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!
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.
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