Island Life

Greetings from beautiful Port Aransas, Texas!

We left dark and dreary Livingston yesterday morning and noticed our mood and spirits brighten as we were greeted by the bright blue skies of the Texas coastal bend. I think we're finally thawing out!

We're spending the next month at Pioneer Beach Resort, on the Gulf side of the highway on the south end of "PA". Shortly after we were settled into our comfy back-in site we made the three-minute walk to the beach.

A sunny shore, temps approaching 70 and a rather rare gentle Gulf breeze on a Saturday afternoon in January. This is paradise.

THIS is why we became fulltimers!

Of course, we knew not every day would be a day at the beach. But, after the winter we've had, we're ready to enjoy a month of days like this.

Cheers!

Rainbow's End

We're wrapping up our stay here in Livingston. We can't believe it's been 10 days already! If we had to describe our stay here in one word, we'd choose "interesting".

After all, it's interesting to come to a place that sure sounds like home every time you give somebody your address, even though you've never set foot in the city limits. We were curious what we'd find here.

Livingston came to be our home address shortly after we joined Escapees. When we decided to make Texas our residency, we signed up for their mail forwarding service and put a stop at Rainbow's End, the Escapees headquarters, on our travel agenda. Not only were we eager to see this place we called home, but we had some important business to attend to, like inspections, voter and vehicle registration and - someday - new driver's licenses.

We've made the campground at Rainbow's End our home during our stay. Located six miles south of Livingston and 70 miles north of Houston, it's basically in the middle of nowhere. It's a fine park. Nothing fancy, of course, but it gets the job done. There are lots of activities planned during the week, including a daily social hour at 4 PM. We had intentions of making it to at least one, but we never did. We did, however, manage to take a tour of Rainbow's End, which was - like the rest of our stay - interesting.

We have walked the grounds on our own plenty while we've been here. But, the tour gave us a bit of history and behind the scenes information we otherwise would have missed. We saw where our mail gets handled, and even spotted our very own folder! With some 30,000 customers in its mail forwarding program, our guide informed us that Escapees handles more mail every day than the town of Livingston. And, with that kind of volume, the United States Post Office awarded Escapees its very own Zip Code!

Other highlights of the tour included the CARE facility, a licensed day care center for Escapees who need help with day-to-day activities, and an explanation of the different accommodations in the park. There are overnight sites, like ours, long-term lease sites, ERPU sites and deeded lots. As our guide explained, zoning is pretty much non-existent in these parts, so you'll find anything and everything on a deeded lot. Like I said, it's an interesting place.

One stop on the tour was the current home of Joe and Kay Peterson, Escapees' founders. We've never been the type to gawk at houses of the rich and famous, so this stop was a bit uncomfortable. Our guide reminded us not once, not twice, but three times not to knock on Joe and Kay's door. Like we would do that! Seems some Escapees view a visit to Rainbow's End as a trip to Mecca, and the chance to meet Joe and Kay is one not to be missed. Really? Well, not us. We respect these two as visionary entrepreneurs with a penchant for real estate development in a very specific, and smart, market niche. But, they're far from rock stars in our book. They can rest comfortably knowing we won't be knocking on their door!

Another interesting stop, in an awkward way, was our visit to the Escapees staff office. Normally, tour groups are met by an Escapees executive who extends a welcome and explains a bit of history about the organization. Our guide couldn't locate an executive, and found a lovely staffer who stepped out to meet us and chat for a bit. We appreciated her time, but we were a bit put off by a message scribbled outside the Executive Director's door. It read: "SUPER BUSY. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL." Those words sent our guide searching for someone else to talk to us. Now, just as we had no expectations to meet the organization's founders on our tour, we didn't expect to meet the Executive Director either. That said, Escapees IS a membership organization. And, these tours are on the calendar two times each week. You'd think the Executive Director, if she was in the office, could free up her calendar to meet with members for a few minutes.

Yep, we felt pretty important.

And, little did this SUPER BUSY lady know that we wouldn't call or email. Instead, we'd POST SOMETHING ON OUR BLOG! See what happens when super busy executives don't make time for customers who have plenty of time on their hands?

(OK. I'll drop it!)

The most pleasant part of our stay here at Rainbow's End has been our fellow campers. Here everyone - and we mean everyone - smiles and waves. And, heck, the people at the office will even give you a hug! Yep, here, it's definitely the people who make the place.

After spending a week or so here in rural Texas, we've thoroughly checked out the place we're calling home these days. And, while it's a fine place to visit, we're pretty darn sure we'll never actually live here.

Tested

After a quick review of our driver's license handbook, we gathered our completed forms and proper documentation and headed back to the local office of the Texas Department of Public Safety for step one of the driver's licensing process: the written test.

As luck would have it, the same unfriendly face we met on Friday was behind the counter again today. For nearly an hour we watched as she put the four people in line ahead of us through the same routine. She even smiled once or twice! We were optimistic that today's visit would be a bit warmer.

Paul stepped first to the counter. I listened as he briefly explained that he was there to obtain a Class B - Non CDL license.

"Show me all your stuff," she quipped dryly. Paul identified each piece of identification and documentation required by the state. With the stack of stuff piled in front of her she looked up and dropped a bomb.

"Lemme tell you something," she started. "It'll be sometime next week before we can schedule your driving test. We're already booked for this week."

Say whaaaat?

With reservations for a month by the beach beginning this Friday, hanging around for "sometime" next week is not on our agenda. She grumbled something about going to another office to see if we could take it sooner and mentioned something about a list in the back of the handbook.

Now, keep in mind, we stopped by this very office on Friday and inquired with this same less than cheerful soul. She told us then that if we took the test today we'd probably get in for the driving test within the next couple of days. But, she didn't know when they were scheduling tests for this week.

Geez.

With that we decided this was not the place where we would take our tests. We gathered our stuff and went back to the Jeep to suss things out. I started dialing DPS offices between here and Port Aransas to see who offers tests when. The answers varied, but one thing became clear. Nobody will schedule a driving exam. It's roll the dice and take your chances.

In time our heart rate and respiration returned to normal. And, with that, came clarity.

We don't have to take our test in this town or even this county. We just have to take it in Texas. And, we have to take the written and driving tests in the same place. And, based on our experience, it's best to do that in a place where you are planning to spend some time. So, we'll add this to our agenda during our month at the beach. And, if we don't get to it then, we'll take care of it during our six weeks in the Rio Grande Valley.

Meanwhile, our California licenses are valid and legal for driving a motorhome the size of our moose. And, as we read in our studies, if a valid out-of-state license covers the vehicle you're driving in Texas, you're covered.

Looks like it'll be awhile before we're totally Texafied. Turns out the only thing that was tested today was our patience.

A Timely Death

We're enjoying a quiet night here at Rainbow's End. Our Sunday was sunny with bearable temperatures. If you disregard the fact that our #1 ranked undefeated basketball team was defeated today, it was a pretty good day. We've studied for tomorrow's driver's license tests and feel pretty prepared. We're definitely ready for a new week.

Then, there was the rather timely death.

Tonight is the last cold night forecasted in these parts for awhile. Paul unhooked the water and we prepared to hunker down one last time. What visions we had of our fulltiming adventures being about chasing the 70-degree temps have long since been dashed. We were thrilled at the prospect of spending just one more night in sub-freezing temperatures. When the heat pump could no longer keep up we went to our trusty Lasko ceramic heater we purchased in Kansas City. Paul hit the switch.

Nothing. No cheerful little beep. No friendly warm red light. Nothing.

Yes, our dependable little Lasko is dead. After getting us through the brutal single digits of Kansas this ceramic heater has breathed its last breath. For 50 or 60 bucks it provided us with nearly two months of supplemental heat. And, for that, we are so grateful. Sooooo grateful.

With one of our two supplemental heat sources out of commission, we quickly sized up the situation. We have half a tank of propane. That's 15 gallons and a bunch of BTUs. The fireplace is still pumping out heat, and with an overnight low forecast in the teens we'll be just fine. No need to make an emergency run to Walmart tonight for a new heater. After this early winter of unseasonably cold weather we will not freeze to death.

Did this little heater know that it was just days away from being declared dead weight? How did it know? It's one of the mysteries of life, to be sure.

Thank you little Lasko. You served us well.

Services are pending.

Logistics

We have a fair amount of business to attend to while we're here in Livingston. And, we're pleased to report, we are getting down to it. With reservations down the road one week from today, we've been here just long enough to figure out the what, where and when of everything we need to do while we're here. The "when", it turns out, is very important learning. After all, we've discovered, there's an order to these things.

Here in Texas you need to register all of your vehicles before you apply for your driver's license. And, you need to get your vehicle inspected before it's registered. And, if you want to register to vote, you can do that at anytime along the way. Because our moose weighs more than 26,000 pounds, we have an extra item to contend with. We both have to take a written test and a driving test with our 40-foot home on wheels. And, adding another wrinkle into this complex story problem, you can't schedule your driving test until you've passed the written one.

Yes, it's all about logistics.

So, the first step in this Texas-sized logistical nightmare is to get our vehicles licensed. Since the moose is new, we ordered his plates when we landed in Kansas City and they arrived just before we left the frozen north. He still needs an inspection, but that's not exactly a simple task. So, today, we decided to take care of our nimble little Jeep.

The other day we stopped by the DMV to see what our adopted home state needed to register the squirrel. There a very helpful woman walked us through the steps and recommended spots to get the requisite inspections. So, this afternoon we headed to Harrison's Body Shop for a quick inspection. The Jeep passed with flying colors, of course. So, we made a beeline a mile or so down the road to the DMV to get registered. Another very helpful woman made fairly quick work of the process that was far less costly than it ever was in California. With new Texas tags in hand, we returned to Rainbow's End where Paul peeled off the California plates, the last vestiges of our lives on the West Coast, and attached the numbered pieces of metal to make our squirrel a Texan.

That was easy!

Now, to the matter of getting ourselves licensed. After our visit to the DMV the other day, we stopped by the Law Enforcement Center and checked in to see what it takes to get a driver's license in these parts. There we met the only non-friendly Texan we've ever met. With a soap-filled TV blaring in the background she paid us just enough attention to irritate us all. She couldn't (or wouldn't) tell us when driving tests will be administered next week, so we took the application forms and handbook and decided we'll study over the weekend and plan to take the written test on Monday. We'll cross our fingers that we can both get our driving tests scheduled at the same time the next day or so. And, since our vehicle does just so happen to be our home, we're hoping we can take care of the inspection and driving tests in one - count 'em, one - outing.

After all that, here we sit in our quiet campground on a Friday night sharing a copy of the Texas Driver's Handbook. Despite what we've witnessed, turns out there actually are speed limits in the state, and turn signals are not optional. Who knew? This weekend's chilly forecast will provide the perfect venue for us to review the material and be test-ready come Monday.

Wish us luck!

Halfway

It's a noteworthy day around here.

Livingston is bracing for record-breaking lows in the teens tonight. We realize this is big news in these parts, but for us it's, happily, a non-event. Our event d'jour is the celebration of our first six months of fulltiming!

Yes, a mere six months ago today we left the crazy but comfortable confines of the San Francisco Bay for the fun and freedom of life on the road. What a memorable half a year it's been.

We've visited 21 states and covered some 7,770 miles as we traveled coast to coast and halfway back. We've made 37 stops, all at campgrounds or parks. No boondocking for us yet! We've stayed at two places twice. Striking the averages with those stats, we've moved every five days and our typical travel day covers 210 miles. Thankfully, those miles have been essentially trouble free.

The miles have been memorable, indeed. We've met wonderful people, seen stunning places and enjoyed tasty treats along the way. We've enjoyed all kinds of weather, much of it record breaking. We've spent time reconnecting with friends and family. It's been wonderful.

Much of this first six months has been spent adjusting to new stuff. We spent the first few months adjusting to our new lifestyle. About the time we were getting comfortable with that we bought a new motorhome, which has us adjusting to more new stuff. While it's been more than a bit stressful at times, it's all good.

As we look forward to the second half of our newbie year, we want to share what we consider the funniest moment of the first half. For some reason, it didn't make the blog when it happened. But, we'll bring it to you now.

Our Funniest Moment

Date: November 17

Place: Bristol-Kingsport KOA

Time: Just after 11PM

After our first full day of driving our new moose, we settled in for an overnight at this quiet little campground in the hills of eastern Tennessee. Snug in our pull-through with campers on either side of us, we readied for bed. Suddenly we were startled by the unending blast of an air horn, and it was ours! I did a one-second 40-foot dash to the front of our new motorhome to find our girl kitty sitting happily on the steering wheel, oblivious to the commotion she was creating. I grabbed the cat and silence returned to the campground. Afraid of how our sleeping neighbors might react, we waited quietly inside the next morning until they rolled away.

Sure, we laugh about it all...now.

Here's to a second half of our rookie year that is as memorable and as fun as the first.

Cheers!

Day 7

Coming of age in the 1970s, one of my favorite TV shows was The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Each Saturday night I'd tune in for a glimpse of life as a young, independent, professional woman. Mary Richards was the gal I wanted to become one day. Except I never, ever wanted to live in Minneapolis. Still don't.

I picked up all kinds of bits of wisdom watching that show. The most pertinent to today was a piece of advice Mary's mom shared with her about the common cold. "It's three days coming, three days with you, and three days going," she said. Since then, every time I feel a cold coming on, I start counting the days. Time and time again, Mary's mom's words have proven themselves true.

Today is Day 7.

At last this big bad cold bug is finally on it's way out. I've emerged from a Benadryl fog, and the last three days are a blur. I've literally blown through two boxes of Kleenex and slept more hours than I've been awake. The few hours I was awake I spent most with our family here, increasing the odds that soon they'll catch the thing, too.

What a way to start a new year!

We postponed our departure for Livingston until tomorrow to give me a much needed day of rest. By tomorrow, Day 8, I'll be ready to roll. And, that's a good thing. There's another arctic blast on its way that's expected to reach south Texas by Thursday. Of course, that same arctic blast is supposed to bury Kansas City in temperatures that are double digits below zero. So, we'll happily take an overnight temperature of 20 degrees in Livingston. When it comes to being warm in the winter, it's all relative.

In our first six months of fulltiming we've seemed to attract record-breaking weather wherever we go. Here's hoping the next six months are far less eventful!