It’s a Tough Life !

Yes… It’s a tough life. Rving and staying where ever you want …. for a long as you want. We play for some months and work for some months… of course work here is planning out activities for guests and playing and having a good time with with them. Essentially… work is play too. So we basically play all year. The closest we get to real work is … well … working at Disney. That’s a tough life too! Working at Disney… last year we were there 4 months to play and work. We worked 67 hours in 4 months. That’s about 4 hours a week. All that hard work paid for our stay near Disney… our passes into Disney… perks and discounts… and day passes for 50 friends and family to get into Disney for free. Play, play, play. Now that’s what I call retirement!… in the “Play Lane”! Returned this summer again to Lake Ridge Rv Resort.

Check it out… ResortActivities.blogspot.com

Insight’s into Hillsville

Here are just a few observations while looking around Hillsville…. for good, bad, or how ever you like it! … I’ll say 95% to the good… with the emphasis on friendly!

• It is rightfully named “Hillsville” there are no flat areas here… anywhere… unless they are man made… and of course… why would anyone want to do that?
• The predominate form of transportation here is the pickup truck… most are red!
• The family vehicles that are here… 90% are either gray, silver or white.
• There are a great number of 15 year old plus… jacked up pickups… primer painted… engine roaring… with Confederate flags attached to the cabs.
• There also seem to be a high percentage of …. again 15 year old plus… rice rockets that want to be muscle cars. (they haven’t got a clue)… the younger kids.
• There are also a great number of motorcycles, mostly Harleys… that cruise around.
• The prime cursing spot for the for the aforementioned rebel trucks, rice rockets, and motorcycles is the local Wal-Mart parking lot… mid afternoon. They like the way the engine roars (Rebel Trucks & Harley’s) or wines (rice rockets) as it reverbs off the building fronts.
• The predominate dress code is blue jeans… almost everyone. Flannel shirts also seem to be a hit with the guys. Gals where the jeans with casual or dress tops, and even “dresses with the jeans” seems popular.
• Ranch hats and boots are popular. No one wears “Croc’s” … except for those visiting from Florida.
• Croc’s, Disney T’s, and something other than denim pants… well… it’s a quick give a way… your not local… but no one hold’s that against you! Actually… I didn’t see anyone wearing shorts… except for some small kids… they no doubt didn’t have a choice... grandparents in Florida sent the shorts to them.
• 90% of the folks are real friendly… give you a nod, a hello, how ya do, or comment on the weather. Very refreshing from city people that would just as soon run you down for walking in the “their” street.
• Most will direct you to the local McDonalds or Shoney’s if you ask about where to eat. McDonald’s is better.
• Most buildings look like they have been well used as several previous business over the past century… except for the Wal-mart & Lowes… they were definitely built for new for them. Just a quick note… thank god for Wal-mart & Lowes.
• There is a laid back friendly feeling everywhere… truly nice and refreshing. Very welcome change.
• It’s also a great pleasure to see everything “green”. Spring has sprung… everything is green! … or at least everything that hasn’t been washed away by 12 of 14 days of rain.
• The air is clean and fresh (all the rain!!!), the local folks are friendly, and the charm of a small old town is found everywhere.
• Old buildings, old homes, and especially old barns… hold a special charm… except for those that are no longer being used… well… they are just left for nature to slowly reclaim. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in another 100 years, they might be gone… or maybe not…. just leaning a little more.

Well… that’s my short little bits of insight for today… and to just let you know that I’m still here and haven’t washed away to the bottom of the mountain …. yet.

• One final interesting fact: Did you know that at 3000 feet elevation that you weigh more. It’s true… 3000 feet adds about 20 pounds… (it’s actually 3.721 pounds per every 500 feet) … and breathing thinner air makes it seem like 50 pounds… walking up all these hills also adds another 20 or so. Something to think about!

Day Eleven … 30 minutes later.

This is scary… it’s only been 30 minutes since my last entry and my “Vow”. The rain has stopped, blue sky’s are all around, and the sun is shining bright and clear. I guess these things take a little time to work. Oh..no…the “Vow”. Now what happens… if I break the “Vow”…. tempt fate… throw caution to the wind. If you don’t hear from me… you’ll know the answer to that question. They say be careful what you wish for… isn’t a “Vow” a bit more serious than a wish?

Can I say… TROUBLE!

Maybe this is a warning to the wise. Figures… I’d miss that warning until it’s too late.

Later…. I hope…and wish!

Day Eleven

Day Eleven: It rained all night… constantly… relentlessly… and the only change was in the tempo of the rain when the wind drove the rain against the sides of the Rv. The electric was out for several hours… total darkness inside & out… cutoff from the outside world. Daybreak brings just enough light to see that we are still parked in the same site and haven’t washed away yet. Some of the smaller Rv’s must have left during the night… they were there … and now they are gone. The hillside portrays a more ominous story and raises grave concerns… the animals are gathering two by two and the great wooden structure has opened its doors. There’s a guy in a huge white robe with a long beard… he’s holding a staff… beckoning the animals to enter. Where’s my camera… no one would ever believe this without pictures. Oh… wait… no one would ever believe me even with my pictures anyway. Too many times of crying “wolf”, and faking photo’s for my own childish delights. I think I’ll change my evil ways and make a vow. Yes… that’s the answer. Make a vow… change my life… stop the rain.

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It’s still raining! (didn’t work)

Why don’t you do a blog???

To family & friends…. soooo…. why don’t you do a blog?? I know… you don’t have the time (rubbish). Don’t know how & can’t learn (rubbish). It’s fun, it’s easy, it lets family & friends know what’s happening, has happened, will happen… your hopes, your dreams, your state of mind? Well…Maybe that goes a bit too far, but it is fun, and you only do what you want, when you want to, how you want to, and its a easy thing to do late at night (can’t sleep), early in the morning (still can’t sleep), rainy days (nothing better to do… or that you want to do), or whenever. Make yourself happy… make others smile… have fun. It’s a bit of an informal way to keep in touch with everyone… or kinda like having your own diary or journal if you prefer… and if worst comes to worse… a little of your own biography of your thoughts and feelings for those left behind… to read…. on those rainy days… or at the holidays when you didn’t show up… so they can feel a little closer to you… or closer to you works good when you are still alive too. It is a lot of fun… and there are advantages etc. I wish I could speak as well as I write… but than with speaking… it’s easier to use much bigger words in a conversation and not need to know how to spell them… or confuse spell checker trying to figure out what you are trying to spell! ( it only gives you so many options before it looses it mind ). So… what are you waiting for… setup is easy… making entries with “Windows Live Writer” is even easier. Something new to do… express yourself! Need help… drop me a line! I’ll write you back on the next rainy day…. tomorrow! Blogging… it’s not just for people with too much time on their hands. You can do it too!

The Weather Report

Day one: Driving here it was a perfect day… Sunny, 72 degrees, light breeze, blue sky, the perfectly placed white poufy clouds to accent the blue sky… just the ideal day… couldn’t wish it to be any better!

Day Two: Got cloudy overnight kinda dark & gray and gloomy all day, couple of sprinkles, and the occasional menacing looking storm cloud as it passed by.

Day Three: The situation has not improved and its raining off and on. I’m sure the grass and the farmers really need it.

Day Four: This seems to be a huge cloudy, rainy, great for the grass and farmer event… everything the same but raining most of the time, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes misting, but always doing something.

Day Five: Just take “Day Four” and add that it got cooler and a little damp.

Day Six: Take “Day Five” and add more times of heavy rain, more cooler, more damp, and a chilling breeze that aches you to the bone.

Day Seven: Now I’m generally a tuff person to get “down”, BUT, take “day six” and add more morning fog, more clouds (if that is possible), bone chilling, aching, damp, c-o-l-d, rainy, depressing, it’s time to say “The heck with the farmers”, going crazy inside the Rv, what am I doing here, nasty weather.

Day Eight: Nothing has changed… optimism is gone. But I am learning a couple of new medical terms associated with mental well-being.

Day Nine: Is getting worst considered a change? The good news is… internet is still working so I can Google the exact terms for this condition and document the state of depression as it sinks deeper into the abyss of gripping self despair. Possible solution is to pull down the shades, not look out side, watch Tv ( NO weather reports) and eat happy foods. HAPPY FOODS ??? We have ate all the food except for the canned tuna and peanut butter!!!

Day Ten: blah, blah, blah….. blah, blah! I know… I need one of those pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen-tropical-drinks with the pineapple chunk on top and I’d even enjoy seeing that little colorful umbrella on top… if only I had some pineapple, coconut, rum, and that little umbrella that just reminded me of all the rain.

Tomorrows Forecast: The Tv weather man person… says tomorrow will be sunny and 70… of course, unless it gets cloudy and cold and rainy. I miss my old video game… you know… the one with the big plastic gun that you aimed at the TV and you could just shoot away. I’d turn to the Bible for comfort… but I’m already thinking about those 40 days and 40 nights… and there’s never an “ark” around if you need it.

In Conclusion: The good news is… it’s great to on TOP of the mountain if its going to rain for 40 days…. No Problem!!! Good luck to the rest of you!

[ for those that don’t know me too well… this is a spoof… just for fun… not to worry… I’m not semi-depressed… or on the edge… Shelly is! ]

PS…. This is the perfect time for all my family and friends to email me and tell me how great the weather is where you are… a little pay back on your part is healthy and rather expected… and also no doubt long over due… so give it your best shot… while the weather here is truly depressingly bad…. with no relief in sight. Richard