The End of Another Month

Man! October went by twice as fast as September was slow. It's hard to believe tomorrow is November. But, here it is.

I'm glad to say that October was a much better month, emotionally, than the last couple have been. We've seen Kevin settle into his new life and he's doing really well. Praise God. I am grateful for His provision and His grace.

As we say good-bye to the last couple of months, I want to take a moment here in the blog to say thank you once more to all of you who have supported us while we have helped Kevin get back on his feet. I know many of you have prayed even when we didn't know it; you've sent emails and posted comments on the blog; and some of you called just to say you were thinking of us.

And many of you we've never even met! That's the amazing world of RVers. We reach out to each other when needed and it doesn't matter if we've met in person. We just do it because we are bonded through this fantastic lifestyle. It is truly a gift from God.

I have learned even more about myself over these past few months, not all of it pleasant. But, I've also learned that we have some fabulous friends. And I am grateful.

So, here's to November! Safe travels; fun explorations; and meeting up with friends and family. WooHOOOOOOO!

Until the next time . . .

Looking Ahead

These last few days of October find us thinking about what's next for us, and preparing for it.

Yesterday I got in my last session at the local Curves. I've got my travel passes and have already found the closest Curves to Raccoon Valley SKP Park in Heiskell, TN. That's our next stop once we leave Kansas. We'll take two or three days to get there and plan to be there about a week or so.

I also got my mani/pedi done as well as my brows and lip waxed. Can't start traveling without being well-groomed! :)

This morning Randy & I went to Home Depot and picked up the plywood for Kevin. Now, it's up to him! We've spent the rest of the day slothlike in our recliners. :) Oh! I did do something productive – I planned the menu for November and created the grocery list. There, I feel better now.

Tomorrow we'll go to church and maybe breakfast after. Then, we'll need to start putting away stuff that has gotten out of its place while we've been sitting here. Well, really Randy will do that 'cause it's mostly outside stuff. The inside stuff pretty much stays where it travels.

Monday will be first-of-the-month errand day – banking and groceries. We had hoped to attend Kevin's reenlistment ceremony, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen on Monday. I'm pretty disappointed about that, but not much I can do. Randy & I are just happy that he's reenlisting. He's done so well in the Army and we hated to see him contemplating leaving.

Tuesday we'll take off and head east. We don't have to be anywhere until the 13th when we have reservations for Disney World. So, we'll take our time.

There you have it. Our immediate future in just a few paragraphs. :)

Until the next time . . .

Normal Everyday Life

The last couple of days have just been filled with everyday life kind of stuff.

Yesterday we ran errands with Kevin, picking up things for both his and our RV. Then, we went to Home Depot to check prices on plywood. Kevin needs to put some type of cover around the bottom of his RV to help insulate it this winter. I thought you could buy a skirt to attach to the RV, but apparently they are only available via custom ordering and that's just cost prohibitive. The guy at the RV parts store suggested using plywood; it's much less expensive and does the same thing.

So, we priced out the plywood. Now Kev needs to measure so we can go back and purchase what he needs.

That was the excitement yesterday.

Today started at 4am for me. UGH. Not sure why I was so wide awake at that time, but I was. I finally got up about 4:30. Gotta say the good thing about getting up that early is that there's no excuse for not having quiet time with God! :)

Randy finally joined me in the living room about 6:45am – sluggard! :) heehee

About 8am, I caught a short nap. Hey, don't judge me!! I had been up for four hours, so it was an acceptable time for napping. :)

Randy worked around the rig while I went to the laundramat. Didn't get to Curves, but that's on the agenda for tomorrow.

The rest of the afternoon was very lazy, as usual. We just finished dinner and are settled in the recliners for a night of TV.

Until the next time . . .

Electric Water Heater Fixed

The big deal for today was having an RV repairman come to fix the electric water heater. Randy knew what the problem was, but not how to fix it. So, we called in the local mobile RV tech, Tom. What a nice guy! He even called to say he was running a bit late, but still was here by the appointment time.

Tom was able to pinpoint the problem, got the parts and repaired the heater within a couple of hours. What took the longest was his going to a parts store to get the needed part. He even looked at our refrigerator to see why ice forms in the tray and told us what Randy needed to do to fix it. The cost was very reasonable; anytime we can get something fixed on the rig for under $200, I'm a happy camper! :)

So, if you're ever in the Fort Riley/Abilene area of Kansas and need repairs done on your rig, give Tom a call – Mobile Tech RV Services, Enterprise, KS, 785-787-5068.

I did make it to Curves today. I'm going to miss this club. The owner and manager are wonderful, caring women and they run a good club. I'll get there one more time before we leave. Then, I'll find clubs as we travel. That's why I belong to Curves – there's usually one within an easy distance of wherever we are. No excuses! :)

Until the next time . . .

A Very Productive Day

Randy was out the door first thing this morning. The truck was way past due for an oil change and there were a couple other things Randy wanted looked at, so off he went to the Ford dealership. This meant that I was all by myself for the morning.

Such an odd feeling to have the rig to myself for the day. As is the norm for most RVers, Randy & I spend most of our time together. So, to have several hours on my own, at home, is different. But, I was kinda looking forward to it. Not that I don't love being with Randy, but having time to myself every once in awhile is kinda nice. :)

And I used my time in a very productive manner. I shredded lots of paperwork; spent time on the phone trying to set up an appointment for DishNetwork to install satellite for Kevin; and completed the paperwork for Kevin's RV tags.

Yeah, I know, lots of “Kevin” work. :) But, I figure I have the time to do it, so why not?

Randy finally got home in the late afternoon and the truck is running great.

We had spinach quesadillas for dinner. Now we're settled in for the night. Hope your Monday got your week off to a good start!

Until the next time . . .

The Way Sunday Should Be

Yep, that was today. A perfect Sunday.

Randy & I went to early service at church; heard a good message , sang some uplifting songs and generally enjoyed being in God's house.

After church, we met Kevin at Cracker Barrel for a great breakfast. Like there's any other kind of breakfast at CB! We are getting as much face time with Kevin as we can since we'll be out of here in a week or so.

Since we had filled our bellies to the max, it was time to go to the grocery for a few items. We have learned (and my momma always told me) never to shop for groceries on an empty stomach. WAY too much money is spent when you do that. So, we got out of WalMart without doing too much damage to the budget.

Although, we did go over our grocery budget this month. But, we figure that's because we've been feeding Kevin all month as well. We're sure that we will fall in line easily once we are on our own again.

Once we got home, we “rested.” Isn't that what you're supposed to do on Sundays??? :) We watched the movie, “The Black Stallion,” with Mickey Rooney. It's an older movie, but I'd never seen it. It was a good one.

Tonight's dinner was leftover chicken potpie or sandwiches. And now we're settled in our recliners for the night. Not too shabby.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Until the next time . . .

Relaxed, Finally

This has been a phenomenally relaxing day. I didn't get dressed until 5pm – and then only because we had to walk the dogs, otherwise I don't think I would have bothered.

I spent the day cross stitching, watching some DVR'd programs and several episodes of MacGyver. Randy was right beside me, relaxing in his recliner.

Now, you might be thinking, “So, what was so different about today? This post sounds like many others you've written.” And you would be right, but not really. :)

The difference is inside me. I had a real epiphany today – I have been so tied up inside over these past few months, that I haven't really, really relaxed. Not inside. Yes, I have had many days where I haven't done much, but I think my insides have been reeling.

Today is the first day I have cross stitched with abandon. Yes, I've picked up my project here and there over the past few months, but nothing like today. Cross stitching is something I enjoy, but have to be in the right frame of mind to do. And when my brain is fried, I just can't.

But, today. Oh, I so enjoyed myself.

Today I find that I am looking forward to traveling. We leave a week from this coming Tuesday and I am excited about that. Finally.

Why now? Life has calmed down, considerably. I know that Kevin is in a good place – emotionally and physically. I see him settling into his new life and that it's good. I believe that he will be fine when we leave. So, we can go and enjoy.

I have also learned more about myself and my faith during these frazzled months. Some of it hasn't been pleasant and I've had to adjust my attitude. But, I've also had confirmation about some things and that has been wonderful.

Life is always a surprise. But, right now? It's calm and I'm enjoying it. Fully.

Until the next time . . .

YAY!!

The tags for Kevin's truck have arrived!! Free at last! :) No more sharing our truck. Kevin is so happy – but not any more than we are. Now all he has to do is submit the paperwork for his RV tags and he'll be set.

Have we really only been in Kansas three months???? Sure seems like longer. But, things are finally settling down and everything is falling into place. Praise God. Why do I doubt Him?

Blackie was groomed and looks good. He smells a whole lot better, tool. :) I'd post a picture, but the internet connection is just too slow.

No oil change for the truck, though. Randy got to the Ford dealer and once they realized the size of our truck, they said they couldn't handle it. I was a little annoyed because when I stopped in on Tuesday to make the appointment, I told them we had a 550. I was a little concerned, however, when the guy didn't even write it down. I asked him if we needed an appointment and he said no. He also said it wouldn't be a problem. But, in addition to not being able to handle the truck size, Randy was told the work wouldn't be finished today anyway. What??? I think the owner needs to check on his service people.

Thankfully, there is another Ford dealer in the area, just not as close. But, Randy's got an appointment for Monday and they said they can handle the 550. Let's hope so.

We went out for dinner this evening. It's just the third time we've been out to eat this month. That's huge for us – we usually eat out two or three times a week. Our budget has been revamped, so eating out is not in the schedule as often. I thought I was going to miss it more than I have. For that, I am grateful.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some more cross stitching done; I did quite a bit today. We'll see.

Until the next time . . .

Morning of Errands, Afternoon of Chillin’

Another day of truck-sharing. :) We're hoping this could be the last and Kevin's tags come in the mail tomorrow. But, if not? We'll just keep on doing what we do.

I took Kev to work this morning and went about my morning. I went to the bank, dropped prescriptions off at Walmart for refilling and went to Curves. After working out, I picked up the prescriptions, and headed over to the RV dealer where Kev bought his rig. Had to pick up a form that is needed to register his RV and get his South Dakota tags.

By the time I got home, it was lunch time and I was hungry. Randy and I had lunch and began our afternoon of chillin'. :)

Our evening began with breakfast for dinner. Randy took Kev to a buddy's for the evening and now we're back to relaxing. What a tough day this was! :)

I'm gonna have the morning to myself tomorrow. Randy's taking Blackie to the groomer and then he's taking the truck in for an oil change. I don't often have time by myself. Hmmmmmm . . . wonder what I can do??

Until the next time . . .

SOS, DD

Yeah, it's the Same Old Stuff, Different Day. :)

We continue to share a vehicle with Kevin while awaiting the arrival of tags for this truck. They've been processed and should be in the mail tomorrow from South Dakota. We're hoping to be a two truck family by Saturday. Please, God, make it happen!!! :)

Yesterday I did laundry, went to Curves, and did a grocery run. Nothing exciting. The afternoon was spent as usual – in our recliners in front of the TV. I made a chicken and stuffing casserole for dinner. Kevin hung out with us for awhile before going home to bed.

Today we just stayed at the rig. Kevin had the truck with him. We read our various blogs, articles, and such on the computers, watched some DVR'd programs and caught a short nap. We had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

So that wraps up the last couple of days for us. We are enjoying great weather – cool nights with lows in the 40s and perfect days with temps in the mid 70s and sunshine. Just love it.

Until the next time . . .

What’s Around the Corner?

Unfortunately, every once in awhile we get a jolt of reality – and it hurts. Randy & I have learned again and again that we really have no control over much of what happens in our lives. That's why we are grateful to belong to a God Who is in control.

Sometimes, make that OFTEN, we do not understand why things happen. And we aren't happy about it. But we take comfort in knowing that God has the big picture and we just see small parts of that picture. We hold on tightly to our faith and trust our God for the results. We have lived much of this these past three months.

It is with those thoughts that many of us in the RVing world mourn the loss of Bruce & Margie. I didn't follow their blog so I didn't have the pleasure of “knowing” them, but from what I've read on other blogs, it seems I missed out. But, you don't have to know people to mourn their loss. Such a tragedy. Randy & I join the rest of you in praying for their family to be comforted by their memories of Bruce & Margie.

As many others have written, enjoy today because we do not know what's around the corner. But, if it's something fun – embrace it and live to the fullest. If it's painful, embrace that, too, because by conquering it, you will be stronger. And maybe, you'll know yourself just a bit better, too.

Until the next time . . .

Confined to the Campground

Yep, we've been “grounded.” :) At the last minute, Kevin was asked to stand in at the wedding of one of the guys in his unit. Apparently, the young man who was supposed to do it was sent to a mandatory training so he wouldn't be in town. The down side of this is that the wedding is just outside of Kansas City, more than two hours away from us AND Kevin needed our truck to get there.

Thus, our being “confined to quarters.” :) Of course, it's not like we had big plans for the weekend.

So, don't expect any exciting posts for the next couple of days. We'll be hanging out at the rig, enjoying the peace and quiet and the lovely weather. Now, that doesn't sound all the bad, does it?

Until the next time . . .

More of the Same

I know I'm not posting daily, but there just isn't much to share. When we leave Kansas on November 1. I'm sure I'll be back to everyday posting as we'll be traveling and playing much more. :) So until then, bear with me, okay?

We've been tending to the mundane, as is necessary even in this wonderful lifestyle. Yesterday, I got to Curves in the morning, after dropping Kev off at work. Then, I spent the next two hours at the laundramat. While I was doing that, Randy was home cleaning.

When I got home, he discovered a leak again. Thankfully, he was able to find it and determine he just needed to do some tightening of connections. Thank God! We do need to have our electric water heater repaired, though. It's always something!

Today was spent at home. I worked on completing forms to register Kevin's truck in South Dakota. Yes, I know he should be doing it, but while he's at work, it's easier for me to get the forms completed for his signature. He signed them when he was home for lunch and I took them to the post office for mailing. Hopefully, he'll have his tags by the middle of next week and there'll be no more need to share our truck. That will be very nice! :)

We've been enjoying lovely weather, sunshine and high 70s. The nights are getting cooler, though. But, that's how we like it.

Hope you all are enjoying life wherever you find yourselves. Until the next time . . .

A Few VERY Laid Back Days

I haven't posted a blog entry since Wednesday! Very unusual for me, but I wanted to spare y'all the boringness of repetitive entries. Repetitive? Yep! They would have all said pretty much the same thing - “hanging out at the rig, enjoying the beautiful weather.” 'Cause that's what we did, for the most part.

We also watched Kevin's puppies while he traveled to South Dakota to replace his lost driver's license. Those dogs are something else – walking them is like controlling runaway horses. They love being outside and they are very determined to get where they are going. And. They. Are. Strong. Very strong.

Today we got ourselves out to the early service at church. Then, we went to IHOP for a second attempt at me getting pumpkin pancakes. Success! They are serving them through the month of October, and possibly beyond. So, we had a very filling breakfast. Randy got the all-you-can-eat pancakes combo. How he can eat all that food is amazing to me. He ate five pancakes, five link sausages, two eggs and a side of hash browns. I didn't even finish my meal. AND he never gains weight!! Ugh. So annoying. :)

From breakfast we headed over to WalMart to pick up a few groceries; you know, bread, milk, lunchmeat, etc. With that chore done, we headed home.

We spent the afternoon watching TV and catching a little nap (well, I napped). Kevin finally made it home and our quiet time was over. :) Kevin fills a room like no one else.

That's about it for us. Not sure what's coming up this week, but I'll share it with you as it happens.

Until the next time . . .

Not Much Going On

There's not a lot happening these days. After the month we had last month, I am not complaining, believe me! But, for a blog writer, days of nothingness do not lend themselves to very exciting blog entries.

We are enjoying the beautiful weather we're having, though. The early mornings are crisp and the afternoons are full of sunshine. Perfect, actually.

I hope you are experiencing some type of perfection in your world.

Until the next time . . .

One Step Forward

Some progress was made today in the saga that is Kevin's life. :) We got his truck back from the shop!! YAY! It's all fixed and has a warranty on the work. Hopefully, there will be no more issues with it for a very long time.

That was the big news of the day. And good news it was.

Until the next time . . .

Just Another Manic Monday

I am EXHAUSTED! I started my day at 4:30 this morning and didn't stop until about 5pm when I put dinner in the oven. Ugh. Can I have my lazy back??? Please!

I had to take Kev to work this morning at 4:45 and then pick him back up about 7:45 from PT. Then, it was back to work about 9am. From there I went to Curves, worked out, and it was on to the laundramat. I spent a couple of hours doing laundry, then headed home.

While I was playing chauffeur and doing laundry, Randy was hard at work at home. He cleaned the air conditioning filters and fans, hung my jewelry holder, washed dishes and more. I love that he enjoys piddling around the RV. :)

When I got home, it was time to walk Kevin's dogs. Since we're a one truck family, Kev's staying at work during lunch hour, so we're walking dogs. I don't mind, really. When the weather is nice, it's a good reason to get out and move. Otherwise, I can easily become a recliner potato (I don't sit on the couch.)

Just as I was relaxing and feeling a nap coming on, Kevin texted me to come get him. Figures. But, back in the truck I got and off I went. Am I a good mommy or what? I think “what” is probably the right answer!!

We had chicken and noodle casserole for dinner and it must have been good – there were no leftovers!

Now it's time for a little TV comedy. Then, sleep is going to feel really good.

Until the next time . . .

How Lazy Can We Be?

Pretty darn lazy, I'll tell you. The only constructive thing I have done this weekend is cook. I made baked ziti for dinner last night; biscuits and eggs for breakfast this morning; and broccoli & cheese soup and bread for dinner tonight. For me, that's a lot of cooking!!

Randy & I just chilled for the past two days. I spent most of yesterday out in the sunshine, in my lounge chair. It was great. A little chilly, but that's what sweaters are for! Kev brought his dogs over and he and I and the pups enjoyed the beautiful weather.

That's really it. Tomorrow we'll get back to some “real life.”

Until the next time . . .

Good-bye . . . and Hello!

Because of a sporadic internet connection, I missed saying good-bye to September yesterday! And, believe me, I am thrilled to see it gone! It was not a great month for the Guilers, that's for sure.

So, we say a cheery hello to October and pray that it will be much less crazy and much quieter than its predecessor.

Today was filled with the usual first-of-the-month errands. Unfortunately, I got stuck going to the grocery by myself today – which I abhor. But, Randy was home checking on the on again/off again leak. He was all prepared to fix it when he found there was no leak. Again. So he just tightened up all the connections and is going to watch to see if that fixes it.

That's it for now. Nothing planned for the weekend. Hope it stays that way!

Until the next time . . .