Keys...Precautions...

We have keys....LOTS of keys. Keys to three vehicles. Keys to the RV entry doors. Keys to the RV outside storage bays. Keys to the toolbox on the pickup. Keys to the shed on our property. Keys to the shed on our house. Keys to the deadbolts on the house. Keys to the storm door on the house. Keys to doorknob on the door between the utility room and garage. Keys to Stu's Craftsmen toolboxes. Keys to....well, you get the idea.

This means multiple key rings. I have one set up for the RV, when in Florida or traveling and I have one for the house. Both have keys to the pickup, the only vehicle I drive. Stu has one set for everything but the motorcycle and one for the motorcycle.

Last week he was out riding with our friend, Earl, and they wanted to stop at the house. Stu realized he had the garage door opener but no house key. I had left to do some shopping and was 30 miles away.

So we bought a couple of things to aid our failing memories (and yes, he did add a house key to his motorcycle key ring) and also help if we need to ask someone to access the house when we are away.

First was adding a Universal Garage Door Wireless Opener from LiftMaster. My late husband and I had one and I loved it. (And if I close the garage door while Stu is working in the shed and the side door is locked, oh, and his keys are in the house - VOILA! He can enter). You can read more on the Liftmaster site.

LiftMaster Universal 387LM Keyless Entry

Next was adding a combination Key Safe or LockBox inside the garage. We did this for two reasons. We never lock the doorknob lock on the door between the garage and utility room. Since we already carry too many keys, that is one we don't bother with. But what if someone accidentally locked it?

The key safe is mounted inside the garage and we have stored a copy of the deadbolt key as well as the doorknob key. This way we will never be locked out. Plus, if we need someone to access the house and they don't have keys to it, we can get them inside without having to mail them keys.

Kidde KeySafe Push Button Combination Key Lock Box, 2-Key

Of course we now have number combinations to remember for our house security system, the house safe, the RV safe, the garage door opener and the key safe. LOL! Needless to say, these are written down and accessible via our smart phones thanks to DropBox and a shared folder between us.

Phew! I think we have all contingencies covered...well, for the most part. I'm sure something will come back to bite us in the butt. LOL!

Ciao for now!

Keeping You and Yours Safe From Fire, Smoke, Carbon Monoxide and Flammable Gas

Please take time to read Stu's new post on our other blog and please send the link to all you family and friends. It's important and could save a life!

Keeping You and Yours Safe From Fire, Smoke, Carbon Monoxide and Flammable Gas

What if...

What if something were to happen to you tomorrow? Could your spouse, significant other, traveling partner:

1. Contact the appropriate family members?
2. Find the necessary financial/banking information?
3. Know how to find your will?
4. Know where to find all life insurance contracts?
5. Have access to updating or closing out your blog(s)?
6. Have access to social accounts such as Facebook, Twitter and favorite forums?

If you are a solo traveler, do you carry emergency contact information for someone (family or not) who has the above information? In addition whether solo or not, do you carry emergency contact information? In these days of cell phones, you can add a contact for I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency) and many smart phones have apps for storing all the needed information.

We tend to be somewhat blase' even though we know we aren't immortal. Several recent deaths pointed out the needs for numbers 5 and 6. One was an RVing couple, Margie and Bruce, who's daughter had to post the unfortunate news of their death on her parent's blog. Another was a popular RVer, Tioga George, who had to announce the death of his son on the son's blog.

I've also found out about the death of one friend and the hospitalization of another because the daughter of the first had access to her mother's Facebook account. A long-time online friend was fighting cancer and her husband and daughter both had access to her account to let us know of her death.

I recently added both my husband and my son (in case of a dual accident/death) as author's to all my blogs. In addition I am testing out a password keeper, LastPass. My son recommended KeePass, he uses it personally and all his clients do as well. This gives his company access to needed passwords for maintenance of the client accounts.

I opted to try LastPass because it has an app for my Palm Pre Plus. It costs $12 for that but the one for the computer is free. Previously I had been using Firefox password function through the add-on Sxipper as well as the Xmarks (formerly FoxMarks) add-on. LastPass will replace all of those, keeping things secured in one spot.

LastPass will let me store personal information, banking and credit card information and more. You can create multiple identities for automatic form fill-in and more. I still have a lot to learn about it. But once it's set up and working, all I have to do is give my husband and my son the email login and master password.

Whatever you use, think about what YOU would have to deal with if someone close to you died or were critically injured. How would you handle the day to day details of their life....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna and Stu

Protecting our little ones....

I read a blog today that I felt was important enough to pass along - Ever lost a kid? If you ever venture out with little ones you know how quickly they can disappear. In this day and age, more than ever, that is a terrifying experience.

The tips in this blog may help prevent some heartache. You don't have to use the commercial product, come up with your own if necessary, but definitely use the idea AND take the digital photo. Our little ones are too precious to risk...

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna & Stu

Beer & a great meal....

What more could you want on a cool Saturday afternoon. Once again we were out running errands, picking up stuff for Stu's current project...the refitting of BRAT our motorcycle trailer. We stopped at a local hardware store and picked up some stainless steel nuts, bolts, washers (okay, so not all of them ended up being stainless). We also nabbed a small wire cart that we are going to try in the closet for Stu's t-shirts. We'll post a photo after we've tried it out...

We also made a quick Wally World stop where I added a few more plates & bowls to our stash. Stu had the polycarbonate ones and while virtually indestructible (and expensive), I prefer the breakable ones. In my old rig I had Corelle but this time around I chose the clear glass ones that you see in many restaurants. A nice change...I'm buying them by the piece since we don't need the coffee cups. At .73-1.00 each piece, it's inexpensive to pick up what I want and WAY cheaper than the Corele.

From a website that sells the brand: "Durable Arcoroc tempered glass usually does not break or chip when dropped. Break and chip-resistant & microwave safe pressed glass dinnerware." Here is a picture of what we got as well as two other patterns that I had for years in my houses.

When we finished running around it was approaching early dinner time and neither of us had taken time for lunch. We decided to stop at a restaurant/brewery we had seen earlier - BJ's Brewery. Anyone who has followed our blog for a while knows that as we travel we enjoy trying out new local beers at various beer pubs. I did grab a couple shots inside, including Stu with the 4 tasters in front of him, but forgot to take them of the food. I had the Jambalya with chicken, shrimp & sausage - absolutely delicious! Stu had fish tacos (Pacific Cod) and said the same. I boxed up half my dinner (and all the shrimp) for home and we shared a dessert. It was apple crisp with rolled oats covered with brown sugar & cinnamon, topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. We made a big dent it in but there was no way we could finish. LOL!



Four 5 oz tasters for under $6.00...we both liked the NUTTY BREWNETTE®, my favorite was the HARVEST HEFEWEIZEN® and Stu's other favorite was BJ'S BREWHOUSE BLONDE™ (which I didn't like at all). Neither of us particularly liked the PIRANHA® PALE ALE. You can see all the brews & their descriptions on their website...appears that they are actually a rather large chain. LOL!

Oh, almost forgot....Pat & Mike McFall stopped by and we finally got our Pressure Pro system installed on the rig (truck & trailer). Took a little finagling to get the sensors on some of the truck tires but after that it was a breeze. I know we'll both feel more comfortable being able to easily monitor our tire pressure both before we hit the road and while traveling. I know I really appreciated it on my Class C and car.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna & Stu

Readers Ask....summer 2008

I know I promised that I'd blog about Yellowstone next but I still have to choose & edit photos from the over 400 we took during two days. I spent a little time catching up on reader email & blog comments so thought I would do a Readers Ask blog to reply to those I couldn't (no email address) or those that were of general interest (I think). LOL! So here goes!

Comment on "A full day....":
"In reading today's blog....I knew Escapees was a tremendous group, but how did they convince those deer to help with the parking......LOL It would be worth the trip to see that!"
~ Paul Weaver (long time reader)
and
" I agree with weaverworks that the deer might be helpful on the parking crew. Just have them lead the RVs to their proper place."
~ Dick

Have to admit it took me reading & re-reading what I wrote that figure out where these comments came from. As many of you have noticed, I don't proof edit my blogs. LOL! I spent too many years doing professional writing that required that as well as proofing others work. Well, in this case I should have.....see if you can find the problem.

More from the same blog:
"As I was driving north toward Gillette this morning (Wednesday) I saw a the RV in your picture being towed south toward Cheyenne. Apparently it wasn't driveable, and the whole front was criss crossed with tape. Maybe to keep the front windows in one piece. I feel for the owner of that rig, hope I'm never in that position."
~ Brenda

I never heard anything more on that accident or what caused it. It was not a pretty sight. But did hear about another VERY bad accident in Buffalo that killed a man and seriously injured his wife. Seems they lost their brakes coming through the mountains, couldn't stop when they hit town and ran into a building at a T intersection. A strong reminder to not overtax your brakes in the mountains....AND if towing a trailer or fifth wheel, be sure your truck is equipped to handle stopping the combined weight of your rig and all your stuff.

"What king of gas miles are you getting while towing your toad??"
~Whitey

That's an easy one....I get between 7 & 8 mpg regardless of what I'm towing or how much my rig weighs. Just seems to be the set point for it....unless I put my foot in it. LOL!

Comment on "Summer in Montana":
"We think you will like White Sulphur Springs--we live about 70 miles from there--we will have to take a motorcycle ride one day and come visit you."
~Mike & Janna

Love to meet you...I'm off on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays!


"We'd be *most* interested in hearing all about your workamping experiences. Anything you are willing to share about it would be appreciated. We are still thinking about doing some workamping, but being stuck in one place for a season doesn't sound that appealing. Tell us all about it!"
~jc&bev
and
"OK, Donna, you owe me one. I want to hear about your workcamping. Do you have Internet there? What are your tasks? Is it too hot to do them?"
~Linda

I hadn't seriously looked at Workamping even though I had subscribed to Workamper News for almost 2 years (if anyone joins, please use me as your reference - #48536). I had gone as far as making my application on their website and there had been a few "look-sees" by employers. Since many employers are looking for couples (one inside, one outside), I knew my chances were slim.

Since I didn't want a 5-6 month committment, I figured my best chance was a late season replacement opening and planned to look for one after the Escapade. Before I could do that, I was contacted by the owners of the Conestoga Campground and offered a position for two months (till after Labor Day). We agreed that I would only work inside (not into doing yard work and not capable of mechanical/repair work). This was a first solo experience for them as well as for me. Turns out there were two other workamp couples - one a replacement for a couple leaving and the other here for the season.

It's been wonderful....I would come back here in a heartbeat. I work four half days a week - Monday & Friday I work from 2:30-7pm and Tuesday and Saturday I work from 10am-2:30. The two morning shifts include cleaning the bathrooms but so far that has never been bad.

I answer the phone, enter reservations, check campers in and out, ring up items from the store and if there is an ice cream social on my late day, then I stay to ring up those sales. The owners are great...while there are a few things to do to fill time (vacuuming, dusting, checking stock), for the most part if I'm not busy I can read, work on the computer, play games, do puzzles, etc.

The weather here is wonderful....most days are in the upper 70's to upper 80's. There have been very few in the 90's. The nights range from 40's-50's with a few up into the 60's. Nice sleeping weather. There are winds....haven't put my big awning out at all. Many afternoons there is a big wind followed by a little rain. Nothing overly severe.

The town is cute, enough supplies to take care of basic needs but within 1.5-2 hrs there are several major cities for sightseeing and big shopping. The sunsets are glorious....here are a few more samples of post storm & sunset pics.



Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

SPOT Me!

A while back I wrote a blog - Can you find me now? It was prompted by my fainting and hitting my head in the middle of the night. As a solo, I worry about how my family & close friends would know where I was if something happened to me. Sure I have a cell phone...but as I travel into less populous places it may not work. Same thing for my Internet connection since that is via a Verizon aircard. Plus I don't want to HAVE to blog every day, even when I do have a connection.

When I first read about the SPOT messenger, I thought that would be perfect. Yes, it's a $100 a year but that's less than $10 a month. I can squeeze that in....to me it's worth it. If I get hurt and need help, for example if I'm out hiking, then I can use the emergency 911 feature of the SPOT. On a daily basis I can use the check-in feature to send an email to family members (limited number) as well as post the OK message in a private blog that only family and close friends will be able to access. I can post my daily itinerary there as well so if I don't check in the following day they will have my last coordinates as well as the route I was planning to take.

There is an added Track Me feature that I have no need for but will be used by many of my motorcycle friends. Thus this post. Because of the high interest in the SPOT Messenger, one member of a forum I visit has become a dealer and is offering a discounted rate for the SPOT. In addition for those who want the Track Me feature, it will soon offer 50% off the first year. Regardless, I wanted to post once more about this...if you know ANYONE who might be interested or need the SPOT, the discount site is HERE as well as in my right sidebar. (If you order, please tell them Froggi Donna sent you!)

Thank you for passing this along!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Can you find me now?

If you have been following my blog, you remember my post about passing out and hitting my head one night while sick. Several folks made comments about setting up a way to have others local to you check in on you, nightly/daily check-in phone calls, etc.

None of these are perfect...if you like to boondock in the middle of nowhere, there isn't someone you can ask to check on you. And if you're a solo lady, that in of itself is a bit scary (asking someone you don't know....). A daily check-in by phone can be difficult as well...you might be out of cell phone range is the first problem. The second is inconveniencing someone on a daily basis.

In one of my favorite motorcycle forums they have been discussing Personal Locator Beacon solutions.

"The PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a pocket-sized emergency 406MHz beacon, a scaled down version of the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) that boaters and pilots, respectively, have had available to them for years."
~ Landfall Navigation

These items were brought up in a boondocking session I attended at RV Life on Wheels recently. While a nice option, they are pricey...VERY pricey at $500-700 although there are no annual fees.

Recently some new products have come into the marketplace. One is the TracMe Beacon, only $99 and again, no annual fees. Note that this is not satellite communication and it does not automatically start a search & rescue operation. Not does it allow you to notify someone that you are okay. But it is one newer solution to be considered.

The new product now being discussed in The Motorcycle Tourer's Forum is the SPOT Satellite Messenger. Priced at $170 by the manufacturer, it is in the affordable range. (The cheapest price I found was at Amazon.com, at under $135.) There is an annual fee of $99 for the basic services with a couple of upgrade options. But for the $99 you get a lot...

• ALERT 9-1-1:
  Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
• CHECK IN:
  Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. Unlimited usage included.
• ASK FOR HELP:
  Request help from friends and family at your exact location. Unlimited usage included.
  

This means you can easily use it to notify family/friends that you are okay. Run into a problem, then you can ask for help via the SPOT Messenger. And in an emergency you can send a message to the control center who can notify your emergency contacts for you.

It's not perfect...like any satellite solution it needs a clear line of sight for the best signal. It can take up to 20 minutes to lock onto the signal. Too many trees or other obstructions and the signal may not go out. But if you have been using the CHECK IN feature, then your last location sent is available as a starting point.

Here are some reviews I found, Lets Go Mobile and Wild Snow, as well as a good FAQ page on the emergency service. One of the motorcyclists has sent check in updates to his blog! I really like this product and think it will only get better. I think I see one in my near future....

UPDATE 5/12/08: I have purchased a SPOT Messenger - see the link in the sidebar or click HERE for the best price including Priority Mail shipping.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

The perils of solo traveling...

Yesterday was a relatively quiet day...the first day of the Bouse Rendezvous for the group. I had already met many of the folks here and several of us headed into Bouse for the Monday morning at the Community Center (great breakfast for $4). I ordered the Adkin's special (2 eggs, 2 sausage patties and cheese) while everyone else dug into their biscuits & gravy or the traditional eggs, sausage and pancake breakfast. After that we all headed back to our rigs and did whatever it is that we each do all day. At 4:00 we met at the campfire ring for social hour.

Early in the day I felt a little queasy so I took one of my prescription Prevacid tablets. I've been able to get away from the daily dosage that I had to take for years but depending on what I've eaten, I sometimes have to pop one to keep the acids down. Didn't think much more about it.

After the social hour I came back and fixed dinner, salvaging what was left of some tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots & lettuce....topped it all with some shredded chicken (canned chicken breasts). Tried my new spray salad dressing (10 sprays = 10 calories). Very good! Desert was a couple handfuls of Hanover's Sourdough Pretzel Nuggets.

Well, within an hour I was miserable...very bloated, queasy and just generally feeling bad...very bad. I took a couple sips of Coke (that often settles things down as well), then took a Mylanta Gelcap. Less than 30 minutes later, things came back up. Not good...especially since I was still very bloated and now gassy.

The evening went downhill as I worshiped the plastic toilet goddess (no porcelain in my rig) several times. I shut everything down and was in bed by 8:30. A couple more trips and suddenly the other end erupted...talk about flying out of bed. As everything inside me continued to drain out, I got quite lightheaded. I tried to put my head between my knees but that bent my abdomen over enough that I was afraid I would throw up again.

Once everything seemed to have stopped...they should make special corks....sorry...., I stood up and headed to the bed. I remember reaching out for it in the dark....I remember hearing, not feeling my head hitting something. The next thing I remember is coming to with my ear hurting. My head was resting against the wooden platform under the bed. Since my ear hurt, I figured I had hit it as I fell...assuming that it had just happened. As I said, I remember a sense of HEARING my head hit something, not a sense of feeling it happen.

Well, I slept till around 8 this morning and when I got up I still thought I had just hit my ear. I could see a little swelling but as I ruffled my hair I noticed quite a tender spot on the side. As the day progressed the headache did as well. I also discovered a sore spot on my knee and my shoulder, both on the same side. So now I suspect that I did faint, hitting my head hard in the process. I have no idea how long I was out but am pretty sure I was....might have been seconds, minutes or more.

Did make me think this morning about how vulnerable we are as solo travelers. There really is nothing I could have done differently, I know that. Okay, so I could have crawled....LOL! But it will make me think carefully about things when boondocking by myself. No good answers...now off to continue nursing my headache.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna