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Old 09-01-2007, 03:22 PM   #1
DHenry
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Where's Gypsy?

Has anyone heard from our friend Gypsy? How is she doing with her new motorhome?
 
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Old 09-01-2007, 04:33 PM   #2
sreigle
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Haven't heard a word but I think I'll email her.
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Old 09-02-2007, 03:10 AM   #3
Gypsy
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Hi All,

Thanks to Doug for inquiring about me and thanks for the email from Steve asking me to respond. Here's what I've been up to during the last few months.

In March I flew to Florida to buy the motorhome and drove it cross-country (with an experienced friend as my coach) to Southern California where friends helped me move into it from the Montana. I then had the dfficult and gut-wrenching task of finding a new home for my cats, who had started suffering travel-related problems and decided they wanted to get off the road. I got rid of stuff I didn't have room for and probably didn't need. Although the motorhome is virtually the same length as the Montana, there's less living space and inside storage. The getting-rid-of-stuff continues to date. (Does it ever end?)

In April I had Escapees-related activities, as president of the SOLOs group, attending two rallies, including serving as the group's representative on The Row at Spring Escapade in Stockton, CA.

In May, I searched for and found the car I wanted, a white '06 Honda CR-V, got a tow bar and base plate plus a supplemental braking system. (I can't count the number of hours I sat in customer waiting rooms for all that to be installed. Good thing I know how to knit!)

In June I met my sister from NH in Lake Tahoe to celebrate her 65th birthday and, belatedly, my 60th last November. We had a great time together and even had snow on June 6, her birthday! Then I drove 1300 miles to my home base in SD. This gave me a chance to catch my breath and 're-group' to start getting busy and on the road again.

In July I attended a rally at the manufacturer's location in Forest City, IA. I toured the factory and was impressed with their service and customer attentiveness.

In August I took a 3-week tour of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula where I'd been wanting to explore for a long time. It was really great, and I'm glad I took the time to do it. There were 19 rigs on the tour -- 18 couples and me as the only single person!

Now I'm in Kendallville, IN enjoying a bluegrass festival and preparing for two more Escapees rallies, here and in Goshen.

Throughout this period, I had the motorhome in various RV repair shops to get things fixed (you can never buy a perfect RV new or used) and upgraded. Most of them did good work, but there are some I wouldn't recommend and were basically a waste of my time.

My future travel plans when I leave IN later this month include Octoberfest in Livingston, TX; visit my sister-in-law in Las Cruces, NM; '49er Encampment in Death Valley in early November; not sure where I'll spend Thanksgiving and Christmas, possibly in Benson, AZ; and Quartzsite in January. Next June I'm hosting an Escapees SOLOs rally in the Black Hills at my home base Hart Ranch in Rapid City, SD. I want to explore the Pacific Northwest for the rest of the summer.

Overall, I'm happy with my new mode of RV life. The motorhome is easier for me to set up and not as hard on my back. I like driving it unless the wind blows, since it's a big box rolling down the road, not as aerodynamic as a truck and 5th wheel. I love driving my car "Carrie" and being able to park in small spaces. I've had a steep learning curve, spending lots of time researching topics I needed to know about, and finding people who could help. One of the best things I did was to take an individual-instruction 2-day RV driving course from Dick Reed's RV Driving School. This was an excellent investment and it helped me be more confident and knowledgeable about motorhome driving. (They also offer classes for 5th wheel driving, backing, parking, etc. that I wish I had known about when I first started out.)

Glad to know that y'all are thinking about me, and I'm sorry I've had to back off from participating in this Forum so frequently. I miss my MOC friends and hope to see some of you at the Fall Escapade or in Quartzsite in January. Or even just down the road somewhere! I'd love to hear your travel plans if you think our paths might cross. I'll subscribe to this thread so I can read your responses, or email me directly!

Happy and Safe Travels to Everyone!
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:33 AM   #4
MelsJoy
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Sharon! Hey Girl! So good to here your doing so well. What an adventurous year you've had! We miss you on the forum. Thank you for updating us on everything. Hope we can hook up with you again somewhere down the road. Take Care.
Hugs - Joy & Mel
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:40 AM   #5
DHenry
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Great to hear from you Sharon. We are planning to be in Quartzsited again this year and hope to see you there. Keep in touch.
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:45 AM   #6
adelmoll
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Ya-Hoo.. I'll get to see Sharon at the Escapades. We are in Elkhard now at the Elkhard Campground for a pre-rally. Stop by and see us Sharon. So far we have Smokey and Pam, Nick and Terry Russell, Janice and Dean already here. Expect more today and continuing on during the week. We will be meeting nightly at Smokey and Pam's #400 for a campfire, stories and lies.

Hope you can stop by.

Helen
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Old 09-02-2007, 04:48 AM   #7
sreigle
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It's great to hear from you, Sharon, and that you and the motorhome are doing well! Please let us know if you end up in Benson during the mentioned timeframes. I imagine you'll use the Escapees park there? We're tentatively planning a month in Benson, also at the Escapees park, if we can get in. We'd probably arrive mid-December.
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Old 09-02-2007, 07:56 AM   #8
vickster
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Wow Sharon you haven't let any grass grow under your wheels!!!

Sad to hear you had to find new homes for your beloved pets. I know this had to be a heart wrenching decision for you, however, if they were developing travel related issues, you made the right decision. Where you able to keep them together?

Happy to hear that you are doing well and enjoying your new home. Will look for you on the road when we head out in November for the great southwest.

Take care and continued safe travels to you (my idol).

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Old 09-02-2007, 11:28 AM   #9
ronstan
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Sharon If you are going to be in Goshen for the escapade the Montana rally is right after that. Maybe you can stay over a day or two and see everyong that is there.
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Old 09-02-2007, 11:33 AM   #10
HamRad
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Hello Sharon,

I'll bet it was hard to let the kitties go! I am sorry to hear that they no longer wished to travel with you.

With your busy schedule I'll bet they didn't see much of you. Glad to hear everything is going well for you. You are missed on the MOC.

We hope to make it to Q again this year so perhaps we'll see you there.

Travel safely and see you on down the road.

Dennis and Mary Kay
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Old 09-03-2007, 02:15 PM   #11
Dano
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This is a perfect example of someone's suggestion earlier
on another thread about having an alumni section.

Wifeofdano (I'm logged on under Dano)
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Old 09-03-2007, 03:04 PM   #12
Gypsy
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Thanks for everyone's comments!

Joy & Mel, I miss you, too.

Yes, Vickster, the kitties got to stay together.

I'll look forward to seeing Bill and Helen next week. Tell Nick and Terry and everyone in the Elkhart Campground Hi for me.

Ronstan, I'll see if I can stop by the MOC rally after Escapade. Thanks for the tip.

Doug and Sharon, possibly Dennis and Mary Kay (and I'm sure others), it will be great to catch up with you in Quartzsite in January; and maybe Ron and Vic in November somewhere. Let me know where you're going to be.

Steve and Vicki, I'll keep in touch regarding December in Benson. I'll either stay in the Escapees park or one down the street where my membership allows me to stay at a lower rate. But I'll go to Happy Hours at the SKP park.

Finally, Wifeofdano, I love the idea of an alumni section! Let me know if it gets established.

Again, thanks to everyone for your replies. It's great to be back in touch.
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Old 09-03-2007, 03:43 PM   #13
RC and Samantha
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Sharon, so great to see you on the forum. Great to read your post and know all is going well with you. You know you're my hero and role model. I did full a fiver to Florida, not a Montana, a horse trailer full of hay, but still I did it and with a Dodge Dually. It was pretty cool.

It would be great to see you pop in and see us at the MOC Rally. We missed you so much last year. Just wasn't quite the same without you there.

You sure have been busy and enjoying that wonderful life you carved out for yourself.

Hugs,
Patty
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Old 09-03-2007, 04:05 PM   #14
Glenn and Lorraine
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Hi Sharon,
It's been a long time since our paths crossed at the Indianapolis fairgrounds back in 04. I have to second what Patty said about the MOC Rally. Hope you can stay over a day or two just for old times sake.
Glenn
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