Tomorrow is THE DAY

I told you that I’ve been doing a lot of web programming during the last 2 weeks, now let me tell you more. The first week I was working on a client site. I was hoping to get it completed, but at least I got it to a point where he could see something and work with the interactive piece a bit. The second week was reserved for work on our own website – http://www.geeksontour.com/. I had to get the membership part of it working before these upcoming 3 rallies (Safari Rally-Reunion, Country Coach Rally, FMCA Convention)

We have a more than a dozen new Tutorial Videos ready to roll out:

1. 10 videos on how to use Photo Story 3 to make slide shows complete with music, narration and motion
2. Blogger videos on how to put a photo in your header and a link list in your sidebar
3. Picasa videos on using Picasa Web Album photos in other websites

For over a year now, we’ve been planning to make it a membership site, meaning that there is a charge to view the tutorial videos. It’s waited until now because 1) I wanted to have enough videos to make it worthwhile and 2)I had to do the programming to make it work. I’ve come up with a little song. Think of the tune from ‘I’ve been working on the railroad…’

I’ve been working on the website
All the live long day
I’ve been working on the website
Cuz we have to make it Pay!
Can’t you see the members joining
Learning all they can
Can’t you see the members joining
All across this land!

Become a member now
Become a member now
Become a member now and learn with us

Become a member now
Become a member now
Let us show you how

Ok, Ok, enough applause … let me continue …

My definition of success has always been to find something you love doing so much that you happily do it for free, AND to do it so well that people happily pay you for the value they receive. Well, we’ve got the first part down pat! We love teaching people to use their computers. It’s time to get the second part in place before we run out of gas … literally!

We’ve been presenting our seminars all over the country. Often we do it for free – sometimes we get paid small amounts. We came up with the idea of making our tutorial videos as a way to reach a larger audience … like the whole world! People can buy them on CD, or watch them on our website if they have a good Internet connection. At the last couple of rallies we found that plenty of people were happy to buy the CDs! We have now purchased a disk duplicator so we can make even more.

We are hoping that they will feel the same way about paying to access the Videos online. We have a lot of information on our website as well as the videos. Only the videos will require a member login, everything else is completely free, including our e-newsletter and the newsletter archives. We will also have several free sample videos. The way it works is, when you click on a video that is reserved for Members Only, you will be presented with a login form. Once you fill in a valid username and password that video will play. After logging in once, you have complete access to all the videos.

We are also starting a Q&A forum. Only members can ask a question. We are beginning to get more email questions than we can properly handle. We will ask that you post questions in the forum rather than via email. In the forum, we *promise* to respond – and you may even find the answer there without having to ask.

So there you have it! The cost for a one year membership is only $39. And, if you join in initial ‘launch’ period of July and August, you can get the introductory price of $29! We will ‘flip the switch’ tomorrow – July 1. Check in to GeeksonTour.com tomorrow to see a new look, more videos, the Q&A forum and the membership program.

Tomorrow is THE DAY

I told you that I’ve been doing a lot of web programming during the last 2 weeks, now let me tell you more. The first week I was working on a client site. I was hoping to get it completed, but at least I got it to a point where he could see something and work with the interactive piece a bit. The second week was reserved for work on our own website – http://www.geeksontour.com/. I had to get the membership part of it working before these upcoming 3 rallies (Safari Rally-Reunion, Country Coach Rally, FMCA Convention)

We have a more than a dozen new Tutorial Videos ready to roll out:

1. 10 videos on how to use Photo Story 3 to make slide shows complete with music, narration and motion
2. Blogger videos on how to put a photo in your header and a link list in your sidebar
3. Picasa videos on using Picasa Web Album photos in other websites

For over a year now, we’ve been planning to make it a membership site, meaning that there is a charge to view the tutorial videos. It’s waited until now because 1) I wanted to have enough videos to make it worthwhile and 2)I had to do the programming to make it work. I’ve come up with a little song. Think of the tune from ‘I’ve been working on the railroad…’

I’ve been working on the website
All the live long day
I’ve been working on the website
Cuz we have to make it Pay!
Can’t you see the members joining
Learning all they can
Can’t you see the members joining
All across this land!

Become a member now
Become a member now
Become a member now and learn with us

Become a member now
Become a member now
Let us show you how

Ok, Ok, enough applause … let me continue …

My definition of success has always been to find something you love doing so much that you happily do it for free, AND to do it so well that people happily pay you for the value they receive. Well, we’ve got the first part down pat! We love teaching people to use their computers. It’s time to get the second part in place before we run out of gas … literally!

We’ve been presenting our seminars all over the country. Often we do it for free – sometimes we get paid small amounts. We came up with the idea of making our tutorial videos as a way to reach a larger audience … like the whole world! People can buy them on CD, or watch them on our website if they have a good Internet connection. At the last couple of rallies we found that plenty of people were happy to buy the CDs! We have now purchased a disk duplicator so we can make even more.

We are hoping that they will feel the same way about paying to access the Videos online. We have a lot of information on our website as well as the videos. Only the videos will require a member login, everything else is completely free, including our e-newsletter and the newsletter archives. We will also have several free sample videos. The way it works is, when you click on a video that is reserved for Members Only, you will be presented with a login form. Once you fill in a valid username and password that video will play. After logging in once, you have complete access to all the videos.

We are also starting a Q&A forum. Only members can ask a question. We are beginning to get more email questions than we can properly handle. We will ask that you post questions in the forum rather than via email. In the forum, we *promise* to respond – and you may even find the answer there without having to ask.

So there you have it! The cost for a one year membership is only $39. And, if you join in initial ‘launch’ period of July and August, you can get the introductory price of $29! We will ‘flip the switch’ tomorrow – July 1. Check in to GeeksonTour.com tomorrow to see a new look, more videos, the Q&A forum and the membership program.

Fireflies and floods

I am fascinated with fireflies! I’ve never seen so many as there are here in Hannibal, Missouri. Magic stardust in the forest!

We had about a 3 hour drive today – through more pastoral Missouri farmland.

Then we hit the rain.

Our destination was the Mark Twain Caves campground in Hannibal Missouri. It’s right by the Mississippi river, so we called ahead to be sure they weren’t flooded. They told us everything was fine, so here we are. Good thing our turn is right here!

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

Lost Valley Lake

Have I told you how much I like this place? Lost Valley Lake is a big place. We’ve gone for our 2 mile walk every morning except one when it was raining. A nice walk, with a couple of hills to challenge our muscles even! And a place where Odie can cool off about halfway.

After a particularly satisfying accomplishment in my programming work, I could give myself a treat by going to the Spa that is just down the hill from our site.

The programming wasn’t without its frustrations. But, I have a way of dealing with that too!

Jim accomplished some long-neglected tasks too, like tuning up our bicycles. We didn’t ride them around here – too hilly – but we usually make good use of them at the bigger rallies and we have 3 coming up.

The best thing about this place is the peace and quiet and open space. Jim mentioned the lack of wind as another calming factor. And, the lack of cell phone signal may also be considered peaceful Sorry, if anyone tried to call us these last two weeks – but anyone who really knows us would use email anyway. Jim also checked out the kayaks and we went for a little paddle in the lake yesterday. This is where sweet, mild-mannered Odie puts on his magic cape and becomes …
Kayodie!

Here’s a panorama that should give you the idea of the pastoral life we’ve been leading these last couple weeks.

We’ll be leaving on Sunday. We’ll stop at Mark Twain Caves - a park we visited during our first year on the road. It’s right across a street from the Mississippi river, but we’ve checked and they say they are not flooded. Last time we were there, we toured the caves, this time, we hope to take advantage of a Mark Twain stage show. Then, on Monday we are due to be in Amana Colonies, Iowa for the start of the Safari Rally.

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

Picasa Slideshow Tutorial Video

Today is my day to post an article on the RV.net blog (every Thursday) and I’ve decided to make this one about putting slideshows into your blog – or any website actually. This post was created while I recorded the tutorial video to show how to do it. I will edit the post when the video is successfully uploaded so you can see it here too.

Sometimes there are just too many photos to post them all. Embedding a slideshow from your Picasa Web Album can be a very handy way to show a lot of pictures in a small amount of space.

Here’s the tutorial video that will show you how I put in the slideshow above.p>

>

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

Picasa Slideshow Tutorial Video

Today is my day to post an article on the RV.net blog (every Thursday) and I’ve decided to make this one about putting slideshows into your blog – or any website actually. This post was created while I recorded the tutorial video to show how to do it. I will edit the post when the video is successfully uploaded so you can see it here too.

Sometimes there are just too many photos to post them all. Embedding a slideshow from your Picasa Web Album can be a very handy way to show a lot of pictures in a small amount of space.

Here’s the tutorial video that will show you how I put in the slideshow above.p>

>

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

The Ultimate Field Trip

I introduced you to Mary Ann in my previous post. Now, let me tell you a little more. I think it is just so cool that she is home-schooling her 2 teenagers by traveling around the country in a motorhome. Imagine learning about Custer’s Last Stand not by reading a textbook, but by visting the Little Big Horn Battlefield. Nothing brings history to life more than standing on the soil where it happened. Or learning about end of WWII and the start of the cold war by visiting the Truman Presidential Library. History is easy, what about math? or geology? Well, for math, they take a self-study course online. And, geology, well … how about spending time in places like Glacier National park, or watching the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone.

In order to make their ‘Grand Adventure’ (that’s their blog, of course) work, Mary Ann and her husband made a deal … he stays home in Orange County, CA and works. She and the kids live on the road. He meets up with them once in a while. Ooooohh, I don’t think Jim would ever agree to such an arrangement do you?! Here’s the gang, complete with a friend who flew in from California and is staying with them for 3 weeks.

We really enjoyed talking with them and shared a lot of RVing tales. Jim spent some time trying to get them an Internet connection. They use a Verizon aircard and, as I mentioned in a previous post, our Verizon phones can’t find any signal here. They have all the ‘booster’ equpment though (antenna and amplifier), and Jim was hopeful he could get them going. After much experimentation, he and Mary Ann were able to get a signal that would get them online … for about 2 minutes.

Have I told you lately how much I love my Satellite Internet? The link is to my RV.net blog post that Mary Ann saw (while she used the Wi-Fi in the clubhouse) which prompted her to email us and introduce herself. Who says technology keeps us from real, personal, interaction?! I say it makes it happen!

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

The Luxury of Time

Some people would think it is insane that we’re in this beautiful place, and yet I spent most all week just sitting at my computer.

But, truly, it is a real treat for me to have the kind of time I need to do this website work. In thinking back, I actually remember that my desire to build dynamic websites was one of my reasons to sell the house and move into an RV. It’s all about time. Something that I think should take an hour or two actually takes 3 days!!

I’m not talking about simple pages that you can build with Blogger or WordPress or Website Tonight or Yahoo or Google Pages. I’m talking about pages that are driven by databases, formatted with Cascading Style Sheets, and powered by Coldfusion programming language. I know, I’ve just lost about 98% of you out there. The problem is that I get lost too – and I need time to perservere through the learning and the debugging. I had the time this week and it was wonderful.

Not so wonderful if you’d asked me yesterday afternoon. [error] after [error] for no discernible reason was making me think that I was worthless as a programmer. But, at about 4am this morning, everything worked and I’m excited. Perserverence is the key and that takes time.

Jim used the time for good stuff too. I think this is only the second time in our 5 year journey that I’ve seen him clean out the storage bins.

And, since we don’t have any cell phone service here, he read up on Skype and gave it a shot. Skype is a service that allows you to make phone calls thru your computer’s Internet connection. It’s known as VOIP for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and we tried it a couple years ago and were quite disappointed with the performance over our satellite Internet connection. This time he was pleasantly surprised. There is still a slight delay, but he talked to our friend Jimmy in New Jersey for about a half hour – complete with video on the computer. Cool!

Meanwhile, since we are in a beautiful place, it takes very little effort or time to get a shot of nature. We used Google Earth to plot a 2 mile walk, and we’ve been doing that every morning.

We also had one delightful visitor. MaryAnn is here in the park and read our post on RV.net’s blog last week. She followed the link and sent us an email saying she is staying just a few sites away, so she came over with her dog, Mayim, for a little visit.

What a joy to hear her story. She is traveling with her teenage son and daughter and home schooling them across America! How cool is that? Check out her blog.

Ok, back to work!

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

Membership Parks

A comment on my last post asked about our opinion of Membership parks, so I thought I’d write a bit about that.

We joined Thousand Trails in 2006. Along with that membership came a membership in Resorts of Distinction. Here’s my post from 2006 when we first bought in.

So, is it worth it? That’s the question we all ask. We paid $6,500 for the membership. Then annual dues for TT is $500, and ROD is $230. Just like a health club, it’s a good deal the more you use it. If you don’t use it, it’s a waste of money! So far, we’ve stayed in TT/ROD parks a total of 253 nights. If you take the total amount we’ve paid ($7,230) and divide by the number of nights, you get $28.50/night. That’s not particularly cheap, but it’s not bad. And, as we continue to use them, it will continue to go down. Actually, at this point, I think we can say the original $6,500 has served it’s purpose and we can just count the annual dues going forward. So, to make $730 = $20/night, we need to stay a total of 37 nights per year.

You can buy used memberships for a lot less than the $6,500 we paid. Just be sure to do your research. Each membership has different rules. Some only allow access to parks in a particular region of the country, some allow maximum 2 week stays, some allow 3 weeks etc. etc.

Make sure there are enough parks in the area you want to travel. Thousand Trails have a lot more parks on the west coast than the east, and there are only a few in the middle. ROD has a few more parks, but they aren’t all the same quality. The TT parks are called ‘Preserves’ and they are awesome. That has been the best part for us is discovering the beautiful settings of these parks. Each site is large. You’re really camping, not just parking. And, you can count on a certain level of amenities. Every TT park we’ve been in has a pool and a hot tub. And, you can count on Wi-Fi in the clubhouse. One caveat … sites are not all ‘modern.’ I’ve heard complaints from folks that have big rigs and need 50amp electrical service. We’re small and only need 30amp, so the more natural settings is great for us. Peace River, where we spent the entire season 2005-6, is our very favorite park. If you follow the link – you’ll see a place to view a video. This is one of Jim’s very first Photostory videos.

Here’s a slideshow of some of the membership parks where we’ve stayed.

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**

Membership Parks

A comment on my last post asked about our opinion of Membership parks, so I thought I’d write a bit about that.

We joined Thousand Trails in 2006. Along with that membership came a membership in Resorts of Distinction. Here’s my post from 2006 when we first bought in.

So, is it worth it? That’s the question we all ask. We paid $6,500 for the membership. Then annual dues for TT is $500, and ROD is $230. Just like a health club, it’s a good deal the more you use it. If you don’t use it, it’s a waste of money! So far, we’ve stayed in TT/ROD parks a total of 253 nights. If you take the total amount we’ve paid ($7,230) and divide by the number of nights, you get $28.50/night. That’s not particularly cheap, but it’s not bad. And, as we continue to use them, it will continue to go down. Actually, at this point, I think we can say the original $6,500 has served it’s purpose and we can just count the annual dues going forward. So, to make $730 = $20/night, we need to stay a total of 37 nights per year.

You can buy used memberships for a lot less than the $6,500 we paid. Just be sure to do your research. Each membership has different rules. Some only allow access to parks in a particular region of the country, some allow maximum 2 week stays, some allow 3 weeks etc. etc.

Make sure there are enough parks in the area you want to travel. Thousand Trails have a lot more parks on the west coast than the east, and there are only a few in the middle. ROD has a few more parks, but they aren’t all the same quality. The TT parks are called ‘Preserves’ and they are awesome. That has been the best part for us is discovering the beautiful settings of these parks. Each site is large. You’re really camping, not just parking. And, you can count on a certain level of amenities. Every TT park we’ve been in has a pool and a hot tub. And, you can count on Wi-Fi in the clubhouse. One caveat … sites are not all ‘modern.’ I’ve heard complaints from folks that have big rigs and need 50amp electrical service. We’re small and only need 30amp, so the more natural settings is great for us. Peace River, where we spent the entire season 2005-6, is our very favorite park. If you follow the link – you’ll see a place to view a video. This is one of Jim’s very first Photostory videos.

Here’s a slideshow of some of the membership parks where we’ve stayed.

Further your computer education
**Subscribe to the Free Geeks on Tour Newsletter**