Packing It In

I hate this computer. I hate this computer. I hate this computer. It's a Samsung notebook with Windows 8. I hate Windows 8. Microsoft finally came out with Windows 8.1 and I've tried to download it at least a half a dozen times. UNSUCCESSFUL! I can't figure it out and it makes me feel stupid.

I also can't figure out how to download the photos from my SD card from my camera, so any photos I share from this beautiful vacation are from my phone.

I don't think it's that I can't do it. I just don't want to spend the time needed to figure it out. So I'm kicking myself for not bringing my bigger, older, more cumbersome laptop, the one that has all the programs I use for accounting, photo downloading and editing and just about everything else.

Anyway, as I mentioned, we are on vacation. We left April 26th and took two full days to drive to South Carolina to visit with our niece and nephew for three days, then headed down to St. Augustine, Florida for the night.

The last time we visited Florida during the Christmas holidays we reserved three days at an RV park in St. Augustine, but had to cancel because I broke a tooth and needed to have it repaired. I'm glad we had to cancel because the one night there was plenty. It's completely overbuilt.

We've been here at Buttonwood RV Park in Cortez, Florida since May 1st. It's awesome. Clean, quiet and just a mile from Anna Maria Island, an easy bike ride over the Cortez draw bridge.

We've learned a few things about ourselves since we've been here. Our trailer, a homely 1980 24-ft Aljo that Tom gutted and completely rebuilt, is a little small for extended periods of time. A while ago we talked about maybe spending December, January and February here. The trailer (or as Tom calls it "our motorless home") is too small for that. No couch or comfortable chairs. We have to either sit at the dinette or lay on the bed. The seating arrangement gets old really quick even though we're not spending a good deal of time in it most of the day.

And, besides, there aren't any spaces available for those months any way. They are already booked solid. So, I guess we'll have to make our reservations sooner than we anticipated, but it won't be happening this year. That's okay. It will give us time to decide what we want to do about living conditions. We're leaning toward buying a larger used motorhome, then selling the Expedition and buying another smaller car to pull behind it. We have plenty of time to figure it out.

Another thing....who knew I'd get tired of eating out and start craving a simple marinated grilled shrimp kabob, chicken breast, lamb chop or steak and a big salad. Every day for lunch and dinner I have to put on big girl clothes (including a bra.....ARGGGHHH!) and go some place to eat. However, our son Chris has graciously invited us to dinner at his house several times and prepared some pretty tasty meals and I can wear schlep clothes there and not hear a complaint.

Tonight we are going out for dinner again after our granddaughter's choral concert, a place in Bradenton called Habaneros. One more night won't kill me. Besides I love Mexican food.

We have one more vacation week left. It's gone so fast. When we scheduled the time, we didn't realize that our son's and grandson's birthday was right in the middle. And I had no idea where Mother's Day fell this year either and was shocked when our daughter-in-law mentioned it was the Sunday after the birthdays. We're packing a lot in.