The undecided at last decided. We're camping!
We both managed to sneak out of the office a little early and were on our way to Bullwinkle around 4PM. We had the Jeep hooked to the moose by 5:15. A word to the wise: Driving anywhere in the Bay Area after that time on a Friday afternoon is not advised, especially in a motorhome. But, we took our chances that we'd arrive at our destination, which was a mere 24 miles away, before dark.
We can dream, can't we?
Just about the time we'd convinced ourselves traffic wasn't really that bad, it became really that bad. An hour or so later we were within 3 miles of our campground. Sure, you can do the math if you want. Bottom line: We were crawling. And, by this time, it was dark.
We've never driven our motorhome in the dark. Actually, we had hopes of never having to. After all, as fulltimers, our plan is to be settled in to our destination by 2PM on travel days - 3PM at the latest. On that program, darkness is never problem. But, when you head out after 5PM in the middle of winter - even if you're only going 24 miles - chances are you'll be driving in the dark. We weren't terribly concerned. We've visited three other campgrounds in the area, and knew the roads well. Well, most of them, anyway.
When we made the turn off the familiar highway, the unchartered road became a narrow, buckled two-lane with no shoulders. One sign stated there was no outlet. Another warned us that we were on a winding levee road. And, according to mapquest, we had three miles of this to look forward to. (Yes, we have a GPS with us, but who turns those things on when you know where you're going?) We crawled slowly along in the darkness, with Boris making note when we passed the first mile, then the second. Then, we missed the one and only turn into the RV park.
Mapquest missed the place by a mile. And, we were facing the prospect of finding a place on a narrow, winding levee road to unhook our Jeep and turn our motorhome around in the dark.
A mile or so later, we found a spot to pull up and unhook. But, a turnaround was out of the question. With the help of a good samaritan fisherman with a good flashlight and knowledge of a wide spot a mile down the road, Boris unhooked the Jeep in a flash. With that, I hopped in the Jeep and led the way down the unknown road. Eventually, we made our way to the turnaround spot. A classic 3-point turn it wasn't, but Boris met the challenge of getting Bullwinkle facing the way we came. Nearly 45 minutes after we passed it the first time, we made the turn into the park.
After a good night, it's a new day. The sun is shining, and the forecast calls for warm temps and no wind for this dependably breezy place. Boris has already taken a stroll and checked out this place. Now that we can see it, it's lovely. But, we have one comment for the suggestion box.
This place needs a well-lighted sign!
Playing it by Ear
Shall we go camping this weekend?
That's the question that's on our mind this week. And, we're wrestling with the answer just a bit.
That we can even entertain the question as we approach the first of February is probably reason enough to go. While much of the country is covered with snow, ice and chilly temps, our forecast calls for sun and upper 60's. That's a big check in the "go" column.
In the "no go" column, we have a long list of pre-fulltiming to dos. Many of the items on that list are the kinds of things that it seems we can only accomplish on a weekend. And, there are precious few open weekends on the calendar between now and when we'll put the house on the market.
Not so long ago, this was supposed to be the weekend to pack our movable storage bin. But, we've re-thought the order of things and pushed that back a few weeks. So, these few days we thought would be busy packing are now free. And, we find ourselves flip-flopping about what we want to do.
But, now that we're towing the Jeep, the question of what to do for the weekend doesn't have to be answered during the week. We don't need a weeknight to make a trip for provisions, or time to pack it all up before we go. Now, we can make a last-minute decision, pack a bag, the cats and roll. Everything we need on the road is now in reach with our trusty Jeep.
So, we're no longer wrestling with this question. We're playing it by ear.
Stay tuned!
That's the question that's on our mind this week. And, we're wrestling with the answer just a bit.
That we can even entertain the question as we approach the first of February is probably reason enough to go. While much of the country is covered with snow, ice and chilly temps, our forecast calls for sun and upper 60's. That's a big check in the "go" column.
In the "no go" column, we have a long list of pre-fulltiming to dos. Many of the items on that list are the kinds of things that it seems we can only accomplish on a weekend. And, there are precious few open weekends on the calendar between now and when we'll put the house on the market.
Not so long ago, this was supposed to be the weekend to pack our movable storage bin. But, we've re-thought the order of things and pushed that back a few weeks. So, these few days we thought would be busy packing are now free. And, we find ourselves flip-flopping about what we want to do.
But, now that we're towing the Jeep, the question of what to do for the weekend doesn't have to be answered during the week. We don't need a weeknight to make a trip for provisions, or time to pack it all up before we go. Now, we can make a last-minute decision, pack a bag, the cats and roll. Everything we need on the road is now in reach with our trusty Jeep.
So, we're no longer wrestling with this question. We're playing it by ear.
Stay tuned!
A "half-a-versary"
If you ever want to send Boris over the edge, just refer to the one-year anniversary of something. The redundant phrase really bugs him. So, imagine my quandry when I looked at the calendar today and realized that something extra special happened just six months ago. Knowing that referring to this as our six-month anniversary might just about do him in, I just stated the facts: We picked up the moose six months ago today.
"It's our half-a-versary," he replied.
This from a guy who's a stickler for the English language? Well, I say, let's go with that!
We have much to celebrate on this half-a-versary. Without really knowing that's what we were doing, our approach this last six months has been pretty systematic. First, we got comfortable with Bullwinkle by getting out as much as we could on our own. Then, we introduced the cats to their rolling home with a couple of short trips. Thanksgiving gave us all a taste of life on the road for nearly 10 days. (We loved it!) Finally, we hooked the squirrel to the moose and experienced life on the road with a toad.
All that happened in just 40 overnights over six months.
And, in our spare time, we've emotionally disconnected from our jobs and managed to purge our household of many items that have outlived their usefulness, and we have a plan in place for what to do with the rest. We're getting our house ready to sell - Boris spent time with a plumber and HVAC repair guy today to get some essential pre-sale prep items addressed. With the holidays behind us, we're making real progress.
Where might we be six months from now, when we celebrate our first anniversary? (That's the way you say it!) If all goes well, we'll be free of our house and our jobs and on the road...somewhere.
We're halfway there. And, we can't wait.
"It's our half-a-versary," he replied.
This from a guy who's a stickler for the English language? Well, I say, let's go with that!
We have much to celebrate on this half-a-versary. Without really knowing that's what we were doing, our approach this last six months has been pretty systematic. First, we got comfortable with Bullwinkle by getting out as much as we could on our own. Then, we introduced the cats to their rolling home with a couple of short trips. Thanksgiving gave us all a taste of life on the road for nearly 10 days. (We loved it!) Finally, we hooked the squirrel to the moose and experienced life on the road with a toad.
All that happened in just 40 overnights over six months.
And, in our spare time, we've emotionally disconnected from our jobs and managed to purge our household of many items that have outlived their usefulness, and we have a plan in place for what to do with the rest. We're getting our house ready to sell - Boris spent time with a plumber and HVAC repair guy today to get some essential pre-sale prep items addressed. With the holidays behind us, we're making real progress.
Where might we be six months from now, when we celebrate our first anniversary? (That's the way you say it!) If all goes well, we'll be free of our house and our jobs and on the road...somewhere.
We're halfway there. And, we can't wait.
Binders
It's not even noon and our garbage and recycling bins are filled nearly to the brim. And, pickup isn't for another two days! Such is the life of a pair of overwhelmed purgers.
The biggest progess of this morning was purging our home office of binders. I must confess, I had two big boxes of the three-ring beasts, and a few more stuck here and there in the bookshelves. Varying in size from 1-inch to a whopping 4 inches, these space-hogging things contained stacks of paper I once found valuable enough to pack away in the very limited storage spots in our home. Today, the vast majority of it will soon be on its way to the recycler. Three or four of the binders have been deemed "storable" as they contain helpful info related to a business I may, or may not, maintain sometime down the road.
With that, I vow to unbind myself from my binder addiction. Today, I declare: I will not bring another three-ring binder into our home!
I feel much better already. So does Boris!
The biggest progess of this morning was purging our home office of binders. I must confess, I had two big boxes of the three-ring beasts, and a few more stuck here and there in the bookshelves. Varying in size from 1-inch to a whopping 4 inches, these space-hogging things contained stacks of paper I once found valuable enough to pack away in the very limited storage spots in our home. Today, the vast majority of it will soon be on its way to the recycler. Three or four of the binders have been deemed "storable" as they contain helpful info related to a business I may, or may not, maintain sometime down the road.
With that, I vow to unbind myself from my binder addiction. Today, I declare: I will not bring another three-ring binder into our home!
I feel much better already. So does Boris!
Inspired Back Home
We're back from Bodega Bay. The memory of a three-day weekend away is quickly fading as we return to the reality of day-to-day work.
Ugh.
While a Tuesday that feels like a Monday is a bit of a challenge for us both, it's also an inspiration. We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ready to go. With this last trip, where we set ourselves up for towing, everything is set for us to hit the road...except one thing.
THE HOUSE.
That's the reality for us today as we return to work. The only thing standing between us and the road right now is the sale of this 2100 sq. ft. space we call home. We can purge more here and there (and we will), but the lynchpin in this plan is selling this house to someone else who would enjoy this place with a view and would be willing to fork over the dollars to call it home.
We are all over it.
It'll take some time, of course. But, we cannot and will not be distracted. We will ready this house for a swift and profitable sale. And, we'll do it as quickly as possible. With that, we'll quit these jobs of ours and hit the road.
It's amazing how inspiring a couple of days on the road can be!
Ugh.
While a Tuesday that feels like a Monday is a bit of a challenge for us both, it's also an inspiration. We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ready to go. With this last trip, where we set ourselves up for towing, everything is set for us to hit the road...except one thing.
THE HOUSE.
That's the reality for us today as we return to work. The only thing standing between us and the road right now is the sale of this 2100 sq. ft. space we call home. We can purge more here and there (and we will), but the lynchpin in this plan is selling this house to someone else who would enjoy this place with a view and would be willing to fork over the dollars to call it home.
We are all over it.
It'll take some time, of course. But, we cannot and will not be distracted. We will ready this house for a swift and profitable sale. And, we'll do it as quickly as possible. With that, we'll quit these jobs of ours and hit the road.
It's amazing how inspiring a couple of days on the road can be!
Coffee Break
First things first, we both like coffee. It's a must have first thing every morning. If we don't, let's just say things can get ugly.
On this, our second and last morning at Bodega Bay, we were pleased to see the weather forecasters were wrong once again. The morning low was nothing like the 37 they predicted. It was more like 52. Bullwinkle was warm and cozy and we were in need of that first cup of java.
I found my way to the kitchen and got the coffee going. We waited for the sound of the steaming water and the smell of the freshly brewed good stuff.
Nothing.
We put our two cloudy brains together and tried to remedy the situation. Unlike our smart heating system, our coffee maker was broken.
Panic ensued.
OK, not really. Thankfully, we spotted a little coffee house near the entrance to the campground. So, Boris made the short trek to pick up a couple of emergency backup cups.
Crisis averted.
We added a trip to Walmart to our list of to-dos today. After enjoying some fresh dungeness crab for lunch and soaking up the sun in Bodega Bay, we headed inland to find a new coffee maker and a couple of other things we just couldn't live without. The new unit is setup and programmed to turn itself on early tomorrow. Let's hope this one lasts more than 35 mornings and a couple of thousand miles.
The best news tonight is there shall be coffee tomorrow!
On this, our second and last morning at Bodega Bay, we were pleased to see the weather forecasters were wrong once again. The morning low was nothing like the 37 they predicted. It was more like 52. Bullwinkle was warm and cozy and we were in need of that first cup of java.
I found my way to the kitchen and got the coffee going. We waited for the sound of the steaming water and the smell of the freshly brewed good stuff.
Nothing.
We put our two cloudy brains together and tried to remedy the situation. Unlike our smart heating system, our coffee maker was broken.
Panic ensued.
OK, not really. Thankfully, we spotted a little coffee house near the entrance to the campground. So, Boris made the short trek to pick up a couple of emergency backup cups.
Crisis averted.
We added a trip to Walmart to our list of to-dos today. After enjoying some fresh dungeness crab for lunch and soaking up the sun in Bodega Bay, we headed inland to find a new coffee maker and a couple of other things we just couldn't live without. The new unit is setup and programmed to turn itself on early tomorrow. Let's hope this one lasts more than 35 mornings and a couple of thousand miles.
The best news tonight is there shall be coffee tomorrow!
One Smart Moose
We're basking in summer-like weather in Bodega Bay. And, no, we're not complaining.
Ironically, today's tale on the road to fulltiming is a chilly one.
Last night's forecast called for a comfortable overnight low of 41 degrees. Since we were making a brief overnight stop, we didn't setup anything we didn't need. Propane was one. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer was two. Confident our trusty electric heat pump would keep us warm at any outside temp above the low 30s, we set the thermostat at a comfy temp and called it a night.
Just before sunrise we woke up to one chilly moose. Boris bumped up the thermostat on the heat pump. Nothing. Together we realized the heat had not run for several hours. Convinced the heat pump or thermostat was broken, he flipped the switch to gas heat. It fired right up.
"But, that's not going to do us any good," Boris said. "We didn't turn on the propane."
Boris made a beeline for the great outdoors to turn on the propane.
"It's cold out there!" he proclaimed.
How cold? With the gas furnace finally firing, he grabbed the indoor/outdoor thermometer and put the probe on the outside step. The rapidly falling digits finally settled on 32 degrees.
Ohhhh! Turns out it got too cold for the heat pump to keep us warm. When the heat pump can't do it's job, the gas furnace fires up automatically. Without any fuel, our gas furnace gave it up and shut down the whole system.
We were relieved to discover our heating system wasn't broken. It was smart.
Tonight's forecast calls for a low of 37. And, yes, the propane is on.
Ironically, today's tale on the road to fulltiming is a chilly one.
Last night's forecast called for a comfortable overnight low of 41 degrees. Since we were making a brief overnight stop, we didn't setup anything we didn't need. Propane was one. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer was two. Confident our trusty electric heat pump would keep us warm at any outside temp above the low 30s, we set the thermostat at a comfy temp and called it a night.
Just before sunrise we woke up to one chilly moose. Boris bumped up the thermostat on the heat pump. Nothing. Together we realized the heat had not run for several hours. Convinced the heat pump or thermostat was broken, he flipped the switch to gas heat. It fired right up.
"But, that's not going to do us any good," Boris said. "We didn't turn on the propane."
Boris made a beeline for the great outdoors to turn on the propane.
"It's cold out there!" he proclaimed.
How cold? With the gas furnace finally firing, he grabbed the indoor/outdoor thermometer and put the probe on the outside step. The rapidly falling digits finally settled on 32 degrees.
Ohhhh! Turns out it got too cold for the heat pump to keep us warm. When the heat pump can't do it's job, the gas furnace fires up automatically. Without any fuel, our gas furnace gave it up and shut down the whole system.
We were relieved to discover our heating system wasn't broken. It was smart.
Tonight's forecast calls for a low of 37. And, yes, the propane is on.
We're Towin'
We're settled in, kicking off the holiday weekend with an overnight at the Petaluma KOA. We chose this campground because it's 3 miles away from the site of some very important activity. Just down the road we pumped some significant dough into the ailing economy this afternoon and got Rocky, our Jeep, and Bullwinkle outfitted for towing.
Boris did all the research on this vital purchase. He's relayed the essential info. Rocky is freshly outfitted with a Blue Ox baseplate. Bullwinkle's backend features a Blue Ox Aladdin towbar. And, the two share a US Gear unified tow brake and controller.
We started our day with a half day of work. Before the clock struck noon, we bolted home for a quick lunch, threw our stuff in the car and headed off to the moose. By just after 2 pm we were pulling into the dealership in Petaluma. We met up with Rocky, which we'd dropped off Wednesday night. His work was complete. Our Jeep was looking pretty fierce with his tow gear!
Bullwinkle was pulled into the service area where Steve, our highly skilled and very friendly service tech, went to work. Off came our bike rack and on went a drop hitch receiver, a mighty fancy looking towbar and a bunch of cables. Then he installed the brake controller at the dash.
Meanwhile, Boris and I toured several fancy coaches on the sales lot. They were beautiful, but none of them wowed us like our Bullwinkle!
As late afternoon became evening, Steve had everything installed and put us through our paces with hitching and unhitching, testing tail lights, brake lights and turn signals and disengaging and engaging Rocky's transfer case. (Not in that order, of course.) At last, we had everything hooked up and pulled away in the twilight. Thankfully, our stop for the night was just a few minutes away. Our squirrel followed our moose like a champ.
We pulled into the cheery KOA and our very long and level pull through. (Gotta love it!) By the light of our trusty flashlight, we unhooked Rocky and set up Bullwinkle. If we can do this in the dark, we're ready to do this anywhere! With everything set, we hopped in our toad and went grocery shopping. (Really gotta love that!)
Tonight we're celebrating another milestone in our fulltiming preparations. With Rocky behind us, Bullwinkle can take us anywhere and we can do anything. We are one giant step closer to realizing our dream!
Tomorrow morning, Boris will hop in the Jeep and run to our stick house, pick up the cats and bring them "home" to Bullwinkle. Then, we'll set out on an extended weekend adventure.
Lots more to come!
Boris did all the research on this vital purchase. He's relayed the essential info. Rocky is freshly outfitted with a Blue Ox baseplate. Bullwinkle's backend features a Blue Ox Aladdin towbar. And, the two share a US Gear unified tow brake and controller.
We started our day with a half day of work. Before the clock struck noon, we bolted home for a quick lunch, threw our stuff in the car and headed off to the moose. By just after 2 pm we were pulling into the dealership in Petaluma. We met up with Rocky, which we'd dropped off Wednesday night. His work was complete. Our Jeep was looking pretty fierce with his tow gear!
Bullwinkle was pulled into the service area where Steve, our highly skilled and very friendly service tech, went to work. Off came our bike rack and on went a drop hitch receiver, a mighty fancy looking towbar and a bunch of cables. Then he installed the brake controller at the dash.
Meanwhile, Boris and I toured several fancy coaches on the sales lot. They were beautiful, but none of them wowed us like our Bullwinkle!
As late afternoon became evening, Steve had everything installed and put us through our paces with hitching and unhitching, testing tail lights, brake lights and turn signals and disengaging and engaging Rocky's transfer case. (Not in that order, of course.) At last, we had everything hooked up and pulled away in the twilight. Thankfully, our stop for the night was just a few minutes away. Our squirrel followed our moose like a champ.
We pulled into the cheery KOA and our very long and level pull through. (Gotta love it!) By the light of our trusty flashlight, we unhooked Rocky and set up Bullwinkle. If we can do this in the dark, we're ready to do this anywhere! With everything set, we hopped in our toad and went grocery shopping. (Really gotta love that!)
Tonight we're celebrating another milestone in our fulltiming preparations. With Rocky behind us, Bullwinkle can take us anywhere and we can do anything. We are one giant step closer to realizing our dream!
Tomorrow morning, Boris will hop in the Jeep and run to our stick house, pick up the cats and bring them "home" to Bullwinkle. Then, we'll set out on an extended weekend adventure.
Lots more to come!
Eyes on the Prize
The eyes had it today. Boris and I started the day with a trip to the eye doctor. It's one of our many medical "to-dos" this month. (Before we get too far down this fulltiming road, we want to make sure we check out OK!) We both passed the exam with flying colors and quite correctable sight. The only downside was trying to work with pupils the size of dimes all day!
Later at work I was dealt a card or two that - if I still cared - would have sent me spinning. Instead, I did my best to remain emotionally disconnected and just go with the flow. Boris has been dealing with similar situations lately, and he's doing his best to do the same.
Tonight, as we relieved our tired dilated eyes with a cocktail, we gave thanks that we have crafted our fulltiming plan. Without it, we'd be tossing about like boats on a choppy sea. As we expressed our gratitude, Boris spoke the words of our dear readers, friends and inspiring fulltimers Gordon and Juanita. Their words have become a powerful mantra that get us through days like this.
"Keep your eyes on the prize."
Yes, there may be fancy new frames in our future, but that's our singular focus these days, without a doubt.
And, what a prize it is!
Later at work I was dealt a card or two that - if I still cared - would have sent me spinning. Instead, I did my best to remain emotionally disconnected and just go with the flow. Boris has been dealing with similar situations lately, and he's doing his best to do the same.
Tonight, as we relieved our tired dilated eyes with a cocktail, we gave thanks that we have crafted our fulltiming plan. Without it, we'd be tossing about like boats on a choppy sea. As we expressed our gratitude, Boris spoke the words of our dear readers, friends and inspiring fulltimers Gordon and Juanita. Their words have become a powerful mantra that get us through days like this.
"Keep your eyes on the prize."
Yes, there may be fancy new frames in our future, but that's our singular focus these days, without a doubt.
And, what a prize it is!
Reactions
We're wrapping up a stay-at-home weekend that featured the usual purging and shredding. RV weekends are lots more fun! But, it's great to see some significant progress on our road to fulltiming. Our household inventory project is nearly finished, and I managed to assemble the first row of 9 in my it's-gotta-be-done-before-we-go monster quilt project. We also checked out one possible nearby campground that we might park ourselves in while the house is on the market. So much to do! We're getting there.
While our bodies were busy, our minds reflected on the many conversations we've had with friends recently where we've announced our fulltiming plans. (For a couple of people who are trying to keep our plans under wraps, we're sure talking about it alot!) While it's always fun to share this news, we're beginning to be more intrigued with the reaction we get.
The reactions tend to fall into one of two categories: "I don't get it" or "I want to do that."
When we hear "Sounds fun", we now think that really means "I don't get (or really care) what you're doing." And, since we've limited these conversations to family and very close friends, our money is on the fact that they don't understand. And, that's understandable!
One very recent conversation went something like this:
Natasha: "We're going to sell the house and most of our possessions, load up the RV and travel around the country for a few years."
Friend: "That sounds fun."
Having heard that response more than a time or two, I waited for the next comment:
Friend: "What are you going to do with your house?"
Was she not listening or not understanding? The flurry of questions that followed led me to believe she very much wanted to understand more about what we're up to. I answered her every question. Minutes later I heard the other type of response we hear.
Friend: "Wow! That would really be something to do. Good for you!"
That's one variation of the "I want to do that" response. A recent favorite was "You're living my dream!" While those responses are tad more encouraging than "Sounds fun", there's something very affirming in them. Maybe it's the recognition that we all have something that deep-down in our souls we really want to do. And, it's a special joy to see someone else following their soul's yearning. In those joyful moments there's more than encouragement and affirmation.
It's heart-warming.
While our bodies were busy, our minds reflected on the many conversations we've had with friends recently where we've announced our fulltiming plans. (For a couple of people who are trying to keep our plans under wraps, we're sure talking about it alot!) While it's always fun to share this news, we're beginning to be more intrigued with the reaction we get.
The reactions tend to fall into one of two categories: "I don't get it" or "I want to do that."
When we hear "Sounds fun", we now think that really means "I don't get (or really care) what you're doing." And, since we've limited these conversations to family and very close friends, our money is on the fact that they don't understand. And, that's understandable!
One very recent conversation went something like this:
Natasha: "We're going to sell the house and most of our possessions, load up the RV and travel around the country for a few years."
Friend: "That sounds fun."
Having heard that response more than a time or two, I waited for the next comment:
Friend: "What are you going to do with your house?"
Was she not listening or not understanding? The flurry of questions that followed led me to believe she very much wanted to understand more about what we're up to. I answered her every question. Minutes later I heard the other type of response we hear.
Friend: "Wow! That would really be something to do. Good for you!"
That's one variation of the "I want to do that" response. A recent favorite was "You're living my dream!" While those responses are tad more encouraging than "Sounds fun", there's something very affirming in them. Maybe it's the recognition that we all have something that deep-down in our souls we really want to do. And, it's a special joy to see someone else following their soul's yearning. In those joyful moments there's more than encouragement and affirmation.
It's heart-warming.
A Little Bit Every Day
One week into our new year of soon-to-be fulltiming, we're pleased with our progress. We've scheduled doctor's appointments of various shapes and sizes, made great progress on our household inventory project, thrown more stuff away and made an appointment to get set up for towing.
Yep. In a week or so Bullwinkle and Rocky will finally be together. We have a date to get Rocky, our Jeep and toad-to-be setup with a tow bar and braking system. The next day we'll load up the cats and stuff in Bullwinkle for a holiday weekend of camping and meet up with Rocky and hook the moose up with what it needs to tow. Then, we'll hook everything together and roll.
There's much more to do this month, of course. But, so far we're more than happy to be a accomplishing a little bit every day.
Yep. In a week or so Bullwinkle and Rocky will finally be together. We have a date to get Rocky, our Jeep and toad-to-be setup with a tow bar and braking system. The next day we'll load up the cats and stuff in Bullwinkle for a holiday weekend of camping and meet up with Rocky and hook the moose up with what it needs to tow. Then, we'll hook everything together and roll.
There's much more to do this month, of course. But, so far we're more than happy to be a accomplishing a little bit every day.
Sentimental Inventory
With the holidays behind us, we are full speed ahead on our mission to get ready for fulltiming. There is so much to do this month it makes our heads spin. But, it's all good.
One of our first to-dos is to "put away" Christmas. We didn't get much stuff out for our last "stick and brick" Christmas, sad to say. A day or two before Christmas we hung a wreath I made years ago over the fireplace and we managed to pull out our little
allegedly 6-foot artifical tree that we bought the week before Christmas 10 years ago for less than 10 bucks because we were too tired to lug our 12-foot monster tree out of the basement and decorate it.
You see, many things -- especially holiday things -- have a story behind them.
Well, last night I pulled the final plug on that little tree and, I must admit, I got a little sentimental. (So sentimental, in fact, I took pictures of the scrawny little thing.) We'll take that tree down tomorrow or the next day and put it out with the trash. Then, we'll go through our collection of ornaments and decide what to keep and toss. Most will go. A few sentimental favorites will go to storage. Each and every one of them will have a story that we will treasure.
Tonight, we embarked on another chapter of our household inventory project. We're making a list of all of our household possessions, room by room, and will soon decide what we'll keep, store, trash or give away. Tonight we tackled the kitchen. In just under an hour we moved from cabinet to cabinet and made note of what was in each. Tucked away in dark crevices we found presents from Christmases past, wedding gifts and some stuff either one of us never knew we had. Each of them had a story.
We're pleased to report that during this process there were more than a few things that we immediately decided to toss. So, Boris is feeling particularly satisfied with this project as it met his minimum daily requirement for 2009: to throw something away every day.
Eventually, we'll decide what to do with it all. It's all part of the process. But, today it's been a sentimental inventory.
One of our first to-dos is to "put away" Christmas. We didn't get much stuff out for our last "stick and brick" Christmas, sad to say. A day or two before Christmas we hung a wreath I made years ago over the fireplace and we managed to pull out our little
allegedly 6-foot artifical tree that we bought the week before Christmas 10 years ago for less than 10 bucks because we were too tired to lug our 12-foot monster tree out of the basement and decorate it.
You see, many things -- especially holiday things -- have a story behind them.
Well, last night I pulled the final plug on that little tree and, I must admit, I got a little sentimental. (So sentimental, in fact, I took pictures of the scrawny little thing.) We'll take that tree down tomorrow or the next day and put it out with the trash. Then, we'll go through our collection of ornaments and decide what to keep and toss. Most will go. A few sentimental favorites will go to storage. Each and every one of them will have a story that we will treasure.
Tonight, we embarked on another chapter of our household inventory project. We're making a list of all of our household possessions, room by room, and will soon decide what we'll keep, store, trash or give away. Tonight we tackled the kitchen. In just under an hour we moved from cabinet to cabinet and made note of what was in each. Tucked away in dark crevices we found presents from Christmases past, wedding gifts and some stuff either one of us never knew we had. Each of them had a story.
We're pleased to report that during this process there were more than a few things that we immediately decided to toss. So, Boris is feeling particularly satisfied with this project as it met his minimum daily requirement for 2009: to throw something away every day.
Eventually, we'll decide what to do with it all. It's all part of the process. But, today it's been a sentimental inventory.
Life at the Rancheria
We're settling in for night 2 of 2 at Jackson Rancheria. Details of this trip, though there aren't many, are at Bullwinkle's Place. The headline for this blog, however, is: WE STILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY.
With thoughts of quitting on Monday dancing through our heads, we checked out the casino late this afternoon. We are so not casino people, mind you. But, we thought it was worth a small investment to see if, by some astronomically unlikely chance, we could hit a jackpot that would make our post-holiday return to work optional. Fifteen dollars and fifteen minutes at the quarter slots proved otherwise. Oh well, you can't win if you don't play.
We're so glad we planned this little two-night getaway for the tail end of our holiday break. It was just what we needed to start our fulltiming year. It's a good feeling to start the year in our moose!
This has also been our first real foray into cold weather camping. Here in the Sierra Nevada foothills it's been chilly. Last night's low was a nippy 28-degrees. Sometime in the very wee hours, our awning retracted on its own, which gave us quite a stir. After a few puzzling moments, I remembered reading that the thing automatically comes in when the temperature approaches freezing. (I honestly never thought that would apply to us!) We checked our outdoor thermometer and, viola, we were there. Mystery solved.
We've also learned lots about how our heat pump and gas furnace work. Tonight we'll likely need them both as the forecast calls for another night in the 20s, and the temp was below freezing before we started dinner. Boris has a big to-do before we sleep tonight -- unhook the water hose.
With a pot of hearty red beans and rice on the stove, we're ready to concede our gambling losses and enjoy another night in our comfy cozy moose. As Boris pointed out, we've already spent more nights in 2009 in the RV than we have out of it.
Let's hope that's the beginning of a long-running trend.
With thoughts of quitting on Monday dancing through our heads, we checked out the casino late this afternoon. We are so not casino people, mind you. But, we thought it was worth a small investment to see if, by some astronomically unlikely chance, we could hit a jackpot that would make our post-holiday return to work optional. Fifteen dollars and fifteen minutes at the quarter slots proved otherwise. Oh well, you can't win if you don't play.
We're so glad we planned this little two-night getaway for the tail end of our holiday break. It was just what we needed to start our fulltiming year. It's a good feeling to start the year in our moose!
This has also been our first real foray into cold weather camping. Here in the Sierra Nevada foothills it's been chilly. Last night's low was a nippy 28-degrees. Sometime in the very wee hours, our awning retracted on its own, which gave us quite a stir. After a few puzzling moments, I remembered reading that the thing automatically comes in when the temperature approaches freezing. (I honestly never thought that would apply to us!) We checked our outdoor thermometer and, viola, we were there. Mystery solved.
We've also learned lots about how our heat pump and gas furnace work. Tonight we'll likely need them both as the forecast calls for another night in the 20s, and the temp was below freezing before we started dinner. Boris has a big to-do before we sleep tonight -- unhook the water hose.
With a pot of hearty red beans and rice on the stove, we're ready to concede our gambling losses and enjoy another night in our comfy cozy moose. As Boris pointed out, we've already spent more nights in 2009 in the RV than we have out of it.
Let's hope that's the beginning of a long-running trend.
Happy New Year!
With the turn of the calendar to 2009, we're back home briefly from our far away family holiday travels.
Today is special in so many ways:
Today is special in so many ways:
- This is THE YEAR we become fulltimers. It's no longer a "next year" thing.
- We're still employed, so we'll receive another year of retirement plan contributions. Yippee!
- We're reminded how much we really hate to travel by air. The sooner we're traveling by motor coach, the better.
2009 promises to be 365 days of fun, adventure and change.
Cheers!
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