It's been a long time since we've stored a moose.
We took our original Bullwinkle out of storage four years ago tomorrow. One of the things I remember celebrating that day was that we no longer had to squeeze our wide body moose into that skinny little spot. We haven't missed it a bit!
Well, in four years, our moose got bigger. And, apparently, storage spots have become even skinnier. (It couldn't possibly be that we are out of practice!)
Our big moose has spent the last month at Cummins Coach Care for some general maintenance and fixin' up. When we dropped him off there we told them to take their time, as we - for once - were in no hurry. At the start of Summer, Cummins can be a busy place. Between that, and waiting on the Winnebago to send a correct part, this service appointment took awhile. When we got the call last week that the moose was ready to roll, we scheduled to pick him up yesterday afternoon.
We have really missed him! Even though we've been too busy settling in to go anywhere, we were a bit bummed knowing we couldn't because Bullwinkle was away. One of the advantages of becoming Anytime RVers is enjoying the "best of both worlds". We've been so wrapped up in the fixed house world, we are eager for at least a short trip to the other world. Soon. Very soon!
When we arrived at Cummins mid-afternoon, our moose was sitting out front waiting for us. We paid the bill, hooked the squirrel to the moose and made our maiden voyage to Bullwinkle's new storage spot.
The less-than-an-hour drive was a wonderful flashback. It was mostly city driving, which we really try to avoid, but it felt great to be looking at the world through that big Imax window. It's quite a ride.
As tempted as we were to swing by the house, pick up the cats and keep on driving, we kept on course and faced the moment of truth. Paul piloted the moose and squirrel through the skinny little entrance gate with ease. Once inside the storage facility, he had plenty of room to maneuver Bullwinkle around his new neighborhood and find a spot to unhook.
While Paul was separating the squirrel from the moose, I surveyed our storage spot. It was as skinny as I remembered! There's a large boat on one side and a wall on the other. The wall is supported by three or four posts that sit on large concrete blocks that would make mincemeat of fiberglass in a hurry. These menacing blocks and the big boat were separated by barely 10 feet of empty space. Unlike the angled storage spot we moved out of four years ago, this one requires a sharp 90-degree turn to enter.
In travel mode, our moose is 8.5 feet wide, not including mirrors. At 40 feet long, he doesn't exactly turn on a dime.
Therein lies our parking challenge!
We sussed out the situation. Every coach in the place was parked "nose in", so we decided to follow our neighbors' lead. This would take teamwork and patience. Thankfully, we have plenty of both.
We have parked our moose a couple hundred times. It took every bit of experience we have acquired over the course of those successful landings to dock our great big Winnie into that skinny spot. Paul sat calmly and patiently behind the wheel while I broke out into a cold sweat as I simultaneously provided moment-by-moment directions and kept an eye on all eight corners of the coach, the mirrors, the concrete blocks, the beams, and the neighboring boat. (That's a lot to keep track of!) Paul followed my instructions to the letter. An early miscalculation on my part (Starting the turn too soon.) kept compounding through the process. As a result we came damn close to hitting everything. We had to back up and get repositioned five or six times, but eventually the nose of the moose was inches from the back wall. We were just between the lines and had enough room to open the door. Most importantly, no fiberglass was damaged in the process.
Whew!
We went through the long-since-forgotten process of putting the moose to bed. When we flipped the battery disconnect switches we realized that was likely the first time we'd done that. It's a good thing they worked! We pulled the front curtain and locked the door behind us. After three-and-a-half years of being out in the elements, Bullwinkle is safely under cover. Our trusty moose has earned a well-deserved rest.
He'd better rest up fast! We'll be back soon to get him back on the road. A family wedding is just around the corner. It'll be great to have our rolling home with us for that celebration as we enjoy our first trip as Anytime RVers. Eventually, we'll find ourselves back at the storage spot.
I'm already dreading it.
We've done it once. So, we can do it again. And, we know it will get easier in time. For starters, we'll start the turn later. And, Paul is thinking maybe we can back in next time.
Uh. We'll see about that.
Unloading the Moose
Just when we were starting to feel settled in, we brought Bullwinkle home.
That changed everything!
Our allotted time at our home park came to an end yesterday. So, we headed that way after breakfast and went through our quite familiar travel day routine. The big difference, though, was we weren't traveling far. We were coming home.
We bid our farewells to our home park hosts. Although the place isn't much, we've been so grateful for their hospitality over the last four years. They've gone above and beyond trying to accommodate us, sometimes on very short notice. We are so thankful. We'll miss the place...just a bit.
Bullwinkle made his way from our spartan park to the suburbs, with me following behind in the squirrel. I was nervous about many a low lying branch along the way, but Paul maneuvered around each and every one like a pro. With the last turn into our quiet cul-de-sac, Paul pulled into our long and level driveway, which turned out to be just barely long enough and not really all that level. But, it will do.
Sitting in front of our new home, Bullwinkle looked huge! We were amazed at the difference in scale between a 40-foot motorhome sitting amongst a sea of RVs in a park and one lone machine sitting in the driveway of a modest suburban split level.
It's big!
The cute kids from down the street came a runnin' when Bullwinkle pulled into da 'hood. They kept a safe difference until we were properly docked. Then, they were itching for a peek. And, we quickly obliged, offering the kids, their mom and a couple of other neighbors a quick tour. It was unanimous. They all agreed we have one awesome moving van.
With the tours complete, the real work began. With six weeks before our next trip, we opted to pretty much empty the moose of most of its contents, for now anyway. That'll give us plenty of time to launder what's dirty, use what we don't yet have in the house and figure out what needs to go back into our anytime rig.
After two days of unloading the moose, I have just one question.
Who put all of this stuff in here?
We still cannot believe how much stuff we've pulled out of the moose. We squeezed a whole bunch of cargo in 400 square feet!
Many, many, many trips from the moose to the house wore us both to a frazzle. But, the good news is Bullwinkle is just about empty. We'll wrap up the job in the morning before we take him across town to our favorite service spot to take care of a few odds and ends before we put him in storage.
Oh yeah. Bullwinkle has his very own storage spot. We secured it just the other day. It's covered, which is dandy. But, it's skinny. Very skinny. The moose will be cozy, indeed. We keep telling ourselves that in time it'll get easier to park in that skinny little spot. We shall see.
As our second week of home ownership comes to a close, we're celebrating the fact that for the first time in four years most of our belongings are in one place. It's not all unpacked, mind you. But, it's here.
Like I said, we're getting there!
We're Getting There
That has been the phrase of the day. Dozens of times we've found ourselves saying it to each other.
"We're getting there."
That short little phrase is a sign of progress. Without a doubt. It's been a week since we signed on the dotted line and got the keys to this place. Since then we've been busy cleaning, moving, unpacking, shopping and assembling.
Yep. We've done a lot of assembling.
Lots.
Slowly but surely, we're adjusting to life in a stick and bricks home.
We're here to tell you, there's a lot to love!
Since the moment the cable guy left, I have been soaking up all of the uber-high-speed internet I can.
It's been awhile. I've really, really missed it!
As the principal after-dinner dishwasher in our household, I have also fallen in love with our dishwasher. It rocks! This is the time of the evening when I used to find myself washing dishes. Now, I'm blogging. Love it!
One more thing. Let's talk about water pressure.
Whoosh! It really rocks to have some. It's so nice to be able to know you've rinsed the shampoo out of your hair...in seconds!
And we haven't had to give a second thought to dumping any tanks.
Of course, if we had a dollar for every time we've tried to use the non-existant foot pedal on the toilet, we'd have a big pile of bills. Thankfully, we've sustained no injuries as a result. But, we have come close.
Speaking of the toilet, of which we now have two, we bought a dozen rolls of extra thick, super quilted, ultra soft toilet paper.
Absolute bliss! Plus, we had plenty of room to store the extra rolls!
And, talk about room! Have we told you about our refrigerator? It's HUGE! We made a run to Walmart this afternoon and lingered, actually lingered, in the frozen food section!
There's no doubt about it. These first days, we're enjoying the little things. The lawn. Tons of space. A garage. A real basement, with concrete walls and everything.
That said, we're living amongst cardboard boxes, empty rooms and a very long to-do list. Our kitchen table and chairs are yet to be delivered. Shopping has become our fulltime job.
It's a bit crazy.
But, tonight, we're enjoying a glass of wine, TV and some internet time in the comfort of our family room. It's the room that's most furnished, thanks to our most productive shopping sessions, and it's the most peaceful.
Dare I say, it's starting to feel like home.
Yep. We're getting there.
"We're getting there."
That short little phrase is a sign of progress. Without a doubt. It's been a week since we signed on the dotted line and got the keys to this place. Since then we've been busy cleaning, moving, unpacking, shopping and assembling.
Yep. We've done a lot of assembling.
Lots.
Slowly but surely, we're adjusting to life in a stick and bricks home.
We're here to tell you, there's a lot to love!
Since the moment the cable guy left, I have been soaking up all of the uber-high-speed internet I can.
It's been awhile. I've really, really missed it!
As the principal after-dinner dishwasher in our household, I have also fallen in love with our dishwasher. It rocks! This is the time of the evening when I used to find myself washing dishes. Now, I'm blogging. Love it!
One more thing. Let's talk about water pressure.
Whoosh! It really rocks to have some. It's so nice to be able to know you've rinsed the shampoo out of your hair...in seconds!
And we haven't had to give a second thought to dumping any tanks.
Of course, if we had a dollar for every time we've tried to use the non-existant foot pedal on the toilet, we'd have a big pile of bills. Thankfully, we've sustained no injuries as a result. But, we have come close.
Speaking of the toilet, of which we now have two, we bought a dozen rolls of extra thick, super quilted, ultra soft toilet paper.
Absolute bliss! Plus, we had plenty of room to store the extra rolls!
And, talk about room! Have we told you about our refrigerator? It's HUGE! We made a run to Walmart this afternoon and lingered, actually lingered, in the frozen food section!
There's no doubt about it. These first days, we're enjoying the little things. The lawn. Tons of space. A garage. A real basement, with concrete walls and everything.
That said, we're living amongst cardboard boxes, empty rooms and a very long to-do list. Our kitchen table and chairs are yet to be delivered. Shopping has become our fulltime job.
It's a bit crazy.
But, tonight, we're enjoying a glass of wine, TV and some internet time in the comfort of our family room. It's the room that's most furnished, thanks to our most productive shopping sessions, and it's the most peaceful.
Dare I say, it's starting to feel like home.
Yep. We're getting there.
Our Last Night
Today was one of those busy days that could pass by in a flash if we let it. But, we're taking a moment to pause and celebrate an important milestone. This is our last night as fulltime RVers.
Of course, I haven't checked the Fulltime RVers Bible for an official ruling on this. But, we consider this our last night because tomorrow night will be the first night we spend in our new home. We've been working hard the last couple of days to get things set up there and settle in. Truth is, it'll be awhile before the dust settles. But, we've reached a point where we need to gather our things and our cats and sleep there. With that, we'll be home.
We'll have lots to say about this in a future post once we've had some time to pause and reflect. Here are today's words of wisdom to future fulltimers packing up their belongings for storage: Think about what you might need first when you settle in to your new spot. We gave this absolutely no thought, because we were focused on getting things out of one house and into another. I spent half of today searching for everyday dishes that, as it turns out, I think I gave away. See what I mean? Meanwhile, I have boxes of crystal and china to use. Go figure.
With more to say soon, I'll focus on what is in our minds and hearts on this gorgeous night after nearly four years on the road.
This has been one hell of a ride. We wouldn't trade it for anything.
We are filled with gratitude for all of the people who helped us get on the road, the folks we met (and those special few we lost) along the way, and the people who have helped and are helping making this amazing transition to life as Anytime RVers. To each of you, we say "Thank You". We could not have made this journey without you.
We have a few more posts to come to wrap this thing up. So, stay tuned.
For now, all is well. Cheers!
Of course, I haven't checked the Fulltime RVers Bible for an official ruling on this. But, we consider this our last night because tomorrow night will be the first night we spend in our new home. We've been working hard the last couple of days to get things set up there and settle in. Truth is, it'll be awhile before the dust settles. But, we've reached a point where we need to gather our things and our cats and sleep there. With that, we'll be home.
We'll have lots to say about this in a future post once we've had some time to pause and reflect. Here are today's words of wisdom to future fulltimers packing up their belongings for storage: Think about what you might need first when you settle in to your new spot. We gave this absolutely no thought, because we were focused on getting things out of one house and into another. I spent half of today searching for everyday dishes that, as it turns out, I think I gave away. See what I mean? Meanwhile, I have boxes of crystal and china to use. Go figure.
With more to say soon, I'll focus on what is in our minds and hearts on this gorgeous night after nearly four years on the road.
This has been one hell of a ride. We wouldn't trade it for anything.
We are filled with gratitude for all of the people who helped us get on the road, the folks we met (and those special few we lost) along the way, and the people who have helped and are helping making this amazing transition to life as Anytime RVers. To each of you, we say "Thank You". We could not have made this journey without you.
We have a few more posts to come to wrap this thing up. So, stay tuned.
For now, all is well. Cheers!
Shopping!
I never knew we could spend money so fast!
But, we sure can!
We're here to tell ya, setting up a household from essentially scratch involves a whole lotta shopping. Just this week we've purchased TVs, DVD, phones, sound stuff, a sofa, chair and recliner. That and a bunch of other stuff, plus the few things we have in storage, are all planned to show up on our doorstep next week.
Say it with me now.
Cha-Ching!
And, really, we're just getting started!
We knew this would be a pricey proposition. And, yes, we planned for it. But, for a couple of frugal types like us this has been a real head spinner!
Besides super shopping, we've been uber-busy with family stuff. It's been crazy. In fact, we're having to squeeze in the shopping when we can. Late this afternoon we drove by our very-soon-to-be house. It's sitting there, just waiting for us. Everything is set for us to get the keys on Monday.
"It looks peaceful," Paul said as we looked longingly at our future home.
I couldn't agree more.
And, we can't wait.
You see, even with lots more shopping to do, our house is already becoming a haven.
We really need it.
But, we sure can!
We're here to tell ya, setting up a household from essentially scratch involves a whole lotta shopping. Just this week we've purchased TVs, DVD, phones, sound stuff, a sofa, chair and recliner. That and a bunch of other stuff, plus the few things we have in storage, are all planned to show up on our doorstep next week.
Say it with me now.
Cha-Ching!
And, really, we're just getting started!
We knew this would be a pricey proposition. And, yes, we planned for it. But, for a couple of frugal types like us this has been a real head spinner!
Besides super shopping, we've been uber-busy with family stuff. It's been crazy. In fact, we're having to squeeze in the shopping when we can. Late this afternoon we drove by our very-soon-to-be house. It's sitting there, just waiting for us. Everything is set for us to get the keys on Monday.
"It looks peaceful," Paul said as we looked longingly at our future home.
I couldn't agree more.
And, we can't wait.
You see, even with lots more shopping to do, our house is already becoming a haven.
We really need it.
Putting The "Recreation" Back in RVing
The house stuff is moving ahead quite nicely. Basically, we've cleared all the hurdles. We're just waiting for our closing date later this month. With the green light glowing, we've scheduled delivery of our itty bitty POD container, found a place for the moose to park, and ordered all kinds of furniture. We're gaining on our goal of being able to comfortably sleep, eat and watch TV as soon as possible after closing.
That's progress!
In our spare time, we've made some inquiries into local RVing clubs. As members of the national Winnebago Itasca Travelers, the Winnie owners club, we are eager to make introduction to our local and state WIT members. We have such fond memories of outings with our Winnie friends in California, we look forward to making connections like that here in our hometown.
After exchanging a few emails, we had made connections with the local and state clubs. Several folks from both groups extended warm welcomes. They shared their schedules of upcoming events. They have outings planned to popular state parks, lakes and one place in the Texas panhandle we've been wanting to visit.
It sounds fun.
As we perused the calendar of upcoming events with both clubs, we recalled the days when we would escape life in our sticks-n-bricks for a few days with our RVing brethren.
It was truly recreational.
After nearly four years of living in an RV, we realize we miss the "recreation" in RVing. It's tons of fun, but living in this house on wheels has simply become a way of life. As much as we love it, it's just not the same as getting away with friends once a month or so for a few days of camping.
It sure sounds like fun.
We can't wait!
That's progress!
In our spare time, we've made some inquiries into local RVing clubs. As members of the national Winnebago Itasca Travelers, the Winnie owners club, we are eager to make introduction to our local and state WIT members. We have such fond memories of outings with our Winnie friends in California, we look forward to making connections like that here in our hometown.
After exchanging a few emails, we had made connections with the local and state clubs. Several folks from both groups extended warm welcomes. They shared their schedules of upcoming events. They have outings planned to popular state parks, lakes and one place in the Texas panhandle we've been wanting to visit.
It sounds fun.
As we perused the calendar of upcoming events with both clubs, we recalled the days when we would escape life in our sticks-n-bricks for a few days with our RVing brethren.
It was truly recreational.
After nearly four years of living in an RV, we realize we miss the "recreation" in RVing. It's tons of fun, but living in this house on wheels has simply become a way of life. As much as we love it, it's just not the same as getting away with friends once a month or so for a few days of camping.
It sure sounds like fun.
We can't wait!
Back to Craigslist
Four years ago we were knee deep in Craigslist. We were photographing and listing many of our belongings for what turned out to be immediate sale. Of course, there were items that were duds. But, overall, we unloaded a bunch of stuff quickly and easily on this nifty little website.
Fast forward four years and we are back at Craigslist again. But, this time it's different.
We're buying.
I've been cruising Craigslist Kansas City for awhile now. I just wanted to get a sense of what is available here. Hardgoods are a plenty. So, I've been focusing on finding things for our master and guest room and tables for our family room.
Yesterday, I spotted a nifty master bedroom set. King size. Simple styling. Espresso finish. Five pieces. A real bargain.
Splendid.
I fired off an email to inquire if the set, which had been posted a week and half ago, was still available. I added that it would be a couple of weeks before we would be able to pick the set up should we decide it was for us. I gave the seller the opportunity to give us a pass.
Instead, she said it was perfect. They were selling their bedroom set to prepare for the arrival of a set from her parents, which was scheduled to arrive in mid-June. She was more than happy to wait a few weeks for us to take delivery. We scheduled a time for us to take a look this afternoon.
We made the pilgrimage to the western suburbs, to the land of great big houses and itty bitty lawns. It made my stomach turn. But, we weren't there to buy a house. We were there to shop for furniture. We pulled up in the steep driveway and rang the bell.
The cute little couple introduced themselves. She was wearing a Kansas t-shirt, which provided an ice breaker about our shared alma maters. We made polite conversation with the strangers. With the ice appropriately broken, we finally went upstairs.
The furniture was fine. Beautiful. Ten years old with a hardly noticeable scratch or dent or two. It would definitely work. Paul shot them an offer and they countered. Within a minute we had all agreed on a price that was exactly what we all probably originally intended. It's quite a game.
We left them a deposit and went on our way. We'll be back in a couple of weeks to take delivery. Meanwhile, we know this young couple is experiencing the same joy we did four years ago. They've realized that Craigslist is a great place to sell stuff.
Lucky for us, now we know it's also a great place to buy.
Fast forward four years and we are back at Craigslist again. But, this time it's different.
We're buying.
I've been cruising Craigslist Kansas City for awhile now. I just wanted to get a sense of what is available here. Hardgoods are a plenty. So, I've been focusing on finding things for our master and guest room and tables for our family room.
Yesterday, I spotted a nifty master bedroom set. King size. Simple styling. Espresso finish. Five pieces. A real bargain.
Splendid.
I fired off an email to inquire if the set, which had been posted a week and half ago, was still available. I added that it would be a couple of weeks before we would be able to pick the set up should we decide it was for us. I gave the seller the opportunity to give us a pass.
Instead, she said it was perfect. They were selling their bedroom set to prepare for the arrival of a set from her parents, which was scheduled to arrive in mid-June. She was more than happy to wait a few weeks for us to take delivery. We scheduled a time for us to take a look this afternoon.
We made the pilgrimage to the western suburbs, to the land of great big houses and itty bitty lawns. It made my stomach turn. But, we weren't there to buy a house. We were there to shop for furniture. We pulled up in the steep driveway and rang the bell.
The cute little couple introduced themselves. She was wearing a Kansas t-shirt, which provided an ice breaker about our shared alma maters. We made polite conversation with the strangers. With the ice appropriately broken, we finally went upstairs.
The furniture was fine. Beautiful. Ten years old with a hardly noticeable scratch or dent or two. It would definitely work. Paul shot them an offer and they countered. Within a minute we had all agreed on a price that was exactly what we all probably originally intended. It's quite a game.
We left them a deposit and went on our way. We'll be back in a couple of weeks to take delivery. Meanwhile, we know this young couple is experiencing the same joy we did four years ago. They've realized that Craigslist is a great place to sell stuff.
Lucky for us, now we know it's also a great place to buy.
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