July 15, 2008 Issue

In This Issue:

What's New With Us: Still at Home
Brief Article: Cooped Up
Vicki's Recipes: Bacon and Tortillas
RVing Tip: Saving Quarters


What's New With Us

Vicki's father's medical condition turned out to be more serious than first thought and will require surgery. We don't anticipate going out on the road again until late September.

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Cooped Up

Dear Joe and Vicki: My husband is retiring in a few months and we plan to spend several months of the year traveling in our RV. One thing bothers me. I don't know how well we'll do being cooped up together for long periods of time. How do you do it?

Joe: We urge people, before they start full-timing or traveling for long periods of time, to take more and more trips together of longer and longer duration. Find out ahead of time if you both share the same approach to RV travel. He may want to drive for 8 or 10 hours a day, not wanting to stop for so much as a potty break. She may want to stop at every factory outlet or shopping mall along the way. He may enjoy camping in primitive settings. She may prefer RV resorts. In order to compromise, each of you will have to adjust your attitude to some degree. Or you may discover there is a limit to how much time you can spend “cooped up” together and you will adjust your trips accordingly.

It helps if the two of you are good friends. But, no matter how much you enjoy each other’s company, you will still feel the need to get away from each other occasionally.

Vicki: When Joe or I feel the need for some "apart" time, one of us will take the car and go wandering for a while. Although, I don't consider myself an avid shopper, I do enjoy browsing through factory outlet malls and Wal-Mart stores.

Joe is a real history buff. He enjoys roaming around small museums and just about any place that is of a historical nature.

A big asset is an RV with a bedroom that can be closed off from the rest of the living area, preferably with its own TV. That way, if you want to be alone for awhile or watch different TV programs you can do so.

Joe, especially when he's watching TV, has the ability to completely tune me out. That's his way of getting away from me. On the other hand, all I have to do is stick my nose in a good mystery novel, and I can go into my own world.

I guess the secret to getting along while cooped up in an RV is to avoid being cooped up. Give each other some breathing room and understand the need for alone time.

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Vicki's Recipe (from My RV Kitchen and Favorite Recipes)

Bacon and Tortillas
(Quick and Easy)

Before you make the decision not to try this weird-sounding recipe, give it the opportunity to hook you just like it has us. This is the absolute favorite breakfast food of Joe, our three children and our four grandchildren.

This came about many years ago when we were camping on the beach in Baja with some friends. The guys had all done a lot of fishing the day before and all of our friends were eating leftover fish rolled up in fresh corn tortillas for breakfast. Since Joe doesn't "do" fish, he asked me to fry some bacon for him and roll it up into the corn tortillas. And--a favorite breakfast food was born!

6 slices bacon
6 strips cheddar cheese (about 1" wide x 6" long)
6 corn tortillas

1. Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

2. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, on both sides, in very hot bacon grease until they just begin to get crisp.

3. Drain each tortilla by layering it between sheets of paper towels.

4. Put one strip of bacon and one strip of cheese in the middle of each tortilla. Roll up and enjoy.

I always plan on 2-3 of these per person.

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RVing Tip:

RVers need lots of quarters for the washers and dryers in laundromats and campground laundry rooms. Save your quarters in 35 mm film canisters. The cannisters make a convenient, spill-proof container that will hold $7.00 worth of quarters.

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Next Issue (August 1): Washing Off Bugs


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