“It’s so nice, to see, old friends. cause we’ve all gotten very much higher…”

So,  as my last blog entry of 2022, I think it’s lovely to speak about how important it is to visit with old friends. That will be the theme of the next few days – as we slide into the home stretch of our winter Florida trip. Minnie Riperton sang the lyrics above on her 1974 “Perfect Angel” album (which I still have back in Jersey). I’m not exactly sure what “we’ve all gotten very much higher” means; I think I would have written “we’ve all gotten very much wider”!!

When last I wrote, it was early Tuesday morning – like 3 a.m. early. Luckily, the weather improved drastically, and we found sunshine again amongst the clouds. We took advantage of “Free Wawa Coffee Tuesday”, as we were out and about early in the day. The closest Wawa is not close at all – but, for free coffee, I guess we went the extra mile! We then visited a “Super Target” – and headed back to the campground. We needed more bins to help organize all our “stuff” – as stuff always needs a home! We went back to our favorite ice cream place, and got the flavors we were craving. Unfortunately, my stomach did not approve of this choice of food, even though the lactaid pills served as an appetizer. So, at least for me, the ice cream cravings have been met, and I am done until next summer.

On Wednesday, we were thrilled to visit with our longtime friend Jodi, who is down here with her Dad for a few days. We had the best time talking, laughing, and eating (I mean – what else is there??) It’s been a year and a half since we’ve seen each other, and before that, it was QUITE a long time. When conversation can pick up so easily, after so much time, a true friendship it definitely is. I am so glad we were able to make it happen, and Roxy was excellent at the restaurant’s outside seating.

Our campground neighbors Dan and Sue came over to say hello, to tell us that they are pulling out tomorrow, and to share a shot of bourbon (with Rich, not me – although he offered.) They were such nice people, and so easy to talk with about almost anything. Safe travels, you guys. I hope our paths cross again. There are a lot of comings and goings at a campground – as you can imagine – and it’s not always so easy to develop a relationship. As you probably are aware, I can talk to almost anyone. Some people, however, just want to be by themselves. It’s sometimes hard to figure out who is who.

Thursday morning began with my much anticipated water aerobics class. And it didn’t disappoint! The instructor, Cindy, concentrates on core strength with exercises where your legs do not touch the bottom of the pool. My summer teacher had a different method of water aerobics. Neither one is right – they’re just different. I found this method more difficult – but equally enjoyable. I will be able to attend 2 more classes before we leave – and I am quite glad about that.

In the early afternoon, we went to spend some time again with friends Pam and Ron, and this time, Ilana and Howard – who are visiting from the frozen tundra also. Ron took the afternoon to teach Rich the finer points of Pickleball.  Thankfully, 3’s a crowd – so I stayed and gabbed with Pam, Ilana and Howard. Ron won, Rich lost – and I met a bunch of new people by the pool. It was a win for all!

Rich and I made an impromptu decision to return to Kosher Chobee in West Palm Beach for dinner. The experience was very disappointing, in that the service was bad, and the server was rude. He was the type of nasty, in-your-face rude that makes one lose their appetite. The food is good – but we won’t be returning. I wrote a truthful review on Google. He answered my review with yet again a nasty response – but one that wasn’t truthful. Since I couldn’t figure out how to answer an answer – I emailed the restaurant and had my say. I don’t appreciate rudeness – but I abhor lying. In conclusion, if you want tasty Kosher meat and poultry dishes, you can go to Kosher Chobee. However, they are not dog friendly (even though they said to bring the dog), and you may or may not get chastised for asking for too many foods. Enough said.

With the weather continuing to cooperate this morning, we went to the Palm Beach Lake Trail in West Palm Beach. The Trail is beautiful, surrounded by scenic views of mansions, greenery, beautiful blue water and many yachts and boats. The ONLY thing that is missing is a public restroom (which immediately means trouble for me). If you are walking in Florida, you should hydrate. If I hydrate – I instantly need a bathroom. So, I could not hydrate – and started to feel a bit crummy after too short a time. Maybe we could attempt this again later in the afternoon, when the sun is a bit lower. But it was gorgeous, none the less.

The last trivia question was answered correctly by our friend Sharon G. – who shared that John Aniston, who played Victor Kiriakis on “Days of our Lives” was the actor who passed away in November. I hated him so much on that soap – which of course means that he was awesome at his craft.  Sharon – kudos to you – both on getting the answer correct, and on being a lifelong “Days” fan like me. Lew and Marsha – good effort.

Today’s trivia has to do with tomorrow night. What food is traditionally eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve – in the SPANISH tradition – that is meant to bring you good luck in the New Year? Anyone who has celebrated NYE in my house in recent years always had to partake in this food. I will share the correct answer next year!

So, Shabbat Shalom to those that observe. Wishing you all a happy, HEALTHY and prosperous 2023 to all that observe, and a wonderful weekend to everyone.  See ya in 2023!

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Love,

Marla, Rich and Roxy

Z3 cross country

Roxy watching Rich put on the Plaza Green in Boca.

Boca Raton and Z3.

Merry Christmas!

These trees are amazing in WPB.

Is it a lizard? An iguana? Don’t know – don’t care. Yucky.

Along the Palm Beach Lake Trail.

WPB. I LOVE this shot.

“…Oh, the weather outside is frightful…”

Hey there! I am using this song title because I am feeling empathy for the millions of people around the country dealing with recent ridiculous temperatures, storms, etc. I would also like to add that it has been C-O-L-D and dreary and void of sunshine since Saturday – and it has been raining on and off as well. This is not a pity party – I’m just commiserating with the masses. It’s also not the first time a Florida vacation has been thrown off track because of weather. My very first time in Florida, in 1973, I remember needing my winter jacket one particularly cold night. When we’ve gone to the Keys for a few days away, we were often hit with a cold snap. So, I know this isn’t a “first time ever” event. It’s just not what I was really expecting. We are wishing for warmer days ahead.

Last Wednesday evening, we went to visit our friends Sylvan and Rhoda. They were feeling rather canine-empty – and invited Roxy along. It was so good to see them, talk and catch up, light menorahs together, and, most importantly, sit down to a delicious traditional Chanukah dinner! Yum!! They live in a lovely building, and it was such a treat to visit. If you’re reading along, thank you again! Hope to see you soon!

Thursday, we took a drive to Boca Raton. We’ve never been there before. The weather was picture perfect, and we went to the “Plaza Real” in the heart of Boca. I used to teach about the “Plaza Real” in Spain, when I taught my unit about Madrid – so this was close! The Plaza is beautiful, filled with greenery and fountains and sculptures and designed for visitors to walk along and take in the beauty. Stores and restaurants surround the area on all sides – but we weren’t there to shop. We were there to soak up the local flavor. And we did.

Close by, we found a pizza place – Rave – that wasn’t busy, had delicious looking food, and was dog friendly. It was kosher as well – for those who wanted to know! We each had a slice (mmm! – it’s been awhile!) and we bought sushi – but we were so full that the sushi became dinner. We bought a couple of other food items that are hard to find in Loxahatchee, and headed back to the campground to chill. Later that night, we went to a campground activity. We aren’t usually “campground activity” people – but being that we are here for an extended stay, I really wanted to meet our fellow campers. The event was Hot Chocolate and Cookies and getting-to-know each other. A half a cup of hot chocolate was sufficient, and the cookie was okay – but getting to talk to several other campers was really excellent. We have had great conversations with Dan and Sue next to us – and Dan and Cindy – and Fran and Peter – and after that, the names escape me. So the conversation was great, and we were really enjoying ourselves…and then came part 2 of the program….singing Christmas Carols. Ummm, okay – hey – I’m all for a good sing-along – no matter what the song. But I really wanted to continue the conversation (as did everyone). And so, since we’re not rebels, we sang. It was fine. Rich sang better (OF COURSE he did). And we had fun and some laughs with each other. All in all, not a bad way to spend a December day.

Friday began with me taking an EARLY morning exercise class. I was very proud of myself – although my back was not very happy. But I rested when I needed to, and I got through. Friday was all about the impending weather – high winds and low temps. We broke down our outside decorations and set up – better safe than sorry. We also got in a late afternoon swim while the temps allowed. We spent as much of the day outside as possible – because we just knew. And, just to add some excitement, in the quiet of early Friday evening, we heard a loud BANG! – and then, everything went black. The entire RV park – pitch black. We had some Shabbat and Chanukah candles still burning, but that was about it. So, Rich took a walk to explore. Seems a very large bird – raptor? heron? egret? pterodactyl???? – took a nosedive into the power lines, and blew out the transformer. Florida P&L, as well as Lion Country Safari staff were on top of the situation, and power was restored within the hour. So, to celebrate…we went to sleep!

Saturday, Sunday and all day today were lousy weather days. Saturday was a hunker down sort of day. Saturday night, which was Christmas Eve, I did needlepoint for a ridiculous amount of hours while Rich watched a movie. In fact, I strained some muscle in my back/neck/head from the way I was sitting. It wasn’t pretty. I have to either craft standing up, or set a timer and stretch and move around more. Ah – getting old sucks.

Sunday afternoon we went to visit our friends Pam and Ron. They have a beautiful home in the area, and we had a great afternoon. We said goodbye and drove back (about 35 minutes) – and just as we were getting out of the car, I realized I left both my jacket AND my purse back at their house. Duh!! So, we got to see them AGAIN – when they met us half-way. Next time I go to their house I will glue my purse to my arm!

And so, that brings us back to today. I once again attended the 9 a.m. exercise class, but today Rich joined me. That was actually fun. It was really quite cold, and the class is outside. I completed the entire class today, which included walking, power walking, and merengue, salsa, cumbia and bachata dance moves. Rich followed that up with a late morning golf outing. I took Roxy for a walk – and thankfully returned back to the RV before the rains began again. And, to end this lovely Monday in style – and in the rain – I did 4 loads of laundry at the camp laundry room. It was bright, warm, empty, DRY, and had a great wifi signal. Additionally, unlike when we are at home – all the laundry is already folded and put away! It was a very productive night.

You may have noticed that I did not mention anything about real estate in today’s blog entry. Well, we did our research, our actual search, our paperwork, our banking obligations – and now we just wait and see. It is out of our hands. As far as I am concerned, we now have 2 weeks left to spend vacationing. Unfortunately, our funtime coincided with a return to winter weather – but we are determined to make the best of it. And, if there’s any news to tell – we definitely will.

My trivia question in the last blog posed a real problem. I thought there was one, clear answer – but several dedicated readers pointed out that there were several ways to read my question. The original question was: “Which president was the first to officially celebrate Chanukah in the White House?” The answer I originally wanted was Jimmy Carter. However, to be exact, Carter celebrated Chanukah in Lafayette Park, across from the White House. So, that’s not the answer on a technicality. Truman received a menorah from Ben Gurion – but apparently didn’t light it. (I don’t know – I wasn’t around yet!) Clinton hosted a Chanukah party, but I don’t think he lit. George W. Bush lit a menorah in the White House. In education, this phenomenon occurs from time to time. A teacher develops a test question for which she/he thinks there is one correct response. Sometimes, however, a student brings evidence that supports a different, yet still correct response. When this happened to me – and it did – I threw out the question and gave everyone credit. And so, after much thought, you all get credit for all your answers!

Today’s trivia question has less wiggle room than the last one. In late November, a famous soap opera veteran passed away. Today, their last scene ever was aired. Please name the actor and the show. 1 extra point will be given if you can name the character they played. I will confirm the answer in the next post.

It’s after 3 in the morning, and it is POURING outside. Rain in an RV at night, in an otherwise silent setting, makes one feel as if they are living in a tin can. I will post just this blog entry – and post additional pictures from recent days at a later time. Thanks for reading – if you are going to be in the area, let us know asap! We would love to grab a hug and get together.

Talk soon,
Marla, Rich and Roxy
Z3 Cross Country

Rich and Roxy in the Plaza Real in Boca Raton.

“Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah, come light the menorah!…”

Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate! Happy Tuesday to everyone else! I haven’t blogged in awhile, so let me catch you all up. Again, we’re not vacationing and sight-seeing in the same way we usually do on vacation – but we certainly are enjoying tank tops and shorts weather. 

Today, during our regular errands, we found the Wellington Dog Park. This place gets 10 stars for its size, landscaping, dogs and humans. We had such nice interactions with some local dog owners. One gentleman, who lived for a time in Mexico, in Missouri, in Pensacola – shared lifetime stories and the best places to go with Roxy. He was seated next to a woman who spoke French, Spanish, and a little Yiddish – she was nice as well. I have misjudged dog owners my entire life, I think – I have found that, overall,  they are the kindest and most genuine people.  The park was massive, and Roxy ran her fanny off! It was a great experience. We followed the dog park with our boring stops at the bank, Publix, Walgreens, etc. 

We’ve been spending a great deal of time at over 55 communities, gated communities, banks, UPS Stores, on endless phone calls and more while on our journey to find a place in which to snowbird in Florida. Our search is continuing and things are happening, but until we have  definitive news, we aren’t saying a word. It’s partly superstition, but more so not foretelling the future until it is factual. We are hoping that our Chanukah gifts to each other is a Condo ; hence, we’ve bought each other nothing! So, forgive the vagueness, but that’s where we are right now. We are in “Vagueville”! Believe me – when there’s something to say – I will say it loud!

Speaking of Chanukah, we are celebrating quietly in the RV. We have some lights and decorations, and we brought along 1 of our many Menorahs. At home, we each light a Menorah, and I rotate our different styles throughout the 8 nights. Knowing that we would be in the motorhome, and that candles and propane don’t mix so well, we stuck with 1 Menorah for the both of us. We are hoping that next year we will have more room to light,  and more candles burning brightly. We came upon another family that is celebrating Chanukah here. The husband asked if we were making latkes (potato pancakes). To be made correctly, this delicacy requires a food processor,and sadly, we did NOT pack ours (on purpose). But, Rich made a potato frittata that was less food, less work (actually no work for me!) and less calories. And, of course, it was delicious. 

My trivia question for tonight is one I stole from a program we watched last week. On a good day, we have 4 or 5 channels that come in clearly on our TV. Here it is: Which president was the first to officially celebrate Chanukah in the White House? The answer surprised me, to be honest. If anyone plays along, we will let you know the winner next time. 

As for the last trivia question, only our friend Lew S. took a guess. The one of a kind Christmas tree on display in West Palm Beach is made of sand. Lew’s answer stated that it was probably made of something that was Florida specific. So, close enough! Speaking of West Palm Beach, we took a drive on Sunday to Rosemary Square, in WPB, where a local JCC and Jewish Federation held a very cool Chanukah celebration, complete with dancing dreidels, yummy food, music and a DJ, and lots of happy families. We went with Roxy, and she was just great. A woman saw Roxy and came up to us to say that her dog looked EXACTLY like Roxy – and was also from Pennsylvania – and was named Roxy as well!! It was a very cool interaction – and Roxy loved all the attention! WPB is very busy, and pretty upscale – and so we definitely looked like tourists in our tank tops! It was a nice ride from our campground, and on the way back, we passed West Palm Beach airport and saw the TRUMP airplane. This is not a political reference at all – it was just cool to see it in person. 

As the days draw closer and closer to Christmas, and as thousands of people who hate cold weather descend upon the Sunshine State, the “powers that be in the sky” decided to turn up the cold down here! The temps, although beautiful, are at least 10 degrees cooler than they were the first 2 weeks we were here. Since I packed for every weather condition known to man, I am certainly fine. And no worries – getting a sunburn is not a problem right now. I am really hoping that temps return to the 80’s before we have to leave. 

We went out to dinner last week with an old acquaintance and his lovely wife, who actually became new friends. Ron, who hails from the town next to Clifton, and was an integral part of the Passaic-Clifton “Y”, and went to Rutgers University, has known me for many years. Notice that I didn’t say that we knew each other. I have to admit, quite embarrassingly, that I don’t remember running into Ron in any of the aformentioned locations. It’s my bad, for sure – and he reminds me of this shortcoming every time we speak. But, finally, finally, Rich and I went out to dinner last week with Ron and his wife Meryl. I’ve only met Meryl on one prior occasion, but we didn’t really get to speak back then. But, last week, we met at their home – which is magnificent. It is easy to tell that I don’t live there, as much of the furniture and furnishings are bright white! It is truly a showcase. The 4 of us went to a new restaurant, “Kosher Chobee”, in WPB. The food was delicious, the service was great, the staff was so, so nice and personable. And, most importantly, the conversation was fabulous! It turns out that Meryl and I have A LOT in common – and, amazingly, so do Rich and Ron. If you’re reading along, Meryl and Ron, thank you again for a fantastic night – and I look forward to many more nights schmoozing in Florida. 

Rich was able to play golf last week, and had a great time. There are only a billion golf courses from which to choose; Rich played nearby in Lake Worth. He said the course was, as expected, beautiful. He played with a husband and wife, and he reports that his game was “okay”. And he said “and wife” with extra special emphasis – like that was going to make me jump up and buy my own clubs! I will once again state that I am as good at golf as I am at baseball, basketball, or tennis…in other words, terrible. I was born with a quick sense of humor, some creativity, and some smarts – and zero eye/hand coordination. But I can scrapbook, sew and needlepoint with the best of them! So, have at it, Coach Zirin! The course is all yours!

Speaking of creativity, Saturday night I completed the map pillow you see below. Talia, my sister-in-law, gifted this to us awhile ago – but I knew it would have to wait for some down time. I had lots of fun coloring the 45 states we’ve visited. Of course, I ran into a major glitch. I chose a bright blue fabric marker for Maine. It reminded me of the beautiful blue color of the lakes and the ocean we found when visiting Maine. Well, that color “bled” through into the entire surrounding area. Crap! I completely emptied my “Tide Stain Stick” trying to fix the problem. “Maine” bled into Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, the entire New England area, and down to the Delmarva Peninsula!!! (What a great geography lesson you just got!) So, after freaking out, and then, much thought, I found a creative solution. So you can see the finished product – and I do think it turned out just fine. I know, I know – it’s just a pillow – but I wanted to make it really special. As for the other 44 states I colored, I think I did a fine job staying in the lines!!!

We are definitely beginning to get a sense of the roads and highways in the area. Becoming familiar with our surroundings makes this place feel more “like home”. The roads and scenery are so much more colorful and beautiful than back in the Northeast – except for the NJ fall foliage period of time. I really like it here in Florida. I always enjoyed my vacations as a teenager when I got to visit my Grandparents in Miami. It feels like a long lost friend. But, Jersey friends and family – no worries – we are coming back home. We just may be making several more road trips down this way during 2023 (hopefully!). 

The RV is treating us well. We have noticed, though, that there are definitely signs of wear that need to be addressed. We happen to know that, before any future trips, we will need to replace our tires. And last Saturday night, during a particularly impressive downpour, Rich discovered a leak in the weather stripping around the window behind our bed. That was a fun discovery! Our RV is a leftover 2013 (that we purchased in January of 2014), and 9 years is significant in the lifespan of an RV. With good care, it can last many, many more years – but because parts of it are made of spit and glue (literally) – it requires constant upkeep, YouTube videos for self-diagnosis and repair, and patience. And, since it won’t be paid off for too many years to mention, we have no choice! I love it – everyone knows that. I hope it continues to love us. 

So that’s the latest. I will stay in touch. Take care, thanks for reading along – and stay safe. Here are a few pics from the past week or so.

Love,

Marla, Rich and Roxy

Z3 Cross Country

Nights 2 and 3. My parents’ simple menorah from Israel – many, many years old.

Rich’s best bud.

Rosemary Square, WPB.

Sunday Funday.

Dreidels on an RV!

Creativity at its finest.

Living their best life.

Out with Ron and Meryl – who took the pic.

Rich’s potato frittata. Mmmmmmmm

“Sunshine, on my shoulders, makes me happy…”

Good morning, friends and fam! John Denver’s “Sunshine” is a perfect title for this entry. A week of beautiful Florida sunshine, healthy eating, outdoor living and friends’ reunion has left us feeling very lucky, very good and quite happy – but it certainly is not the stuff of which great blogs are made! However, I will catch you up on our doings, the last trivia answer, a new trivia question, and the like.

We are very happy here at “West Palm Beach /Lion Country Safari KOA Journey” – our park’s official name. It’s beautiful and super clean – and super quiet. In fact, the only noise – other than the animal sounds that can be heard from the safari – are the barking dogs. And, of those barking dogs, one of the loudest is definitely ours! Roxy loves it here, and has made friends (really!) but continues to bark like crazy when someone passes by. We’ve apologized repeatedly, and always have her on leash – but she’s loud. Doggie barking advice, anyone? We aren’t alone, of course – but I am most aware of her noise. I even got to apologize for her in SPANISH this week! 

We spent hours exploring the surrounding areas – West Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Delray. Everything is about 25 minutes away – literally everything. But, so far, the traffic has been light and the weather delicious – so the travel is not an issue at all. On Monday, we were in West Palm, Wednesday we were in Boynton Beach, Thursday we drove around Royal Palm and West Palm again, and Friday we were in Delray. We visited the Bank, Walmart, Publix, 7-11, Dunkin’ Donuts, Glick’s – all the hot spots!! We chased down several leads on properties for sale – and were not particularly happy with any. But, we continue our search. Rich has made contact with a number of realtors, and our emails ping regularly with places for sale. Believe me – when we find one, we’ll let you all know.

Wednesday was the highlight of the week, as we reunited with friends Mitch and Elaine. I have known Mitch since (I think) MY high school days in U.S.Y. He’s one of the nicest and most down to earth people ever. I have known Elaine since 1981, when I moved to Highland Park. So, it’s been awhile. They moved down to this area awhile ago, and snowbird on the regular. Their home is MAGNIFICENT. You know you have good friends when, after YEARS of not talking, the conversation comes so easy and the laughter is constant. Elaine is one of the funniest women I have ever met; I am in awe of her quick comebacks and hysterical takes on life. Years and years ago, I considered (for a hot second) going into stand-up comedy if I could have Elaine as my manager! We enjoyed a fun filled and delicious lunch out on their fantastic lanai. I really want my own “lanai”! Mitch and Elaine aren’t on social media at all, but, thanks again you guys!

Roxy stayed back “at the homestead” while we were gone – and she did quite well. We are trying to leave her alone a couple of times a week – for our sanity, and for her to get used to being without us for short periods of time. We leave the air conditioning on, plenty of water, and 2 t.v.’s for noise. And we time her meals to be right before we leave, and right after we return. It takes a lot of planning, but often yields good results.

I was able to Zoom my class on Tuesday, and the wifi held up pretty well. If there was a rating for our park, it receives a 4 out of 5 stars – and that missing star is for weak wifi. But we’re gonna survive (2022 world problems!). We were able to get to the pool this week also. It is beautiful and refreshing, and a quick walk away. More pool exercising and swimming are on the schedule in the coming days. The weather this week was very warm in the morning and afternoons, and cool enough for open windows and fans in the evening. That, in my world, is perfect. 

We have been eating with intention this vacation – and the scale has been nice to us. BUT, Thursday screamed “Ice Cream for Lunch”! A mere 10 minutes away from home, we found “Royal Palm Ice Cream”.  I ordered a small cup of “Mackinac Turtle Fudge”. Holy cow – it was delicious. And the small was perfect, along with a Lactaid pill chaser. Rich ordered a medium cup of both “Captain’s Chocolate” and “Peanut Butter Fudge”. To make things even better, there was a table for 2 right outside the shop – so we sat and enjoyed our deliciousness, and Roxy was able to lounge right next to us. We WILL return at least one time before we leave Florida. There’s a cup of “Elephant Ears” ice cream that I can hear calling my name. I am glad that it’s not really close by – it’s a dangerous destination, for sure.

Rich took Roxy to the Dog Park here – and Roxy made new friends with “Poppy” and “Darcy”. It’s so different when there are dogs with owners who actively watch them. On Thursday, we took her to a dog park inside Okeechobee Park ( a gorgeous park!). There were 4 or 5 big dogs there when we arrived. Chomping (literally) at the gate was a beautiful brown boxer puppy. Unfortunately, once we were inside the gate, he wanted to chomp on Roxy! The owner was on his phone – leaving us to referee the situation. The other dogs – German Shepherds, Labs, Huskies – were all playful and appropriate, but Roxy was scared sh*tless of this aggressive boxer. The owner finally looked up, and said, “Aw, she was only playin’”. That’s the same tag line that I faced a hundred times during my teaching career – as students beat the crap out of each other. They’d say, when reprimanded, “Aw, we was only playin’’. Riiiight. And so, we left the dog park sooner than desired. There’s just no choice when a dog is aggressive, and your dog is at risk. Listen, a couple of times we were at the dog park, and Roxy WAS just playing – but she was playing more aggressively than another dog wanted. So…we left. End of story. It’s all about reading the room, and being responsible. End of rant.

And, just in case you think we might be having TOO much fun, we saved Friday for food shopping, laundry, floor washing, changing the sheets and preparing food. Jealous??!!! In all reality, it’s just relaxing to be here and to be able to live life on the regular. We are binge watching “Firefly Lane” in the evenings – and have 2 episodes left to watch. There’s nothing better than watching a series and not being able to stop after just one episode. My only complaint about this series is the amount of time jumping. It does get confusing at times. On the other hand, it keeps me on my toes. As I alluded to before, there’s no cable, and the wifi is spotty. Sometimes, we begin an episode on the Roku – and have to finish watching it on my phone. But it’s all good. 

Our last trivia question was (I thought) a good one – but received only 2 answers. Phil G. was first, Lew S. second. The question asked for 3 television series where a character’s actor was replaced, with no recognition in the series about the replacement. My example was “Becky” on “Roseanne” (Sarah Chalke, Becky #2 stars on “Firefly Lane”). Phil answered first, and shared that “Darren” on “Bewitched”, “Aunt Viv” on “Fresh Prince” and “Supergirl’s Mother” on “Supergirl” were all replaced. I only knew about “Darren”. So, great job, Phil! Lew mentioned “Lois Lane” on the original “Superman” series, Pam Anderson’s character on “Home Improvement”, and the “Brady Bunch” replacement of “Jan”. However, Jan was replaced after the regular series was finished, and when the “Brady Bunch” went into a different incarnation. So, good job Lew! My 3 character changes (that I had in mind) were “Darren”, on Bewitched, “Chris” on “The Partridge Family”, and “Cousin Marilyn” on “The Munsters”. Rich adds “Catwoman” on “Batman” (twice!) and “Miss Ellie” on “Dallas”. And, mention must be made here of almost every character on every daytime soap opera – EVER. There are a ton of examples – these were our choices.

Today’s trivia question: There’s a famous, unique, one-of-a-kind Christmas tree that’s been on display every year, in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the past 11 years. What makes it unique? Answer in my next post. NO googling!

Plans on the agenda this coming week include a golf outing for Rich, a nail salon visit for me (woo-hoo!), a reunion (years in the making) at a new restaurant, a trip to the beach (some beach!), continued house hunting, and more. Today is a definite pool day – the fog burned off, and it is quite sunny and 75 degrees. So, thanks for reading – enjoy your Sunday – and we’ll be in touch!

A real nice picture in some random parking lot!

Deliciousness!

A snail on a tree – I’ve NEVER seen this before.

Beautiful landscaping at LCS KOA.

“Groovin’, on a Sunday afternoon, really, couldn’t get away too soon….”

Happy Sunday evening, y’all. I spent 25 years of my life staying up until ridiculous hours of the morning every Sunday/Monday, writing lesson plans, grading, and saving EVERYTHING until the last minute. It’s who I am. Well, this is a nice change of pace for a late Sunday night – blogging about the last few days. I definitely prefer this activity – just in case you were wondering.

So, being that we aren’t here to sightsee every day, there isn’t always interesting stuff to share. Hence, I will blog when there’s something funny to share – or when I can put a couple of days together. You know I will find something to write.

The trivia question from the last entry was answered correctly (and first) by our friend Sam. Mar-a-lago was named because the land goes from the “sea” – mar – the Atlantic Ocean, to the Intracoastal Waterway, which was FORMERLY Lake Worth – lago. Good job!

I thought I would share my official sleep results – because they directly relate to what a horrible person I can be in daylight hours. The night before we left – Sunday – no sleep. Monday – sleep. Tuesday – sleep. Wednesday – no sleep. Thursday – sleep. Friday – sleep with meds. Saturday – lots and lots of sleep. And now begins week two of my on again-of again insomnia. I’m not a fan – I can tell you that for sure.

For those of you who read my Facebook posts, you may remember that on Friday morning we had a surprise visitor at our front door. My old Clifton friend, Rob D., literally said he was “just passing through” the area, and decided to officially welcome us to Florida. It was quite a shock – of the nicest kind. We sat and talked and laughed and reminisced. Rob caught me up on some of our former classmates and Cliftonites who have moved down in this area. We have known each other since middle school – that’s like 1971ish. Holy cow. I am grateful to have long time friends like Rob. Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, Clifton High School, Clifton Jewish Center, Clifton USY, Rutgers University…..and we’re both still standing. Rob – thank you again. The rugelach were delicious, by the way. And we will work on cracking open the coconuts this week!!! If you read this, give me a holler and let me know that you arrived at your destination safely. Talk to you soon!!

We spent the rest of Friday and all of Saturday hanging around, enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather and the pretty surroundings. Our campground is very quiet, and the people always say hello when passing by. Roxy is quite comfortable – especially at night, in our bed. She has her own space, but definitely prefers ours. We are trying to give her time to acclimate to this new environment – and maybe sleep through the night in her own bed. But honestly, it’s not working out too well. Other than that, though, she’s been pretty good.

Today was an exploration day. We drove to Delray and Boynton, to try and get a feel of the area. Several friends have suggested several different areas in which to look to buy something, so we wanted to see some of the areas with our own eyes. We found a beautiful, spotless, empty park to have a picnic lunch, and use their immaculate bathrooms. The “Governor Lawton Chiles Memorial Park” in Delray Beach was a beautiful little oasis for us. To be honest, the entire area is so very green and pretty. I love the scenery – even just the basic city scenery.

We went to a couple of stores to pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables, and headed back to the RV. If you live in the area and we didn’t call or reach out, don’t be insulted. Today was just day 1 of seeing the area. We have plenty of time to visit and dive deeper into any available real estate.

When we arrived back at Lion Country Safari, there was a group sitting at the site next to ours – and they were all speaking French. We noticed they were from Quebec. And I couldn’t understand a word! I mean, where’s Bill the French teacher when you need him??!! I must share that, when they saw Rich and I struggling to move an awkward canopy from one side of our site to the other, they jumped up to help us. It was very neighborly, very nice, and it transended language barriers. Humanity DOES exist – I witnessed it myself this afternoon.

We ate dinner, made some tentative plans for the week, and sat down to watch season 2 of “Firefly Lane” on Netflix. I recommend the series – if you grew up in the 70’s, if you like Sarah Chalke (“Roseanne”) or Katherine Heigl (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “Knocked Up”, etc) – or if you like light, time hopping ‘dramedies’. It’s been a hot minute since we watched Season 1 (season 2 postponed by Covid and more) – so there were a couple of questions on past events. But we still enjoyed it. We are planning on watching this one slowly – and not binge-watching all in one night. Tonight we were able to control ourselves, and stop at Episode 1. Yay us! Oh – and we spoke to all 3 of our kids today – just touching base on the latest goings on – both good and not so much. Staying in touch is so important for us. It’s fabulous to be able to be here. But our thoughts and hearts are never far from our family.

Tonight’s trivia question: Sarah Chalke was brought onto “Roseanne” to be the new “Becky” – with no explanation ever given as to the disappearance of the actress who previously played Becky. For tonight’s trivia, name at least THREE other television series that replaced main characters with a different actor or actress, and just carried on as if all was status quo. Hint: there are LOTS of examples. I just want 3.

Here are a few pictures from the past 3 or 4 days. Catch ya soon!

Marla, Rich and Roxy

Z3 Cross Country

50+ years of friendship.

Our daily view while drinking coffee.

Roxy in the rear view mirror.

The Park.

A beautiful fountain in the middle of a shopping center.

Beginning our day.

“Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!”

We are finally at our December/January destination. We are staying in the very pretty Lion Country Safari KOA (Kampgrounds of America) in West Palm Beach/Loxahatchee. And yes, it IS next to Lion Country Safari. And no, we are not camping with the lions! We are camping (supposedly) within earshot of the lions. I promise – I will let you know.

This will be a very short post; I did not sleep last night. (New? Not.) I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after 4 a.m.; Roxy was up at 5:30. I slept on and off this morning, between 4 and 8 – but nowhere near the sleep I needed. And so, this morning, I was….a mess. We packed up and left Rockledge, and headed south. Roxy has had it – she reached her limit on travel. So I am happy that we are done for awhile.

I asked/demanded Rich to stop for a caffeine laden drink and snack – it was absolutely necessary. After said snack, we were on our way. My very close friend (my sister from another Mister) is generously lending us her car – making our stay and our house hunting SO much easier. We are very appreciative.

The campground is w-i-d-e open. The sites are quite large, and the motor homes are not squeezed in like they were last night. Rich worked hard to set us up outside, and I started to organize the disarray that has developed inside. The weather was sunny, breezy and in the 70’s. How fabulous.

Other than a quick trip to Publix to pick up a few things for the weekend, we have NO PLANS to go anywhere until at least Sunday. This KOA has a pool – and we will be making ourselves regulars there. We also brought our bikes with us, and intend on using them as well. Exercise, healthy eating, abode-hunting and catching up with friends are all on the agenda. We are going to relax and enjoy ourselves – even if it drives us crazy!!

Yesterday’s trivia question was answered almost immediately – and correctly – by our friend Lisa. Roxy has been in 14 states since becoming a Zirin: 1. Pennsylvania 2. New Jersey 3. New York 4. Connecticut 5. Massachusetts 6. Rhode Island 7. Maine 8. Delaware 9. Maryland 10. Virginia 11. North Carolina 12. South Carolina 13. Georgia and, 14. Florida. She’s a well traveled dog!

Today’s trivia concerns a very famous nearby landmark. Mar-a-Lago is less than a half hour from our RV door. Mar-a-Lago, in Spanish, means “sea to lake”. Here’s my question: WHY is it called ‘Mar-a-Lago’? No googling! Tell me what you think.

We have internet at this campground – but it currently is unavailable. Not sure I will even be able to post this. And forget about uploading pictures – no can do. Not sure I will post tomorrow – but if not tomorrow, then I will be back in touch Saturday evening. Have a super day – it’s Friday after all!

Thanks for reading,

Marla, Rich and Roxy

Z3 Cross Country