Ruth & Jim Road Trip Orlando to Tampa 10-27-07 Veendam Cruise

Jim & Ruth Road Trip Veendam 10-28-2007 Orlando to Tampa

Gota good start this AM with the packing. Started a litle late as one of my neighbors had somefriend coming over to watch the packing and requested we wait 30 minutes. We waited.

Took about 40 minutea ND lot of frustration to get it all packed and get on the road. Left about 10:00 AM with temp 73 degrees and cloudy scies with no rain. Overall it was a good trip. Planned for 2 hrs for lunch, 2 hrs for pee stops and 4 hrs driving time.

4 hrs may seam a long time but my cataracts hinder my eyesightso I have to get in the left lane so can see the solid yellow line and drive straight. Can only see shadows last few months but Ruth helps me when she is awake. She screams every time we get to close to someone. Use Cruise COntrol at 35 mph to control speed and make sure that I am a safe driver.

Got on I4 and made it through Lakeland and to Plant city with no problems. Lot of real nice peopleon the road today. Many of themwave the number one sign at us and yellow that we were good (?) drivers. Had a hard time hearing them as my hearing aide batteries are dead again.

Stopped in CVS pharmacy before went over to Bobby Joes Restaurant to get some Swamp Cabbage. Got extra Air Wicks and several boxes Gas X to control gas and indigestion from the Swamp Cabbage.

Bobby Joe has remodeled his restaurant (?) to look just like Bubba's restaurant. The roof and walls are ade from Hurrican blue tarps and the tables are old cable spools and the chairs are old whiskey cases. Kinda has a down home rustic look. Reminds me of the olden days.

Had couple long neck Budweisers to relax a little before eating. Ruth had some swamp tea but did not drink much as the crust on the side of the glass was so thick could not scratch it off with finger nail.

Had an excelent lunch:

Fresh Poached Gator Tail (tasted kinds like chickn) deep fried

French fries coked in multi saturated bad pork fat (greasy, yummy)

Deep fried scrawny chicken wings

Deep fried pickled Pigs feet from genetically alter pigs (have 10 feet each)

Swamp Cabbage with 1/4 inch pig grease laying on the surface.

Corn salad which looked and tasted like the corn was field corn (for you city folk field corn is raised to feed cattle and will break a tooth when you bite into it)

Coffee was mostly Cherokee and filer with a little coffee in it.

Bobby Joe said itwas a shame that we would not be in town late NOvember as he is starting to have Cracker Fun Games two times a year and the fall games will be in late November. We talked for a while but we had to leave the tent as the cabbage started to do a number on me. Hung two Air Wicks from my belt over the back pockes and that did help a little. Ruth was having some gas gas problems go hung couple from her belt also.

Got back on the road but had to open all the windows as eyes started to water and glasses fogged up. Everyone stayed at least a lane away from us. Must think we had the pox or something....

Got pulled over by a State Truper as we were nearing Tampa. Said I was traveling too slow for the left lane and I said there wee no signs that said I could not travel at 35 mph in that lane. He asked for my ID and gave him Medicare and AARP cards but he kinda got frustarated and wanted to see my license and insurance. He must have had a cold as his eyes and nose were running and it looked like he was going to cry at any time. He said my license had expired in 1952 and I told him noone told me that you had to renew them. Thought I only had to get them once as hat is all the illegal mexicans need.... He had no sense of humor about that as I thinkhe has a hispanic background.... Told me insurance was expired and I told himm that I had paid it last month. He looked at the policy and said that itwas the homeowners policy not a car policy. I said that I thought that one oplicy covered both things. How can you expect someone that is legally blind to read all that fine print.

He went back to his car and sat behind the wheel and it looked as if he was crying and beating on the steering wheel at the same time. When he came back he had one of the thingy cloth masks on. It was nice of him not to spread his jerms around. Told me he was not going to give me a ticket but insisted that we get our vehicles towed to the hotel in Tampa.

When the tow truck got there he looked at Ruth and Me and screamed NOT YOU AGAIN... IT TOOK 2 WEEKS TO GET THE SMELL OUT OF MY TRUCK LAST TIME. I gave him an extra $2.00 to compensate him for fumigation of his truck.

He drove us to the Howard Johnson's in Tampa and rather than unload the truck and U Haul theprovided it with special security tonight. They had two homeless guys sleep behind it tonight to keep an eye on it for us...

Hotel insisted we use the room with the open windows and turned the AC units on overdrive and set out 10 air wicks aroud the room for us. Had a nice night at the hotel.

They had transport to the dock every 45 minutes starting at 10:45 AM.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as we had writting it......

Ruth & Jim on the road again.

Off to a great start. I hope Captain Albert is reading this. He will need to notify the hotel department to put out the special fumigators in your hallway. :D

Jim and Ruth, have a GREAT trip.

Jim and Ruth, You guys are a riot. Hope to cruise with you one day. Have fun!

Glad you finally got to the hotel safely.

 

Stopped in CVS pharmacy. Got extra Air Wicks and several boxes Gas X to control gas and indigestion from the Swamp Cabbage.

Let's see now - you do have one of the aft suites on Deck 5 on the Oosterdam for the Yummer cruise don't you? I don't think that we have Swamp Cabbage here in southern California but I'm not taking any chances so I'm on C Deck.:D

Seriously, have a great cruise and good luck with the unpacking - how long does it take you two to unpack anyway?

Valerie:)

LOL, you crack me up! :D

LOVE it! Thanks for the laughs :D

I just showed DH the pictures of your packed SUV (I can't repeat what his reaction was) :p

Jim,

Have a great cruise!!! We will be boarding when you get back. If you read this and can reply from the ship, Please let us know about the A/C problems that were reported .

Jim & Ruth

Have a wonderful trip!

Jim & Ruth

,

You are soo funny. Have a great cruise. Maybe the ship can use some of your gas as fuel, it could bring down the cost!

Geo

Jim & Ruth

,

 

You are soo funny. Have a great cruise. Maybe the ship can use some of your gas as fuel, it could bring down the cost!

 

Geo

Jim and Ruth, have a wonderful cruise, get the Veendam warmed up for us (uh, careful how you do it) four weeks from today, and side step the tropical weather out there! Please keep writing... love it. :)

Cheers,

Karen

since they all drive below the speed limit in the left hand lane.

Thanks for the laughs. ROFLMAO......

Have a great cruise, Jim and Ruth.

We are both ROTFLOAO. Thanks. :D:D:D

Colette

I wonder how tropical storm NOEL is affecting this sailing?

Keep the Veendam safe....I sail next weekend!! Deb:cool: