Never underestimate the power of positive sniveling! It actually warmed up a bit in Fort Lauderdale yesterday, and it looks like the worst of this cold spell is about over. The forecast for the next three days is for highs in the mid-70s, and sunshine! Whatever will we do?

Yesterday morning J.C. and Beverly Webber came by to say goodbye and pick up a bundle of Gypsy Journals to drop off at their next stop, then they headed on down the road toward Marathon Key.

After they left, Terry and I ran some errands, stopping at the post office, bank,  and WalMart. I have to be honest and say that even if the weather was good, this area is just too darned busy for our taste. We much prefer a slower pace, and this is a big city, with all of the hustle and bustle that any big city has.

Paradise Island is a clean RV park, and the staff are all very friendly and helpful, but it’s an older place, with very tight spaces, and for us it’s really just a convenient place to park while we visit our friends Jim and Chris Guld from Geeks on Tour. If we wanted to play tourist in this area, it would be a good base from which to do so.

Fort Lauderdale is called the “Venice of America” because of the more than 300 miles of waterways that wind past parks, estates, and luxury hotels. If it was warmer, I’d have my Sea Eagle PaddleSki in the water doing some exploring while we’re here!

For some reason, I had started feeling really puny while we were out, and it felt like my cold or flu from a couple of week ago was returning. Back at the motorhome, I took some Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Formula and took a nap. I woke up an hour or so later, and felt better, so whatever it was seems to have passed.

I called my daughter Tiffany in Arizona and we talked a little bit about what the grandkids wanted for Christmas, and then I went online and ordered a couple of items for them. Isn’t online shopping great? No parking places to find, no crowds pushing and shoving, no packages to wrap, and no long lines at the post office to stand in. Isn’t technology a wonderful thing?

So many people seemed to enjoy the link I posted to a You Tube video about Florida snowbirds in Tuesday’s blog that I found a new one to make you giggle. This isn’t a video, just a funny holiday parody that appealed to my warped sense of humor, so turn up your sound and enjoy!

Chris has been working hard on our website relocation, and tells me she’s making headway. I’m glad she’s the one doing all of this confusing technical stuff, because I get a headache just thinking about it!

Chris and Jim are a real RV success story. When we first met several years ago, they were in the early days of operating their mobile computer education business, and since then we have watched the Geeks on Tour grow into the recognized experts in the RV world. Their seminars are popular at RV rallies nationwide, and they have taught literally thousands of RVers how to get the most out of their computers. They also offer online education for those who can’t make it to one of their seminars. Check out their website to learn more.

Thought For The Day – Wealth is a crutch for those who can’t handle poverty.

Register Now For Our Arizona Gypsy Gathering Rally

Would somebody please check their calendar and let me know what month it is? My calendar swears that it’s the middle of June, but that can’t be right, because yesterday it was so gray and gloomy that I’m sure it must be sometime in November!

I have been busy working on the new issue of the paper all week, but I did take a couple of hours off last night to go to the Verizon store for their free class on how to use my new Blackberry Storms’ many features. I’m amazed at how much they can cram into such a small package. I’ve only had the smart phone for a few days, but I’m more impressed with it every day.

Isn’t technology a wonderful thing? By simply turning on my computer, I can plan a trip, buy a book, do my banking, keep in touch with family and friends all over the country, and participate in online forums on anything and everything under the sun.

I have made friends with RVers from different internet forums, and have had online conversations with them for years. Some I have met eventually in our travels, while others are still out there waiting to cross paths.

My favorite RV forum is the Escapees Discussion Forum, which should be the first place any new RVer logs onto, as well as those with years of experience. Whenever I have a question about anything, whether it is RV related or in things like selecting my new Blackberry, I make a post on the appropriate section of the Escapees forum and usually within minutes the replies start arriving. I try to return the favor by answering other folks’ questions anytime I have input I can share.  According to the Escapees statistics, I have made over 2,200 posts since I joined the forum in 2002.

Another RV forum with a lot of very good information is IRV2. I don’t log on there as much as I do Escapes, because there are only so many hours in a day, and Miss Terry insists I do some work now and then. I particularly like the Owners Forums on IRV2, where you can get input on just about any brand of RV from people who own them.

I seldom go onto the RV.net forum, just because I can’t spend my whole life online, but it is another popular site with a lot of RVers I know.

Every forum seems to have its own personality. The Escapees forum is pretty friendly, but I have known several people who have left the RV.net forum because they got flamed by some self-appointed critic for innocent posts. Unfortunately, this can happen on any forum, and newbies are sometimes especially targeted before they learn the ropes.

When we were building our MCI bus conversion, I spent a lot of time on the bus conversion forums, but I seldom go onto them any more. I learned a lot, but there are too many guys on them with what I call “Mine’s Bigger” syndrome, and they get tiresome. 

What RV forums and websites do you frequent on a regular basis?

Thought For The Day – Don’t take guilt trips. There are much better destinations available.

Register Now For Our Ohio Gypsy Gathering Rally