outside our door later in the evening. Friday night we had dinner upstairs in the buffet and then went down for the shows. First was the "show girls" show. They were okay. Then the "boys" were back for more of Frankie Vallie songs - they were fabulous again. Then the jugglers were back and they were much better than the first time - much funnier!

We spent a nice last evening on board, but I think that we were all ready to get back home. We put our luggage out and went to bed. Saturday morning we were up and ready to go well before we reached Miami. However, by the time we had our shower, got ready, and went and ate breakfast we were in port and we had to wait about an hour before our luggage color (aqua) was called and we could disembark.

I told you that there was one other purchase that we made on the ship. NCL has a program where you pay $250.00 as a deposit on a future cruise and they give you a $100.00 credit immediately. (So really it is costing you $150.00) We decided that we would do this because you have 4 years to book and 4 years to sail - I know that we will do another cruise within 4 years and we figured it would be a good deal - since we will not have to do any other deposit when we do decide to do another cruise. Plus, you don't have to book through them - you can find the best deal you can and the certificate for the deposit is still good - so if I find a really cheap cruise deal though Vacations to Go we can still use this deposit. Anyway, we think it was a good decision.

We were all on the bus again by 10:30 and on our way. Five hours later we were back in Crystal River and off we went to Neil and Carol's to pick up the pups and our truck. It took about 45 minutes to get everything loaded into our vehicle and hit the road again. A couple of hours later we were finally at home. We just brought our suitcases in and left them in the living room. We watched a little TV and then headed off to bed. I think we all just crashed - including the dogs

- at least I know I did.

This morning we were up - got ready, went into town and ate breakfast at Dixie Grill (we didn't have any groceries in the 'house') then it was off to the grocery store. After getting back home I put things away and started the laundry. A couple of loads at the laundrymat and one in the unit (the whites here - the knits in the laundrymat). Still have to do the jeans tomorrow, but almost everything else is done.

I hope that you all had a great week - I'll leave you with another picture from St. Thomas - hope you can see the rainbow.

Talk to you tomorrow!!!

Warmth here we come!

Finally, tomorrow is the day! In the morning Dan and I, along with the girls, will leave for Carol and Neil's. Dan will probably spend the afternoon with Neil driving around in the woods while Carol and I go to Crystal River for my hair appointment and look around to see if there is anything we just leave in the store. (Seriously, I will be looking for a couple of shirts, if I can find them for the right price!) Dinner tomorrow night will be at Carol and Neil's house - I think Neil said it would be chicken and rice (Yum, Yum!) Then we will get up EARLY Saturday morning and head on down to Crystal River again (which is about 30 miles from their house) and be on board the bus before 7 am (the letter from the Travel Agency said that we were going to leave at 7 on the dot - we'll see, I'll believe that when I see it). Anyway, we will head down to Miami (yes, we sail out of the port in Miami - not Ft. Lauderdale) and the ship sails at 4 pm. We can hardly wait!

Of course, our first port is suppose to be the Dominican Republic but I don't know if we will sail there or not - the cruise line can change our ports of call and I'm not sure if they will want to sail there or not - what with all the rescue stuff going on (we really feel for the people of Haiti - I sincerely hope that the rescue efforts go well and that they are able to save all the people that they can). We will just have to wait and see what happens with the cruise. I'll let you know when we get back. I plan on taking lots of pictures for you to see.

I finished packing today and Dan actually did his packing. I gave the pups a bath and we will put their flea/tick medicine on them in the morning before we leave here (already have it laid out so I don't forget). I also gave them their heartworm medicine today - so that is all done. I have even packed their little bag (you know, dog food, treats, and toys to play with along with their blanket). They both know that something is going on and until we all get in the truck they don't want to let us out of their sight. We also took some dishes back that Joyce and Jewel sent leftovers home with us (Joyce, if you read this know that I have your other dishes ready and I'll bring them to you when we get back). I also straightened up the "house" so I think we are all ready to go.

I hope you all have a good week next week - and that the weather warms up for all of you. Take care and -----------------------

I'll talk to you NEXT week!

Starting to Pack

I started to pack for the cruise today. Boy, do I need some new clothes! I didn't realize what a small supply of clothes I had until I started trying to put together outfits for this trip. I have two pairs of jean Capri's that I can wear. I have some knit shirts, but they sure do show the wear - and shoes - are you kidding????? I have my ACIS that I just bought and I think I can find one pair of black pumps for dinner - I also think I can find my Croc sandals. Hopefully that will be all I need. I just don't know what I'm going to do about everyday clothes - I don't want to take a suitcase full of regular jeans - guess I really don't have a choice. It will all work out in the end - and I won't see any of these people again anyway - so I'm not going to worry about it.

I got the laundry done today - but I had to have a load in the dryer through three times - they just didn't want to get dry - of course it was the heavy knits - you know, sweatshirts and sweatpants that we have worn with the weather being so cold. Anyway, it's done now and I don't have to worry about it any more.

We went into Wal Mart late this afternoon. Once again, the good ole Polk County School Board did it to us again. I think I told you about the new insurance - well, guess what. We haven't gotten any new insurance cards including our new prescription cards. So, I had to call them today and they had the insurance all messed up. Anyway, I actually talked to someone who knew something and she did call Medco (the prescription company) and they are sending us our new cards. In the meantime, they gave me the group name and member number and I was able to go online and print out a temporary card so I could go get my Imitrex prescription refilled. Then, when we got to Wal Mart, to pick it up the girl there said that the insurance company wouldn't pay for it because the dosage was too high. She said that she would fax my doctor and have him approve it and then the insurance company would pay - so, I figured that was as good as it was going to get. We left the counter and was looking at some other things when I was paged back to the pharmacy. The girl at the pharmacy (who, by the way, was really nice) had talked to the technician and they had come over to the computer and put some different codes in and, wonder of wonders, it was approved. So I did get my Imitrex tonight (Yeah!). Hopefully, things will get better with this new insurance. Heaven only knows what will come of the hospital stay. Not going to worry about that now.

We went out to dinner at the Dixie Grill after we left Wal Mart - I had the Hamburger Steak with green beans and salad (no bread), Dan had a grilled Chicken Breast with green beans, salad bar and bread. Then we both brought home about half of our meat. Of course, Dan fed about 1/3 of his left over half to the dogs and he ate the rest as soon as we got home. Oh well, at least he tried. I really do think that we are doing pretty good on his diet (I guess I'm on it too - it makes it easier to cook). The biggest test will be the cruise. We both will really have to watch it - but they always have healthy choices - we just have to make them. Maybe with both of us trying we can keep each other on track.

Tomorrow night will be my last post until we get back. We will be leaving here Friday morning - I have a hair cut appointment at 2:30 down in Crystal River and we need to get down there in time for that - plus I want to look around a little and see if there is anything there that will catch my eye. So, Dan wants to leave here no later than 10:30. We will have to pack all the girls stuff too, since they are going to stay at Neil's with his sister, but that really won't take long.

Well, I'll sign off for tonight - you guys take care and --------------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

A Little Warmer today

Today was a little warmer than yesterday - but it still is suppose to be below freezing tonight. Dan is getting ready to go out and do his thing with the water - hopefully we will only have to do this only one more night this week. When we leave for the cruise he is going to unhook the water and leave it undone while we are gone. I think that makes sense. We really don't know what the weather will be here while we are gone so why take chances.

I had all these big plans for today - I was going to get up this morning and go to Prayer breakfast with all my old neighbors here in the Village. However, when I woke up this morning I had a migraine again. I took an Imitrex, warmed up my eye thing and went back to bed. I slept until 2 o'clock this afternoon and when I woke up it was gone. I just hope it stay gone. I still feel it behind my eyes and I think I'll take another Imitrex when I start to bed and hopefully when I wake up in the morning it will be gone for good.


I did start thinking about what I was going to take on the cruise and even tried on some clothes this afternoon (you know, those old capri's I talked about earlier). Well, I'm not too sure I'll be taking them - not a pretty sight! I'll have to figure something out in the next day or so. Tomorrow I have big plans for a busy day - from laundry, to coloring my hair, to starting the packing. I know that we still have a couple of days, but I really don't like to wait until the last minute.

I have harvested most of my crops on all the games I play on Facebook - I still have a few things to harvest on Farmville. I won't do any more "farming" until we get back from the cruise. That should free up some of my time.

I really don't have anything else to talk about tonight - hope you all are doing well and staying warm.

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Have I already said "same ole story"?

Okay - this is getting ridiculous - the temperature right now is 26 degrees and it is only 10 pm. The weatherman said that it is suppose to be 18 tonight - I'm getting tired of this - but I think I've already said that. The only good thing I can say is it actually got up to 48 degrees today - which, if there hadn't been a wind, would have felt really nice. However, there was a wind so it felt like it was about 38 - still an improvement from yesterday. It is suppose to get warmer every day, but still very cold at night. We are suppose to tie a record for the number of days with the temperature being below 32 degrees - 13 days in a row. That's a long time for Florida - almost two weeks. We could actually break the record - I'll keep you posted.

I think I told you last night that Dan was out of reading material. So, today we went back into Valdosta to Books A Million and bought him about six books. He has really enjoyed this series that I bought him and put in his stocking - He is on the third one. I have never seen him sit in his chair, while the TV is on, and read. Amazing!

We also went to Penny's and I picked up a few things for the cruise - three blouses and a dress (for formal night) - not a formal, but a really nice dress - black. I'm sure you'll see pictures when we get back. I was really surprised at the sale they were having - up to 75 percent off. it is always nice to find a really good sale when you need a few things.

I really don't have much to report tonight - so I'm going to sign off. Hope all is going well with you all - stay warm and -----------------------[

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

First round of the playoffs

Well, we have been watching football for the last two days (we couldn't go outside anyway - it was too cold!) and, so far, all my teams have won. The last game is on right now and my team is ahead with two minutes in the 4th quarter - opps, the opposing team just scored and we are now tied. The only thing I can hope for right now is for Kurt to come through and win this thing - I certainly don't want it to go into overtime. One of the things they need to watch out for is the onside kick - they (meaning Green Bay) has already done that once in this game. I so want the Cardinals to win!

Of course, three of my teams have won their games - well, I can't say "My" teams because some of the teams that I have been cheering for has actually been because of who they were playing (Ravens for example). I am NOT a Ravens fan but I didn't like the team they were playing (Pats - sorry Justin and Melissa) so I'm glad the Ravens won - now I want them to lose next week. Yesterday the Jets won (Yeah!) and the Cowboys won (once again against who they were playing - Eagles anyone with that Michael Vick fellow). Next week the Cowboys can lose - I mean they are playing MY BOY and the Vikings - everyone who knows me will know who I will be cheering for in that game - NO DOUBT! As far the Jets - I don't know who they are playing so I'll have to wait and see who I will be cheering for. I'm just hoping the Cardinals will pull this one out. Well, we have 14 seconds and the field goal unit just came on the field. Oh Sh**!!!!! Now we head to overtime - darn it!

Today we have spent indoors (watching football duh!). We have both been reading also. In fact, Dan has read both the books he got for Christmas. We will need to go back into town somewhere (I hope not back to Valdosta) to get him the next ones in the series that he can take with him on the cruise. I'll give Neil a call tomorrow and see if there is a bookstore down in Crystal River.

Speaking of Crystal River, I have a hair appointment on Friday at 1:30 to get my hair cut. Yeah! I already know how I want to get it cut - I just hope the girl I have an appointment with knows what she is doing. Dan will do his thing this week and we will pull the suitcases out of the basement in the next day or so and get things packed (I don't like to wait till the last minute). This time next week we will be sailing in the Caribbean and hopefully be a whole lot warmer! I told Dan yesterday that we have to have warmer weather so I can try on my Capri's to see which ones I can still wear (It's been two years since I have worn them so I'm not sure - plus I'm not sure what they look like any more!) We will see - one of the things that I know I have to buy this week (Friday down in Crystal River) is a "fancy" shirt for the formal night. I have more than one down in Lake Placid in the storage unit - but I didn't think about it when we were down there. Oh well, I'll find something.

YEAH - THEY WON!!!!! THEY WON!!!!! THE CARDINALS WON!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!

Well, I guess I have bored you all for long enough tonight - take care all of you that have to go back to work tomorrow. Crystal and Kim - PLEASE drive carefully - I know the roads up there are rough - just be careful! Dana - take a deep breath and you'll do GREAT! They wouldn't have hired you if they didn't think you could do the job - and we all KNOW that you can do the job! Melissa hope you are feeling better! Everyone else - take care and ----------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Is it ever going to warm up?

This is getting to be the same old record playing over and over again - it's still cold and I'm still tired of it. Okay - that's all I'm going to say about that - I could go on and on but why when you all know how I feel about this weather - so I'm not going to harp on it tonight.

We went over to a friends house for dinner tonight and boy did we have some good food - thanks so very much Jewel - it was really good! For those of you that weren't there - we had pork and rice, white acre peas, fried green tomatoes (yes, I did have a little fried food), fresh green beans, and yellow squash, along with homemade biscuits and cornbread - Yum, Yum! I even got to bring home leftovers that we will have for lunch tomorrow. We didn't stay at Jewel's too late - Dan had to come home and unhook the water hose (BTW - the set up Dan did last night worked well - unhooking the water hose - having the "tent" over the water spigot with the light under it - nothing froze up) and get the unit ready for another cold night. We did enjoy our evening - our other friends Bud and Joyce were there also. It is nice to be able to be with friends again (think I have said that before, but it is nice - Dan and I have missed being with them!)

We had to go into town today for just a little while - we needed more propane in the other tank - so we went in about 12:45 and the co-op was closed (they closed at 12 noon) so we went over to Live Oak Gas Company (where we got propane the other day), but they were closed too. However, they had some people there working and they agreed to fill the tank for us. That was really nice of them to do that - they certainly didn't have to, but I guess with the temperatures the way they have been they don't want to turn people away. Anyway, I thought that was very nice of them and that is one of the advantages of living in a small town.

We also went to Ken's Bar-B-Que for lunch - we both had 1/4 of chicken (Dan had white meat, I had dark meat), Dan had a baked potato and unsweet tea - I had green beans and a coke. Cost about $20.00 with tip - but it was very good.

That's about all that we did today - oh, I don't think that I told you that I got the cover for my new nook - it is really working out well - I feel a lot better about protecting the Nook. BTW, Crystal and Kim, I finished Lovely Bones and am now reading Under the Dome by Stephen King. I do love my Nook!

Well, I'm going to sing off for tonight. I hope you all stay warm and -----------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Another day same ole story

COLD - that is the name of the game. According to the weathermen that will be the story all weekend and all week next week. To tell you the truth - I'm tired of this. I didn't come back to Florida to be freezing my a** (excuse the french) off. Now, I don't like to complain (you couldn't tell that by the last few days posts) but enough is enough! Really, I don't mind a couple of days of cold weather (especially is there is a little snow included) but over a week of this and another week to look forward to is not my idea of fun. Now, I know that some people are having it much worse, and I really do feel for them, but I'm in F-L-O-R-I-D-A for goodness sakes - it is NOT suppose to get this cold here and stay this cold for this amount of time. I'm ready to pack my bags and take this camper somewhere else - problem is, I don't know where it is warm. Oh well, we just will have to deal with what we are dealt. (In case you are wondering - yes, Dan has unhooked the water and put the hose in the basement - He has also made a little tent over the water spigot and has a light plugged in to keep it warm - we'll see how that works out for us.) BTW, for those that suggested we let water run - we know that would probably work and we did think about it, but we just don't want to waste the water)

Okay, enough about the weather. I did laundry today, so it's all caught up again. Only cost us $3.00 - pretty good, if you ask me. While we doing the laundry we meet one of our "neighbors" here in the park. She was raised in Land Between the Lakes - which is one of Dan's favorite places. Anyway, she and her husband invited us to meet them for dinner at the Cafe tonight. So, we had dinner out with them - I had the salad bar and Dan had the salad bar and grilled chicken strips (which we put on our salads). Cost - $12.00 plus a $3.00 tip. Not too bad for dinner out for two. It was a nice break and we did enjoy getting to know our neighbors some.

I think we have changed our plans on who will be keeping the pups when we are on the cruise. Due to the weather and all you have to go through with the unit we are not going to have the lady here at the Village keep them. Our friends Neil and Carol's (who are going on the cruise also) sister said that she will stay with them at their (Neils and Carol's) house while we are gone. We will pay her the same thing we would have paid the lady here, but we won't have to worry about trying to show someone who has never stayed in a 5th wheel how to turn the water off, and all the other little things that we do. Hopefully, it will work out fine. Neil's sister has pet sat before, just not our pups. We know her and know that she will take good care of them - so all should be fine.

I don't think we have anything planned for the weekend - other than trying to stay warm. I hope that you all are staying warm also (Crystal, I hope that you didn't have any problems getting home tonight in Atlanta - I know that the roads were icy - just be careful!) Take care and ----------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

A little warmer before more Cold

Today the temperatures were a little warmer - actually got up to about 54 degrees. However, while we are not suppose to be as cold tonight (32 degrees) it is the warm before the cold. The weathermen are saying that the coldest weather is coming starting tomorrow and lasting through the weekend (actually they don't show any 'warm' weather until around Wednesday of next week - YUCK!) We are actually suppose to get some rain tonight and they said we might get a few snow flurries, but I really don't expect that to happen. It has not started to rain yet and the temperature is now 37 degrees at about 11:20 pm. I just don't see it happening.

Dan did not do anything with the water hose tonight - he said that the temperature is not suppose to get low enough to worry about it. However, tomorrow night he is going to take the water hose off the spigot (which has been freezing every night - the spigot, as well as the hose) and drain it and put it in the basement - which is heated. He hopes that will make a difference in the mornings. Right now the hose freezes as well as the spigot and it takes until the afternoon for everything to thaw out. We actually went over to the bathhouse this morning and took our shower (that's not bad, but I would rather use my own shower). Really, the hardest thing is cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. Plus, I can't use the washer/dryer (is someone against me using my own washer/dryer??). So, I guess I will have to go over and use the laundry mat tomorrow again - but at least I can get things done.

We went to Valdosta today to pick up some things we couldn't get in Live Oak. For example, we bought new running shoes today (I got ACIS and Dan got SCOUANY). Before anyone asks - no, neither one of us run, but they are the best shoes. I keep telling myself I need to start running again, but I just haven't convinced myself to do it - I just keep walking. However, we did want some new shoes before the cruise next week since the good shoes we bought last year before we left on our trip have pretty well been worn out. (We were told that shoes like this will last about six months - I have worn my almost every single day since I got them in May of last year - and in case you are wondering, I had SCOUANY's before). We also went to JC Penny's and bought a couple of pairs of Lee Jeans - we have read and heard a lot about these jeans and I just haven't been able to find any that really fit well - so, I bought a couple of pairs of these and will see how they do. (I did try them on and they felt good on) We also bought the pups some of their dog food - we have to go to a store like Pet Smart to get their food and we don't have a store like that in Live Oak. The last stop was Wal Mart Super Center in Valdosta for a heater - we bought another small electric heater to use in the main living area - and it has sure made a difference tonight - we'll see what kind of difference it makes when it is a little colder.

I need to back track a little - the first stop we made in Valdosta was at the RV dealership - when we picked up our new unit there was a shelf that was broken, but we didn't have time for them to fix it before we had to be in Highlands Hammock - so, we went by to make an appointment to have that fixed. (The dealership is going to have to order the whole panel from the factory). We also want to have vent covers put on the Fantastic Vents and also the vent in the bathroom - so they are going to put those on when we go up in February. I also ordered two shelves for the freezer compartment. We made the appointment in February so when we leave here we will go up to the KOA that the dealership owns for a couple of nights - so we can get everything fixed and then we will head for Unicoi for our next job assignment. It should work out just fine.

We had a very busy day - and we're watching the BCS Bowl Game tonight - I would love to Texas win - we will see how it goes (I'm not against Bama, I would just like to see Texas win.)

Well, I guess I'll go watch the game - stay warm ya'll and --------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Oh My Goodness it's COLD!!!!

I know that I complained about the cold a couple of days ago - I had no idea what cold was - it was 14 degrees here this morning. Dan forgot to unhook the water from the spigot so, we have no water this morning. We are still waiting for it to warm up enough for the water hose to unfreeze. IF we can get it unfrozen Dan says that he will make sure to unhook everything tonight because it is suppose to be just as cold if not colder tomorrow morning. I know that the whole country is in a deep freeze but come on - this is not good! Dan said this morning, if we were somewhere else he would say lets go to Florida - won't work right now. So instead we are saying lets go the Caribbean (which we will do next weekend!).

Speaking of the Caribbean - I don't think I have looked forward to a cruise so much as this one - not because of the cold but just getting away (I know that sounds strange - we get "away" all the time), but there is something different about going on a ship and sailing away. I don't think that we are going to do any type of excursions on the cruise this year - we will just get off the ship and see what is available on the dock - now, don't worry. We won't do ANYTHING in the Dominican Republic - I just don't feel safe going off there. I'm sure it is safe, but I just don't want to take any unnecessary risks. When we get to Saint Thomas and Tortola we will go into town and just walk around and see what we can see. I will definitely take my good camera with us and try and get some great pictures. Last year, when we went on the cruise, we only ending up doing one excursion, that was the one to the Mayan Ruins which was fantastic. We also tried the whale watching - which I told you about before - not going to do that again. We'll see - I just have to post pictures when we get back.

I don't think we are going into Valdosta today - probably tomorrow. Dan did go have his blood work done this morning - I'm not sure when we will get the results, but until we do - we will keep him on his low-fat diet. We are even saying that when he is "all well" we are going to try and stay on the low-fat diet. It has got to be better for us, plus, Dan is continuing to lose weight. Just not at the rate he lost while in the hospital - but it will do him good to lose a few pounds (it will do me good to lose a few pounds too!).

Well, I don't really have much else to report - I hope you all are staying warm! So, until then -

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Cold Cold Cold

Okay - this is ridiculous! It is COLD!!!! The temperature right now is 32 degrees and it's going lower - the weather forecast is for it to be 19 tonight with a high of 40 tomorrow and 19 again tomorrow night! It is so cold that Dan went out and disconnected the water from the unit. It is not that we are worried about water freezing once it is in the unit - it won't we are completely insulated including the basement, but the water hose coming from the ground to the unit is not insulated. The last few days we have had a little problem first thing in the morning with the water being a little slow, but we turn it on and within a minute the water is fine. However, Dan didn't want to take a chance tonight since the temperature is suppose to go so low for such a long period of time. With weather like this I will be really be looking forward to the cruise.

Speaking of which - our puppy sitter is coming over tomorrow to have a look at the unit. Every other time we have been on the cruise and she has taken care of the pups we have been in the house (she stays at the house and takes care of the pups for us). This will be the first time we have someone stay in the unit. However, that is the only way that Dan will do a cruise - someone has to stay with the pups - they do NOT stay in a kennel. They have never been kenneled and they never will be. They have stayed with my mom, with our cousin, and with the pet sitter - that's it! I know that they are spoiled, but that is okay! They are our pups and we will spoil them the way we want to spoil them.

We went over to a friends house for dinner tonight - chicken pot pie, black eye peas, greens, cinnamon apples, and home made cinnamon buns for dessert - Yummy!!!!! Then we just spent a little while catching up. It is so nice to be home and be able to spend time with friends that you have missed for the last six months. I guess that is the one bad part of this whole lifestyle - you do miss your friends and family.

We went into town today and picked up a few things at the grocery store - we also were going to get the tag for the truck, but the line at the tag agency was forever long, so I renewed it online when we came home. We also did some checking on different insurance companies - Allstate, Auto Owner's, Foremost. So far, State Farm is still the cheapest (believe it or not!). We will keep checking - Sam's Club, AARP, etc. We still want to make sure we have the best insurance at the best price we can find.

Well, once again I have bored you guys enough for one night - so I'll sign off for tonight. Soooo,


I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Another day of Football!

Dan and I were very lazy today - stayed inside and watched football. There was a very good reason for staying inside - it was COLD outside - the low last night was about 30 degrees and the high today only got up to about 43 degrees. The low tonight is suppose to be in the low to mid 20's. I don't care who you are - that's COLD! I know I said I wanted it to be colder, but I didn't mean this cold. Of course, I shouldn't complain - I know that there are some people who have temperatures in the negative numbers. However, this is Florida folks and it's not suppose to be this cold! I guess the bad thing is - it's suppose to be this cold all week. Uck!

Speaking of football - we weren't able to get any good games - Miami - Steelers and then Dallas - Eagles. I would rather have seen the Viking game (go Brett!) but that is not a regional game for us. Oh well, at least Brett had another good game and will be in the playoffs. In fact, I think they are off next week - which will give them time to rest and get some practice in. Brett once again is setting records and I, for one, am hoping that he makes it to the Super Bowl. (Okay, Crystal, it's my dream - don't stomp on it please!) Speaking of cold - I'm glad that I was not at the Colt game - now that was COLD!

Tomorrow we have some running around we need to do - I need to take some paperwork to the clinic here and then Dan wants to run into town - we have to go to the tag office and get the tag for the truck; run by the post office and mail some stuff back to Highlands Hammock that we ended up bringing with us instead of leaving (like Dan's keys and my uniform shirt - plus I want to send them a note thanking them for all the help they provided when I was trying to get everything ready to come "home"); then we have some things we need to pick up at the grocery store (but we actually have a list this time!). I think it will do Dan good to get out and do some running around - he needs to get out and stop just sitting around. He will never get his strength back if he doesn't get up and get moving.

Oh, did I tell you that I ordered a cover for my Nook? I went on line Friday (I think) and found a nice cover on the Nook website and Dan told me to order it - it was only $20.00 and the shipping was free - I should get it in about two weeks (it should be here by the time we get back from our cruise - I just wish I would get it before we leave so I can take the Nook with me - if I don't get the cover I won't take it - I don't want to take the chance of getting it messed up.)

I really don't have much else to report tonight - we are still eating at home and watching what we eat. Today for lunch I fixed some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (our only dairy today) and then for dinner I fixed spaghetti (made with ground turkey). Breakfast consisted of an English muffin. I think we are doing okay with our diet - but, just between you and me, I'll be glad when we don't have to be so restrictive, but until we are told different we will stick with the low fat diet.

Well, I hope you all stay warm and all our teacher friends have a good day back at work. Everyone else who must return to work tomorrow - have a good day! For those of us who are retired - just do whatever makes you happy!

Talk to you tomorrow!

A day of Relaxation

Today we just took it easy and didn't try and do too much of anything. We got up this morning, drank a couple of cups of coffee, took our showers, got ready, then meet one of my Facebook/Farmville friends at Denny's for breakfast. They were on their way back home in Texas after spending Christmas with family in Disney. We had originally planned on their staying here in the Village tonight but when Dan got sick we just didn't know if he would be up to it. So, we just decided to meet for breakfast and then they wanted to be at their sister-in-laws house in Sliddel, LA tonight. We'll certainly stay in touch and I'm sure we will meet on the road somewhere.

After we got home we went by the Village Grocer and picked up some bar-b-que sauce. I wanted to make some bbq pork sandwiches with the left over pork roast (which we had for lunch). Today was "Market Day" in the Village, but there didn't seem to be that many vendors here. I don't know if that was because of the weather (it was really cold this morning - around 30 degrees) or because of the holidays but there was not much happening. We made the rounds then came back to the "house" for a lazy afternoon.

We watched some football - not any really good games on, but football is football - so we watched some. Dan kept flipping back and forth from one game to the next. It just didn't seem like any of the teams were that into their games. Anyway, I was very excited by the score of the game last night - I was happy for Tim and for him to end his college career on such a high note. I would have rather have seen him in the National Championship game, but as I have said that was not to be - but at least he went out a winner.

I also went on line today and filled out all the preboarding paperwork that had to be done before our cruise in a couple of weeks. After I did that and printed out our boarding passes I looked at the excursions. The only one I saw that might interest us was the whale watching excursion, but that was in the Dominican Republic. Last year, when we went on our cruise, we did a whale watching excursion out of a different port in the Dominican Republic and it was on very small boats and the water was rough. Many people got seasick - you know, it is not fun to be on a small boat with everyone around you sick. So we decided that we would just look for whales while we were on the big ship. If we don't see any - it was not meant for us to see any. We'll just take this time to relax and enjoy being with our friends.

Now, I have one little grip extended to my daughter - I was looking at her old blog "I know this much is true" and the last entry promised that she would finish her 52 things in one year. Guess what - it still isn't finished. My question is - are you going to finish it????? Also, I have now become a follower of Kim's blog - but she hasn't posted in awhile either - are they both just something that is not to be worried about anymore. I know that you both are busy - and if so, that's okay - just let me and your other followers know so we don't keep looking.

Okay, now I'm done with that and I'm done boring all you with nothing but jibberish. So ------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!

The start of a New Year

Today was another day of getting things done here at home. Between watching football games I got the bank account balanced - our standard bills paid - AND the "little black book" caught up. We'll get more into that later. Dan has said that I have had some very productive days since we have been back 'home'. The unit is straightened up - cabinets are rearranged - laundry is caught up (even did a load in house today) - and now the bills are done and the finances are caught back up. Then - the best part of the entire week - Dan is feeling much better. I think that he is definitely on the mend.

Speaking of football - I'm happy for Bobby Bowden winning his last game as a coach at Florida State - I know that many people think he should have retired a couple of years ago and it is probably true that Jimbo Fisher called a lot of the plays today - but Bobby was still the official coach of the Seminoles and they won! Congratulations on a career that only a few will ever achieve. Go Bobby and enjoy your retirement!

Tonight I will be routing for the Gators - I don't know if this will be Urban Meyers last game with the Gators or not, but it is Tim's last game. I will be cheering them on - and we will see if I'm a happy camper tomorrow or not. Let's hope I am!

Okay - let's talk about finances for a few minutes - Let's go back to the month of October - we were traveling that month so things are a little different. The breakdown goes like this:
Fuel - $907.36; Groceries - $381.28; Meal's Out - $285.58; Misc - $2,986.23 for a total of $4,560.45. Not a good month - no saving this month.

Now, how about November - Fuel $415.81; Meal's Out $151.31; Groceries $950.96 (have no idea why groceries are this high); Camping Fees $35.46; Misc. $2,123.40 for a total of $3,676.73. A little better than October - but not good because we were not traveling - we definitely need to do better in the future.

So, how did we do in December with Christmas - Fuel $319.00; Meal's Out $79.61; Groceries $977.48 (again I don't know why this is so high); Misc. $2,046.12; Christmas $2,180.23 for a grand total of $5,602.44. - Now I know this is not real good, BUT while we might not have been able to save anything this month we did not have to go into the saving account to pay for Christmas. That is a good thing. The big thing this month will be to get back where I write things down as we spend it. Let's hope we can get back to saving some money instead of spending it. (If we took the Christmas expenses out we would have been about the same as we were in November - still not the best we can do). The challenge is on to do better in this new year! (Of course, Dan says that I give out too much information - but I told you that I would be honest and tell the good that bad and the ugly - where we spend money and where we saved money - it's just the last few months we have been spending instead of saving!)

Tomorrow I still have a couple of things I want to do here in the unit. Monday we will go into town and get the tag for the truck. That should be it. Dan is still taking his medicine but is still improving everyday. The weather here has been horrible -rain and cold. It is suppose to be around 30 tonight and 23 tomorrow night and then down to 20 on Sunday night - I think that is a little cold for me (I know I was just complaining about the hot weather - we are never happy!) Hopefully, I won't complain too much!

Hope you all are having a good start to the new year. Take care and ---------------

I'll talk to you tomorrow!