Accomplishments for 2007

First time in many years that we were not waiting anxiously for the year to come to an end, reflecting back on 2007 has been a very pleasant journey and looking forward to an even better 2008. Thank you God for all of these moments and many more that we enjoyed this year.

Daytona, met a few of the drivers, owners and even shook their hands…Met Anne at Happy Camper and picked up Race (more on him in 2008)…Worked in New Mexico at a Hot Springs…Worked Las Vegas Motor Speedway…Gambled on a River Boat on the Mississippi…Seen the destruction of Katrina first hand with our own eyes in the Gulf area…Gambled on a Cruise Ship in Florida…Crossed many bridges steep and scary but did not allow the fear to stop us…Seen the fourth of five Great Lakes (Jerry did this, I have seen them all)…Seen the awesome power of Niagara Falls…Drove through Canada and almost didn‘t allow us in without passports, had our RV thoroughly inspected by the Border control…Visited Tennessee and the Foleys…A surprise visit with Lois while in Michigan…Enjoyed a service at the Renaissance Unity Church in person not via the Internet as we do every Sunday morning…Worked at Jellystone Campground and met Yogi…Was able to assist our dear friends once again managing Hickory Lake Campground…Finally visited Tombstone and enjoyed the history lessons…Learned how to laugh through our challenging moments…Jerry had his first experience with frozen ground as we traveled across Texas in an ice storm, he fell but did not hurt anything too badly…Crossed several more State lines.

Our Pasts...

Looking back into my past and finding some good has been the hardest thing for me to do and some of your comments have pushed me to do just that. It hasn’t been easy because it feels as if every good moment has a black cloud over it. Recalling small fragmented moments that life seemed to be worth living was a challenge but a few did come to mind but then the very next moment held a terrible misfortune that took all the pleasure away.

For those of you who are lucky enough to look back into your past and find good times, my heart fills with happiness for you. We would just ask that you try to understand that not all of our pasts have a silver lining. Some had stipulations attached…many had really mixed messages attached…some were brutal…some were just plain awful…some even carried some physical or emotional scars which take time to heal.

It is acceptable to look into ones past and not find many happy moments but it is not acceptable to pretend and act as if they were good times. For all of those moments made me exactly who I am today and writing about them helps in allowing me to finally let them out so they can fly away from turning me resentful.

So for the New Year ahead, my hope is that we all live our lives the best we know how and when we learn more…we live more.

Toad or No Toad?

It’s time for us to once and for all follow our hearts and get out of our box and just go for it. It took a tremendous amount of courage for us to become full-time RVers almost 3 years ago but the main reason we did was to follow the NASCAR circuit working or visiting all the race tracks. So far, we have only done three and that is just not acceptable to us any longer.

From our past experiences, we know that it is a big financial step to take since every attempt we have made, money has held us back so we have been looking for ways to lighten our burden and Jerry had an epiphany this morning. He has been having many of those lately, must be all the meditating we have been doing regularly. Anyway, he suggested since we would be traveling so much and basically just towing our Jeep hardly using it at all, why not sell it and go without it.

The cons would be…not having a vehicle if we stay an extended time anywhere or sightseeing (we could always drive the RV to all places)…not able to use the toad if the RV breaks down on the highway or for an extended time in the repair shop (we do have roadside assistance, which would help).

The pros would be…saving on the expenses for regular maintenance on the Jeep…saving on gas for the RV (towing we do around 7mpg, without towing we do over 8mpg, big difference when you calculate the thousands of miles we will be putting on this year)…having only one vehicle to maintain verses two (since Jerry does most of the maintenance on the vehicles, the time saving would be a lot)…less wear and tear on the RV by not having to pull the toad…we have our bikes that we have been trying to use more often for our health…downsizing our Jeep has been a topic for quite awhile now anyway and if we choose to stay in one place for an extended time, we can always buy another used smaller vehicle.

We will be staying in the Phoenix area for another month before heading out so we have some time to play with the idea. Any and all comments would be deeply appreciated.

An Awakening

Christmas is now over and the difference a day makes is marvelous. The sad feelings we had yesterday have now disappeared and we are now ready to take on all of our new experiences that life has in store for us.

We woke today knowing that life is exactly how we choose to make it and for the first time in a long time we are choosing a grand life. This lifestyle for us began 3 years ago with so much anticipation and we allowed circumstances to change all of those dreams…no more…we are moving forward in our lives and not allowing our dreams to fade into the sunsets. We are getting busy with finding work at the tracks and we will be doing many more tracks this season than we had planned, beginning with California, Vegas and then...

The both of us turning 50 has been symbolic and we choose to choose to make the next 50 even better than the first. Thank you for our readers comments that have energized our inner souls to go for it all and to finally let go of our past.

A Christmas Song About Mother's Shoes

Today began as any other day…it ended with a very important message. Feeling a bit melancholy and just wanting the holidays to be over, this day was slowly turning into a day with many little nuisances making their points.

Almost every person we came in contact with was annoying and it was getting to a point where my attitude may snap at any moment. People were being rude and oblivious to anything but themselves. There would be justification on my side since they were the ones being judgmental and not in the holiday spirit.

To make matters even worse, the weather took a drastic turn, the wind picked up and it was a cold and frigid, especially for Phoenix. For a Friday night the show was slow which made for plenty of time to just sit and think…then it happened.

A Christmas song came on that has always made me cry and this time was not any different except not only did I cry but it was also like reading a book, pages of our lives turning as I read the events. Life changed drastically for us back on Christmas day in 2001 when the news of my baby brother being as sick as he was became apparent.

Before that Christmas, I looked forward to my birthday in October when the chain of good fortune always began for me and continued through the New Year. This time of the year always brought out the best of us, we decorated extensively and always tried to do the right thing for all concerned. That year changed my entire thinking process and as hard as I tried to focus on the good things…the bad things continued to happen. A few short months after that Christmas, my youngest brother passed away…a little over a year later, my mother passed away…a month later my sister and I severed our relationship and she began persecution of us in a very nasty way, even for her…shortly after my daughter took her son, my grandson away from us because she was angry at my terribly misdirected outburst…another brother passed away. Life had always been a little tough for us but nothing prepared us for all of this to happen, all the time we were one inch away from losing it all. We continued to play the roles we thought we had to live by but that soon began to take a toll on our own self-esteem and the reason we looked into our hearts to find the way to follow our dream lifestyle. During this time we became full time RVers which is the only thing that kept us from hitting rock bottom.

It’s amazing how you can look back and see your life as if it was a book you were reading and wonder how you ever made it through, but we did. Not only did we make it through all of those hard times, we also have come to a time in our lives where we no longer accept the mediocre, instead we go after our very best and we usually find it. Life has given us many opportunities to grow from lately and we have stood up to the test and have passed with flying colors. Everyday is still challenging but we get better at living our lives to the fullest with a lot help from God.

Dysfunctional Way of Life

It has always been a normal way of life for our family…to hold a grudge…never forgive…get them before they get you…punish them every chance you get…make some very poor choices…blame everyone else and never take responsibility…denial…denial…denial. There are still times that I find myself guilty of these things too, but those times are becoming fewer and I have learned to deal with the situations and move forward and not stay stuck in the past. I wish I could say the same for my daughter, the anger for her is as strong as it was the day it happened.

I could definitely understand her anger if I was a “monster” mother and grandmother but I was not. Now I may not have been a June Cleaver but I did the best I knew how with what I knew then and when I learned more, I did better. As for mistakes, well I certainly made plenty of them but at the same time I learned from them and improved myself.

Hanging onto the anger and placing blame is not a healthy way of life. I take full responsibility for my part in this entire situation but she needs to do the same and to understand that we all make mistakes that we can’t undo but instead of muddling in the dysfunction, we need to rise above it and handle it in a healthier way.

To continue denying us visitation with our grandson is making a choice that is based on the anger funk and is not healing nor helping to any one of us. To continue denying that it is not affecting Austin is just preposterous. Her anger is clouding her good sense. He is affected even if she does not see it herself. If he is not showing it, could it possibly be because she has taught him to deny his feelings as she does her own? Or that her anger has made him fearful of even bringing us up, afraid of her backlash which has always been obvious. He has always taken on the role of being the one who could make his mommy happy or sad by how he acted. He learned very early on not to say or do things to upset her because he always feared she too would leave him and he has always loved her so very much that he would do anything to make sure that never happened.

It is now time to stop the dysfunction from carrying onto yet another generation. Precious time is wasting that we will never be able to get back. If God forgives each and everyone of us and never holds a grudge, then why can’t she?

Our New Map

So many times as we are routing our journey…we forget which roads we have already taken and part of our plan is to take as many of the roads less traveled and not to continue down the same paths. We purchased a 2007 Atlas back in 2006 and it was showing the wear and tear but at the same time we didn’t want to replace it since we had highlighted all the roads we have traveled so far. Pages were falling out and they edges were quite frayed…so we got the new one. We updated to the more expensive one where the pages have a binder type holding them together…going to give this type a try.

Now for the transferring of the highlighted roads already traveled. I thought it was going to be a pain in the…instead we began doing it and had the time of our lives. With each highlighted road we transferred onto the new map, we relived our past experiences. The good and the not so good, but all were needed to take us exactly where we are today. We are living the good life…we have one another …we have joy…we have laughter…we have love…we have forgiveness…most of all we have our dreams with the attitude of never giving up.

The Spirit of Christmas…

Lives within each one of us. It’s not about the gifts, nor shopping, not even the decorating. The real meaning of Christmas lies within your heart. We are now trying very hard to see this season as a giving time, a caring time, a time where we love, even when that person no longer loves us.

It’s sad because the time we are all missing out of will never be returned. These precious years can never be given back to any one of us. Life is not always kind and we may not always have the life we wanted, but I know deep within myself, I was a good mother and a fantastic grandmother (Nana). There were many good times and yes, several very ugly times…but in reality, there was certainly many more good times then there were those dark and ugly ones. We recall many of those moments every day because at this time that is all we have…our memories of the life shared with our daughter and grandson.

It’s not about giving up, instead it’s about letting go. Yes, more than anything we would prefer to have our daughter forgive us and allow us back into their lives but we can now see that it is not going to happen.

"It is was it is!"

We cannot change other people, we can only change ourselves. She is doing the best she can at this moment with the knowledge she has, we are also doing all we know at this time and it is just not enough to take away her pain and her anger. It is time for us to move forward and continue praying that God keeps them safe, for it is now out of our hands and into his. I pray that I continue to have the strength to get through all the sad moments ahead.

Back on Track

The rain has ended here in Phoenix…the land is drying…the cold remains at night…the sun shines bright during the day…the blahs have flown away and the show must go on.

It felt good once again to be active and out amongst other people. We have always loved spending time together which is one of the reasons this lifestyle is great for us, besides the traveling. But, there are times when the rainy weather sets in and work comes to a halt that we begin getting on each others nerves. This time was different, this time we both fell into a “Funk”. We whined…we cried…we blamed others…we blamed ourselves…we felt useless…we laughed. It was only then were we able to “Pick ourselves up and get back in the race…That’s Life”.

Life’s Lessons are getting easier to handle and I joke with Jerry that it happened a few short months ago on the day I turned 50 and I guarantee that it will happen for him in just a few days when he finally turns 50 as well. It’s actually fun learning these lessons now in the never ending aha moments. Things we have always known but just didn’t make sense before are becoming clearer every day. Our lesson this time around we learned is to relax and enjoy the ride and to remember we do not have to do or say anything, it is always our choice but most of all…BREATHE!

What A Shame When Your Child Loses Their Way…

And takes your grandchild with them. We were there as grandparents from the moment he was born. During her trying moments with his daddy, we were there to help in any way we could. When things got ugly and nasty as they did during their divorce, we were there to guide them. When they needed our “babysitting” we never hesitated, even changing our plans at times just to make her life easier. When we chose a different lifestyle that would no longer allow us to be there for them 24/7, we still offered everything we could…even having him spend the summer with us at one of our jobs. When the summer wasn’t enough and she asked for more time for him to hang out with us, we rearranged our schedule to fit hers. All of these things we did because we love our grandson and only wanted to help our daughter because I know first hand just how hard it is to be a single parent. Boy, did that backfire! By doing all of this instead of making it easier on her, we apparently were controlling so after six years of not saying anything to us like that now she chooses to keep us out of their lives and claim she is very happy without us.

She claims that Austin does not even ask about us because when he did ask, she told him we were no longer a part of their lives. He is a very smart boy and I am sure he has realized the subject is off limits with his mommy. That is why many times while we were in his life, he knew he could come to his Nana and Papa to discuss things his mommy refused. Pretty deep issues as why his daddy left him and why his mommy yells all the time.

Yes, I made a big error by having an argument with my husband while our grandson was in earshot but to condemn me as if I killed someone is truly unbelievable. She claims that by her forbidding us to be part of Austin’s life is not hurting him and that he is better off without us in his life. She claims that I was more of a parent to him then a grandparent…when he spent time with us, we allowed him to be a child and just have fun and not have to be anything but himself. She claims this was us parenting him and not being grandparents, not sure how she gets that but she does. In my opinion, a grandparent loves and cares for them…spoils them…has fun with…takes them on vacation…tells them stories…helps them with life, all that we did.

She also claims that she does not talk bad about us…we hear her telling people that we are dead. If that is not talking bad about somebody, then I do not know what is. Austin hears this and thinks that his Nana and Papa are dead or even worse thinks that we abandoned him, when in fact we continue to try…only to be shut down by our daughter. She claims this is not affecting him, after we had been such an intricate part of his life.

Anger, most of time keeps us stuck in the pain…the pain of losing her grandmother, uncle to death and us to living our lives traveling has made her very bitter towards life itself. She has always taken the less then positive road in all of her choices and has always allowed others to influence her feelings. I always tried to allow her to be who she was and always prayed that she would make better choices…I taught her to be strong…to be able to survive without anyone just in case that happened to her. Somehow I taught her to be mean and vindictive as she has been to me. I take full responsibility for raising her alone since I never had anyone who stepped in as I did for her and her son. In my opinion it was a blessing but it is apparent she does not feel the same.

We’re Going To Be Just Fine…

We come here to Phoenix with so many hopes and shortly after arrival we just end up depressed and very sad.



The weather turned really bad, cold, even frigid and wet and just continued for days, then the very next weekend more rain and cold. The light show took a big hit the first weekend from the storm so work slowed to an almost halt which gave us too much time to think.



We love being in this area but we might rethink this stop for next year. Our daughter is still carrying on and will not allow us to visit with her or our grandson. It has been almost two years and all I can think now is there will never be any getting back the time that we missed with our grandson. How will I ever begin to forgive her for that? I think I have but then I think about the past two years when he thought that we left him and her anger caused her to say many things to him that is just not true. We are not terrible people…we were fantastic grandparents…he loved us very much…we had fun…we showed him love all the time. Why can’t she see what this is all doing to him…a child who spent most of his time with us and then because of nothing else but her anger…was ripped away from two people he could ALWAYS count on.

We will get past this moment in our lives…the holidays will soon be over…we will leave the area…the disappointment will disappear but the sadness will linger until we are reunited with our grandson.

Our Web Pages

We just love adventure…in every possible aspect in our lives. Together we love to travel but when we are stationed in one area for a few months, I have a tendency to get a bit …well for lack of a better word…I get antsy. To alleviate some of this tension I search for new and different ways to share our stories, photos and reviews.

Our blog here at Blogger continues to be the best place to share our stories. The time taken to learn more of the new updates have paid off royally with the new photo slideshow, photos, links to our other web areas and so much more. If you do not have a blog already, please take the time to get one here, you will love the ease it requires to add your stories.

As for our photos, this website offers Picasa Web Albums. My experience with it has been minimal but it seems easy enough and offers many features as the one we currently use. I do plan to utilize Picasa more in the near future but I am not ready to let go of Shutterfly yet, it has been my favorite free photo storage now for years. One of the disadvantages so far with Picasa is that it has a storage limit but offers for a fee more storage.

Our reviews will remain at ZeeMaps. After researching Google’s equivalent, we will still stay with ZeeMap.

For the past few years, we have almost given up on our webpage and have almost let it go but once again we renewed it for one more year. It is not that costly, but it is very complicated to update. This will be a continued area we will research.

Time Just Seems To Be Flying...

Thanksgiving has come and gone so quickly and a chill is in the air, yes, even in Phoenix. We have been keeping busy with the decorating but took the time to update most of our reviews. We still have plenty more but check out the many that have been completed. (Click on the title to be directed to our ZeeMap)

Thanksgiving gave us the opportunity to feel the gratitude that we take for granted so many times in our lives. We are the most luckiest people in the world, we have a tendancy to forget just how much we have in our lives and dwell too much on what we do not have but Thanksgiving puts it all back into perspective for us.

Thank you God!

We Are In…

And camp is all set up. We will be just chilling out at camp until events begin to open on Thursday and then it’s shopping…racing…shopping…racing…racing…racing. We got a really good spot again this year, even better and we didn’t have to park on the road for an extra week. We decided it wasn’t worth all the rock and rolling on the road and the extra days like we did last year. We arrived on Saturday at 10am…staging inside began at 8am…we had no line at all.

We staged until Monday when they began letting rigs in at 8am…we finally got in at around 11am, We were set up within an hour and just watched all the others set up and drive around looking for a place to set up. We have some good folks around us, some are just a bit on the loud side but for the most part we have good neighbors.

We are near enough to Basha’s…we have plenty of space…the restrooms are near but distant…we get the morning sun on our patio and the evening on our backsides where we have rigged up a window shade…we only have one of the big lights and it’s in front of the rig and not in our bedroom windows. Life is good and we are excited to be here!

Too Much Time On My Hands…

This song has been playing continuously in my head for the past few days and I just don’t know why.

It is a bit stressful being back in Phoenix with the uncontrollable urge to call my daughter to see if possibly, just possibly she has worked through her issues and would allow us to spend some time with our grandson. On one hand I want to call her to just get it over with but I am not ready to hear that she has not worked it out and is still angry. Or, that maybe she no longer works at Denny’s and then I would have no way to contact her at all. Or…the list goes on and on.

When does life get any easier? When do I get what I have always dreamed of having? When is it my turn for the Good Life? What really is the Good Life?

As much as I complain about not having this, that or whatever…I still have it very good. Forgetting how good we have it many times clouds my judgment and then clouds my vision as well. We are living our dream life…not as we had planned but we are doing it, our way! We have our health…we have each other…we found our soul mates…we find work whenever we need it…we travel…we have fun…we laugh…we dance (not as often as I would like, but we do at times)…we have our faith…and above all else we grow spiritually more every day. The list can go on for pages and pages. So with all of this being said, please God help me to stop whining so much about the things we don’t have and learn to appreciate all that we do.

We hope you are all living your dream life. Let us know how yours is progressing and we will continue telling our stories.

We are living the lifestyle that we dreamed about…

Just not exactly the way we dreamed it would be and the funny thing I realized this morning as I read a story in a recent article in RV Life Magazine, the November 2007 Online Digital Edition, “Authors Seek Inspiring Stories” is that they were, as many others were living our dream life while we continued struggling with ours. Here is a link to that article, http://www.rvlife.com/digitaledition.html

We are doing our dream, the only difference from us and the others are that we are doing it without the paychecks or support from major corporations, giving them a rig to use while on the road and a big paycheck to secure them. We are in fact doing it all on our own because a few years ago our sponsor backed out but our heart’s desire needed to be fulfilled. We are not allowing anything to stop us from attaining our dream life and pursuing all the things we know we can have and do. Trust me, it is not easy doing it this way, but knowing we are doing it no matter what is the best thing we could have ever done in our lives. Yes, it would have been and still would be a lot easier if we could have a rig given to us along with a steady paycheck but until that happens we will continue to live this new lifestyle because it is in our blood and there is no stopping us.

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA)

We joined the MSAA volunteer organization as Resource Detectives, we will be identifying agencies and organizations which provide resources that can benefit the MS community. The information we find will be used by MSAA’s client services department, which handles their toll-free Helpline.

One of the many things we will be researching is how convenient this lifestyle (RVing) would be for the individuals afflicted with this illness, but also how many places out here are handicap friendly.

This opportunity is truly a great fit for us since we love researching, reviewing, and then sharing all we learn with others. What better way to do it all and being able to help others while we are doing what we love.

Several of our friends who has a loved one that is confined to a wheel chair have approached us and wanted some information about the places we visit, if they are easily accessible for the handicap. We could not answer those questions since we really had not paid much attention to that dilemma, but now we will be able to give them all the information they would need to begin living their dream of traveling the country.

We are true believers that anyone can do anything they set their hearts to do and now we can assist them by giving them the tools to do this, what a grand opportunity for us!

For more information how you can become a volunteer, just click on the title and you will be directed to their website to see if anything may inspire you.

Another great link for volunteering is the Volunteer Match website http://www.volunteermatch.org/, they have many opportunities to volunteer, even “Virtual Opportunities”. There is no more excuses why you can’t volunteer, if we can do it while RVing full-time so can you!

Mississippi To Arkansas

Today was a troublesome driving day! The rig continued doing the chugging and we are not quite sure why it comes and goes as it does. Just when we thought we were going to have to pull over…it stopped! We decided to pickup a fuel filter while driving through Brinkley, Arkansas and Jerry installed it and we were back on the road in literally minutes…he is such a genius when it comes to just about everything…anyway…once again we didn’t have another chug incident for the rest of the day. We will need to give it a total checkup when we get to Phoenix.

All Interstate driving from here to Phoenix…ugh…we will only be doing about 300 miles a day which is our max. Whether we do the “roads less traveled” or Interstates it seems 300 is the best for us. On the “roads less traveled” it’s because it’s slow going for the most part…on the Interstates, we do better timing but the stress from the trucks whizzing by makes us want to only do that many.

We drove some really nice roads today, US-49, between US-61 and I-40 is a great road. Went from a divided highway to 5 lanes to a two lane but even then it had quite a few passing lanes.
Looked through our campground membership books and chose a campground to stay at and when we went out of our way to get there…it was the MOST trashy dump we have ever seen. See our reviews for the rest of the story.

Will the Rain Ever End in Tunica, Mississippi?

What began as a two night stay has now stretched into five…will the weather ever clear? We choose not to drive in this rain and especially not in the wind, so we will continue staying “One More Night” until this clears. The weather forecast is for it to finally move out tomorrow so it looks as if we will be leaving the Tunica, Mississippi area then.

In the meantime…we have not been able to do much sightseeing in the area but thank goodness we have several casinos in the area to make it an exciting time. So far, we are ahead and they have been paying for our meals, as well as our stay at the RV Park at the Hollywood Casino. Be sure to check out our reviews for further information.

Life for us has taken a fabulous turn for the best possible ride we have ever had. This has taken place mostly because we are tuning into our spiritual inner selves and just going with the flow in life. Our stopover at the Renaissance Church was the most enlightening time for us and continues to bring us deeper into our true inner selves. Life is truly Grand!

Visiting the Foley's in Tennessee

It was nice visiting friends and just trying to chill out a bit, which ended up being quite difficult for me to do. We did some sightseeing and really had some down time visiting and catching up with all the happenings with one another. During the time we were there they celebrated their 10 year anniversary so while they went out on the town and enjoyed a Dinner Cruise on the Mississippi River we stayed home and watched the kids for them.


We had made a major error when we arrived that caused us a slight delay on the morning we were leaving. They had arranged for us to just drive down their driveway into their unfenced backyard. We were so excited to see them that we did not give it a thorough inspection and by the time we were on our way down the driveway it was too late…we scraped the bottom of our rig, actually only the hitch but going back up was going to be worse. So after looking it all over and checking out all of our options, we chose to drive through the neighborhood, literally. We had to drive through two backyards and down a neighbors driveway onto the next street over. It was an adventure and of course we have learned not to go down too steep of a driveway or any type of road from now on. Of course it all worked out as things usually do in our lives but we are always living and learning.

Here are a few of the places we went sightseeing at while we were in the Great Smoky Mountain area. All of our Photos can be viewed at http://hittheroadjack.shutterfly.com/action/

Cades Cove is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is 2500 acres of open space. You drive through it on a one way road that doesn’t open to cars until mid morning, so be sure to check the hours before making your plans. We heard there was so much wildlife but we only seen one deer, it was a good size, probably eight or more point buck grazing in the field, the black bears were not to be found on our visit. It’s a loop, so you end up where you started and we recommend this drive.

Tuckaleechee Caverns is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the photos we took do not do it justice at all. It is an amazing place and the guide we had was very knowledgeable of the cavern. Many years ago two young boys at the age of six began exploring the caverns…later in their lives they returned…bought the land and created the sight seeing tours. It is really a great place to visit and we highly recommend it.

The Foothills Parkway is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a wonderful drive. This was suppose to be the peak season for the fall colors but due to the drought the colors were not as vivid as usual. It’s a nice drive, especially after doing the hundreds of stairs on the cavern tour. There are many places to pull off for photos or have lunch as we did. This drive is not a loop and when leaving the park we ended up back on US129, the beautiful drive continued along a lake with a really nice view.

NASCAR SpeedPark in Sevierville was awesome! We drove the go-carts only on a few of the tracks since most of them were not open but there were quite a few that were running. There was a NASCAR store and we found some bargains, still looking for some other items but they are a bit limited with what they have in stock. Visit their website for more information at http://www.nascarspeedpark.com/

Niagara Falls

Here are just a few of the many photos we took while visiting this grand place. We were on our second, third or maybe fourth honeymoon but our first time here.

Please visit our web page at shutterfly by clicking on this title and it will take you there so you can view all of our photos.

Campground Closing Phase

This campground goes into an entirely different phase once Labor Day is over. For the first few days it was really nice, we were able to have a campfire and just act like guests but that gets old really fast when we realize that the guests, seasonals and even the owners do not come to visit.

We are stuck here until the first of October and until then, only one of us at a time are able to take a short trip to town when supplies are needed. For the most part Jerry does this because I learned fast that it makes me feel worse to leave for a short time and have to come back so soon. It works for Jerry better because he prefers getting away for a short time than not at all.

This time of the year, the weather takes a drastic turn…it has been windy, rainy and freezing. The temperatures dropping below freezing at night and only warming up to the 50’s during the day.

We had so much energy at first that we really tackled many of the projects, so there is not much left to do and for the most part it is so cold, wet and windy we just want to snuggle up and not venture out of our rig…but we do.

What I wouldn’t do right now for the sounds of a full campground…a child’s shrill…a crackling fire…laughter…footsteps on the gravel road. Instead, the raindrops on the roof are no longer the sound of peacefulness but instead are very annoying. The windows are constantly steamed up once again due to the moisture in the air, we are running our humidifier and heater almost non-stop.

Counting down the days…very soon now we will be able to drive off into the next phase of our journey and travel around the country, heading southwest to some warmer climates…soon…very soon.

My Thoughts...

Today is a day to stop and take a deep look inside yourself and truly be thankful for all that you have. We can continue to be afraid of ourselves or we can step up and step out of our egos and live the life we are truly meant to live.

Personally, I was not affected by the tragedy that came upon our country just a few short years ago, but in some way we were all affected. My sadness comes when I think about those first few hours, days and even weeks when we as a country banned together and there was peace everywhere. Why can’t today be the same way?

I remember the exact moment in that time when I felt an eerie presence of absolutely no activity in our skies. The stillness that came across my soul as I looked up and knew that there were no planes traveling for the first time in many years.

Life gave us many heroes from that day, but what I really felt was the togetherness of all mankind. There was no crime in our streets because we were all in shock that something as horrific as that event could happen on our sacred land. We all need to continue to ban together and reach that peacefulness we all shared during that moment in time when one event has changed us all forever. Let us choose to change our thoughts for the better so those heroes of that time do not ever regret what they did for all mankind.

A Very Difficult and Challenging Season but We Made it Through…

Tonight, we move back into our rig from the two-bedroom apartment we have to stay in during the season. It’s a nice place to visit but…our rig is our home and even though it may be much smaller, I miss it after a only a few weeks, let alone a few months.

Another reason I love this time of the season is, for the most part, we only have a few reservations until the end of September, and then we close it down. We truly love our guests and are very blessed with the best guests ever but it’s also nice to have the campground mostly to ourselves and not have to maintain late night store hours, cleaning, smiling, creating and all the other things that go into maintaining a great campground. Now comes the time our workload lessens and our days are not so long so we can even find the time to relax and fish or sit by a campfire and roast a marshmallow or two.

Then, the best part is once we close it all down; we get on the road and travel for a few months before settling down in Phoenix for a short time before traveling around again. That is what we love doing the most and what we plan to get more of in the years to come as we find a way to support this lifestyle without having to stay in one spot for too long.

Now, we will have the time to update our website, blog, and share our photos and stories with all of you more often. This is why we do what we do!

The end of August and Labor Day Weekend is here…

The air is crisp and the leaves are changing, no matter what sort of denial Jerry is into, we are going into an entirely different phase at the campground...less guests (much less) and more projects.

We will be moving back into our home in just a few days…well sort of…our refrigerator has not been installed since our assistant managers up and quit on us and we are left by ourselves to finish off the season. We can‘t leave the campground until after October so change of plans…we will stop on our way out of Minnesota and have it installed.

Our learning lessons have been many for this season that we will be sharing with our readers once we get through this busy weekend. Until then we hope that each and everyone of you have a fabulous and safe holiday weekend.

Being Unreasonable At The Same Time

When we first began living this lifestyle, we knew from the start that it was exactly how we wanted to live the rest of our lives. There have been many challenging moments during the past few years but nothing as prevailing as our first adventure.

We left the campground on our first voyage and had to drive separately because we did not have the correct hitch for our Jeep. We left in the snow, sleet, slush that finally turned into rain. We were determined to pick up the hitch, install it and drive off happily ever after…now anybody following our blogs knows this is not our reality most of the time. It took a lot more time than we anticipated to get it all installed and then to learn to hook it all up.

At last, we were on the road but for just a very short time when the rig began this uncontrollable shaking. Luckily, we were near a town where they had a shop that worked on RV’s and after several hours, the issue had been resolved. It was late into the evening, they offered us some electricity and a place to park for the night, and we graciously accepted. If you have never experienced spending the night in a Dealership/Repair shop then you might not understand. This place in particular leaves all of their lights on all night long…it is like sleeping in your home with every light in the house on or trying to sleep during the day. Some folks can do this; we are not one of them.

After discussing our options and deciding that since we were running out of time and money, some readjustment of our plan was necessary. We made a reluctant choice to head straight for Phoenix without any of the fun stops. Now combine that with no sleep and being new at connecting the Jeep to the motorhome was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, early into our marriage, we made an agreement, which has been one of the main factors that have kept our marriage so strong, and that is the two of us could not be unreasonable at the same time. What happened next could be described as our turning point…

Now that we are connoisseurs at connecting our Jeep, it is very hard to believe we ever had so many problems at the beginning…but we did. Jerry standing between the rig and the Jeep and I, Kimberly in the Jeep all along lining it up using hand gestures. First attempt…failed…second try…closer but still not lined up…after awhile we lost count of how many attempts we had made and we were burning daylight hours…then the hand gestures began telling an entirely different story. Time continued to pass…I finally got out of the car to see just what he wanted me to do…big mistake.

There was no discussing anything, within moments our voices were loud and I very angrily said, “I am done, I am going back to drinking and smoking and the heck with all of this.” This was very irrational and it was his turn to pave this over because of our promise to one another but instead he replied, “Yea, I agree let’s go to the bar so I can get a shot and a cigarette too!” It had been quite a few years since either of us had smoked or drank and we were not about to start back again but it just came out. We both just stared at one another for what seemed like forever…then in the next moment we were laughing so hard we almost wet ourselves.

Once we let all the frustrations go, our next attempt at hooking up was successful and we moved forward, not only in our travels but in our marriage too. Now, every time we hook up, we smile and remember that together as a team we can handle every obstacle that comes our way.

It's All About Change...

We are counting down the days until we are back on the road again. We have less than 60 days at this point and right after Labor Day the campground goes into an entirely different phase...less guests (much less) and more projects.

We get to move back into our home after Labor Day...with all the renovating completed by then as we begin closing down the campground. It is officially open until October 1 but Minnesota folks do not camp much during September.

Life has been a great teacher this season, with new opportunities to help us grow. An entirely new attitude has been bestowed onto us and for this, we are so very grateful. Times had been challenging to say the least but together as a team and as individuals, we have learned some great life lessons.

The first week of October as we begin our next part of our journey, we look forward to once again being on the road again and exploring more of our great land. Just a few plans for that part of our adventure will include visiting our Church in Michigan, Niagara Falls, friends in Tennessee as well as Oklahoma and then hanging out at PIR (Phoenix International Raceway).

Life certainly does not get any better than this.

Finally A New Blog

It has been awhile since we have blogged and mostly it is because we are working very hard once again. I know we told ourselves that we would not but life has a way of shoving us in that direction. I do have to admit, we are getting much better at resolving this issue than every before but we are still not 100% perfect yet.

Changing our plan and not being able to stay in Michigan and work with a great group of people was very hard for us. We were having fun and meeting some really fabulous people and even though I knew we were really needed here it still felt a bit forced for us to be here. The responsibility was higher here in Minnesota and that was one of the reasons we were loving it in Michigan. We were workers there and once our hours were put in then we were free to come and go as we please. Now managing is an entirely different way and we are responsible for being here 24 hours a day for 5 days a week, thank goodness for our Assistant Managers for our 2 days off every week.

Anyway…

Since we have to stay in the apartment, we decided to use this time to renovate our RV and make it more comfortable for our needs. This was the best thing so far that we have done for ourselves.

We replaced the microwave with a smaller unit that uses less watts and had to come up with a unique idea to hide the space caused by that decision…pretty clever design that goes with our décor, NASCAR.

We removed the couch and turned that side into our office area.

We bought two nice recliner type chairs with our old ottoman…perfect for us, as you can see very relaxing too.

We are still in the process of renovating our shower area…testing the paint to hide the old yellowing of the pan since the pan is in great shape otherwise…this paint is suppose to work on this plastic, time will tell.
We are covering the walls, replacing the faucet, shower handle, adding a shower curtain and a few other little items we found in our research. There will be more photos when this is completed. We are also looking to put in a sky light dome, this part of the renovation may wait for another time since it was an after thought.

We removed the closet in the rear to accommodate a bigger bed and what a great difference this makes.

We had a chance to try it out this week when we took her for a ride to get new shoes or tires as most folks call them. After the bubble in the old tires we were not comfortable with them so we chose to upgrade to Good Year Wrangler’s with the E rating for all 6 tires that are suppose to help with the load. Nice, beefy tires!

Back to the great difference the bed has made…we had a chance to sleep in our new Queen Pillow-Top bed and it was marvelous. Not worrying about hitting our heads on the overhead closets…being able to stretch out without a closet in our backs…and the mere comfort of this bed is beyond words. It has been a very long time since we have had such a nice peaceful sleep in our own home, it has made us realize how much we have and all that we have to be grateful for.
Thank you God!

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park

Located in Indian River, Michigan and what a fun place! There are almost 200 sites in this themed Jellystone Park, all with different amenities from rustic all the way to the full hook-ups. They have a few cabins also that range from very rustic to a very quant little cabin with inside toilet, a shower area, refrigerator and even a microwave.

The kids will not run out of things to do because the activities are endless. They have an 18 Hole Mini-Golf Course, Playground, Yogi's Den, Shuffleboard, Volleyball, Bocce Ball, Horseshoes, Candy Bar Bingo, Tetherball, Outdoor Theatre, Cartoons, Pavilion, Group Activities, Activity Director, Wagon Rides, Nature Trails, Game Room, Pool Tables, or you can just hang out with Yogi, Boo Boo & Cindy when they are around.

There is also a store located in the Ranger Station with groceries, gifts, souvenirs, camper supplies, firewood, ice and a Goodie Shoppe with snacks and Ice Cream. There are several Laundromat areas located on the property, as well as a Dump Station and propane for your RV.

Then if all of that is not enough, they have a heated swimming pool that is uniquely shaped like the State of Michigan, with a road map included. This place is for the young and old too and every age in between.

You are also just a few short miles from town, which also have many activities going on all the time. In addition, only a short 30 miles from the Mackinac Bridge and the Upper Peninsula where there is an abundant amount of things to do. Make it a plan to stop in here; you may never want to leave.

When One Phone Call Changes Everything

We had our new site picked out...









Spring was in the air in Michigan!





There were faces in the trees!














And a few other familiar faces around the park.






The pool is shaped like the State of Michigan!




Our plans had to be modified, instead of following the NASCAR tour for awhile we decided to find some steady work for the summer. At first, we were disappointed, but then, in our search we found this wonderful campground and we became very excited about spending the summer here in Michigan where I could show Jerry many of the places I enjoyed as a child.

Immediately upon our arrival there was a comfortable feeling between the owners, the other Workampers and us. It was a great fit and we just knew we were going to have a marvelous summer, not only working here but also the many wonderful day trips we had planned.

We were just settling into our new jobs at the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Indian River, Michigan when everything changed. The phone rang and a friend needed our help and we didn’t even hesitate and told him we would be there just as soon as we could. It was a very hard thing for us to inform our new bosses that we would have to leave. We were all very disappointed and very saddened but since they are wonderful, understanding people, they understood and asked if we could stay for about a week to complete some of the projects and of course we agreed.

So once again we packed it all up, headed on the road and found ourselves back in Minnesota and truly enjoying the entire journey of our lives.

Let Go & Let God, Forgive, Live in the Moment…

The list goes on and on for how to live your life on a more spiritual path. It all seems so simple and really it is, except, for when it comes to living this way with your children, your grown children is even worse, at least that is the way it is with me.

It has always been so much easier for me to love my grandson, unconditionally then it ever was with my daughter. I think it’s because when it is “your” daughter you want the best for her, as I do with my grandson but with her I never wanted her to go down the same path that I chose. I wanted to spare her of all the pain and heartaches but instead by trying to conform her I indeed pushed her right down the exact paths I had been so desperately trying for her to avoid. I do not know how to make this all right and the pain gets stronger as each day passes without contact with her and our grandson.

Life just seems so empty now without them that I struggle with it every waking moment and even in my dreams. I know, “It’s not fair” is not where I need to be in my thoughts but really, now, how long does this have to go on. There are lessons for me to learn from all of this and every day I am learning some very powerful ones, ones that I feel should put an end to this but it doesn’t. I wake up every morning with the hope that maybe, just maybe, today will be the day that it gets resolved but then every evening the pain is stronger as I fall to sleep knowing again there was no resolution.

I pray for answers but mostly I pray that I will make it through another day because I know the pain it would cause her if anything should happen to me while we are still estranged from one another. She is telling everyone that her mother is dead and has even said it to me several times when I have reached out to her in the past year. She is just very angry and I pray that she is able to work it through and I pray for guidance for what I shall do next but it seems no matter what I do, I just seem to make her angrier. I have even done nothing for months and just put it in God’s hands but nothing happened. Therefore, I continue to pray and do all that I am guided to do until the day we are able to resolve these issues, move beyond our differences and once again be mother and daughter, and Nana and grandson.

One of Our New Goals Is To…

Write a blog everyday, so here is today’s.

I love Sundays because we start them with Church online. Yes, you read that correctly, we do Church online. Renaissance Unity from Warren, Michigan does a live feed from the Sunday morning services, we have been doing this now for many years and we love it.

This morning Greg Barrette, one of the ministers spoke about your “Spiritual Tool Box”, tools you need for your spiritual growth. The number one tool he spoke about is meditation and we totally agree. We both have a hard time doing this everyday but when we do things fall into place but when we don’t then things get a bit out of sorts. We don’t always reach the clear space as we should but that is not a major problem according to Greg this morning. He mentioned that as long as you take the time and quiet your mind that it will accomplish what you need and that is what we plan to do from this day forward.

Direct TV Fiasco

Full-time RVing is challenging for so many reasons but watching TV should not be one of those reasons. We have been with Direct TV since we first began this new lifestyle over 3 years ago, it was all going good, and TV life was great. Take our dish along with us while on the road, pull it out, set it up and find signal. Jerry was at a point that he only needed about 10 minutes from start to finish and the calls to the company to change our service address were just as quick.

A few months ago, something changed and it was not our procedures, we began to notice that the calls were getting longer and the representatives were demanding much more information then we previously provided. Depending on which representative you spoke to at the time, the information was different. They advised us that we could no longer change our service address as often as we had been doing and that we would need to pay for the East and West Networks for local channels instead. We were fine with that and asked them to send us the necessary paperwork. Once we received the paperwork and even though it consisted of affidavits, contracts and copies of our motorhome registration, we were still open to it. We signed, copied and mailed them off, we dotted all of our I’s and crossed all of our T’s but they claimed it was illegible. So off with another copy of all of the necessary paperwork for approval but that was not the end of it all.

Time slipped by and our mail delivery was being held up due to our extensive traveling and I was curious if we had been approved since it had been well over 4 months since the paperwork process began. We were settling into a campground for a few months at this time so we called to get it all connected. Five calls with different representatives in one day just to try to get some service. Three of those five confirmed that all paperwork was complete and ready for them to push the button but we first needed to have signal. Well we were are in an area where signal is very rare so about three days later of us playing with it daily we finally had some assistance from a Direct TV man that was at the campground doing other work. He charged us $25, much less than the representatives had been quoting, $55 just to come out here plus 30 cents a mile, (we are about 20 miles from the store), and then the cost of whatever needed replaced or repaired.

Finally, we had signal and I made the call. Again, on the line with several different representatives, even a supervisor and each had something different to say. Even after hours of conversations and plenty of frustration once again it ended without any sort of resolution. Customer service is not a big deal until you have to deal with the representatives and then it truly matters. We have not received good customer service with them for way too long so we are going to switch our satellite TV provider and see if the others are any better if not believe me it can not get any worse then what we have been dealing with at Direct TV for the last six months.

I Have Lost My Zen!

Nothing new has happened in our lives but for some reason I have no energy. My daughter did call me once she received my letter and she was as angry as ever. Yes, that hurts but that was over a week ago… We did work very hard at Hickory Lake Campground but we have had a few days off to rest now… We have arrived at our new workamping experience and it appears to be all we expected… It was a nice adventure here with absolutely no events that should have caused any sadness… So what might have zapped all of my Zen from my soul?

It has been slowly fading for the past few days now. Being connected and full of hope is the only way to survive the daily challenges that come into my life. Anything might happen next and without that hope I may not be able to get through it without some damage. Meditation is just making me cry again today but giving up is not an option. This setback will not keep me down for long, I will find a way to get through this and come out more wiser and much more energetic, ready to take on the world once again.

The Next Time We Say We Are Not Lucky,

Please Kick Us Hard!

Almost from the start I had some doubts about this tire, it looked low to me but when we put the gauge on it, it was always right on. Several times we did this procedure and every time it all checked out normal but for some reason I was not totally comfortable. There was no difference in the driving as we continued day after day of our three day journey to Minnesota.

When we arrived at the campground in Minnesota, I looked at the tire and seen the bubble which grew rapidly to the size in the photo. Then much to our surprise as Keith, owner of Keith’s Towing removed the first tire, he could see the second tire was flat. Upon removal of the second tire we seen the destruction of the inner dual tire and I cried. It had blown out. Don’t you think we would have heard the loud pop? We didn’t. There was no difference in the drive either.

We may never know just how long we were driving with the inner tire flat or when it blew but one thing I know for sure we are the most luckiest people in this world. When I imagine the many different scenarios how this could have played out, I shudder. Then I say a little prayer and thank God for once again proving to us just how very blessed we are.

Our Tile Masterpieces

It is a wonderful feeling knowing that we are leaving a part of our creativeness behind for so many to enjoy. This work we left behind will be appreciated for such a long time because tile lasts forever.

The design in the bathroom and shower area was mostly Jerry’s idea and all the work was his. The owner’s son, Jake who is the manager showed us what he had for tile and allowed us to create this masterpiece. Working here has been such a delight, the management as well as the Workampers have been marvelous. Even though it is hard work, Jerry finds this the most appealing of all work he does. He is able to be creative and the finished product is always such a great sight that it fills his palate with joy.

As for my contribution, check out the Mosaic piece, it’s my Zen, another of my passions, I love watching a piece come to life just by piecing it all together like a jigsaw puzzle. That is the trick to a great mosaic, you must treat it like a puzzle, every piece has it’s destination where it fits. Your task is to find those pieces by first breaking tiles into smaller workable pieces and laying them out and fitting them. This shower pole is special because all of the tile used was actual tile that had been used throughout the resort. Jake did do the initial drawing of the lizard since drawing is artistically challenging for me and I have not yet worked on overcoming that dilemma.

Many people have called us artists and I do believe that is rightfully so because when we are finished, we leave behind a work of art.

Here are just a few of our photos of the finished creation. There are more photos to view at http://hittheroadjack.shutterfly.com/action/ of the before, during and more of the after shots. Also, send us an email if you would like us to create something for you too!

Finally, Some Closure!

Another Easter comes and goes without contact from our grandson and daughter but the great news is the “Order of Protection” which should not have been issued at all has now expired. So now I may contact them without breaking any laws and the possibility of being arrested. I will never know how a court allows such a travesty to happen as it did a year ago.

An “Order of Protection” is suppose to protect a person from harm, there was never any danger of that at all. It seems are laws must be reexamined when the courts allow a daughter who is evidently just angry at her mom to use them as a ploy to keep her away. I was not always the best mom but I know that I always did everything I could with what I knew at the time and when I learned more, I did more.

She has always been a person that stuffed her feelings so deep within that she always had a solid brick wall around her and didn’t allow anyone into her personal life, me included. She went through so much pain when her grandmother and favorite Uncle (the only one she ever really shared time with) died and then to lose us because we chose to travel around the United States, well it was too much for her to handle. I have always understood how she allowed this to cloud her judgment but for the courts to listen to her and put a restraining order on me forbidding me from seeing or talking to her or my grandson was totally preposterous. She continues to be angry because she feels justified when the courts allowed this to happen but now that it has expired I can begin to make this right between us.

When the laws are used for purposes not intended and then when an “Order of Protection” is truly needed and ends up being just a piece of paper that allows killers to still stalk and kill their victims there is something terribly wrong with our system and needs to be readjusted.

Work In Progress


An artist, that is what several people were calling me as I worked on my mosaic piece of art yesterday. Being here in this serene place has allowed Jerry and myself to become so connected with our inner souls that it just feels so right and it is something we are able to take with us throughout our travels. While the tile work Jerry has done are masterpieces in themselves, I felt drawn to leave a part of my tile work behind too, so I began my mosaic. We should complete all projects in just a few days and we will share photos of all of these “Work of Arts” and let you decide.

This had been an original idea from the time we first ventured out into this lifestyle. Doing tile work around the country, leaving a piece of our creativeness behind at every place. We just now have to decide whether this is something we want to venture into or not. The work is hard but very rewarding, the pay is much better than most, and most importantly it will allow us to travel about. Most jobs would take a few weeks to complete depending on all that is entailed, that would give us time to explore the area. Something to definitely keep in mind, but so far we are enjoying just the way our lives are unfolding, now that we have finally allowed it to flow. As for the rest, we will take it all one-step at a time.

Feeling All Connected

There is that certain moment in time when all feels right and this for us is precisely that time. It has been a very long journey but we can finally say we have connected to our spiritual paths and it feels great. We were guided to this place by being open to new experiences and we are both so grateful for all that we are learning.

It’s a beautiful small town that has signs of changing, not all good but for the most part it is truly good according to some of the long time settlers. Many businesses are closing down and at the same time many new businesses are opening. From the moment we stepped foot out of our rig, we felt this positive reception that we were somewhere special. The people here are so wonderful, kind, generous, open and truly very connected to their own spiritual awareness. We are having the time of our lives and are soaking in as much as possible until we leave next week.

The Godlaski's

Yesterday, during meditation, I was guided to go to SSDI website and that is where the records indicated that on May 31, 2006 another one of my brothers passed away. Don’t ask me how because I don’t know. We had not spoke since way before my youngest brother passed away a few years ago. He and I never had much to say to one another and he was estranged from the entire family except mom periodically while she was alive. He and my sister also had some major blows with one another that never made a reunion very pleasant for the Godlaski’s.

My last memory of him was of course, a Godlaski scene. He came to visit with my brother and things got nasty as it usually did when our family got together. Anyway, there was yelling, screaming, name-calling and just plain rudeness but thankfully no blows. I attempted several times after that to contact him to apologize for my part in it all and he would not accept any of my communications, another Godlaski trait, never forgive, revenge and hold a grudge for as long as possible.

The following year when my mom was in Hospice we contacted him so he could speak to her, which was something, she needed and very much wanted. After my mom passed away things just got worse, which is unimaginable but they did, so this time I stepped away from all the chaos.

Unfortunately, the Godlaski trait continued to follow the same pattern between my daughter and myself and even though I have tried to overcome it, it lives strong within my daughter. She still refuses to forgive me and has blown it all so far out of proportion that all I can do is pray that time will heal her pain before it is too late, and we can reunite. Until that day comes, I will just have to continue on my own journey and not fall into the old patterns ever again.

My thoughts yesterday were scattered because of all the unfinished business between my brother and myself, I didn‘t think I would but I cried. I hoped that he was not alone, that he didn’t have too much pain and he was able to make peace with himself and others before the end. I thought about what family really stands for, all the while knowing ours was not even close to the true meaning of family and never will be. I was sad for the thoughts that when my father and mother began this journey, most likely they were optimistic for all of us. Shock was what I felt when I viewed a census that was done on our surname; using records of all sorts, they determined the life expectancy for all Godlaski’s was 41. I also felt with a little irony that there is now only one person alive that is my total blood relation, that has the same mother and father, that has been in my life since birth and that is my sister. Unfortunately, she is holding on with all she has with the Godlaski vengeance and directing this vendetta towards me with every ounce of energy she has and I am not sure she will ever be able to just let it go as I have.

Another thought, which came to mind, was for as long as I can remember, I can hear my mother wishing that all of her children would be in the same room at the same time without fighting. I cried when I realized, she never got her wish and never will.

This is why we do what we do!

Every once in awhile, everything in our lives just fall into place and works out. This is one of those times.

After leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway feeling a bit well on the not so lucky side of life knowing we were going to have to rethink this entire tour idea. We were feeling well let’s just say a bit on the self defeated side of life but instead of wallowing in our self pity we decided to change our way of doing things and this time we looked at the bright side. Once we found the bright side, it became a blinding light that continues to glow the brightest I have ever seen. Once we got aligned with the universe, miracles began happening for us and continue to surprise us with every event.


We have jobs lined up all over the United States for the rest of the year and even into next year. Some for a few weeks, some for longer and some for not as long but all are where and when we want them to be.


At this time we are in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico doing some independent contracting tile work for a short time before moving onward to our next exciting adventure. One of the things we have learned through this last ordeal of ours is to live for the moment, not for tomorrow or for yesterday. To enjoy where we are and not worry so much about where we are going.