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6 OCTOBER 2002
I've got to say that without a doubt this past week has been a very exciting one… I actually looked forward to going to work. Why? Well, let's just say that a certain brown-eyed HANDSOME man has unexpectedly come into my life and we are shamelessly flirting with each other from afar ;-) Actually, we've been slowly progressing to this stage ever since August when there was a huge system problem that forced us to spend 3 days talking on the phone to each other. During those many phone calls while waiting for a command to process or the system to reboot, we discussed a lot of different things that didn't have anything to do with the system… in other words, we got to know each other a little better… and we laughed… we laughed a lot! And then last week he initiated the exchange of pictures and our flirting escalated ;-) In fact, every day since then we've exchanged numerous emails and then on Friday he started asking actual questions… like what my hobbies were, what's my birthday, and what my life dream was. He shared his with me too… My oh my do we have some similar dreams… a simpler, slower way of life is how he puts it… I've said pretty much the same thing for a few years now. Anyway, I decided to share my web site with him and he learned how close I am with my former stepdaughters and ex-husband and he couldn't believe that there was someone out there that understood that type of relationship… apparently he has the same thing with his. He also wrote back and asked for my phone number so he could call before I left on my vacation… He just did and we talked for almost 2 hours! I'm not a real big talker but it didn't matter because he is ;-)
OCTOBER 14, 2002
Hello everyone… Here's my journal entry about my latest adventure with Dad. It's rather long, but we're talking a whole week worth of fun in the sun ;-) Dad & Mom… I'll print it out for you and send/give it to you since it is too long for your pocketmail.
Monday, October 7th…
We departed this morning at 7 AM... Dad from Pensacola and I from Georgia... We had planned to meet at 11 at a park which was a hop, skip, and a jump from the Air Force campground at Tyndall AFB. For those of you who don't know, Tyndall AFB is 8 miles East of Panama City FL. I planned on getting there a little early so I could scope out the available spots plus I just had a feeling that Dad would arrive early too.
The drive itself was wonderful... and I received an extra special treat of watching a spectacular sunrise through my mirrors. The tinted windows on my car enhanced the fiery reddish orange ball of fire as it rose up into the morning sky and there was even a perfect amount of clouds to make it even more incredible. A sight to behold for sure.
I arrived first so I went ahead and checked in at the office to see what was available. The man behind the counter was very helpful and in no time I was back into my car and scoping out the RV spots. I knew what to look for because the last time Dad and I took Mirada out, he explained the requirements... flat and level, close to the showers, and shady in the afternoons. I chose #59 and hoped that he approved.
I drove back to the park to await Dad's arrival... I had time to sit at the water's edge for a few minutes and listen to the wonderful sound of the water lapping up at the shoreline. It was peaceful out there and a sense of calm washed over me as I thought about the week ahead and how much fun Dad and I would probably have. For those of you who don't know, whenever I'm with my Dad, I let him take over and schedule our time together... from what we do to what we eat. I learned many years ago that this was the best thing to do and 90% percent of the time we end up having a blast together. The other 10%? Read my Jul 01 entry in my online journal about the kayak trip from hell :-) It's near the end of the page… around the 23rd. Anyways, after gazing into the water for a few minutes, I went and checked out the Air Force Ticket & Tour/Outdoor Rec office to see what was available or if anything interesting was happening this week around here, but before I could seek out all the information, I saw Dad pulling in. Yep, he arrived early just like I thought he would...10:30 AM.
We decided to ride over together in my car to check out the spots and Daddy agreed with me on Spot #59 :-) WhooooHooooo! I just love it when I'm right :-) So we head back over to the office and do the paperwork...I decided to surprise him and pay for our week's stay--$85 for full hookups including CATV which we haven't figured out how to work yet :-( With that done, we head back to get Mirada.
We got it backed into the spot the first try! We did the hookup thing next... he did it, I watched and learned. Once that was done, we put up the awning and that's when I gave him his early Christmas present... one of those fold out captain's chairs with a leg-rest. He loved it!
The work is done now and next on the schedule is lunch. Dad fixed us a roast beef, tomato and pickle sandwich with a small bag of chips. Yummy! It's always better when someone else fixes it. Speaking of that, that is one of the highlights whenever I'm with him--he prepares all the meals and most of the time, he cleans up as well. A true vacation!
After lunch we tried to figure out how to use the hot water heater, find the power center, and check out the brake problem. We had success with the first. We'll have to rack our brains some for the other two because it is time for my Dad's nap. Hmmmmmmm maybe I'll even indulge myself in a nap too... I rarely do that, but first I must read an essay that I received from my new friend.
It's now 3 PM and it is Bloody Mary time. So here I sit writing this.... sipping on my drink and thinking how lucky I am to be here spending time with my father. Yes, the essay was a wonderful touching story that brought warmth to my heart and made me realize how precious these moments with loved ones are. Thank you my friend for sharing that with me.
For dinner, we had soup and salad--our diet fare he said. That's okay, it wouldn't hurt to lose a pound or two :-) After dinner we went up to the community center to play some pool, but it was in use so we came back and just relaxed the rest of the evening.
Tuesday morning now and I woke up at 6... I was up earlier than that but I was waiting for Dad to rise and put on the coffee. I should have known better, he was back there waiting for me to get up. He's too sweet sometimes... Anyway, I went outside so I could smoke a cigarette and enjoy the morning bird songs while I sipped on my hot coffee. Didn't have a view of the East for the sunrise though... I guess I forgot to count that in on the spot requirements... blew the sunset view as well. I guess I can't have everything, but I will remember that for next time.
While Dad had his breakfast, I walked up the road to take a shower. Too much trouble taking one inside the RV because you have to wipe down the walls and since I'm on vacation, I opted for the short walk. Ticked me off though that I had totally undressed and had my soap and stuff in the shower when I reached in to turn the water on, there was none. Grrrrrrrrrrr.... The next one over did, so I wasn't completely out of luck, just inconvenienced for a moment.
I came back and asked what was on the agenda for the day and he said a bike ride... okay, a bike ride it is. It was nice though as the campground is pretty much in a wilderness setting and the best part was when we rounded the corner I could see water. They even had benches/swings strategically placed to where you could view the bay and probably watch a good sunset. Dad pulled over and treated me to a few minute reprieve of exercise so that I could gaze at the water. He knows I love to do that.
When we got back I followed him around back of the RV to check on all the connections and that's when I figured out that we had hooked up the cable to the wrong darn outlet. Silly us... but what the heck, you have to sometimes learn the hard way. We still can't find the stupid fuse box though. As for the brake problem, we took off in my car to explore Tyndall and then head into Panama City to find a brake repair shop. We saw a Ford dealership first so we pulled into there and viola, Dad has an appointment next Monday to get his brakes fixed... hopefully he'll be able to get there without any problems... I told him he could follow me and if the brakes went out again, then at least he'd be running into me and not some stranger. Not sure if that really is a good idea, but I do have full coverage and hopefully he won't be going too fast. Oh yeah, while we were out, we passed a Big K-mart. Dad absolutely loves the good deal you can get on a Hearty Breakfast so we just had to stop to see if they had the good deal here too. Yep, they sure did and Tuesdays are senior discount day so even though he had already had breakfast, he couldn't pass up the bargain plus he knew I hadn't eaten yet so yes, he had breakfast again... actually it was called brunch now ;-)
We got back to the campground about 11:30 so since we didn't have to fix lunch at 12, he asked if I wanted to go shoot some pool. Of course I did.... I wanted to beat him. You see... he has a ping pong table at his house and whenever I go visit him there he always beats me bad. I think I've won one game out of the 100 or so we've played so I thought I'd have better luck at pool. I did! Out of the 4 games we played, he won one, shot the 8-ball in on 2, and I won the last one... Whoooohoooooo! Of course we quit playing after that... sore loser :-)
Now we are just relaxing... he's taking a nap and I'm writing this while drinking a nice cold beer... tis almost Bloody Mary time so maybe I'll even cop a mellow buzz this afternoon :-) Tonight I think we'll be having some leftover roast beef, peas, and a salad and then we'll watch TV. JAG and The Guardian are on and those are two favorite shows of mine. He likes JAG so I'm in luck for at least one of the shows I want to watch :-)
Wednesday morning we got up about 5:30 and set about with our normal routine, but for exercise this morning, we opted to take the bikes down to the bay side park that we originally met at. Since it was just a hop, skip, and a jump away, the ride was no problem except for having to crisscross the highway in the morning fog. Once we arrived, we got off the bikes and walked down to the water's edge where we saw hundreds of little crabs. As we approached they scattered every which way but near us. We even saw tiny baby ones no bigger than your thumb nail. We then walked along the shore line and then back to the bikes. We crossed the highway again and went the opposite direction toward an abandoned bridge used for fishing. Dad stopped to talk to a guy that was using a net for mullet and I gazed into the water. As most of you know, I'm not one to talk to strangers like Dad is... but then I'm not one to talk much anyway unless I have something to talk about :-) In other words, I've never learned the fine art of small talk. I can write about just about anything though so I'm not completely at a loss of words...just shy I guess. It seems I've gone off on a tangent so let me get back to this morning's adventure...
When we finished our bike ride, I suggested we go to the base and check out the beach and then stop by the liquor store... he suggested we go play pool. Guess which one we did? Both :-) Played pool first... he won the first one and I won the second. Then we headed to the base and bought his supply of beer for the motorhome before heading to the beach. To get to the beach you have to walk down a very long stretch of boardwalk. I'd say it was about a 1/2 mile one way. At the end of the boardwalk there are a couple benches where you can take off your shoes because then you have to walk another couple hundred yards to the water by way of the sand. Daddy wasn't really in to doing that so we walked back to the car and headed back to the campground. That was okay by me though because I plan to go back tomorrow for a little sunbathing and a walk on the beach while he is taking his afternoon nap.
Well, we are off to Captain D's for lunch. One of his favorite places to eat on Wednesdays because it is senior discount day :-) I'll write again tomorrow because the rest of the day will be spent doing nuthin but relaxing... maybe I'll finish the book I'm reading so I can start another. Tis such a treat to get read more than a chapter or two a day.
I didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning... I didn't sleep well at all... my legs were aching so badly and no amount of Aspercreme nor Motrin was working. I think I'm going to have to make a doctor's appt... scares me though because the last time I made an appt for the same thing, I ended up being diagnosed with cancer. Naaaaayyyyy, couldn't possibly be related. Anyway, I would have slept longer but Dad turned on the light and was ready to fix his breakfast so I thought what the heck might as well get up too and enjoy the day. And enjoy it, we did.
After breakfast and our morning bike ride, we took off in the car to explore Panama City. More specifically the marinas. Dad just loves to walk the docks looking at all the boats... I think he misses his houseboat and wants another one. In fact, we talked about my dream today and incorporated a houseboat into it... Here's the dream so far:
I buy a couple acres of lakefront property where he could park and live in the motorhome while he helped build my little dream house. The dream house could even be the one I saw that is built around an RV... check out this link to see what I'm talking about. http://www.rvdoctor.com/chalet.shtml We even talked about his desire to build the ultimate bathroom. The bathroom would be big enough for a jacuzzi and one of those huge showers that have several shower heads and even a bench seat to sit on. I could come visit my new place a couple times a year during my vacations while he is working on it which would be pretty cool. Once the house was done (or before), he'd buy his houseboat and park it at my dock. He said the lake would have to be connected to an intercoastal waterway though so that he could escape when he wanted to. Hmmmmmmmmm this dream does have possibilities. I would love to have a place I could call my own where family and especially my grandchildren could come visit for the summers. They could experience different things like fishing and gardening... homemade ice cream and picnics under the big shady oak tree. Yessssss, dreaming of tomorrow keeps me focused on today... and which means I should get back to my present adventure :-)
After the marinas we went to an RV dealer so that we could ask about the location of the power center and the VCR. And wouldn't you know it... the darn power center was right in front of our noses the whole time! Oh well, live and learn, but at least we can cross that off our list of ?????'s.
For lunch we went through the McDonald's drive-thru and picked up two $.99 Hot & Spicy McChicken sandwiches to be eaten back at the RV with a bag of chips and a cold beer. Tis pretty neat how frugal my Dad can be... It's almost like it is a challenge for him to see how little he can spend in one day. I really should pay more attention to his ways if I'm to purchase my dream land some day;-) Besides, we have a blast doing the simple things in life... bike rides, walks on the beach, walks at the marinas, playing pool, etc. etc. and they don't cost a penny. Just this morning I was sitting outside having my morning coffee and got to witness two birds playing together. They were chasing each other through the bushes... flying here and there... chirping at each other, etc. It was as if they were flirting shamelessly with each other :-) Pure enjoyment to watch and it didn't cost a thing.
Wow, I finally slept last night--6 hours straight! Tis Friday now we've had a great day so far. I didn't much feel like going for a bike ride this morning so I suggested we go to the beach and walk a couple miles. He was up for the idea so we drove to the nearby town of Mexico Beach. Yes, I finally got some beach time in and it was wonderful...even saw some dolphins swimming :-) Of course I didn't do any sunbathing, but I enjoyed myself just the same. The sound of the surf is what draws me to the ocean... I guess it's my way of communicating with Christopher. Soothes the soul and brings peace to my heart...
After our morning exercise, we came back and played a couple games of pool. I lost both games :-( then we headed to the Mall for more exercise. Yeah, Dad loves to exercise...I guess that's why he is in such good shape for a 75 year old man. You go Dad! After the mall and all the exercise, it was finally time for the lunch buffet at KFC. The highlight of the day! .... besides the beach of course :-)
Saturday started off with breakfast at K-mart again. Like I said before, it is just too good of deal for Dad to pass up;-) After breakfast we chose to walk the mall again and then we went driving through the neighborhoods looking for that perfect place to buy. Couldn't find one, so we headed back to the campground and have been watching football all afternoon.
Tomorrow is our last day here and we have some work to do to get ready for our departure on Monday so I probably won't be writing again until I'm home and ready to send this email to everyone.
********* I'm home once and again, but I'm extremely tired… Stayed up to watch the Dolphins vs Broncos game last night. Great game even though my team lost with 45 seconds to go in the game… grrrrrrrrrrrrr… It was such a good game though that I couldn't wind down from all the excitement so I only got about 3 hours of sleep.
All in all the trip was wonderful… quality time with Dad…and I was able to relax a little.
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