MPG calculator, and dinner with friends

WELCOME to Wendy, who doesn't have a blog, but does have a Squidoo page with an explanation about who she is and what she does.  Thanks for following along with us, Wendy, I'm happy to have you with us on our journey.

WELCOME also to 1 More Mile, who blogs about anything with wheels and a motor, travel of any variety, metal fabrication, photography,etc.  Check it out, there are some great photos of off-road trips.  Thanks for becoming a follower, I hope you enjoy sharing our adventures!

I found a good website that helps figure out miles per gallon.  At the bottom of the page is a calculator grid where you input your starting mileage, ending mileage, and gallons used and it figures the MPG.

I wasn't able to fill up in Santa Nella, they didn't want to accept my AMEX in the gas tank thingy and I had to go into the office, where I just put in $100.  But I had the trip calculator set so I knew how many miles I had driven.  Here's what I figured, going 55 mpg all the way from San Diego to Santa Nella:  13.65 MPG!

I'm not sure that is correct (but I sure hope it is!), my last trip to Vacaville round trip from San Diego was 8.3 mpg.  I was disappointed with that number, I had hoped for around 10.  But I was going 60 to 65 mph on that trip, so this trip should be better.  I'm not sure it's 5+ miles per gallon better, though. When I leave here, I'll fill up again and next time I get gas, after driving on a tank at 55 mph, I'll figure it again and see if the 13.65 is correct.  Between gas prices coming down and going 55 mph and having my mpg going up, my monthly budget will be happy.

We took it easy today, I took a nap when the kids went down, Kristy and Matt rested, too. Then tonight we went to Deanna and Eric's house for the monthly dinner.

They did ribs, mashed potatoes, corn and baby carrots, and garlic bread.  It was really good, the first time I've had ribs.  Yes, it was the first time I've had ribs.  They were good, but really messy.

Here's the kid's table - so cute:

Everyone liked their dinner.

The kids had fun running round on the lawn after dinner:

 Lauren with hula hoop

 Drew with hula hoop

until we had root beer floats:

 Eric and Deanna making Root Beer Floats - Yumm!

The floats were soooo good!  When they were gone, everyone was tired, the kids were worn out, and everyone left to go home.

As soon as we got home, a little after eight, I retired to The Palms, the kids went to bed and Kristy and Matt  went upstairs.  

Kristy is feeling fine, but her foot hurts and she is still on the pain meds.  Walking with crutches uses muscles you don't usually use, and she has some sore muscles, too, from that.  I think when she fell, she also sustained some bruising from the fall.  I told her I could stay longer, go to the RV park in a week or so, but she said she'd be fine.  The kids will be in daycare and she has clients scheduled all week, so there wouldn't be much for me to do.  I  might as well check in at the park and get settled.

Here's Katie playing with Cody's ball:

Tomorrow I'm driving the kids to daycare, Kristy to her office, and then back to their house to get The Palms ready for traveling to the Vineyard RV Park at around 11, the check-in time.  I've really enjoyed spending so much time with Drew and Lauren and Kristy and Matt. I'll still see them over the next two weeks, and will keep the kids for a few days and a couple of overnights while at the park.  This next week they are really busy and I don't know if I'll see them, but the following week is going to be easier to find time to get together.

From Me and My Dog, have a great Sunday evening, everyone! : )

A/C is okay, fractured foot - (not mine)

WELCOME to our new follower, Linda! Her blog is called Blue Skies Cloudy Days. Linda recently moved from San Francisco to a small town in Oklahoma, quite a change in lifestyles, I'd guess.  Her latest blog is about suffering from social anxiety, which I think a lot of people experience to some extent.  I know I do sometimes.  Linda, I'm glad you are following me and Katie on our new adventures!  : )

Thank you all for your good wishes, I am feeling much better.  Not 100 percent yet, but I'm getting there.

I am enjoying spending time with my Vacaville family, Kristy and Matt, and grandkids, Drew, 6 and Lauren, 3.  Kristy and Matt are working and their daycare provider is on vacation this week, so I'm filling in when needed.  They both have varied schedules and are home off and on depending on their schedules and appointments.  One or the other parent is home most of the time, and when they aren't, the kids have been great. 

 Drew and Lauren

So, on Friday Kristy only schedules appointments in the morning, and we were up and ready around 8:30.  Kristy had to be at her office at 9 and was checking her backyard before leaving when she caught her heel on the edge of the patio and fell on the lawn.  She said she heard cracking and popping and was in a lot of pain.  Matt helped her into the living room to see what we should do.  Kristy decided she needed to go to the Emergency Room, so they took off and I stayed with the kids.  Three hours later they were back and here she is:

Kristy's fractured foot

It's splinted on three sides and open in the front, then wrapped from toes to knee.  She's on pain pills for now.  Poor thing.  When she climbed out of the car with her splint, Lauren burst into tears and ran from her.  She was scared, but she's okay now.  Still doesn't want to go near Kristy's leg, though.  Monday a podiatrist is going to call to set an appointment for Kristy to go in and have it checked further, and have a cast put on.  No swimming for the rest of the summer.  Luckily it is her left foot, so she will still be able to drive.

I'm going to drive her to her office Monday and Matt will pick her up on his way home from work.  She will drive herself after that.  It's not the driving that's a problem, it's that she will have to walk a distance from the car to her office and she wants another day.  After dropping Kristy off, I'll bring the kids to daycare and they will be back on their regular schedule.

Wednesday Kristy took me to the campground for Solano County, and two private RV campgrounds.  I chose one and made reservations for Monday.  I'm checking into the Vineyard RV Park here in Vacaville for two weeks. I've chosen an area that is a bit more expensive, it's a newer area in the park and it has cable TV.  I thought I might as well enjoy some good TV stations before I take off again.  I bought a cable TV cable, since I didn't have one.

We also stopped by Camping World, and  I have an appointment with them to have another Fantastic Fan installed in the vented area in my kitchen ceiling, and vent covers installed on the roof over my three vents, and the back-up camera installed, too.

And, TA-DA!, my A/C is okay - thank goodness!  I was pretty worried about that.  $$$  The other evening I turned it on and it worked.  I am connected to Kristy and Matt's house with my electric cord and that seemed to be okay.  Is it okay to use regular house electricity to run the A/C?  I was told it's not enough.  Also, I had not heard of the outlet that I should be plugging my electric cord into for the generator, but when I put the cord away on Monday morning, I'll check out the compartment and see if there's an outlet in there.  

Thank you to everyone who left that comment.

 Bedtime story for Lauren

 Bedtime story for Drew - sometimes he reads the book to us

 Cody - and Drew watching TV

Cody is such a good dog, the vet said he is only about 8 months old, not a few years old like they were told at the animal shelter, so he's still a puppy.  He really likes to play, but Katie is being a grouchy old lady around him, and bears her teeth in this maniacal smile while she growls at him.  I've never seen her do that before.  Kristy said I should get a picture of it.  The dogs get along pretty well, usually, because Cody sticks like glue to Kristy and Katie sticks like glue to me, and if we're sitting in different places, the dogs are separated. 

He's got great ears - see them folded forward?  That's his interested, alert look.  Drew is very protective of him when Katie is around.

 Drew with his Ninja figures at Lauren's Gymnastic class

 Drew's brand new desk

 Lauren playing dress-up

 Drew hits - he's a left hander.

 Drew's T-ball game - he earned the Game Ball  : )

Lauren wearing big brother's hat

I wanted to post photos of Lauren at her gymnastic class - she is doing very well, somersaults, balance beam, rope, etc., but the light in the gym doesn't come out well in photos with my camera. 

Tomorrow should be a quiet day here, then they have a dinner at friends' tomorrow night, and I'm invited, too. It's a monthly dinner with a group, one couple hosting each month. The last weekend I was here, Kristy and Matt hosted - and here I am again on "dinner" night.  Good planning!  : )

That's it for today - from me and Katie, have a great Saturday night, everyone!  : )

We're in Vacaville

WELCOME to our new Follower, Erin.  Erin, do you have a blog?  If so, leave me a comment so I can follow you, too.  Thank you for signing on with Me and My Dog, we're glad you're along for our adventures! And thank you for the wonderful day on the 4th! You and Steve are great hosts, and Mollie and Owen are little cuties. I had a great time! : )

Since I haven't posted in five days and I've been doing lots of things, this is a short version of recent activities.  I've been really busy and haven't had the time or energy to write posts.  The last few days I've been sick again : (  - bad sore throat and chest congestion, so I'm plugging along, but not quite up to par.  Every time I come to Vacaville I get sick - either while I'm still here or as soon as I get home. There is something here that gets me every time. 

Katie and I had a wonderful visit with Tom and his family, Katie loves to be there because they have a large lawn, and she can run to her heart's content.  We had a fabulous grilled dinner with the family and their friends Rick and Julianne, and we had the planned sleepover with Kennedy and Gavin.

 Graydin - 2

 Kennedy - 8

 Graydin, Kennedy and Gavin

 Rick and Tom

 Recognize the Kamada bar-b-que?

 Tom and Trish's Yard

 The Palms parked in front of Tom's

 Tom getting the backyard ready

Kennedy and Gavin - Sleepover with Grammy in The Palms.

Kennedy is faking being asleep - right afterward she went in the house, sick. : (

  Trish and Julianne checking out a friend's website on their computers.

Kennedy wasn't feeling well, so she left to go back to her room, and was sick half the night.  But in the morning, she came back and joined me and  Gavin and we finished the DVD of Hook that we started the night before.  Shortly after the movie ended, Katie and I took off.

I left Tom's at 10 am and drove up Highway 5, over the Grapevine heading north to Vacaville.  It was pretty warm. I had made a CD with all my favorite songs and played it as we drove.  It was such a good feeling to finally be on my way.

 Driving over the Grapevine - Highway 5

 

 Coming down off the Grapevine on Highway 5

We stopped a couple of times at rest stops to stretch, and continued until around 8 pm, when we stopped at Santa Nella at Anderson's Split Pea Soup.  I ordered a salad to go (I don't like split pea soup) and asked if I could stay in their parking lot overnight, and they said I could.  So Katie and I stayed there Sunday night. That's when I found out my A/C doesn't work with my generator.  I thought it would.  100+ degrees in The Palms, and I'm sure it was warmer in the bunk where we slept, or tried to.   Monday we got gas close by and continued on to Elk Grove, where we were meeting Kristy and Matt before going on to their house in Vacaville.

My son-in-law, Matt, has a sister Erin who lives in Elk Grove with her family, and they were hosting the family for 4th of July.  They have a beautiful home with a big yard and pool, so the heat didn't seem so bad.

 Steve and Erin's Pool in Elk Grove

We had a really nice day, and then drove to Vacaville, where I am currently parked in front of Kristy and Matt's.  I haven't yet had a sleepover in The Palms with Andrew and Lauren because of the heat, but it's cooling off more every day, and maybe tomorrow night they will stay with me and Katie. 

Yesterday we went to Lauren's Gymnastic class, where she is doing really well, especially for a 3-year old.

Lauren on the ropes.  She is learning how to skip, mount-walk on-and dismount the balance beam, somersault, etc.

Today Kristy is off for the day, so we are going grocery shopping and to Camping World to see if I can get a few things, and check on back-up cameras.

Then we're going to check out Solano County Campground, where I think I'm going to stay for a couple of weeks. It's nearby and I want to stay in the area a little longer.  My last couple of days here we're going to try to get camp sites next to each other at the KOA campground in Rio Vista.  Kristy and Matt have a pop-up, and when they got it last year, I got the idea of getting a motor home.  So, all this is their fault. : )

More from Vacaville next time!

From Me and My Dog, have a great Thursday, everyone!  : )

Saying goodbye to Santee Lakes, hello to Carlsbad State Beach

WELCOME to two new followers: 

Alan and Connie, their blog ends March '08 after traveling over six months and putting 5,076 miles on their motor home in the US and Mexico.  Thanks for following along with me and Katie - are you still RVing?

Bob, who writes The Caretaker Chronicles, lives in Vienna and has a very entertaining blog.  Check it out.  Bob, we appreciate your following us as we begin what I hope will be a long time on the road.

Thursday evening I started getting everything ready in The Palms for traveling.  It was easier than I thought it would be, since I have what I want out on counters, etc. I guess I don't have as many counters as some of you, especially the fiver owners. I thought it would take longer.  Anyway, I also dumped tanks, added fresh water since I'll be dry camping for over a week, and stowed the water hose. My neighbor, Mary, offered to help, and I told her I needed a supervisor, but wanted to do it myself because from now on, I'll have to know what/how to do it.  

 

 More photos of Katie and her friends, Buddy and Buster.

When I started, I figured she was "overseeing" from inside her rig, and as I stood there thinking how to undo the water hose without getting all wet, she came out and suggested I turn off the spigot, then go into The Palms and turn on a tap, that way I would use all the water in the hose and not get sprayed.  See?  That's the kind of info we newbies need. : )

 Katie and Buddy

She talked me through removing the waste hose and how to clean it out with my fresh water hose, then I stored it in the bumper "hose container" area.

Put the water hose away, lowered all the air vents on top and lowered the TV antenna.   We were almost ready to go in the morning.  I kept the electric connected so I could have coffee to take with me, and Katie and I went to bed.  I had my checklist with a couple of things still to do before driving away.

 Checking out the lake before swooping on for dinner.

 Another kind of birds flying overhead.

 

Sun is just starting to go down on our last evening in Santee Lakes.

 

I love the way this guy looked.

 White egret?

 
First thing Friday, I heated coffee, unplugged the electric cord and stowed it, removed the leveler blocks and stowed them, checked the roof from outside to make sure everything was done.  Lucky I did that, because the TV antenna was still up partway - that happened before and I drove with it up, seeing it after I was parked again.  I climbed up on the roof and saw that the antenna wasn't fitting into the slot properly to go all the way down, so I manually moved it and came inside and finished turning the handle to bring it all the way down. I'll have to make sure I check that from now on.  

Mary came outside then to make sure I got backed out okay, and at 6 am I was on my way to the beach.  We got there around 6:30, the same beach in Carlsbad that we stayed at before, and Katie and I got settled for the day. It was a foggy morning, and then a beautiful day and gorgeous sunset.  Really nice.  

 Encina Power Station across the street from the beach.

 Lots of people enjoying the beach on a Friday.

 Beach, sea wall, sidewalk, parking and street.

I was asked how I park at the beach.  This is a photo above - The Palms is right at the top of the line of parked cars.  There's a concrete sea wall between the beach and the sidewalk, then a wide area for parking, large enough for RV's, then the street.  You can park here from 5 am until 11 pm, so that's pretty much what I did when I was here.  From early until after dark.  

 Another of the same.

 There were a couple of these on the beach. 
To the left for surfers, to the right for swimmers.

And here are my last sunset photos from Carlsbad State Beach (Tamarak Beach):

It was calm, and warm, and beautiful. People were still on the beach, lots still walking arm in arm down the sidewalk, walking their dogs, just sitting on the wall or benches watching the sunset.  Very peaceful.

Around 9 pm we drove back to Lake San Marcos and stealth camped in the same parking lot as before.  

This morning Katie and I met my next door neighbor from the condo, Julie, for a last brunch at our local cafe, LeeAnn's.  (That's the parking lot we were in.)  So... since I was actually having breakfast there, we slept in until 9 and were ready and waiting at an outside table when Julie drove up.  We had a really nice brunch and catch-up conversation.  I'm glad I got a chance to see Julie once more before we take off again.  She was a great neighbor and I will miss her.

There is a truck stop gas station here in town with the cheapest gas around, so when I post this, Katie and I are going there to fill the tank, then I'll drive to Tom and Trish's house for a final day with my son's family, and an overnight in The Palms with Kennedy and Gavin. Graydin is too young to have a sleepover, so he'll have to stay in his own bed tonight.  Luckily he's also too young to know what's going on, so he won't feel left out.

Tom's going to bar-b-que Costco filets and shrimp for dinner.  He is a great bar-b-quer and they put on such a nice spread - it's always a treat!

After breakfast tomorrow morning, we'll be on the road again, we have about a 9 or 10 hour drive to my daughter's house in Vacaville, so we'll stop somewhere about half way to rest and sleep, and complete our drive on Monday, July 4th.

From Me and My Dog, have a wonderful weekend, everyone!  : )