tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31815382430616131472012-02-16T04:13:42.016-05:00Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-46471450331798834922011-07-24T18:45:00.001-04:002011-07-24T18:57:49.016-04:00We are currently in the middle of a downpour and severe thunderstorm as we make our way up 17 North into Virginia. I am using my Android tablet to send all outbound communication. Flooding is intense and visibility is less than 10 feet. Dangerous lightning threatens the ground and lights up the sky beautifully! We are in a convenient place for stormchasing.Just another family outing. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4647145033179883492?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-38932270451763858702011-03-06T17:45:00.001-05:002011-03-06T17:45:06.706-05:00These are not the cities we are looking for. Move along.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3893227045176385870?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-77424380062799756392011-03-06T12:59:00.001-05:002011-03-06T12:59:14.274-05:00<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXPLbwe1tQI/AAAAAAAAAIk/_GQs8Na1GlA/2011-03-06%2011.15.25.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXPLbwe1tQI/AAAAAAAAAIk/_GQs8Na1GlA/s400/2011-03-06%2011.15.25.jpg' /></a></p>Upon arrival at the Daytona International Speedway, we found parking to be quite a challenge! Parking in the infield of the track required a 7'6" clearance and the motor home has, well at least 14'! We drove around a while and found an RV Campground conveniently located next to the track! The KOA satellite offered many amenities like water, power, and a way to avoid the horrendous car/bike traffic out of Daytona Beach. This is where laid our heads last night! <br/> <br/> Daytona held a great race for fans to watch. The track was the largest supercross track this season. This meant longer lap times and the combination of outdoor and indoor obstacles made for a longer, more challenging (and more entertaining) race all together! This gave me the opportunity to see history made as it happened! <br/> <br/> An awful turn of events unfolded for defending champion (last year's Rookie of the Year with several other record-breaking achievements from last season alone ), Ryan Dungey, as a mechanical failure caused him not to qualify for the main through the heat race. I watched as Dungey went through the dragon-back section at race pace and then--at a moment's notice-- the rear wheel suddenly halted as the motor seized. Luckily, this happened right in front of the mechanic's area, and Dungey and his Suzuki were able to make it off the track safely. He pushed his bike over to his mechanic, Mike Gosselaar (the last name should be familiar, Saved By the Bell fans,as he is the sibling of the actor), and with body language that unloaded a fury of curses, he explained what happened. They hauled the bike through the tech area and back to their pits and performed a miracle of adjustments and switches to it. Dungey was up and running--in his "title-contender-as-usual" condition--for the LCQ (a rider's last chance to make it to the main event race.) <br/> <br/> James Stewart shocked the world by being the only rider to jump the gator pit and clear the eight foot mound of dirt on his bike. He first revealed this manuever in the last lap of his heat race as he ran the track, virtually by himself, with the lead. By running the track this way, he shaved off nearly four seconds on his lap times, proving Ralph Shaheen (announcer for SPEED) right as he claims JS7 to be, "the fastest man on the planet!" He sped away with a huge lead for the first quarter of the race, but a crash before the gnarly triple rung his bell and took him to the back of the pack. This gave last year's Daytona Race Winner, Ryan Villopoto the chance to pull away with the lead. <br/> <br/> The lites race has some monumental highlights as well. Riding with a wrist injury to his throttle hand, Justin Barcia claimed the holeshot in his heat race and drove away with a comfortable lead! <br/> <br/> Blake Baggett showed the world that he deserves his Factory Ride for Mitch Payton's championship-breeding Pro Circuit team. The kid pulled the holeshot on the main, found another gear, and took off in it! He kept his lead the whole race and put half a track between him and Barcia, who was in 2nd. At an 1:18 second average lap time for the top riders, he opened up almost 40 seconds between him and Barcia and over a minute between him and third-place finisher, Ryan Sipes! Baggett is talented and fast. He earned his first Supercross win and the points lead after last night's race! He currently hold 169 series points, with a four-point advantage over Barcia. <br/> <br/> Kawasaki swept the wins in a great night of racing underneath the beautiful weather in Daytona Beach, FL! <br/> <br/> What a great kickoff for Daytona Beach Bike Week!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7742438006279975639?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-65871920248308515762011-03-05T16:40:00.001-05:002011-03-05T16:40:12.693-05:00<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXKtu-kWsnI/AAAAAAAAAIg/hQDH5lW0rPs/2011-03-05%2016.29.09.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXKtu-kWsnI/AAAAAAAAAIg/hQDH5lW0rPs/s400/2011-03-05%2016.29.09.jpg' /></a></p>We are here! <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6587192024830851576?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-76093579394521927292011-03-05T16:09:00.001-05:002011-03-05T16:09:34.161-05:00And I was hoping to get here in time to thank Andrew Short for getting us here. <br/> <br/> I think we are about to hit Bike Week traffic, but things look steady. I hope to not be speaking too soon.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7609357939452192729?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-26448689005803554102011-03-05T14:44:00.001-05:002011-03-05T14:44:46.918-05:00As well as the return of the data signal! It is a whopping 77° here at the Florida border. We are still an hour and 45 minutes to Daytona! The excitement is beginning to unfold as we get closer to race time. <br/> <br/> I hope to get to Daytona, park, grab tickets from the will call box and run to the pits to thank Shorty for this amazing opportunity!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2644868900580355410?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-70585537859782664212011-03-05T11:43:00.001-05:002011-03-05T11:43:43.325-05:00We just passed into Georgia and now it really is a DeJa Vacation! I absolutely love this place. We are 4 hours away!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7058553785978266421?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-16453405922786305602011-03-05T11:15:00.001-05:002011-03-05T11:15:16.124-05:00We stop for gas every hour. After a little time lost, we are finally back on the road. 4 hours and 45 minutes until we are in Daytona.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1645340592278630560?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-22626210133226440962011-03-05T09:55:00.001-05:002011-03-05T09:55:22.229-05:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXJOyAjbkUI/AAAAAAAAAIc/OET3E2oPWVw/2011-03-05%2009.50.51.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TXJOyAjbkUI/AAAAAAAAAIc/OET3E2oPWVw/s400/2011-03-05%2009.50.51.jpg' /></a></p>Here we are in Walterboro, SC where the cheapest gas (denoted by the name of the gas station) is up to $3.42 a gallon. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2262621013322644096?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-80040736337533456262011-03-05T09:23:00.001-05:002011-03-05T09:23:59.024-05:00One summer day back, when my son was about two-years-old, we took a trip to Busch Gardens. Along the way, we got stuck in tunnel traffic and decided to play "Guess What's In That Car?" Game to keep boredom minimal and to listen to my child's WILD imagination! We saw a big truck pulling a trailer, which is something my two-year-old had become familiar with because he had seen Johnny's trailer that Johnny uses as a workshop. I decided to ask him, "What do you think is in that trailer?" He sat quietly, thinking about it for a moment. I figured that he would answer with what was familiar to him--something he had paid attention to in Johnny's trailer. When I received no response, I thought I could help by prompting his ideas. <br/> <br/> "Do you think there are tools in there?", I said. <br/> <br/> "No," he replied. <br/> <br/> "How about motorcycles?" <br/> <br/> "No." <br/> <br/> "Are there horses in there?" <br/> <br/> "No, I think there's junk in there," he replied with absolute confidence that his guess was right. <br/> <br/> This made me chuckle, as he surmised what in the only trailer he had ever seen the inside of! <br/> <br/> Now, everytime I see a trailer, I think of my intuitive son's little remark. <br/> <br/> But I speculate that all the trailers I see on this road have motorcycles in them and that they are being trailered down to Daytona Beach Bike Week. The big event where riders and vendors from all over the East Coast get together to share their love of all things two wheels, promote business, and watch motorsports events (Supercross [Dirt], AMA Sportbike/Superbike [Street]), kicked off yesterday. This is the first time I have ever been remotely close to Daytona Beach Bike week as it happens. <br/> <br/> This means traffic getting into the Daytona International Speedway will be horrendous!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8004073633753345626?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-40047377874920929062011-03-05T08:40:00.001-05:002011-03-05T08:50:21.181-05:00This place looks like the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. It looks like a small resort town with all the local businesses on one side (where Walmart has conveniently placed itself to out-compete the Mom and Pop shops), and all the big chain stores near the Florence Mall. It feels like home and certainly made a nice stopping place for the night. <br/> <br/> Just off of I-95, south of Florence, sits Honda Way, home to one of Honda's larger manufacturing plants on the East coast. Here, Honda employees manufacture ATVs and PWCs. This plant seems to provide thousands of jobs to Timmonsville natives and inhabitants of the surrounding cities. More significantly, it reminds me of my favorite Supercross riders that currently ride for American Honda, Trey Canard and Josh Grant! Hope to see those guys kick some butt at Daytona this evening! <br/> <br/> We are just over six and a half hours from our destination. <br/> <br/>source: <a href=http://corporate.honda.com/careers/opportunities.aspx?id=sc_manufacturing>Honda of South Carolina</a><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4004737787492092906?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-56179169282494013832011-03-05T07:58:00.001-05:002011-03-05T08:53:03.499-05:00Time for launch. It is a chilly 49° here this morning. Next stop, Chick-Fil-A breakfast.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5617916928249401383?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-59889661055787346302011-03-05T02:49:00.001-05:002011-03-05T07:04:03.658-05:00There is hope. We are driving INTO the warmth.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5988966105578734630?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-76823742306445575702011-03-05T02:48:00.001-05:002011-03-05T07:03:39.496-05:00A warm comfy bed and a few hours of shut-eye before hitting the road again in the morning.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7682374230644557570?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-29699218540896408082011-03-05T01:28:00.001-05:002011-03-05T01:29:00.097-05:00The Weather Channel app reports that it is 45° here this evening. That is an increase of 2° from where we were two hours ago. There is hope for this chilly ride.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2969921854089640808?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-33555701620681506392011-03-05T01:25:00.001-05:002011-03-05T01:25:05.235-05:00Still not out of the state yet.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3355570162068150639?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-58514906836421967092011-03-05T00:12:00.001-05:002011-03-05T00:12:27.929-05:00This Walmart in Tarboro, NC is not open 24/7. It has been a long, long time since I have seen a Walmar that closes.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5851490683642196709?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-20893349043688862142011-03-04T22:33:00.001-05:002011-03-04T22:33:09.164-05:00Here in Windsor, NC, the cell signal came back! We are having a great time talking and singing! Vacation mode is on!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2089334904368886214?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-8958336108520703162011-03-04T19:53:00.001-05:002011-03-04T19:53:29.038-05:00Two weekends of supercross because of two wonderful men. Atlanta was a Christmas present from my beloved! Daytona is a gift from pro-rider Andrew Short for guessing his Daytona trivia question. <br/> <br/> I feel like the time of my life begins now.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-895833610852070316?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-35647173883035745672011-02-28T20:06:00.001-05:002011-02-28T20:06:42.870-05:00We got in around 3:30 this morning. What a long drive! 12 hours from my sister's to home. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3564717388303574567?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-60142319223370774142011-02-27T21:55:00.001-05:002011-02-27T21:55:26.996-05:00The weather certainly got chilly this evening as we drive northeast bound through North Carolina. We are just passing through Hopewell. The GPS tells us we are just over 4 hours from home.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6014231922337077414?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-50938991614386259472011-02-27T21:02:00.001-05:002011-02-27T21:02:44.372-05:00We are now in Concord, NC getting more gas. The damage is a whopping $3.38 per gallon. With a 16 gallon auxiliary tank, it ran $54.00 out of our wallets!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5093899161438625947?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-34233235959216654502011-02-27T19:27:00.001-05:002011-02-27T19:27:58.492-05:00We are stopping for dinner in what looks like Gastonia, NC.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3423323595921665450?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-33776469801594831032011-02-27T19:19:00.001-05:002011-02-27T19:19:11.667-05:00Just passed into North Carolina. 40 miles outside Charlotte. Great night for driving.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3377646980159483103?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-12235380275038565502011-02-27T17:46:00.001-05:002011-02-27T17:46:44.567-05:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWrUUSI7tdI/AAAAAAAAAIY/BcBw3u2rEDQ/2011-02-27%2017.43.09.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWrUUSI7tdI/AAAAAAAAAIY/BcBw3u2rEDQ/s400/2011-02-27%2017.43.09.jpg' /></a></p>We are tanking up in Piedmont, South Carolina. That sign for gas says $3.19/ gallon. <br/> <br/> 7.82 hours left on the road. <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1223538027503856550?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-59788343902072693572011-02-27T16:52:00.001-05:002011-02-27T19:20:41.968-05:00We are on the way out of the state. I fell in love with the countryside and even the big beautiful, albeit touristy, parts of Atlanta that we saw. I say farewell, with the promise to return again, possibly for next year's race. <br/> <br/> We finally reached my sister and visited their beautiful home in North Georgia. They live in a gorgeous neighborhood by the mountains in what looks like a cozy town. It was lovely to see them and to hear that they are doing so well. <br/> <br/> We are on the road again at this hour. We are coming back a different route than we came. So far, it has taken us through a few quiet towns, by a few farms, around a lake, and past the Mall of Georgia. The sign we just passed into Banks County. 8 hours until home. <br/> <br/> The weather measures a temperate 75°F! No wonder why I find it hard to leave such a great place!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5978834390207269357?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-39089831394506923492011-02-26T23:07:00.003-05:002011-02-26T23:07:43.385-05:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWnODiFvANI/AAAAAAAAAIU/djaS3V59tk0/2011-02-26%2023.02.01.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWnODiFvANI/AAAAAAAAAIU/djaS3V59tk0/s400/2011-02-26%2023.02.01.jpg' /></a></p>My prized t-shirt from the pits at the track.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3908983139450692349?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-3949808751481325042011-02-26T17:04:00.001-05:002011-02-26T17:04:16.230-05:00Now Kenny Watson has signed my Pulp tee. What a collector's item that I'll never wash or sell! <br/> <br/> I love the pits.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-394980875148132504?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-40152646053900672652011-02-26T16:51:00.001-05:002011-02-26T16:51:18.702-05:00Feeling star struck after talking about racing with Steve Matthes (Pulpmx) in the pits. Pictures to come soon.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4015264605390067265?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-40439672934813180372011-02-26T10:21:00.001-05:002011-02-26T10:21:06.999-05:00The aquarium is our next stop. In the heat of excitement for tonight's supercross, the aquarium trip feels like a filler to pass the time before gates open.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4043967293481318037?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-44175280696803581112011-02-25T22:08:00.001-05:002011-02-25T22:08:47.435-05:00Coming back late from the H&H event meant we are locked out of campground. What a creepy walk back to the campsite! <br/> <br/> It was well worth meeting Blose, Watson, and Tedesco. <br/> Oh, and I won an awesome set of Kicker headphones. Watson said it was because I am a fan of his show. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4417528069680358111?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-10727271944246697912011-02-25T21:26:00.001-05:002011-02-25T21:26:59.538-05:00<p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWhk8eUXmpI/AAAAAAAAAIM/yQGWkv9qOis/2011-02-25_20.09.11.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWhk8eUXmpI/AAAAAAAAAIM/yQGWkv9qOis/s400/2011-02-25_20.09.11.jpg' /></a></p>Kenny Watson from The Pulpmx show and TM for the Dodge Hart and Huntington team.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1072727194424669791?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-42037443829629531362011-02-25T20:57:00.001-05:002011-02-25T20:57:31.909-05:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWheAEBeQSI/AAAAAAAAAII/Zfw8nqHcNlQ/2011-02-25_20.10.18.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWheAEBeQSI/AAAAAAAAAII/Zfw8nqHcNlQ/s400/2011-02-25_20.10.18.jpg' /></a></p>Ivan Ted[esco] and L [Esco]bar!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4203744382962953136?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-555608290906511452011-02-25T20:50:00.001-05:002011-02-25T20:50:43.465-05:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWhccGZVGHI/AAAAAAAAAIE/oZDWk9gCOCo/2011-02-25_20.37.34.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWhccGZVGHI/AAAAAAAAAIE/oZDWk9gCOCo/s400/2011-02-25_20.37.34.jpg' /></a></p>Hanging out in Morrow, Georgia with the Hart and Huntington crew.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-55560829090651145?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-42856702135268506462011-02-25T19:09:00.001-05:002011-02-25T19:09:24.011-05:00We are headed out to catch the Carey Hart and the Hart and Huntington riders at Landmark Dodge. They are doing an autograph signing. The radio station Project 96.1 reports that they are doing a pre-pit party as well. We both agreed that it sounds like a good time so we are driving an hour and sixteen minutes to see them. The party starts at 7:00. "Curfew" for the campground is at 9 and the gates close. When the gates are closed, we can park in the front parking lot and walk it. Using my best judgement, I deduced that the Hart and Huntington team is worth the cold, windy walk. <br/> <br/> Chris Blose, Ivan Tedesco, Josh Hill, and Carey Hart are slated to be there! <br/> <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4285670213526850646?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-3918236985714381352011-02-25T18:03:00.001-05:002011-02-25T18:03:09.324-05:00The showers at McKinney campground are quite possibly the nicest public showers I have ever seen. This includes the showers in the fancy suites of the Marriott. The showers are located in a sparkling clean, bug-free, heated shower house! They differ greatly from other campground showers in that they have rotating shower controls instead of the standard eco-friendly push-button timer controls. The water is hot, the pressure is rough, and there are dual shower heads for washing the upper and lower portions of the body. <br/> <br/> All-in-all, today's shower was quite refreshing.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-391823698571438135?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-11175763097727780032011-02-25T12:14:00.001-05:002011-02-25T12:14:56.250-05:00Omelettes and bacon. Made fresh on my propane stove.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1117576309772778003?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-20655224616664816872011-02-25T11:12:00.001-05:002011-02-25T14:24:01.602-05:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfUvpQxVcI/AAAAAAAAAH4/R9lNBhgq1b8/2011-02-25%2011.05.32.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfUvpQxVcI/AAAAAAAAAH4/R9lNBhgq1b8/s400/2011-02-25%2011.05.32.jpg' /></a></p>We both did a fine job backing into our driveway. He drove the motorhome, of course, and I managed the rental car unit. This really does look like a comfy place to call home! <br/> <br/><p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfUx4pyNkI/AAAAAAAAAH8/jfLHUYXCfCs/2011-02-25%2011.06.21.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfUx4pyNkI/AAAAAAAAAH8/jfLHUYXCfCs/s400/2011-02-25%2011.06.21.jpg' /></a></p> It has some wide open spaces for us to spread out and get comfortable. <p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfU2qHpMMI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ev8-3FOIUec/2011-02-25%2011.06.40.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfU2qHpMMI/AAAAAAAAAIA/ev8-3FOIUec/s400/2011-02-25%2011.06.40.jpg' /></a></p>There is even a fire pit for our ghost-telling, smore-making enjoyment. <br/> <br/> Now for some breakfast!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2065522461666481687?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-69879515009432505922011-02-25T11:05:00.001-05:002011-02-25T11:05:20.085-05:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfTPTDGTAI/AAAAAAAAAH0/EIlUx5_eZ1k/1298649750528.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWfTPTDGTAI/AAAAAAAAAH0/EIlUx5_eZ1k/s400/1298649750528.jpg' /></a></p>This campsite is amazingly large. The asphalt lot is large enough for both the motorhome and the rental. There is electric and water hookups, a picnic table, a grill, and a large tent lounge area at the site alone!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6987951500943250592?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-73496678896768126022011-02-25T11:01:00.001-05:002011-02-25T11:01:56.152-05:00After getting turned around in Acworth, we finally found the Enterprise rent-a-car and picked up the rental that we will use for city driving. It's a cute little compact Chevy Cobalt and at $50 for the entire weekend, it packs a sweet deal. This will definitely get us in and out of Atlanta with minimal issues. <br/> <br/> IThe Campground is about 20 minutes from the rental car agency. We will be home in no time at all.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7349667889676812602?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-90602626498679263472011-02-25T08:35:00.001-05:002011-02-25T08:35:14.779-05:00<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWewEGRQT5I/AAAAAAAAAHw/V3P-Ryh2kpU/1298640861996.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TWewEGRQT5I/AAAAAAAAAHw/V3P-Ryh2kpU/s400/1298640861996.jpg' /></a></p>Last time we were here, we were riding on the motorcycle with the the R-1 forum! Chuck Graves (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) led us through to his dealership in Conyers, GA. We kept pace with him for all of four seconds (our excuse is that we were riding two-up!). <br/> <br/> The traffic experience was about the same then as it is now. Bumper-to-bumper for hours. <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-9060262649867926347?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-20988351311864136752011-02-25T08:29:00.001-05:002011-02-25T08:29:49.816-05:00We arrived at our stopping point in Buford, GA around 10:00 PM last night and camped out at a quiet Walmart. I made some delicious breaded porkchops using the RV's featured stove. Both of us can barely contain our excitement as we approach our campsite. We are about an hour and a half from Acworth! <br/> <br/> I just heard back from my sister and we have arranged to stop by her place this weekend! I am overjoyed to come out all this way and finally see the lovely place that she calls home.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2098835131186413675?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-86487320481295932832011-02-24T21:19:00.001-05:002011-02-24T21:19:59.835-05:00Just crossed into Bowersville and we are on the hunt for..... you guessed it! Gas! There are 96 miles until we hit Atlanta and the GPS reports 2 hours and 4 minutes until we reach the campsite! <br/> <br/> Gas is $3.18 a gallon here. <br/> <br/> We are stopping briefly before we hit our destination to get a few groceries for dinner this evening.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8648732048129593283?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-37262952923771255192011-02-24T21:15:00.001-05:002011-02-24T21:15:01.359-05:00Just crossed into Bowersville and we are on the hunt for..... you guessed it! Gas! There are 96 miles until we hit Atlanta and the GPS reports 2 hours and 4 minutes until we reach the campsite!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3726295292377125519?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-24049026624459224552011-02-24T19:31:00.001-05:002011-02-24T19:31:39.140-05:00My partner and I share a common love for Supercross. This sport lies at the heart of this long drive to Atlanta. We have teamed up so well to get things together and make this happen. I love how he gets us on the road by securing tickets to the stadium, ensuring that the motor home runs and functions, and fights the traffic behind the wheel. He enjoys how I make the trip like home by cleaning and sanitizing the motor home, engendering culinary creations, and bringing the remedies for most ride discomforts. <br/> <br/> Most people I travel with argue about the music on the radio or bring their own headphones/media devices. We listen to podcasts that we love together. Where others would be annoyed at the many stops we have to make, we both make light of them. When traffic inconveniences, we find comedy in it all. <br/> <br/> We really do complement each other.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2404902662445922455?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-68779323192779261062011-02-24T19:19:00.001-05:002011-02-24T19:19:12.033-05:00We just passed the turnoff for the South Carolina Welcome Center and Rest area. There are exactly 4 hours left in the ride to the campsite. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6877932319277926106?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-58598073704088813432011-02-24T17:51:00.001-05:002011-02-24T17:51:20.418-05:00My phone believes we are in Salisbury, NC. We have 5 hours and 30 minutes to go! I anticipate making progress for about three more of those hours before we call it a night.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5859807370408881343?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-41699324717732020752011-02-24T16:49:00.001-05:002011-02-24T16:49:34.495-05:00We are just hitting the Interchange for I-85 South. The sun is starting to drop away and it is really starting to get cold. Thank the Lord for Snuggies. <br/> <br/> Oh, and this wordfeud game I am playing with Greg really helps pass the time. It has also taught me that SNUGGIE is not an acceptable Scrabble term. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4169932471773202075?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-52707256603896080562011-02-24T15:43:00.001-05:002011-02-24T15:43:14.006-05:00It could be considered early dinner by normal-day-shift people standards. Time for some McDonalds tea, a quarter plunder, and 7-11 taquitos. <br/> <br/> We are somewhere outside Raleigh. On I-85.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5270725660389608056?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-44927801131527388182011-02-24T14:17:00.001-05:002011-02-24T14:17:51.454-05:00That's where we are. At least that is what the GPS says. Gas here is $3.33 today. We are 44 miles outside Raleigh.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4492780113152738818?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-107748163291722762011-02-24T11:46:00.003-05:002011-02-24T11:58:02.839-05:00Khalista and Chance will spend the weekend with Johnny's parents. <br/> <br/> And now we are on our way!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-10774816329172276?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-50312554134213941192011-02-24T11:46:00.001-05:002011-02-24T11:46:23.349-05:00Problems with the RV have set us back a few hours, but thanks to an amazing Mobile Mechanic, we are able to comfortably hit the road. Prior to today, we drove the RV back and forth to work just to make sure it drives up to road spec. There were no problems getting to work, but upon departure this Tuesday, the RV did not want to run. When we turned the key, it would crank, but as soon as you let the key go, the engine would cut off. At first, we figured the engine was just cold and the fuel pump needed a minute to engage, but the fuel filter was full, so that idea went out. We shot it with starter fluid and it still wouldn't stay running. Finally, we decided to give her hell, turn the key, pump the accelerator, and let go, but still no dice. After turning and turning on the ignition to no avail, we blew the starter and that pretty much ended our attempt for the evening. <br/> <br/> Wednesday morning, we called a man we found on Craigslist out to figure out what was wrong. He pulled the starter and doing some further inspection, he found a broken ignition cable. After replacing them both, the RV was able to run and we could all relax. <br/> <br/> Or so we thought..... <br/> <br/> Upon departure from the work parking lot last night, the RV started, ran for about 20 seconds and then cut off. Desperately, we called Dana out again and he willingly came out to take a look at it at 8:00 in the evening. He pulled the ignition module off and we saw that it had been both melted and covered in rust! It was in deep need of replacement, but that would have to wait for the morning. Though the website for Advanced Auto showed there were two in stock, the man at the counter said they had already sold. Luckily, the store by our mechanic's house had one and Dana said he would pick it up that evening and put it in first thing in the morning. <br/> <br/> So at 8AM, we drive out to work where the RV was parked (for two days now) and there Dana is, putting in the ignition module in. By 8:06, the RV was running and by 8:30, we moved the RV home. It took us two hours to pack it and shower. <br/> <br/> Now, we are embarking on our 12 hour drive to Acworth, GA!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5031255413421394119?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-87842971335375062722011-02-24T11:44:00.001-05:002011-02-24T11:44:07.178-05:00Khalista and Chance will spend the weekend with Johnny's parents. <br/> <br/> And now we are on our way!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8784297133537506272?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-88292002602946708392011-02-24T11:01:00.001-05:002011-02-24T11:01:59.976-05:00Problems with the RV have set us back a few hours, but thanks to an amazing Mobile Mechanic, we are able to comfortably hit the road. Prior to today, we drove the RV back and forth to work just to make sure it drives up to road spec. There were no problems getting to work, but upon departure this Tuesday, the RV did not want to run. When we turned the key, it would crank, but as soon as you let the key go, the engine would cut off. At first, we figured the engine was just cold and the fuel pump needed a minute to engage, but the fuel filter was full, so that idea went out. We shot it with starter fluid and it still wouldn't stay running. Finally, we decided to give her hell, turn the key, pump the accelerator, and let go, but still no dice. After turning and turning on the ignition to no avail, we blew the starter and that pretty much ended our attempt for the evening. <br/> <br/> Wednesday morning, we called a man we found on Craigslist out to figure out what was wrong. He pulled the starter and found a broken ignition cable. After replacing them both, the RV was able to run and we could all relax. <br/> <br/> Or so we thought..... <br/> <br/> Upon departure from the work parking lot last night, the RV started, ran for about 20 seconds and then cut off. Desperately, we called Dana out again and he willingly came out to take a look at it at 8:00 in the evening. He pulled the ignition control box off and we saw that it had been both melted and covered in rust! It was in deep need of replacement, but that would have to wait for the morning. Though the website for Advanced Auto showed there were two in stock, the man at the counter said they had already sold. Luckily, the store by our mechanic's house had one and Dana said he would pick it up that evening and put it in first thing in the morning. <br/> <br/> So at 8AM, we drive out to work where the RV was parked (for two days now) and there Dana is, putting in the ignition control box. By 8:06, the RV was running and by 8:30, we moved the RV home. It took us two hours to pack it and shower. <br/> <br/> Now, we are embarking on our 12 hour drive to Acworth, GA!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8829200260294670839?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-11048477718210590662011-02-03T13:05:00.005-05:002011-02-03T13:58:44.398-05:00McKinney Campground in Acworth, Georgia will host our camping experience this season. This campground is close to several attractions including the Tellus Science Museum; Booth Western Art Museum ; Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield; White Water Park ; The Coca-Cola plant; the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and my dearest friend of over 11 years, Julie. I am hoping to leave a day ahead of schedule so that we can take the time to do some site-seeing!<br /><br /><br />Our campground features electric and water hookups, restrooms, hot showers, fire pits/rings, a laundry facility, picnic tables, a Swimming Beach.<br /> <br /> * Laundry<br /> * Park Attendant<br /> * Paved Roads and Spurs<br /> * Picnic Tables<br /> * RV sites with electric hookups<br /> * Rv Sanitary Dump Station<br /> * Tent Pads<br /> * Water Hookups<br /><br /><table name="contenttable" id="contenttable" class="contable"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" colspan="2"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="td2"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1104847771821059066?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-30084468327332517502011-02-03T12:16:00.003-05:002011-02-03T12:48:27.485-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pre-Spring Interior RV Cleaning</span><br />Remove dishes/pots/pans/utensils<br />Remove seasonal storage items (gardening tools)<br />Wash blankets/sheets/pillows<br />Bug-bombs (3)<br />Run Shop-vac<br />Sweep/Mop Shower<br />Sweep/Mop Floor<br />Sanitize surfaces<br />Clean windows<br />Wipe down cabinets<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3008446832733251750?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-32248261772294604152011-02-03T11:44:00.010-05:002011-02-03T13:01:50.208-05:00Months of thorough research (and patience for season items to come down in price) led to the purchase of this Mr. Heater unit. Now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TUrcIx0ljEI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zFdD3ul4hak/s1600/2011-02-03%2B11.20.10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TUrcIx0ljEI/AAAAAAAAAHo/zFdD3ul4hak/s200/2011-02-03%2B11.20.10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569505932568005698" border="0" /></a>, I am able to--literally-- breathe a sigh of relief because we decided on the indoor propane-powered (clean burning) unit as opposed to the more hazardous Kerosene unit that the boyfriend had pitched. This particular unit is smaller than the one I originally researched, but it is large enough to heat up to 400 square feet! Since our RV only has about 200 square feet of room, I anticipate that the unit will be a comfy hearth for my stone-cold RV. The unit has a tip sensor so that, if by some chance, one of the people or animals accidentally knocks it over, the unit shuts itself off and prevents disaster.<br />I am pretty confident that it uses propane efficiently. The side of the box says that it can "heat 400 square feet for up to nine days (220 hours)." Of course, that time interval is based on the lowest setting on a full 50lbs. cylinder of propane. Our 50lbs. reserve on the RV should be plenty to run the heater on a mid-level setting all day for the duration of the weekend AND my stove for six meals without sufficiently depleting our propane supply.<br /><br />Thanks to the local Wal-Mart sale, this heating unit cost us $115.<br /><br />Specs on the manufacturer's website can be found <a href="http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&amp;id=116">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3224826177229460415?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-20771395512525911722011-01-06T11:54:00.009-05:002011-01-06T18:39:53.775-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TSX2TKXqrPI/AAAAAAAAAG0/YS86uOcIlIE/s1600/41241a.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TSX2TKXqrPI/AAAAAAAAAG0/YS86uOcIlIE/s200/41241a.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559120124120313074" border="0" /></a>Thanks to the good tidings that Christmas with my beloved brought to me, we are eagerly planning an upcoming trip. We are looking forward to welcoming the 2011 Supercross series to the East Coast by attending the race at the Georgia Dome on February 25. This will be the third closed-course dirtbike race that we have traveled to and my first Supercross<br />experience! This will also be the first race event that we travel to as fans--not as working, refined, and professional journalists and/or photographers. I am thrilled to finally be able to participate in the excitement, adventure, perils, and indulgences esoteric to Supercross fans! Be still my eager heart!!<br /><br />In our pre-RV-ownership lives, we attended the 2009 outdoor National race at Budds Creek, Maryland where rain transformed the dirt track into a dangerous, but gnarly mudslide. In 2010, we flew out to Denver, Colorado to see Team America sweep the Motocross Des Nations and take home the Stanley Cup. The crowd at both events featured groups of weekend warriors, hometown heroes, mx moms and dads, and motorsports fanatics in an atmosphere saturated with nationalism, pride, and fellowship shared by lovers of the sport. I am told that Supercross events host a crowd of a different nature and capacity altogether.<br /><br />Over the last few years, mainstream media outlets have let their gazes linger a few heartbeats longer on the AMA-regulated sport, giving it a few mentions and occasionally dropping names throughout the sports highlights. Large Network partnerships--like the team of SPEEDtv and CBS Sports--have television prescence at the events, creating exposure opportunities to past and present celebrities of the sport. Companies beyond the motorsports and extreme sports clothing industry have cashed in and antied up with investments in Supercross--garnering sponsorships from companies like Monster Energy (who hosts the series) and creating partnerships between industry big names like Pro Circuit and Kawasaki. Mainstream exposure and mainstream support can--well--generate a mainstream crowd.<br /><br />The best part about Supercross is--of course--its fans. Networks celebrate Supercross's love for its fans by featuring a wide range of attendees from the I-want-my-picture-taken-by-RacerX-"Who is Josh Grant, again?" troller to the GearHead on the lower-level guessing at bike settings. I am the type of fan that enjoys bench racing with the best of them, but there's a huge part of me that holds some angst toward my parents for not exposing me to the greatness of Supercross at an earlier age. As a result, there are some repressed behaviors that I am excited about going wild with! There's the little kid in me that waits until the riders are out of the first turn to exhale, meditating on just the sound of the bikes on the line. I cannot wait to shout at the top of my lungs when I witness Windham's traditional opening ceremony nose-wheelie. Even more juvenile is the part of me that wants to stand in line for autographs from the guys I have spent the last few years photographing for publication.<br /><br />To get this trip rolling, we will need to pull the RV out of its Summer-use state. While the liquid tanks have been drained, we still have no heat and no hot water. The priority here is the heat since we plan on staying at least two winter nights off the road. The furnace has been pulled, uncovered, inspected, and cleaned, but we are still unable to light the pilot. We are planning on replacing the heater, but a new heating unit could run us between $400-$700! Because we would rather spend that $400-$700 on our trip, We are looking for indoor space heating units that run on LP Gas as alternatives.<br /><br />The following space heaters came to mind:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TSZBmzF9SoI/AAAAAAAAAHM/2VryncWqM-4/s1600/204642263.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TSZBmzF9SoI/AAAAAAAAAHM/2VryncWqM-4/s200/204642263.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559202924841486978" border="0" /></a>This Mr. Heater unit sports up to 18,000 in BTUs and will definitely heat the RV from the rear sleeping area to the front cabin. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">$144.99</span> online and +/-$5.00 in the store, depending on which one you go to--yet they are usually limited in stock by this time of year.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2077139551252591172?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-47976709951602077332010-11-29T18:26:00.006-05:002010-11-29T20:20:06.465-05:00The Rogue Leader has sat in her hangar bay since our trip down to Deal's Gap in mid-June. For aged vehicles and homes, that translates like dog years as some band-aid fixes began breaking down. <br /><br />As expected, both the house and vehicle batteries are exhausted. The marine (house) battery was easy to jump, and then put on trickle charge until full with very little difficulty. The vehicle battery, however, had been swapped out when the Walmart-special battery in my daily driver called it quits. We need to replace that vehicle battery, but for the intents and purposes of starting the RV this weekend, we had to make do with the house battery. <br /><br />With a few squirts of starting fluid and the turn of the ignition key, she fired right up. This took us by surprise because both of us recall how the long, grueling trip through the mountains emptied our main and auxiliary tanks. There was enough gas to start and run the Rogue Leader and--with a marvelous display of manhandling and pushing a motor to its limits--move the vehicle about fifteen feet forward. <br /><br />Alas, it moves! The man has reported transmission slips, but that is a problem that had been brought to our attention the first time we drove the RV home after we purchased it. He believes that adding tranny fluid to it should clear that right up.<br /><br />Living in an Eastern Virginia climate means temperatures that vary widely across extreme humidity, heat, and frigidity from day-to-day. This year, we got lucky and had a long streak of mild weather, although we cannot quite call it autumn. Temperatures stayed up in the high 50's through the 70's with a handful of cold nights in between. Lows hit 32 this weekend. Call us smart, or call us lucky, but draining both waste tanks and the fresh water tank couldn't have come with better timing.<br /><br />The water lines are full of bleach since there wasn't enough in the fresh water tank to do a complete flush. We are hoping to let the bleach sanitize the lines for a while before running more city water to clear it all out. <br /><br />The man must really have his heart set on a family Winter trip. As we recall, of all the things on the gas line, only the stove works. Pilots on the water heater and the furnace refuse to light. We know a pipe on the water heater is rusted and clogged, but we have not done anything with the furnace to determine its condition. The maintenance weekend ended with Johnny crawling through the improv-cubby hole on the side of the furnace cabinet and unbolting the furnace. He says he plans on cleaning and inspecting it to see what he (and his fix-all ingenuity) can do with it.<br /><br />I am excited to be working with the RV again.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4797670995160207733?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-82874633318331521552010-09-25T13:59:00.003-04:002010-09-25T13:59:50.539-04:00<p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TJ44lOfi7HI/AAAAAAAAAGk/oKx9S-R5Kig/2010-09-25%2011.41.43.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/TJ44lOfi7HI/AAAAAAAAAGk/oKx9S-R5Kig/s400/2010-09-25%2011.41.43.jpg' /></a></p>Glad to see so many fans make it out just for Practice and Qualifying. Opening ceremonies aren't until 2:00pm! <br/> <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8287463331833152155?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-8853218867766000932010-09-25T13:59:00.001-04:002010-09-25T13:59:33.366-04:00Ryan Dungey posts fastest overall in MX1 free practice and Trey Canard takes it in MX2! Great way to open the weekend guys!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-885321886776600093?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-43274949162903292712010-09-25T13:51:00.001-04:002010-09-25T13:51:54.034-04:00I will be live blogging this event from the press tent. We are at the end of Free Practice for MX2. The weather is sunny and mild and the track is beautiful!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4327494916290329271?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-3675759031023851922010-06-13T17:35:00.002-04:002010-06-13T17:38:07.929-04:00Because vacation can't just end when I start my homework! The GPS on the phone says we are four hours and some change from home, but we just got caught in the I-85 rush hour, so it may be much longer than that.<br /><br />Google maps says there is a Pizza Place about 20 miles from here. We are going to hit it and then continue with the last half of the trip.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-367575903102385192?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-39542182343788787712010-06-13T15:00:00.004-04:002010-06-13T17:22:19.466-04:001100 hours rolled around and it was time to hit the road. I finished up dishes, dumped trash, and secured loose articles before we hit the water pump to fill up the tank once again. We severely underestimated our water usage, as we had to fill the water reservoir three times since leaving on Tuesday!<br /><p>Right now, we are cruising up Black Mountain. 6 Hours to go and then we are home.</p><p>(Blog posted from my mobile phone using <span style="font-style: italic;">AndroBlogger</span>. Pictures from the camera will come later.)<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3954218234378878771?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-4330137953469813032010-06-13T14:53:00.003-04:002010-06-13T17:22:39.787-04:00<p>Despite the long ride we took on Friday, we still got up and took a parade lap down the Gap at noon. The rear tire on the R1 was completely flat and the front tire was deeply in need of replacement. We decided it would be best to take my Ninja 250 down the Gap with the group. We all stopped off at the Overlook for a large group picture and then took off to go our separate ways. We huddled down in a corner and got some great shots of Graves and McCoy blitzing through the corner before the Overlook. R1Buttercup, R1HotRod, Johnny, and I went back up the Gap and grabbed a bite to eat at The Deal's Gap Grille (aka The Crossroads of Time). R1HotRod, Johnny, and I took the Gap passed the Overlook and up to the 11 Mile mark where US 129 has been closed since the rock slide back in April. We rode the bike back up the Gap and then took a break to the campsite for showers and sleep before dinner.<br /></p><p>The Yamaha dinner was amazing as usual. Different varieties of pasta salads, barbecue, vegetables, and dessert were served before McCoy thanked our sponsors and gave out prizes. Up for grabs were a couple of helmets, three sets of tires, carbon-fiber engine cases for an R6,<br />autographed 2008 Team Yamaha yearbooks, and a PowerCommander exhaust. Johnny and I won big last year, so we figured we couldn't luck out two years in a row. I was honored with the Ironbutt Award (to the dismay of many wives) for withstanding a 500 mile trip as a passenger on Friday. I got a convention T-shirt afterall!<br /></p><p>We spent the rest of the night in the wilderness watching <i>Motorhome Massacre</i> and eating popcorn in the Home One (as we call the Rogue Leader when we park). What a vacation!</p><p>(Blog posted on mobile phone using AndroBlogger. Pictures will come later.)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-433013795346981303?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-65546001064916899092010-06-13T14:24:00.004-04:002010-06-13T17:39:58.648-04:00<p>Bright and early at 0800 hours, we met up at Hellbender's Gas Station in front of Fontana Village with the group to venture on a ride down to Georgia to pick up streetbike legend Chuck Graves (think Graves Yamaha). We took off in a pack of 20 bikes, 19 of the riders in full knee-draggin' leathers, and only Johnny and I rode two-up.<br /></p><p>We rode through the twisted mountains of southern NC, whose road pavement plans must have been pulled from a preschool writing tablet for practicing the letter "s". I don't think we saw a straight road until we were well into Northern Georgia. We stopped off at a gas station after an hour and a half of riding to give all 21 of us a rest break. The mountains were cool and breezy, but the afternoon sun of the open Georgia four-lane began to wear on all of us. The guys in full leathers were just starting to feel the intense Southeastern summer heat and 20 minutes in the shade was just enough ease the numbness in the throttle hands and then it was time to gear up and continue on.<br /></p><p>The YZFR1 performed solidly as we ripped up I-85 toward Atlanta. The Interstate resonated with the sound of prime street-tuned custom R1s, the dry-clutch rattle of a race replica Ducati, a sweet sweet 1198, and a single Suzuki (courtesy of our friends at SportBikes4Hire). Heavy traffic on I-85 couldn't slow our steady travel for too long and we hit the I-285 bypass toward Augusta within the 45 minutes. Before long, we were on the heels of I-20 toward Conyers, Georgia, where our fine friends at Mountain Motorsports awaited our arrival.<br /></p><p>We rode 190 miles expecting to pick up a second group of riders and head to another Yamaha dealership for lunch, but there ended up being a problem with the ancillary dealership. At Mountain Motorsports, we were introduced to the mechanical ingenuity of Graves Yamaha before we met the man himself, Chuck Graves. We marveled at his fierce track-ready bike for over an hour before we charged on through Blood Mountain on our way back to US 129.<br /></p><p>This time, we traveled through the stop-and-go traffic of Suwanee, Georgia. Construction to widen the roads also held us up and before long, we were a group of famished and exhausted riders. We stopped off at a Wendy's about 18 miles from the top of Blood Mountain for a quick bite to eat and a half-hour of rest.<br /></p><p>Heat and fatigue barreled down on us as we climbed to the curvy peak of Blood Mountain. As scenic as the mountain-scape was, we were unable to absorb all of it because the curvature of the mountain roads required expert skill, proficiency, (and since we were riding two-up) synchronization, teamwork, and 110% of our already-exhausted concentration.<br /></p><p>The group split off as Chuck Graves and Shane McCoy raced a different speed and route down the mountain and back to US129. A close group of nine of us stuck together through the tight spiral down of Blood Mountain. There were several curves where the bike got squirrelly and a chicane which nearly claimed us. A brief sprinkle of rain had cooled us down some, but left the roads slippery and the painted lines wet. We came in hot to a right-turning corner and almost immediately had to bear a sharp left with the curve. The front tire hit the wet line in the road and started to wash out. Immediately, Johnny's motocross instinct kicked in and he slid onto the tank--covering my forward-momentum braced hands-- and stuck a foot out to stabilize the bike. His brilliant dirtbike maneuver saved us with about a quarter-inch of sidewall on the tire left for lean room and we continued on for another twenty minutes for tanking up.<br /></p><p>It was then, at that gas station just before the end of that mountain, that one of the riders in the pack informed us that our slow-leaking rear tire had gone flat. It's highly likely that we took the downside of the mountain with a flat tire and definite that the pressure in that tire was beyond low for performance travel down a mountain! I have to give credit to Johnny-- it takes intense skill and experience to ride down a tight, curvy mountain, let alone with inadequate pressure in a tire AND a passenger.<br /></p><p>218 miles later, we arrived at Fontana Village just in time to see the rest of the party and be assured that everyone in the group made it. We got some victory ice cream after the long ride, then set out for another 27 miles back to the campsite to turn in for the night!<br /></p><p>Altogether, we put 500 miles on the bike that Friday. I won the Ironbutt award for riding passenger the whole way (I knew that butt was good for something!) Man, was it sore the next day!<br /></p><p>(Blog posted from my mobile phone using <span style="font-style: italic;">AndroBlogger</span>. Pictures from the camera will come later.)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6554600106491689909?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-80110000937119309112010-06-13T11:50:00.003-04:002010-06-13T17:23:01.465-04:00<p>There was a problem with the boat, so the group got together up by the cabins. We stayed long enough to be included in the head count--there we're only a quarter as many of us as last year! I guess many of us were either out on deployment or feeling the effects of the economic recession.<br /><br /></p><p>We turned in before 2200 because nothing could prepare us for Friday's early morning....</p><p>(Blog posted from my mobile phone using <span style="font-style: italic;">AndroBlogger</span>. Pictures from the camera will come later.)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8011000093711930911?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-54372905857271828872010-06-10T17:33:00.002-04:002010-06-13T17:23:18.494-04:00<img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/14am0oy.jpg" /><br /><br />We hit The Dragon with our friends, R1Buttercup and R1HotRod. It was a great first ride for our second season here, though it rained again. Tennessee has new signs up through US129 warning, "Ride at your own risk. Limited Emergency Services Available."<br /><br />We are headed back to camp now (approximately 25 miles from Fontana Village) to do dinner and then its back to Fontana for the Boat Party.<br /><br />Let's Ride!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5437290585727182887?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-84577796555822599862010-06-10T17:25:00.002-04:002010-06-13T17:23:34.147-04:00Arrived and set up camp after midnight! What a long drive. No hope for live blogging though, we are far out of cell phone signal range. We are sitting in the Fontana Resort Lodge, enjoying the AC and the Wi-fi.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8457779655582259986?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-35214944509641609312010-06-09T16:20:00.002-04:002010-06-13T17:23:44.535-04:00All posts from here until Monday, June 14, 2010 will we sent from my mobile phone. This app works great!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3521494450964160931?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-42864667950640027502010-06-09T16:16:00.003-04:002010-06-13T17:23:58.884-04:00<p>It's time to find out what our hard work (most of it has been published here, but a few retro-updates should cover the rest) is made of! We have literally spent every single free minute of our lives (and some stolen minutes too!) over the last four months preparing for our Deal's Gap trip for the R1/R6 Convention. We spent all weekend touching up a few things in the Rogue Leader--cleaning and sanitizing the interior, putting the new cushions in, making sure and double-sure that all running lights work, filling up the on-board propane tank, and securing belongings in the camper. Our departure from Chesapeake ran right on schedule at approximately 2234 on Tuesday night. We planned to drive until 0300 hours and stop off at the nearest Walmart, but detours along Interstate 40 put the targeted Hillsborough Walmart about 14 miles off our plotted course. </p>While in the Hillsborough Walmart parking lot, we noticed that our weary hitch engineering work had collapsed to unusable condition. Prior to this trip, Johnny cut off the useless hitch that was originally welded to the frame of the Rogue Leader because only half of it was precipitiously held to the camper's frame and the other half was missing. Since the old hitch was welded to the frame, cutting it off left no place to mount a new hitch to the RV. He decided to put down a single 4 foot 4x4 in the exterior storage compartment to mount the new hitch to and two 6-foot 2x6's on the interior of the RV beneath the foldout bed for reinforcement. We were unsure as to how well the mount would hold because the structural integrity of the exterior storage compartment floor had been compromised by 30 years of improper maintenance. Our wooden beam solution was the most effective and most affordable solution we could achieve with the tools and resources we had. Our 400 mile drive wore on the RV and the mildly rotten floor fell through on us. The floor literally dangled a foot and a half from. RV. The hitch and trailer were held on securely by the reinforcement beams beneath the bed and there was no tension in the safety chain so we were not completely in critical condition. We needed to fix the mount before we proceeded any further because the steep grade of Black Mountain and the Great Smokies was just 200 miles away.Fortunately, the Walmart we stopped in was in a shopping center with a Home Depot. We finally settled in with the intention of waking up at 0800, catching a few hours of shuteye, eating Subway breakfast (also conveniently located in the Hillsborough shopping center. We, honestly, couldn't have planned the stopping location better!), picking up groceries, gathering supplies from Home Depot, executing our hitch fix, and hitting the road before 1100.<p>At approximately 1318, we left the Home Depot parking lot with a $70 securely-rigged hitch, $160 down in groceries, and exhaustion. We anticipate arriving at our Cheoah Point campsite at approximately 2200.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4286466795064002750?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-12707729418055979042010-04-23T08:24:00.002-04:002010-04-23T08:38:07.613-04:00<object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc7d636" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640"><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=36131440&amp;width=420&amp;height=245"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><embed name="msnbc7d636" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" flashvars="launch=36131440&amp;width=420&amp;height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p><br /><br />The video above shows a segment of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Today Show</span> that covers the Hollywood craze about the Airstream motor home. Better known as the Silver Bullet, these easily modified motor homes have become accessories to movie stars like Matthew McConaughey, Steve Carrell, Pamela Anderson, and Matt Modine. While the body style has been around for 80 years, they are used as modern homes away from home, decorations on top of luxury hotels, and even have become trends in music videos. The Silver Bullet has become so popular that Kate Pierson of the B-52s even has a campground full of vintage ones! As a collectors item and a current luxury, Hollywood stars can find comfort and value in these motor homes.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1270772941805597904?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-36708571181409611192010-04-21T12:34:00.007-04:002010-06-13T17:24:33.468-04:00With less than seven weeks to go, Johnny decided he would get to work on the vehicle part of the RV. To get up and go as far as we want it to go, the truck desperately needs a tune-up, some brake work, and for lack of better feeling, new shocks. Its recent position underneath the big tree meant it could probably use a hot bath too. He worked diligently on the truck, replacing the plugs and the wires and went to fire the engine up when he heard a faint squeaking sound. He figured something was loose, but he wrote it off as something he would fixed later. He then proceeded to test the hazards, turn signals, and the horn and discovered that they each alternate working. The more inspecting he did, the louder and more frequent the squeaking got. He decided to check out the wiring under the hood to figure out just what is loose and as he reached through the grill, he passed his hand over what felt like rough and dry pine straw. Thinking that he had cleared all of that out when he first started working on the RV, he started removing the straw. He touched of handful of warm pillow stuffing-like material and, with a disgusted look on is face, decided to take a closer look. He peeked his head inside the grill and the thing inside the grill answered him with a quick *peep*! Staring back at him were five baby birds in a nest!<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/video-2010-04-16-15-30-50.flv" height="361" width="600"></embed><br /><br /><br />He packed up his tools and called it a day. He decided it would be best not to disturb the nest. He wanted to give the mother bird a chance to move the baby birds out of the nest before he removed it to do further work.<br /><br />After our junkyard find on Saturday, we decided to get started on some more RV work. I began laying the new floors down and he started taking apart the steering wheel to pop up the wiring. Our work bled well into the evening and continued again bright and early on Sunday morning. Our dog was going nuts at 8:00AM Sunday morning, so since we were up anyway, we decided it was time to get some parts that we needed from the hardware store. Upon our return, we noticed that the mother bird had moved all her baby birds out of the nest and they were testing their wings out in the side yard. No wonder the dog went crazy in the morning! I peeked my head into the house to check on the dog, who was steadily waiting in attack position (her eyes get all big and her ears stand straight up). She jumped up on the gate and paused as she listened for something to happen. I let out a quick *peep* and the dog jumped around in circles and went nuts again! Laughing my way out because I have such a gullible and easy to tease dog, I walk into the backyard just in time to watch Johnny scoop up a birdie from the side yard.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0058.jpg" alt="Alouette" border="0" /><br /><br />This little birdie must have gained wings of steel because he was not afraid of Johnny. The bird sat comfortably in his hand while his mother sounded off all kinds of chatter in distress nearby. The bird even hopped up on Johnny's shoulder and admired the view from up there!<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9897-2.jpg" alt="The boys became quick friends with the bird" border="0" /><br /><br />Pretty soon, all of the bird's brothers and sisters came over to reprimand their brother bird, but they soon opened up their eyes to see the same coolness I see in Johnny and decided to stick around. They hopped on board too! At one point in time, he had four baby birds hanging out on him.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9980-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Does that not remind you of the crazy bird lady from <span style="font-style: italic;">Home Alone</span>?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I even held one too, and I am petrified of birds that close to me. I kept making a noise because I was afraid and the bird answered me with a nonchalant stare, like he could care less!!<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />The birds spent about 40 minutes hanging out with us. The entire time, the mother was flying around telling the baby birds to get away from us (one of the birds probably got yelled at for being on the motorcycle too!)<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0041.jpg" alt="LOL" border="0" /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3670857118140961119?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-73881809876631913852010-04-19T19:08:00.007-04:002010-04-27T19:47:43.679-04:00The good thing about having a weekend free is that we can spend all Saturday afternoon gathering materials, start on a project before sundown, and finish up before nightfall on Sunday. Productivity rose to an all time high this weekend as we set out to the local (not really local, it's like 20 miles away) junkyard in search of solutions to our RV problems.<br /><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: crosshair; width: 200px; height: 117px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S8zqmq3CMyI/AAAAAAAAADM/XisWyZzZL-8/s200/fyuelcap.php" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461998398154617634" border="0" /><br />The gas caps that we have on both of the RV tanks are the old non-locking gas caps and they are pain to mount on. The man got so fed up with the gas caps that we made a special trip to the junkyard just for threaded screw-in mounts. And if you try to replace the gas caps, you're going to have to replace the filler neck that runs to the tank as well. Lucky for us, we found an older truck to pull them off of and two screw-in caps off an old duel-tank van to top them off.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: crosshair; width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S8z2TSPEaqI/AAAAAAAAADU/aDesix4G4qc/s200/seats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462011259266558626" border="0" />The pot-of-gold was in the old Dodge hi-top that was sitting in the middle of the Big Trucks section. Its big bubble-gum blue doors locked in big comfortable reclining seats suitable for long trips. They look just like Business-class airplane seats--the plush kind with the over-sized headrests. They are so luxurious that I wanted to put them in the living room! One of the seats and its mounting bracket were already pulled, so Johnny spent about ten laborious minutes unbolting the driver's seat. Two seats and brackets for the work of one and at <span style="font-weight: bold;">$20.99</span> a pop, we got a great deal!<br /><br />After a few more menial tasks like pulling the 12V lighter from some of the vans and all the interior light bulbs, and we called the junkyard trip a success.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7388180987663191385?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-30898778563395624272010-04-15T19:37:00.003-04:002010-04-15T20:28:21.780-04:00<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/rogueleader_0001.jpg" alt="Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups in the Oven" border="0" /><br /><br />A few weeks ago, we tested the gas lines to make sure that the stove works. This amounted to big successes and an even larger victory dance for all of us! I wanted to take the test even further and see just how productive that little oven is. I turned on the propane, turned the dial on the stove, lit the pilot light with a match, and fired up the oven! It was not enough for me to see the blue flame. After all, the proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the chocolate chip cookies.<br /><br />I found out that I don't have a cookie sheet small enough to put in the portable oven, so I used a mini-muffin cup pan. It worked just as well and cookie dough eats the same no matter what shape it's in!<br /><br />RV = $900<br />Parts to get the RV running = $300+ dollars.<br />Experiencing the smell of fresh cookies baking throughout the RV = Priceless.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/rogueleader_0015.jpg" alt="Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups" border="0" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3089877856339562427?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-71724352344446410772010-04-09T20:59:00.004-04:002010-04-09T21:20:23.448-04:00<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Deals%20Gap/IMG_5400.jpg" alt="Fontana village resort" border="0" /><br /><br />Classic literature of every age and civilization overflows with stories about the loss of ideals, the coming of age, and the constant cultural withdrawal from traditional values, which eventually leaves society morally bankrupt. Transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau blamed civilization's degradation of morals on its loss of touch with nature. Modern cultural enthusiasts like Neil Postman, author of Amusing Ourselves To Death (1985), pointed fingers at society's love of entertainment as the main constituent behind the collapse of integrity and the intellectual mind. Changing ideals between generations buries, resurrects, then entombs traditional beliefs in an unbreakable cycle. Evidence of our evolving culture can be observed in all aspects of life--even in camping culture! There exists a conflict in ideology between traditionalist campers who enjoy the isolation of the outdoors and modern campers who invite urban conveniences on vacation. A recent study conducted by Doctoral Candidates from the University of Washington and published in the Journal of Leisure Research in 2009 suggests that while campers and managers of campgrounds agree on the vacationing objective of camping, they disagree between themselves about the types of activities that define "camping".<br /><br />Traditional campers define camping as recreation by staying in the comfort of the great outdoors. They do not view the lack of amenities as a limitation, but enjoy the freedom of being able to sleep, eat, and cook wherever they find themselves using only the resources that they can carry on their backs combined with what is available in nature to do so.<br /><br />Modern campers prefer to bring more facets of urban civilization with them to camp including, but not limited to technology, telecommunications, gas stoves/grills, air mattresses, and sometimes ac-powered electronics. They seek a balance between the functionality of civilization and the beauty of nature.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 273px; height: 410px;" src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Deals%20Gap/IMG_5371.jpg" alt="Demonstrating the balance of civilization and nature." border="0" />Researchers from the University of Washington observed and surveyed campers and managers of ten different modern (developed) campgrounds situated in state parks and National Forests and Parks within the borders of Washington. The study defined modern campgrounds as, "large and intensely developed campgrounds with water systems, flush toilets, paved roads, increased supervision, and special facilities for trailers" (Clark, Hendee, Campbell, 2009) The purpose of the study was to determine camper and campground manager motives for choosing a developed campground versus a primitive campground, analyze the activities campers find acceptable in such campgrounds, and identify problems with developed campgrounds.<br /><br />The study found that 67% of survey participants prefer to stay in developed campgrounds with modern conveniences, while only 16% enjoy wilderness and back country. This could suggest a number of things: 1) Campers would rather not do without plumbing, electricity, and modern luxury for the duration of their stay or 2) that even as self-explanatory as "wilderness" sounds, those who stay in modern campgrounds may have a different idea of what wilderness means.<br /><br />Survey respondents were also asked to rank how important several traditional values about camping are. 78% of survey respondents thought that it was very important to gain awareness of unspoiled beauty through camping,66% want to teach their children about the great outdoors, and 62% go camping to get emotional satisfaction from solitude and tranquility. The majority of survey respondents still report consistent beliefs with traditional campers with one minor change--44% state that it is not important to get away from people other than present camping party. This reflects that modern campers are starting to adopt a more social camping culture.<br /><br />Among campground activities, survey respondents rate strict enforcement of campground rules, playgrounds for children, camper discussion and singing, people bringing city conveniences into the campgrounds, other campers staying relatively close to respondent's camping party, and consumption of alcoholic beverages as acceptable during their stay at the campground. A vast majority state that these activities enhance their camping experiences. The only activity that people say would detract from their camping experience is the use of motorbikes on the campground! This data further reinforces that camping is more of a social event and that camping should share similar amenities to basic hotels.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 366px; height: 243px;" src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Deals%20Gap/IMG_5345.jpg" alt="According to the study, this would not be considered acceptable behavior." border="0" />Along with this "civilized camping" comes the problems of civilization in general. The study states that campers and managers perceive that horseplay, excessive noise, littering, campground rule violations, and vandalism plague these developed campgrounds.<br /><br />I am somewhat on the fence of this debate between traditional and modern camping. I enjoy camping for the scenic views of nature, photographic opportunities, peace and quiet, and time away from the responsibilities of my city life, but I also enjoy the comforts of technology, my mobile phone, and a warm enclosure to sleep in (I hate bugs and I always fear that I'll wake up covered in bug bites from an unknown origin like Ren in that episode where he and Stimpy spent the night outdoors.) Television and the Internet are not necessary and take away from absorbing the beauty of nature. But when night falls and you can no longer see anything without artificial light (which the bugs immediately flock to), it does provide the perfect opportunity to watch horror movies in the middle of nowhere and scare the pants off the people you're camping with.<br /><br />What do you think? Where do you lie along the lines of traditionalist and modern camping?<br /><br />Source:<br />Clark, R, Hendee, J, & Campbell, F. (2009). Values, behaviors, and conflict in modern camping culture. <span style="font-style:italic;">Journal of Leisure Research</span>, 41 (3), 377-393.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7172435234444641077?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-52915993963128927062010-04-07T21:19:00.007-04:002010-04-07T22:27:34.287-04:00<img style="margin: 0pt auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; width: 450px; height: 338px;" src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Deals%20Gap/IMG_2638.jpg" alt="Home Sweet Home. Fontana Village Campground 2009" border="0" /><br /><br />It was not until recently that I had the means to do some real camping. In all my years of life, I believe I have only stayed in two real campgrounds, with the Fontana Village Campground (pictured above) being the most recent. Now that the RV is nearly road ready, I am gearing up to seek out campground spots on the East Coast. I am particularly looking for quiet and scenic areas--with or without electric and water amenities--for low prices. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment!! I may even add those locations to my new map at the bottom of my blog!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S70yDsFRNvI/AAAAAAAAADE/jYuxJ37ctl0/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S70yDsFRNvI/AAAAAAAAADE/jYuxJ37ctl0/s400/IMG_5529.JPG" alt="View From the US129 Overlook" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457573362397165298" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5291599396312892706?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-44312813773829351502010-04-07T21:03:00.003-04:002010-04-07T21:19:41.619-04:00America's biggest travel resource, The Travel Channel, released its Editor's pick of six of the country's best RV Parks--none of which are in my area of course. The Editor seems to favor places with the most modern amenities: Power, WiFi, cable TV hookups, pools, and clubhouses. Some of the places are conveniently located near National landmarks and carry pricier camping fees than nearby hotels! Check out what made the list <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/Places_Trips/Travel_Ideas/Road_Trips_And_National_Parks/Road_Trips_Usa/Rv_Crazy_Americas_Best_Rv_Parks">here</a> and then tell me where your favorite campgrounds are and why.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4431281377382935150?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-34612420886660195532010-04-05T15:53:00.009-04:002010-04-05T20:00:24.036-04:00Testing the water system on Saturday gave way to two new problems in our RV. The first being that the pressured water through the system is spewing out of the city water hose hookup. We put the cap on it--even replaced that cap twice--but still, the city water hook-up continues to water the garden.<br /><br />The other problem is that our 35-year-old gray water tank has a large slice of age through it.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV_00171.jpg" alt="Gray Water Laceration" border="0" /><br /><br />While we rejoiced wildly about the water pressure coming through the kitchen and bathroom sinks, we forgot that all drains lead to the gray water tank. Our fun promptly ended when we stepped out into the side yard by the RV and saw that we created a fresh pond in the comfort of our backyard.<br /><br />We hope that fiberglass patching will work since replacing the gray water tank requires that we replace all the plumbing, which could be costly. In the meantime, I will hit the forums and see what other users have done.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3461242088666019553?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-30510911187501565032010-04-03T23:43:00.011-04:002010-04-05T17:53:37.626-04:00Warm weather, sunshine, clear schedules, and an extra hand in labor made up the recipe for a productive RV repair day. We have 10 weeks until the R1 Convention at Deals Gap and we need to make this RV livable, drivable, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing (in that order). Our goal for today was to fix the problems we have been experiencing with the water system: the worn fill hose, the lack of pressure from the water pump, and the leaking toilet.<br /><br />At first, we were reluctant to purchase a replacement plastic hose similar to the worn one that was on the RV when we purchased it. Because of the way that the tank sits in its storage unit and it's odd direction away from the filler neck, we wanted to plumb the fill hose to make replenishing the potable water tank easier. We tried two alternatives, (a) plumbing the tank like you would a house using flexible PVC and (b) using clear vinyl hose for its flexibility. The lack of space between the tank and the wall meant that straight connectors, flex PVC, and connecting elbows just would not fit. The limited space proved a challenge for the rigid vinyl hose and our determination to make it work resulted in a broken filler neck.<br /><br />Two weeks ago, I bought a replacement plastic fill hose from an eBay seller called <a href="http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/randpcarriages/">randpcarriage</a> for $1.50 per foot. This was much cheaper than the clear hose and flex-PVC hoses that we tested to no avail. The hose clamped easily to the tank, fit adequately in the space, and ran up the filler neck with little hassle.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0004.jpg" alt="Tank and Hose" border="0" /><br /><br />Next, we conquered the water pump issues by running thin vinyl hose from the tank to the water pump.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0003-1.jpg" alt="Vinyl hose on the Water Pump" border="0" /><br /><br />Once we replaced the hose, we filled up the water tank by running city water from the hose outside our non-mobile home to the new filler hose we just replaced. There were no leaks in the filler hose, giving us our first victory for the weekend!<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0011.jpg" alt="The Water Tower, I am." border="0" /><br /><br />One single flip of the switch next to the sink activated the water pump and water flowed freely to the water pump and out to the rest of the line! The kitchen and bathroom sinks ran water well and I learned how to activate the shower when I inadvertently pushed up on a lever and a torrential downpour came down on me. The toilet gave us a splendid swirl in a spectacular show of how fierce that water pump works!<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0012.jpg" alt="Kitchen Water" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0013.jpg" alt="Bathroom Sink" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/RV_0016.jpg" alt="Swirly-swirl" border="0" /><br /><br />We have water and this earmarks the beginning of a habitable motor home!<br /><br />A drink for me and a drink for you<br /><br />[ <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=260376353196&amp;viewitem=&amp;sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT">Product page for fill hose</a> ]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3051091118750156503?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-61434267779692785012010-03-28T16:28:00.004-04:002010-03-28T16:40:27.519-04:00The dollar store is a wonderful place where you can pick up plenty of useful items for a dollar. I picked up about $10 worth of Sunbeam Magnetic Automatic LED lights for use in closet doors and drawers. The setup has two parts: a single LED covered by a diffuser and a magnetic strip. The light comes on when the magnetic strip is pulled away from the LED light and turned off when the magnetic strip is flush with it. The strip and the light have sticky double-sided tape for mounting. I thought it would be an excellent idea to mount these in every drawer and cabinet in the RV so that we're not wasting the energy of our house battery. <br /><br />The way the doors are in the RV do not allow for the magnetic strips to mount flush enough to the lights when the cabinet doors and draws are closed. We wither need to stack the magnetic strip with double-sided tape or modify all of the magnetic strips to include stronger magnets.<br /><br />This project will have to wait until we know the main functions of the RV work.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6143426777969278501?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-86011166813681449322010-03-21T16:26:00.002-04:002010-03-28T16:28:11.177-04:00A very very heartful and big thank you to Johnathan for all of his efforts to clean the RV. Thank you for scraping the clear coat off the counter, sweeping the mess out of the floor, and making a cleaning supplies cabinet. The interior of the RV is much cleaner because of you. <br /><br />Can't wait for our first trip.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8601116681368144932?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-52239824439007177012010-03-20T16:23:00.002-04:002010-04-04T01:59:49.929-04:00March 20 <br /><br />The wave of beautiful weekend weather which we have been waiting for has come and 'tis the season to work on the RV. The temperature hit the 70's today and we were eager to play with water! We got down to the serious business of investigating the leak in the water system. There are several interrelated problems at different ends of the water network and all of these issues prevent the water system from working fluidly: The first is that hose between the filler neck (the exterior portion where you insert a water hose to fill the potable water tank) and the tank is old, flimsy, and has several leaks. It needs to be replaced. The second is that the toilet is leaking due to either the crack in the side of the toilet commode, a gasket/o-ring that needs to be replaced, or a combination of both. A third problem that may be caused by lack of pressure because of the first two problems is that the water pump cannot deliver water to the kitchen sink. <br /><br />To approach a solution to this problem, we decided to start from the outside in--beginning with the filler neck and fill hose. Last week, I gave details about pulling up the tank. We sanitized the tank with a cup of bleach and rinsed the tank out until the scent of bleach became undetectable. Here is a picture of the water tank as we were sanitizing it:<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0445.jpg" border="0" alt="RV,RV Repair"><br /><br />The water tank lives underneath the dinette bench seat closest to the cockpit. <br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9975.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br /><br />Herein lies the water tank in the RV. <br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0448.jpg" border="0" alt="RV,RV Repair"><br /><br /><br />The tank has two outputs on the side of it: one to hook up a hose that runs to the water pump, where the water pump creates pressure to push water out to the shower, bathtub, and kitchen sink. The other output on the side of the tank is a drain spigot that leads to a hole in the floor to drain the tank.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0447.jpg" border="0" alt"RV,RV Repair"><br /><br />The drain spigot was missing so the one that you see in the picture above is its replacement. Here is a closer look:<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0446.jpg" border="0" alt="RV,RV Repair"><br /><br />After replacing the spigot, we fit the tank into its spot underneath the dinette bench seat.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0457.jpg" border="0" alt="RV,RV Repair"><br /><br />As you can see from the picture, there is no fill hose running from the tank to the filler neck. The boyfriend believes that we can use elbows, collars, and bushings to plumb straight access to the filler hose. I disagree, and I believe we just need to replace the damaged flexible hose that is there. We tried two types of hoses --flexible pvc and clear vinyl hose to little avail.<br /><br />1.5 feet of flexible PVC cost around $6.00. 1 foot of clear vinyl tubing cost about $3.50. I was able to purchase a foot of plastic water tank fill hose for $1.50 from the Internet. <br /><br />As for the toilet issues, the boyfriend removed the driver's seat to get to the water hookup that connects to the toilet. A broken threaded connector was responsible for the leaky toilet that flooded us out. He replaced this connector, but we could not evaluate the effectiveness of this solution without fixing the rest of the holes in the system. <br /><br />When the weather is warm enough to play with water again, we will attempt to fix the system.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-5223982443900717701?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-9091609758472546792010-03-12T15:26:00.010-05:002010-03-22T17:52:11.885-04:00The boyfriend got a good deal on a Deep Cycle RV battery to run the house lights/electric/water pump when we're on the road or boondocked without generator power or electric hookup. He put that in today, but it still does not power anything. We speculate that the power converter is not hooked up to the battery. In that case, all we have to do is wire the power converter to the battery, and FAIT LUX (Latin: Let there be light!).<br /><br />He also inspected the potable water holding tank. The good news is that there are no cracks in the potable water tank. He also says it is relatively clean inside. One capful of bleach and a half-hour of rinsing later and we have a clean potable water tank.<br /><br />Looks like the water leak from a few weeks ago lives in the fill hose. Apparently, that can easily be replaced inexpensively with a flexible PVC hose, which we have been trying feverishly to rig, but to no avail. This seems to be the first wrench in the turbine of RV work. Hopefully, we will have it sorted out soon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-909160975847254679?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-89275439371152472342010-02-25T15:44:00.007-05:002010-02-25T17:19:31.223-05:00Every time I do some kind of work in the RV--whether, it's cleaning, painting, remodeling, or replacing doorhandles-- I get extremely motivated to do related work inside our static home. I mean I'm already wet, might as well go swimming . Putting new cushions in the RV reminded me that the bedroom in the house is in desperate need of remodeling.<br /><br />As much as I love furniture shopping, I completely despise the hassle of driving from store-to-store and dealing with pushy sales clerks. My rule is that I will stop and look at furniture at a maximum of three furniture stores--discount only--and drive a total of 90- miles per trip in one 24-hour period. Lucky for us, it only took stops at two different stores about 12 miles apart to find this lovely bedroom set:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S4bkbgkRYlI/AAAAAAAAACs/tcTDXbOVTM8/s1600-h/bedroom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S4bkbgkRYlI/AAAAAAAAACs/tcTDXbOVTM8/s400/bedroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442288360973492818" border="0" /></a><br />Picture courtesy of <a href=http://www.hamiltonspill.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_hs.tpl&product_id=237&category_id=12&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=18">HamiltonSpill</a><br /><br />We did get quite the deal -- headboard, footboard, rails, dresser, and mirror for less than $700! Unfortunately, there was a little bit of a problem with our furniture. The entire mix up can be summarized in the following complaint letter that I wrote to the Furniture Store:<br /><br />Dear Customer Service for XXXXxXXX (Furniture Store),<br /><br />I am writing in reference to a problem with my order. My family and I rented a truck and trailer so that we can pick up a black Hamilton Spill bedroom set that we purchased on February 13, 2010. We arrived at the #203 Store on Friday, February 19, 2010 and picked up the bedroom set. We hauled it to our home, dropped it off, and returned our rental truck. When we returned home to begin assembling the furniture, we found that the headboard, footboard, and the mirror were in brown (the boxes tell us that the furniture color is black), while the dresser and rails were in the appropriate color, black. The colors of my furniture are mismatched and I would like to do an even exchange for furniture in the proper color (black) that I ordered.<br /><br />I placed several phone calls to the #203 store on Saturday, to which their business office took down messages for stating that their Operations Manager would get back to me in 2-3 hours. I waited six hours before I finally drove back to the store to complain. The Operations Manager, Carmen, said that she and the inventory department received my messages, but that they have not yet done anything to investigate it. Carmen asked that we give her two to three more days to get back in touch with me to let me know the status of their solution. This is unacceptable business service. I am experiencing a problem where the fault is with the inventory/business office of the #203 Store. This is a major inconvenience to me and my family because we have already taken apart and cleared our old bedroom furniture to make room for the new furniture purchased for your store. For a business that relies on building a loyal customer base, word-of-mouth advertising, and testimonials of actual customers that have received proper business, this major inconvenience should not be taken lightly. <br /><br />Today is Wednesday, February 24, 2010. It has been four days--three of them business days--and nobody from the Store has tried to reach me at all. I called the store and they did no answer. I called the Customer Service line listed on my receipt (866-XXX-XXXX) and they told me that they do not service this particular store.<br /><br />I would like this problem rectified immediately. Please deliver my Black Hamilton Spill headboard, footboard, and mirror to my home (my address is listed on file) in exchange for the brown ones that have been sitting in my home for the past five days. We will initiate and even exchange in which there will be no charge to me for the delivery.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Laurynomaly<br /><br />This morning, I woke up (at 8:00AM) to a telephone call from the above furniture store. He apologized profusely stating that executive action has been taken upon responsible individuals and that they will be delivering my bedroom furniture free of charge. At 11:30AM, the delivery company arrived at my door and the boyfriend and I set up the bed by 12:30. Once we get everything else together, there will be plenty of pictures.<br /><br />This weekend's project: assembling the dresser and mounting the mirror.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8927543937115247234?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-77606943550404176172010-02-23T20:25:00.004-05:002010-02-25T15:18:30.025-05:00I found a good deal on these automatic soap dispensers at Harbor Freight. If they are suction cup mounted, I can get a set of three to mount in the shower of the RV. I want to place one by the sink for antibacterial hand soap and two on the wall of the shower for shampoo and body wash.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S4SAQTfwXiI/AAAAAAAAACk/-mE46jz89M4/s1600-h/soap.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S4SAQTfwXiI/AAAAAAAAACk/-mE46jz89M4/s400/soap.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441615267370130978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They run on AA's so the motion-sensor probably won't activate every time we open that door. Besides all of the amenities, they're only $4.97 a pop.<br /><br />That's what I love about Harbor Freight. They have so many functional items that I can find a convenient use at a small price.<br /><br />I still want the disc brake clock for the kitchen.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7760694355040417617?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-187498827376459352010-02-21T10:02:00.002-05:002010-02-25T15:19:00.415-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Water System:</span><br />Pull toilet<br />Pull water tank out to check for leaks/cracks<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LP Gas System:</span><br />Fill propane tanks<br />Hook up to gas line<br />Light stove to burn off stovetop<br />Test water heater<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><b>Car Stuff:</b><br />Oil change<br />Tune-up<br />Windshield Wipers<br />Trailer Hitch<br />Fuses<br />Air filter<br />3/8 rubber hose<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-18749882737645935?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-27050978799801162252010-02-15T18:11:00.003-05:002010-02-15T18:14:25.377-05:00Remember the huge nasty grease stain above the cooktop? If not, it looked like this:<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/kitchen_trimmed.jpg" alt="RV" border="0" /><br /><br />I shot the wallpapered wall with AWESOME cleaner and let it sit for a total of two minutes before wiping it off and this is the shiny, squeaky clean result:<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="RV,Cooktop" border="0" /><br /><br />There's no way I would have known that that little vent behind the fan box used to be white.<br /><br />Dollar Store AWESOME cleaner works!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2705097879980116225?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-87824210051408698882010-02-15T18:05:00.003-05:002010-02-15T18:19:29.371-05:00The boyfriend got tool happy and made plenty of minor adjustments to the hardware of the RV. Some of the locks and cabinet handles were misaligned and did not close so he remounted the handles and moved them accordingly. Now, all the cabinets with functioning handles close and lock properly!<br /><br />Johnathan was particularly bothered by the fact that the RV bathroom door does not shut without turning the handle, so the boyfriend fixed that too.<br /><br />A few of the receptacle plugs on the wall were broken and/or disjointed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="RV,electric" border="0" /><br /></div><br />We picked up new receptacles for less than $2.00 at the Walmart and the end result looked like this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="RV,electric" border="0" /><br /></div><br />Happy plugging!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-8782421005140869888?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-74659160023598763142010-02-15T17:29:00.004-05:002010-02-15T18:11:11.924-05:00I began giving the interior a bath starting with my favorite spot in the motorhome--the stovetop and range. I bought new wire brush set from <a href="http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/html/g1.html">Harbor Freight</a> with the intention of scrubbing the thirty years worth of grime and rust from the top of the stovetop, fan, grating, and vent.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9789.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />Scrubbing an hour with baking soda by my side amounted to very little progress with that rusty old cooktop!!<br /><br />Valentine's Day morning, we took a trip to the hardware store (we're so romantic!) and picked up a few items for the project that we have going on. Power tools make everything go faster, so I hooked up a wire brush to the drill and scrubbed away at the cooktop some more. It took off layers of caked on grime and rust, but didn't get all of it. Not having this cooktop to my satisfaction means no fun camping trips, so I decided on a different route--painting the cooktop.<br /><br />I had several concerns about painting the cooktop: the first being about flammability of the paint and whether the paint could endure surfaces exposed to heat. The second was about the off-gasing of toxins throughout the motor home and being cooked into the food. Fortunately, Rust-Oleum had a high-heat paint solution for painting BBQ grills, stove pipes, and--you guessed it--stovetops.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="RV,Cooktop" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />3 Coats later and the stovetop went from this:<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="RV,Cooktop" border="0" /><br /><br />To this:<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="RV,Cooktop" border="0" /><br /><br />Once we get the LP Gas running through the camper, we'll light the stove to let the top coat burn off for a while and then the surface should be fine to cook on!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7465916002359876314?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-60466191447671947182010-02-13T17:29:00.003-05:002010-02-25T15:28:23.590-05:00The weather finally hit the 40s and melted the snow away, so we were able to hook the RV up to the house and run a space heater out to work on the RV over the weekend.<br /><br />Johnny hooked up a water hose to the exterior fill spicket to fill up the potable water tank. Much of the water from the water line ended up in the tank, but a large portion of puddled up on the motorhome floor, signifying a leak somewhere between the fill hose and the tank. Because it may be a problem the tank itself, we will have to wait for a warm day to get under the RV, unbolt the tank and inspect for cracks/leaks. We have identified that we need to replace the worn fill hose that runs from the external spicket to the holding tank.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6046619144767194718?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-18572796436193103702010-02-09T16:38:00.003-05:002010-02-15T18:10:39.565-05:00Since the weather has kept me from doing actual mechanical work to the vehicle, I decided that the only thing I can really do lately is to clean house. <br /><br />I dropped by the Dollar Store to pick up some cleaning products.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9963.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />They were running a 2 for $1 special on grip shelf liner so I doubled up on liner for the cabinets.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9985.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />Right now, the forecast calls for this rain-sleet mix to ice over into snow. By the weekend, the weatherman says that it should be in the 40s and sunny this weekend. Hopefully he is right and I can get some work done..<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-1857279643619310370?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-30959125722962240902010-02-09T15:52:00.009-05:002010-02-09T16:37:33.209-05:00City ordinances say that the RV has to be parked behind the front of the house. In fact, the City Inspector left us a kind note that informs us of following.:<br /><br />"No major recreational equipment shall be parked or stored on any lot in a residential district except in a carport or enclosed building or behind the nearest portion of a building to a street; provided, however, that such equipment may be parked anywhere on residential premises for not longer than twelve (12) hours during loading and unloading. "<br /><br />Needless to say, we had to move the RV around to the backyard. When the snow melted, it left our low-lying yard and driveway a runny, muddy mess. Our attempt to follow a city ordinance quickly turned into a mudslinging off-road adventure. The boyfriend threw the RV in reverse, revved the engine, pulled into the muddy banks of our wayward yard and dug a 20-foot trench right along the side of the house parallel to our grouchy neighbor's fence! The RV made it to the side yard which is "technically behind the nearest portion of the building to a street" so we are as much in compliance with the law as we can be at the moment.<br /><br />This also put the RV right in the middle of my canine's running area. I did not make this keen observation until Khalista bolted out the back door! I honestly thought she had to pee like there was no tomorrow, but she headed straight for the 35 years of smells coming from the RV. <br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9995.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />Look who's suddenly taken an interest in the RV.<br /><br />She canted her curious head and threw up her curious ears and cast her curious eyes inside the doorway to see what it was I was working on.... Behold, she found a whole house that she could run around in and a couch that she won't get in trouble for sitting on!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-3095912572296224090?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-49402380768168960942010-02-08T15:12:00.002-05:002010-02-09T16:38:54.432-05:00The last two weekends of inclement weather resulting in 8 inches of snow (aka Hampton Roads' Own Snowtorious B-I-G) have made it difficult to spend any time evaluating and modifying the Rogue Leader. One co-worker joked that I should plug the RV into the house and then a space heater to the inside to continue operations with my project throughout all weather conditions. Jobs that require standing outside the RV (like testing the water and gas systems and motor work) do not quite favor that idea.<br /><br />I am waiting for warmer weather to work on the RV. In the meantime, I wanted to show some more pictures of the inside. <br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9975.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />Dinette, bathroom door (with the only full-length mirror in the motorhome) and the cockpit.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9977.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />The couch and fold out bed. New cushions coming soon!<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9970.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />Electric refrigerator and closet space.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9969.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />Tight shower quarters<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9968.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><br />Good thing my side of the family is short. We can sit comfortably on this pot. The men are going to have to stop at Wal-mart for #2.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-4940238076816896094?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-69173244531240419572010-02-06T14:48:00.000-05:002010-02-09T16:19:00.837-05:00In my quest to learn everything anyone could generically print about RV systems, I scoured the campus library for titles that could give me useful information. It turns out the Old Dominion University neglects to cater to the beginner's RV crowd and does not keep RV reference books in stock. Fortunately, they utilize the InterLibrary Loan program where you can rent books from libraries all over the world and have them shipped to a pickup library location of your choice. Other libraries in Virginia had the following titles available:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S3G8RKXp9uI/AAAAAAAAACc/Pr8poqFIUic/s1600-h/RV+books+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S3G8RKXp9uI/AAAAAAAAACc/Pr8poqFIUic/s400/RV+books+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436333228240271074" /></a><br /><br />Both books came from libraries in Prince William County, more than 230 miles away!<br /><br />RV Vacations for Dummies will give me an idea of living and emergency supplies to carry along with me. There are sections in this book that tell me what seems useful on the road for every "room" in our RV. It also looks like it is a campground locator published back in 2008.<br /><br />Woodall's RV Handbook seems like it is just the comprehensive manual for every system in our RV from the engine that makes me move and the deep cycle batteries that power the house to detailed schematics of the water heater. There are tons of pictures and diagrams that will help me assess what kind of condition a road-worthy RV should be in.<br /><br />My plan is to peruse through both books within the week for extremely useful information. Hopefully, this weekend will be nice and I can scrub the inside of the Rogue Leader. <br /><br />If all goes well, I can test the water and propane systems this weekend.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6917324453124041957?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-71909064891199317392010-02-02T21:12:00.001-05:002010-04-01T18:03:53.784-04:00There's a lot about RV's that I do not know the first thing about. I'll admit. there will be a little bit [by that, I mean a lot a bit] of a learning curve needed before we do any big trips. I will need to understand more about the big important things like water, electricity, and gas before I can understand what what is in good condition and what needs to be replaced. Fortunately, I live in the Information Age where there are plenty of resources to consult, people to talk to, forums to discuss issues, and the Internet to give me ideas. Of course, being as old school and budget-oriented as I am, I am going to go the analog route first:<br /><br />The previous owners were smart enough to keep all the original RV owner's manuals for my rig, as well as the manuals for the appliances, shower/toilet, water tank, and LP gas. <br /><br />Here's a listing of books I just bought from <a href="http://rvbookstore.com">rvbookstore.com</a><br /><br />ABC of RVing<br />The RV Handbook<br />The Three Primary Systems of an RV: LP Gas, Water, and Electricity<br /><br />They should arrive within the next two weeks. Meanwhile, between the ODU Library, the Public Library, and Netflix, they have all of RV Mechanic Mark Polk's RV Education 101 DVDs. <br /><br />There could be some good information on the Internet about it. Someday, I hope that this blog becomes one.<br /><br />In a couple weeks, I will see about talking to some of my RVer friends about showing us what things do in our RV. I hope to learn a few tips and tricks.<br /><br />I want to thank the guys and gals on the RV.net forum for welcoming me into their community so open-mindedly. And for the lady that pointed out that I should give the <span style="font-style:italic;">Women's Guide to Solo RVing</span> a onceover, just in case I want to take a ride on my own.<br /><br />The seats in my MH don't slide forward, so I'm sure my little feet will be dangling. I'll have to wear my boots for that.<br /><br />[ The <a href="http://www.rvbookstore.com">RVBookStore</a> specializes in everything you need to know about RVs from proper care and maintenance to on the road entrepreneurship. The Internet store boasts the world's largest collection of information about RVs and the RV lifestyle. ]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-7190906489119931739?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-60715703546568796862010-01-25T16:39:00.007-05:002010-01-26T01:16:43.809-05:00We've been in the market for a fixer-upper RV-- something that he can spend time fixing mechanically as a vehicle and I can invest in remodeling the interior at an affordable cost. We are not a regular outdoors-y couple , and we admit that we both have something to learn about RVs, but we both have one goal in mind: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Make the Deals Gap trip as comfortable as possible</span>. So when an extremely cost-effective listing popped up in a town about two hours away, we couldn't help but take the trip up to check it out. After a laborious trip across the water, through the capital, a short run-in with the police for expired tags and inspection, several non-descript fields, and a few miles just past the middle of nowhere, we had our first camper experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13XY3iKHfI/AAAAAAAAAAw/CgwxoG21i0g/s1600-h/IMG_9893.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13XY3iKHfI/AAAAAAAAAAw/CgwxoG21i0g/s320/IMG_9893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430733547902737906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This 1975 Ford Custom Cruiser (with Midas RV conversion package) was waiting for us in the yard of a tiny house in the middle of the country. She definitely looks bigger than the impression I received from her listing picture! The couple that sold it to us previously used the camper as a place to live, picked up trip permits to move from place to place, and were looking to sell it to someone who would get some good travel use out of it. We thought that it could accommodate our comfort needs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13bXBjN0xI/AAAAAAAAAA4/pimkkQGt7xw/s1600-h/IMG_9839.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13bXBjN0xI/AAAAAAAAAA4/pimkkQGt7xw/s400/IMG_9839.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430737914278302482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is a view from the front of the RV (hereby known as the cockpit). As you can see, she is pretty spacious. The AC unit in the window is a home unit that is fairly new, quickly the camper into a walk-in freezer, and runs quiet enough to sleep with it running. To the left is a 4 ft. mini-fridge--probably the newest thing in the camper. The cabinet beside it is a spacious closet bigger than the athletic lockers at my high school. Seriously, it's big enough to put the kids in when they need a time out.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9830.jpg" alt="This is where the chesseburgers go." border="0" /> Where the cheeseburgers go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13drkvBMgI/AAAAAAAAABA/zPAfHTtLA30/s1600-h/IMG_9826.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13drkvBMgI/AAAAAAAAABA/zPAfHTtLA30/s400/IMG_9826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430740466343686658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The camper has more counter space than the duplex we live in, a travel sink, and a gas range and oven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13eoC0LpLI/AAAAAAAAABI/jk3wEn7Ij1w/s1600-h/IMG_9788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13eoC0LpLI/AAAAAAAAABI/jk3wEn7Ij1w/s400/IMG_9788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430741505210557618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13fF0H5jGI/AAAAAAAAABQ/dFNg7mfDobs/s1600-h/IMG_9789.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13fF0H5jGI/AAAAAAAAABQ/dFNg7mfDobs/s400/IMG_9789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430742016662801506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There's also a small convenience bathroom about the size of a linen closet with a compact shower, sink, and toilet.<br /><br />It also has an acute dining table with bench seating--enough room to seat our family of four and let the three-year-old sleep in at bedtime. In the benches is where the potable water tank is stored for the shower, sink, and toilet.<br /><br />Above the cockpit, there is room for overhead storage, probably where we will throw a mattress on top of to let the oldest sleep in like a top bunk.<br /><br />The RV had been sitting since April of 2009 (there was a DMV Trip Permit receipt in cup holder to verify) when they moved into the house they are in now. Surprisingly enough, the camper was<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"> in drivable condition</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13iyvumLfI/AAAAAAAAABY/HoWNd5EKnoo/s1600-h/IMG_9895.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QHbvsSdvtEI/S13iyvumLfI/AAAAAAAAABY/HoWNd5EKnoo/s400/IMG_9895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430746087111929330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The exterior of the RV is painted white, with an orange stripe down both sides and showing signs of age and travel wear. She has a vent in her top where we can put a useful all-purpose navigation and fix-it unit resembling a trash-talking domed garbage can that speaks in whistled obscenities. In non-nerd plain English, she looks like an X-Wing, so we call this vehicle <span style="font-style: italic;">Rogue Leader</span>.<br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9900.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />My driveway just doesn't quite have as much room as it used to anymore...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This blog serves to document all the work that we do to our esteemed camper, promising pictures, and step-by-step directions for anyone interested in partaking on a similar investment.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9890.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />Special thanks to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Johnathan</span> for the photography in this post!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-6071570354656879686?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3181538243061613147.post-22133493516627447642010-01-16T16:32:00.000-05:002010-02-09T15:04:08.922-05:00<img src="http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr219/lilli_laurelai/Blog/RV/IMG_9851.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><br /><br />Thanks for checking out the <span style="font-style: italic;">Rogue Leader Camper Project</span>. This blog is intended to document our rebuild and remodel of our 1975 Ford Custom Cruiser RV Conversion package. We hope to construct a road-worthy vehicle that will withstand our wild vacation adventures up and down the coast-line and through the mountains.<br /><br />Right now, the vehicle is in good drivable condition, but is better sustained as a driveway clubhouse for the kids.<br /><br />I plan on updating this site weekly , so please continue to follow me!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3181538243061613147-2213349351662744764?l=rogue-leader-project.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Laurynomalyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15042168281327675028noreply@blogger.com0