A Good Christmas but Not Such Good health...

She's a monkey!

I've been lazy busy doing nothing much important things this past month and have gotten way behind on my blog posts...so I'll try to catch up.



Last I wrote, it was almost Christmas. It was a great Christmas! Family, good food and fun. We enjoyed a Christmas Eve family gathering at Davis' dad's house...I always look forward to the company and to their white chicken chili...Jack likes the red.  We had a terrific Christmas Day at Becca's. She made a great dinner and it was so good to have the day with them. It would have been a bonus if Michael could have been there too.

Things went downhill after Christmas.  Jack had started feeling bad right before Christmas and went to the doctor the day after...turned out he had bronchitis. I had a sore throat the day after Christmas and, as that eased up, I developed the worst sinus congestion I can ever remember having. It took us both at least three weeks to get over everything. I barely got to spend any time with the kids...managed to pull myself together long enough to spend one day with them and to have a good bye dinner at Becca's just before we left...but no hugging and kissing allowed. We welcomed in the New Year in PJs!

Baby sitting while Mom's at work...

It semed like we no sooner got there and it was time to head out. We felt awful but made the drive to Florida anyway and got settled in at Pensacola RV Park, where we stayed last March. We've been here three weeks now and have done little...mostly just rest and relaxation...though we made it to Sonny's BBQ!  We're finally feeling okay again, just a bit tired. Did manage to get the fifth wheel cleaned and the laundry caught up though.

Today it was a sunny 65 degrees and I had a wonderful afternoon sitting outside reading while Jack took the truck back to Van Noy Tires, where we bought tires last year, and had a leaking valve stem replaced. We'll be here in Florida until early March, then we're headed back to Wilmington for a month of some family time with Katie and Jackson...Becca and Davis too!

In early April we're going to Greensboro to visit Glen and Joanna and Ken, Matthew and Ciera. By mid April winter should be finished and we're going to West Virginia to see Michael...really looking forward to that...haven't seen him in a year and a half!

Home Again, Home Again...

Now I really do feel like retired folks...we spent three winter months in Florida! We had some cold weather, but no snow and no ice. Works for me!

We really like the campground where we stayed in Pensacola, Pensacola RV Park. I think I wrote about it in an earlier post.  It's the first time we've left a campground and hugged the owners good bye! We will definitely return next time we head to Florida's Panhandle.

I had a birthday just before we left. We kept it quiet and low key. I lazed around most of the day and then we went to dinner at the Five Sisters Blues Cafe in the historic section of Pensacola. I liked the place and dinner was good, but the service left a bit to be desired. We're still looking around for the birthday gift I want...a camera. I love taking pictures and want something a step up from my phone...which actually takes pretty good photos.

We had gotten tickets for Cirque de Soleil/Verekai while they were performing in Pensacola. Jack has only seen them on TV and I'd never seen them. We looked forward to the performance for weeks...until the day finally arrived. The show started out great...then an interruption for "technical difficulties" which lasted about ten minutes. Another ten minutes of the performance followed by another interruption for "technical difficulties" and I started to get worried. After the third interruption they announced that the show wouldn't go on. What a disappointment! Now, I'm waiting for the next credit card bill to arrive and show the ticket refund.

Another thing we did just before we left was put two new tires on the front of the truck. Ouch! I had no idea how much tires cost for an F-450!  So we are over $800 poorer, but much safer. Necessary, but not my idea of fun shopping! Next, an inspection and new plates.

In the meantime, we arrived in Wilmington today...with a two day stopover in Savannah on the way up. Jack's back has been bothering him more and more, so we decided to come home for a bit and visit the doctor. A delay in our travels, but it brings the bonus of another visit with Katie and Jackson, as well as Rebecca. A great silver lining!

Tommorow...a visit with Becca, Katie and Jackson for me and a doctor's appointment for Jack.

Time, Trips and Tidbits...

(Authored by Jack)
I can't believe it's been nine months since we went full time. It's surprising how fast the time has gone. The days seem to fly by, whether we do something interesting or just hang out around the 5er. I've always heard that once you are retired this happens, but experiencing it is really strange.

The other day we went to the Naval Aviation Museum at the Pensacola Naval Air Station thinking it would take maybe an hour and a half to see everything. Got there at around 2:00 pm and started wandering. Lo and behold, by 4:00 pm, we had only seen about 3/4 of the exhibits and were pooped from all the walking and standing. I couldn't believe we spent two hours at the museum and didn't see the whole thing. It was the fastest 2 hours we've spent sightseeing since we went to the Newseum in Washington DC.

The thing that amazes me most is that while we were in Navarre, Florida for a month it seemed a bit longer than that to me. I guess there just wasn't enough to do there but, looking back now, it doesn't feel like a month. How weird! Since we've been in Pensacola time has really flown by but, then again, there's a lot more to do here and things are not that far away like they were in Navarre.

We made a trip to Mobile, Alabama to visit the USS Alabama battleship and the submarine, the USS Drum, that they have on display. The sub, which is from the second world war, was very interesting. Since I'd never been to Mobile, I was looking forward to the trip. It's about 40 or 50 miles from the RV park, so it was a hike, but certainly worth it.

The other thing that has been dragging out is waiting for our new La-Z Boy furniture to arrive. That's the reason we extended our stay in Pensacola. The furniture that came with the 5er is not the least bit comfortable and, since we live in our 5er 24/7, we might as well be happy with our interior surroundings, right? The furniture's supposed to arrive around the first week in April, if all goes well. The people that own the RV park have said they'll work with us if we need extra time; that's so wonderful of them, they're such nice folks. It seems we've been waiting for 6 months instead of about 6 weeks. Another incidence of time passing slowly yet, in some respects, fast.

Before the furniture arrives we have to figure out how to get our couch and two recliners out through the 28 inch door so we can bring in the new. As I'm writing this, I found out that our new furniture will arrive Wednesday 2 April. We got lucky and found someone here at the RV park that wants the old stuff and will come get it Tuesday evening. Things couldn't be better. Did I mention that the folks at the park are going to help us remove the couch and recliners? These folks are quite super!

Once the furniture issue is settled, we will be heading north to North Carolina and doctor visits to see what we can do about my back troubles. Which way we go north depends on whether an old California friend of mine is still living in Jacksonville, Florida. The last time I was in contact with Al Follette was about four years ago and he was in bad health. I lost his phone number and have not heard from him since. If he is there, and well enough for a visit, we will spend a day or two in Jacksonville. If he is no longer around or is too ill to visit, then our trip north may take another direction. I do hope he is not in ill health and able to visit with us.

Anyway, time is moving along and so are we. It will be great to see Gail's daughter and her family again. Not looking forward to the medical side of our visit but whatever happens, happens....Jack

One Point Eight Million Dollars, Home Brews and Bean Soup...

We got so close to 1.8 Million dollars we could touch it...and did!

We had dinner the other night at McGuire's Irish Pub, a Pensacola Brewery, noted for some interesting quirks. According to the story, when Molly McGuire received a dollar bill as her first tip, she tacked it up behind the bar for good luck. Other patrons added to the collection and it soon became a McGuire's tradition. Restaurant patrons are encouraged to sign the dollar if they want to participate in the tradition; our waitress even provided a staple gun for our use. I signed the bill and Jack put it up. The ceilings and walls are covered in bills...and it's a large restaurant. Our waitress told us they have to count the bills each year and pay taxes on the money. At present there are about 1.8 million dollars on the walls and ceilings!

One must also be careful when using the restroom. At first glance, the sign on the door seems to indicate the men's room with the word "Men" - on closer inspection you can see the words "This way" in small text and a hand pointing to the adjacent door. The sign on the men's room door says "Women" with the same smaller text and pointing finger. I saw more than one woman walk through the door marked Women only to hurry right back out! Of course, that made me read the sign more carefully and avoid the same mistake.

They have a nice variety of home brewed beers as well as home brewed Root Beer. As a huge Root Beer fan, I had to try it...it was so good. Another strictly McGuire's menu item is Senate Bean Soup. It is touted as the same bean soup served in the U.S. Senate cafeteria. As long as you are ordering other items from the menu, the soup is 18 cents...the same price since 1977. We couldn't resist trying it. For 18 cents we got a hearty bowl of the best soup I've had in a long time!

The menu is varied everything from Burgers and Sandwiches to Shepherd's Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Sausages to Steaks, Chops and Ribs. I had the Shepherd's Pie and Jack had Brewer's Sausages. We shared a Lucky Chocolate Brownie a`la Mode. I don't know if it was lucky, but it was decadent!

 

After soup, dinner and dessert, we about had to be rolled out of there! It was a fun night and we'd definitely go back!

Red Bird and Blue Bear Visit the Aviation Museum...

Red Bird: Wow, look at all the planes! Wonder where we are.

Blue Bear: The sign says National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida.

Red Bird: They have navels in a museum? I have a navel, wonder if it could be in a museum...

Blue Bird: No, silly, Naval means things that are in the Navy! It's spelled differently than the navel that means bellybutton! And Aviation means things that fly. Besides, you don't have a belly button, you're a bird!

Red Bird: Do too have a belly button! The Navy has sailors...they sail on boats, duh, not planes.

Blue Bear: Well yeah, the Navy has boats but they also have planes and some of their boats are big aircraft carriers. They have huge decks that're like runways and planes can land and take off from the decks...only if you don't aim right or go too far, you'll fall in the ocean!

Red Bird: Wow, some of them have wings that fold and some of them have cool paintings on the side...like sharp teeth and Felix the Cat. I wonder if I can sit in any of the planes...or get on them?

This one looks mean...

Wow!  We're sitting in the cockpit!!!

There's the Felix the Cat one!

Hey, we're winging it...get it?

Be careful, quit wiggling around...you'll fall off

Wow, this one has no sides!

This one is bigger than a house...bigger than two houses!

Look...fake pilots from a long time ago

The wings are folded up.  That's crazy!
The wings fold so they can fit all the planes on the aircraft carriers when they're not flying.

Old Navy airplane seats.  Why couldn't I have my own seat?

There's Mr. Grandpa Jack! He's looking at a model of an aircraft carrier.
Hey! Let's turn this wheel and see what happens!

Space Lab

This was really cool!

               ...Blue Bear and Red Bird

Pensacola...Restaurants...and Home Improvements...

Moved to Pensacola the first of March for what we thought would be our shortest move so far...forty miles (going the long way via I-10). When we arrived at our park, we discovered they had recorded my reservation wrong and had us down for one night rather than one month.They were very apologetic and were able to find a site for us, someone was leaving the next morning and we could take that site. We spent the first night in an overnight pull-thru and moved to our long-term site the next morning. So...our shortest move was several hundred yards!

We are at Pensacola RV Park. Small, family owned, right off I-10, but far enough away so there is no traffic noise. As you turn onto the gravel road into the park, you will see a sign cautioning you to watch out for chickens! The roads and sites are gravel and level and there are only a few amenities, full hook-ups with 30/50 amp, laundry, dog run, WiFi and cable TV, but that is all we need. The people who run it are friendly and helpful. Our site is right across from the office, so we get to watch all the comings and goings. It can be noisy sometimes, but it's kind of fun to see who is checking in and who is checking out!

When we were in Charlotte, NC, we went to a Sonny's Real Pit BBQ and Jack fell in love! They are a regional chain here in the Southeast and we've been on the look out for them ever since. Well...there is one right around the corner from the RV park. Jack likes the sliced brisket and I like the sliced pork...with baked beans, coleslaw and garlic bread. We tried another regional place called the Cock of the Walk just because of the name. It is mostly seafood, which I love and Jack's allergic to, but he can always find a burger or steak on the menu. The food was okay, but nothing to write home about...especially since home is on the coast where we can get great seafood! We haven't found a good breakfast place yet...but there's still time!

I put up my new Smart Tiles backsplash in the half bath and one in the master bath. Just have the kitchen left to do. They weren't too hard to do, though the master bath got a bit frustrating when I had to piece around the curved window. I'll post pictures of all three when I get the kitchen done, but just let me say...they look great!