Update – Travel, Health, Etcetera

It’s been a minute (a month!) since we’ve posted something to RivetingJourney.com. There hasn’t been much to report on. Yet, at the same time, there have been some happenings!

First, health – Karen made a quick trip (2 days) to North Carolina for follow-up appointments. She met with her oncologist, had blood drawn, underwent a CT scan and a bone scan, and was given the Xgeva shot (for bone strengthening). Blood results were perfect, and the CT and bone scans were clear of cancer! An appointment has been made to have her port removed in March. Her oncologist expressed concern having it flushed in other locations as we travel – a potential infection risk – so she gave the green light to have it removed. She would prefer that Karen have the Xgeva shot monthly, but that is not doable at this time, given our travel schedule. She’ll need to be diligent in taking her supplements DAILY!

Other health news … Both of us (Karen first) came down with a serious cold – our first in many years. No need to point fingers at who did what wrong (Karen…). Let’s just say that masks will be worn in enclosed spaces in the future! We would rather wear a mask for a short time to avoid feeling miserable for a week.

Second, travel – We are still in Florida during its WARMEST February ever. Of course… And we have a week of boondocking (meaning: no hookups, thus no electricity to run our A/C) near Lake Okeechobee for one week starting February 28. Yes, we did try to change this, but … busy season in Florida. So, we will prevail! The upside for that week – we will be visiting Karen’s cousin, Tami, and her husband, Scott, who live in Port St. Lucie. It has been a few years since we have seen them, and we look forward to the visit.

We will have a few more weeks in Florida – Eustis then Daytona – before we make our way back to North Carolina for a few weeks. Visits with family and friends and several medical/dental/eye appointments will be had before we move on in April toward Montana. YES! Alaska is happening this year! FINALLY!!!!!!!

Etcetera – We made new friends, Don and Carolyn from Ohio, in Eustis, Florida. Carolyn is an avid crocheter and cancer survivor, and Karen is teaching herself to crochet, so they connected immediately and easily. We went on a boat tour with them, had dinner, and Carl and Don played golf in Clermont when we met up with them again at the Orlando RV Resort. We will miss seeing them, but Karen and Carolyn will be keeping in touch as they update each other on their projects. We hope to see our other Ohio friends, Dennis and Mickey, before we head to Lake Okeechobee.

While in NC, Karen saw The Book of Mormon with Madeline, Layne, Rachel, and Em at DPAC. So enjoyable. She loves spending time with her girls!

Karen reconnected with a high school friend, Kathy Kralovich Ziegler. She lives not far from where we stayed in Bradenton, Florida, but we didn’t know until after we left the area. Thankfully, Kathy reached out through FaceBook messenger, and we met her at a restaurant in Lakeland – a good half-way point. It was an enjoyable visit, and Karen hopes to keep in touch with her.

We have visited with Carl’s son, Eric, and his girlfriend, Patty. We love spending time with them and hope to see them again in Daytona before we leave Florida.

ETCETERA – The one BIG THING that happened in February… Our refrigerator died the yellow pool of death (major, unrepairable leaking). Carl is extremely talented, however, and after waiting about 10 days longer than expected due to a shipping delay, we installed our new 12-volt Dometic RV refrigerator. Upside – it is BIGGER than the original refrigerator, and we are loving the space. Carl checks the amperage daily, and he is satisfied. We filmed the entire installation, and Karen is editing the video and will upload it soon.

Wishing all of you well. Stay tuned for our RV refrigerator installation video!