We spent the months of November, December and January at our lot in Deer Creek.  Rags was getting sicker and sicker, and during the end of December we sadly made the decision that it was best for him that he be put to sleep.  It was really a hard decision to make, but it was the right decision.  The motorhome has been really quiet since then, but it has been nice not to have to plan our days on when he needed to be walked and fed, etc.  We'll be getting another dog in a few months.

We kept pretty busy during that time with the following activities:

1.  Eating out and eating out and eating out.

2.  Three times a week, we did aqua aerobics in our pool.  One hour of flexibility and cardio exercises mixed in with lots of fun and gabbing.  The exercises are currently suspended as the heater min the pool is broken, but should start up again shortly.

3.  We both got involved in running our phase of the campground.  Norm got elected to the steering committee which acts as a liaison between the lot owners and the developers and is also preparing for the time when 90% of our units are sold and we take over governmental control from the developer.  Shelley is keeping busy putting out a newsletter every 2 weeks.

4.  Our friends Jim and Judy Ploesser spent 6 weeks borrowing a campsite right across the street from us.  We sure enjoyed all of the time we spent with them.  Other CHAI friends, Laura and Shelly Singer joined us for a long week-end and Paul and Carol Goldberg stopped off for a short visit.

5.  Norm worked at Disney for about 6 weeks ands really had fun there. Meeting lots of folks from all over the country and all over the world who were having fun made for enjoyable times there. However, he hurt his back lifting strollers and decided he didn't want to do that any more.  No other jobs are currently available there, so he is semi-retired....AGAIN.  Maybe something will turn up.  Otherwise, Shelley has decided that she wants to work at Disney next year, so we'll find something next fall that works for both of us.

6. We drove down to Lake Worth for 2 days to visit mom (Topf).  The usual long list of things to do was really short, so we just hung out and went out to eat (including lunch at a kosher deli nearby).  We included Laura and Shelley when we went for dinner.

7.  We both started playing pickle ball, a combination of ping pong and tennis developed for old folks like us.  It is played on a tennis court, but using only about 1/2 of the space on each side of the net.  The rackets are solid, like ping pong rackets, and the ball is pretty dead, sort of like a whiffle ball.  We've been playing once or twice a week.    

8.  The weather has been pretty good.  Until early January, the temperature ranged from a high of about 75-80 every days to a low of about 45-50 at night, and almost every day was filled with blue skies.  However, the last two weeks, we have cooler and cloudier weather, with lots of rain and drizzle.  How many of you are jealous, as you endure the northern winters?

9.  Although the pay at Disney is pretty low, there are some nice perqs, including free admission passes.  We've only been to the park 3 or 4 times, but each time Norm was able to get in for free and also to bring in 3 guests for free.  In addition, we were able to go out for a real nice dinner for 50% off.  Not too bad.  We also spent one day at Typhoon Lagoon, a Disney water park.  It was a perfect place to spend a balmy afternoon, although Shelley vowed never to again ride the Crusher Gusher, a water roller coaster at the park.

We've rented our campsite for the month of February, so we'll try and return to writing every day or so and letting you know what we're doing and where we're doing it.