Cool and Sunny Friday

[JudyJB]

This may be the only time in my life I actually get to start a morning coffee thread since I am a terrible night owl, but I woke up about 4:00 am and couldn't sleep. Got up and decided to pay my bills since today is payday.

Since my online semester is done for a couple of weeks, I have a little free time, so it is straightening up and cleaning time to get ready for the holidays. This weekend I am going to make some pasties and bake some cookies.

I may be nuts, because I still don't have a motorhome, but I have been planning next winter in Florida. I made reservations at DisneyWorld for the second week in December, which I am really looking forward to. Tentative retirement date is June 30. Putting condo up for sale March 1. Plan on going out west during the summer and fall, but want to spend winter 2012-13 in Florida.

I would really appreciate some recommendations on Florida State Parks because I can start making reservations in January since you can make reservations up to 11 months out. I have heard they fill up very quickly, so better to get reservations even if I have to cancel later. They are cheap and look like most are my style--slightly rustic, but with water and electric, plus quieter places that the "resort-type" RV parks. So far, I am looking at Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine, and two on the Keys. Maybe Koreshan also and Collier County.

Any advice??? Thanks in advance.

[Colliemom]

Good Morning Judy and all who follow,

I take it the sun must be shining down where you are, from the title of your thread. Cloudy up here and a bit chllly. We got about 3 inches of heavy wet snow last night. Glad it wasn't a lot cause it's the kind that can break down lines and branches if it were to accumulate too much and then have a wind behind it. And I think it will be here to stay now unless we get some more warm weather which is possible. Or rain.

You certainly were the early bird this morning. And it's now 10 a.m. and I'm just getting on here. Made myself a nice bacon and egg breakfast this morning and then got busy getting my jello salad made for tonight's party. It's in the fridge and I will put the topping on later this afternoon. Also made jello for me to eat as I have that after dinner rather than sit down to something sweet. Took a card out to the mald box and played with Tessa for a few minutes. She's all full of heck this mornng cause of the cold weather and loves to play with one of those "holey balls" although she doesn't play as much as she used to. I think she needs another dog around that loves to chase those things to get her really going. Sassy isn't into that stuff. Decided while I was out, to shovel off my back deck so it's easier for them to go out and walk around on it. While I was doing that, Tessa of course did her "P" and made yellow snow on the deck. I think she thinks cause the deck is green and there's snow on it, that she's on the grass She only does that in winter. Had a bit of entertainment for a few minutes too. A cottontail bunny came out from under the deck and took off across the yard. The dogs of course spotted it and were off in hot pursuit. Now Mr or Mirs. Cottontall is trapped inside my fence so couldn't just go hopping off into the woods. It ran along the fence line with the dogs right behind and finally found the hole that it had gotten into the yard in the first place, ducked through and took off. I was getting a little concerned if it hadn't gotten out and didn't want the dogs to catch it, so I was prepared to go open one of the gates, but didn't need to. So I guess everybody got their exercise . I could just hear that rabbit going NYAH! NYAH! as he headed for the woods and the dogs got stopped short by the fence and stood there watching him go

I see you are busy making plans for next winter already. Don't worry, you will have your MH by then. You have done your homework, figured out what you want and should be all set. I can't wait till the day comes that you can hit the road and read about your adventures. Hopefully that will come for me in a couple of years too. Course with the housing market as is, that will pose the biggest problem for me. I had considered spending the winter in FL and down south this winter, but with moving around from here to there, I haven't figured out how to handle the mail situation especially with income tax stuff coming in pretty soon. Although my cousin said I could forward it to her place. But this winter has been so mild up to now, that I haven't felt like leaving.

Have been thinking of getting a pair of cross country skis and doing that again this winter. Need the exercise to trim off this tummy I am accumulating. But after pricing sets, my reaction is ACK! The prices are crazy. But will investigae it a bit more. I have a pair of snowshoes here that I am trying to sell and if they go, that money can go toward skis. Woud love to go back to the U.P. again and ski some of the groomed trails in the area whee I stay. So much beautiful country up there.

So that's what's going on here this morning. Going to go wrap my White Elephant gift for the party tonight and then not sure what I will get into. Maybe work on my scrapbook or start one of my signs i want to make. Decided to make some wood Welcome signs for the different seasons. Got some small wood cutouts of trees and snowflakes to make the Winter Welcome one, the which I had better get gong on before winter is over . Also need to wash my hair and take a bath before I head out at 6 p.m.

Have a wonderful day all. If you are traveling, stay safe and enjoy the trip, if you are under the weather, remember this too shall pass.

[Christine]

Moring all!

Sortta wet-ish here with showers off and on.. i am heading to Macys to return some Fiesta ware i bought. Color is discontinued and cant get the salad plate to add to that color.. grrr... also got a green salad plate to add and its the wrong color! I hate to keep going back and forth and do returns....

Went to Cabalas yesterday with a friend.. what a fun store to browes in... didnt buy a thing ( way to high in prices) so we just had a nice lunch in their restrurant.. at least it was a day out.

I guess i wont be going to the beach for holiday. to much work to load stuff back in the trailer then unload.. get it rewinterized... Will have to just make it a day at home alone again... will go to friends for xmas dinner then back home... would rather be at the beach.. ohhhh wellllllll...............

I cant wait till Jan.. heading back to the local college to take Digital Photography classs... dont know what they will be covering... some editing skills etc... even tho i use Paint shop Pro 4x and Photoshop CS5 i need to learn more on the editing aspects.. hopefully they will go over some camera instructions too..

well all have a great day...

[JudyJB]

Colliemom, my son in Ohio will get my mail, but with income tax, the problem is all the little forms. I did my taxes last year electronically and had direct deposit. I figure I'll just leave my son some larger stamped envelopes and have him send them to me to a post office somewhere. I'll leave him a checkbook and give him permission to open things. You probably don't want to do that with a friend.

Yes, lower Michigan is dry and sunny today. Hope it stays that way for a while Supposed to have a high of 35.

[AlmostThere]

Morning from another left coaster! Just finishing up my coffee and will eat here soon. Yep, Christine, our weather is back to more normal. Cool and damp. Suppose to reach 50 tomorrow! Me likey!

Today is garbage/yard debris pickup and the debris truck just went so I collected my can and returned it to the backyard. It was jammed full of rosebush clippings. Those were allot of fun trying to cram into the can! I was concerned that they wouldn't come out again but they did, whew!

Got a nice surprise when I turned on my computer. My son called me on Skype! It was great seeing him. He looks good but I can see how boredom can set in quickly as he's pretty much relegated to a small compound, for the most part, and being so close to the equator the weather never changes, it's always very hot and extremely humid. He does workout but has to be diligent about keeping hydrated. For the most part he has been teaching "Emergency First Response" classes on some of the other islands, as well as having to rub elbows with high ranking Filipino military leaders.

Well, I got the report on my blood tests on my finger problem. Everything looks good the Dr told me to cancel seeing the rheumatoid Dr. No clue as of yet what the swelling was about, but it is almost normal already and feeling much better since taking the anti inflammatory meds. Another one of those medical mysteries.....

My GD's Christmas program at school was yesterday and was nice. I'm so happy they haven't taken "Christmas" out of the program. Afterward we all went out for Chinese. Not a whole lot I wanted to eat as almost everything is fried. We ordered two different meals and shared among us. I had a bowl of egg flower soup, some pork, a bit of the rice and steamed broccoli. There was also sweet and sour chicken, batter fried shrimp, chicken and pork, and Mongolian beef.

Ok, tummy needs some food. Have a super day!

[BarbaraRose]

Good morning...still not feeling good with this cold thing. Coughed a lot all night. I hope it doesn't hang on too much longer. I get tired easily which isn't good at work when we are busy. I get worn out quick if I don't get a break in between haircuts.

It is sunny right now but it is supposed to rain later today and tomorrow, then be sunny on Sunday and then more rain on Monday and Tuesday. Well, it is the rainy season here, just wish it was a little warmer. It was just about a year ago this week that we had those constant torrential rains here for over a week that flooded everything so bad.

Gotta get my dad's Christmas present wrapped and packaged up to send out today, and pay some bills (payday), and later get ready for work.

Have a good day!

[Nasoosie]

GOOD AFTERNOON, ALL!

After my solar powered batteries came via UPS yesterday in Orlando, I decided to drive here to St. Cloud and meet Melissa's sister, her husband, and their 6-month-old baby, Callista. We had a good visit last night, and supper, and this morning was my day to get my FL ID.

WELLLLLLL............after spending a ton of time and energy and postage to get my marriage certificate out of hock, which was what they told me I needed to prove I changed my name from my birth name to my married one, I was told this morning that, as of the first of January this year, 2011, I would have to forfeit my NY State Driver's License, which is another form of ID, I guess, if I were to get a FL ID!!!!!!!! Why, oh why, could they not have told me about that the last time I was there?????? The guvment says only one ID person, or some such idiocy. Anyway, I cannot get my FL ID unless I wish to get a FL driver's license, (which would involve classes and a driving test and who-know-what-other rigmarole, I assume), regitster my trailer and truck in FL, and insure the both here. Needless to say, I am not up for driving tests and classes right now, so I guess my dreams of a FL ID are kaput.

Down the line, I might decide that claiming FL for my home state might be cheaper than NY. But, for now, screw that plan. I was NOT a happy camper at the guvment building this morning!

Off I go to see what I can eat that will not make me blow up like a bundle of birthday balloons swallowed whole! I will try to make the chatroom tonight. Tomorrow morning I go to Sip 'n' Dip for coffee with Linda ! I can't wait! That place is nearly walking distance from my trailer here!

[Acadianmom]

Christine, there is a web site called Replacements.com where you can buy dinner wear and silverware. They have thousands of patterns. I have been able to find mine and it's not made anymore. Sometimes I have to wait a while and they will email me when it is available. It isn't cheap but when my idiot DH takes my good dishes outside to BBQ and drops them off the back porch he can pay for them. There are probably more web sites like Replacements.

I decided to go to town this afternoon and it started raining. It wasn't very heavy but constant. It got dark before I got out of town. I don't like to drive after dark and I really don't like to drive in the rain. I went to the Walmart in Lafayette and didn't think I would ever get out of there. I still have some things to do but don't think I will go this weekend. The traffic is really bad.

Martha