How to take down my Blogger Account?

 Sadly I've been getting notices that posts recently made to my site have been taken down for violation of Blogger guidelines.  I have not posted anything on my site for over a years or so, so these bad posts are not coming from me.  

Apparently someone has hacked into my Blogger account and is putting out bad junk in my site.  Does anyone have information on how to contact Blogger directly on how to see what steps can be taken to either take down my site or stop whomever is putting up these bad posts?

Thanks! 

Mel's Angels Ride Again

 My Dad, Mel, was an avid motorcycle rider, having ridden Harleys and Indians before WWII, Harleys during the war and many years afterward.  Somewhere along the way kids (6!) got in the way and his two wheeled escapades went on hold.  In 1968, Dad scratched the itch again and bought an SS125 Honda motorcycle, with all mighty 8 horsepower, and began riding again, this time with various sons, daughter and wife along at various times.

The motorcycle bug bit hard in the family and soon there were always a couple of bikes in the garage that my brothers Dave, Gordy and I owned, as well as Dad.  We often went on rides together with Dad and usually had a couple of friends with their motorcycles tagging along.  We called ourselves Mel's Angels", a play on words from another slightly less friendly motorcycle club.

As Dad got older, his riding days grew to a close, but he was always ready to hop on the back of one of our motorcycles and enjoy the freedom and fresh air with us.  

Dad passed away peacefully in December 2019, just two weeks after his 98th birthday.  I'm sure he now is riding his heavenly motorcycle around the Pearly Gates.

This July, Dave, Gordy and I, along with good friend Danny met up in Roanoke, VA for a week long adventure riding the back roads of Virginia and West Virginia.  My sad attempt at a group selfie cut Dave in half.

We had our mighty steeds ready to take us on our adventure, Dave and Gordy on their Harleys, my Honda and Danny's Yamaha.  

Each morning we started out our day with breakfast and plans to see which roads we wanted to ride.

Sometimes we got so lost we had to stop and ask for directions.

Even with the best directions, sometimes it seemed we didn't know which way we were going.

But we finally would get going and ride some beautiful roads.

Often early in the morning the mountains were clothed in fog, hiding the views.

Once the sun burned off the fog, the views were amazing.  

We stopped often to take in the scenery and let the blood reflow in our butts from the motorcycle seats. I'm glad to be retired so I didn't have to check in with work like Gordy and Danny did at each riding break. 

At the country store in Wytheville, VA, there was a tower that you could go up in to see the views.  Not me, I always prefer sea level whenever possible.

I always like to be prepared as possible, so I brought along a selection of tools and assorted repair items.  The guys teased me about it at first, but they ended up using my tools at various times.

I found something that I haven't seen in years.  I couldn't resist buying it and enjoying it.

Note to self:  Blowing gum bubbles while riding a motorcycle at 60 mph is not the smartest idea.

We spent a lot of time cleaning and polishing the bikes at the end of the day.

Then it happened.  Gordy's bike acted up and gave all kinds of warning dash lights indicating the engine was malfunctioning.  After looking for something simple, it was decided we needed a higher level of help.  

The Harley dealer was able to get Gordy's bike in right away, but it was going to be a long while to fix the problem.  Thankfully this occurred the last day, so I headed back south to home in South Carolina and the others home to New Jersey once the repairs ($300) were completed.

It was only a five hour trip to my house.  Of course, I hit massive traffic jams and got home after eight (!) hours safe and sound, baked and soggy from the humidity and the rain storms I ran in to.  I do love riding my motorcycle, no matter what.

So we're already talking about next year's ride.  Maine?  Nova Scotia?  Loop around the Great Lakes?  Good thing we have a year to plan!  😁

Alternate Pandemic RV Travel

 Being fairly locked in with the Covid restrictions, I have the Journey sitting patiently in its storage lot awaiting the chance to roll again once this is all over.  But having the travel itch, I fired up my alternate RV and wandered some of the isolated back roads in South Carolina.

Of course along with all my safety gear I wear, I added a new item.

The roads were quite empty as I motored along on a beautiful day.

My destination was a nearby Revolutionary War battlefield National Historic Park in the little town of Ninety Six.  A small town that endured a siege of Colonial forces by British troops.

I learned long ago to find a shady spot to park my motorcycle out of the hot South Carolina sun.  I only like toasted buns made out of bread.  😉

Unfortunately everything was still closed from the pandemic restrictions.  So I wandered around a little bit to see what I could see.  One old building was near the closed visitor center that I could at least view from the outside.

The siege couldn't have been too bad because next to the building they had a pizza oven!

Unfortunately there was no pizza ready for me to eat.

The Colonial forces did have the foresight to have a type of punishment for those people caught without a mask or violating social distancing.

Around the site there were interesting things to see like this small cannon.

I could have walked around and seen more things, but I had made a big mistake.  I recently bought a new pair of motorcycle riding boots.

Silly me, I should have realized they were riding boots, not made for walking. Duoh!.  I need to put a spare pair of sneakers in my motorcycle saddlebag.

After enjoying the nice weather and peace and quiet, I hopped on my trusty stead and headed back to the barn.

Only a trip of 124 miles, hardly PDD levels, but I'm happy to get out and about.

Thankfully this time of year is some of South Carolina's nicest weather, so I'm sure to get a few more rides in.  I'm now checking the maps to see where to go next.

Traveling With My Other RV

The new "Normal" certainly has changed things.  Chances for us to travel in our beloved Journey have been completely wiped out for the time being.  But just recently things here in South Carolina have loosened up a bit and one day each week for the last three weeks I've been able to take a jaunt with my other "RV".

In my town we have an informal group of folks that get together on Tuesdays, meeting at a nearby parking lot and then taking off for a ride on the back roads of South Carolina to a restaurant for a lunch together.  Doesn't matter what type of bike or brand of motorcycle you have, all are welcomed.  Some of the older riders ride three wheeled Harleys.  One of the fellows is 88 years old and it's fun trying to keep up with him.

We're very fortunate that restrictions have loosened up enough that with careful protocols in place we can taste a bit of what used to be normal life.

Even buffets are available with paper plates, plastic forks and plastic gloves handed out to prevent contamination from handling servicing spoons, as well as tables spaced out to follow social distancing guidelines.

These weekly rides are a lot of fun, even with high heat and humidity that's the norm here in South Carolina summers.  It has done me a lot of good to be able to get out of the house and get some fresh air.  I think I need to name my motorcycle "My Sanity".  😁

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

What is up with new Blogger Format???

Holy smokes, Batman!  I gave the new format a try this morning and it doesn't work.  Couldn't open a new post window and the feed back box wouldn't open either.  I guess the brain trust that came up with this "better" Blogger forgot to make it even work.

Typical new stuff doesn't work even close to the tried and proven old system.  Again.

Oh well, an update about how we've been doing lately.  As I posted before, we were care taking my 98 year old father in our stix and brix home for almost two years.  Sadly, he passed away just before Christmas, peacefully, which we're thankful for.  Marti and I were with him right at the end in the ER where he was being checked for heart pain.  We talked and joked for almost two hours, then he closed his eyes and was gone.  I'm grateful we were with him and he didn't pass alone.

One of my favorite pictures of Dad a couple of years ago, he always was a character and wasn't afraid to have fun.

Now we've dealt with estate issues and have finished getting his house cleaned out and sold, just one messy issue left with his remaining bank account.  Dad had updated his will back in 2016 and gave each one of my siblings a copy but we couldn't find the original, we don't know what he did with it after an exhaustive search.  The bank will not release his funds remaining in his bank account without an original will.  I'm dealing now with a lawyer going through probate.  It's complicated because he was  a NJ resident and the will was drawn up there, but since he stayed with me in SC the last years of his life, it is considered his residency here.  So we're dealing with two state courts to get it settled.  As if one isn't enough.  😵

The Journey sits in our storage lot.  I visit it every couple of weeks and either run the generator under load for a couple of hours or take it for a spin up and down the highway for a good run.  The Corona virus had really put a hold on our plans.  I was going to take the Journey up to the Winnebago factory in June for a replacement of our slides seals, they are leaking and then a cross country trip to CA in July for a family reunion with all our kids and grand kids.  That ain't happening now.

We really were looking forward to it because it's been years since our three kids were together and some of our 9 (!) grand kids have never met in person.  Our daughter, Heather and her two boys lives two miles from us here in SC, our son Corey lives in NJ with two girls and boy and son Ryan lives in CA with his four girls.  Ryan is in the Coast Guard and is stationed out there, since he has moved every 3-4 years it's been hard to get everyone together at one time, and we were tied down with my Dad.   Hopefully next year we'll be able to make it all work.

Marti and I have been busy up until the shutdown with volunteer work at our church and the USO.  We have been very glad for our subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime TV.  We've really been enjoying lots of British shows, some are funny, some have you on the edge of your seat.  Sad we don't have that quality of TV shows in the U.S.

We're well and comfortable and at time miss traveling, but this virus thing will pass.  Hope all is well wherever you may be.

180 Shopping Days Till Christmas! With Poor Quality Pix This Time (Don't Know What Happened)

Just a warning, July 25th was 180 days away from Christmas 2019.  What better way to spend that day than volunteering at my local USO.  Of course, if you don't know how to say "No" you can find
yourself in the strangest places doing the most unusual things.

Somehow I found myself resurrecting "Santa Paul", ie: Santa interrupting his summer vacation to visit a nearby military training base riding on a fire truck that was playing Christmas tunes.  We stopped all over the base, everywhere we saw groups of service members and brought some summertime Christmas cheer into their day by handing out candy canes and free energy soft drink hats.

Everybody wanted their picture taken with Santa.  They also took a lot of selfies with the old guy.  I think they wanted to prove to their families and friends that Santa really did visit them in the middle of a hot summer day in South Carolina, and it wasn't a mirage they saw due to being out in the sun too long.

All tolled, we gave out over 140 hats and numerous candy canes to service members in the Army, Navy and Marines.  It was great fun and just another way the USO supports our military members.

Now, Santa is back on his well earned summer vacation while those wonderful elves are keeping toy production going at the North Pole.  Me?  I'm wondering what the ladies that run the USO have in store for me next!


Thanks for visiting and feel free to make a comment.

Shakedown Trip

Since we came off the road fulltime and bought our little house in South Carolina, the Journey hasn't gone more than a few miles every month or so for a little exercise before returning to the storage lot where we keep it.  That changed when we fired it up for an extended 460 mile trip to Disney World with our daughter and grandsons Andrew and Owen.  Thankfully my brother Jon came down from NJ to stay with my Dad (who now lives with us) while we were away.

Before we left, I spent several days going over the Journey with a fine toothed comb, I serviced the generator myself but had to take it in to the nearby Freightliner dealer for the engine and chassis service.  I know how to do all that myself but I don't have the ability to deal with 20 quarts of used engine oil anymore, so I had to pay to get it done.  😟

Also my front tires needed replacing, the Michelin XRV tires, despite only being five years old had serious cracking on the sidewalls.  Not wanting to experience a blowout I replaced them with two new Goodyear G670 tires.  The rears, even newer than the fronts, are starting to show slight cracking on the sidewalls, but were in good enough condition to last for this trip.  I'll be replacing them later in the summer, we have a wedding in September in Rhode Island and we're planning on taking the Journey there.  No more Michelin tires for me. 

We've mellowed a bit.  Marti and I were heading down a day early and decided to stop halfway at a Flying J for the night, Heather and the boys were driving down the next day.  It was quite a shakedown trip for us.  I-95 in South Carolina was in poor condition and cause us a couple of problems.  First to go was a hubcap.

A little later on we heard an occasional thump from the right front area of the Journey.  I was perplexed wondering what that could be.  When we stopped, I found out that the right front fog light had come loose and was dangling from the wire harness, from time to time as it swung it contacted the back of the bumper making that noise we heard.  Thankfully it didn't come loose and I unhooked it and took it inside.  Another item to repair later.

Thankfully, that was the last problem from the shakedown cruise, I thought.  But I found another issue after we got home from the trip. 

Our favorite sign.

And our home away from home away from home.  For the week.

As always, we had a wonderful time, despite the heat and most afternoon rain storms.  We actually waded ankle deep in water down Main Street one evening in a heavy storm.  It added to the fun as we laughed with every step. 

Andrew had special fun this trip, he is old enough now to drive the golf cart we rented.  A happy camper was he.

All too soon the week was over and we headed home.  This time I drove the whole 460 miles, getting back in the PDD groove.  It felt good and has me looking forward to our next trip to Rhode Island.

We cleaned out the Journey upon returning home and I scrubbed all the bugs off the nose.  Where did all those bugs come from?  As I washed the Journey I noticed a small stain of fluid under the entrance step.  Looking into it further, it seems I have a leak at the hydraulic pump area for the slides/jacks.  I didn't have time to investigate so it's on the repair list for this summer.  Hopefully it's just something loose and an easy fix for a change.  Fingers crossed.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

Time Marches On

It's become a bit of a "Groundhog Day" existence here at our South Carolina home.  My Dad is still living here which has really been an adjustment for us.  He is a 97 year old man with an 18 year old's mindset.  He still thinks he can do anything, until he takes a "digger" and I have to pick him up off the floor. 

One of us has to be physically present with him at all times to monitor his movements.  Thankfully we have been able to hire a respite company to have a companion with him two days a week for several hours so Marti and I can get out and do some of the things we need to do.  He doesn't like the companions, he calls them "baby sitters".  We call them angels!  :c)

Since Dad came to live with us last July, we've had three ambulance trips to the hospital, once for the broken hip, once for what appeared to be a stroke (it wasn't) and once for severe chest pains.  His ticker is getting a little worn out.  But he's happy, eating well and watching his favorite TV shows:  Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.  I never really watched those shows before, now I'm not thrilled I watch them now, they make me feel really stupid.  Maybe I shouldn't have slept so much in school!

We are planning a Disney World trip first week of June with our grandsons Andrew and Owen.  My older brother Jon, who recently retired, is coming down from NJ to stay with Dad.  That's a great relief to know Dad will be well cared for and will enjoy somebody else to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with.  ;c)

I've been getting the Journey ready for the trip, I serviced the generator myself but had to make an appointment with a Freightliner dealer for the engine oil/filter and chassis service because I have no place to handle 20 quarts of used engine oil. On the appointment date I drove the Journey down only to find out they never got me on the schedule and were not able to do it.  Thankfully since I'm retired, I was able to reschedule another date for the next week.

Drove to the next  week appointment and ended up cooling my heels in the truckers lounge for FIVE hours.  I learned two things from this experience:  In the future, I'll stick to using Speedco shops for the Journey's service (which usually takes no more than and hour) and that truckers are very touchy-feely.  The truckers in the lounge with me were mesmerized by watching Dr. Phil on TV.  The whole five hours.  I was enlightened to  discover after five hours I am not touchy-feely.

The Journey lives in a nearby storage lot where I check on it regularly and about every 4-6 weeks run it around.  I am amazed at how dirty it gets just sitting still.  It gave me great satisfaction to be able to bring it to the paved lot next to our house (we live on a dead end street) to wash it and go over all the systems.  I tossed all the can goods we had left in the cabinets, they were all over two years old, and gave the carpets a good cleaning.  More scrubbing will be done over the next week.

I went to replace the water filter and fill the water tank to flush the antifreeze out and found the filter canister was cracked on the bottom.  A call to Lichtsinn Motors in Iowa got a new one mailed out to me, it arrived today.  It is a bit different so I may have to change some fittings to install it.  I took the Journey back to the storage lot for the next couple of days (don't want the HOA to complain) until I can work on it again and noticed one of my air pressure gauges has gone bad and when I closed the door, the step motor broke.  Another call to Lichtsinn and a new motor is on the way, I'll have to run by Freightliner to pick up a new gauge sometime next week.

I'm also replacing the front tires, they are Michelin XRV tires and although they have not aged out, they have severe cracks in the sidewalls.  A known issue with them.  It didn't matter that I've been very careful about keeping them covered and used 303 Protectant on them.  I'm done with Michelin and have two Goodyear G670 RV tires on the way, should be in next week.  The rear tires are just starting to show tiny sidewall cracks, they are even newer than the fronts, but I'll wait to next year to replace them.

I want to go to the Winnebago factory service center to have my left side slide looked at, it appears to need adjustment, it has dropped in the front side about an inch.  It still works just fine, but the slide arms ride on plastic bushings and I think they are worn.  Unfortunately that will have to remain on the back burner because of my Dad living with us.  Since we use the Journey so infrequently, it can wait.

So that's the latest, just doing what needs to be done.  Family first.  Dr. Phil, no way!

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

Life As A Caregiver

We are soldiering on day by day caring for my 97 year old father.  It's hard to see him so slowed down and nearly helpless after growing up under his parenting.  He was an energetic, brilliant man who could do almost anything he put his mind to.  I learned so much from him.

Now he isn't sure what day of the week it is and needs help with everyday basic tasks.  We do whatever we can to make him comfortable and happy, whether it be putting on his favorite TV shows (Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy) to serving him his unending love for another bowl of strawberry ice cream.

We've had doctor visits, a night in the hospital when we though he had a stroke (he didn't) and have a visiting home health nurse and physical therapist several times a week to closely monitor his health.

When the weather cooperates, we have him outside enjoying the sun and fresh air for a change of pace.  We get him out to various places as much as we can but it really tires him out so we have to be very careful.

The bottom line is we will keep him here at our home as long as we can, glad to be able to provide a safe and warm environment for him.  As for our life, we have put it on hold, we have only limited days with him and would not want to look back and be sorry for not doing enough for him.

The Journey patiently awaits in a nearby storage lot.  I try to get over every other week to check up on it.  At least once a month I start up the generator and engine and drive it around the storage lot in circles for a bit.  When I have more time I take it for a long drive up and down the nearby interstate.

The house batteries are starting to show their age as the are over five years old.  I have a list of items I want to take care of this coming spring to get things up to 100%.  First on the list is an overall wash, it is amazing how dirty the Journey gets just sitting.  At least there are no new bugs stuck on the front.

We are planning a trip in June with the Journey to Disney World's Fort Wilderness with our daughter and grandsons Andrew and Owen.  It will be good to get out on the road for a bit.  We have been making arrangements for my brother to take my Dad for the time we're away.  Haven't quite figured out how we'll juggle him back and forth from SC to NJ and back but we'll find a way.

We've had occasional thoughts of downsizing the Journey to a smaller RV, but at this time  it just doesn't make sense.  We'd never get a return on the money the Journey cost (ah the joys of a depreciating asset) but we do like the large room and sleeping space (8 beds!) for our Disney visits and trips with the grandkids.   So we'll continue to hang on to it.  Hard to believe it's 12 years old already, seems like just the other day we drove it brand new off the dealer's lot.  It's got a little wear and tear on it but there is a lot of life and miles left in it.  Hopefully I have the same!  :c)

 

Didn't See This One Coming

Semper Gumby, our motto (Always Flexible).  It has been put to the test once again.

My 97 year old father has had some serious health issues that have changed his lifestyle, the last one was when he fell and broke his hip while visiting us last summer.  The hip is doing very well, but it came with a variety of new challenges, he needs a walker and wheelchair to get around and no longer can dress or bath himself, let alone drive a car or cook meals.  He's also having some mental decline with memory issues.  He can no longer live by himself.  The "joys" of getting older.

We had worked out a  good plan to take care of him with my brother and SIL, rotating Dad back and forth every couple of months between their home in NJ and our home in South Carolina.  Unfortunately that didn't work out, because my brother still works, so a lot of the care issues fell on my SIL.  After a couple of weeks they realized they could not handle Dad's care.

The solution?  Dad is back here with us in SC permanently.  It is a new challenge taking care of him, nothing we can't handle with both of us retired, but it requires one of us (usually me) to be with him at all times.  I handle the dressing and bathing and Marti ensures we provide Dad with his favorite meals and oversees all his meds and health care needs.

Basically, it has locked us down and we can't go anywhere and do things like we used to unless we bring Dad along with us.  Every time we do take him out to eat or shop it tires him out so mostly we stay home.  So the Journey sits in a nearby storage lot unused.  I do go there and check on it, run the generator and engine every couple of weeks and take it for a short spin.  I can't let it be neglected.  We do miss our travels in it and are not able to make any travel plans in it for the foreseeable future.

So it's a lot of sitting with Dad watching Hallmark movies along with a steady diet of Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy at night.  It's hard seeing Dad decline after being an amazing brilliant man, but Marti and I are happy to be able to love and care for him in these twilight years. Family first.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.   

Just a Quick Update

This has been an unusual summer, for sure.  Sometimes you don't see the curveball coming your way, but when it hits, you have to deal with it.

After we returned from our cruise, I had looked forward to giving some love to the Journey and even going away for a weekend or two.  I have a maintenance project list to keep it in good shape.

All that changed in an instant.

My 96 year old Dad came down from NJ for a week long visit mid July.  Normally he has been living with my brother and SIL in NJ.  They had a planned vacation in Europe, so we welcomed my Dad to stay with us.

After the first two days with us, Dad got up and bent over to make his bed.  He lost his balance, fell and broke his hip.  On the way to the floor, somehow, he also sliced his ear open on a bedside table.  I ran into his room and found him on the floor in agony, with blood all over.  Amazing how an ear can bleed.

The usual then took place.  An ambulance ride to the ER, then a stitching up of his ear.  X-rays, CT scan and then surgery the next day for a partial hip replacement.

So I've been pretty much by his side 24/7 ever since.  Sleeping in the hospital next to him for a week, then in the rehab hospital for two more weeks.  After release from the rehab hospital, it was outpatient rehab three times a week.  We've completed that and he is getting around pretty well with his walker and occasional wheelchair use.

Since he has limits on how he can and can't bend, I have to help him dress, undress and shower.  If he should move in the wrong way, he could dislocate the hip and we'd have to start hospital and rehab all over again.  Nope, don't want to do that!

We've kept him active, taking him out at least somewhere every day, sometimes just to the store, but we've been to a couple of high school football games, band concerts, church, dinners and so on.  I've even taken him with me to the USO where I volunteer and also to the gun range to shoot a few holes in a paper target (he did amazingly well, the last time he fired a gun was in WWII).  He's been enjoying watching the Hallmark Channel on TV most nights, too.

Looks like next weekend, we'll be able to take him home to NJ, just in time to see the leaves turning.  He's looking forward to going back to my brother's.  We've decided since he can no longer live on his own, we'll rotate hin back and forth from NJ to here in SC every couple of months, giving him a change of pace and a break for us caretakers.  It's a lot of work, but you have to take care of your family.

One thing, though, we don't let him make the bed anymore!  :cD

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Well, we certainly cruised in much more luxury than the pirates of old did.  We sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas.

Funny, back in 2007 when I was on an assignment in Finland, I visited a shipyard where the Oasis was being built.  I thought at that time it would be great to cruise on it someday.  Little did I know then that I really would.

We sailed with Marti's sister Gail and our daughter Heather and two grandsons Andrew and Own.

We booked two side by side balcony cabins and enjoyed the views both in island ports and at sea.

The  Oasis is the second largest cruise ship in the world.  It has all kinds of amazing things on it, like a tree lined park,

and a grand concourse.

There is even a beautiful classic automobile on the concourse.  No you can't drive it, but if you could there is plenty of room on the ship to do so.  Any guesses on what this car is?

The ship has some amazing activities on board, like a rock climbing wall.  The boys had a ball scaling the cliffs.

A zip line over the park.  No way was I going to do this, I left it to Andrew and Owen.

The Flow Rider on the stern of the ship is where brave passengers could try their hand at surfing.

We visited the Bahamas where the boys got a chance to try out their driving skills.

At a port call at St. Thomas we took a tour of the island on an open air bus.

The views around the island were amazing.

Another port call was to St. Martin/Sant Maateen, an island that is half Dutch and half French.  We booked a private tour and were saddened to see all the damage still unrepaired from last year's hurricanes that hit the island.  Wrecked buildings,

devastated marinas with scores of wrecked boats.

Even Captain Jack Sparrow was not spared, looks like he will be shopping for a new ship.

Fortunately, the island is starting to bounce back, with tourism helping to fuel the repairs.  Shops were open with loads of goodies and souvenirs

And local wildlife were doing their part to put dollars in the pockets of the islanders.

It was a great cruise, all seven days of it and the boys are still talking about how much they loved it.  Sounds like a good reason to book another cruise next year if you ask me.  😎

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.