Bounding the Borders: Four Months Down! January 1, 2014.

It's hard for us to believe but as of the end of December (2013) we have now been on the road for (4) four months!

Man does time fly!

When I think back to when we left home and then spent our first night down in southeastern Alberta (between Medicine Hat & the US border at Cypress Hills Park) it does seem like a long time ago.
In fact we (mostly me) are having a hard time remembering where we have stopped along the way.

The photographs stored on our computer help when we look back at the journey, at times I wish I had taken more pics especially during the quick one nighter stops for recording what and where we have been. It has been a journey and we are still a long way from home sitting here in Naples, Florida for another day.

QUICK FACTS:
1. MILES Travelled:
7,531.2 miles (12,049.92 Kilometers).
This does not include the miles we have travelled over and above this in the Honda for extra sightseeing, shopping and well you know...

2. GAS:
You do not want to know this figure!
We average 8-10 miles per gallon. If its windy it gets worse.
The gas prices are cheaper in the USA. We have seen them from around $3.00 to $4.00 per gallon (which is only 3.8 Liters per US gallon). Right in Naples it is $3.52.

I just added up the gas receipts this morning & I am not surprised.
Let me say this though, if you plan on doing a trip like this make sure you either save or budget for the gas. But... It has been worth every cent!

3. REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE:
Being on the road this long, one knows that both are going to happen. We have had it good so far with only one scary incident.

Blown right rear tire on the Honda while towing in New York.
(We didn't even know it was gone till we were flagged over!).
Oil changes. We use synthetic but still believe in doing these on a timely & regular basis.
New Motorhome Tires x 6. We knew this one was coming.
Bathroom Vent Lid Replaced.
The plastic was well worn from the UV, It was like paper!
Fridge Vent Replaced. Same as above. Both are easy fixes.
Alternator & 2 House 6V Batteries in MotorHome.
We knew the batteries were going bad, we blew the alternator with no notice.
Detailing and cleaning the car & motorhome.

Jim Power Washing the Rig.

Fridge Vent was oxidized & brittle.

You could poke your finger thru the Bathroom vent!

Two new House Batteries go in here under the steps.

4. HEALTH:

Other than our usual issues that we left home with we have been happy to say that there have been no surprises or issues on the road. A lot of people have been getting colds or the Flu (H1N1 in the USA). So far we haven't.

We carry good travel insurance in case something does happen that requires a health professional, we hope to never use it.

Prescription drugs are always an issue when gone from home this long. One needs to check with their insurance provider & get them filled by your Dr/Pharmacist long before leaving. With insurance you need to get special permission to stock up as this can add up into a lot of money.

5. DIET:

Unlike the last 3 winters I have been paying particular attention to my diet. I have lived my whole life just eating whatever I felt like. With a past history (my excuses) of being a Cop and Realtor this has brought on a lot of bad habits with particular foods such as the fast food establishments. It is easy when you are on the road to eat at these places. They are everywhere and its quick and easy. The problem with this is that it catches up to you sooner or later and it has with us.

Up until a few years ago I could eat anything and everything. In recent years I have been diagnosed with several issues and some are fairly serious. If you know me at all it takes a lot to get my attention & keep it.
I am finally starting to pay attention.

In recent months I have lost almost 25 pounds!
My Doctors will be very happy and I am sure my heart is jumping with joy. I still have a ways to go. Barb says it is likely unreasonable but I would like to try and lose at least another 10 or maybe 15 lbs.

Diets never work. Have you noticed that too?
I and many I know have tried all the diets. It works for a while and I even lost weight. It was always short lived and the weight soon comes back.

For one reason or another I have not been very athletic these past few years and it is catching up to me also. So the only thing left was a long term lifestyle change. In the words of one specialist last summer I have no other choice left an I need to act now.

Barb has been so good to support me through all the ups and downs and without her I don't think I would have made much progress. She is finding foods and recipes that not only are tasty but good for you too. I can not say enough on how much she has been my partner in this and for that I love her so much more. By the way she is a fantastic cook!

So what we have decided on in this lifestyle change is to not get carried away but to be serious at the same time.

Do we eat the odd hamburger, do we still go out to restaurants, do we still have the odd desert and treats? Yes to all of the above!

But it is what we do in between these times that really counts and makes room for the junk food cravings and binges if you want to call them that. Many of the foods bad for us are addictive, it is a proven fact. Do the food manufacturers know this?

Probably my weakest point is when I am watching TV.
From what I have learned I am not alone here. Most people want to eat something at least at some point during the evenings entertainment. I am thankful a lot of TV shows do not interest me or I would be in real trouble!

So we try to eat snacks that are more healthy than what we have done in the past. Our meals are much more healthy too and we have cut down on the amount of visits to the restaurants as well.

I have been amazed at what I have learned over the last year about the food industry and the so called agencies that are supposed to protect us from bad food products. I won't go into a long lecture here but let me say this. If you haven't educated yourself on what is in the food you eat you better do it as soon as you can. It actually helped me to eat better and was a lot more powerful that the Dr's & family members telling me to smarten up!

By the way, no one is out there protecting you from the bad stuff. We need to take responsibility for our own health and education in this area. The ones that appear to protect us are underfunded or are directly related to the food industry!

Here are some quick food facts we need to know:

Read the ingredient list on every type of food you buy.
If you can not pronounce the name of the ingredient, do not consume it!
Sugars are a huge issue and in the last 100 years we consume tons more than we ever used to. Now all sorts of variants of fancy named ingredients are simply just sugars with different names all to add taste and perhaps make the food more addictive.
Research is revealing that sugar free or sugar substitute ingredients look to be having the same effect on our bodies as sugars. So don't think you are doing yourself a favour having that diet Coke!
Time to market (shipping) and product shelf life are huge issues for manufactures, the ingredients used to help them stay fresh (if you want to call it that) are scary.
Good looking food on the shelf is something that is often attained by adding chemicals, waxes and dyes. Some of which are known to cause cancer.
Natural does not in any way mean natural!
It is crazy what they get away with in labeling food.
I can go on and on and this is less than 1% of what I have learned about the criminal acts of fraud in the food industry!

If you need proof of what I am saying ask me how I lost weight (without exercise) and how I was able to stop using a CPAP machine every night (just so that I could sleep). I have other personal examples too.

So in a nutshell we have started to make vegetable drinks, eat more fruit and more vegetables. We try to stay with Non-GMO and organic foods as best we can. We read & watch the ingredients/chemicals that they use and won't buy the bad ones.

As more and more awareness comes into the public eye this will become much more than a trend. Natural and whole food markets are popping up all over the place because of the demand. The demand is there because of education.

Did you know that some very large populations in the world do not suffer from cancers or heart attacks! (The leading killers in North America).There is a reason why!

EDUCATIONAL LINKS:

Forks Over Knives (The name implies forks over scalpels).
Eating To Live
10 FOODS TO RECONSIDER

So enough of my rant on foods, chemicals and the criminals. I am sorry if I have bugged you on this but it is a serious problem and it is getting much worse.

PROVINCES & STATES TRAVELLED:
At this point we have travelled through or touched 25 States in the USA. The attached image will give you a rough idea of where we have been to date. Add in our home Province (Alberta), and the maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Some of the areas we have been recently.

Some of our favorite pass times are going to the beaches, enjoying the patio or just sightseeing. We also enjoy getting to meet our neighbors. This lifestyle has given us a lot of time to catch up on reading, learning new things and relaxing too.

Nothing like some beach time in December.

A couple of our favorite things are sunsets at a beach, bike riding (we now have two Trek Bikes) and I like working on the car or motorhome doing repairs and detailing them up.

One of the bad habits we have picked up is the internet. We have spent way too much time on this but when there is nothing else to do it helps to pass the time. Besides we often learn things and we also get to watch (free or near free) movies that way too!

Here is another collage of photos and I hope I am not repeating myself on any of these.