Happy 2009!!!

Happy New Year, Y'All

Well the Gang has assembled in Sumter Oaks in Bushnell, Florida. The "gang" comprises the Escapees RV Club graduating Class of 2007 - that are the people who "graduated" from working to fulltime rving. We have communicated with each other online during 2006 and finally met many of them at a gathering in Quartzsite, Arizona, last January. Many of use continued to travel together to Casa Grande, AZ, to Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal Rally last February. During this last year we have run into many of the couples during our travels - which was always a treat. We always have such good times together; filled with so much laughter.

With Marcia and Joe Jones coming to Florida where Marcia will host in the park here in Bushnell, and Paul and Connie Anderson returning for another winter, plans started to be formed for more of the classmates to meet up. So now there are 11 of us here, with one more couple due in next week.

We had a grand time going out to dinner last night. The gang ventured out to the Whistle Stop in Bushnell. It is a small, quaint place that serves killer barbeque ribs and pulled pork. They also have the usual fare of pork chops, hamburger steak and ham. Jim and I shared a rack of ribs and we brought home six huge ribs - there was so many. We easily could have shared the half order that Trish got. They did have some unusual side dishes like sweet potatoe puffs and fried green beans. Jim and I had the fried green beans and they were very good - coated in a seasoned batter and deep fried, of course. I'm finding most everything is fried in the south. I think I need to watch out for that in my diet.....ordering fried things way too much!

Here we all are with our smiling faces. On the left that's Butch (Joe's dad), Connie Anderson, me, Molly Pinner, Pam and the top of Smokey's head, Bob Pinner, my Jim, Trish Schmidt, Paul Anderson and then Joe. Marcia took the picture.

After dinner we met again at the park's clubhouse for the night's festivities. There was the DJ music and a few people did the karaoke thing. Most of the music was older country western.

Here's the gang enjoying ourselves. The Margarator was in operation all night. Paul was showing his good side :)

Here's Pam trying to get Bob's keys so they wouldn't leave.

Hummmmm - Pam sure seems to be enjoying herself. No, I didn't adjust the coloring.....Bob's face really was that red.

Connie Anderson consults Trish Schmidt on what would be like to be "better endowed" using tasseled party hats. And then Connie decides to try it out. Wow, Connie!!!

We sure enjoyed the company of our Class of 2007 classmates, but we couldn't leave before giving the Class Official Salute.

Jim and I retreated to the rv around 10 pm and watched the ball drop at midnight in New York on tv. It was a great night!!! Thank you, Classmates, for providing us with such fun.

Remember - you are loved!