Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust
- Date: 06-18-2014
- Current City: Milton, FL
- Current Location: Clear Creek RV Park
- Site Number: 2
- Wi-fi Signal: Verizon – Low / AT&T – Medium / Campground Wi-fi – None
- Mission: Work week before the kids come for summer
- Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
- Captain: Eric Highland
- Navigator: Brittany Highland
- 1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator
- Guests: None
- Weather: Scattered Clouds / 94°
- Precipitation: 50%
- Humidity: 34%
- Wind: 0 mph
- Fuel: 75 Gallons of Diesel – 3/4 of a tank
- Odometer: 102,485
- Generator Hours: 4612.1
- Estimated Date of Departure: Sunday, June 22nd
- Next Destination: Florida Caverns State Park
Special Orders: None.
Captain’s Remarks
13:50 – I had mentioned earlier how full-time RV life and working from the rig reduces the amount of exercise you get. As a full-time RVer who works from the rig, you’d be surprised how much less exercise you get unless you make a point to do so. For those who full-time without working, the story is probably vastly different because they are going out and about more often.
All those little steps you take around the grocery store and running various errands add up. Heck, all the steps you take around your stick and brick home add up. In a 40′ rig, there isn’t much walking to be done.
For us there are days when we don’t leave Meriwether at all. Needless to say, I had gained some weight since we started this adventure. For my birthday I’d asked for a “FitBit” which is basically a tracker so that I can see real time how I’m doing with exercise. This little device has really opened my eyes. Unchecked, the sedentary lifestyle will have you packing on pounds unless you’re careful.
So, armed with this knowledge, I’ve been inspired to start walking which I’ve been doing regularly. Combined with eating healthier and tracking calories consumed vs expended, it has finally started to take effect. I’m down 7lbs right now since I started paying attention to this little gizmo.
13:56 – We pick up the kids for summer vacation this Friday. For those just catching up, I have four children (Darius 17, Arianna 15, Javen 13, and Silas 10) who live with their mom in Kentucky.
The kids in Chattanooga in front of the Incline Railway (Back row L-R: Arianna and Darius. Front row: L-R: Silas and Javen
They’ve been out with us before when we were in Chattanooga. We had a great time with them, but this is the longest stretch we’ll have with them this year. It is also Darius’ last summer as he’ll be graduating in May 2015. We’re really excited to have them. It should be a lot of fun.
There is something to be said about injecting four kids (three teens and a 10 year old) into 40′ feet of space. It can be a ton of joy, but also a bit stressful for everyone involved. Any semblance of privacy is right out the window, and teens in close quarters can get pretty rambunctious. We’ll see how things go. I’m really hopeful that they’ll have the time of their lives and that they’ll treasure the memories we make forever.
Remarks – I saw something recently that said:
This really resonated with me. I’ve been fortunate in life to know a ton of amazing people and to be acquainted with even more. But those I consider true friends are but a few handfuls. Not sure why this has been on my mind, but heck it’s my Captain’s Log.. so I felt like I should share it.~ E
Navigator’s Addendum
14:56 – Yesterday after work, we went to a local sports bar in Milton called Triple Play to eat dinner and watch the Russia vs. Korea World Cup game. The food was average, though the curly fries and fried pickles were a lot of fun (so much fried food!). Food aside, Triple Play is a family owned business with a welcoming interior: quite clean, pool tables, juke box. It was nice to get out after a crazy long work day.
Feels like crunch time. Time for me to make my list of all the things that need to be accomplished before my Four Loves are with us.
From the first time they were with us in Meriwether, it was important to me to give them each a bit of space they could call their own. During Spring Break, Darius got a cabinet above the door, and the three younger kids each got a small drawer by the bathroom.
Since they’ll be with us much longer this time, I’m trying to carve out larger tracts of space for them…more importantly, spaces where their bags can live during the day. It’s amazing how imposing one large suitcase feels when your living room is only 75 square feet! This time, the kids have been instructed to bring four smaller bags, instead of one big one. We have extra cabinet space in our room for the bags, and Arianna will get one of the larger drawers in our bedroom for some of her clothing. It doesn’t feel like home if you’re living out of a bag!
Yesterday I climbed the huge and blossoming magnolia tree by our RV site. I know Javen will love it (he’s our tree climber). Alas, I was too ambitious with my jump down. The arch of my left foot landed on a root and I have a big bruise now! Just a little lesson to look before you leap. -B
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