Carnival Cruise, 23 - 28 January

We are back and we had a great time!  We drove to New Orleans in one day which wasn't too bad.  The experience with standing in line was, at first, taxing, but we got over it.  While a cruise is a "touristy" event, I especially enjoyed watching the children and didn't mind the pampering either.  It was a little drab outside as we approached New Orleans, but what can you expect in January.  Passed the Superdome where New Orleans beat the Vikings while we were on the ship and made it to the Superbowl.  No offense to anyone, but I wanted Bret Favre to get a Superbowl ring this year.  Ah well.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
(very long bridge going to New Orleans)

Standing in line to board the ship.

First glimpse of the ship.

On deck looking back at city and port.

The kids and the ship.

The room.

Kayak excursion - Progresso

In the Mangrove tunnels!

Mayan ceremonial chamber.  Yes, they did human sacrifices and considered it an honor.

Cozumel - Parasailing

Fine dining on the ship was the best.  We ate and ate and ate.  Lobster, prime rib, salmon, mahi mahi, shrimp, duck, rack of lamb, soups of all kinds, fresh fruit, exquisite deserts, and so much more.  From left to right meet our wonderful wait staff--Jefferson from lower Phillipines, Eduardo from upper Phillipines, (skip Donovan and me) and Ikitu from Bali. 





I've got many more pictures, but I've got to keep the blog to a manageable level.  We enjoyed many events on the ship including a total-body spa treatment for the ladies, bingo, casino gambling, many types of bars with exotic drinks, a wide variety of food platforms (Sushi, buffets with variety, pizza, NY Deli, and a grill), salt-water swimming pools, hot tubs, sauna, big screen on deck TV, duty-free shopping, and much more.  There were many types of shows every day on the ship and we manage to see a few of them when not on an excursion.  Like I said, this was a great time.

Ode to Renee and Some Other Less Important Cruise Stuff

So, this post is all about my younger, but eldest sister Renee.  She must be commented on first out of all my siblings because she simply deserves it.  Psssst, (whispering) and she'd never let me live it down.  So, "Ode to Renee" will no go down in history.  She embodies the best of the Montgomery genetic code.  She is kind, she is smart, she is giving, she is a good cook, and she is obviously the best looking.  Anyway, love you sis.  My other siblings are pretty cool too and they understand that Renee must be first.

Now, coordination between 3 households to ensure everyone is packed properly is going on now.  Donovan and Madison at their house and Jessie and Brad at theirs.  I'm running down the checklist for everyone.  You know how people think they have everything, then forget something.  Well, this is my usual controlling self trying to get the forget-me-nots locked down.  Hey, one could say that's it's thoughtful of me couldn't they?  Undies?  Check.  Socks?  Check.  Toothbrush?  Check?  Pants, shirts, shoes, flip-flops?  Check, check, check, check...and so on. 

Oh, I got these cool walkie, talkies made by Motorola.  Actually, Gina got them!  They call them walk-abouts.  They have 22 channels, privacy filters, unique ring-tones, push-to-talk and auto (VOX).  There's more, but I won't bore you.  Everyone is excited and of course, Brad and I have different opinions on which way to go.  Isn't that just like a guy!  Boarding begins Saturday between 1330 and 1530 (military time -12 = 1:30pm to 3:30pm).  Boat launches at 1600.  Uh, I meant ship launches, not boat.  I've secured anti-puke patches for everyone.  It gets rough as the ship traverses the Mississippi River to the Gulf.  Now, Gina and I will tighten up on the packing, do our internal checks, and hit the road tomorrow around 1300.  We will then meet with Jessie and Brad in Jacksonville and meet X2 to get Donovan and Madison.  So, I will not "see" you again until after the trip.  So, to us:  Bon Voyage!

Can Donovan Go?

My middle kiddo, Donovan, is having issues with his school letting him go on the cruise.  I thought his mother, my X2, had arranged this some time back, but she has informed me today that it was Donovan's and Madison's responsibility to do it.  Hummmm.  Madison has made it clear that she will go whether or not Donovan goes.  This is funny if you know these two and how they interact.  So, it's down to the wire and even after being on the phone most of the day over the subject with Principal, counselor, and X2, I'm not 100% convinced.  Here's where we are.  The principal will not approve the cruise days as "excused".  A student can only miss 5 unexcused days per semester.  Luckily, Donovan hasn't missed any this semester.  The cruise should have taken us 6 school days, but we have now compromised so Donovan can go.  We are picking him up and driving to New Orleans AFTER the school day is over to reduce the trip by 1 school day.  Unexcused work can be made up only if the teacher allows so his grades may suffer.  X2 retains the decision, but has said she wants him to go.  My wallet and I are thankful for that. 

Questions?  Yep, tried to consider school breaks.  Not a go.  Yep, brought the whole thing up over 8 months ago and well before paying for the tickets.  Yep, yep, yep, I thought I covered it all, but alas, here we are.

I have some thoughts on the matter on school vs. vacation.  I believe that school is a wonderful learning tool, but the way I look at it, it's only a tool to help me as a parent.  I don't think an absence of this length will affect Donovan or Madison vs. what they will gain from a "vacation" as the principal suggests.  The kids will get exposure to other cultures and locations,  hands-on history lessons, mind-broadening experiences, and a great time with their Dad which they will never forget.  3 days and counting...

RV Washer/Dryer Fixer Upper

So, something RV related.  Yeah!  Even if it is a chore.  Today, I set aside time to fix a washer/dryer combination unit made by Splendide.  That is spelled right.  It's made in Italy.  About two weeks or so ago, I ran across what appeared to be a good deal on Craigslist.  Uh, Craigslist is where I got my Fifth Wheel and Ford truck so we kind of like it, so no attitude please.  I had been looking over the past few months as I usually do when trying to find a deal.  Gina wants one even though they are small and don't wash/dry much.  I found (finally) a unit that was actually being sold in Arkansas, albeit, northern Arkansas.  I talked to the couple, Jean and Norvin on the phone, and managed to get the machine down to $250.00.  Although this one is used, new ones run around $1200.00 or so.  This was was a 2003 model 2000S.  So, I drive for 3 hours and get to Cave City and meet the couple.  Oddly, it was unseasonably cold and snowing heavily.  I must admit, I was having a good time with the drive, however.  I get to their house and the machine was outside in the shed.  I spent the next hour watching Norvin try and get water to the machine so he could show me it worked.  Hoses frozen solid.  3 hozes later, got water.  Couldn't get washer door to close/lock.  Another 30 minutes or so he decided to bring the machine inside to his laundry room.  We couldn't get it to work inside either.  I asked them about their RV adventures.  They were DP owners.  That's the common nick for Diesel Pushers or Class A RV and theirs was an older model, but looked very nice.  They told me about their adventures searching for various rocks nation-wide.  Yep, rock hunters.  How cool is that?  It was very interesting conversation and they were just the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet.  It was getting dark outside and the snow was piling up.  I told them I had to go.  They told me to take the machine and if it was a simple fix, send them some money, however much I thought was fair.  If it was broken, toss it.  I really didn't want to bring a broken machine home as Gina doesn't like it when I do that sort of thing, but did it anyway.  I played around with it and figured out two issues--a door swith problem and a tear in the diaphram.

Parts, old and new:

Getting to the switch replace was relatively easy.  The diaphram took some maneuvering:

 

Replaced parts, cleaned up, and running.  Great success.  It works!  And, all for $170.00 in parts and $30.00 or so in gas.  Now, to lug it into the Fifth Wheel.

When a Thursday Turns Into a Friday

I asked boss if I could work what's commonly referred to as a "compressed schedule" about a month ago.  He said ok.  Thanks boss!  So, what does that mean.  It means, I now work in a two week period, 80 hours, but in a non-traditional way.  Week 1:  M-Off | T-9 | W-9 | TH-9 | F-9 |, Week 2: M-9 | T-9 | W-9 | TH-9 | F-8 |.  So, I'm a happy camper to get this schedule as it gives me a 3-day weekend every other week.  Here's a kicker that comes along with it, when a holiday falls on your day off, your day off reverts back to the Friday before.  With MLK's day being Monday, my day off normally, I can now enjoy an extended 4-day weekend.  This is how my Thursday became my Friday.  Of course, this only applies if you revel in Friday and dread the Monday as most folks I know do.  If a day is just another day, then what you have just read might not mean much, but you can still be happy for me.  Oh, I should throw in a comment that one of the full retirement benefits is a day just being another day.

I've noticed that things tend to fill up your time off.  And it's true.  So far, I am going to look into helping the MIL (mother-in-law) get kitchen counter tops at a better price.  She feels they gave her a high estimate.  I agree.  Also, I'm going to tackle fixing the RV Washer and Dryer we got for free.  I'll elaborate on the Washer/Dryer combo more after it's done.  May even put in pictures.

Countdown to Cruise

In 10 days we'll be aboard the Carnival Cruise lines ship named Triumph.  It's a 5-day trip stopping in Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico.  We are bringing Jessie, Brad, Donovan, and Madison along with us.  I think we'll make some good memories on this one.  Gina and I need to decompress!  So, we're counting down.  Passports and birth certificates are in order.  We were told that we could use a birth certificate for Donovan and Madison.  The rest of us have passports.

Yep, Donovan and Madison get to miss school for this, but it's not often that this will happen.  We've been talking excursions, clothing, climate, boats, motion sickness, and other usual suspects involved with such an event.  We're getting excited.  These trips are a great diversion from the grind as we inch towards retirement.  There's already talk of a trip to New Hampshire to see Renee and Jim (SIL/BIL) and possibly even Yellowstone in the RV.

A Slow and Sad Day...Again

Ok, well, I get my two youngest children every other weekend and on Wednesdays.  It is my weekend for them.  All was well until they left.  It breaks my heart everytime they go.  It is made especially sad 'cause I just returned from my Grandfather's funeral.  He was my favorite and I spent so many hours, as a teenager, riding while he drove his 18-wheelers.  So many miles together laughing and sharing.  Towards the end, all he could focus on was how useless he felt.  I wish I could have spent more time with him.  We move on...

Not much happening RV or retirement-related today.  Wife wants to see that new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr.  Typically, on Sunday nights, we go out to eat so tonight will be dinner and a movie.  It's our little happy before hitting the grinding stone tomorrow.  Otherwise, Sunday evening would be such a bummer.  Anyone else think of Sundays as we do?  Or more appropriately, like I do?  It's a weekly reminder to tighten my belt and focus on the retirement end game.

The First Post

Ok, well, I'll make this first post simple.  We are not free to choose our path yet.  We are in the dream and prepare mode right now.  If all goes well, we will be finally free on January 3, 2013.  If it goes really well and Gina wants to punch out of the grind sooner, it may be as early as July 3, 2012.

To be honest, I don't know if blogging so far out is helpful or hurtful to my sanity.  I read RV forums and personal blogs of others and dream almost daily.  And, boy, do I dream!  Is it wrong to be envious of others?  Is it odd to live vicariously through them?  At times it is torture.  At times it is bliss.