Sleepless in Sarasota

Nothing exciting going on at Sun 'n' Fun today....Boy, has the place cleared out just like every other Florida park, and it's quite quiet! We like that....plenty of room at the pool and not so many kids to watch out for on scooters dashing around all over the place.  The last major dinner at the Boondocks restaurant is tonight, called the Las Vegas Revue.  There is poolside music from 7-10 PM, so we'll probably go check that out. They have a canine body language class for dog owners--"What is Your Dog Saying?"  This park definitely has some interesting things going on. Looked like a LOT of people signed up for that as there are a LOT of pet owners in the park. They have at least two dog parks in the park, so this is a pet friendly place, that's for sure!

We've been having trouble with our chairs lately....Eldy's rocker, is on its last legs...GASP! He absolutely LOVES his rocker, but the sun has deteriorated the fabric so much that it's coming apart. Sparky did a hand sewn repair job once, but maybe it's time to get another one.

Repair lasted for awhile

Our mesh chairs, the zero gravity mesh chairs that are so great to recline and take a nap in, are coming apart at multiple grommets and the fabric is separating and stretching beyond repair. Sparky has already re-threaded the elastic through one of the chairs, and replaced the fabric but it's time to replace at least one of them. And we are NOT anywhere NEAR the weight cut off of 300 pounds, and no, we are not cuddling on the chair together, haha.

Off to Camping World! Not only are we having chair problems, but we're having BACK problems, Sparky, mostly. Back in October, we bought a foam mattress. It was supposed to be  ofexcellent quality, not on the cost factor of a Memory Foam mattress, but dense enough to be of good support. HA! Here we are six months later, and the foam is permanently indented with our shapes and it's not recovering. Sparky's back is painfully reacting daily to having slept poorly supported on the mattress so we're going to try and replace it with a sleep number bed. According to the mattress people we purchased the foam mattress from, it is guaranteed for a certain number of years, but the dents have to be ridiculous in depth, and we can't wait till we get back to Indiana (another six months) to complain and fuss and probably no avail. You can't tell the dents are there by looking at it, but you certainly can when you lay on it! So we are investigating the Sleep Number Bed at Camping World today as well. We had one in the old coach and it was WAY better than this darn foam mattress! They will get rid of the old mattress for us, but can't donate it to a good cause because of health rules and regulations. Somebody probably wouldn't have minded a foam mattress less than seven months old for a spare bed, but that's the rules. At least we don't have to cut it up ourselves which is what the Sleep Number Bed Store in Sarasota said we should do with it! They told us that the Sleep Number Bed Stores do not keep ANY beds in stock. You have to order it through the store and pick it up yourself.  That surprised us. It seems that the local store/company did not have any interest in providing customer service. So we decided to go with Camping World and an RV Sleep Number Bed, which only has one model of bed but multiple sizes to choose from, specifically for RV's.

A short time later and a visit to the HUGE Lazy Days/Camping World facility in Tampa, and we are on the way to replacing the mattress with a Sleep Number bed...it's on SALE, the installation is on SALE, so it's a done deal. WE'LL TAKE IT!..Back we go Tuesday for the install...Sure hope this helps Sparky's back!

After looking at lots of different reclining chairs, it appears that the really nice fabric on the chairs that Camping World offers is probably going to see some hard wear being pulled in and out of the bays. They don't have the open mesh style any more, at least not on the floor. The cloth fabric seems like it could easily snag, and Sparky just decided she isn't using her recliner zero gravity chair much for naps or kicking back. She LIKES this black Coleman chair a LOT and it's extremely comfortable to sit in. SOLD!  And this time, we decided to purchase the warranty package for a few extra dollars in case we have problems with fabric or frame. Out of three chairs we have purchased in the last three years, all three have had problems within the first two years...Design is mainly the problem, and sun and weather/rain damage has caused the rest. Might as well get Eldo a new rocker. Maybe we'll spray it with fabric protectant coating and that will help it last longer. We're good to go now!

Taylor Made Entertainment at Sun 'n' Fun

It was a slow day today....We caught up on laundry, rode our bikes...Eldo wore himself out on his bike ride today...Time for a nap!

Not much going on EXCEPT at the pool. Sun 'n' Fun RV Resort has live entertainment almost every day, either in the afternoon heading towards the dinner hour, or from 7-10 PM at night. Tonight was Taylor Taylor...a gal pal duo with dynamite pipes and awesome arrangements of cover songs, originals, and WOW! Fiddling skills like you wouldn't believe! Glenda Taylor plays lead guitar and burns up the fiddle, Dee Wilson plays bass and backs up with awesome vocals, harmony and vocal skills of her own. Glenda was working the fiddle amongst the crowd and while she moved around tables, people stuffed bills in her earrings, in her guitar straps, in her booty pockets, everywhere but the usual places you'd expect! (You mean, down her front? asks E.) Yep, every place BUT there! She was wearing a LOT of moolah by the time she got done playing!

They played everything from top forties, rock and roll, original stuff, some country, Irish and Cajun all thrown in together....and both gals have terrific voices! We really enjoyed the band tonight, we hope we will see them again somewhere in the area. They were AWESOME! We are amazed at the quality of entertainment that Sun 'n' Fun brings to the park. These groups are not the usual old timers, stuck in the '50's music that you hear so often in retirement parks and over 55 communities. (Careful, Sparky, there are a LOT of retirees that LOVE the fifties, like ME! says E.) Yep, but Sparky likes funky, eclectic music that covers a LOT of ground all over the place....rock, seventies, eighties, funk, soul, R & B, and the groups and individuals that are coming to the resort are covering just about all of it. Time to DANCE, Eldo! And we did........See you later!

 & old), rock, originals and a bit of country thrown in with 
a blazing fiddle covering irish stomp to cajunListeners will hear top 40 (new & old), rock, originals and a bit of country thrown in with 
a blazing fiddle covering irish stomp to cajun.
Strong vocals.... guitars, piano, fiddle 
and blues harp

Back to Ocean Blues in Sarasota

Things have calmed down now that the kids have left and gone back home...time to do laundry, maintenance around the rig, and just veg a bit at the pool. At Sun 'n' Fun, you really don't need to go anywhere outside the park..everything is here...live entertainment, a restaurant/bar on the premises, ice cream treats (STILL---hard to beat Dairy Queen, but it works for me, says E.) disc golf, lots of other physical activities like pickleball and tennis and the awesome indoor pool with resistance lanes for REALLY getting in shape!  They even have in the water treadmills that they can put in at the indoor pool! The live entertainment has been TERRIFIC with either a band or talented karaoke cover singers with guitars or keyboards....

Speaking of live entertainment, we just found out today that Ocean Blues, a downtown club in Sarasota, where we heard Kelly's friends Steve Arvey and Rebecca not too long ago, has a talented young guitar player named David Smash, who has just started playing every Monday night at Ocean Blues. This was the young man from Lithuania who had just come to America 4 weeks ago who burned up the guitar frets with Steve and Rebecca, the night we heard them play. This is the same kid who played the frets with his teeth (!) that night! We're excited to know that he's landed a regular gig, so we went to see him tonight. He's a good lookin' kid, with a great voice and great music skills. Man, can he play the electric guitar and the keyboards! If this young man gets a good band behind him, he's gonna "smoke" the music scene!

Tonight he was by himself, and did a fantastic solo job of entertaining everyone. He did a great job on some Ray Charles stuff, a lot of his own original songs, and you can tell that he has been influenced in his guitar pickin' by some greats like Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins. David is very charming and told little stories about learning the English language (his mastery of the English language is excellent!) He talked a little about goofy expressions that we use here in the states, like, "How's it goin'?" The first time someone asked him that, he said,"With my shoes!"  He apologized for not having the best equipment available to him...he had to balance the keyboard on a highback restaurant dining chair and his equipment was all borrowed. He doesn't even own a music stand. That ought to change very quickly, once the word gets out about this standout guitar player with the great voice and charming personality. (Can you tell Sparky likes this kid? asks E. :-)  Eldo likes him, too! So much that we think we might hang around three extra days to see him again on Monday, with his mentor, Steve Arvey, a very well known musician/singer/guitarist in the Florida blues music scene....

We had a great time once again at Ocean Blues...they have great food and great entertainment. We'll definitely be back...Downtown Sarasota on Hillview Street....Good luck to David Smash, we hope he makes it!

Last Day with the Grandkids

There was a lot of wind in the park today, we figured there oughta be some great waves at the beach. There were! Siesta Key is a VERY popular beach, given the best rating as the #1 beach in America back in 2010 and another year besides that.

Eldo and Sparky headed over to Siesta Key to spend a few hours with the grandkids and their mom and dad on their last day at Siesta Key. They had a nice little apartment on the ground floor that was a block away from the beach. They paid a fortune for it, and we think they were a LITTLE disappointed that it wasn't the same unit they thought they were getting for the money. It was a one bedroom efficiency on the ground floor, with a hide-a-bed couch for the kids, a one block walk to the Siesta Key Beach and it was VERY expensive! They had the use of a fantastic little pool outside the apartment, a pool that looked like a garden in paradise the way the pool blended in with the landscaping...It was gorgeous.

And of course, most of the time, the whole family was either visiting Papa and Jeannie...a.k.a. Eldo and Sparky, or frolicking at the beach. The kids seemed to get enough of the beach by the end of the week. They spent a lot of time in the little cabana which we gave to them, getting out of the sun. They were tired and sunburned.

But the last day at Siesta Key Beach was an awesome one for all of us...There was a LOT of wind, and the waves were HUGE! Sparky spent a lot of time in the waves, jumping and diving through them, and trying to either boogie board or body surf. It was FUN acting like a little kid again! Eldo had had enough sun, so he stayed in the shade and watched us all...You can see our SportBrella that we got to replace the little cabana as it is easier to put up and has more stakes for support in the wind.

Brian and Katelynne found some cool shells....

After the beach, we went to Woody's River Roo Restaurant on the water in Ellenton. The kids and the adults got pretty silly. Trevor, the seven year old, went around taking goofy photos of the adults with a camera phone.

Sparky wins, no contest!

Sparky took photos of Eldy's family....Cate and her best friend....

Eldy's son, Brian, and his wife, Lori.....

Papa even got a little group massage!

The family is leaving tomorrow morning, and we managed to get one last photo of Eldy and his son...

It was a wonderful week for Brian and his family...They got their wish for BIG waves even if it was on their last day at Siesta Key...We got to see the grandkids more than we thought we would, and everybody had a great time! We wish them a safe trip home back to Indiana.  Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! Hope it is a blessed Easter for all our family and our readers....

Fun in the Sun at Sun 'n' Fun

Eldy's son, Brian and his family came over to the RV park today. It was a beautiful day again today, hot--about eighty-five degrees, the perfect day to be at a pool. There was steel drum music at poolside, which was fun to see. Nothing too spectacular, just one guy, but he did a great job and it made you feel like you were in the Caribbean. We decided to hang out at the pool...

The kids had a ball....Trevor convinced Papa and Jeannie to buy two pool "noodles" and because he went and got them and brought back the correct change, he got an ice cream bar in the process...That boy really knows how to work Papa AND Jeannie....The kids played with the noodles after Papa and Jeannie got tired of trying to stay afloat with them...(Hmmnm, does that mean we weigh too much? we wonder.) Naw, they were just too skinny a noodle.

The kids made up a game where the object was to dislodge the kid who was sitting on the noodle, which happened to be Trevor. Papa is SERIOUS about shaking him off!

Everybody got in the pool today...Even Sparky, although she was pretty busy taking photos of the family. Eldy's granddaughter, Cate....

Cate in Papa's "Panama Jack hat

Trevor, who spent hours in the pool, here he is with the killer eyelashes... :-)

Papa and Cate....

Eldy, Cate, son Brian, and grandson, Trevor..Brian's wife Lori was taking a nap!

Here she is with Brian....

A wonderful day with Eldy's son and family....They just have a couple more days of spring break, then they have to leave...We are going to stay one more week at Sun 'n' Fun...Sparky wants to use more of the fine fitness facilities before heading out for who knows where!  Until later....

No Tail Dale

We met up with Brian's family today at Siesta Key Beach, the NUMBER ONE beach in 2010, which is just a short walk from their little rental house. The beach was across the street...It was CROWDED!  A beautiful beach with white, white fine sand. Lots of people have come to see this special award winning beach and it's spring break for a lot of families and students.

Eldy's grandkids

The kids had a great time in the ocean!

And some adults we didn't know, did too!

We bought a different sun shade today and we like it a LOT better. It's called the Sportbrella. We purchased it at Dick's for about 69.00 and it's a whole lot easier to put up. It's a good quality umbrella with side windows for air and breezes just like the old blue cabana. No spring elastic corded poles to poke through balky channels of fabric, just pop it open like a regular umbrella and voila! Plenty of sturdy stakes and guide stays to keep it down in breezier conditions. It seems very well made and very sturdy. Here's Trevor and "Papa", Trevor usually hams it up for the camera as you can see....

There was some serious sandcastle building going on at the beach, and the Easter bunny was there!

After we came back from the beach, we hung out with the grandkids and their parents at their place.

There were lots of lizards everywhere--little geckos racing around all over the place. For a boy of seven, it was the mission of the day to capture one and hold it in his hand, especially after his older sister caught one handily. The only problem was, she picked it up by its tail, and it promptly broke off as they do when predators get a hold of them.  She caught the same one again, and promptly dubbed him "No Tail Dale".

Her friend Caitlyn caught one but he's got a tail...

The girls were being so successful at catching them, Trevor pouted because he couldn't seem to get one...Man, this kid has the eyelashes! He's going to be in demand with the ladies when he gets older!

Awhile later, Trevor was gratified to see that the little lizard he finally caught liked him and stayed on his arm for awhile....His parents wanted him to let the little lizard go, but he didn't like that idea!

The kids went a mile a minute all day long..it was exhausting watching them! But they were still in great spirits and going strong at dinner time....Sparky took a couple more photos of the kids before it was time to head home.....Cate loves wearing Papa's Panama Jack hat.....

Caitlyn had a great time diving in the pool...even though the photo is a little blurry, I love it because it fits with the whole wavy water, swimmy thing going on.....

We had a lot of fun with the kids today...bet the little geckos were glad to see the evening come! See you tomorrow at the steel drums poolside entertainment!

Anyone for Karaoke by the Pool?

Sparky ALMOST did...It was enough to go out and do the Boot Scootin' Boogie and the Cupid Shuffle. There were several little old ladies out there doing the Cupid Shuffle. That was surprising to Sparky, she thought it was a YOUNG person's dance...guess it's old school now...she'll have to learn something NEW for a line dance!

We heard some amazing singers out by the pool today. A young guy by the name of Danno did the honors today...he had some help from an Elvis sounding guy who did a fantastic job and was funny to boot! And there was the Willie look-alike! Wow! That was the closest sounding Willie Nelson impression we have ever heard. The guy was GOOD! If you closed your eyes, you would swear that it was THE Willie Nelson!

Of course, the dj had to play, "YMCA"...and a poolside dad got into the act and encouraged everyone to participate. "Y" don't you all participate? A lot of them did!

It's always interesting to people watch....hats are fashionable to wear in the pool here.....

And it's gratifying to see young mothers protecting their babies from the sun..nothing aggravates Sparky more and gets the Mother Bear instinct going than to see a mom walking around with a little baby with NO hat, no protection from the sun, and little babies getting sunburned....Ar-r-r-r-g-g-h! This little one is WELL protected and enjoying himself, that's for sure!

And this little guy is well protected with a swim shirt and a hat...Way to go, mom!

Lime green must be a popular color for young kids....Eldy's grandson has on HIS lime green/chartreuse swim trunks and shirt and is ready for the pool!

A VERY enjoyable afternoon at the pool today, in the SHADE......