Sunday Q&A

I’m back with more questions from blog readers about RVing, what’s happening in our lives since we hung up the keys, and all kinds of other things. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.

Q. At one time you wrote about your genealogy research and visiting the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, but I have not seen anything about that in a long time. Are you still into genealogy, and do you have to be a member of the Mormon church to use the Family History Library? I am new to family research and have a lot to learn.

A. Yes, I am still interested in genealogy, though I let my Ancestry membership lapse because I tend to get lost in researching and lose a lot of time I could spend writing instead. Anyone can use the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or any of the Family History Centers the LDS church has around the country. You don’t have to be a church member and there is no fee.

Q. All things being equal, if you had to do it over again starting out as a fulltime RVer, would you still go with a motorhome over a fifth wheeler, and would you go gas or diesel?

A. No question about it, I would go with a diesel motorhome, given the number of miles we traveled in any year. The ride and the storage capacity are so much better than a gas motorhome. And while we’ve seen some wonderful fifth-wheels, a motorhome would still be my preference.

Q. In a blog the other day you wrote about going to the VA for a shingles shot, but the next day you wrote about going to a civilian doctor. Do you use both, and why?

A. To remain enrolled in the VA medical system I have to see my primary care provider there twice a year. I also get most of my prescriptions from the VA. But now that I have Medicare I see a civilian doctor for most things because it’s easier to get in and out and frees time at the VA for other vets who don’t have that option. However, having the VA as a backup comes is handy now and then.

Q. You have mentioned going to lunch or dinner several times now. I know that you and Terry have been vaccinated, but doesn’t it still worry you doing so?

A. If it worried us we wouldn’t be doing it. We go to restaurants in off-peak hours when they are not as crowded, and we only go to places where we are comfortable with table spacing and such.

Q. My hubby and I are in a debate about which membership is best, Thousand Trails or Passport America? What is your opinion

A. Any campground membership is good if you use it enough. We had both and spent many winters bouncing around from Thousand Trails to another in Florida and summers doing the same thing on the Oregon and Washington coasts, saving a ton of money. At just $44 a year, every RVer should have a Passport America membership. You will probably get your membership fee back on your first trip.

Q. Why order and wait on a truck when you can buy a new one off the lot without the wait?

A. I ordered a truck because I want certain options that I have not found available on any truck on a dealer’s lot. My feeling has always been that if I’m going to buy something with my hard-earned money, I’ll get what I want and not compromise.

Q. I devour your Tinder Street books as fast as they come out, Nick. When can we expect another one?

A. I released Boom And Bust, the third book in the Tinder Street series, a few weeks ago. Now I’m working on another of my Big Lake small town mystery books, which will be followed by a John Lee Quarles mystery, and then I will start on The Hard Years, the fourth book in the Tinder Street series. I would like to have it out sometime in December, but I make no guarantees, and it could be after the first of the year.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. When did hunting pedestrians become a sport? Is a special license required?

Thought For The Day – Storm season is here. If a news van pulls into your driveway remember; teeth and bras, people. Teeth and bras.