Turkey Day

November 22, 2006 Temp 52* and sunny

Well tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We were invited to have dinner at Bill and Molly's on Thanksgiving. We are going to Deanna's mothers in the morning and will probably end up eating some there first. That would be our normal eating time, and then we eat again at Bill's later that night about 6pm. For years we have always eaten our main meal at Noon. So we will be really stuffed by the end of the day. I love turkey so guess I will get my fill. This is a long weekend for us as I have Thursday and Friday off. Can't believe xmas is zooming up so fast!

For Christmas we will be going to Atlanta to visit Mike. It will be a long drive as we are not used to driving 600 miles in one day. A normal day of traveling for us became 250 miles and off the road by 3pm. We will need to leave nice and early to get there while some daylight exists. Then leave day after Christmas to get back in time to make work....................that's a scary word! Hard to believe that another year is coming to an end. What a change the past year made. We have been in the desert, to the coast of California to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida back to Ohio and going back to work! Funny where life takes you. We have seen beautiful sunsets on the beach and in the mountain surrounded desert, Roadrunner birds, Rattlesnakes, Scorpions and lots of changing terrains. We have made lot's of friends and lost some, neither will ever be forgotten. Then coming back to Ohio the first night in March it snowed on us, but when we woke and looked out the window we saw a herd of Whitetail deer foraging in the campground.

So to sum this entry up I think it is appropriate to say that we give thanks to all our family and friends and the wonderful things we experienced and saw. Hopefully many more Thanksgivings will be spent remembering the past ones and those to come. So to all our friends and family, thanks for all the memories and know we love all of you. :)

Loss of our friend Mickey

November 6th, 2006

Today our dear friend Mickey Ivey passed away from a heart attack. Following is an article I wrote and used as our home page after his death.

We traveled with Mickey and Patti from late November 2005 till the end of January 2006 when they decided to travel to Yuma and we went to California. They quickly became our best friends and we greatly enjoyed our time we spent with them. Mickey was such a card and always good for a smile and I don't think he had a serious bone in his body. From the times he entertained us with coin and card tricks to him and Patti singing 'On the road again' over the CB radio. We spent our last Thanksgiving with them at Deanna's sisters house in Oklahoma and the last Xmas in Huachuca City Arizona along with New Years Day. While in Huachuca City we visited nearby Tombstone and then went Ghost town hunting while listening to Mickey complain about how the last 30 miles of back road was wearing out his Jeep. Of course he was just giving me hell but it was still funny. While in Huachuca City they decided to trade their Motor home for a 5th wheel trailer, which was quite a change and totally unexpected. After New Years Day we made our way towards Quartzsite which was our original destination for our rally. Once arriving in Quartzsite we made camp 3 miles back in the desert. We were like meat and potatoes with Mickey and Patti and went everywhere together.

When they left the desert they headed for cleaner ground in Yuma while we stayed behind to finalize the deal on our house. We shortly thereafter left for California and did not connect with Mickey and Patti till they came to Ohio to visit us in July. They were on their way to South Dakota to make that their resident state. We enjoyed a great visit with them while showing them some sites around here and take Patti to the Johnny Appleseed Museum which she was tickled with when she saw the sign. They spent a weekend with us before heading northwest. We then again saw them in September prior to them attending the Escapade Rally, that would be the last time we saw our friend smiling.

During a visit to Las Vegas to surprise a friend of Patti's Mickey told Patti he did not feel well and was going to stay at the RV while she went with her friend to sightsee. Patti was reluctant to go but under persuasion from Mickey gave in and went. Patti called mid afternoon and he said he was feeling better and for her to enjoy her visit and take her time. She called a couple hours later and received no answer. Upon returning to the RV she found him to late to administer any help. Apparently he had suffered a massive heart attack. Unfortunately Mickey had several signs of heart issues and chose to ignore them calling them indigestion and such.

Mickey leaves behind a large family of a son and daughters and recently had become a Grandpa. It is a sad day for all of his friends. Mickey never made an enemy and was instantly friends with anyone he came into contact with. He authored a great computer program called RVnotebook . His passing leaves voids in many many peoples hearts but especially his dear wife Patti. She is doing as well as can be expected but is lost without her rock. Fortunately our friend was able to enjoy the last year of his life doing what he had longed to do and with whom he loved the most.

They were such a great couple together and smiled all the time. They enjoyed seeing so much together and Patti got to visit many states she otherwise may have never have been able to see. The memories and things they experienced will last her forever and the times we spent with them will last just as long. I spoke with Mickey nearly every weekend since we went our different ways. Unfortunately I did not speak with him the weekend prior to his death as I did not want to bother them while they were entertaining friends. I so regret that now but hindsight is useless in this case. So in respect to our dear friend we dedicate this page in his honor for the friendship and times we shared with him and Patti. Farewell my friend we will miss you very much as will all your friends. Keep an eye on all of us and don't let us do the stupid things we are bound to do otherwise. The next world is lucky to have you while we are cheated your presence. For our dearest friend Patti, know we love you and will always stay in touch... Your best friends and travel companions Tab n Deanna..........................

For those still with us please take this as a lesson, do not ignore any signs of health issues. They may be an inconvenience now, but could be a life saver. As always my friend is still teaching others

Here is a copy of a blog entry to say what kind of guy he was.

A special note from Mickey:

This blog is for family, friends and anyone else that may stop by. Most of the content is about our travels and what wonderful things we have seen and the many great friends we have met. When we get a chance to visit with family we obviously love to share our time with them with all readers. They’re special.

I have been truly blessed with 4 great kids, 3 stunning grandchildren and a daughter-in-law and son-in-law that are beyond wonderful. I am so proud of each and every one of them. By the way, my new granddaughter WILL be President of the United States one day. Andrew, my oldest grandson, will be a very successful businessman (or sportscaster for NBC) and Shawn, the youngest grandson, is destined to be a great athlete making lots of money. I love them all very much.

If you would like to read some notes and comments about this great guy, go here.


Here is a piece that Tony Cornett (Firedude) posted on his blog:
I recieved some bad news yesterday. Mickey Ivey passed away unexpectidly day before yesterday. Many may connect him as the Author of RVnotebook the software program for Rv'ers. Mickey's passing is such a tremendous loss to the RV community. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to Patti his wife, the families and all of the RV community. I had the pleasure to meet Mickey and Patti last January in Quartzsite at the '05 Graduating Class of Full-timers and enjoyed my time with them both as well as all the other wonderful people from RV.net and the Escapees I met. Mickey made such a positive impact on RV'ing and the entire RV community along with everyone he met. Mickey was truly the best. God speed my friend.