JANUARY 2007: RV and HAWAII

This is a long-overdue update to this blog. Sort of fell off the track as I was winding down my practice and getting ready for retirement. Mission accomplished, sort of. Finally moved everything out of the office and into an extra bedroom where, of course, I've been . . . . working! I'm designating any fees earned in 2007 as "gas money" for the RV. I'd better do some business at 10MPG. Ouch. Our new LazyDaze is still being built as I type this, with a projected delivery date of the first week of March. We visited the factory on January 3, and they hadn't started it yet, but promised we were the next on the line. They had the identical model in the "showroom" (garage), even down to the grey & charcoal striping, so Mom got to see what it would look like. She clamored in and immediately claimed one of the couch-beds as her own. Here she is, on the left (Loni on the right) trying it out for size. That white panel is the underside of the table that folds down between the couches. It's latched up in the "travel" position, blocking the center of the rear window. There are picture windows on all three sides in the back, so all we need to do is back into a great view and sit and enjoy it. Mom declared the rig suitable, and immediately proposed a trip to Alaska! Whoa, Nellie! Let's figure out how this thing works, first. Here's a view forward of the galley. There's a big refrigerator on my left that's out of view. Has a microwave and a small stove in addition to the cooktop. Tons of storage. In addition to the sofa -beds in the rear, there is a queen sized bed in the cabover. The bathroom with shower are behind me and on the left, behind the galley wall. We should be plenty comfortable with this setup. Has a generator, solar panel, dual "house" batteries, and even a satellite dish on the roof. We can watch "House" in the woods! Don't groan-- we'll get plenty of stargazing done as well. First big trip will be to the Utah parks in May-June, and we hope to do the Albuqurque balloon festival in October, along with Carlsbad Caverns, etc.

Might as well put in a Christmas picture to remind everyone what we all look like: Back: Me, John, sister Susy, Mike; Center: Loni, Mom, niece Rachel; Front: niece Katy. Our retirement was to start off with a trip to Honolulu, courtesy of a test-machine manufacturer who asked Loni to give two seminars to the local blood bank community. Sounded good to me! Unfortunately Loni got quite sick on the plane ride over, and spent the first night in the (ahem) porcelain room. Gave her first seminar the next afternoon sitting down as she was too weak to stand. The second night she had a relapse just as bad as the first night. About 1:00 a.m., I came down with it too. Like good spouses, we took turns in "the room" with minimal bloodshed. Trooper that she is, Loni did her second seminar the next evening, again sitting down. We both spent lousy nights and didn't start to recover until the third day. Spent most of that in the room, with a brief excursion across the street to the beach for a quick burn. Thursday we spent at the Bishop museum, very good and kept us entertained all day. Friday we went to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling, then climbed Diamond Head for a spectacular view of Honolulu and environs. We were alive again! Home on Saturday to the PO'd cat who had survived the week better than us. Here we are atop Diamond Head, looking towards the crater that forms Hanauma Bay. UPDATE: It's now Feb 10 and we visited the factory to check on the progress of the RV. It's actually being built! The body is on the frame, the skin is on the outside (but not painted) and various wires are sprouting all over the interior and exterior. They estimate delivery, and the depletion of our bank account, on March 8. Here's Loni at the back of the coach-in-progress. Look out world (or, at least, the Western US & Canada).