Challenges: Internet Access, Rain, Illness

This trip to San Diego has been more challenging that I expected. First there was the major issue of coming to take mom in for knee surgery and helping her with follow up visits for physical therapy. Once we leave this Thursday, mom will depend on other family and friends to help her get to her appointments.

Then there’s the challenge of having internet access. We’re staying with a friend of my mom’s who does not have any internet access. That means we have to go out each day to find it. That usually means a Starbuck’s or Panera Bread. Today it meant coming to the local public library. Which is fairly quiet and the staff here is very friendly.

Going out for internet access is even more challenging this week due to the days of tremendous rain here in San Diego! It just keeps coming and coming. It’s no fun going out in the wet and dreary weather.

Yesterday on top of it all I had a bout of something with my stomach. It’s much better today though.

So all in all it’s been a challenging week. Yes, we are getting things done – work, helping mom, showing Fiona some places we’ve been when we lived here for so many years. I’m looking forward though to being settled in one place again for a bit that has reliable internet access.

Through Iowa and Missouri to Kansas

We left Wisconsin Saturday morning. Instead of heading to South Dakota as originally planned, we headed south to Kansas. The weather promised to be unfriendly in South Dakota when we had planned to leave there; so a quick change of plans was in order.

We traveled through Iowa and Missouri and into Kansas. Iowa had a very cool Welcome Center with free internet access! In Kansas we stayed with a fellow member of Triiibes. Fiona made a new friend at our Sunday Bible meeting with Olivia, another six-year old. The funny thing is that Olivia’s mom is the sister of a friend of my older daughter’s. Olivia’s family will be moving back to Sacramento California in March. So we traded contact information and Fiona will probably see Olivia again in California.

Monday was a very long drive from Kansas to Denver. However, we did miss the worst of the weather. Enjoy our pics!

Our Guest Post at RVParking.com

Recently we received this email:

Dear Joel and Sue,

My name is Nicole Willson and I’m a Community Specialist over at RVParking.com, a community site where RVers from all walks of life can review their experiences at the now 18,000 parks that are listed with us in the U.S for free. We also list detailed information on the parks: power, showers, WiFi, etc. that we think will be useful to our readers. Our goal is to make it easier for RVers to find trustworthy & current information about the parks that they wish to visit.

I recently came across your blog and I really enjoyed reading it. I pick guest bloggers for the RVParking.com blog. I am starting a series on getting online from the road, based on the fact that one of our most popular guest blog posts is about Going Online Without Blowing Your Budget. We have also featured a very post about the pros and cons of using a HughesNet satellite dish. Tomorrow, we are featuring a similar post about Verizon Mifi. Tonya Prater of Live the Adverture, another blog featured on Families on the Road, has recently guest blogged for us as well. Would you be willing to write a guest blog post about finding places with WiFi while on the road?

I would love it if you could write a guest blog post on the RVParking.com blog: blog.rvparking.com. It would be great if I could have the post by the end of the month. I’d also appreciate it if you could supply your own biography. This ensures that you will be represented the way you want to be.

Please let me know if you are interested.

Thanks,
Nicole

Of course we were happy to oblige. You can read our guest post, The Best Tool for Finding Free Wi-Fi On the Road: Resourcefulnesshere.

Internet Access on the Road

Internet access while traveling has been limited. However, all client work is being done in a timely manner. It’s been interesting the various places we’ve been able to access the internet. Such as right this minute I’m sitting in the living room of Joel’s mom’s apartment. She doesn’t have a computer let alone internet access. Yet a connection is available and I’m able to use it.

Earlier this week I had client work that needed to be done while traveling through Wyoming and South Dakota. In Wyoming we stopped at Northern Exposure Computer Center in Torrington where they have free internet access. Here we were in a tiny town, no Starbucks, and still able to access the internet and continue client work.

Later in South Dakota we pulled into the parking lot in a small town sitting outside of Pioneer Auto and found we were able to connect to the internet and again did some client work. At a gas station later as Joel filled up I asked about internet access. They said we could come on in and use it for free. However, I was able to connect from my car and finished up a job in minutes.

So yes, we have been able to continue client work while traveling on the road. Yes, it is more challenging – but not impossible.