Archive for the ‘Mindless Rambling’ Category

I was making my weekly browse across All Things Jeep to see what new products they have and noticed that they are selling Jeep posters. We’re Jeep nuts and love taking pictures of our Jeep when we’re out and about. Now I’m thinking that I’ll start making a point of photographing our Jeep and begging others to let me take pictures of theirs when we’re traveling. We have big off road plans and I know that we will have no shortage of amazing backdrops that will show off why owners obsess over their Jeeps the way they do. It’ll give me an excuse to get the new camera I’ve been wanting.

I am really looking forward to getting behind a camera again and having the opportunity to stop and take pictures instead of editing out the bug marks of pictures taken through the windshield. Our last vacation didn’t give us nearly enough time to stop and enjoy the scenery as much as I would have liked.

Here’s a pic I took at Monument Valley last September, what an amazing day.

The weather this weekend was amazing, blue skies and the temperatures in the 70′s. Its just my luck that the first topless days of the year we were away for the weekend. We can go away for the weekend in the Jeep but this was not one of those weekends. We went to Branson to do a little shopping and to Springfield for the “huge” RV show. We had a great time in Branson but thanks to us needing to take my sons pack and play and the big stroller there was no way the trip could be made in the Jeep. We spent the night at the Marriott Resort and all I can say is WOW, what an amazing place. We had a huge, new, modern one bedroom suite and paid less than what we normally would for a tiny hotel room. I love the off season rates!

The Springfield RV show was a huge disappointment and we left feeling ripped off that we paid $14 to get in. There were only a handful of vendors and only a couple of class A’s. It should have been called the fifth wheel RV show. It was interesting so see the size of some of those fifth wheels, I’ve lived in apartments that were smaller!

We went by an RV lot and it turned out to be the highlight of the weekend for us. We purchased our RV site unseen and the lot had one that was one year newer and a couple of feet longer. The bedroom was exactly the same as ours and we were able to get more of a feel for what ours will be like, we love it! We are very excited for May to get here so we can go and pick it up.

My husband and I have been talking about what we’ll replace our Yukon with when she falls apart. We were originally talking about replacing her with a Yukon Hybrid but we both are not fans of the body shape on the new Yukon so we started talking about getting a Wrangler Unlimited. Most recently I’ve been looking at the Wrangler Unlimited EV. A Wrangler that gets 400 miles to 8 gallons, after owning numerous gas guzzling Wranglers over the years I never thought that would be possible. I hope the EV makes it to the production line but given Chrysler’s current financial status there are many that doubt it will. Chrysler’s position is that it will come out in 2010.

I imagine the EV will come with a pretty hefty price tag and that alone would probably make me want to keep it mostly on road. I don’t think I would do any serious off roading with it but I think it would be good to replace our larger family car with. Maybe when my inefficient Yukon falls apart I can turn it in and get my paltry voucher.

Many of you might have seen the tragic bushfires that have killed over 180 people in Australia and left over 750 families homeless. A lot has been said about the families but not much has been said about the courageous fireman that themselves have lost homes, friends and family members. Despite this they keep going and fighting the fires trying to make sure others are safe. They do not get paid for what they do their actions are completely selfless.

I spent the better part of two years in Melbourne and the areas where the fires are burning were a stones throw away from where I lived and my old stomping grounds. I have wonderful memories of spending Saturdays at the St Andrews Markets and having a beer at the pub before heading home. St Andrews was one of the areas that was hard hit and this beautiful little town was nearly wiped off the map. The area that this bush fire covers is huge, it was gorgeous rolling hills, paddocks with horses grazing and beautiful forest. The pictures that are being shown on the news are difficult to look at. I spent a lot of time on the back roads exploring these little country towns the suffering they are experiencing is heartbreaking.

I received an email from an old friend who is a volunteer fireman and has been out fighting the fires since Saturday. He is a strong man who has been doing this for many years and just by his email I could tell that he is suffering emotionally. I can not imagine the strength that these men and women possess to be able to keep going under the circumstances.

There is a wonderful picture currently in circulation via email and even on news websites of a Country Fire Association Volunteer Firefighter giving a Koala injured in the bushfires water. I love this picture, out of all this tradgedy the true blue Aussie spirit came shining through. An Australian Newspaper is now offering this picture for sale for $18USD; the proceeds will benefit the Country Fire Association. If you can please support this great cause. I purchased mine tonight and it will be given a special place in our home when it arrives.

Fireman Gives Koala a drink – PURSCHASE THIS PHOTO

Picture by Mark Pardew-AP Photo