Terry and I are still feeling crappy. I suspect that what we thought was a cold may be the flu. Whatever it is, it sucks.  We had better get well soon, because we’re about out of meds, and we both have cabin fever.

I’d like to say that I’m taking advantage of the downtime to get a lot of work done, but the truth is that my head has just been too foggy to get much accomplished. I tried writing a couple of stories over the last two days, but when I went back to read them, even I could not make any sense of what I was trying to say.

I also spent some time working on the schedule for our upcoming Arizona Gypsy Gathering rally in Yuma in March. Unfortunately, a couple of our regular seminar presenters won’t be there, due to scheduling conflicts. Mac McCoy has to be in Perry, Georgia for the FMCA convention the next week, and that doesn’t allow him any traveling time, so I’m afraid we won’t have his Fire Safety seminar. This will be the first time Mac has missed one of our rallies, but we understand the logistics that will keep him away.

I’m always looking for new seminar topics, so if you have an idea for a seminar you’d like to see, or if you have one you would like to present, send me an e-mail and tell me about it.

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For years I have done a seminar on working the road, based upon my book Work Your Way Across The USA.  But now I’m trying to put together a seminar on small businesses that RVers can operate as they travel. There are a lot of things out there that can be done from an RV, from flea market vending, to internet based businesses, RV repair, and more. If you operate a business from the road, and would care to share an idea or two, please e-mail me at editor@gypsyjournal.net.

While we’re on the subject of RV related businesses, a while back a fellow named Gary Smith, who operates an RV awning repair business in Oregon, contacted me and asked me to review a new fourteen set DVD course that teaches people how to start their own RV awning repair business. I must say that I was very impressed with Gary’s program, and if I were a handy person looking for a small RV related business to start, this is one I’d really consider.

The DVDs explain the basics of the business, including how to get started,  proven advertising techniques that have served Gary for over 20 years, and in depth explanations on how to do everything from replacing window awnings, to RV awning hardware repair, replacing awning fabric, screen rooms, and more. After watching Gary’s careful explanations and demonstrations, I think even I could swap out an awning if I had to!

Gary says that besides the DVD course, buyers can contact him anytime they run into a problem with an awning repair or installation for his expert advice on how to get the job done.

How impressed was I with Gary’s program? Enough that when we get back to Arizona, I’m going to talk to my son-in-law about the possibility of him setting up his own awning repair business!

To learn more about Gary’s RV Awning Repair Course, click the link and check it out. If you decide this might be a good business idea for you, call Gary at (541) 247-0185 and tell him I sent you, and he’ll give you a discount off the regular price of the course. Give it a look, this might be a good match for you!

While I was moaning and groaning yesterday, Bad Nick took the time to post a new Bad Nick Blog titled And Now, Your Honor. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – Friends are the sailors who guide your rickety boat safely across the dangerous waters of life.

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It’s Black Friday, let the madness begin! For the next month, I will do everything in my power to avoid any WalMart, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, or any of the other big box stores. I just can’t handle the crowds and all of the “happy” holiday shoppers pushing, shoving, and scrabbling to save a buck on something, or to find that perfect Christmas gift for somebody on their shopping list. Bah humbug!

I’m not against Christmas, but we have gotten so far away from the reason for the holiday that these days, it is all about the almighty dollar. It wears me out very fast.

Miss Terry says she’s feeling somewhat better today, and I think I’m on the upswing too. I spent most of yesterday doing the same thing I did the day before, sleeping a lot and sniveling even more.

Our friends Joe and Marcia Jones came by to say hello, and we visited for a little bit before they went over to the activity center for the big Thanksgiving dinner. We stayed home, because neither of us felt like being in a crowd of people, and because we didn’t want to make everybody else sick too.

We watched some movies on the Hallmark channel, and Terry made us a delicious anchovy aioli pasta dinner, with homemade Italian bread. Who says you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving anyway? Do I look like a pilgrim to you?

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In the evening, my daughter called from Show Low, Arizona, and while I was talking to her, Terry’s mom called from Apache Junction. We miss our families during the holidays, but I have to be honest and admit that I really do like having a quiet day at home too.

We’re only going to be here at the Escapees campground a couple more days, because we are scheduled to go back to the Orlando Thousand Trails on Sunday, so we can get the Blue Ox base plate installed on the Explorer next week at Camper Connection. I’m hoping that we’ll get to feeling well enough to hit some of the local RV parks around here and drop off sample bundles of the Gypsy Journal before we leave.

Somebody wrote to ask me if I wasn’t worried about not having our whole winter booked up here in Florida, and if we were going to be able to find a campground to get into, once all of the snowbirds start flocking in during the next few weeks.

We’re really not concerned, we purposely have not booked any long term stays anywhere, because we want to be able to bounce around and do whatever we feel like doing, wherever we feel like doing it, while we’re here. Between Thousand Trails preserves, Escapee campgrounds, Passport America, Elk and Moose lodges, and VFW posts that welcome traveling members, we figure we can always find somewhere to park.

We’ve had to be someplace at some certain time for so much of the last few years that we are really enjoying the freedom of not having a schedule. The only place we have to be is Yuma in early March, for our Arizona Gypsy Gathering rally.  Hey, if worse comes to worse, there is always Camp WalMart! Wherever we end up, we’ll be together, and that’s all that matters, right?

Thought For The Day – When you’re willing to be seen as someone who makes mistakes and has flaws, you’re essentially telling yourself being human isn’t something to be ashamed of.

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The last month has been so chaotic that it seems like we were always on the go, pushing deadlines, or dealing with one problem after another. Yesterday, we had a much needed quiet day, and it did wonders to rejuvenate both of us!

We slept in, then just stayed warm and cozy snuggling under the covers, talking, and putting off starting our day as long as possible. The temperature had dropped down to 29 degrees overnight, and the day’s high was only in the mid-50s, with a gloomy gray sky. Except for a quick walk down to the dumpster, we never even stepped outside all day long.

The day passed peacefully, watching TV, browsing the internet, and I even laid down on the couch for a quick nap late in the afternoon. In short, it was a lazy day! We all need those now and then.

I mentioned the many deer that live here at the Thousand Trails preserve in yesterday’s blog. They provided quite a bit of entertainment as we watched them cavorting around our campsite. Some of the yearlings chased each other around like so many children playing tag, and it was obvious that they were having a lot of fun. We had fun just enjoying the show!

After close to a month without television, I sure am enjoying having the new automatic Winegard rooftop dish. We watched several holiday movies on the Hallmark channel, and caught up on the news broadcasts, to see who we’re at war with this week.

I spent an hour or two catching up on paperwork, and logging in several new reservations for our Arizona Gypsy Gathering rally. For some reason, people who use Firefox as their internet web browser are having problems registering online, but if they use Internet Explorer or another browser, everything works fine.

We have almost 80 registrations already, and we already have over 20 vendors registered who will be selling everything from tire pressure monitoring systems to jewelry, RV cleaning supplies, Fantastic vents, computer accessories, RV insurance, windshield repair, and more. I think this is going to be a big one, folks!

Miss Terry made us a delicious dinner, and we spent the evening doing what we had done all day long, which was not much of anything. Some people would call a day like this wasted, and back in my old workaholic days, I’d have felt guilty for not doing anything productive all day long. But it sure was nice not to have to do anything we didn’t want to do. I just may do the same thing again today!

Thought For The Day – Life is messy. Wear your apron!

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