Monday, October 29, 2007

Safely Back in Big Canoe

We arrived back in Big Canoe yesterday afternoon just in time for a meeting - fortunately, since I arrived late, everyone was busy socializing and I didn't miss anything.

We had the fresh water hose spring a tiny leak while we were in Lake Lure, NC and the stretch vinyl repair tape worked just great but we then discovered that there were bulges all along the hose - guess it decided to go bad the whole way.

This morning Bill replaced the hose with another one we had on hand so hopefully this one will work - it is a larger diameter but a new clamp seemed to be holding it. We will find out for sure when we head down to Seaside for Thanksgiving week.

We expect to be here at home until November 16th.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Busy time in Greensboro

Looks like the Monaco Corporation brought the rain from Oregon to North Carolina. We have been parked at the convention center and fortunately we are on asphalt and not mud.

The entertainment for the last three night has been great music from the 50's - the Diamonds on Tuesday night, the New Odyssey on Wednesday night and tonight the Platters. Great dancing and singing music - and we know the words!

On Tuesday we were asked to be the Waggonmasters for the March 2009 Monaco International Rally that proceeds the FMCA International Convention. This means hosting 400 - 600 motor coaches (800 to 1200 people)- a BIG job. After talking about the responsibilities with others that have done it before and those that might help us, we accepted the job and have spend the past two days in getting committee chairmen lined up and other volunteers. We have had enthusiastic support and almost all of our important jobs are filed - a big relief! We will need to attend the Rally that will proceed our rally in Minnesota in July to learn all we can learn! We actually had planned on attending but will now go in early with the staff and shadow them.

Tomorrow we will head to Apple Valley, NC for two nights and be home on Sunday afternoon.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Safely in Greensboro, NC

We arrived here early this afternoon and have been having fun seeing friends and laughing at the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz early 1950's movie, "A Long Long Trailer".

Yesterday morning we departed Rochester around 7:30 am and headed south on 390 which has replaced route 15 for part of the way - then route 15 to I- 81 and then stopped for the night around 4pm at the Endless Caverns just above Harrisonburg, VA. We stayed in the same campground in July and would like to return for more time in the area. We went flying pass the exits for Garen and Chris but unfortunately had no extra time to stop and get here in time today for our volunteer assignments. We are "Sheriffs at this rally and have black vests and gold badges. Our job will be to keep people out of the dining room be ore they are allowed in to place their cards to reserve places for dinner.

The trip yesterday and today were very pretty with lots of sunshine and blue skies but the leaf color was much better near Rochester and very little color change here in North Carolina. But in a few weeks it will have traveled further south to be sure.

We already have had 2 stone nicks in the windshield repaired - and we should be getting our replacement sun screens installed tomorrow. The others mush have been tossed out in the debris from the fallen ceiling and water damage at the house. We had placed them in front of Bill's work bench to make room in the coach for the rally.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Leaves Were Beautiful - Even along Parking Lot in the Rain

 
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Pete, Ed, and Bill

 
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Millers and Weidners

 
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Bill's Medallion

 
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Bill at Medallion Ceremony

 
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Heading South With Wqarm Hearts and Greqat Memories

This is now Sunday morning and we have departed Rochester and we are headed to the Monaco Come Home Rallly.

Friday at the U of R was a busy day and the highpoint was the Class of 57 receiving their Alumni Medations during a ceremony in the Interfaith Chapel which was followed by the Presiden't Reception and then old friends gathering at the RV for visiting and chatting into the night.

Saturday morning we attending the speech given by Colin Powell and he was awesome! Spoke for an hour without notes and with a sence of humor. He had many standing ovations which surprised us since as we approached the Palestra, there were protestors outside with signs and yelling. I wished that the administration had placed speakers blasting his speech for the protestors!Luch was then served in tents that protected us from the rain and wind.

The football game started in the rain but the sun had come out before we departed for Sarbucks to meet Shiellee and Carl (Susan's Godparents) for some coffee and updating. We last saw them last year in New Mexico. Their talented daughter, Teri, has done some spectaular art work for a piece of Steuban Glass sculpture.

Last night the Class of 57 had its Reunion Dinner at the Genessee Valley Club. This is where Katherine Miller had been the business manager for over 20 years. We were haning out with Ed Morrison and Judy (Ed had bee one of Bill's grooomsmen) Bill and Ed had been part of the Yellow Jackets singing group which exists today and they were included with the group for the singing of Melioria our Alma Mater song - they even did great with the words!

With warm hearts we climbed into bed last night. It had been a great weekend with many of our friends and memories of many who are no longer with us.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Erie Canal - A Place for Romance 50 Years Ago (Before Bridge and Interstate)!

 
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A Visit to Mt. Hope Cemetery

 
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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Yesterday we met up with Sharrol and Don Garrett and after visiting in the RV we toured their town and had a great time enjoying dinner and memories together. Don and Bill attended elementary school and high school together and they had lots of laughs about growing up together. Don is a retired Presbyterian minister and was going a sermon at a nursing home together - at dinner last night he decided to talk about Bill and what friendship meant. Pretty cool!

This morning we drove the rest of the way to Rochester and we are parked behind the new Alumni Center and have a very private parking lot south of the campus and across the Erie Canal. This is an area that has been connected via a bridge that crosses over the canal and a new expressway I-390. Lots and lots of growth to the medical center and the campus. The U of R is now the largest employer in Rochester!

Lunch today was in the neighborhood where Bill grew up and we ate at a little cafe about 3 blocks from 11 Cayuga Street with Dave Halter. Dave was our Best Man and it was great to visit with him again. Dave had cancer of one of his kidneys about 15 months ago and the next day threw a blood clot and the end result was he has had his left leg amputated above the knee. In spite of the medical problems, Dave was the most positive we have seen him = in many years!

We stopped by Mt. Hope Cemetary on the way back to campus and visited the graves of many of Bill's relatives including his mother, Aunts, and Uncles, and his Miller grandparents. His father is burried in the military section of another cemetary north or town.

This evening we attended a reception and then dinner of the Class of 57 and Bill was amoung a handful of those with full heads of hair! He looked just great amoung all those old men!!! Ed Morrison, one of our ushers, was there and we look forward to being with him tomorrow. Of Bill's class - about one third have died. Of those still living - about half have made the trip.

Bill is watching the Rutgers = South Florida football game - looks like the polls will have some more changes this coming week!

Lunch with David Halter - Was Our Best Man

 
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

On The Road Again - to Bill's 50th Reunion at the University of Rochester

Good morning!

Yesterday we departed Big Canoe at 7:30 am and headed to Cincinnati, Ohio. We stopped at the FMCA location on Roundbottom Road in Newton - where we had a pediatrician many years ago. We went over to the Mariemont Inn for dinner - which we have done before and enjoy. We had hoped that Larry Ezzel could have joined us but no luck this time.

This morning we started off and have had a light fog which has stopped us from enjoying the brilliance of the tree leaf colors but has not stopped Bill from cruising past the Ohio State University 's Stadium - the Horseshoe. Was fun to see it on the week that they are #1 - wonder how long that will last? Know Jack and Betty hope it will be a short stay there so LSU can regain their ranking.

Today we plan on crossing Ohio and picking up I-90 and ending up east of Buffalo for the night. We will be in a campground near one of Bill's highschool and basketball playing buddies, Don Garrett. We will be with Don and Sharon for the evening.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Mom the Card Shark at age 92 1/2!

 
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Mom and Bill trying to defeat JeanAnn in Phase 10

 
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Home Again!

We have just returned from a trip to Mom's in North Carolina yesterday afternoon where we had a great time and we had a Phase 10 card game going on - of course Mom and Bill allowed me to be the Grand Winner after four evenings of card playing!

We left for Mom's just after a few days at home - when I had planned on updating the blog after editing the pictures. I finally went through the many pictures at Mom's but have decided to give you a link to Rita Ham's blog - they had their computer along and were able to upload the photos and travels as they happened. There are several pictures of Bill in their blog so here is the link to their travels - we did the same things with the big difference the traveling to and from Atlanta while they headed to Yuma, Arizona! http://ritastravels.blogspot.com and she also has her picture scrapbook available by clicking on the front page. To complete the whole trip you need to also click several times on the previous entries since the blog starts at the end and not the beginning!