Going for it!

Making our decision to travel in the motor home has been a dream for a long time and we have been most anxious to pursue that dream. Unfortunately time waits for no one. We have lost many friends over the years and it always seems too early when as soon as one retires something terrible happens. Sadly, we are suddenly again aware of how short our individual time can be. These past weeks and days have been spent hoping and praying that one of our friends (just 60 years old) would survive a septsis infection that hit out of the blue. Jim, our son’s father in law and a friend, has now passed and provides us with another of many instances that confirm that you must pursue your dreams as soon as you can and not to waste time. He was a fine man and good grandfather and husband among other things, but most of all he was too young to leave. He was a special man that many loved and appreciated. We will miss him. This happening is one more instance that confirms to us that you do have to pursue those dreams that you have put off for whatever reasons…before you can’t. In 25 days we leave for the beginning of our travels ….Don’t put off yours!

Communicating with everyone

One of my concerns more than Marge's, is to have an ability for contact with business and friends via email....at least some sort of daily connectivity to the internet. I use a program called efax (www.efax.com) that has been very handy that allows for sending and receiving FAX messages over the net. This has proved very useful in the past and have used it without problem when on the road. This year however, we have to moved to a new base (Condo as opposed to home) where we subscribe to Comcast with a cablemodem. After much thought and investigation however, we will be cancelling that service shortly. Comcast unfortunately, does not have any contact numbers or means other than paying for another service or finding wireless availability to connect with your account. Big disappointment!! For that matter, I am very disapointed with their TV plans and format after having had DIRECT-TV via satelite for so long ( We still have DIRECT-TV on the road) My connectivity plan, is to go with telephone wireless connectivity. As long as I am in a digital wireless area, which is expanding all the time, I can connect for the same amount of money, and still work from the privacy of the motorhome. I will have the wireless connectivity as a backup. Cingular services now with At & T has a data connect service that is reasonable for use on the road and at the base condo that should be more than adequate and with equivalent speeds. With the consolidation of the two companies its my understanding that coverage now exceeds those of the competition. Prior to our planned adventures coming up, I had installed a Wilson antenna and a phone mount attached to it for greater abilities to pick up voice signal. It has worked well for us particularly when weve been in fringe areas for the phone. By putting a splitter on the antenna line I should have adequate contact for our planned excursions for the first year anyway. After I win the lotto however, I would certainly like to have the Datastorm unit installed!!! or perhaps maybe even go with Starband for computer and TV connectivity. Besides the computer hookups we both have cell phones...mine more for business use now with cingular and Marges, just in case, Verizon. Both Phones have the external antenna hookup if needed and that with the new 3 watt signal booster should resolve most problems. Perhaps you may want to comment on my choices or for that matter have questions....email me any time.