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.
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