Dinner with Karen (blogger) and Tony (gamer)

One would think that if you finally met someone, have a four hour dinner with them, that you would remember to get pictures of the event.  One would think…but we enjoyed our meeting with Karen and Tony of Rolling in a RV – Wheelchair Traveling so much that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind until we were pulling out of the parking lot.

Karen and Tony have been full-time RVing since 1993…that’s the year I became the director of the Public Library in Arkansas.  I retired after 23 years of working in the same Public Library System, and that span just about covers how long they have been traveling and living on the road. 

This picture is one I grabbed off their website.  What it does not show is that Karen is sitting in a wheelchair.  Back in 1993, while working the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque…her feet got tangled in a line while a balloon was landing, a gust of wind jerked the balloon up and changed her life, and Tony’s, forever.  (She tells it better on her website)  However, this setback did not stop them from doing that which they wanted to do, so they got a wheelchair friendly motorhome and continued their journey.  They are now on their fourth motorhome, third one which has been wheelchair friendly.

We met at Brookfields Restaurant in Roseville, each of us arriving right around 3:35, and by 3:45 we were sitting down amid introductions and general talk.  The waitress got our drinks and then noticed that we had not even touched the menus ... for a good hour.  In fact, at 5 pm we were handed off to another waitress, and when I said that I thought we were ready to order, it still took a few minutes for everyone to know just what the wanted.  It was just one of those moments in life when you meet someone, and the talk and the fellowship just instantly starts ... four hours later we are excusing ourselves not because we wanted to leave, but because our puppies were being doggiesitted by Sandy and Arny and they normally call it a night by 8.  (Thank goodness this was one of their 8:30 nights so we did not lose our spot on the RV pad.)   

Karen, the blogger of the two, has a great set of resources on her website, including her  “Interactive Maps!“ which shows interesting places to visit state by state (Museums, National and State Parks, etc.) and "More Maps"  which are a collection of maps that others have made, or she has made, which show places to stay, places to clear your sewer tanks, yearly festivals, etc.).  Although her website is designed to assist the mobility disadvantaged, her maps are good for everyone who is interested in visiting places in the United States and Canada.  Typically her blog postings are short and concise with just a few pictures.  If you have not seen her blog before, you really need to check it out.

Tony and Marcia have two things very in common....he is Italian and she is Greek, and as stories were being told one or the other could be heard something about how some member of their family use to say that too, or were just like that also.  The other thing is that they both like to play computer games in their spare time...while Karen and I like to "blog".  It is never fun to say goodbye…but our goodbyes were “we will see you again”, and perhaps that might be later this year as they are headed, ever so slowly, to Washington to visit their daughter…while our route takes us right through Washington and into Canada. If not then, I am sure it will be another time somewhere along the road.