Today is a very special day for myself and Miss Terry. It’s our twelfth anniversary, and we still feel (and often act) like newlyweds. This was not the first marriage for either of us, and believe me, it was not something that either one of us was looking for, or expected to happen. But isn’t that the way it sometimes goes? We often find the best things in life when we least expect them.

I’m a very fortunate man to be able to live this dream life that I have, to make a living doing something most people can only dream of, and to be able to share it with my best friend in the world. And tonight I’m taking my best girl out for a nice, romantic dinner. I love you, Terry.

Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk writing when suddenly a volley of gunshots went off right outside our motorhome! That will make your blood pressure shoot way up! I wasn’t sure what was happening, but in today’s world who knows? As it turns out, we didn’t have a crazed mass murderer running wild through the park. It was an America Legion Honor Guard firing a gun salute as part of a memorial service for one of the park’s residents who recently passed away. Geez, they should warn a guy before they do things like that!

Little things like gunplay never bother Miss Terry. She spent part of the day yesterday installing one of the new day/night shades in our bedroom, and discovered that it was more of a job then she had expected. Of course, it didn’t help that the company that supplied the blinds did not send any mounting hardware or installation instructions. But she eventually figured it out.

To prove that there isn’t much she can’t do, Terry also decided to make a batch of Asiago cheese bagels. This was only the second time in her life that she had made bagels, and she said her first attempt years ago produced something more akin to hockey pucks than food. But not this time! They turned out yummy! 

I received two different e-mails from readers yesterday about the problems they are having securing financing for RVs. One person is a retired Marine officer with excellent credit, and he has been using the same bank for years. They financed his current motorhome, which he has a lot of equity in, and he said his bank was ready to approve the loan on the new unit until they realized that he is a fulltimer, with no “fixed” residence. Then they turned him down.

The other e-mail was from a gentleman who said his credit union would not finance the fifth wheel he and his wife live in fulltime, but they would refinance his truck. As he said, “Go figure – I can drive the truck away easier than pulling away my fifth wheel!”

I have no idea how the bean counters at financial institutions think, or why they make the decisions that they do, but I did recommend that both of these men call Eileen Gilmore at Alliant Credit Union at (773) 462-9642 and tell her I told them to call. After the financial setback we had from Terry’s cancer, and being self-employed fulltimers, even our own bank, that we’ve used for over 25 years, would not talk to us when we were RV shopping.

But, Eileen got us financed in no time at all, because she took the time to listen to us, look at our credit history, and do the extra work to get us taken care of. I don’t get a penny from referring anybody to Eileen, and she is not an advertiser. I just like to help spread the word about good business people who go the extra mile for their customers.

Of course, Bad Nick just likes to spread controversy, so he posted a new Bad Nick Blog titled Can He Walk On Water Too? Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – Procrastination is the thief of time.

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After spending the weekend cooped up inside the bus, yesterday I wanted to get out and breathe in some fresh air. We ran a couple of errands, stopped to talk to a dealer about a Winnebago Ultimate Advantage we saw for sale at a car dealer’s lot in Goshen, and decided that they would rather double talk and play games than just give us a price so we could say yes or no.

What is it with these guys anyway? I told them I wanted a price I could take to my credit union, and instead of giving me that price, they wanted me to make an offer, put down a deposit, and fill out a credit application. I told them I wasn’t interested in their financing, I would arrange my own, just give me a price. No, it was their way or the highway. We chose the highway.

Later in the afternoon we came upon a 2004 Alfa SeeYa 40 foot diesel pusher at another lot and decided to check it out. To be honest, we had never given the Alfa’s a lot of thought. Our friends Earl and Sami Aeverman, on whose RV lot we squatted in Aransas Pass, Texas for several weeks last winter, have an Alfa and they love it. After spending an hour or so poking into every nook and cranny on this coach, I can see that’s there’s a lot to love.

I don’t think we’ve been in any motorhome that has so much storage and feels to open and airy. The overall fit and finish was good, we liked the layout, and while there were a few things that weren’t exactly what we had envisioned in our next RV, there were more positives than negatives.

And wonder of wonders, the salesman was straightforward, answered all of our questions, and when he didn’t know an answer, he didn’t try to bulls&%@ us, he just said “I don’t know, to be honest with you.” I can appreciate and respect that. We’re not jumping into anything, but we’re doing our research and have added Alfa to our short list.

Since I still wasn’t ready to go home, we stopped to check out a gun shop with an indoor shooting range located a few miles from Elkhart Campground. Finding a place to shoot while traveling can be a problem, and I was pleased to see that they have a very nice facility. We’re in a saving mindset, so I really had to drag myself away from a great deal they offered me on a new AR-15 rifle they had in stock. I have absolutely no use for it, but did I mention that it was a heck of a deal?

Back at the bus, we had an e-mail from Michael and Christi Hargis telling us about a cover story Christi had in the August issue of Bus Conversions magazine. We have not met Michael and Christy yet, but we feel like we know them from their excellent website and blog. Michael will be performing at our Arizona Gypsy Gathering rally next year in Yuma, and we’re really looking forward to seeing his show.

We never get bored when we’re in a campground, because the neighbors always give us a lot to talk about. Late in the afternoon a fifth wheel pulled in a couple of sites down from us, and we noticed that the couple in it was standing outside looking confused. Their problem was obvious, they had pulled in on the wrong side of the utility pedestal, so it was on the curb side of their RV, while the utility bay is on the driver’s side.

Finally, after they stood there looking lost and confused for quite some time, I walked over and asked if they needed any help. “Our water hose and cord are too short” the woman said.

“Actually, you pulled in on the wrong side of the pedestal,” I told them. “Just pull out and make a big circle turn and come back in on the other side and you’ll be fine.” They talked it over for a while, so I went back inside, and a while later the man got in his truck, started it up, and made a big circle, just as I suggested. And then he pulled up on the wrong side of the pedestal again, jus where he had been before! And his water hose and electric cord were still too short! Go figure.

Thought For The Day – Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

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