Too bad, peeping Toms!

Although we never close the blinds in the back of our house (the nearest neighbors are across the pond), I'm not a fan of voyeurism.

When we purchased Junior, we discovered that the previous owners had removed the privacy curtain and replaced it with window shades--on all front-cabin windows except the door! We immediately put up a shade on the door, and it did not take us long to discover that the shades did not offer 100% privacy. By design, a gap existed between each of the shades, which meant that at night, anybody walking by our parked motorhome would be able to look in and see us, in whatever state of attire we chose. Not a good thing.

On our first two trips, we used stop-gap privacy methods: I hemmed strips of blackout fabric, which Jim attached by Velcro to cover each gap. The solution was only marginally acceptable, and we decided to bite the bullet and re-install a privacy-curtain system.

We purchased flexible drapery track, the hardware, and blackout fabric. I sewed the curtains.

We had to "relax" the flexible track for several days in order to work with it. Today, Jim installed it around the front windows and we put up the curtains I made.

I'm happy to say we have privacy again.

Any peeping Tom will have to work harder to see inside of our home on wheels.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,
Linda

Another small step toward traveling

Buying a used RV is like purchasing a previously owned house: You want to put your own personal touches on it. In our case, the "personal touches" mostly address rearranging the dining area and creating a desk/storage area in the interior. That came out very nicely--lots more storage and a place to put the printer, laptop, and external hard drive. We put the finishing touches on this amenity yesterday.

Yesterday Jim also replaced the side-view mirrors.

When we purchased Junior, we bought it "as is," except for items needing to be fixed that affected safety. One of the side-view mirrors (on the driver's side) was broken. The top half of the mirror was OK; the bottom half, which gave a wide-view of the rear, was missing. La Mesa, the RV dealer, said it would replace the mirror, since this was a safety issue.

We patiently waited. And waited. And waited for it to be sent. After a couple of months, Jim finally followed up and we received it. (Jim said he would put on the replacement, since it would be inconvenient to take Junior to the Orlando-area dealer for installation.) Alas! The mirror was chrome, not taupe. No way were we going to have a mash of mirror colors!

When we called the dealer, Jim said we would be happy to return the new mirror, or if they preferred they could replace the other mirror to match the new chrome mirror. They said they would replace the other side-view mirror, at their cost. That was a good thing, because a search for this type of replacement mirror found that they each cost about $750!

Yesterday was mirror-changing time. The change-out was easy...just unscrew, unplug, plug in, and screw in. We are back in the side-view mirror business!

The next thing Jim wants to do before we head out West again is to put up the solar panels that he had removed from Baby. He is designing a way to adjust the angle of the solar panels, to catch maximum rays when (and if) we do any dry camping. (Not high on my priority list.) The panels will help keep our house batteries charged.

Finally, we need to put up our new privacy curtain. For some mysterious reason, the previous owners removed the curtain track (and curtains) and put up window shades. Shades sound like a good option, until you realize that they do not offer 100% privacy, since there are gaps between the shades. So, we ordered new tracking and I made the drapes. We had to allow the flexible tracking to "relax" before attaching it around the windshield. I think it will be ready next week.

Our travel plans? Looks like we are going to go back to Yuma/Los Algodones, then head up to the northwest to visit national parks. It will likely be a long trip.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,
Linda

Old friends, high times

Tampa, Feb. 17, 2013—Some things get better as they age. One of those things is old friends.

This weekend 14 of the 20 “George’s Kids” got together for our 48th reunion. I think we all leave on an emotional high, anticipating when we will get together again in September of 2015 for our 50th reunion. (God willing, we will all make it!) 

Sharon Goodnight Sylvester—whom we identify as being the force for bringing us all together 23 ago—will be the coordinator of our next adventure.

Our Peru 1965 Group Director was George Zucker. His daughter Lisa helped organize all the details of our weekend, from arranging for the hotel to coordinating with the Peruvian restaurant where we feasted on traditional Peruvian cuisine, including the best ceviche all of us had had since leaving Lima in 1965.

Who was there? Well, if you look at the picture below, starting with the bottom row, you’ll find Mary Mullins Sugar, Mary (Coche) Carr, Sharon Goodnight Sylvester, George Zucker, Nancy Jones de Villalobos, Diana Glad, and Izora Harrison White. Top row includes Cheri Biddle Engber, Sherrie Hitchcock McKenna, Irene Gnemi Melendez, Rita Marsh-Birch, David Clapp, Linda King Kelsey, Linda Jefferson Segall, and WinEllen Gruber Marcum.

George and his "kids" at our 48th anniversary celebration.

George Zucker had 20 "kids" to take care of in 1965. We are grateful he took on the task of herding us around Peru and teaching us Don Quixote!

The picture does not include Craig Zucker, George’s oldest son. Craig was 2 years old and his brother Eric about 3 months old when the Zuckers took on the task of watching over our diverse group in Lima. We all felt old when we realized that little Craig had turned 50!

Craig Zucker with Irene. Craig was just 2 years old when he had his year in Peru!

Who wasn't there? Sue Turner, Coleman Dirhan, and Richard Lee--all because of health issues, either their own or a family member's. The others who weren't there were Carolyn Blanchard and Trina Tyler, both of whom we cannot find, and of course Jane Brown, who died in an airplane crash in 1998.

Several of the spouses accompanied the reunion goers: They included Marcelino (Irene’s husband), Bobbi (Dave’s wife), Jim, Mike Engber (Cheri’s husband), Wade Birch (Rita Marsh's husband), and Howard (WinEllen’s husband). George’s lady friend Maxine, Lisa’s daughter and husband, and Craig’s wife also enjoyed the festivities.

Jim, as a former travel agent, was surprised that we had not scheduled a group activity for the “down time” on Saturday before we met for dinner (other than meeting at George’s house). We didn’t need a planned activity; what we really wanted was to get to talk to each other. And talk we did! I think this time I spent time with everyone who was there.

It’s interesting, really, how the conversations have changed over the years. The first reunion we held, in 1990, I think we reminisced the most. I remember that we didn’t recognize each other. We had to catch, find out what everyone was doing (we were all working), and then talk about our Peru experiences.

Cheri Biddle Engber

Mary Carr. We all call her Coche. (Coche means car in Spanish.)

David Clapp and Nancy Jones de Villalobos. 

Diana Glad and your Reluctant RoVer

Izora White Harrison and Nancy

Linda King Kelsey and Irene 

Mary Mullins Sugar. Mary and I go back to high school! We were in the same city at Indiana Girls' State back in 1962.

Sherrie Hitchcock.

This year, the main question was, “Are you retired yet?” Followed by, “Do you have grandkids? How many and how old?”

As we were saying our good-byes, Nancy, Coche, and I observed that one of the nicest things to come out of these reunions was a re-renewal of friendships. When we were in Peru, natural “friend groups” formed. We all liked each other, but we just did not have the opportunity to socialize for one reason or another, outside of group activities.

The reunions have given us the opportunity to get to know each other on a different level—to become friends all over again. It’s a great feeling.

It’s also a great feeling to know that of all the IU Junior Year Abroad groups, ours (to our knowledge) is the only one to keep in such close touch. We give credit to Sharon Goodnight Sylvester, who, a few years after we all graduated, started sending out an annual newsletter. She would solicit news from us (via snail mail, since e-mail had not yet been invented), compile the juiciest parts, and even occasionally include photographs.

Sharon Goodnight Sylvester and Mary

Finally, in 1990, somehow we decided to get together. It took 25 years, but since that first reunion, we have met every five years—until now. We decided that because we are getting older, the reunions ought to come more frequently. Hence, this was our 48th anniversary celebration. We intend to meet in Chicago in 2015 for our 50th.

Yes, some things do get better when they get older. Friends are one of them.

(I apologize for the quality of the candid pictures, and the fact that I don't have any of Rita! I don't know how that could have happened, but that omission, unfortunately, occurred.)

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda 

Yum!

Feb. 16, 2018, Tampa—I guess you could call Jim and me “foodies.” We appreciate good food. Although we sometimes eat in “ordinary” restaurants and Chinese buffets that include freshly made sushi and sashimi, we prefer various types of ethnic foods, from Vietnamese to West Indian and everything in between. The best ethnic foods, we’ve discovered, are usually found in hole-in-the-wall restaurants frequented by peoples from that culture. We love it when we are the only non-ethnics in the place! It means the food is authentic. It has become our “rule” to seek out such restaurants when we are traveling.

Today we discovered an exception to our rule: The Columbia in Ybor City in Tampa.

The Columbia brags that it is the oldest restaurant in Florida and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It is famous for its architecture as well as its cuisine, and is spread among several adjoining buildings at the edge of Ybor City, which is famed as the (handmade) cigar-making capital of America. The Columbia was established in the late 1800’s as a corner cafe. In 1920 the owner added a dining room and decorated the restaurant in the fanciful world of Don Quixote, with hand-painted tiles and lavish furnishings. The restaurant has branches in St. Augustine, Sarasota, Clearwater Beach, Celebration, and two other locations in Tampa.

Jim waits for lunch at The Columbia. The Don Quixote-esque decor of the restaurant can be seen in the background.

The Columbia uses a lot of hand-painted tiles in its decor, like these, which festooned the outside of the restaurants.

Today, as we explored Ybor City (and learned about cigar making in America), we decided to would put aside our prejudices about dining in tourist restaurants and try The Columbia. We’re glad we did.

Jim ordered mussels and chorizo Andres, which is described: Fresh Prince Edward Island mussels, diced Chorizo, sauteed, simmered with extra virgin olive oil, onions, celery, tomato, basil, spinach and garlic splashed with dried white wine and lemon.”

When I eat at a Cuban restaurant, generally I order ropa vieja or picadillo. I passed on those choices and tried something new (to me)—salteado. The menu describes it: The Columbia’s Traditional Method of Sauté. Inspired by the Chinese who lived in Cuba in the 19th century, a very hot iron skillet with extra virgin olive oil is used to sauté onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, mushrooms, diced potatoes, chorizo, splashed with a hearty red wine. Served with yellow rice.”

I liked it more than Jim’s, so I would have to say my choice rated “muy, muy delicioso!”

This was a fine-dining experience, and the bill reflected it (for lunch). But, we agreed the price was well worth the cost. And we might consider returning—if only there weren’t so many darn good hole-in-the wall places to try!

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Is RVing cost-effective?

I just read an article in today's paper saying that the RV industry is experiencing a comeback. The show we attended a couple of weeks ago attracted about 55,000 people. Jacksonville will have its own "mega" show next weekend, when it is expected to draw about 8,000 visitors.

What's the lure?

As you know, I am a Reluctant RoVer. The "RV lifestyle" is not for me...that is, living in an RV for extended periods of time. I consider our motorhome a traveling hotel. So, is it worth the money?

Generally the longer the trip you take, the more cost-effective it becomes, aside from the initial cost of purchasing and licensing the RV.

For example: Last year, when we were on the road for 64 nights, our diesel and RV park fees totaled about $2600, for an average of about $40 a day. We also saved a lot of money by doing our own cooking--something that can't be done if you are traveling by car and staying in a hotel.

Our three-night trip to Tampa, on the other hand, cost us approximately $250 (about $82/night) for diesel and camping fees. Had we driven our car and stayed three nights in a hotel, the cost would have been about the same--assuming we could find a hotel for $75 a night during high season.

We will be going back to Tampa in two weeks for my Peru reunion. Our diesel and RV costs will be about $217. The Hampton Inn's rates are $119 a night, so you can see that for a two-night stay, traveling in our RV is more cost-effective.

Perhaps more important, though, is the comfort we experience: We sleep in our own bed, shower in our own bathroom, and have our own food available if we want to cook, or even make coffee.

RVs are cheap, but they make an excellent hotel-on-wheels--especially if you don't have to drive! (And I don't do that.)

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,
Linda

An easy makeover

Have you ever noticed that once you do something new, the next time it is exponentially easier?

When we bought Junior, we almost immediately realized that the “desk” area (which was an upgrade) would not accommodate our needs. Essentially, the desk consists of an oversized Corian countertop placed on top of a file cabinet. The countertop has an overhang, where (one would assume), you could pull up a chair and use a laptop. The problem? The counter top is about five or six inches too low. It’s not usable. So, on our first trip out, although I could stow our new dedicated printer/copier/scanner on the desk top, to use my laptop, I had to use it on my lap while sitting in the recliner.

Not really ergonomic, and very inconvenient when I wanted to get another cup of coffee.

The dining table and chair sitting-area will be swapped in the remodel.

So, we began to think about creating a desk area. And what did we decide? To replicate what we did in Baby. We will move the dining table to where the easy chair is currently, and move the chair and filing cabinet back to where the dining room table sits.

We discovered that Lowe’s has in-stock cabinets that are a close match to the cherry-colored cabinets in Junior. We will buy two. This time, however, we will be putting on a slightly wider (15”) countertop. It will be made out of one-half of a set of bi-fold doors. We’ll just have to stain them.

I think Jim will be able to do this remodel in one day.

We still have priorities that take precedence over the remodel, but it is nice to know we can easily do this.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda

Good-bye, Baby

It’s sad to say good-bye. It’s probably also ludicrous to become sentimental about an inanimate object like a motorhome, but both Jim and I (yes, the Reluctant RoVer) were sad to see Baby roll out this morning. The people from the consignment dealer came to get her.

Baby with its single slide.

The beautiful new floor and additional desk/storage area

The kitchen and new loveseat

They were quick to act—a good omen with regard to Baby’s sale? We hope. They told us that this weekend they are participating in a big (very big) RV show in Fort Myers, Fla. That’s why they wanted to get Baby today so that it can be detailed inside and out tomorrow, just in time for the show. Who knows? Perhaps (with any luck) the motorhome will be sold this weekend.

I think it’s natural for people to become emotionally tied to their “firsts.” I know I had feelings about the first new car we had bought—a 1967 Ford Mustang. What a car! It was a metallic lime green 

with black vinyl interior. The dashboard lit up like an airplane cockpit. What I would give to have that car today! Alas. We had to trade it in. It did not accommodate a toddler and a baby very well.

I was also attached to the first house my then-husband and I had bought in 1969. It was a “nothing” house that we bought for $16,200 (if I recall correctly). (Zillow says it is worth $94,000 today.) We worked hard to fix it up. When Richard (my first husband) decided to take a year’s fellowship at IU, we had to rent it out. I ached to move back. Then, a year later, we sold it so he could take a job in (of all places) Connecticut. I hated to give up my house.

I think I grew more attached to the first house I bought on my own, however. It cost $48,000 back in 1979; today it is worth $115,000. This house was just a little post-war ranch on a fair-sized lot. I put a lot of elbow grease into it as a single-mom homeowner, overcoming innate fears as I did what I had to do:  I climbed on the roof to repair a hole and to clean gutters. I swung on the rafters in the attic to repair a loud, squeaky attic fan. And I slithered into the crawl space to clean out grease-clogged plumbing.

I even put in a new lawn in the backyard after my septic system experienced a spill-over. When my boyfriend  at the time looked over the mess left by the septic-system repairers, he asked, “How are you going to deal with this?” (It was a humongous project.) I told him, “One shovelful at a time.” And that’s what I did, using a rotor tiller, a shovel, and a rake. The lawn turned out beautiful, and all of those projects made the house more endearing to me. When I moved to the New Orleans area in 1982, I hated to leave it. I’ve bought and sold several more houses since then, but I have never become as attached to them as I was to that one.

Baby was a “first” for Jim and me—our first motorhome. As I’ve reported before, I’ve been a Reluctant RoVer and ambivalent about owning a house on wheels. If I didn’t have it, I would never have missed it. But strange as it seems, I become attached to that 38-foot green-and-white behemoth. Junior, our new 40-foot motorhome, is bigger and nicer, but I think it will never quite take the place of Baby.

Good-bye, Baby. Have a safe journey to Fort Myers, and please give your new owners (whoever they will be) pleasure as you take them on adventures across the country.

Until later,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda