Do you know what a full timers is? Nancy and I had a wonderful visit with Lon and Carolyn - two folks that gave up the "tied down" life and spend 24 x 7 x 365 in the RV. Before you "pre-judge" that - let me tell you about it and them.
I met Lon on a special interest group on the internet. We have been writing on the group several years off and on. Lon generally likes to play the part of the "ultra conservative" and I am his shill as a "supra liberal." We talk on the group about a variety of topics - but more often than not it gets back to politics. So - I envisioned a rickety old trailer pulled around by a big old smoke belching pick-up and a couple of old gray fuddy duddies in house coats and slippers with a coffee in one hand and a camel in the other.
I got a call from Lon saying they had the RV parked at the Elks Lodge in town about two miles from our home. I said I would come to pick them up and take them somewhere neat to eat - and meet my wife.
I drove to the Elks - and behind the lodge - there is a line up of about six very upscale rigs. Giant motor home buses - pop up tent trailers - and then I saw Lon's Chevy Turbo Diesel Truck. Next to it was this beautiful new Sunnybrook five-wheeler. Before you go looking for the "fifth wheel" underneath - the fifth wheel is actually the hitch type wheel where the "trailer" sits in the middle of the pickup bed. I walked to the front door.
I had to be at the wrong place. This pretty, petite, trim, dark-haired, tanned young lady said, "You must be Harry." I felt like saying "Yes - and I am sure you are not Lon!" Carolyn is Lon's wife. They have been married forever - have five grown kids and three grandkids. I think it is impossible - but I will take their word for it. All of a sudden I heard Lon. As Gomer would say, "Surprise, Surprise," Lon is a young looking handsome and funny guy. No - I am not gay - I just expected Aqualung.
On the newsgroup - Lon likes to say he is "to the right of Attilla the Hun." But reality plays tricks on him. He is a very smart, liberal thinking guy. He has made many very astute life choices that are not very liberal. He is different - and not afraid to do something different - and that makes him liberal - a thinker.
We got in the car - I promised them a tour of the town. I took them to see the Capitol - the FSU campus - the Bobby Bowden statue at the football stadium - and many other points of interest. I think Lon liked visiting the Supreme Court Building where Kathryn Harris rigged the election for George Bush. I think both Lon and Carolyn were stunned about seeing the sorority house where Ted Bundy killed the six co-eds. Lon was happy to hear I went to Stark in 1988 to celebrate on the day they "fried" Ted Bundy. It is amazing all the things we agreed on during the visit. I forgot to take Lon to see the home of Jeb Bush - but we left that for another trip.
We went to Nancy's office and Carnegie Library Wayne happened to be in his office "pretending" to work because he was expecting other visitors. Wayne, Lon, and Carolyn hit it off like they were from the same "good old boy" clan. Later - I surprised Lon by telling him that Wayne is one of the great movers and shakers - in that left wing pinko insurgent group - the ALA - American Library Association. Wayne doesn't like folks to know this - but it is nothing for a group to drop 5k on him to give a talk to thousands that sit as his feet as he dresses up as Melville Dewey - and espouses all that pink revolutionary dogma. Again - pre-judging is an amazing thing.
We had supper at the Suwannee Room - the old oak-beamed dining hall one would expect where liberals meet and plot to overthrow the government. There we all sat - had a nice supper - in the "groves of academe" - and discussed our kids - grandkids - hometowns - jobs - cars - trucks - batteries - propane heaters - tools - and other RVers. We had a blast.
After supper - we went back to Lon and Carolyn's home. The Sunnybrook is unbelievable. It reminds me of the old cartoons where you went inside a little Arab tent - and inside it was so big and beautiful. The Sonnybrook has two big slideouts - making the home easily 20 by 40 inside. They have a separate bedroom with a king size bed - a basement full of goodies - a full kitchen - big screen TV - two computers - two leather recliners - a dinette - two bathrooms - one with toilet and sink - the other with a gigantic fiberglass shower. They have a propane "fireplace" propane that heats without using a electricity. The cabinetry in the kitchen was solid wood - as nice as any stick built home.
The truck they use to pull it is a Chevy Turbo Diesel. It has gobbs of power and none of the smoke and noise you would have expected from the "old diesels" of our childhood. He backs it under the "fifth wheel" hooks up - and away they go.
Nancy was teaching a late class from 8 to 10 - so we had to rush home. But we had so much fun with Lon and Carolyn - we made them promise to stay at our house the next time through. When they do - we hope to have a party to introduce them to another bunch of "egg heads." Our buddies would love to see how Ron and Carolyn live.
Lon's email is - RVnFT@wmconnect.com. They have a mailing address in South Dakota - a place to collect the bills.
PICTUREs - Ron is doing his best Nixon imitation while Harry is flashing the peace sign he used at Woodstock in 1969. Note Harry is on the left and Lon is on the right. The picture was taken right after Lon showed Harry his autographed collection of Joe McCarthy pictures and we sang all 20 verses of "Give Peace a Chance." Lon played John Lennon while Carolyn did Yoko. :-) The other pictures were quick pictures of their rig in the dark. Next time through - we will do a full web page suitable for "Home and Garden and Road." I wish I took more pictures at 5PM when we started our visit - not pushing 8 PM and having to get home for Nancy to teach. Lon and Carolyn are a cute young happy couple.
Back in the real world - Lon used to be a wholesale food salesmen. I am sure he was a big success with his warm easy way with people. Carolyn - spent years as a registered nurse - Lon is so lucky to have her. I wonder if she has one of those "little nurse outfits" - oh never mind I digress. They spend 24 hours a day together - and could not be more suited for each other. They enjoy organizing RV Rallies - where folks with common interests gather and do lots of neat things together. They are both officers in an RV Club - and have a lot to do with "Escapees VCR." They follow the sun. They were on their way from Bartow, Florida where they lived near their family there and now they were going to Gulf Shores, Mississippi - to visit other family. They will eventually work their way back to Michigan where they lived near Lansing before they were reincarnated.
We hope Lon and Carolyn make Tallahassee a regular stop - we might even have an ALA tailgate for them at an FSU football game - when the snowbirds return to Capistrano.
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