This morning, while watching the Today Show, there was a cooking segment. They were showing how to make chicken sandwiches like Chick-fil-A. Like that, all I wanted was a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
Life on San Juan Island is unique. No chain restaurants. The only chain stores are Ace Hardware and Radio Shack (not corporate stores). There is an independent spirit here. Plenty of restaurants. But, that doesn't get you a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
With our days off, Joan said something about "taking a drive." To me, that is different from taking the scoots out "for a ride." The only 4 wheel vehicle I have driven in over 3 months was a company van, to pick up a mechanic at the airport. The scoots are our transportation this trip out. I kinda miss being able to "take a drive."
We haven't moved the motorhome since we arrived here May 18th. Oh, we've started it, run the slides in and out, even reset the leveling jacks. We exercise the generator when start the engine. I am looking forward to some RV traveling, for the pleasure of it, not just to get to a place to stay for the season. I am now eligible for the geezer-pass for the National Parks - I want to get that before the government decides to do away with that program. A one-time $10 fee and you are covered for endless entrance to the National Parks. Some even offer half price camping with that card. Same with the Corps of Engineers campgrounds. We bought this motorhome to do that kind of traveling again, and I'm getting some "itchy feet" to give it a go. (For the record, the motorhome is a 6 wheel vehicle, and certainly not the same as a car or a truck.)
Connectivity. I take it for granted most places we travel. My phone is our hotspot. When we lived on our boat in the marina in Friday Harbor, we had a decent Verizon signal. The marina also had (painfully slow) wifi for slip renters. At our "private RV park," the signal is nearly non-existant. The 4G booster we bought definitely helps. The data speed fluctuates a bunch at any given time. This morning, I forgot to plug in the booster when I opened the computer... so slow. I plugged in the booster and within seconds had a reasonable signal. "Reasonable, " of course, is a matter of perspective. We see highs of 3 or 4 mg some of the time, with occasional slowdowns to dial-up speed... or less... when it takes a couple minutes to load a simple e-mail.
The Apple Watch Joan bought for my birthday has been a delight. The folks in this company text instead of calling. While I kinda feel that is a step backwards (from phone to telegraph ;-) ), I see the value of texting in some circumstances. Not when you need an immediate response or a confirmation that the information was received. Texting with the watch is a piece of cake: there are some canned responses (thank you, yes, no, let's talk later, absolutely... and I added "Roger" for boat situations)... but the voice to text feature has been right on the money each time, when you need more than a simple yes or no. Plus, it "pings" on my wrist. With my phone in my pocket, on a noisy boat, I don't always hear the text chime. And trying to type in a response on a rockin' boat isn't always accurate.
Weather - the watch pulls up weather way faster than my phone or the laptop. E-mail notices - no, you can't answer e-mail with the watch, but you can see at a glance if it is something that needs to be addressed right away.
You can answer your phone from the watch. Try pulling the phone out of your pocket when you are wearing rain-gear over your pants. It feels a bit "Dick Tracy," but it sure functions well. Timers. Reminders. Calendar. You can program the face so it works best for you... I like having the moon phase, date, and local weather on the clock face screen. Oh, and it tells time, too!
Isabella is doing great here. She likes being outside. It makes us laugh when she meows at the door to come in, so she can use her potty, then wants to go back outside. She is walking well on the leash, but doesn't understand which end of the leash is the controlling party. If I say, "This way," and she wants to go that way, I give a little tug... and sometimes get a little hiss tossed in my direction. I have found that having the "We rescued you from a life of desperation in the shelter" talk with her gets ignored. She is secure with her place in the family. Don't get me wrong - most of the time, she is the sweetest little thing ever... but, she does have a mind of her own and a strong will. Frankly, I admire that quality.
The scoots - we have been very fortunate that the weather this summer has been drier than normal, since we both have to scoot commute to work. The scooters are a great way to get around this island, since there isn't a speed limit higher than 45 mph. Curvy roads, lots of hills. Parking for the scoots is less hassle than taking a car to work. Oh, there are some times that a car would be appreciated... like when you have a lot of stuff to get at the store... or, it is raining... or a cold wind. But, we just "gear up" and go.
In the past, I have talked about "getting your head into it"... at some time before you are leaving an area where you have been for a while, you start thinking about leaving. Once your head is into it, you develop a different outlook and perspective. We have 3 to 4 weeks to go, and I am doing my best to keep the focus where it needs to be. I am aware of those itchy feet yearnings.
It will stay busy right up to our departure date, but I think this past week was "the hump." Families with kids will be planning for back to school. Friday Harbor and San Juan Island are great escapes from the mainland. As our sweet daughter reminds me, "Someone has to work hard so people can have fun." It has been a very good season with the whales. I don't take that for granted; I know they can disappear any ol' time, going out to the Pacific or so far north that we can't get to them. I sure hope that doesn't happen any time soon.
You can learn from these whales... family is the most important thing. Take care of each other. It is better to work together towards a common goal. A full belly is a good thing. Play when the mood strikes. Do a "spy hop" once in a while to see things from a different perspective.
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