Ray D
Well-known member
Wow! And we got to ?host? it! I think that should advance us to the rank of ?Rank Beginners at The RV Forum!? ;D Great time, meeting real members of RV Forum, our first! We have wanted to meet some real flesh and blood RV Forum folks, for a long time!
Don?t think we could have done better! They are great folks, great company! Well, we could have done a lot better job, planning the entertainment - but what the heck - it was interesting-entertaining, the whole time!
Ok. Ok. So the ?Rally? was a visit from Jerry and Ardra. Like I said, we don?t think we could have done better, for a first. Great folks! It had been planned for three or four weeks. Anticipation - We?re ready to do it again!
They arrived Thursday afternoon. Talked to Ardra. Jerry hadn?t gotten down off of the roof, yet. ??? She?d let us know when he did, and we were invited over.
An aside: I live in a three dimensional world. Left/right, forward/back - that?s two dimensions. Then there is time - a while ago - now - pretty soon. That?s three dimensions. Jerry, I learned, is unusual. He does four dimensions - up/down, too. I don?t do up/down. I don?t go to the roof. I take it on faith, that there is one there. I haven?t seen it. When we bought it, the salesman told us there was a roof up there. We took his word for it. More on this subject, later - -.
Got a tour. Loved their coach - drooling quality luxury - of course. I mostly liked the tile floor. We have carpet, and that is at the top of the list of things we will correct, someday. Well, then there was the computer credenza - and the - - - - very nice! Dani made it as far as the washer/drier.
That was it! I hope Ardra didn?t notice her drooling on the washer/drier. She really wanted that when we got our coach. Well, next one, we?ll get the washer/drier.
(I think the best place for it would be in place of the front TV. I don?t watch that much TV. At least, we could use it, as we drive along and the laundry would be done when we arrive at our destination. Co-pilot could fold, as we drive. The TV is useless, while driving. And, I?d be less likely to bang my head on a washing machine!) (Never heard of anyone banging their head on the washing machine!)
More on Jerry and the roof. A big attraction for tourists, in Idaho, is our water features. You can flyfish the entire state, including the Boise River, at all locations, right through Boise, including downtown Boise. The river is flanked, both sides, by parks and Greenbelt. Fishing is open year round and the featured fish is trout. (Steelhead, from time to time.) The fishing is excellent, 24-7, 365! You can approach, and/or wade, all of it, from anywhere. None of it is privately owned. You will see fisherfolk, year round, from one end of town to the other!
Jerry brought his own water feature - (I did say ?luxury.?) It is on his roof. I didn?t go look. (Like I said, no up/down for me - no fourth dimension!) I did see the inside part. Frankly, no more than a slow drip onto something that looked like a folded towel! Well, it was a bit interesting. They will be at a rally, soon, and he will have a factory rep take a look at it. He expects some improvement, at that time. A small, inside waterfall with maybe some gold fish might be nice. That?s a nice coach! I?ll leave it up to Jerry and the factory tech.
Well, a ton ofgossip conversation, and off to dinner at Quinns. It?s an Irish Restaurant, my favorite for 35 years, owned by an (Irish) Marine friend. (No, he?s not active anymore, but he?s not ?ex,? either. There are no ex-Marines!) Corned beef and cabbage - steak for me - great company - great conversation - great time.
Oh! Nearly forgot! Jerry won the transportation discussion. We rode to dinner in their toad. Nice. Can?t help but mention my ?gotta have next time,? feature on the toad! They have a back-up camera/display to die for! I?ve never seen anything like it, and I have done a lot of looking! It?s color - it?s large enough to see, easily - it?s as clear as the view out the window! In fact, gonna start looking for something like that, now, for our coach! Yes, we have a back-up camera but there is no comparison!
Day Two:
Dani and I recovering from late hour bed time. Me sore from walking - which I don?t do well. Ardra on the phone - cooking breakfast. Jerry back up on the roof. I ask about this and Ardra assures me he?s pretty much known as an up/down, vertical sort of guy, sometimes on other people?s roofs! He?s pretty handy to have around!
Since the visit was to be a short one, I had planned to show the part of Boise I know best. That would be the parks and Greenbelt, where I patrol, and the attractions associated with that. We settled on the Museum, the City Art Gallery, and the MK Nature Center.
We would need more than one car, since I would need my scooter to get around. Dani had an appointment at the VA, (an hour), so she would need hers, as well, and would meet us wherever we were, when she got free. Three cars! Lunch, first.
Well, I am doing last minute stuff in a different part of the house, when I hear a shriek! Run to the dining area, to see what is wrong. Gotta be really bad!
It was! :'(
Here?s what happened. Somehow the conversation had gotten to ?what does an Idaho Driver?s License look like.? Dani had gotten hers out. Jerry was looking at it, and observed that it was expired, since February! Oh, my! Dani has no DL! Dani can?t drive! Train-wreck!
Skipping the bulk of the hullabaloo, I will drive her car to the Sheriff?s office/license office/jail. Jerry and Ardra will follow in their toad. We?re not sure where she?ll wind up, having driven without a license for five months! She?ll get a new license, if they don?t put her in jail. Then, the plan will proceed as previous. She has two hours before the VA appointment. Plenty of time.
Plan executed! Well, in the confusion, she left her cell at home. I give her my cell, and leave her car and keys with her. Jerry, Ardra, and I, go back to get her cell. We return and switch cells. She isn?t finished. She hasn?t even advanced, in the line. It?s a long, long, line! She calls the VA and reschedules her appointment. We leave her there. When she gets out, if she gets out, she will call and catch up with us.
(I?ll finish the Sheriff part of the story, here. It was all a big joke to the Sheriff?s deputies. The line took quite a while, but getting the license was a piece o? cake! Five months driving without a license? No big deal! A little funny, to them, actually! No jail time.)
Back home, to pick up my car and scooter? Scratch that! I want to be a bit of a host, rather than just a passenger, being ferried around town. I?ll walk it! Really wanted Dani to be there, for the museum and art gallery, so decided on the MK Nature Center for a first tour.
The MK Nature Center is a landscaping dream. It?s a few acres of ?man-made wilderness, with a stream, falls, and ponds. It was built by the Morrison Knudsen construction company, as a gift, for Boise! It's awesome! As you go, you are greeted by large windows, every little ways, where you can see the water features from below the surface of the water, where the fish are. You see the fish, and what they eat, possibly in action. To me, it?s fascinating.
I won?t belabor this. When we got there, the gate was closed. Thirty-five years in Boise and I have never seen it closed, before! There has never been a gate! There was a sign on the gate. Ardra got out to read the sign. One can still visit. One needed to go around the outside, to the Greenbelt entrance. That?s two or three blocks from where we park the car. It?s the same distance back when we finish - if I finish. I?m going to do it, or die! (I?m starting to feel like writing a book, ?Hosting for idiots!?) (Wondering what Jerry and Ardra think of me, now!) (I gotta tell you, they are so gracious!)
Well, we did it! By the time we got to the other entrance, I was wondering. Half way through, I would walk 20 ft, and sit on a bench, then repeat. I love that part of the park! I enjoyed the windows, but only looked briefly, before sitting down, again. Tried to not make too many crying sounds. An hour later, we made it out the Greenbelt entrance. Three blocks to go and it looks iffy! I sit down for a brief discussion with Jerry and Ardra. Then, I hear the approaching sound of a golf cart - Patrol Vehicle!
Saved! That will be a Police Officer, a PD Volunteer, a Ranger, or a Sheriff?s Deputy. Doesn?t matter which. I know all of them! In my work, we stop and pick up older folks that look like they are on their last legs, regularly. We take them wherever they need to go. Official justification? Saves on 911 Emergency calls! I?m flagging them down and getting us a ride to the car!
Blew it! It was park maintenance workers! Blew it, again! I know all of them, too. I have been patroling for ten years! I could have flagged them down! They would have given us a ride! When I realized that, they were around the turn, out of sight. We walked to the toad. We left the park, for our house.
Dani had just called. She had finished, finally, had her new license, had to stop for a snack, as she had not eaten that day! She was a bit nauseous, from the stress and hunger. We would meet at home, and go out for dinner. ?Dani. Don?t eat enough to spoil dinner.?
Back to Quinns. Jerry and Ardra wanted to go there, again. Filet Mignon for me! Medical necessity for my aching bones. Fantastic dinner, with great guests. Dani, who had already eaten, did herself proud. She ordered ?all you can eat? ribs! First plate piled high. Second plate she made a deal with the waitress, and took home in a doggy box - for Jasper and Hoover. : During dinner, I saw her putting some ribs on Jerry?s plate. From there, after Jerry ?processed? them, the bones went into another ?doggy bag.? Carry out took some doing. A lot of doing!
My plans were wasted. Someone else was in charge of the actual schedule, and I don?t think I would have had a better time if the event had gone as intended. Really enjoyed our first RV Forum, in person, experience. Now, ready for the next one!
Jerry and Ardra: Y?all come back, y? hear
Dani and Ray ;D
Yikes! Had to edit! forgot the pictures!
Don?t think we could have done better! They are great folks, great company! Well, we could have done a lot better job, planning the entertainment - but what the heck - it was interesting-entertaining, the whole time!
Ok. Ok. So the ?Rally? was a visit from Jerry and Ardra. Like I said, we don?t think we could have done better, for a first. Great folks! It had been planned for three or four weeks. Anticipation - We?re ready to do it again!
They arrived Thursday afternoon. Talked to Ardra. Jerry hadn?t gotten down off of the roof, yet. ??? She?d let us know when he did, and we were invited over.
An aside: I live in a three dimensional world. Left/right, forward/back - that?s two dimensions. Then there is time - a while ago - now - pretty soon. That?s three dimensions. Jerry, I learned, is unusual. He does four dimensions - up/down, too. I don?t do up/down. I don?t go to the roof. I take it on faith, that there is one there. I haven?t seen it. When we bought it, the salesman told us there was a roof up there. We took his word for it. More on this subject, later - -.
Got a tour. Loved their coach - drooling quality luxury - of course. I mostly liked the tile floor. We have carpet, and that is at the top of the list of things we will correct, someday. Well, then there was the computer credenza - and the - - - - very nice! Dani made it as far as the washer/drier.
That was it! I hope Ardra didn?t notice her drooling on the washer/drier. She really wanted that when we got our coach. Well, next one, we?ll get the washer/drier. (I think the best place for it would be in place of the front TV. I don?t watch that much TV. At least, we could use it, as we drive along and the laundry would be done when we arrive at our destination. Co-pilot could fold, as we drive.
The TV is useless, while driving. And, I?d be less likely to bang my head on a washing machine!) (Never heard of anyone banging their head on the washing machine!)More on Jerry and the roof. A big attraction for tourists, in Idaho, is our water features. You can flyfish the entire state, including the Boise River, at all locations, right through Boise, including downtown Boise. The river is flanked, both sides, by parks and Greenbelt. Fishing is open year round and the featured fish is trout. (Steelhead, from time to time.) The fishing is excellent, 24-7, 365! You can approach, and/or wade, all of it, from anywhere. None of it is privately owned. You will see fisherfolk, year round, from one end of town to the other!
Jerry brought his own water feature - (I did say ?luxury.?) It is on his roof. I didn?t go look. (Like I said, no up/down for me - no fourth dimension!) I did see the inside part. Frankly, no more than a slow drip onto something that looked like a folded towel! Well, it was a bit interesting. They will be at a rally, soon, and he will have a factory rep take a look at it. He expects some improvement, at that time. A small, inside waterfall with maybe some gold fish might be nice. That?s a nice coach! I?ll leave it up to Jerry and the factory tech.
Well, a ton of
Oh! Nearly forgot! Jerry won the transportation discussion. We rode to dinner in their toad. Nice. Can?t help but mention my ?gotta have next time,? feature on the toad! They have a back-up camera/display to die for! I?ve never seen anything like it, and I have done a lot of looking! It?s color - it?s large enough to see, easily - it?s as clear as the view out the window! In fact, gonna start looking for something like that, now, for our coach! Yes, we have a back-up camera but there is no comparison!
Day Two:
Dani and I recovering from late hour bed time. Me sore from walking - which I don?t do well. Ardra on the phone - cooking breakfast. Jerry back up on the roof. I ask about this and Ardra assures me he?s pretty much known as an up/down, vertical sort of guy, sometimes on other people?s roofs! He?s pretty handy to have around!
Since the visit was to be a short one, I had planned to show the part of Boise I know best. That would be the parks and Greenbelt, where I patrol, and the attractions associated with that. We settled on the Museum, the City Art Gallery, and the MK Nature Center.
We would need more than one car, since I would need my scooter to get around. Dani had an appointment at the VA, (an hour), so she would need hers, as well, and would meet us wherever we were, when she got free. Three cars! Lunch, first.
Well, I am doing last minute stuff in a different part of the house, when I hear a shriek! Run to the dining area, to see what is wrong. Gotta be really bad!
It was! :'(
Here?s what happened. Somehow the conversation had gotten to ?what does an Idaho Driver?s License look like.? Dani had gotten hers out. Jerry was looking at it, and observed that it was expired, since February! Oh, my! Dani has no DL! Dani can?t drive! Train-wreck!
Skipping the bulk of the hullabaloo, I will drive her car to the Sheriff?s office/license office/jail. Jerry and Ardra will follow in their toad. We?re not sure where she?ll wind up, having driven without a license for five months! She?ll get a new license, if they don?t put her in jail. Then, the plan will proceed as previous. She has two hours before the VA appointment. Plenty of time.
Plan executed! Well, in the confusion, she left her cell at home. I give her my cell, and leave her car and keys with her. Jerry, Ardra, and I, go back to get her cell. We return and switch cells. She isn?t finished. She hasn?t even advanced, in the line. It?s a long, long, line! She calls the VA and reschedules her appointment. We leave her there. When she gets out, if she gets out, she will call and catch up with us.
(I?ll finish the Sheriff part of the story, here. It was all a big joke to the Sheriff?s deputies. The line took quite a while, but getting the license was a piece o? cake! Five months driving without a license? No big deal! A little funny, to them, actually! No jail time.)
Back home, to pick up my car and scooter? Scratch that! I want to be a bit of a host, rather than just a passenger, being ferried around town. I?ll walk it! Really wanted Dani to be there, for the museum and art gallery, so decided on the MK Nature Center for a first tour.
The MK Nature Center is a landscaping dream. It?s a few acres of ?man-made wilderness, with a stream, falls, and ponds. It was built by the Morrison Knudsen construction company, as a gift, for Boise! It's awesome! As you go, you are greeted by large windows, every little ways, where you can see the water features from below the surface of the water, where the fish are. You see the fish, and what they eat, possibly in action. To me, it?s fascinating.
I won?t belabor this. When we got there, the gate was closed. Thirty-five years in Boise and I have never seen it closed, before! There has never been a gate! There was a sign on the gate. Ardra got out to read the sign. One can still visit. One needed to go around the outside, to the Greenbelt entrance. That?s two or three blocks from where we park the car. It?s the same distance back when we finish - if I finish. I?m going to do it, or die! (I?m starting to feel like writing a book, ?Hosting for idiots!?) (Wondering what Jerry and Ardra think of me, now!) (I gotta tell you, they are so gracious!)
Well, we did it! By the time we got to the other entrance, I was wondering. Half way through, I would walk 20 ft, and sit on a bench, then repeat. I love that part of the park! I enjoyed the windows, but only looked briefly, before sitting down, again. Tried to not make too many crying sounds. An hour later, we made it out the Greenbelt entrance. Three blocks to go and it looks iffy! I sit down for a brief discussion with Jerry and Ardra. Then, I hear the approaching sound of a golf cart - Patrol Vehicle!
Saved! That will be a Police Officer, a PD Volunteer, a Ranger, or a Sheriff?s Deputy. Doesn?t matter which. I know all of them! In my work, we stop and pick up older folks that look like they are on their last legs, regularly. We take them wherever they need to go. Official justification? Saves on 911 Emergency calls! I?m flagging them down and getting us a ride to the car!
Blew it! It was park maintenance workers! Blew it, again! I know all of them, too. I have been patroling for ten years! I could have flagged them down! They would have given us a ride! When I realized that, they were around the turn, out of sight. We walked to the toad. We left the park, for our house.
Dani had just called. She had finished, finally, had her new license, had to stop for a snack, as she had not eaten that day! She was a bit nauseous, from the stress and hunger. We would meet at home, and go out for dinner. ?Dani. Don?t eat enough to spoil dinner.?
Back to Quinns. Jerry and Ardra wanted to go there, again. Filet Mignon for me! Medical necessity for my aching bones. Fantastic dinner, with great guests. Dani, who had already eaten, did herself proud. She ordered ?all you can eat? ribs! First plate piled high. Second plate she made a deal with the waitress, and took home in a doggy box - for Jasper and Hoover. :
During dinner, I saw her putting some ribs on Jerry?s plate. From there, after Jerry ?processed? them, the bones went into another ?doggy bag.? Carry out took some doing. A lot of doing!My plans were wasted. Someone else was in charge of the actual schedule, and I don?t think I would have had a better time if the event had gone as intended. Really enjoyed our first RV Forum, in person, experience. Now, ready for the next one!
Jerry and Ardra: Y?all come back, y? hear
Dani and Ray ;D
Yikes! Had to edit!
forgot the pictures!
