Up and running again…Fun lunch in the RV park with a memory from childhood..

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Yesterday, we stood in front of the Weinermobile for this shot taken by another participant.    

Last night, I left Margie’s home and the buck euchre card game we were playing (Colleen took my spot) to return to our rental. Margie insisted we use her car while here, which Tom used to drive me back. I was anxious to continue working on my laptop issues, knowing I would post today. Sorry for yesterday’s missed post.

We both chuckled when we spotted the Weinermobile.

As it turned out, the cursor wasn’t working after many efforts to fix it, and the lighted keyboard stopped working. Finally, I restored the laptop to factory settings after saving all my files on a portable hard drive. But then I had to start all over to reinstall all my apps and files, which took hours.

By 11:00 pm, I had everything up and running again with most of the apps reinstalled. Later today, I will continue to work on the apps I’ve yet to install and should be done with the process by early afternoon. I’d spent at least an hour on the phone with Acer technical support, but they couldn’t resolve the issues. Frustrated, I left it alone and was anxious to get back to it last night.

Tom didn’t return from playing cards at Margie’s until 3:00 am. There’s no way I would have lasted that long. I slept poorly when I finally went to bed since Tom wasn’t there. When he returned, he fell asleep immediately, and I did the same. I was glad he could spend quality time with his family. We both look forward to playing cards with them again soon.

Yesterday, there was a fun activity in the park, the arrival of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile for free hotdogs starting at 11:30 am. Let’s face it, people love free food, so there were over 200 standing in the queue and dining at the many tables and chairs in this popular area of Robert’s Resort.

Neither of us had seen the Weinermobile since we were kids, and it was fun to see it again. I stood in line with Tom to get an extra hotdog for him with his favorite topping when I wouldn’t eat a hotdog with or without a bun. He enjoyed them, as did the family, and we had a lovely time sitting outdoors on a nice 80-degree day.

Excuse my finger in front of the lens. Hotdogs were set on a table as they were prepared on a portable grill.

Here are some fun facts about the Weinermobile:

“POP CULTURE AND MEDIA

Oscar Mayer will pay you $35,600 to get behind the wheel of the iconic Wienermobile—here’s how to apply…

Oscar Mayer is looking for someone who would relish the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of America’s most iconic vehicles.

Tom entered the Weinermobile for these photos. Cute, eh?

The processed meat giant has launched a nationwide search for its next crew of Hotdoggers — paid spokespeople who drive the brand’s famous hot dog-shaped Wienermobiles around the country.

The company is hiring 12 drivers to get behind the wheel of the 27-foot-long vehicle, which is equivalent in length to 54 wieners laid end to end.

The Hotdoggers’ main responsibility is to represent Oscar Mayer daily as they drive the 87-year-old Wienermobile around America between June 2024 and June 2025.

“It’s like they’re running a PR firm on wheels,” says Ed Roland, who runs the Wienermobile program. “They’re key content contributors to all of our social media channels. It’s some of the highest performing content for all of [parent company] Kraft Heinz.”

Oscar Mayer has a fleet of six Wienermobiles. Hotdoggers will travel in pairs and be expected to host over 200 pop-up events over the course of the year. They will be responsible for “pitching and appearing on local television, radio or newspaper media,” according to the job listing.

There were more seats than we expected inside the Weinermobile.

If you want the gig, be ready to present your driving record. The average driver travels 20,000 miles each year, Oscar Mayer says, visiting at least 40 cities.

“It’s a lot like an RV,” Roland says. ”[Applicants] do not need a CDL or any special driver’s license.”

The role will require Hotdoggers to work on major holidays and spend the majority of their year away from home.

The listing says that the one-year assignment will pay a base salary of $35,600, with an additional weekly allowance of $150 for meals and personal travel. Hotdoggers will receive health benefits and 18 days of paid time off, and their hotel expenses will be covered.

In a typical year, the Wienermobile program receives between 1,000 and 1,500 applications for the 12 open slots but has gotten as many as 7,000 in a single year.

Tom was handed a Weinermobile whistle.

Oscar Mayer will accept applications through the end of January and says that bilingual candidates, in particular, are encouraged to apply.

You can apply for the role here.”

This might be a fun experience for retirees who want to supplement their income, although the pay isn’t much, and see the US at the same time. However, it was quite a task to set everything up to cook the hotdogs, prepare the toppings at every stop, and clean up after the event ended, only to get back on the road again to the following location.

Enjoy our Weinermobile photos, which bring back memories from our youth.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 5, 2014:

A close look at the pastry cart. Tom wasn’t interested in any of these treats. If I could eat them, I’d go for any of them. For more photos, please click here.

Photos of our new place…

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I’m not sure of the square footage; I imagine it’s a little over 700 square feet…a tiny house.

We are currently living in what is called a “Park Model” in a 55+ RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona. We’d never heard of a “Park Model” until we stayed in 2020 to visit three of Tom’s sisters, Mary Ellen (husband Eugene), Margie, and Colleen, and stayed for a few months.

The dining table has two side extension flaps but only two chairs.

This time, we will only be here for one month. Again, wanting to be near three of his six sisters, we booked only one month since his “Minnesota Snowbirds” will return to Minnesota for the spring and summer. Mary and Eugene leave on April 18, and Margie and Colleen leave the first week of May. We are booked here until May 1. Then, we head to California to see my sister Julie.

The bed is a tight fit in the small bedroom. Making the bed is tricky.

We’d never have chosen a vacation/holiday home in an RV park, nor would we have been interested in living in a “Park Model,” which is basically a mobile home set-up to appear permanent when we usually prefer stand-alone houses and some condos. The limited space is a drawback for us when, without the “L” shaped kitchen, it wouldn’t be much larger than a cruise cabin.

The living room has a loveseat and a recliner.

For one month, we were OK with the limited storage space. More importantly, he spends more time with his family, primarily in their 80s. Tom is the youngest of 11 children, with only seven surviving, including Tom. He’s always been close to his family, and it’s a special time when they get together.

The kitchen is small but functional.

There will be more family get-togethers in Minnesota, including with his adult children, Tammy and TJ, and their children, when we arrive in Minnesota in May, including time with my son Greg and his three children. Family time in the US is always fun and thoroughly enjoyed by both of us. Everyone gets along beautifully, and being together once again is always delightful.

Having this pantry is helpful.

Today’s photos were taken this morning. There appears to be some type of halo in my phone’s camera, and later on, I will figure out how to fix it. You can see by these photos how small the space is, but, like on a cruise ship, we somehow manage to find a space for everything, although it may not appear as tidy and organized as we might be with more spacious living quarters.

The bathroom is so tiny that the floor has no room for the scale.

We were spoiled after spending the past 3½ months in the gorgeous two-bedroom, two-bath condo in Lake Las Vegas. But, like the adaptable travelers that we are, we adjust to our new environment in a matter of a few days.

There was nowhere to store our bags other than this entryway. We’re using the sliding door in the living room for access.

Last night, after dinner, the family stopped by to visit, staying until after 9:00 pm. We’re invited to Mary and Eugene’s lovely and spacious “Park Model” for spaghetti dinner tonight. Since I don’t eat pasta, I’ll bring my dinner, a hearty tuna salad I made yesterday with hard-boiled eggs, celery, onions, and multiple spices to put atop a lettuce salad. We offered to bring a salad for everyone else, but Mary explained that none of them cares for salads. Tom will enjoy having spaghetti.

This old tiny TV monitor doesn’t have an HDMI plug-in. We’re streaming shows using my laptop.

Last night, I got to bed by 11:00 pm, and I didn’t sleep well. According to my Fitbit, I only slept a little over five hours. That will impact me tonight but I will do everything I can to stay awake and alert until my usual bedtime around 11:00 pm. I feel fine this morning and look forward to doing my exercises and continuing to organize a little more of our stuff.

Have a great “humpday,” and be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 3, 2014:

Our bodies adapt not only to the varying climates and seasons in many parts of the world but also to areas where seasonal changes are less evident, such as tropical climates. For more, please click here.

Christmas parade in the neighborhood…Another fun night with the family!…

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Yesterday was Tom’s niece Laurie’s birthday. Instead of a traditional birthday cake, Laurie opted for a fruit tart. She looked good.

After yesterday’s big shopping trip and putting everything away, we feel organized with our tiny house tidy without clutter. It feels good to be settled in for a while. We’ve certainly been on the move for the last several months.

Tom is still coughing quite a bit, but my cough has significantly diminished with only a few bad coughing jags during the day or night. It’s a relief to be on the mend finally. I only hope Tom progresses further in the next week.
Several residents of the RV park decorate their golf carts to participate in the annual.
Christmas parade through the neighborhood.

Regardless of how we’ve felt, we’ve continued to participate in family get-togethers and activities. Last night was no exception when Mary and Eugene’s daughter Laurie (Tom’s niece) arrived with Craig to celebrate her birthday. 

They have a holiday home for about an hour from here. It was a pleasure to see both of them, and all nine of us had an enjoyable time. The evening ended with us playing a hysterical game app on Laurie’s phone called “Heads Up,” a US-only game with questions about US culture. We did a lot of laughing.

This classic car zoomed by during the parade. (I am still learning to use my phone’s camera. Please bear with me).

This morning, we’re returning the rental car to the Phoenix Airport and will be using sister Margie’s Cadillac, which she so generously offered to us during our lengthy stay. This saves us hundreds of dollars. I will follow Tom to the airport while he drops off the car.

From there, we’ll find a restaurant on the return drive and stop for a late lunch. Yesterday, we cooked steaks on the grill around 3:00 pm and didn’t bother making any dinner instead of snacking on some tidbits at Mary and Eugene’s home.

More golf carts came around the corner as we all cheered.

Honestly, with the small kitchen, I have no interest in cooking. Yesterday we’d purchased many items for leisurely meals, things we can cook on the grill with a side of a few vegetables and rice for Tom. Today, we’ll stop at a market to purchase snack foods to offer when everyone comes to our place to hang out. 

For some odd reason, I’ve lost interest in cooking these past few months. In essence, it’s been since I had the surgery last February. Standing in the kitchen for hours holds no appeal to me anymore.

Preoccupied in conversation, I almost missed this shot. Excuse the lack of clarity.

Once we leave the US at the end of January, we won’t purchase groceries or cook for at least three months, two in India and another 29 nights on the cruise from Mumbai to Greenwich (UK). From there, we’ve yet to book anything but will do so in the next few months.

For now, we prefer to settle back and not engage in lengthy and time-consuming research as to what we plan to do once we arrive in Greenwich. We’ll have a little over six months to fill until our next cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town (providing we receive the required visa waiver).

Santa and Mrs. Claus were sitting on the back of this golf cart.

Should the waiver come through, most likely, we’ll spend the six months in and around Europe, where we’ve spent little time overall. As wildlife and nature enthusiasts, Europe, although an amazing draw for most tourists, holds less interest than many other parts of the world.

Now, we’re off to the airport, lunch, and a little more shopping.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Have a splendid day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2018:

This is Cupid with a heart-shaped marking on her throat. She particularly loved the lucerne we’d purchased for the garden. For more photos, please click here.

A different lifestyle for the next seven weeks…We try it all!…

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The compact living room has everything we need.

Well, folks, we’ve lived in many houses throughout the world, but this experience here in Apache Junction will be different from anywhere we’ve lived in the past.

We will be living in an RV park in a permanently affixed house trailer that has everything we need, although small. Sure, it’s small, although much bigger than a ship’s balcony cabin.

The kitchen is small but without a dishwasher and has minimal cooking supplies.
Subsequently, we will keep meals simple, using the outdoor grill for most of our meals.

Our most extended cruise was for 33-nights when we circumvented Australia, which began on Halloween, October 31, 2017. We had no problem with living in that small space, nor will we here.

 
Three of Tom’s sisters and spouses, Mary Ellen and Eugene, Margie and Colleen and Gene, live in this same 55+ complex of trailer homes and RVs, only a stone’s throw from our unit. It appears that most afternoons around 4:00 or 5:00 pm, we’ll all get together for happy hour drinks and snacks. 
Convenient table-for-two.

Most days, we usually dine around 6:30 or 7:00 pm, but it makes sense if we now redo our thinking about when we’ll have our big meal of the day. Most likely, we’ll start having our big meal midday and not worry about dining in the evenings.

This morning, we headed to Fry’s Market, one of the largest supermarkets we’ve seen (not counting Costco or Sam’s Club), and were surprised at its size. It had 59 rows. By the time I finished shopping, I’d put over 5000 steps on my fitness device.

We spent over $300 on groceries and managed to find ample space for all the items we purchased. The storage in this unit is excellent, with more space than we’ve had in many holiday homes in the past.
This is the most comfortable bed we’ve had in our travels. It appears to be a memory foam bed.

The time went quickly. The five-hour drive from Las Vegas to Apache Junction was uneventful. Tom has seen some improvement with his back injury and cough, and he managed the long campaign easily without asking me to drive. We chatted about our experiences in the US thus far and our plans for the future.

Tonight there will be a Christmas parade in the neighborhood. We’ll all get together to watch the parade and celebrate Mary and Eugene’s daughter Laurie’s birthday. She and her husband Craig will be arriving at 5:30 for the festivities.

The WiFi signal and flat-screen TV are good.

We’re good. Although tempered by both of us being sick with this dreadful cough, the time we spent with family was precious and meaningful. Now, over these next weeks, we’ll spend time with Tom’s sisters. He’s the youngest in the family, and it’s essential we spend this time with all of them.

We’ll make every effort to continue to take photos to share here as we continue to post during our remaining time in the USA!
 
Have a fantastic day, and thanks for hanging in there with us!

Photo from one year ago today, December 10, 2018:

For the first time, this lizard approached the veranda, looking at us.  He didn’t seem to like pellets, so we tried to figure out what we could feed him. For more photos, please click here.