I told you in the last post about tethering the phone and how our internet access was solved. Ha, yesterday morning at 6am, I get a text on my phone. I jump up to check it as I am hoping for a text to be able to change my first trip in January, but instead it's a message from AT&T that I have already used 65% of my data plan and to watch out because they charge $10/1G overage. It seems weird as we have only used the computers a few hours since I signed up. Reading various other posts on several forums, it appears most people are content with only a few Gig per month? We signed up for 4Gig and thought it would accommodate us, so now we are reconsidering going to Millenicom for an unlimited, non contract plan, more money, but it might be the way to go. Do any of you have any idea how much bandwidth you are using? We don't stream movies, only a very occasional Utube video, so don't know how we are burning through so much bandwidth. Comments would be appreciated.
We left Longview yesterday and stopped last night in Vidalia, LA at the River View campground RIGHT on the Mississippi. Very nice, we are literally 100-200 feet from the river.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Internet access--solved, at least for awhile.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great day with Kelly and Todd, Todd's parents, and of course the grandkids.
The campground we are in here in Longview provides free internet access via Tengo internet. Tengo used to be acceptable long ago, but as they have grown, they have gotten worse and worse. Although this campground, Fernbrook, provides free access, in most places Tengo charges exorbitant fees for abysmal service. Well we arrived Friday, and Tengo hasn't worked at all the entire time! They say they will have to wait until Tuesday to address the problem. We were quite frustrated to say the least. Todd mentioned that he and Kelly were using their iPhones as hot spots and how well it worked. We also remembered Karen was using her's as a hotspot as well. I had a talk with AT&T, and although we would lose our grandfathered unlimited data plan, we signed up one of our phones to tether, and poof, instant, fast internet service! For both computers simultaneously! And the best part only $15 more per month. We'll have to address weak service areas later, but for now we are VERY pleased!
The campground we are in here in Longview provides free internet access via Tengo internet. Tengo used to be acceptable long ago, but as they have grown, they have gotten worse and worse. Although this campground, Fernbrook, provides free access, in most places Tengo charges exorbitant fees for abysmal service. Well we arrived Friday, and Tengo hasn't worked at all the entire time! They say they will have to wait until Tuesday to address the problem. We were quite frustrated to say the least. Todd mentioned that he and Kelly were using their iPhones as hot spots and how well it worked. We also remembered Karen was using her's as a hotspot as well. I had a talk with AT&T, and although we would lose our grandfathered unlimited data plan, we signed up one of our phones to tether, and poof, instant, fast internet service! For both computers simultaneously! And the best part only $15 more per month. We'll have to address weak service areas later, but for now we are VERY pleased!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas Everyone!
In a little while we'll head over to our daughter's to watch our grandkids open presents, and have a big Christmas breakfast!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A Few Ramblings
I just got back from a 4 day trip. For those of you not in the know, doesn't seem so long, right? Well, what most of us say is, "A 4 day trip is a week longer than a 3 day trip". It seems to go on and on. Flew with a guy who was only 20 FEET from the Reno air race crash!! He is lucky to be alive, and he knows it. He saw things that people shouldn't have to see that happened to folks all around him. I'm glad I've never experienced anything like it. It must be a lot like war time situations and events. I won't go into it here, but it suffices to say it was grim, tempered by the fact he was so, so lucky to be alive!
While on my trip, I saw a good friend who was responsible for getting me into the training department as an instructor for whom I have the greatest respect. Merry Christmas Jerry!
The friend we made here in the campground that I had mentioned before, Dave, the one who decided he didn't like retirement so got a new job here in the Atlanta area. The same one who has gotten me reinterested in Ham radio. Well, he and I were talking just before I left on my trip about how much he misses his family and his grandson up in CT, while he's here doing a job he's not all that excited about, dealing with the incredible traffic, with all his toys up north in his paid for nice home, etc. Well, Jan said he came over the day I left and told her he had done a lot of thinking, especially after talking to me (whoops), and he had quit his job and was heading back home the next morning, felt like he had lifted a burden off his shoulders. Go Dave!! Life's too short to waste it on the non important things.
We leave tomorrow to head down to Kelly and Todd's for Christmas. I have to admit I've always been quite a bah humbug guy about Christmas, and I guess I still am, but grandkids do put another spin on it!
If I don't get back on here before the big day, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
While on my trip, I saw a good friend who was responsible for getting me into the training department as an instructor for whom I have the greatest respect. Merry Christmas Jerry!
The friend we made here in the campground that I had mentioned before, Dave, the one who decided he didn't like retirement so got a new job here in the Atlanta area. The same one who has gotten me reinterested in Ham radio. Well, he and I were talking just before I left on my trip about how much he misses his family and his grandson up in CT, while he's here doing a job he's not all that excited about, dealing with the incredible traffic, with all his toys up north in his paid for nice home, etc. Well, Jan said he came over the day I left and told her he had done a lot of thinking, especially after talking to me (whoops), and he had quit his job and was heading back home the next morning, felt like he had lifted a burden off his shoulders. Go Dave!! Life's too short to waste it on the non important things.
We leave tomorrow to head down to Kelly and Todd's for Christmas. I have to admit I've always been quite a bah humbug guy about Christmas, and I guess I still am, but grandkids do put another spin on it!
If I don't get back on here before the big day, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Jan saves the day.....Again!
There is an unwritten law that says if something is going to break or go bad it will definitely happen when I am away so it falls on Jan to deal with it. With our last motorhome it was the converter/inverter that failed when I was in Las Vegas and it was 15 degrees in Atlanta and caused Jan to be without electrical power or heat in the motorhome. I am so lucky she is so mechanically adept that she jury rigged it til she and I could talk, then be able to bypass the inverter until I got home to put in a new one. This time, while I was in Atlanta in my LAST recurrent training class, the hot water hose to the washer gave way! Sounds simple but it could have caused a disaster had she not been able to tear apart the cabinet to get to the valve and get it stopped before gallons and gallons of water poured all over our motorhome! We are always careful to turn off the water when we go away for several days and this event sure proves that that is a good policy. All taken care of now!
On another note, we have a real nice neighbor who is from Connecticut that is here working at a new job after retiring previously from working in a nuclear power plant for many years. He didn't care for retirement so decided to go back to work. Turns out he's a ham radio operator. Funny, cause many years ago when we were still in Pennsylvania I was working to get my license, but couldn't seem to get the hang of the Morse Code requirements. You had to be able to send and receive code at 13 words per minute! Well, I just couldn't get it, so let the whole idea kind of go away. Well, Dave has rekindled my interest, especially when he told me the code requirement is no longer part of the test. We talked about it for some time, let me know what was was necessary to get a license, and then surprised me with a study manual to get the license. I'm looking into it, hopefully smart enough to learn the book stuff, and get a license. It will add a big challenge to me which I really need right now. So we will see.
On another note, we have a real nice neighbor who is from Connecticut that is here working at a new job after retiring previously from working in a nuclear power plant for many years. He didn't care for retirement so decided to go back to work. Turns out he's a ham radio operator. Funny, cause many years ago when we were still in Pennsylvania I was working to get my license, but couldn't seem to get the hang of the Morse Code requirements. You had to be able to send and receive code at 13 words per minute! Well, I just couldn't get it, so let the whole idea kind of go away. Well, Dave has rekindled my interest, especially when he told me the code requirement is no longer part of the test. We talked about it for some time, let me know what was was necessary to get a license, and then surprised me with a study manual to get the license. I'm looking into it, hopefully smart enough to learn the book stuff, and get a license. It will add a big challenge to me which I really need right now. So we will see.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Quiet
Not much new over the last few days. I've been flying and Jan has started a new project. We have hundreds and hundreds of oldy time photos from years past. Our house in New Hampshire, many sailing trips to the Caribbean, family shots, kids, etc. In her quest to clean out our storage unit, she is scanning any photos worth saving into the computer. A huge project! The weather has not been particularly good, lots of rain and cold so it doesn't hurt so much staying inside.
I had to have a special "check ride" since I turned 60. I passed. After age 60 you have to take a check ride and a FAA physical every 6 months! Flew with another guy who is older than me and wants to fly to 70 years old, and is willing to go outside the country to do it. Different strokes for different folks.
Still counting the days.
I had to have a special "check ride" since I turned 60. I passed. After age 60 you have to take a check ride and a FAA physical every 6 months! Flew with another guy who is older than me and wants to fly to 70 years old, and is willing to go outside the country to do it. Different strokes for different folks.
Still counting the days.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Eve of the Big One
I've flown another 3 day trip since I was in San Fran, one of those trips that was almost painful. We had a nice weekend though, Jason came up to visit and we had friends, John and Diane over for dinner and a visit.
I turn the big 60 tomorrow, a birthday I thought that would be completely different for me than it is. When I started with Delta in 1977, all those years ago, I thought this would be my retirement. Very fulfilling, completing 34 years, very senior, and comfortably set for the rest of our lives. Funny how things change. I'm still here, which is good in itself, doing okay, in a completely different set of circumstances. Never thought I'd be flying for another airline, never thought I'd be flying past the age of 60, never thought the future would be quite as blurry as it is now. But Jan and I are still happy, and looking forward to the adventures ahead of us. I have much to be thankful for, especially Jan, throughout all these years.
I turn the big 60 tomorrow, a birthday I thought that would be completely different for me than it is. When I started with Delta in 1977, all those years ago, I thought this would be my retirement. Very fulfilling, completing 34 years, very senior, and comfortably set for the rest of our lives. Funny how things change. I'm still here, which is good in itself, doing okay, in a completely different set of circumstances. Never thought I'd be flying for another airline, never thought I'd be flying past the age of 60, never thought the future would be quite as blurry as it is now. But Jan and I are still happy, and looking forward to the adventures ahead of us. I have much to be thankful for, especially Jan, throughout all these years.
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