March 3, 2012 ~ Saturday upate from Nov 5 ~ March 2

WELL....it's been a LONG time but we are OFFICALLY back on the road again.


Sadly enough, Judy's Dad passed on November 12, 2011 related to complications from multiple meyloma.  (My Dad died from the same thing and both our Mom's died of lung cancer...what are the odds of that?)


We stayed in Tucson through the end of December as Judy's sister from PA came back for a week at Christmas.  She had already booked the tickets before their dad passed and his house hadn't sold so she went ahead and came back for Christmas.  She and her bf, Eric went to a movie on Christmas day and I cooked a big turkey with all the trimmings at Judy's Dad's house.  It was a sad Christmas but dinner was good!


Judy had tripped over some broken cement at the RV park we were staying in and fell with Ruby in her arms.  Ruby ended up with a broken foot and had to be in a cast or splint for the next three months.......how on earth can it take three months for a three pound dog's foot to heal.  We are SO GLAD she is out of the casts and back on her feet again...SHE seems so much happier again too!


I PRAY I never have to be in AZ in the summer ever again.....weather wise, it was totally MISERABLE!  The only good thing about the heat was hanging our laundry out on the line to dry....I LOVED that.....


We decided to get a bigger 5th wheel as we decided the 30 foot one was just too small and crowded.  I had gotten fairly comfortable driving it so I was ready for a bigger one.  We found one on line at the same dealer in OR that we bought the first one from and made a deal for it over the phone.  We left the end of December for OR to pick it up.


We got just over the AZ/CA border and the next morning we heard the Santa Anna winds were blowing really hard (50-80mph) and part of the road was closed to high profile vehicles (that would be US) so we went  up through Las Vegas.  We spent New Years Eve there and because we AREN'T crazy, we didn't go onto the stip that night but we did watch the fireworks from our RV site.  I saw a couple of my scrapbook friends and an old friend from HS while we were there so that was extra, unexpected fun!


We made it to OR without any trouble at all.  The ONLY snow we saw was far away on Mt. Shasta as we passed it.  We were sending up prayers of gratitude for the clear roads as we drove over them.


We traded in our 5th wheel and are IN LOVE with our new home on wheels.  It's a little over 37 feet long.
http://www.tacomarv.com/rv/keystone/fifthwheel/915/Keystone_Montana_3580RL


Ours has a black and tan interior....we took out the sofa and put in Judy's recliner....there is a dog crate on each side of it for her to put her stuff on and the third crate is between the two recliner chairs on the very end.  We still walk around it, telling each other how much we LOVE our new home.


It's a little nerve wracking to tow it yet but that will pass with time....I'm still figuring out where the end of the trailer will be when I turn, etc.


We had to spend 3 nights at the RV lot while everything was done and we got moved in.  My daughter, Tammy and her bf, Brandon and a HS friend of mine and her husband, Cheryl and Jeff all helped us with the move.  We just stored everything inside the new unit that we could and then towed it to the RV park we were going to spend the next month in so we could put things away at our leisure.


The first night, Judy got her bed ready in her recliner, I got my bed ready and we called it a day.  We spent the next day or so getting everything organized.  I had lined all the shelves with that rubbery shelf liner, putting sticky stuff under it to hold it in place, which is a royal pain to do but it  makes it so nice when you use the RV. 


One of the things I love the MOST in this new unit is the closet by the front door.  You CAN  put a stackable washer and dryer in there but we are  using it for storage, coat and shoe closet.  That keeps all the junk away from the front door which I LOVE.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the island and the kitchen area is like a small apt. kitchen and SO EASY to use.


I didn't think we'd need the fireplace BUT soon discovered it's wonderful for Judy to use in the living room area which doubles as her bedroom since she HAS to sleep in her recliner because of her back.  She likes it a little warmer than I do so I can stay cooler up here without freezing her out.


We were in Eugene about a week when I got a horrible sinus infection.  I NEVER go to the doctor for antibx with those but this time, I was flat on my back in bed and totally miserable.  After coaxing (a nice way to say nagging) from Judy and my friend Cheryl, I finally gave in and drove myself to Urgent Care.  I got scripts for meds and took them to the pharmacy we normally use.  I got them filled and headed home.  I was on a four lane highway (two lanes in each direction...55 mph speed limit) headed for the exit I needed to get on I-5 and go the few miles to the RV park we were staying in.


I was talking to my friend Cheryl on the phone...I have bluetooth hands free......when all of a sudden I felt like I was going to  pass out........I said "Something is wrong with me" twice to Cheryl and then told her call 911.  By that time, I could n't see....my vision was black but I hadn't totally passed out as I KNEW I couldn't see.......when I COULD see again my truck was off the road and in park.....I give my guardian angels full credit for THAT!


I realized Cheryl didn't know where I was on the road so I called 911 myself and then I couldn't think for the life of me the name of the highway I was on......I've only drove over that road for a MILLION years and so I had to tell her where I WAS and where I was going for her to find me.......I kept nearly passing out and coming back......when I saw the firetruck and the ambulance pull in behind me, I thought to myself "When is the next time you see flashing lights pull in behind you and be GLAD to see them!"   They got me in the ambulance and my heart rate was 200.....the old SVT but I'd never had it come on like THAT before.......they took me to the hospital, Cheryl picked up Judy and brought her over and they were both scared to death, not knowing what was wrong with me.  I had NO CLUE it was SVT so I thought I must be dying................I was so scared I cried about it for three days......I saw a cardio doctor and had a cardiac ablation on Feb. 10th.   There is a 95% chance it "cured" me and I won't ever have that problem again.  I was scared before I had the procedure as I couldn't drive until I DID have it and since Judy can't drive, we spent nearly a month having to rely on family and friends to taxi us here and there.


SO, there was a lot riding on that procedure but it was a PIECE OF CAKE.  I felt fine afterwards and no pain at all....even on my leg where they went in the vein.  There was a bruise and even THAT wasn't sore.  I give prayer on my behalf the credit for all that.


In our spare time, Judy saw her doctors, had infusions, med adjusted, etc. 


Yesterday, we were finally able to start our REAL travels again and since you are caught up, I will start "regular" size posts.