Not a rant, but don't want to post where outsiders can see

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I will pass this on to David. Anyway he was high on s'mores....as if it mattered!
 
We couldn't stand it - the RV is still out front, and we kept it plugged in (probably much to the annoyance of certain of our neighbors) and didn't take the food out of the fridge - and we're headed out for another couple of days. Just going close by this time, because we have to be back Monday - so we're going to try taking the two remaining cats (Loki has never returned :frown:) and see how that works out. If it doesn't, we'll only be about 40 miles away.

We wanted to go to the beach - it's going to be nearly 80 degrees this weekend - in February (sorry to those of you in the northeast) - but all the campgrounds near the beach were full up! Valentines Day + beautiful weather - who'da guessed?

Maybe THIS time I'll try to drive the RV?
 
(From my FB Travelougue)

First trip for the cats in the RV - so far they are not impressed. Even though he isn't locked in a carrier, Onyx pooped on the floor, as he does every time he's in a vehicle. I cleaned it up while the RV was moving (we have a kitty Diaper Genie), and now they are just sitting on the rug wailing.

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To turn on the A/C or not ....
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In the playpen outside the RV, after the sun went down so it wasn't so hot:

We set up a TV outside (yes, we have three TVs with us).
  • Barefoot Contessa beef stew bourguignon and mashed potatoes cooked outside for our Valentine's Day dinner.
  • Slaving over a hot camp stove.
Now, I'm in bed with two kitties who are getting used to the situation - in fact, they just discovered that they can hide behind the curtain that closes off the windshield, which they think is a great hidey-hole, along with under the recliner chair, under the cabinet next to the bed, and (until we blocked the opening) under the couch (there are delicate heating ducts under there).

And they both figured out the litter box situation, so we're good on that.

I think this is going to work!
 
Looks like such fun! My new kittens are jealous and will be looking for a playpen just like yours when the ground isn't covered with the cold, wet white stuff!
 
Argggh! You had to rub it in! I am going to move where the climate suits my clothes *someday*. In the meantime, I've been spending some time surfing the web for temperate Spring Break locations. We usually head to SoCal, but we're all up for a change. It's so frozen here, everything is sounding good in comparison. It's akin to going to a grocery store while on a liquid diet.

I'm all over the map, literally. Top contenders of the moment are Atlantis, Bahamas (for 3 days for the kids) / Cuba (for the grown-ups) combo, Belize, and Hawaii (top choice, though not keen on transit time).

Beware, if you keep posting such lovely things about the weather where you are, you risk a crazy Midwestern family being in the next RV over... ;) It can easily go on the list!
 
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glad to hear the RV with kitties is working so well, Diana, it's fun to follow your adventures. so sorry you never found Loki.

Hawaii (top choice, though not keen on transit time).

double that time, since you have to come back, and ask yourself if you wouldn't rather spend those hours on a beach in the Caribbean! especially if it is a short vacation. there are so many wonderful places to visit, I think the time it takes to get there & home again are a huge consideration.

love your new photo, Hilary!
 
Damn, this was only a two night trip - we are getting ready to leave this morning. The cats seem to have adjusted well to living in the RV itself - we keep finding them in different nooks and crannies. They were good with using the litter box (which we put in the shower stall with a rubber-backed door mat covering the drain to prevent litter from getting into the grey water tank - the mat has a rug on one side which also helped to prevent most (but not all) litter from being tracked out of the stall), and I just scooped it every time I went to the bathroom - that worked perfectly. About the only thing I think we need to consider bringing next time is something for them to use as a scratching post, because they both tried using the furniture (the previous owners of our RV also brought their cats, so they may have been following their scent).

And the twice-a-day routine we have at home (I take my vitamins, and they come up on the bed, sit and then get treats) translated to the RV as well, keeping the sense of "normality" and continuity - I think that helped get them adjusted. Now we'll see how they handle the drive home after a couple of days of getting used to being in the RV.
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(I just noticed that you can see all three TVs and my computer in this pic - we brought the third, portable TV because we weren't sure the old tube TV in the front console actually would work - we thought it died on one of our previous trips - but apparently it works just fine now that it's hooked up properly, so we used the third TV to watch outside - we are shameless.)
 
I did it! I drove the RV for about 5 miles! Not on the freeway - I'm not ready for that. But Charles pulled off 101 in Morgan Hill and drove it to Monterey Hwy, which is a four lane road that parallels 101 down the Santa Clara Valley. The first part was through the town of Morgan Hill, but then it becomes a 55 mph road, so I could get it up to speed and feel how it handles. Then, when we got to the road that connects to the last onramp back to 101 before getting into San Jose proper, I gave it back to Charles, because then the freeway traffic is in-town type traffic, and negotiating lane changes to get from 101 to 880 (a very very busy intersection with a poorly designed cloverleaf interchange), as well as just getting past the also-busy 280 interchange, was not something I felt comfortable negotiating yet.

I think the next time we go somewhere, out on the open highway, without too much traffic, I'll ask him to pull over to a rest stop and let me drive on the freeway. But for now, the in-town traffic and how idiots drive around an RV, especially one that is towing a car, scares me.

But I'm technically no longer an RV virgin!
 
More travelogue - We have now paid for Sallie's parking spot in Coyote Valley for nearly two months without putting her back in (most of that time, she was at the shop though - we told them to take their time fixing her, and they did). But we are on our way to another 3 day weekend of camping, in Plymouth CA again, which is in the Sierra foothills southeast of Sacramento (a little less than 150 miles from home), and we're taking the cats again.

When we got home from our trip on Monday, I went to strip the bed and discovered that Onyx had peed it, presumably when freaking out in the first few miles of our trip home (at least it was on the way home!), so this time, we used the baby gate to block them from going in the bedroom on the drive. They were both upset at first, but both got over it fairly quickly - and so far, it seems Onyx has NOT (to my knowledge) peed or pooped inappropriately, and he's gone to use the litter box twice! He in fact is comfortable enough to walk up and down the rig while it's moving and is currently curled up under the swivel chair (on carpet where he doesn't slide around), while Mimi planted herself next to me on the banquette. She keeps looking at me and meowing/chirping - I think that she's saying "Are we there yet?!"

The "reason" (do we need one?) for this trip is that my daughter's boyfriend bought himself an RV trailer/toyhauler, which he is picking up in Lodi tomorrow and wanted to immediately go camping (he has three days off and she's unemployed at the moment). Last summer we went to a nice park in Plymouth, about 50 miles from Lodi, and wanted to go back, and it's not going to be terribly cold this weekend. When we went last time, we didn't have a car, so we were stuck there - this time, we can go explore the ghost towns, local wineries and maybe try the casino at Jackson (http://www.jacksoncasino.com/).

And of course eat. This time, I brought our Ninja, so I can make a simple but yummy corned beef, potatoes and cabbage. I'm learning that using the RV campground's electricity to cook when possible is cheaper than our propane.

Forgot to send - we're here and set up, I've got a beer going and the kitties are learning to be outside.
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