THEY'RE FREE!

[Nasoosie]

GOOD MORNING TO US ALL!

The miners and their rescuers have been saved, cheered, and returned to the land of the living! What an amazing feat that was to watch, and each one that came up from the depths was as exciting as the others, for me, anyway. It was so nice to have a happy news story for a change.

It's just a tad below freezing outside this morning, and warm in here as I had a wood fire before I left for the trailer last night.

Yesterday, I found a way to stow my canoe in the trailer so it's out of the way of both beds Sue and I will need on the trip south. It also allows room to use the refrigerator and the kitchen area to make some dinners/lunches. I had been worried that maybe I wouldn't be able to take it with me with Sue along on this journey, but now I am happy that it can be managed. Maybe I'm not using my trailer as some others of you would, such as having water and bathroom facilities as I travel, but, for me, this is the best way I can come up with for being able to take my canoe, my friend, Sue, Molly, and me to FL. I need the bathroom space for part of my canoe in order to not have to take it out of the trailer each night and worry about its being stolen while I sleep. We will use a porta potty and jugs of water for the trip. I will have no need to find any dump stations, drive with water in the tanks, or any of that bother. If we stop at a real campsite, which I plan to do in the Carolinas, then we can take the canoe out, de-winterize the hot water heater, pump, and pipes, hook up to electricity and water and take showers and use the toilet. If we find a nice campsite down there, we might stay over for a couple of days even. I trust campsites way more than rest areas for overnights, but there aren't any open until we get far enough south. I know of two KOAs that I love, and Pete told me about another nice one in GA, right off 95 which I will try to make a reservation in. Familiar is a good thing for me, and I have had great luck with those two KOAs in years past. I feel really good about my solving the canoe puzzle yesterday.

I called my doc to get prescriptions refilled, called the vet to get more heartworm meds and flea/tick stuff for Molly, so those two things can get crossed off my list.

Today I will teach 3rd grade at our local elementary school for more gas money....am looking forward to this day, although I don't like getting up in the dark any more at all!

This is the weekend of the wedding I must attend, on Saturday. I will be very glad when this is over, as I never look forward to weddings. Mandy will come tomorrow, and go to the wedding with me. With any luck, we can avoid the church part and make it to the fun reception part!

Hope you all will have a good day whatever is on your list of stuff to do----coffee is hot, so stop in and sit a while and share your thoughts with the rest of us.

[asirimarco]

Good Morning All - wasn't that exciting about the Chile miners - so great that so many countries and people showed that it is still possible to work together for good.
Well we are on the road - only 230 miles from home in Elkhart, IN - the guy is supposed to come this a.m. to connect the satellite and hopefully get it working and that will be the end of the grief with it. Right now I'm using the campgrounds Internet. This is a real nice campground if your ever around here - its the Elkhart Campground. Grassy and lots of trees and very big spaces. The RV Museum is just down the street. Hope to go there later today.
Right now it is 8a.m. and dark as the middle of the night out and COLD in here. Didn't have my glasses on last night when I turned the heater down (oops - off) Got to get used to RVing again. Already been to the store to buy stuff I forgot to put in here. Soap and shampoo no less. Had a slightly eventful trip here as detailed in my blog.
Safe travels and good weather wishes to everyone.

[Liz]

Good morning! I was surprised to see Soos up so early....remembering what it's like to be working Money coming in for your trip is a good thing!

Sorry Carol, about all your events getting to Elkhart. Glad all could be fixed and everyone stayed safe. The RV Museum sounds like a neat place to visit while you're there. Let's hope all your "events" are behind you now.

I'm still in the process of putting a good coat of wax on the RV. It's turning out to be a 4-day job...that is if I finish today. Then it will be time to start outfitting it for a camping weekend Oct. 29-30 at nearby Silver River. (Phantoms in the Forest....storytelling on Saturday evening)

On the way home from TX, I noticed a small <quarter-sized ding in the lower-right windshield. I think it was probably there when I bought it, but didn't notice it until the sun glinted on it. Anyway, it's scheduled to be fixed today. The glass-repair guy will come to the house, and insurance covers the repair. Going to have him reseal around the top driver's side of the windshield too, where there is a gap that could let water in.

The JAN FL GTG is shaping up nicely....count up to 8 already. Haven't heard from Sunshine & Belle about it....wonder what they're up to?

This is Kathleen's day to pick up her "Bright Hope". Excited for you, Kathleen!

Hope everyone has a fun, safe day out there on the road or not.

[sharon]

Chilly breezy and cloudy here in SoCal, but it's supposed to be in the 80's today...Hope these clouds blow out of here by tomorrow as DD and I are going to Glen Ivey Hot Springs for our annual b-day bash, massages, hot soaks, mud and soaking up the sun. I was out of town playing with my friends on her b-day, but I told her we would go when I got back.

Not a lot going on here, need to finish cleaning Hope, fuel her and put her away. Quick run to the grocery, leaving Sat AM to meet up with the BF in Johnson Valley for some serious rock crawling. The Pro-Lift competition is there this w/e, fun to watch and I'm sure we'll get some wheeling in, too, so after Fri nite I'll be MIA until Mon or Tues.

Wow Carol, what a way to start a trip. Hope all of your road gremlins are done with you and on to other mischief. Hopefully to someplace out of the US! But NOT Mexico!

Kathleen, have fun getting your new home on wheels, what excitement!

Liz, you have way more energy than I have, big job waxing the Silver Streak! Bet she looks brand spanking new now. At least it only has to be done once a year. Hope's lucky she even gets a bath, and that's only so I can see out of the windows. Probably should give her a wax job this year, it's been 2 years since she got one.

Everyone else, travel safe and have fun!

[AlmostThere]

Morning!

Ditto on what Sharon and Liz said about Carol's beginning mishaps. Hope the satellite gets all up and running for you, too.

Fairly cool AM here. The furnace has been steadily running. Yesterday was another perfect Fall day. Last evening I attended my 10 yr olds soccer game. It got darn chilly sitting on the sidelines when the sun dipped.

I haven't been sleeping very well, so was up playing Farmville at 4AM. VickieP has come to the dark side so it's nice to have her as a neighbor.

Soos, glad your canoe is retro fitting into your rig. My mind's eye can't quite envision it, but that's ok. If you can live with it, then it's all good.

With the El Nino (I think that's what they are calling it), this winter, they are saying hard freezes but little snow/rain. I was toying with not getting Little Missy winterized but I'm thinking I shouldn't take the chance. So that will need to be done soon, I guess. I also need to wash and wax her. My SIL offered to do the washing, but I'm not sure what wax to get. Her exterior is fiberglass, I'm thinking.

Looking forward to a smiling Kathleen as she gets her new to her rig home! Safe travels!
Coffee is still hot, come and get it!

[Liz]

My SIL offered to do the washing, but I'm not sure what wax to get. Her exterior is fiberglass, I'm thinking.

Get a good quality marine polish (as is used on fiberglass boats) with UV inhibitors to protect against sun damage fading and chalking.

[Getupngo]

I watched the rescue live o'er the Internet from 5 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and much of the day Wednesday. I cried and laughed and clapped and cheered so loud I startled the dog!

I was SO engaged and thrilled for two reasons. In 1983, 27 coal miners were trapped underground after an explosion in the Wilberg mine in central Utah. I worked for United Press International and was there covering the disaster with the rest of the world's media. During the four days we awaited news of their fate, I saw the stunned fear and grief of the wives and children. So many children.

On the fourth day -- Christmas eve -- it was announced that the miners had been found and all were dead. When the news conference ended and our story filed (we beat the Associated Press!), everyone else began to pack up. And I started to cry. The experienced changed me forever.

To see those miners joyously, gratefully emerge from underground ... well, that was indescribable for me.

The second reason is metaphorical. I, like many people, have felt lost, like I was trapped in a dark place with no way out. What would it feel like if THE WHOLE WORLD came to your rescue?

[Nasoosie]

Janice that journalism experience of yours with the poor Utah miners must have been such a trauma---after all those days of anticipation and sharing the hope of the families, to discover them all dead would have been so horrific. Your post made me cry. I cant imagine having to cover a story with such an unhappy ending.

Now the Chilean adventure was quite the other way----pure joy and success and SO rewarding. I just couldn't turn the coverage off, for fear I would miss some joy and happiness and relief and love.

Interesting thought about what it would be like to have the whole world rescue you from the depths of depression. I am afraid it's so much easier for humans to physically rescue someone than it is for us to psychologically rescue someone. It's an art, for sure, rather than an engeering feat. Very interesting to contemplate, however. I wonder if it can be learned.

[ali1257]

Good afternoon. A quick note to say hello and check in. Slept late this morning, did some stuff on the computer, had teh DirectTV guy out - he hooked up the satellite and showed us how to change the zip code to get better access each time we move. Ron was busy organizing away: he did our bathroom tote, the two compartments outside our door on the passenger side, and the two big food totes we carry in the basement. I then put it on the computer ~ this is so we know what we have, help with menu planning and eliminate buying stuff we already have and so I know what we have so I can cook with it.

It is now time to go get Max from school. Ron is taking him to soccer practice to give Danalyn a break.

Wishing you all a great day!