Saturday & Sunday, February 25 & 26, 2012

We had a wonderful visit and dinner last night with Bob & Gwen Lombard at Mimi’s Café in Ocala, FL.  They were our neighbors at Lake Louise Trailer Park in West Point, KY for the last 5 months I was in the Army (after leaving Vietnam, I was assigned to Fort Know, and Bob was there also).  It is amazing how a friendship of a few months can continue even when we lived in different states.  We have kept in touch for a lot of years.

Today was Sunday, the 26th.  I started off e-filing two returns.  One was my own, and I not only have to pay for this year, but I have to pay estimated tax for next year.  About noon, Doug stopped by on his way back to Columbus.  He had driven to Orlando to visit his old roommate, Harley, and especially her son, Gauge.  It was wonderful to see him and visit.  We had to kick him out about 2pm, partially because he still had a long drive back to Columbus, but also because we had a date to go out for dinner with some of our friends.  We went to River Ratz for hamburgers.  They have 1/2 lb. burgers, and if you get the basket, they come with fries to share instead of potato chips, and on Sunday, we had entertainment, and a good group to eat with (Frank & Maureen Halliday, and Larry & Carolyn Jarvis.

While I have been working on tax returns, and editing scanned (old) pictures, the ladies have been making pretty sweatshirt jackets that they modeled during the Sumter Oaks’ ice cream social.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

We  went to Busch Gardens again today, and had a very good time.  On the way, we stopped at the Flying J in San Antonio, FL for gas for the jeep.  Gas on the sign was $3.63 per gallon, and we got it for $3.61 per gallon using our RV Value Card.  Interestingly, we looked at the sign on the way home around 4:45, and regular gas had risen to $3.69 in just a few hours.  Traffic was heavier on the way in today than it has been during any previous Busch visit.

Upon arrival at Busch about 10:15am, we walked to the Stanleyville Theatre to get tickets to see Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone.  The 11:30am show tickets were already gone, so we got 4 tickets for the 1:00pm show.  We waited a few minutes, and were joined by Stan and Betty Bober (they live in Clearwater, FL).  We had a couple of hours to kill, so we went to lunch at the Zambia Smokehouse, where the food is delicious, and we had other company join us.

After lunch, we went back to the Stanleyville Theater, and stood in line until they let us in for the 1:00 show.  Of course, Peter Noone is the only remaining member of Herman’s Hermits, but the group did all of the songs we remember (Mrs Brown You Have A Lovely Daughter, I’m Henry the Eighth I Am, and I’m Into Something Good, and more).  They put on a good, high energy show, and we would like to see them again.The band consisted of two guitars, a drummer, and a keyboard.

After the show, we wandered, looking at animals, taking the Rhino Rally ride, and seeing the King Tut’s tomb recreation.  The Rhino Rally ride is in an SUV, and of course, the animals you see on the ride are not up close.

The animals included tigers, hyenas, mearcats, cheetahs, lions, etc.

Next week we get to see the Ventures play at the Stanleyville Theater.

Saturday to Tuesday, February 18 to 21, 2012

Saturday, Nancy and Charles Elkins (friends from Doug’s Boy Scout days and high school band days) joined us for afternoon socializing and another Alaskan Halibut dinner.  We enjoy our visits because we reminisce and catch up on what our boys are doing now.

Sunday, we went up to the Park’s ice cream social at 4:00pm.  Marilyn and I shared a bowl of chocolate chip.  At 5:00, we went over to Sue and George Spahn’s rig for cocktails and Sue had invited us to join their lasagna dinner.  It was delicious.

Monday, Larry and Carolyn had made an appointment to have their car fixed, so we drove to Brooksville to give them a ride back to Sumter Oaks.  Then Marilyn and Carolyn drove to Wildwood for Marilyn’s chiropractor appointment followed by some girl shopping.

Tuesday.  At nine o'clock, I drove Larry and Carolyn back to Brooksville to pick up their car.  At 11:00 we all attended Sue Spahn’s seminar on beginner computer.  Great class, thank you Sue.  Then after lunch, Marilyn took her sewing machine to the clubhouse to learn how to make sweatshirt jackets.

And, at 1:00 we were entertained by a Mardi Gras Parade around the campground.  Carolyn decorated Larry’s scooter. 

Fran allowed his truck to be decorated with strange creatures who played Cajun music.

Of course, Wanda walked around taking pictures, and Wallace drove his two little schnauzers in the golf cart. 

There were others walking, and our neighbors even decorated their rig.

At 4:00pm, we gathered for snacks with other couples that had gone to Alaska last year.  There were Wallace and Wanda Lewis (Wallace fried halibut),  Bennett and Bea, Fran and Sharon, Dianna and Tony, and Gene and Judi.  We swapped Alaska tales, ate well, drank a little, and just had a good time.  When his wine was gone, Wallace found a new place to carry his wine glass.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Apparently my blog was last written on February 11th.  We have had some fun, and I have taken a few pictures.  On Sunday, the 12th, we celebrated Sunday with cocktails with Larry & Carolyn Jarvis (Marilyn and I have quit drinking Manhattans during the week).  Since nobody wanted to cook, we all went out for Mexican along with the Tobin’s.

On Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, we all had our carpets cleaned.  Of course we had to let the rugs in the rigs dry, so we had to go out for dinner at Old World in Floral City.  When we returned to Sumter Oaks, we joined the Valentine’s celebration in the clubhouse.  We were serenaded by these three fine musicians.

I was able to get a nice picture of Phil & Terri Tobin, and Judy Crawford stopped in for a visit.

 

I used the rear-facing camera on my iPhone to take a picture of Marilyn and I.

Then we were visited by none other than Cupid.

On Thursday, we went to Busch Gardens again.  This time George and Sue Spahn joined Larry & Carolyn Jarvis along with Marilyn and myself.  We had corned beef sandwiches at the Desert Grill while we watched the dance show again.  Then we saw Iceploration followed by the Osmond’s show. 

We saw a tiger while we were there.

Today, Marilyn and I went to Wildwood, FL.  She visited a chiropractor who she hopes will reduce her neck pain.  Then we renewed our drivers licenses, and made another stop at Wally World.

Escapees Florida Sun Gators Chapter 57 Rally, February 7 to11, 2012

We left Sumter Oaks on the 6th, and drove to Camping World in Seffner, FL to get a new washing machine, and to go to the Chapter 57 Rally at Lazy Days Rally Park.  We had an 8:30am appointment for the washing machine on Tuesday, the 7th.  We had planned to spend the night in the parking lot, but Camping World said they would put us in a bay about 5:00pm so we spent the night in a repair bay.  A little after 8:30, a tech came to put in the washing machine.  Marilyn has used it three times since installation, and it has worked flawlessly.

I helped our treasurer register our arriving Escapees and chapter members.  The first event was a social hour.

  During the social hour we adopted everyone that had not attended a previous Florida chapter rally.

After the adoptions, the kids and their parents got to know each other. 

Day one of the rally ended with a hotdog dinner.

On the 8th, we had a couple more adoptions.

Then it was time for 50/50 followed by Pete’s delicious hobo stew.

On the 9th, we toured Tarpon Springs.  We took a boat out to watch a demonstration of diving for sponges. Notice how the captain steers the boat with the tiller between his legs.

The lighthouse is actually a beacon for a shopping center.

Marilyn and I ate at Plaka Restaurant.  She had Spanakopita, and I had a Gyro with curly fries.

On the 10th, we danced to the DJ (Mr. Smooth).

Then on the 11th, as all good Escapees rallies end, we had donuts and coffee for hitches and hugs.