Melbourne to Christmas and on to Roanoke, VA

The delay in this post is because the screen on my laptop died last week. I got a great deal on a new Toshiba but the transfer of my old data to a DVD wasn't much help because the CD/DVD drive on the new computer doesn't work. Or, as Jeff said, "So, Dad. You got a great price on a fantastic laptop - that doesn't work." Well, yeah, kinda. I took it to the shop on the way to the airport.

Since all my pictures are on that DVD I can't get to them. I really wanted to put them on here with this post, so I procrastinated - everything was going to fixed "tomorrow". Well, now I'm told Toshiba is out of the drives so it'll be after Apr 27 before I have a complete computer.

Then Dennis Ober - OBIE the clown sent me an email that said,

"Tom, Are you still in BED??? Your Blog says you are since March 23...wake up .... Smell the sewer dump, or something!!! GET UP>>>>> GET UP>>>> GET UP>>>>> OBIE "

OK OK - It's good to be missed.

The week in Melbourne was delightful. This is the perfect time to be in FL. Warm days, cool nights, no humidity, no mosquitoes - a FL I had never experienced before.

I went on another ride with the bikers from the park. This time we took back roads down to Vero Beach and came back up A1A to Melbourne. Lunch was at a well known diner that has a "Senior Appreciation Day" on Tuesdays. Our fearless leader had called ahead and reserved a room because there were 26 of us. One of the waitresses said, "When they told us a group of seniors, we expected walkers and wheelchairs. You guys look young." I said, "Some of us should have walkers, but we haven't figured out how to carry them on our motorcycles." A little while later she came back in with a really surprised look on her face and said, "I thought you were kidding about the motorcycles."

I went to the beach on Saturday. I thought it would be crowded on the weekend but it was the only day I could go. I walked 1/2 hour and then 1/2 hour back and saw maybe 50 people total. Like I said, this is a Florida that's new to me. Delightful. Pictures later.

I had another wonderful visit with my cousins before I came back to Christmas. Pictures - you know.

Unlike the saga of the trip down, the trip back really did take 45 minutes. I spent a quiet few days in Christmas, then on Apr 2 I flew Allegiant Air to Roanoke.


I've been busy visiting with friends, eating out WAY too much and catching up on local news.
It's wonderful to be back EXCEPT - remember that beautiful sunrise picture from Melbourne?

Well here's this morning's sunrise in Roanoke.


YES, that's SNOW.

Easter Egg hunts may be a challenge this year.

I'm ready to return to warm FL. But I'll stay here through next Wed. Our church combines all Easter Sunday Masses into one BIG celebration at the Salem Civic Center. I'm very glad that my personal obligations required me to return to Roanoke this week so I can be here for this very special service.

I hope you all have a Blessed Easter.

I shoulda stayed in bed

On Tuesday, March 20th I was scheduled to travel from Christmas, FL to Melbourne, FL. A distance of 41 miles that my GPS program said should take 51 minutes. Click here for map.

I left Christmas at 9:00am and arrived at Land Yacht Harbor Airstream Park in Melbourne at 9:00pm. The problems started before I left Christmas when I found a flat tire on the trailer due to a 2" long machine screw. I drove from the park to the Firestone dealer who said they could make me an appointment for Wed but they couldn't possibly help me today because they were so backed up. I asked if they could fix the tire if I brought it to them. And they said yes, if they didn't have to remove and replace it on the trailer they could "fit it in easily". So I took it off and rolled it into their shop. 4 hours later they returned it and I went to put it back on the trailer. Lessons learned many years ago and forgotten - a partially deflated tire will come out of a place that a fully inflated one will not fit. So an hour later, after getting the trailer up on higher blocks and putting the tire on, I was back on the road.

Exactly 6 miles down I95 I threw a tread on the right rear truck tire. It got real exciting for a few seconds and then I was able to pull off the road. AAA finally came but it turns out my spare was in very bad shape. Too many years of sitting in the back of a hot truck, I guess. The AAA guy said, "I'll put it on. But if I were you, I'd unhitch the trailer, and drive very slowly back to Wal-Mart. So I did. My first thought was, "I'm gonna die" because I didn't want to go over 40 and the speed limit is 70. So everybody except me is going 85. But he was kind enough to follow me the whole way with ALL the flashers on his truck going. 3 hrs later I left Wal-Mart, found the trailer right where I'd left it and had an uneventful trip to Melbourne.

I parked in a car parking lot overnight because I got there too late to find my spot. BUT no one was hurt, minor damage to the truck from the tread, almost NO damage to the trailer and when I got up Wed morning, this is the sunrise that greeted me. To quote Mary Ann, "There IS a God. And She has a great sense of humor."

Someone helped me park in my spot around 9:00. The guy next door immediately came over to say, "Hi.Where in VA are you from?" He and his wife are from Floyd but last fall they bought a condo in Roanoke. When he saw the bike he said, "A group goes riding every Tuesday, but they got rained out yesterday so they're leaving at 10:00 today." I plugged in the electric, got the bike off the truck and took a 125 mile ride to Disneyland for lunch at the Coronado and then over to theAnimal Kingdom hotel to walk around the grounds and see bunches of animals. And YES, I left in such a hurry that I forgot my camera AGAIN. One of the wives promised me pictures, but I don't have them yet.

I DO, however, FINALLY have some good pictures from the Sarasota Rally. Dennis Ober, the guy that took them, is a GREAT guy. He conned security into letting him climb up on top of one of the Fairgrounds buildings to get these pictures. He was a little slow in getting them to me, but he's a real clown anyway.

No, REALLY. He's a clown. SEE !

The blue lettering on his trailer's back window says "Airstream Hobo."

Here are two of his pictures of some of the Airstreams gathered in Sarasota.

And for those who haven't seen my home and toys, here are pictures of my Airstream and the truck with the Honda that "Obie" also took at Sarasota.

Yesterday I rode the bike 15 miles down A1A to my cousin Elsie and her husband Tony's house. Map I had dinner with them and another cousin, her brother Leo and his wife June who live in PA. I hadn't seen Elsie and Jay since her Dad's funeral over 20 years ago. We had a great time and I'm going back Sunday for a family gathering.

I WILL remember the camera !