[A/S] Email on the road

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Patti, I do it the same way as at home. I just insert my phone plug into any
phone jack and proceed as usual.

That's the short answer. If you're interested in the nitty gritty, read on.

Each year, I download all the local numbers for every city in every state we
expect to visit.  Then, when we're in a new town, it takes less than a
minute to enter the new number onto my "Remote Access" page and connect
locally.  After using the number, I leave it on the page in case we return
later to the same city.  So far this year, there are 16 cities listed on my
Remote Access page. I deleted all of last year's numbers when I refreshed my
list earlier this year.

Often, I use a phone jack in a campground or Flying J Truck Stop or similar
places. The truck stops are the most convenient as the phone jack is on the
dining table. Kinkos is very convenient, but usually in the downtown area.

Sometimes, I use the phone jack at Chamber of Comerce offices or Elk Lodges
when we stay at one of their campgrounds. If I'm feeling frisky, I'll ask a
business owner if I can use his phone for a few minutes. I've never been
turned down. I asked at Oasis RV in Tucson where I had service done on our
Airstream and at a gas station in New Orleans where I had a propane tank
refilled. 

Seldom is it necessary to use Earthlink's 800 number, but when I do, the
cost is 8 cents a minute. A "flash session" to send and receive email is
usually less than 5 minutes and typically nets a couple hundred postings.

Regardless of where we happen to be on the continent, I usually get on line
nearly every day at no cost. Occasionally, a CG will charge a $1 a day or a
pay phone (with built in phone jack) will want $.35 each time I connect.

While on the road, sending and receiving email is simple, convenient and
fun. We like staying in touch and maintaining our usual lifestyle. If the
truth be known, our traveling lifestyle is easier than our house lifestyle
and a lot cheaper. 

Friends of ours use their Macintosh laptop with a specific make of cell
phone for email. Someday, I may decide to go that route. But for the time
being, I enjoy the mental gymnastics and intuitiveness of figuring it out
each time. Creating new configurations on my Macintosh iBook is still an
interesting game for me. And, if I get stuck, there's an egroup like this
one where I can ask my questions and get prompt answers.

Cheers, 

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net