January 29-30, 2022 - Weather

Here at the RV park in Florida we are all used to sitting out and visiting part of every day. The current cold weather is not allowing that comfortably. While it was sunny yesterday, it was way too cold to be outside. We decided to go to the Legion in Madeira Beach for lunch and listen to a little live music. On most visits to this Legion hall we sit on the patio overlooking the bay. I've posted pictures in the past. 

Yesterday there were whitecaps on the water and no one was even thinking about sitting outside. We sat inside and had a nice lunch. Unfortunately, the music didn't start until 4:00 p.m. so we had quite a wait for it to begin after we ate. Here is a picture of the ladies on their phones waiting for the music to start. The hall is decorated for Valentine's Day so I assume they will be having a dance.

The music started on time and we liked what they played. We stayed for a while but not a long time because we were all tired of sitting.

This morning may have set a record low here, I don't know. Here is the weather at 9:00 a.m.

Believe me this is cold for this area. I've had the furnace running and the electric fireplace running since 7:00 a.m. We will be staying inside all day and watching football games for entertainment. Tomorrow it is warming up some. The women have a wine-tasting scheduled. (Men are not invited.) Each participant brings a bottle of wine to taste. This will warm up the women and I guarantee they will have a good time!

Wednesday we have a golf scramble and I have been named team captain so I have to collect my team's money. I know all my teammates so it won't be hard to hunt them down. LOL

January 27, 2022 - Potato Bake

Yesterday was the only "good" weather day we have had around here for several days and it is turning bad again through the weekend. The ladies planned a "Potato Bake". John provided the pit for the bake and the gathering area on his lot. Here is a picture of the pit with a full layer of hot charcoal and wood ready for potatoes.

Dave and I were in charge of getting the charcoal started and it went well with a little help from the wind. Everyone sat a good distance away from the pit to give us room to turn the potatoes and for everyone to come up and check on "their" potato periodically. Here is a picture of the pit of charcoal with a round of potatoes in it. 

Everyone wanted to get their own potato back once baked. In an effort to do that everyone wrote their name on their potato with a magic marker. I knew that wasn't going to work because once we turned the potatoes the markings would be burned off, and they were. Luckily everyone was happy with the potato they ended up with. The ladies provided a table full of toppings. After topping their potato everyone sat around and enjoyed the meal.  Here is a picture. We had quite the crowd. Everyone was ready to do something fun after being cooped up in our RVs for two days due to the weather.

Everyone hung around visiting until the entire area was shaded and it was too cold to just sit there. A number of us then relocated to the opposite side of the street where we there was sunshine. We continued our BS session until dark.

The weather is turning cold and rainy for the next several days so there is not much on the agenda. I believe next week there is going to be a wine tasting hosted by Rosie. The women each bring a bottle of wine and everyone tastes. The men aren't invited so we will have to figure out something to keep us busy besides getting the tipsy women back to their RVs when they are done. LOL 

January 25, 2022 - Our "Premium" Lot and the Wet Weather

We have been upset with Roberts RV Park management since arriving here on December 1st. The reason is a long story and I won't bore you with it here. We ended up being put on a different lot than the one we thought we reserved. It is on a different street from our friends and our mail would be forwarded to the wrong lot. We were put on a "premium" lot, meaning it costs $125.00 per month more. We had no voice in the matter. According to management it is a "premium" lot because it is bigger. We don't see how but we lost that argument. We protested the additional rental amount because we did not reserve a "premium" lot and should not have to pay for it since the one we reserved is occupied. Our protests fell on deaf ears. We were told we could have our money back and go elsewhere for the winter. Obviously we didn't want to do that since all our friends are here and our friends are the ONLY reason we come to this crappy park. Here is the view we have out the back window of the RV on this "premium" lot. Here are two pictures.

It is a view of the park maintenance lot with machines and workers coming and going all day, every day. In addition to this lovely view when we set up on the lot the electric did not work properly nor did the cable for internet. The park sent an electrician to put in a new breaker so that we would have 50 amp service. I then had to call Spectrum for a service call to get the cable to work. The serviceman could not get a signal from our cable box so he just laid a cable across the ground form our RV to the neighbor's cable box. While we now have cable for the internet I have to be careful not to trip over the cable laying on the ground when walking around. Also the meter box for our lot and the lot next to us is in the middle of our lot. This, my friends, is a "premium" lot in Roberts RV Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Due to the above issues we decided to start looking for an alternative park for next year and thereafter. We mapped out a number of parks to visit, about eight of which were north of here and about five south of here. The other day we took a drive and of the eight parks north of St. Petersburg, we found only two parks we would consider moving to. One of the two is already totally booked for next year. The other would cost more but is a significant improvement over what we have here. 

Yesterday we took a road trip to check out the five parks we targeted south of St. Petersburg. Of those none were better than where we are except for one park in Punta Gorda. The park in Punta Gorda is about the same price as what we are paying here for this "premium" lot. We like that if you reserve a lot there you get that lot - not a promise of "a" lot, which is what we get here. The Punta Gorda park has lots available for next year. It is actually a resident-owned mobile home park with sixty RV lots. We really like the park, the activities, and the vibe of the place. Unfortunately, it is about sixty miles south of St. Petersburg. Moving there next year would mean leaving all of our friends here (a number of which will not be back here next year anyway) and getting new doctors in Fort Meyers, the closest large community. We have time before we have to put a deposit down at either place. Here they have increased the deposit to $500.00 and you are only guaranteed "a" lot, not the lot you would like. This rule caused us a major problem this year with mail delivery, distance from friends, etc. The Punta Gorda park requires a $1,000 deposit but the lot you reserve is the lot you will get. We like that a lot.

It has been raining since the middle of the night and the rain and cooler temperatures are predicted to continue in different degrees until next Tuesday. While this is a bummer it is still better than the freezing cold at home. A nice day for me to make a big pot of chili for supper. 

January 20, 2022 - First Horse Races of the Season

After a 2021 Covid hiatus the horse races are back at Roberts Downs. They are held in the open-air pavilion. It was unknown what type of crowd would be attending in these crazy times but the crowd was just right with a number of newbies attending. I was asked to be the substitute announcer this week and accepted the challenge, never having done it before. Here is a picture of me in back of the track explaining the rules and betting. 

There are three races with six horses in each race. The jockeys are changed for each race. The bet is $1.00. All money is paid out after each race to those who picked the winning horse. All betters were required to wear masks when in line for the betting.  Here is a picture of those lined up to bet.

Once all the bets were placed the jockeys mounted their horses for the first race. Here is a picture of the jockeys ready for a roll of the dice to make their moves out of the gate.

The horse races are always a fun time but it was extra exciting for us yesterday because Kelly won first place in the 50/50 drawing and collected $117.00. (I didn't draw the ticket, really.) After the festivities ended we gathered outside George and Janet's motorhome for a few cordials and lots of laughs. The weather cooperated all day but is going to turn rainy and cold Saturday which is bad because there is a meal and dancing music scheduled at the pavilion. We are hoping the forecast changes for the better. I'll keep you posted. 

A number of us are playing nine holes of golf this afternoon. I hope to improve my game. I can only get better!

January 11th - 16th, 2022 - The American Legion, Golf Tournament, Soup and Salad Dinner

Tuesday afternoon Kelly had a painting class.  I went with the Michigan folks to the American Legion located on the water. Anyone can just walk into this Legion but you must be a Legion member, or a "Sons of American Legion" member, in order to buy food or drinks. I have a "Sons of American Legion" card and used it when we came with John and Joan in December. This visit I was quickly informed that my card had expired. It was a 2021 card. I didn't even think about it. Others had to pay for my food and drink with me reimbursing them. Here are a couple of pictures of some of our group watching the dolphins play near the docks. The first is a picture of Jean and the second is a picture of Terry and Julie and the back of George's head.

I checked to see if I could renew my Sons of American Legion card at this post and the answer was "no". I have to do it in Perryville. I just assumed that they would send me a statement and a new card as they always did when I was a booster member but they did not. I called the American Legion Hall in Perryville and they said I had to come in and fill out a form that the bartender has available to pay the dues and get a new card. They wouldn't bill me. Why would they send bills annually for boosters and not for "Sons of American Legion"?  Anyway, I'm out of luck for this winter season.

Wednesday I played in the park golf scramble at a course in Tampa. I've played this course before and it has a lot of water hazards. My balls are always attracted to water so I bring extras. On the 13th hole you have to hit over the water to the fairway. My goal is always to just get the ball over the water, not worrying about where it will land. I DID IT! But in doing so my ball hit the only object in the area - a 2-foot-tall white bird standing on the bank. It was hysterical. I wish I had a video of him jumping up when he was hit. Surprisingly he didn't fly off. We rode the cart over there to retrieve my ball and he just stood there as we approached. My cart mate said he looked pissed and he may kick my ass! Luckily, he didn't. John gave me golf tips throughout the day which helped me improve my swing. I only lost two balls in the water all day so that was a win in itself!  After the tournament there is a meal at the pavilion for players and spouses. Fried chicken is supplied and each couple brings a covered dish. There were dozens of sides for the chicken as well as desserts. It was a nice time and a great meal.

Friday I had to take the truck into the dealer for an inspection of the wheel studs due to a recall. Dave rode with me because I thought it would only take an hour. We got there and the service writer said it would be at least two hours because they were running behind. He had someone drive us back to the RV park. Four hours later I still hadn't heard back so I texted the service writer and he said the truck would be finished in 15 minutes. Kelly drove me there to pick it up. As it turned out all of the wheel studs on my truck are fine, no replacements needed. Good news.

Friday afternoon I was supposed to install new batteries in Celina's golf cart but the supplier called and told her the batteries had not arrived. He said it is hard to get golf cart batteries right now. A project for another day. 

At the park there is a chapter of "The Red Hat Ladies". It's a social group and one of their yearly activities here at the park is a "Soup and Salad Dinner", which was yesterday. For $7.00 you get all the salad you want and a taste of various soups made by the chapter members. Kelly made a delicious clam chowder. The profits go to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. I think last year they cleared about $600.00 but this year the crowd was smaller. You are given a plate of lettuce and you put on whatever toppings you want. Here is a picture of the salad table after everyone had been served. Everyone wore masks and gloves while getting their salad.

Each person was given three cups to taste different soups.  The ladies made twenty-five soups. Quite a variety. Here is a picture of part of the soup table. I couldn't get it all in one picture.

It was all delicious with homemade cupcakes to finish off the meal. It took about an hour to clean up and then we were back at the RV to watch a little football.  

At 6:00 a.m. this morning it started raining fairly hard. It is supposed to rain off and on all day plus get windy and cooler. I had planned to grill a steak this evening but I think it will be a good day to just stay indoors and watch football.

January 10, 2022 - Dumster Diving and Securing Floor Vents

The dumpster here in the park is on the way to the mailbox from our lot. As I ride my bike to get the mail I always check out the dumpster area for stuff people leave that is usable. There are always things like microwave ovens, chairs, etc. Most items are in good working order. The other day I found an "Everstart Maxx" car jumper-starter sitting there. It looked fine so I brought it back to our site to check it out. I plugged it in and over a period of 24 hours it charged up to 13.2 volts. It has an AC outlet, three USB outlets, an LED light and an air compressor. Everything works. The only issue will be to see if the battery holds a charge when not plugged in. Here is a picture of it with an AC adapter in it to charge my phone.  If the internal battery holds a charge, it will be handy to have around the camper or at home. If not, back to the dump.

Also at the dumpster on another day was a 50-foot garden hose that looked to be like new. All it needed was a washer. Here is a picture of it with a spray handle I put on to check it out for leaks. It even had the bungee cords on it to keep it curled up. I will add it to my collection of hoses in the RV.

For several months we have been having issues with the floor vents in the carpeting. They are supposed to be screwed through the carpeting and into the floor. Unfortunately, the holes cut in the floor were cut too large for the screws to catch any wood to hold them down. As a result, at times our feet catch on them. They can be a trip hazard. I decided today to drill holes in the sides of the vents so I could screw the vent into the floor on an angle. Here is a picture of one vent in the vice getting ready to be drilled. The arrow points to the area where I drilled a hole on each end.

Here is a picture of one of the drilled holes.

Here is a picture of one vent installed with a screw firmly holding it in place on each end. Problem solved. 

December 25, 2021 - January 1, 2022 - From Christmas to New Year

Several of the folks from Ohio arrived a few days after Christmas. One couple brought a nice pair of cornhole boards. Everyone loves to play "bags" as we all call it. We gathered on the street the next afternoon and the fun began. There is always a lot of competition and a lot of spectators. It is also an excuse to drink a little beer or other beverage of your choice while rooting on the teams.

When Jean and Dave arrived on the 29th they found that the handrail and a couple of the treads on the steps going into their camper had rotted away and needed to be replaced. After a couple of trips to Home Depot for materials, a borrowed circular saw, and some deck screws, Dave and I made a new handrail and all new treads. Basically, the only part of the steps not new are the stringers and the bottom bracing. This little bit of lumber cost over $60.00.  All wood we purchased was treated so these steps will outlast us. Jean was going to paint them but decided to just let them weather for now.

Another bonfire was planned for New Years Eve. I didn't take any pictures this time, but it was once again well-attended. Many attending this time missed the first one because they arrived after Christmas. 

It was the warmest New Year's Eve anybody remembered. It had been in the 80s throughout the day and only cooled down to the low 70s. We had a great time talking, watching the fire, and requesting songs to be played on the "Alexa" John brought. We had to play "Auld Lang Syne" well before midnight though because most of the group began dispersing. 

Only five of us stayed up until midnight when we shared a bottle of champaign to ring in the new year. Here is a picture of the clock in Marge when we got back which proves these two old timers from Perryville stayed up that late.

Good friends, George and Janet, arrive today from Michigan. We look forward to seeing them again. We have been having the campfires on the lot they will be occupying so we will have to find a different location for future campfires.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!

December 24, 2021 - Christmas Eve Bonfire

The folks on Audrey Street here in the park are always looking for a reason to get together. Christmas Eve was no different. For those of us who weren't going anywhere for Christmas, wood was gathered and a bonfire was organized on a vacant lot. It was well-attended. Here are a few of pictures.

I had the only fire poker in the group and a couple of the guys had great fun hiding it from me throughout the evening. In the January "Roberts Review" (the park monthly flyer of activities and messages) there was a large notice that bonfires are strictly forbidden throughout the park except for the "sanctioned one" on Friday nights at the large bonfire pit by the pavilion. I don't know if that notice was for our benefit or just a general "reminder". The sanctioned bonfire is around a huge six-foot-wide pit. It is for the benefit of residents of the entire park. You sit so far away from others and from the fire that it is a joke. Hopefully we can have another more intimate campfire or two on Audrey Street without getting in trouble. 

Christmas Day was nice. Kelly and I went to church and later in the day had video calls with the kids and grandkids in California. It appears the grandkids made out like bandits, as expected. The adults this year decided not to buy anything for each other and instead make a donation to a charity. Most of us donated to New Life Mission Inn in Perryville, which provides services for addicted folks and the homeless. We know the money will be put to good use.

Christmas Day and thereafter the weather has been fabulous. In the low 60s at night and up to 80 in the day. Yesterday I did laundry and counted six regular washing machines, one large washing machine, and four dryers "Out of Order". Par for the course at this place. Luckily I go early in the morning so few people are there and there are open machines. Everyone gets going later here in Florida. Many stores and businesses do not open until 10:00 a.m.

There is going to be a New Years Ever party at the clubhouse. This was not planned for ahead because no one stepped up to organize it. It will be a bring your own snacks and drinks, with music provided by a fellow in the park with a sound system. We would like to go but are concerned about Covid and being inside with many others for several hours. All of our activities so far have been outside. 

There is a "Chili Cook-off " on January 6th and Kelly wants me to enter my chili. I guess I will have to decide pretty soon if I am going to enter, or just buy tickets to taste, or neither. I'll keep you posted.

December 18-21, 2021 - Boat Regatta, Dining Light Repair, and the Henry B. Plant Museum

On Saturday we went over to Celina's park to watch the boat regatta. We drove up to the clubhouse and carried chairs down to the canal to watch. The boats lined up and took off through the canals. There were only fifteen boats so the whole thing was over in just six minutes - less time than it took for us to get here. Here are a couple of pictures. It was darker outside than the pictures reflect.  I liked the one with the full moon in the background.

It seems that there isn't a day when using the RV that there isn't a needed repair or project. When we purchased Marge she had a light fixture over the dining table which made no sense. (I didn't take a picture of it.) It was a nice-looking fixture but had a glass bowl on the bottom which threw all the light upwards. This didn't do much for illuminating the dining table. I purchased a new fixture with two shades facing down. It was better but I wanted to convert the bulbs to LED. I purchased little LED bulbs that fit in the fixture but the amount of light they threw down was pathetic.  This picture shows the problem. You can see all the light going out to the ceiling and walls and not on the table.

Last year I decided to replace the wimpy LED bulbs with under the cabinet puck lights. I had installed a set of these under the cabinets over the sink and they threw light down, where you needed it. They are not cheap, about $11.00 each. LED lights are supposed to last thousands of hours but that has not been my experience with 12-volt LED lights. Our RV is only used part-time and the dining table light is only on a couple hours a day at most. Nonetheless, one of the puck lights went out last week so I ordered a replacement. 

To install the puck lights in this fixture last year I had to fabricate a way of mounting the puck lights in the inverted glass shades. I made a wooden ring that I could screw the puck light to and then siliconed the wooden rings to the fixture. Here is a picture up close of one.

Next is a picture I took of the fixture ready to be re-installed. I was smart enough when I took it down to put a piece of tape on the side which had the bad puck light so I knew which puck to replace once I disconnected the fixture. (In my hast I often forget such simple things.)

Here is a picture of the light reinstalled which, hopefully, will last more than a year or two. You can see that it throws all the light on to the table, unlike the little LED bulbs. Kelly has her Christmas tablecloth on, which is one of the few Christmas decorations we have.

Yesterday we toured the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa, Florida. Kelly thought it was a Victorian House to tour. Not so. It is a huge building that originally was the Tampa Hotel built by Henry B. Plant in 1893 at a cost of $3,000,000 and with the skills of five hundred workers over a period of three years. 

Plant owned railroads and steamships and was worth about $30,000,000 at the time. He wanted to bring tourism to Florida so he built hotels near his railroads all over Florida. The Tampa Bay Hotel was the grandest and only one other such hotel survives. Many famous people stayed here until it closed in 1930. The hotel building itself still exists, but the casino, boathouse, and gardens are all gone. The City of Tampa bought the building in 1930 for $105,000 and made it into a museum. It is now part of the University of Florida-Tampa and serves as the Administration Building. Here are a few pictures of the outside. You cannot get it in one picture. It is about two blocks long.

As you enter the main lobby there are long halls going in each direction. Here is a picture of the lobby

Here are pictures of the first floor hall decorated for Christmas going in each direction.

One of the rooms off the main hall is the "Writing Room". Almost everything back then was communicated by written letter. I think this room would be the "business center" we find today off the lobby in modern hotels where computers are available for guest use.

The hotel was four stories and had 500 guest rooms. The higher you went up the cheaper the rooms. Here is a picture of the elevator, which is thought to be the first in Tampa. The inside was all covered with carved Cuban mahogany. Gorgeous.

Here is a picture of the second floor hall. I'm sure back in the day all the wood was stained oak, not painted.

The guest rooms and many other areas of the hotel are now used as offices by the University.

The hotel had a huge ballroom which was used much like a convention center would be today. Unfortunately, it was locked so we couldn't see it. We were able to walk further down the hall to "Fletchers Lounge". It was just that, a lounge that held 500 people. It was impressive with a domed ceiling. Here are a couple of pictures. Today it is used as a conference center.

The choice bedrooms in the hotel were located in the minaret towers. Here is a picture of one. In addition to a bedroom, it had a sitting room/library, and a bathroom. The windows were eleven feet tall and opened from top and bottom for ventilation. 

Needless to say, the building was quite impressive with a lot of history on display. 

One of the interesting things I learned was that in the 1890s to pass the time upper class women made many things with paper. Here is a picture of a dress made completely out of paper. It took four months to make it.

Here is a picture of the three of us in front of the hall Christmas Tree to prove we were there. 

The tour made for a very enjoyable morning. After completing the tour we headed to "4th Street Shrimp Store" in St. Pete's for lunch. It was fabulous. We will definitely go back. Today I take Celina to the airport, she is flying home for the holidays. 

December 17, 2021 - Loom Project and Sunset on the Water

Last year I installed four blue 12-volt night lights in the bathroom and bedroom area of Marge. Here is a picture of one light.

When I installed the lights I used duct tape to stick the wires to the cabinetry out of the way. Duct tape does not stick well to wood, especially with the drastic temperature changes in an RV. The wires all fell loose in the cabinets. I decided to put plastic loom over the wires and mount the loom in place with clips.

I ordered a package of 1/4 inch loom - 100 feet! I just couldn't pass it up because it was as cheap as 10 feet. Here is what is left.  If you need any loom, let me know. I probably only used about 15 feet.

I soon learned that getting the wire in the loom after the fact is a pain. After fighting it for about a half hour I decided to go online to see if they made a tool which would keep the loom open as I fed in the wire. I quickly found such a tool. It was $10.00 on Amazon for a cheap little plastic tool. I'm a tool guy but I will probably never use it again, so I passed on buying one. I watched a video on how the tool worked and decided to make my own tool out of a piece of baling wire.  After several "modifications" I came up with this design. It worked well enough. When the loom was installed, I just threw the wire away.

Here are a couple of pictures of the loom mounted in place under the floor where I picked up the 12-volt power.

Here is a picture of the loom running through one of the cabinets to connect the lights to the switch.

Now I don't have to be concerned about anything catching on the wires when retrieving items from the cabinets.

Mid-afternoon John came over and asked if we wanted to go with him and Joan to the American Legion Hall to listen to a little music and have a few drinks. This American Legion Hall is located on the water at Medeira Beach. We have been there several times and it is a beautiful setting. It was a warm, sunny afternoon so we agreed immediately to go. Here are a couple of pictures from our table as sundown approached and a picture of my drinking mates.

We left at sundown and headed to Glory Days Restaurant for their Friday Night Fish Special. A wonderful time with wonderful friends. That's why we are here.