Hello. Yes, this title was an actual song, made famous by the Bay City Rollers in 1976. Now that would have been a great trivia question! So I promised I would finish with one last post for this trip. It’s late – as usual – but it’s here!
Wednesday morning we were up at 6:45, getting everything in place for the ride home. It’s the same as closing a vacation house up for the season – remove all linens, all food, all clothes, all household items…you know – everything. As I was begrudgingly getting things together inside, Rich was outside, dealing with frozen pipes, tanks, hoses, fingers and toes. We followed the diections of the camp, so nothing broke. Still, disconnecting was a process.
We stopped only twice on the way home – once at a sub par Dunkin’ Donuts, and once when we hit New Jersey. We got home around 12:30. That was just about our target. We unloaded so much, so fast – and stopped at the house long enough to hit the bathroom and give Roxy lunch. We then dropped the RV off to be winterized. This action required me to drive my car behind the RV. My gear shifter was frozen – giving me a few anxious moments. But, alls well that ended well. The RV was winterized; we returned Thursday to retrieve it. Rich drove it up to its parking spot – and on the way home picked up food to fill Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. It felt great to sleep in our spacious bedroom, in a full sized queen bed, withOUT a dog. We were VERY firm with Roxy from the minute she tried to spend the night with us. She got the message, and went to “Roxy’s room”. Thank goodness!
I do hope you got to see the video of Roxy’s first moments re-entering the Zirin Retirement Compound in Jersey. It was impressive. I’m surprised she didn’t spin herself into the foundation! The video was sheer joy. Neither Rich nor I reacted the same way as the dog – but, ya know. When Mikaela came to visit a few hours later, she again was filled with joy. I’m including 1 or 2 pictures of that moment below.
The trivia question was answered correctly – first by our friend Sharon, second by our friend Joanne. Eddie Murphy told the Golden Globe audience to always remember to : pay your taxes, mind your business, and (I’m editing here) keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your…mouth. It was funny.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading along on this very different kind of adventure. We are hoping to get back out on the road later in 2023, if all is right in the world. We will let you know, for sure. Stay healthy, stay safe, be happy.
We’re sitting here, freezing, in cold Fredericksburg, Virginia. We’re blasting the heat, wearing double layers, sitting in our “little tin box”, watching the Golden Globes (great awards, horrible, ignorant host). It is, sadly, night number 44, and the last night on the road for quite awhile. This has been quite an adventure! It was unlike any other RV trip – but hey, what’s life without new adventures? Tomorrow we will, hopefully, reach home by noon. It’s going to be a challenge to get up and out very early – I haven’t done that since November 28th, when we left home! That night my sleep time was measured in minutes, not hours. Tonight really should be better.
Rich drove us today from Lumberton, North Carolina to Fredericksburg. The drive took us 4 and a half hours, plus 2 stops for gas, and a stop to stretch and eat lunch. And so, once again, we were driving most of the day. Roxy seems to need to stay closer and closer to us. I think she is anxious with yet another long drive. But, we are pretty sure she will jump for joy – literally – when she sees our couch and living room rug – her favorite indoor place on earth.
I spent a good deal of time on the phone today, while we were traveling, inquiring as to the necessary evils of setting up utilities in Florida. I was able to accomplish one or two tasks. The others will have to wait a few weeks. It takes that long for us to become “official”. Just so you know, the money transferred immediately! Our names won’t transfer for days. Why am I not surprise? Oh well, I tried my best.
A quick word about the trivia question from yesterday – EVERYONE who answered was correct! I believe Lisa was first, but Abby, Robin, Maureen, Lew and anyone else correctly stated that invasive insects carried across state lines can cause havoc in nature. So remember that, campers out there.
Today’s trivia will be the last trivia question; I will attempt to write one final post tomorrow evening. You know, I always say that, and I never keep my word. Usually, the reason is quite simple; I am passed out before I can even find the computer. But, I will once again attempt a final post tomorrow evening. Ok – last trivia question: As I said, we are watching the Golden Globes. The “Cecil B. DeMille Award” is presented this year to Eddie Murphy. In his thank you speech, he said there’s a blueprint to success, for all up and coming actors. The blueprint says to do 3 things: 1. Pay your taxes, 2. Mind your business, 3. And – Never mention someone’s name. What is that name? Do you think I’m stretching??? – You know I am!
We did not take any pictures today. But, since it’s even colder outside tonight than last night, I will post one from last night. You’ll get the idea. To illustrate the cold, Rich just came in from disconnecting the water hose from the water source. Apparently, when temperatures dip below 32 degrees, water hoses must be disconnected, or they might burst, and break the pipe of the water source. That is, of course, unless you have a heated hose. Which, I didn’t know was a thing. It actually sounds dirty. And, having only camped in May, June, July, August or September, we never had a need for a heated hose. Ya learn something new every day.
Have a great Wednesday. Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love,
Marla, Rich and Roxy
Z3 Cross Country
Rich threw those pants in the garbage right after this picture was taken. He may have been encouraged to do so. Is Roxy disgusted by the cold, the dark – or Rich’s pants? No one will ever know.
Dora the Explorer is excited for us, I’m sure! If you have been following along, we have a Floridian Condo – signed, sealed and delivered. We are super excited – and as surprised as most of you. It seems that it was just “beshert” – just meant to be. We are grateful to friends and family who are very supportive, grateful to a realtor who was completely in sync with our needs and abilities, and above all, grateful to G-d for literally everything. We are looking forward to “setting up house” – AGAIN! – and getting to spend time with old and new friends in the area.
Having started with that lead, we are SUPER cold and disgusted at the weather we are currently experiencing. Sitting here in Lumberton, North Carolina, in long sleeves, sweatshirts and sweatpants is NOT wonderful! I always thought that going quickly from one extreme climate to another is a shock to the body, especially when one goes from warm to freezing. I guess we are glad that it’s not snowing. And, in the “glass half full” category, Rich did create a beautiful fire in the stone-enclosed fire pit tonight. I was almost too cold to enjoy it!
We left the campground in Saint Augustine at 9 a.m. – a very good time. We drove directly to 2 MAJOR tourist attractions – Wells Fargo Bank, and Dunkin’ Donuts! Seriously, we had banking to do, and caffeine to ingest. I am intrigued by the city – but this just was not the trip to explore the sights. The remaining daylight hours – 10:15 to 5:15 – were spent on the road. We stopped for a couple of stretches and Roxy walks, but that was about it. And today, unlike most days, I didn’t fall asleep once. Yeah, I’m pretty proud. Rich has driven every single RV mile since the beginning of time – and I stayed awake today. Goals, people.
Other than more cruddy drivers on the road, today was uneventful. It was our longest drive of the return trip, but not by much. In fact, when planning this excursion, Rich suggested that we make this our last stop, and just head home tomorrow. I disagreed, and got my way. I was just afraid that if we ran into weather problems, we should give ourselves a stop midway between southern North Carolina, and Central Jersey. So one more stop tomorrow night, and then we’ll be home.
Yesterday’s trivia question was answered, quite amazingly, by our friend Kira B. This is her second trivia win on this trip – great job! Rich rewrote the lyrics to “You’re My Home” in 1994, when he asked me to marry him – in front of his entire family. It was a pretty special song to us already – and now it has even more meaning.
Trivia question for tonight – from Rich (cause I’m out!): Why can’t firewood be transported across state lines? I mean, that’s what we are told, repeatedly, on every trip. But why – I will share the answer tomorrow.
Okay, time to go. I have to bake 4 rolls that are the only uncooked food left in the freezer. I have to start packing all the medications and toiletries that aren’t going to be used for the rest of the trip. And, tomorrow night, we have to pack up all the food left in the pantry (which is so much!), and pack the fridge food back in the cooler, and defrost the fridge. Yep, I LOVE coming home!
Enjoy the pictures of cold weather clothes, cold weather campfires, cold weather dog sweaters – and a very cold, but very cool full moon picture. Catch you tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Marla, Rich and Roxy
Z3 Cross Country
The moon through the trees.Such a nice fire.These have been stored in a cooler since November 30th!Too cold – even for the dogs.
Hey there, everyone. So, funny story: On Friday afternoon, I spent quite a bit of time blogging. And it was a great post – it even made me smile. And then, somewhere between “save” and “preview” – three quarters of it disappeared. This has happened before – and I never learn. I have to compose my posts on a google doc – which always saves – and then copy and paste into the wordpress site. So, here’s what I’m going to do – I am starting with Friday’s thoughts – and then I will finish and bring us up to date.
Breaking news! Breaking news! It DOES appear that we are Floridian Condo Owners! The approval came through Friday morning. We are very relieved. The closing will be electronic, whenever that happens, and sometime soon…we will be back. You will all know when that is – as that’s when I will start complaining! But, for right now, we are super happy and relieved. As my friend Melissa said, “Goals met!” And she is correct.
The song title above is great for this breaking news – as “You’re My Home” fits us perfectly.
This post’s trivia question (which almost no one will get!) – WHY is this song EXTRA special for Rich and I? Hint – it has nothing to do with the new condo. Answer in our next post.
The answer to the last question – Dolly Parton is Miley Cyrus’ godmother – was answered correctly by Marsha, Lisa, Phil and Andrea. BUT, Marsha answered first – by 32 minutes! Great job!
Ok – let’s discuss our last full week at the KOA. Tuesday morning, I attended a water aerobics class. The instructor is a tough cookie! This class was far more intense than my summer class. No worries – I was a superstar. The woman next to me had to quit early…I think the 4 hours of drinking and the gummies from the night before MIGHT have had something to do with it! Rich and I are such boring campers compared to some! Right after my class, I had a Zoom Meeting with my health guru. I didn’t gain any weight this past week – a complete miracle. Maybe the Floridian sun melts the fat off before it can stick….who knows? Later that day, I went to visit a family friend – who has been in our lives since approximately 1967. Mrs. L’s son and my brother went to the same nursery school. The first day, the 2 boys were screaming and crying at the door, while my Mom and Mrs. L. tried desperately to sneak away! If I remember correctly, the boys might have locked themselves in the closet as well! And thus, a friendship was born! Mrs. L’s first name is Shirley – like my Mom. The two Shirleys were great friends. My Tuesday afternoon with Mrs. L. was fabulous; 93 years old, looking so beautiful, and sharing stories with me, recalling good memories. I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to visit. My Mom was looking down and smiling – I just knew it.
Tuesday evening, I went out for a manicure – thereby ending the “Day of Me”! I don’t usually take an entire day for myself (I mean, it’s not like I play GOLF or anything!) – so this was a nice treat. And, of course, being fair, I wanted Rich to have some time to himself. So, I sent him to Publix for some “me” time! No, really – he loves Publix!
We were up bright and early Wednesday, and headed over to our friends Mitch and Elaine. Mitch and Rich played pickleball while Elaine and I schmoozed at their home. This game was pickleball doubles – and Rich had to tone down his play. Being so new to the game, he kept breaking the rules – and you can be sure they told him so! But he had great fun. Elaine fixed us an omelet breakfast – it was a fabulous morning.
We wanted to get Roxy out in the afternoon, so we went back to Wellington Dog Park. Once again, we had a fabulous time talking to the other dog owners. And Roxy – she ran for miles! The park is massive, and dogs can play and never run out of places to explore. They ran, they climbed, they dug – sheer joy. We ended the evening with a steak on the grill – a great day.
Thursday was the last water aerobics class. I definitely felt strong for this class. I was hydrated, I was prepared, and I was used to the rhythm of the class. I am looking forward to future water aerobics classes in both Florida and Jersey – they are such a great workout.
Do you know the definition of a great day? A great day is when you change out of a wet bathing suit – into a dry one! We went back to Jupiter Dog Beach in the afternoon. It was so worth the drive. And we tried an experiment this time – we took Roxy off leash on the beach. She was really very good. We do not have any kind of a fenced- in yard, so we don’t take her off leash unless we are in the house or in a dog park. There were many dogs off leash at the beach, so we gave it a try. She did run to explore – and maybe jump on a beach blanket or two! – but she came back. We will try it again next time.
After we came off the beach, and washed off the sand, we decided to drive way out of our way to pick up some needed groceries. As our days are winding down, we have to get what we need, when we can. All in all, a day driving in Florida when it’s sunny and in the 70’s is not a bad way to pass the time. We spent the rest of the night just shaking the sand out of everything.
Friday was a day of cleaning, errands, and putting things away. We “broke down” the outside of the RV, and packed everything back up. It was a drop too chilly to go swimming, so we just sat out in the sun. We did the same on Saturday – our last day of rest for this trip. As I was sitting there, I tried to commit to memory how beautiful and warm it felt. I need that feeling to last as I put on long sleeves and sweat pants for Jersey. On Friday, a whole new ‘crop’ of campers arrived at the campground, and they were V-E-R-Y interesting, to say the least! It’s always entertaining, for sure.
Saturday night, we drove down to our friend Janet, and the 4 of us (Roxy included) went for a bite to eat at the Delray Marketplace. This is an outdoor mall that was hopping with people! Janet took us to a restaurant with outdoor seating – and it was just perfect. The food was delicious, the company and conversation was excellent – and the dog was on her best behavior! Janet will be 9 minutes away from us when we are in our condo – not too shabby! It was a great Saturday night.
And, all that brings us to today. We packed up and bid a sad goodbye to the KOA at Lion Country Safari. We had a delicious brunch with Pam and Ron at Eggs-cetera Cafe, and handed the car keys back to them. Having that car was a game changer, and a life saver. We headed back up I-95 North, and after a few stops, we reached St. Augustine around 5 p.m. There is really not much to share during these next few stops; we are concentrating on reaching Jersey by early Wednesday afternoon. I think exploring St. Augustine will have to wait for another time; we just don’t have the time or the energy at this point.
In any case, now you are caught up to the present. We didn’t win the Mega Millions lottery – just updating you. Also, we have some friends and family back home who are under the weather – please send some good thoughts and energy that way. I don’t have a ton of pictures from the recent days – but I will try to leave a couple.
We’ll be in touch –
Marla, Rich and Roxy
Z3 Cross Country
Roxy – 1, Coconut – 0.THIS is why Rich takes selfies. Blech.Jupiter Beach. So pretty. Filtered sun – a great afternoon.So fantastic spending time with you, Mrs. L.
Let’s begin with wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023 for all. I just wanted to catch up on our activities since Friday. It is quite remarkable that we are spending the beginning of January in such amazing weather.
Friday evening and Saturday were spent in some quiet downtime. Rich washed the RV (to each his own) and then went to the pool. I read and relaxed. Hearing the amount of kids at the pool – I passed this time. We drove over to Pam and Ron’s for a delish Chinese food NYE dinner with Ilana and Howard. The laughs were many; the conversation was as good as the food. We left around 10, as I hate being on the road too close to midnight on NYE. Back at the campground it was quite peaceful and thankfully, fireworks were few and far between. Rich and I toasted the new year with Bartenura in paper cups, and “doce uvas a medianoche”. We had our traditional 12 grapes – 1 for wishes of good luck in each of the coming 12 months. By the way, that was the answer to the last trivia question. My long time friend Sarah answered quickly. Unfortunately, long time friend Lew (but not as “long-time“as Sarah!) correctly mentioned the manner in which the grapes should be eaten – 1 at a time, all in the first minute of the new year. Full disclosure – Rich and I weren’t watching the clock when we ate the grapes. I hope the luck still works. And then, we stayed up for far too long watching meaningless television. There was no reason – we just didn’t get up to go to bed. I have far too many of those nights.
Sunday was gorgeous once again. We did some baking in the morning, and then I went to the pool. I took my new water resistance equipment with me. My aqua-cise friend Cindy was in the pool – and together with her and 2 other women, we worked out. It was exhausting, but there was no pain. Just as I was getting out of the pool, I started to feel “off”. I think I was a bit dehydrated and a bit sun-drenched. It took a hot minute (many, actually) for me to feel better. When I did, we headed back over to Pam’s for Foodfest ‘23 – which is the usual on New Years’ Day at their house. Fun conversation, good company and football rounded out a great afternoon. We drove home and walked around the grounds with Roxy, while everyone greeted each other with Happy New Year wishes. I spent the night in a marathon needlepoint session; Rich was watching TV. We are spending a great many nights just relaxing – because, why not.
If you follow me on Facebook, you already know the special kind of day Monday was. However, I will mention the high points here. We slept later than we wanted – so we got a later start than we wanted. Fortunately, it didn’t make a difference in our activities. We drove up to Jupiter – about 45 minutes away – and took Roxy to Jupiter Dog Beach. It was quite interesting: while we were several blocks away, Roxy, with her head out the window, started losing her mind. She had to have smelled the salt water, and knew what it meant. What other explanation is there? We have never been to Jupiter before. And what a beautiful beach! What fabulous dogs! If you need to see pure, natural joy, get yourself to a Dog Beach. I had no idea what fun it could be. Roxy loved it. The water was perfect, the sand not too hot – and the people were very nice. Roxy swam, ran, dug, rolled, jumped – she was living her best life. We found free parking across the street, and so the walk back to the car after about an hour was easy. She was so exhausted!
After the beach, we drove to visit my 96 year old cousin Maish. It was an exceptional visit. He was so sharp, and shared family stories with me. Some of the stories I knew, some I had hints of – but he knew them all. He talked with such love about my parents, and about his children and grandchildren – and great-grandchildren! We covered World War II, the Korean War, our families in the 60’s and 70’s – and modern day issues like Ukraine, politics, the recent snowstorm in New York – the conversation was endless. We spoke about our family’s history – and it was interesting to get the point of view of someone in their late 90’s. I was amused quite often as his view and mine were pretty in sync. I can’t explain how much gratitude I felt today.
We grabbed something to eat on the way home, and I don’t remember much else, because I literally passed out in the car. I continued my nap back in the RV, joined by Roxy. Rich went to relax at the pool – he had the majority of hard work today. Dinner was leftovers (yay!) – and here we are. We are trying to fit as much as possible into the next few days – they are jam packed!
Trivia for today – boy, I am really stretching on some of these! On NYE, Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton co-hosted one of the major network’s shows. What is the personal relationship between Dolly and Miley? I will give the answer in the next blog post – which will be sooner, rather than later. I am leaving you with NYE pics, Jupiter Beach pics, and a family reunion pic. Stay safe. Thanks for reading.
Love,
Marla, Rich and Roxy
Z3 Cross Country
A Boynton Beach kinda NYE.HNY!!!Jupiter Beach.Letting Roxy catch her breath.Trying desperately to avoid a sun migraine.The color of the sky and the water – ridiculously beautiful.My memorable reunion with Cousin Maish – 96 and a half. A blessing.
Z3 Cross Country 