Change of Plans - Nov 2019

We were planning on tent camping in Florida for 6+ weeks this winter (Dec-Jan).  We even bought a few supplies including a tent and screened in canopy.  My USAF training told me we wanted to do an “Operational Test and Evaluation”, so I  set it up in the back yard to check it out.

We made reservations at Pinellas County Campground at Fort DeSoto and at Key West for some tent camping.  And we accumulated some supplies and equipment for our next adventure.

Meanwhile we have been also fixing up the house with one project after another and throughly enjoying it.  And watching Pam’s amazing garden grow and product a never ending supply of jalapeños, and some kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, carrots, lettuce, and collard greens.

And we’ve enjoyed some house guests recently and always have fun with the boys.  It is such a delight to see them and spend time with them.  It is really great to be able to drop by their place or have Kelly and Jon and the boys swing by for dinner or dessert or hang out time.

And we’ve been catching up on doctors appointments and such.  One that we’ve been “getting around to” finally, was Pam’s yearly isn mammogram test.  She got it scheduled for October 18 and things have been happening pretty quickly since then...

Rather than belabor the point -- testing (subsequent ultrasound then biopsy) confirmed she has breast cancer.  Stage 1, estrogen positive, HER2 negative, invasive, ductal carcinoma.

Ugh.  OK -- With that news though we have plenty of good news from the testing and are very encouraged by our hope of a successful outcome.

Here’s how we got here and where we are at the moment.

• Mammogram/results - Oct 18/21
• Ultrasound/results - Oct 23/24
• Biopsy/results - Oct 28/Nov 1
• Appointment with the surgeon - Nov 6
• Genetic Testing Appointment - Nov 7
• MRI appointment scheduled for - Nov 14
• Surgery date scheduled for - Nov 18

After surgery (lumpectomy and probable radiation), it will be sent off for further testing.  There are a number of treatments possible with different chemo and depending on the risks, % and likelihood of re-occurrence, they may proceed with some kind of chemo.  

If that occurs (and with the possible loss of hair) Pam adamantly let it be known she will not be wearing a wig.  🙂

How is Pam doing? She’s doing well and handling it all admirably.  Kind of makes her head spin with the news and all the followup with the doctors and such.  But she is positive her faith is strong.  Still - this could kill you and something that will weigh on her I’m sure.

It’s a little weird being the object of other people’s concern, or sympathies (or whatever you call it).  Sometimes it is very uncomfortable “being out there” but we have to remember to let other people help us even if we may not think we need it.  It that makes any sense?

Our overall take is that God is merciful to us. Pam’s life/our life is in his hands. We don’t want to be over dramatic about this -- but this is serious stuff.

At the same time we are quick to remember so many people who have suffered greatly and for a long time with this disease.  In that way it is far different for us.

We have much to be thankful for:

• Detected early
• Small (6mm)
• Slow growing 
• Stage 1 
• Not in her lympnodes or spread anywhere else
• Great care/top notch doctors and nurses
• We are not on the road RVing somewhere 
• We are settled into a home base
• Have an excellent small 100 church (people or so) that is wonderful
• Surrounded by a supportive and helpful group of Christian friends
• Our daughter Kelly is right here and a big help
• Prognosis is very good.  
• There are many treatment options vs “being a mystery or something they have never seen before...”  

I wanted to let our larger “family” of friends and acquaintance know what’s happening (with Pam’s concurrence) since many of you would like to know.  Feel free to reach out and ask anything you like.

In summary, more camping adventures to Florida can wait.  We cancelled our reservations at Fort Desoto and Key West. We need to be here this winter and take care of this.  We have a terrific network of family, friends, neighbors, and church folks.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner(less) Chronicles

Changing Gears, Downsizing, and Questions?

We've thought about this day and it is finally upon us.  We wondered how we'd feel about it when the time finally came to switch things up.  The time is now here.

We're going to be selling the Roadrunner and downsizing.

Depending on how things work out we'll be moving to the next stage of our lives. Getting another but smaller RV is part of our plan at some point, but we have other things on the To-Do List before that happens.

To-Do List for the next few months:

• Sell Roadrunner
• Go to Virginia Beach for a few weeks
• Look for/buy a house? 
• Take a road trip out west?
• Return to VB and find a place
• Buy a used Class C
• More RVing (part-time)

After we get to Virginia Beach, an option for us might be to take a road trip out west.  We're thinking of traveling in the CR-V from Virginia - Arizona and return. We may stay with friends and family along the way.  Then we could return to VB and see where things are.

Here's some questions we've heard so far with some quick answers:

Why are we doing this?  Why now?
We definitely have mixed emotions about this but wouldn't be doing it if we ultimately really didn't want to do this.  The main reason for doing this is to be near and involved in our grandkids lives as they get older.  Harrison will soon be 2 and a couple of weeks after that Brooks will be 4.  They like having us around and we like being with them,  so we feel like now is the time to make some changes.

We also like being near our kids.  We enjoy spending time with Kelly and Jon and working on projects.  Adam and Melissa are only a few hours away too, so that is another bonus.

How Did We Decide on this course of action?

Last summer we started talking out loud about the possibility of changing from full-time to part-time RVers.  We believe grandparents can have a positive impact on kids lives and want to be those grandparents.  We discussed lots of things but the bottom line is that we love RVing and yet love our grandsons more.  The best choice is for us to cut back on our time on the road and spend more time with them.

Are we road-weary?
No!  We love being on the road, but we are focused on a higher priority for the next few years.  We fully intend to continue with RV living as often as we can.  We think that will mean trips every few months for a few weeks.

How do we feel about the change?
Mixed emotions, meaning we loved every minute of full-timing but we need to do this.  We need to be present and move on.  We look forward to the adventures ahead and learning how to "settle down" again.

How long have We Been on the Road?
We have been on the road since May 2009.  Looks like we will end this stint of full-timing just shy of 10 years.

What kind of a place will you get?
We are thinking a small 1100-1500 sq. ft. single family house, not a condo or townhouse.

Do You think you will full-time again?
Don't really know, but we wouldn't be surprised if we do when the boys get older.

Will you keep blogging/writing?
Absolutely!  I have lots of posts that I've started and are begging to be completed. I love writing and am learning a lot with the forthcoming book.

Where are you in the process of selling the Roadrunner?
We have had extensive exchanges with the buyer will get together in a few weeks.  I think they'll be pleased with what they're getting.  It looks like a win-win and we will do what we can to make that happen.  If that doesn't work for some reason, we'll go back to plan A, which is advertise and actively market it beginning in April.

What's next in the coming days? 
Cleaning, polishing, and emptying the Roadrunner, packing up things and preparing the Roadrunner for sale. Also I'm working on our forthcoming book: "The Wonder of RV Living," Roadrunner Chronicles, Vol 1 and continuing to write more blog posts.  We still have so much to tell of the places we've seen and where we've been.  And I have more ideas for the next manuscript.

It's been a real joy and quite a ride.  And we're looking forward to the days ahead.  Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Summer Travel Plans

We started our summer travels and left Virginia Beach on Monday. We were going to overnight at the Fort Criswell RV Campground which is about halfway to Maynardville, TN.  We left early and got through the Elizabeth River Tunnel without incident and on our way to Charlottesville to Interstate 81.

We got to the Criswell area about noon and decided to keep going since we only had about  four hours of driving left.  I started out driving but Pam ended up putting in most of the time behind the wheel which worked out great.

I love being on the road again.  The Roadrunner rides smoothly, has comfortable seats and a big front window and it is a joy to be still living the dream.

We are about to wrap up seven years on the road the end of the month and it has been one great adventure!

After driving all day long, we were a little below half full on the diesel tank so we pulled into a gas station in Tazewell TN.  It cost us $174 to fill up.  I still remember not too long ago and it was twice that to fill up.  While filling up I did a walk around and to my surprise noticed we had dropped a PS rear hub cap somewhere.

 I have no idea how that happened but sadly now have to chase down another one and get that done.

We are going to the Tiffin factory in Red Bay next week so we'll get one there.

We had a nice day driving with some clouds and 60 degree weather.  In the afternoon it cleared up and it was bright and shiny when we rolled into to our camp spot at Mike and Joan's about 4 PM.  Long day but we got a good night's sleep and an extra day here.

While Joan and Pam went out to see their dad, Mike and I tried to hunt down a hub cap.  We came up empty handed but had a good day hanging out together.

Pam and I had a few minutes so we firmed up some reservations along our next couple legs of our summer travels.  We haven't finalized all our plans but we do have the following places on the schedule:

• Roadrunner RV Resort and Campground (Private), Maynardville TN
• Tiffin Factory, Red Bay AL
• Kirk and Susan, Oklahoma City, OK
• Reid and Amy/Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque NM
• Paul and Bobbi, Tehachapi, CA
• Bob and Sue, Yucaipa Regional Park, Redlands CA
• Sequoia National Park, CA
• Yosemite National Park, CA
• Brothers and Wives Reunion at Marty's Cabin, Arnold CA
• Oregon Coast, OR
• Olympia National Park, WA
• Glacier National Park, ID/MT
• Care-A-Vanner Habitat for Humanity Build, Sheridan WY
• Sioux Falls, SD
• Omaha NE
• Elkhart IN
• Philiadelphia PA
• Virginia Beach VA

That translates to something like this:

I am still learning Google Maps and overlaid a number of maps to create this one and got duplicate letters for the destinations.  Something to work on at a later date...but the main point is to create some semblance of a route for our travels the next four months.

That's all for now - Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Maybe we'll see you all the way somewhere?

Blessed to Be Back in Virginia Beach

We arrived back in Virginia Beach last week and are at Dam Neck Annex Sea Mist Campground. Our time here has mainly been spent on spending time with grandson Brooks!

At seven months old he is doing great and a wonder.  We are learning the grandparents thing and loving it.

We haven't been over at daughter Kelly and son-in-law Jon's place everyday but almost.  And we are helping with things around the house as well as taking turns with Brooks.  Nothing like a few hours at a time with that little guy to get a dose of pure love.  He is pretty fantastic!

I love it now that he recognizes people and smiles and coos and yells and crawls around.  Half the time I think he is going to raise up off the ground and start running.  Then we'll all be in trouble.  He can be exhausting.  But I am not telling anything new to you grandparents or new parents out there.  I also notice my arms and shoulders are sore.  Twenty pounds is plenty to be toting or lifting around.

It's fun stuff.

We are close by to the beach.  We listen to the waves hit the shore over the sand dunes 100 yards or so away.  We are loving being near the beach again and Pam tries to go for a walk each morning.

Its a little breezy here today and a overcast at times, but nice fall weather.  A couple of days ago, I got my bike out and took a ride down to Oceanfront and the boardwalk.  Not sure what bridge is near 5th Street, but I took the first two shots near the top of the bridge.

 Then I got down to the bike path and enjoyed it for a while.

Last week Nassar and I got together and played a round of golf at Stumpy Lake Golf Course.  We walked 18 holes and it was great.  Even had a few nice shots between us.  But the more interesting part of our time together was sharing stories of life on the road as full timers.  We last played golf together about 5 years ago with a mutual friend.  At that time Nassar and his wife were on the verge of retiring and getting ready to fulltime.

They have two years of fulltiming and we talked and talked about stories and experiences on the road.  One word I remember him using time again to describe their take on it was --MAGICAL!  He said it more than once.  It has just been magical!

I got to thinking what word I would use?  Regrets? Mistake? Scary? -- Nope.

Or would I use words like:  Amazing? Blessed? Awesome? Yes.

So we are glad to be here and glad to be still doing this.  I am sure things are going to change somewhat but no big ones in sight.  The biggest change we've noticed recently is in our winter schedule.

We plan to be in Florida most of the time but will be coming back to the area a couple of times.  We will probably leave the Roadrunner at a campground and just leave it there and make the drive back to Virginia Beach around the holidays and again for Brooks' first birthday in February.

Since kids are back in school the campgrounds are a little emptier and it may be my imagination but I think there is an excitement building out there as folks make their winter plans and look forward to Arizona and Florida and seeing their snowbird friends!

I know we are looking forward to the next few months and maybe we will be able to see YOU!

Enough for now - thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!