Because We Can - Fulltime RV'ing
- Ruthsarian :
- Home :
- Today's Journal :
- Where We Are #2917 :
- Who We Are :
- Contact Us :
Journal Archive 5/1 - 5/10 2013
Scroll down to read the latest post
Wednesday May 1 Sacramento, California
Music Day
Noticing Red was extra active this morning, I thought it would be a good opportunity to take his photo. It probably would have been if I knew how to take fish photos. Or if I had cleaned the outside of his aquarium. Or if he hadn't decided the camera was an intruder and kept swimming toward it, flaring, swimming away, darting back at it and never ever once turning sideways and holding still. For being such beautiful fish, Bettas sure are hard to photograph. Looks like I can't take a good photo of either my beautiful wife or my beautiful fish. Guess I should be happy I didn't get and bu## shots of Red. With my luck he'd probably take after Linda and give me a glare instead of a flare. Poor Bob.
Just to prove that first bad photo was not a fluke, here is another bad fish photo. Disclaimer: It is my fish and my aquarium. Linda is in no way responsible for cleaning the outside of the aquarium. Linda keeps the rest of the coach nice and clean. Any deviation from clean and orderly is due to Bob.
Just like last year all over again. A terrific trumpeter making his entrance for the middle school band concert.
Proud boy. Proud grandparents.
In each of our lives we can remember a person who made a difference. Someone who made us feel special, someone who helped make us who we are today. For Zachary, Mrs. Baum, his vice-principal has been that person. There are very special people in the world and she is truly one of them.
Thursday May 2 Sacramento, California
Game Day
As we were driving to our granddaughter Lindsay's softball game, Linda couldn't resist taking a photo of downtown Sacramento as we crossed the bridge over the Sacramento River. It seems like regularly doing this was a lifetime ago, and in a way it was. We don't miss all the traffic one bit. The restaurants and live theater are another story, but even that doesn't begin to compare to the adventure of traveling in our current Life.
Lindsay, catcher par excellence. No passed balls. No stealing of second.
Catcher and pitcher and coach. In the field the girls try to keep the other team from getting on base. At bat they try to get on base. Coaches coach to make it happen.
Linda really liked this photo she took. Smart Bob for posting it.
Her team down 0-2 since the first inning, Lindsay hit a solid double in the sixth to drive in her teams first run and make it 1-2. In the seventh, which is the last inning, her team scored two runs and won the game 3-2. It doesn't get better than that.
On the way back to the RV park after the game we drove by our old house. Interestingly enough neither of us felt any emotion even though we had owned it for nearly 30 years.
It was shortly after we had stopped for groceries that I asked Linda if she wanted to eat at Arby's. "YES!" Enough said and so we did. It was a pleasant way to end a great day. But then, every day is a great day if you have the right attitude.
Friday May 3 Sacramento, California
Another Day
I couldn't help but notice how nice Linda's hair looked this morning. Partly down her back, partly to the front. After all these years she still brings a smile to my face with little things like this. And yes, I know it wasn't in any way intentional, but that is what always makes such things so neat. The first time I met her I knew there was something different about her, I just couldn't figure out what it was. Over the years I've come to understand what it was and still is. It is just Linda being Linda. Lucky Bob.
We are in Sacramento to spend time with our family, and that is what we have been doing. Tonight Zachary came up to me and whispered, "I'm as tall as Aunt Jenny." You can see what happened next, and indeed he is. One of those milestones along the road of Life.
Not every day is filled with non-stop excitement, but every day is what you make it.
Saturday May 4 Sacramento, California
Yard Sale Day
We decided to do something a little different this morning, we drove around stopping at yard sales. Linda had a list of places she got off the Internet, but we soon found it was easier to just look for signs in residential areas. Most turned out to be busts, but every once in while we would stumble onto a gem. A gem meaning they had something other than mostly junk or mostly little kids clothes and toys. There sure are a lot of people who don't plan on having any more kids. The above photo ended up on Linda's camera, and knowing what is good for me, I'll post it.
A woman with her purchases, or I should say purchase. That's our GPS she has in her other hand. To satisfy your curiosity, her only purchase was a 75 cent microwave popcorn popper since we needed to replace our old one. A few nights ago Linda decided to make microwave popcorn. My mind was on something else at the time, at least at the time she put it in the microwave.
Later I noted she was beside me and a burnt smell was seeming to overwhelm the area around where I was sitting. That was about the time I noticed smoke rising from the trash can. I looked at her. She glared at me. I opened my mouth. She growled "Don't ask." I didn't. Now we have a new to us popper and I still haven't asked. And I never will. Smart Bob.
Sunday May 5 Sacramento, California
Truly A Nothing Day
We must have over done the Yard Sale thing yesterday. Linda was a bit under the weather and I had no energy so we did nothing. Nothing as in we never even opened the door of the coach. Nothing as in Linda spent much of the day resting on the couch. Nothing as Bob took no photos. It was truly, a nothing day, as I have nothing to write about.
Monday May 6 Sacramento, California
Rainy Day
Rain, we had rain today. Pain, we had pain today. As far as the rain it was light in the morning and heavy in the evening. As far as the pain it was light in the morning and gone by the evening. Linda is feeling much better, and that is good.
Whenever I download Linda's photos I never know what to expect. On occasion I post one that defies description. This is one of those times. Linda was outside taking photos. Linda took this photo, or at least her camera did. I can only assume that what looks like hair is Linda's hair. It isn't the color of her's, nor is it the length of hers, but if it isn't hers, who's or what is it? Another of the never answered mysteries of being married to Linda.
One of the photos Linda was taking. It is nothing like the previous photo. What can I say? Maybe just: That's all for today.
Tuesday May 7 Sacramento, California
Track Day
A little repair work across the way. It's a coach very similar to ours, just a year or two newer. Windshield wiper mechanism replacement is what is happening. We were lucky and got ours done under warranty a few months before Monaco declared bankruptcy some years back. We lucked out on that one.
We walked over to Office Depot so Linda could take care of several things. As always we ended up with something that wasn't on the list. In this case it as a gardenia from in front of the store. I like the smell of gardenias. Linda likes the smell of gardenias. Next thing I know she was saying something about one of the blossoms falling into to her hand. If you believe that I've got a bridge you can buy. What can I say, it was just Linda being Linda.
Track day, this time it was the semi-finals. Zachary did an awesome job, qualifying for the finals in the 1600, 800 and 4x400 relay. He's on the bubble for the long jump and we should know tomorrow if he makes the finals in that event. He had a personal best in the both the 1600 and long jump, so even if he doesn't make it in the long jump he knows he tried his very best.
My job is record his lap times. Looks like I did a good job.
Flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Look! Up in the sky, it's Super Zach.
You did great Zachary. Grandma and grandpa are very proud of you.
Wednesday May 8 Sacramento, California
Softball Day
A few days ago I wrote about Mrs. Baum who is a special person in Zachary's Life. Today we were over at our oldest daughter's house and I saw this picture on the wall. Aunt Fern and Unky weren't my grandparents but they gave me every bit as much love as any grandparent ever could. And I am a better person today of that love. Thankful Bob.
It was Lindsay's last high school softball game of the season as her team lost a league playoff game to get in the section playoffs. Everyone played their hardest but it wasn't enough. As for our granddaughter, she batted fourth in the clean up position and got on base every time up. Two extra base hits including being thrown out at home trying to stretch a triple into a homer. If it sounds like bragging it's okay. That's what proud grandpa's do.
Meanwhile back at the house, while I went to Lindsay's game, Linda stayed home and played soccer mom. After Linda picked her up at school, younger sister Abby enjoyed her usual after school snack of ice cream and toppings. Linda later confessed she found some cookies so Abby didn't have to eat alone. Special Linda
Next Linda took Abby to her batting lesson. Just like her big sister, Abby gets many extra base hits. And if it sounds like I am bragging again, I am.
You did great Lindsay and Abby. Grandma and grandpa are very proud of you.
Thursday May 9 Sacramento, California
Open House Day
Zachary went shopping with grandma today and bought a cube to put his clothes in. It wasn't any problem as far as he was concerned that it needed to be put together. He got out his tools, opened the package, made sure all the parts were there, then read through the instructions to see how it went together. Then he followed those instructions step by assembling the cube. My job was to hold the pieces together when it came time to put the screws in. To say he did a great job doesn't even begin to say how proud I was of Zachary. Thank you Zachary for being my grandson.
Tonight was open house at Zachary's school. Zachary loves history and science. Zachary never did well in math. This year he was placed in several advanced classes including math(meaning the teachers in those classes were exceptional teachers). Zachary's knowledge of those subjects has literally zoomed up, as has his grades. Mediocre teachers blame the students, great teachers inspire their students. Zachary is living proof of that.
I thank Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Mathers for being such inspiring teachers when I was in high school. Linda and I live the Life we do today in no small part due to the subjects I became fascinated with in their classes.
We all have had teachers that inspire and teachers that were terrible. Why as adults do people stick their heads in the sand, stick up for the teachers who shouldn't be teachers, and say it is the student's fault? Those kids are our future, we owe them the best.
This looks like Zachary using an eye dropper on a piece of colored paper. It is and it isn't, so let me tell the rest of the story. Zachary has a science teacher that deserves to be paid extra dollars for the way he inspires the kids. As we were in the classroom I could hear other of his students around us talking just as excitedly about this teacher as Zachary was.
There should also be a photo of Zachary looking around. Making sure none of the lab assistants were looking, then taking a piece of litmus paper out of a tube. Next there were more furtive glances, then a small drop of an acid and a base were placed on opposite ends of the litmus paper. He showed us the change in color at one end, then very carefully picked it up, using his fingers in the dry area at the center of the strip, and disposed of it in the trash container. He had not only been been taught, he had learned. I tell Linda he has turned into a science sponge.
That's what an inspiring teacher does. Oh, as far as his teacher not being in the classroom, so just where was he? He was out in the commons area grilling hamburgers to help raise money for the school Science Olympiad Team that going to the National Finals in Dayton, Ohio after having finished first in California. Great teachers? You really don't have to ask about them. As for who is a mediocre teacher and who is an inspiring teacher, we may not know the difference but their students do.
Friday May 10 Sacramento, California
Nothing Day
It was a nothing day. We did nothing worth writing about. And other than Linda pointing out my failings several times, and justifiably so, we really had no interesting conversations. It was a real day of living the full time Life. A day much like one that might occur in a regular life.
For those who think that embarking on the full time journey through life will solve all their problems, it won't. For those who think the full time Life as a never ending adventure, it is. It just may not be the adventure you thought it would be. Let me end by saying neither of us would ever trade this Life for living the way we used to. As the saying goes: You must make the choice to take a chance to make a change. If you do nothing, nothing will happen.
Daily Journal
Contact
Living Our Life
Neat Things
