RV'ing Domicile and Obamacare

Here we go

changing our domicile again

We began our full time RV lifestyle this past February leaving Georgia and heading straight to Texas to begin our first workamping job. One of the first things we had to deal with was changing our legal residence to Texas. That included changing our address to the Escapee's address in Livingston, new drivers license (which created all kinds of problems because the DMV doesn't understand RV'ing full time) and sense I still had my original SS card which states in tiny print across the bottom Not to be used for identification, I had to apply for a new card and wait two weeks to get it., state inspections for our truck and 5^th wheel (I guess the state really needed that extra $7.00). Which wasn't to bad, the bad part was having to hitch up and take our rig to be weighted and driving it through town to the inspection station. Next came registering our F-250 and 5^th. Wheel so we could get new license plates and don't forget switching vehicle insurance. Which of course all cost time and money. But Wait, There's more.

Obamacare, AKA  Affordable Health Care. We got lucky coming out the gate, we signed up with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and because we weren't going anywhere for eight months we signed up for an HMO. Which meant going to a local Dr. and not straying outside our network area. The plus side was all our maintenance prescriptions were 100% covered.

And now the rest of the story

We're currently in Florida visiting family and taking some time off before heading to North Carolina for our next gig. I went to get my prescription filled the other day and found out in addition to seeing a doctor you must be in network to fill a prescription. My fault, I guess I didn't read the really fine print. So my $10.00 meds just cost me $64.00 although BCBS will reimburse me 50% after filling out some forms and waiting who knows how long to get my money back.

We found out no insurance company in Texas is writing any policy for 2016 with coverage outside of Texas. Remember I said we are going to N. Carolina in March. So the search has begun. I think we have found something that will work for us. The upside is its an EPO so we can get meds and see a doctor in network in N. Carolina. The downside is its Florida Blue which means we are moving our legal residence back to Florida. So the hassle begins again, Oh and the price is double what we were paying. But at least we can travel again.

Here's hoping we can locate all the documents we need to complete this quickly and easily.

UPDATE                                                                                      Well, a couple of weeks have past since I wrote the above words.  I can now say we are FLORIDIANS again. Drivers license have been obtained, titles transferred, plates for the truck and 5th. wheel just need to be put on the vehicles. And since we were former Florida residents we saved $225.00.  Even Maggie got all her shots updated and rabies shot also. 

We're still trying to figure out our health insurance, The above EPO policy we found out will not work for us in North Carolina so we went with a BCBS policy here in Florida until we can change our address once we get to N. Carolina. We're keeping our fingers crossed. 

Until next time.

Safe Travels, And I Hope To See You Down The Road.

986 Miles

Well we made it, actually we made it here five days ago. But with visiting mom and setting up our site and getting to know the campground its now almost a week later. We left Waller, Texas on Sunday November 1^st.and stopped at Pioneer Acadian Village Campground and RV Park Breaux Bridge,Louisiana. The second night we made it to Pelican Palms RV Park Milton,Florida. You can read my reviews of these two campgrounds at http://www.rvparkreviews.com.

By the time we would usually stop on Tuesday evening we found ourselves only about 80 miles from mom's house. So we kept going, of course sleeping on a regular bed will do that to a person. Wednesday by noon we were heading south on I-75 again with another 85 or so miles to get to our final destination. That destination was going to be home for the next 3 ½ months. And there it was a small brown sign signaling that we had made it to Sand Hill Scout Reservation in Brooksville, Florida.

1200 acres of natural Florida woods as our backyard. Yes it is nice, and quiet. There are ten 30 amp and water hookups under some trees and about 24 parking spots with 110 electric and water in the parking lot. The reason for all these sites is that each January Hernando Historical Museum Association and the North Pinellas County Scout Sertoma Club sponsors an reenactment of The Brooksville Raid, the event is one of the largest Civil War reenactments held in Florida.

One nice thing we found when we got here is that the Hernando and Pasco County Sheriff's Departments use the shooting sports range almost daily. What's not to like about feeling safe. Other than that we are the only ones here during the week except for the ranger of course that lives on site.

Unlike the campground we left in Texas where the nearest shopping of any kind was 30 miles away, here all we have to do is drive a couple of miles east or west out the gate and you can find anything you could want. In other words, if you can't find it here; than you don't need it. Its not that we are in the middle of suburbia, well I guess we are. But let me say this. The camp was here when state road 50 was just a little more than a paved road. Today its 6 lanes of traffic.

We are set up behind the administration building at the only 50 amp site on the property. We're pretty much in the center of camp and you can't hear any road noise at all. In closing here's the view from our steps. Not to shabby if you ask me.

Safe Travels, And I Hope To See You Down The Road.

Getting our Fix

Well we have completed our commitment at Lonestar Jellystone in Waller, Texas as of Saturday Oct. 31st. and are making our way to get our grand kid fix for a few months.  I won't make this a review of Yogi Bear's Jellystone just yet.  Make no mistake I DO  have some things I want to say about our experience while we were there the last eight months.  But this is not the time to do that.

I will say as we finished up our first workamping gig, this is a great lifestyle. Yes we both worked forty hours every week we were there but that was our choice.  Nobody made us do it.  We had a goal to make as much money as we could.  See I'm not retired yet so I still need to make a living. Don't get we wrong, workamping should never be done as a career. You'll never get rich. But under the right circumstances you can be comfortable.  

As far as our grand kid fix, we're spending the next few months volunteering at a Boy Scout camp to cover our campsite fees.  That way we can spend some time with all our girls and the rest of the family.  We also plan on going to the big RV show in Tampa.

Then on our way to the next workamping gig in The Smokey Mountains we'll stop in Atlanta so Barb can see her family.  That's right we are headed to Yogi in the Smokies for another eight months.  It just don't get no better than life in the Smokey Mtns.

T.T.F.N.

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Six months on the road and learning every day

Living and Learning

I can't believe we've been fulltime RV'ers for six months now. Seems like just yesterday we were making plans and trying to get rid of an entire house of stuff. We're still learning every day sometimes the hard way, sometimes by other workampers.

So here's my list of a few things Barb and I have learned in a short time. In no particular order.

#1 Southeast Texas in the summer is brutal. Get prepared. We've lived in Florida and

Georgia and believe me Nothing and I mean Nothing compares to Texas heat.

#2 Don't be cheap or think one A/C is going to be enough, Its Not. Don't believe me, see #1 above. When we ordered our 5^th. Wheel it came with one 15,000 btu a/c in the

living/kitchen/dining area and a 14inch ceiling exhaust fan in the bedroom. We broke

down in July and for about $1000.00 we had a 13,500 btu a/c installed in the

bedroom. SO much better.

#3 One refrigerator is not enough. If you're going to be fulltime RV'ers one refrigerator

is not going to cut it, unless you want to spend all your time shopping. We got rid of one of the recliners and bought a 10 cu. ft. house frig. Now we shop every two

weeks. And enjoy a lot more of our off time.

#4 Reflectix is a must have. Reflectix is bubble wrap between foil. I was amazed at the insulation value it added to our 5^th wheel. We cut it to fit most of our windows, only downside it does make the rv darker. At least I'm cool.

#5 Its true you do need a good supply of things to keep your rig going. Right up there at the top is an extra black hose. Not sure what a black hose is, goggle it. Its a must have. They can spring a leak at any time and its never at the best time.

#6 Storage space, or the lack of it. Seems there is never enough storage space especially in the kitchen. We solved that problem by getting an island cabinet with 2

doors and 2 drawers. Just shop around and always have your dimensions with you.

#7 Good outdoor chairs. Sometimes you get to relax and there's no better way than in a

zero gravity chair. We got ours at Cabala’s but their available just about anywhere

now. Just be careful you can and will fall asleep.

#8 200/2pm. I learned this before we took off but didn't heed this advice our first day,

Big mistake. Plan on driving only 200 miles or stop by 2pm. Driving long distance's

and long days make for a tough time. Driving 200 miles is plenty for any driver or

stopping by 2pm gives you time to set up your rig, have a nice dinner and relax before

hitting the road the next day refreshed.

So there you have it, just a few things we've learned since becoming fulltime workampers. Here's to the next six months wherever it might take us.

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

I've Paid My Money, So I'm Entitled

Just so there is no misunderstanding, I'm a workamper and currently working at a destination park. I'm not afraid of work, actually I enjoy it. So here's my question. Does anybody have any common courtesy or any sense of decency anymore. I can truly understand why children act the way they do. The parents don't or won't discipline them when they act wrong or do wrong. Why? Because the parents don't act any differently then the children.

I think I know some of the problem. Its somewhat expensive to stay here so people take the attitude “I've paid my money so we can do whatever we want to do”. Case in point, helping out at the pool 3 women came floating by on their tubes all with assorted beverages in their hands. Passing no less then 3 signs stating no beverages allowed within 4 ft. of the pool. When asked, politely I might add they needed to get rid of their drinks #1 threw hers in the trash, #2 tossed hers up on the deck for people to walk around and drain on the deck, and lastly Lady #3 wanted to argue and went looking for somebody higher up to complain to. The whole time she was arguing she was standing right next to the pool and continuing to drink. Seeing that the higher up wouldn't budge she finally threw it in the trash, I think she drank it all anyway. She went to sunbathe with the other two.

Or how about the RV'er that pack up to leave and thinks the fire pit is the trash can, although some will at least bag the trash and just leave it sitting there for us to throw away. Its not like they pass by the dumpster as they leave. How will the kids ever learn right from wrong when parents won't teach any manners.

I had to pack up the 5^th wheel and leave the park to have some work done today. People parked next to us had their golf cart and child's tricycle parked in front of my 5^th wheel. At 9:30 I had to get the park manager to move the cart so I could hook up and leave. Why? They were still sleeping, except their 3 year old who came out to watch us and to let us know to be quiet because her parents were still asleep. What's wrong with people?

I really don't know what to say, other than. This seems to be one of the reasons this country is going to hell. It's the Entitled Age. I've paid my money so get out of my way. You can clean up after I leave. Like I said I'm not afraid to work but come on people clean up after yourselves and teach your kids some manners.

It takes a Thief

I'm NO Alexander Mundy

When workamping be careful what the boss asks you to do. You could be joining a theft ring, and not even know it. Case in point. Wednesday afternoon my boss asked me to get the truck and go to the overflow parking lot and get the trailer so we could move some telephone poles that we had been using for seating at the old movie theater.

I grab the pick up truck and head out to the overflow parking lot. Over flow is where people park when they come out for the day to the water park and campers that have extra cars and trailers that can't be kept at your campsite. So out to overflow I go and there sits a red flat bed trailer with no license plate on it. Now keep in mind ITS the only trailer out there.

I back up to it (on the first try I might add) and off I go cruising through the park. I weave my way to the back side of the park to the now closed theater. As I round the last corner of campsites I see ahead of me Joe sitting on the front end loader with a telephone pole on it. Tyrone is standing there directing me where to park.

As I pull up Tyrone says to me “that's not our trailer”. Joe burst out laughing and says, “where's our trailer”? Tyrone said we moved it back by the carpentry shop. Joe, still laughing his backside off says to me “Who's trailer did you steal”? I of course yell back, I don't know, but I'll be right back.

I try to hurry back to over flow parking as quick as I can staying under 10 miles an hour. As I'm driving back I'm just waiting for some guy to jump out in front of me yelling where you going with my trailer? And of course not waiting for an answer from me he proceeds to beat me to a pulp before calling the police.

So bottom line... Make sure the boss knows where all of his equipment is before going to get it. Oh well, just another adventure in the life of a workamper.

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Love Bugs, June Bugs, and Three Weeks

Spring in Texas means a couple of different things. One is the return of the ever popular love bugs. Now I'm from Florida so I know a little something about love bugs. Its been over ten years since I've had to deal with them due to living in Georgia, but now here we are in east Texas and (insert picture of Jack Nicholson bursting through a door) “Their Back”. Yes I had forgotten how many of those little buggers there were no matter where you run.

I also now remember how tough they are to scrub off your windshield. No fun, that's for sure. At times you could look up and see nothing but a black swarm coming at you. Well not completely black, but you get the idea. The only good thing about love bugs is they only hang around for a little while. Thank goodness they are gone, at least for another year.

Now, a new experience for us has been the June Bug. I know its just now June. The bugs come in waves. First wave showed up mid April and were gone by the first of May. Everybody from around here or who has been here at least one full year kept telling me “you just wait, it's not even June yet” Oh boy, I don't believe I can wait. These stupid bugs are everywhere. Really I think somebody could easily make a horror movie about these guys.

These things get everywhere, and I mean everywhere. They fly and not in a straight line, kind of willy nilly all over the place. You can spend quite a bit of your day swatting them out of your hair or off your clothes. Pour some water on the ground and before long its covered in bugs. Look off in the distance and it looks like the ground is moving.

Luckily for the time being they’re not back yet. Again I can't wait. But I hear they will return. Whats the purpose of these things? Nobody seems to know, and I don't care as long as they leave ASAP.

And lastly Three weeks. Now I'm just venting so bear with me. Where I'm working this summer it seems we can't get anything finished. Either we need to order more materials or a special part or its raining so hard you can't see 5 feet in front of you. I've also been told it never rains in Texas, yea whatever. It seems whatever the problem is, the standard answer always seems to be, It will be here in Three Weeks. Maybe that's why nothing seems to be getting done. Just Sayin.

Sorry no pictures. If you want to see what they look like, Goggle is your friend.  I've seen enough for my lifetime. 

Be Safe Out There And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Washington on the Brazos

This past Thursday we took a little road trip to where it all began for the state of Texas. Just about 35 miles north of Waller is a Historic site called Washington on the Brazos. The place where Texas signed their Declaration of Independence from Mexico.

In March of 1836 Texans met in an unfinished building to declare independence. 2 weeks later they adopted a constitution for the new Republic of Texas. Sadly nearly twenty years later the town was completely abandoned.

Independence Hall

The historic site today has an education center, museum, visitor center and replica of the unfinished building where the documents were signed called independence hall. There is also a nice walking tour with sign boards giving information about the town of Washington and the people who settled there.

Also on property is the working farm of Dr. Anson Jones, the last president of the 
Republic of Texas. His home was typical of many homes of that era having a dog walk between the two halves of the home. Dr. Jones named his home Barrington after his native town in Massachusetts.

Smoke House

Kitchen

Anson Jones family included his wife Mary, daughter Sarah, and three sons, Samuel, Charles, and Cromwell, Mary's four half sisters and the slaves. There are costumed interpreters to answer any and all questions about life of that time and about how the farm operated.

Barn

Slave Houses

Oxen

slaves quarters

inside the slave's quarters

There is a cost to tour the farm of $5.00 per person and $5.00 for the museum, or $9.00 for both. No cost to enter the park or take the walking tour of the town. A nice way to spend an afternoon and very informational. I highly recommend the Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site. Its just about 8 miles west of Navasota off highway 105 on FM 1155. You can download an app “Texas 1836” to your smart phone for a virtual tour of Washington in 1836. Visit www.wheretexasbecametexas.org or visit texasstateparks.org     

WORKAMPING

Workamping, an odd word. It's actually the combination of two words working and camping. Something a lot of full time RV'ers known about already. What some seem to forget is the work part. The way workamping works is you agree to help out at a campground by working in their store, doing maintenance, or any number of other NOT very strenuous or stressful jobs.

In exchange you get a combination of benefits. Like, full hook ups, free or discounted propane and laundry, sometimes even a small salary. Some places will only give you a free site but the amount of hours you work will be greatly reduced, giving you plenty of time to explore the area or just relax.

At our current workamping gig nobody expects you to work hard. Even the general manager has said several times you need to slow down. When it takes over two months to complete 1 project that should have taken maybe two weeks at most, and no we're still not done. I have to say Can we pick up the pace a little.

Now granted this is our first workamping job ever, we just started on March 1^st. Still too much of the real world job ethic left in me I guess. But come on we're not snails we can move a little faster. Don't get me wrong I'm all for taking it easy, that's one of the reasons we joined this fulltime RV lifestyle. But come on, let's get something done.

I know I'm going to meet a lot of different kinds of people out here. Some you will get along with others not so much. Everybody here is an adult, so why not act like one. You signed up for the job, you agreed to the pay and benefits. Now its time to do your share.

I know some people are going to give me a hard time and say things like, why don't you just do your job and stop whining or maybe everybody is doing what they can. That's fine. Say your piece, I have. It won't bother me one bit. I just think some folks that sign up for this don't understand the work part of it. Maybe they will learn maybe not.

Just saying

Safe Travels And I Hope To See You Down The Road

Blue Bell

So once we found out the home for Blue Bell ice cream was just a short 30 minute drive west of here on Hwy 290 I felt we were obligated to hop in the truck and take the tour. We drove to Brenham, Texas on our day off for a little site seeing. The building is very nondescript with only Blue Bell posted across the top.

Signs outside lead us to the tour entrance, inside the lobby where you pay $6.00 to take the tour is the history of Blue Bell in pictures. Pretty interesting. Just an FYI, no cameras are allowed on the tour. Every 15 minutes a new tour begins. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. She answered everybody's questions along the way.

It was interesting to see almost the entire operation automated, with humans there to do the most minimal of tasks. Like turning a box over after the machine fills it with 6 cartoons. The ice cream sandwich station moved along at quite a clip. The lady there only had to load the machine with cake slabs. Within seconds a completely wrapped ice cream sandwich zipped down the line to be boxed by another machine.

As the tour came to an end we all knew what was coming, a free scoop of ice cream.  We entered an old fashioned ice cream parlor and were treated to sixteen

different kinds of ice cream to choose from. Also part of the parlor was a gift shop with everything under the sun with Blue Bell stamped on it.  A little to much for me.  All in all, it was a very interesting tour and some really good ice cream,  I would recommend it to anybody who finds themselves in east Texas with about an hour on your hands. 

Froggy

Since I'm in charge of the putt putt course here at Yogi Bear Jellystone Park. It was no big surprise to get a call on my radio to go to the first hole on the course to handle a problem. As I drove up I was greeted by four little kids and a teenager from the rental office.

As I was asking what's going on I noticed the maintenance supervisor standing about 30 yards away just laughing his butt off. I instantly knew I was in trouble since practical jokes are away of life with some of these guys, Myself included. I soon found out I had a serious situation on my hands, at least in the minds of the kids.

Seems a frog got down under the hole and got stuck trying to get out again. It was half out and half in. What to do? The kids were making all kinds of suggestions on how to remove the frog. All I could think of, Why me? After a few minutes of thought, and I mean a very few minutes. Come on its a frog. We pulled, no good. We poured water on it hoping the frog could wiggle its way out some how.

I finally convinced the kids if we just leave the frog alone and let him relax maybe he would be able to wiggle himself out. I told the kids everybody gets a Hole-in-One on this hole and move on to the next hole and I would check on froggy in the morning. After convincing the kids that caution tape around the hole was not needed. I did leave the flag laying across the tee area.

Well all's well that ends well. Saturday morning as we set up the course for the day we found Froggy wasn't there anymore. Thank Goodness. Thankfully the rest of the day was uneventful except for all the calls for animal control. Not Funny, Guys. 



Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road

Texas Barbecue Part II

I was told the best barbecue joints will be found in gas stations. I was a little skeptical about this to say the least, but willing to give it a try. Some of the local guys that work here at Lonestar Jellystone Park told me to try Waller County Line BBQ. Its located at the intersection of US 290 and FM 362. That's right, in a gas station.

We got there about 1:15 in the afternoon and the place was packed. We walked in and saw a very long line that we of course got in. A large area beyond the line was the dining area packed in between the beer coolers and the bakery area. The menu was on a letter board above the deli area where you placed your order.

You then inched your way to the register counter where you could buy candy, cigarettes, pay for your order and pay for gas. All this took about 15 minutes. We made our way to a table, popped the top off of the Styrofoam container and was amazed how large our sliced beef sandwiches were. Barb decided right off a fork was needed, I felt the only way to eat this monster was pick it up and just go for it. Here's a tip. Every table has a whole roll of paper towels on it. You will need them. Trust me on this.

Outside to the side of the building is where the magic happens. Wood is stacked up and the smell is unbelievable. Two guys smoking all kinds of meat were hard at work keeping the deli counter stocked and two ladies inside filling orders just as fast as they were able.

Our sandwiches were hot and juicy, the meat was tender with a nice smoke flavor. the over sized bun was fresh.  Bottom Line on Waller County Line BBQ.  If you leave hungry, It's your own fault.  

I know this is only the second BBQ joint we've been to so far, but even Barb agrees Waller County Line BBQ was the best of the two. We will continue our search for great barbecue places as we get to travel a little while in Texas this summer.

Safe Travels and I Hope To See You Down The Road

Things we've learned in our first month

First of all, I'd never pulled a 5^th. Wheel before picking up our Sprinter at the end of February. We left the dealer and pulled straight to a campground to try and figure out how everything was going to work. Looking back I should have found a large and I mean really large empty parking lot so I could practice turning, backing, braking, did I mention backing, yes backing is a BIG part of towing. There's a comfort level you need to obtain in order to move down the highway.

After two days we hit the road. I had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel the entire day because I wasn't confident in what I was doing. That makes for a very tense day. After a couple of days on the road I felt better about how the truck and 5^th. Wheel would handle as we got passed by big rigs, winds, and bridges.

Back to our first day on the road, we drove 350 miles before stopping for the night. After that I instituted a new driving policy. We call it the 2/2 rule, stop driving by 2PM or after driving 200 miles. It works so much better. You have plenty of daylight left to set up and relax. Getting up the next day refreshed ready for the road.

                                                                         

Always ask for discounts when checking in at the campground. We joined Good Sam Club before leaving at a cost of $25.00. We stayed a total of 7 nights on our way to our first workamping job and saved the cost of the membership in those 7 nights.

One thing we didn't try out our first 2 nights in Georgia was the oven. Since we didn't have to pay for electric we bought a 2 burner electric hot plate to save on propane. The only problem was we had the plastic sink cover under the hot plate sitting on the stove. The heat from the oven melted the sink cover just enough to bend it out of shape. Oh well, Live and Learn. Turns out we now get our propane free since I'm in charge of landscaping now.

This last one I've read about so many times I can't even put a number to it. Gunk and you know what I mean gets stuck to your black tank senors so you never really know how full your black tank is. But you'll learn how many days you can go before its time to empty the tank.

These are just a few things we've learned so far. I'm sure their will be many many lessons learned as we head down the highway.

Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road

What it takes to get set up in this lifestyle or at least us

Now before anybody says anything like, It didn't take much for us or That's all it took you. I know getting started as fulltime RV'ers will be different for everybody. We started from scratch. Barb and I hit the road with what we kept from our house and the little starter bucket from the dealer.

Let me say first off the cheap little 10 foot sewer hose they supply you with is totally worthless. So go out and buy a good quality sewer hose and while you’re at it get a hose support to raise the hose off the ground. A quality water hose is also a must have, and don't forget a water pressure regulator so you don't blow out your water lines.

We invested in a Progressive Industries surge controller, it monitors everything at the power pedestal and shuts down power to our RV if something goes wrong. Somewhat pricy but good insurance and piece of mind. Anything with wheels will rock side to side and front to back so we purchased a 5^th wheel tripod and stabilizers for the large slide out.

Storage will always be an issue in any RV so learn to deal with it. One item we bought was an expansion pole with 3 adjustable storage trays for the bathroom. Decorative baskets will also be a big help to store and organize a lot of stuff.

Now for comfort, we got 2 zero gravity chairs, a nice big mat to go under the awning and a small gas grill. We already had a couple of folding end tables to hold a refreshing beverage while listening to some music or grilling out. And now here's the big tip of the day. COMMAND HOOKS are your friend. Nails and picture hangers are not going to work in most RV's (at least not the ones we looked at). Walls are to thin for pop rivets and the ever popular Command Hooks work well. Just be sure to follow the instructions and use the correct weight hooks for what you are hanging.

I know there are still a lot of things I want to get for the RV and things to make our lives easier. But I've been cut off for now so I'll have to add these things to my wish list for a later date. Bottom Line is only you can determine what is important to get first and what you can wait on. Just a little hint here, you will need water and a way to dispose of your waste. So keep that in mind when you go shopping to outfit your RV.

Be Safe and I Hope to See You Down The Road. 

Texas means Barbecue

Texas means Barbecue

We're sitting here in Texas waiting for our workamping job to begin the first of March. Not much going on just settling into our new 5^th. Wheel. That in itself is a fulltime job. Anyway, I got up this morning and while having my coffee I thought Hey we're in Texas, we need to have some BBQ.

So I get online and start searching for BBQ places here in Tomball, TX. After reading reviews I decide we will try out The Original Rib Tickler. No its not a comedy club, its a little place that holds maybe 50 people at a time. I know it was only the first place we went to so far but It had the best BBQ I have ever had. I think they could smoke a roll of paper towels and it would be tasty, not to mention finger licking awesome.

They had smoked beef, sausage, chicken, and pulled pork. I think they would smoke about any meat there is. Barb had a pulled pork sandwich on a bun bigger than my out stretched hand. It had to have had a quarter lb. of pork on it and some potato salad. I on the other hand had the beef brisket dinner. This consisted of a plate full of beef thinly sliced and smothered in a tangy sauce. I don't believe you can order BBQ without having a side of baked beans. They were just as good as the beef, and as anybody that knows me knows if they have mac-n-cheese. I'm going to have some. It was fantastic along with everything else.

AT the end of the serving line was a stack of napkins that were very much needed along with a big basket of the ever popular Wet Naps. Needless to say the Rib Tickler was the first of many (I hope) BBQ places we will be trying while we're here in Texas. As we stumble on to other barbecue joints I'll be sure to let you know about them. The Original Rib Tickler is located at 28930 St. Rd. 249 in Tomball, TX.

3 Days on the Road

3 Days on the Road

Well we did it. We left Woodstock, Georgia on Thursday the 19^th. And haven't looked back. Our first 2 nights we stayed in a campground not far from the dealer just in case. The first problem we had was the water hose froze, luckily we had the dealer fill the fresh water tank before we left so there was enough water for the 2 days we were there.

No major problems so on Saturday we headed for Alabama to see my sister before heading our way towards Texas and our first workamping job. The first day we over did it and drove for 3 hours, way too much for our first day. We found a nice little campground just north Mobile and stopped for the night. Sunday we were thinking of using a little rule I had heard about somewhere on the internet. The 2-2 rule. Drive 2 hours or 200 miles and stop for the day. We did just that and had plenty of daylight to set up our rig, square away a few things and have some dinner. I was able to plot out the next portion of our drive for Monday, getting us to Lake Charles, La. In about 2.5 hours. We'll see how that works.

We've learned quite a bit and I'm sure we'll continue to learn something every day of this new adventure. Just a few things learned already are. If a campground doesn't post the mileage from the interstate on their sign, plan on driving a good distance to get there and don't even think about looking for any signs saying campground ahead _____ miles. Or how about this Slow WAY down when going over railroad tracks. Some of those crossing are ROUGH, enough said. Don't expect other drivers to know, understand, or care what the word merge means. I believe most drivers thinks it means, you better get out of my way because I'm coming through and I'm talking on the phone so don't bother blowing the horn at me I'M RIGHT and you are wrong. But it might just be me.

I've heard it many many times from people on the road a lot longer than us but believe me when I say campground wifi is slow if at all. But its only been 3 days so we have so much more to learn.

But at least we haven't killed each other yet, That's a good thing . Right? Well tomorrow is another day of traveling and learning as we go.

Be Safe and I Hope to See You Down The Road.     

Happily Homeless

As I sit here writing this post we are at 6 days to go until we begin our fulltime life. I quit my job on Wednesday the 11^th. And closed on the house Thursday the 12^th. We moved into a extended stay hotel to wait for Southern RV to call and say our new Keystone Sprinter 269RLS has been delivered and checked out.

We've kept busy taking care of the boring things that have to be taken care of. BIG Tip #1, Set up your mail forwarding service a couple of months in advance. You don't actually start receiving mail there until you notify everybody. But get this done soon just in case there are any problems. We also bought roadside assistance and joined the Good Sam Club.

Big Tip #2, When shopping at Camping World be prepared to be bombarded with Can I sell you this and Can I sell you that. They have a quota to meet and they are ruthless. I've also heard you can expect to receive all kinds of worthless mail. So keep that in mind when you are setting up your mail forwarding service.

We decided to sell Barb's car instead of keeping it. Didn't want the extra cost of insurance and tags plus having to transfer the title. Don't forget to cancel the car insurance. I've been getting quotes for RV insurance for two weeks now and have decided on Blue Sky. I feel we got a real good deal, just got to make the call Monday and get that set up.

Big Tip #3, And I guess its to late now anyway but lets talk about health insurance. I waited until one day before the deadline for the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care). I guess I shouldn't have expected anybody to answer the phone after waiting an hour on hold. I finally got us set up with a HMO policy from BCBSTX. But I figured we're going to be working in Texas for eight months that will give us a chance to find a good affordable PPO somewhere. So for the time being I'm satisfied with the policy.

As I said at the start of this post we are 6 days away from starting our new adventure and I feel like a child just before Christmas who can't get to sleep because I might miss Santa Claus.

Safe Travels and I Hope to See You Down the Road

Another step closer

Another step closer

A couple of weeks ago we bought our tow vehicle. A 2003 Ford F 250 diesel . It has a 7.3 Liter engine with 3.73 gears. It came with a 16K Husky 5^th. Wheel hitch installed. We've

had it checked out by a mechanic and will have an oil change done next week. But other than that its good to go to Texas where we will become Texas residents and will start our first workamping job.

Only scary part is we need to be in the Dallas area by March 1^st. Actually we will need to be there a little sooner since the job starts on the 1^st. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get a little closer to March.

In the mean time we have had the repairs done that the buyers requested after the home inspection. We've also had the appraiser come by about two weeks ago and have not heard anything so I'm taking that as a good thing. Still waiting for the buyers to get their income tax check so they have the down payment, that's why the closing is scheduled for the middle of February. Its frustrating because all we can do is sit and wait.

This past Saturday we went to the Atlanta Camping and RV show. I can say without a doubt we have found our rig. No more searching, no more listening to salesmen go on and on when you know as much if not more then they do. Although it was fun catching them in a lie when they didn't know the answer. Anyway, we decided on a 2015 Keystone Sprinter 269RLS 5^th. Wheel. We got just what we wanted and the price wasn't to bad either. We got to pick out the fabric that Barb liked the best so at least its not the most hideous looking fabric. (I'll always wonder who picks out the colors for these RV's)

My daughter says it didn't happen if there aren't any pictures and of course the only time we didn't have a camera with us was at this show. Next week when we go sign some papers and drop off some money I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. So it looks like we might be on the road soon, hopefully. Keep your fingers crossed for us and I promise to post some pictures real soon.

Be Safe and I Hope To See You Down The Road