Say What?

Did we really say we bought a house?

Oh yeah! We did!

Technically, we haven't bought it just yet. We made an offer, which has been accepted. We're currently in escrow. (And, that's such an exciting place to be!)

So, what's up? What prompted these two nomads to cough up the cash for a 2,100-square-foot split level in the 'burbs?  Perhaps the best way to explain what's up is to answer a few questions.

Q. So, you're hangin' up the keys. Are you sad about that?

A. We're not the least bit sad. We're excited! 

Unlike our marriage, fulltime RVing was never a "forever" gig for us. From the beginning, our plan was to live on the road for "a year or two, perhaps as long as three." It's been almost four. We were overdue! As we close the chapter of our lives that was lived on the road, we're moving on to a chapter where we'll be reconnecting with our old hometown in a brand new way. 

And, while Bullwinkle's keys will soon be hanging on a nifty rack in our new house, they won't stay there long. We're thrilled to be making the move from fulltime RVers to "anytime" RVers! We're already planning round-trip excursions from here. 

Q. Are you sorry fulltime RVing didn't work out for you?

A. Didn't work out? We're closing in on four years of this amazing lifestyle. If fulltiming hadn't worked out for us we would have known (and stopped) long, long ago. We've loved it! 

We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to do this crazy thing.  We've explored so many stunning places, met so many wonderful people and made lots of new friends. What's not to like? We hoped it would be the journey of a lifetime. It has exceeded our expectations.

Q. Then, why are you stopping?

A. The short answer is we couldn't muster the energy to drive across West Texas for a third time.

But, that's not really it. While we were lacking enthusiasm to head west, we both felt some kind of gravitational pull back to Kansas City. We've made dozens of trips in and out of our old hometown since we left here 13 years ago, yet we'd never felt this kind of powerful tug. 

We were being called home. 

No one asked us to do it. We just knew this is where we wanted to be. And, when you just know, you go. As soon as the snow cleared, we pointed the moose north. Our energy and enthusiasm returned instantly. It was clear we were on the right path. 

Just as they had when we left Oakland to hit the road, things fell into place. On extremely short notice, our home park had a spot for us for exactly a month. That provided us a window of opportunity to find the perfect house at the perfect time at a perfect price, just as real estate prices began to percolate. We didn't want to miss the best real estate market in years. And, by the looks of things, we didn't.

It feels like it was all meant to be.  As much as we have loved our life on the road, we have found something else we love even more.

Q. Why Kansas City?

A. We have a list of reasons! The bottom line is the easiest place for us to call home is also the best. We resisted returning to the place we lived for the first four decades of our lives because it was so familiar and comfortable. Turns out that after a decade living in California and four years of exploring new places on the road, familiar and comfortable are exactly what we want. Kansas City is home!

In our travels, we looked at real estate in some of our favorite towns. Whenever we got remotely serious about purchasing a home, we got antsy. We'd think of our old hometown and couldn't imagine not living there.

While we have no desire to return to the workaholic lives we lived here before, we do have plans to do a little work. Paul has maintained relationships with a handful of financial planning/investment management clients while we've been on the road. Having a home base provides an opportunity to grow that into a small business, which we've always wanted to do. And, Kansas City is the best place for us to do that. We're both eager to see Paul busy!

Besides being a place where a bunch of our family and friends live, Kansas City is centrally located. We can point Bullwinkle in any direction from here and be somewhere fun in a day or two. We can't wait!

Q. What about Bullwinkle?

A. Well, today, he's getting his annual chassis service. Tomorrow, we're heading off to southwest Missouri to visit extended family. Next week he'll bring us back to Kansas City and, if everything works as planned, we'll close escrow by the end of the month. Near the top of our "to-do" list is finding a safe, secure and sheltered spot for Bullwinkle to call home. But, he won't stay there long. After we get settled in, we'll be off together on some Summer adventures. 

Bullwinkle is like a member of our family. So, we're sticking together! He'll get more rest than he's been used to. But, after traveling over 30,000 miles, he certainly deserves it! We feel fortunate to have such a comfortable (and movable) second home! 

Q. What about your new home?

A. All systems are go with this deal, but we don't want to jinx anything. It's tough to type with my fingers crossed, but I'll say it's cute, comfortable and just the right size for two people and two cats who have been living in 400 square feet. It's a 35-year-old house that's been redone inside and out. It's almost like new, but it's sitting on a lovely lot in a well-established neighborhood we know and love. And, of course, it has a long, level driveway. Bullwinkle won't live there, but he'll be a frequent visitor!

Q. What about your blog?

A. As our fulltiming adventures come to a close, we'll wrap up things here at The Great RV Escape. We pledged long ago that we'd share our story from beginning to end. So, we shall. As exciting as all of the preparations for life on the road were, we're here to tell you that transitioning from "fulltimers" to "anytimers" is an exciting adventure! And, it's all part of the process. We want to capture it all. And, we hope our complete story helps somebody who finds their way to these pages someday. 

Bullwinkle's Travels will continue, of course. We'll share our "anytimer" adventures there. Of course, that poor, neglected blog is so out-of-date, it's going to take some serious dusting off and updating. I'm on it!

Q. What's next?

A. Suddenly, we have LOTS to do! We'll keep you posted. 

An Eventful Month

I can't believe a month has passed since our last post. And, what a month it's been!

When we last touched base we were in Kansas City waiting for Spring to arrive.

Fast forward a month. We're still in Kansas City. And, we're still waiting for Spring. In fact, tonight's forecast calls for temps of the record breaking variety.

We're not talking about a heat wave, folks.

So, what are a couple of native Kansas Citians to do while waiting for things to warm up around here?

Here's a rundown.

We've spent much of our collective energy tending to Paul's Dad, who has had a bit of a health scare. He's doing much better, thankfully. We're so glad we've been here to support him. (And so is he!)

My Dad celebrated a big birthday. We're so happy he was on the planet to mark this milestone and we were with him to celebrate.

Just after the party, I caught the big bummer of a respiratory bug that's been going around. Two totally listless weeks were a complete blur, followed by a week-and-a-half of a nagging cough.  I'm pleased to report that I have recovered. But, for a while there Paul was simply bouncing from one invalid to another. (Yes, he IS a saint.)

I spent much of my sick time watching the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which was entertaining until the regional semis. With our beloved Jayhawks out of the mix, and my bracket completely busted, my annual overdose of college basketball came to an abrupt end. Withdrawal has been a little rough, but I've managed.

We have caught up with other family and friends, which has been great fun. We always enjoy our time in our old hometown.

Yep. It's been a busy month. But, it's all good.

Oh yeah. There's one more thing.

We bought a house.

More soon!

Spring Snow

We came north a wee bit too soon!

Our first week in Kansas City has been a harsh reminder of how wild the weather can be here. Especially in the Spring. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by sunshine and warmth. On one of our first days here the high temperature was 83 degrees...in March! Fast forward a few short days and things are different. Very different.

Mother Nature dumped about 8 inches of snow in the last 24 hours. The temperature struggled to make it above the freezing point today. The overnight low is supposed to dip into the mid-20s tonight. The wind chills are supposed to be in the teens. This Arctic forecast is the same for the next three nights.

Piles of heavy snow are not good for slide toppers. So, we pulled both of our big ol' slides in just after the white stuff started yesterday afternoon. The moose is mighty cozy! The snow has stopped, but our slides are still buttoned up. With a whole bunch of snow on the roof, it has started to blow and slide off the sides. That being the case, we're keeping the path to the ground clear. The coziness will probably continue for  at least another night.

Meanwhile, we're kicking back. Paul made a pot of most masterful chili. And, we're enjoying our annual overdose of college basketball. We haven't even attempted to get out and about today. There will be plenty of time to do that tomorrow.

Spring will return to our old hometown soon. The forecast for later this week is calling for highs in the upper 50s and nights above freezing. That'll be better. Much better.

We can't wait.

We're Going Home

This is our last day - actually our last hour - in Texas Hill Country. It's been a great stay. We're gonna miss it. We look forward to coming back.

Where we go from here was a real puzzler. We were leaning west, but just couldn't muster the energy to fight the wind across West Texas...again. We didn't feel like going east. Anything south of here just isn't our taste. And, it's still too cold to head too far north.

Then, we remembered something. When you don't know where you want to go you can always go home. And, so we are.

When we leave here this morning, we're heading north. But, we're not going all that far. We'll make a short stop north of Fort Worth. Then, we'll swing over to McKinney for a couple of days and have a couple of pesky blinds taken care of. From there, it's a familiar drive back to Kansas City.

Yes, Kansas City did just receive a couple of feet of snow. But, it's melting. Quickly, hopefully. By the time we get there it will be early Spring. It'll be chilly, for sure. But, our fingers are crossed that it'll be pleasant enough.

My Dad has a milestone birthday this month. And, we want to check in on Paul's Dad, too. Nieces and nephews will be home for Spring Break. A few other family members plan to be passing through town. And, we'll have the chance to watch March Madness on our home turf. That's always fun.

We can stay for a month. Then, we have to roll. You see, NASCAR will be in town. Our park, and all the parks in town, will be full. And, we don't have any reservations.

Where we go from there is anybody's guess. Meanwhile, it'll be good to be home.

Riding Together

I must say, our "big" travel day was so well planned it went off without a hitch!

Yeah, us! We're just out here doin' our jobs!

Our 64-mile travel day was uneventful. Just they way we like it. We faced a pretty stiff Texas breeze as we made our way through Hill Country, but the scenery made up for it all.

Along the way I noticed how much more fun I was having compared to our last travel day. Why? Because we were riding together.

You see, a week or so ago, we made the trek from Kerrville to Boerne separately. After we got the moose inspected, we took off for the 40-mile trip separately. Paul piloted the moose while I drove just ahead with the squirrel.

Have I told you how much I hate that?

I know there are more than a few RVing couples who travel separately on the road. For most of them, it means having an extra set of wheels when they get to their destination. I certainly understand that benefit. And, yeah for them that they can make that work.

But, I gotta tell ya. I hate it!

I mean, really, I hate it.

If I'm in either of the front seats in our moose as it's rolling down the road, I'm as happy as a clam. Whether I'm driving or passengering, I enjoy the view out our sweeping Imax window without giving a second thought to the fact that we are piloting more than 17 tons and nearly 60 feet of vehicles containing our worldly possessions. It's all good.

But, if you put me in our squirrel with the task to drive any distance behind or in front of our moose, I freak out. If I'm in front, I drive with my focus on the rear view mirror. A chorus of "Oh my God, that's our house!" echoes in my head. And, if I follow behind I am struck by how friggin' big our house is. And, for goodness sake, it's all on wheels! How crazy is that?

Most of all, when I find myself in the squirrel separated from the moose, there's somebody I really miss. My husband! Somehow it's just not the same traveling the highways and byways of America separated from my beloved and travel buddy. After all, we're on this journey together. It's just not as much fun when we're apart.

Today was so, so, so much better. The moose had the squirrel in tow. The cats were in their crates. Paul was in the captain's chair and I was in my familiar and quite comfortable seat as the safety director.

All was right with our world.

We were riding together.

It's My Job

We're wrapping up our week-long stay at Stop #2 of our (at least) three-stop tour of Texas Hill Country. Our week here in Boerne (That's pronounced "burney") has flown. The RV park isn't much to speak of, but it's been a great place to be while we played with our good friends Cindy and Rick, who flew in from Northern California. We spent four fun-filled days touring San Antonio and the beautiful Hill Country. The weather was absolutely splendid during their visit, so we couldn't complain when we were blasted by gale force winds yesterday after their departure. (We also can't complain because we're not buried in 18 inches of snow as are many of our peeps in Kansas City!)

Today was a day of running errands and such, in preparation of our big travel day tomorrow. While we were en route, we took a hands-free business-related call. It was a terrific conversation with a colleague who is helping us get some things in order. It had been awhile since we'd talked with her, so it was great to catch up. Somewhere in the conversation, we realized it's been nearly four years (gasp!) since we've worked. (I still can't believe these two workaholics have been able to go that long without holding jobs!) Our colleague offered a keen observation.

"Maybe it's been that long since you've worked," she said. "But, successfully maneuvering yourselves and your household around the country for over three years is definitely a job."

She's right! We don't show up at an office every day any more (Thank God!), but we still do some of the same stuff. We manage a budget, tackle projects, develop strategic (travel) plans and manage lots of logistics. And, every once in a while, we do a little communicating! Along the way, we get the great privilege of meeting amazing people and exploring remarkable sights.

It's the best job ever!

As the resident strategic travel planner, it's time for me to double-check the route for tomorrow's aforementioned travel day. Like I said, it's a biggie. In fact, it's 50 percent longer than our most recent trek.

Where are we headed for our third stop in Hill Country? Dripping Springs, Texas.

How far is that? 64 miles.

My work here is done.

Funny Spam

If you're gonna have a blog, you'd better like spam. If not, you're gonna at least have to learn to live with it.

Of course, I'm not talking about that processed meat in a can. I'm talking about the barrage of senseless comments that get posted to your blog out of nowhere by seemingly no one. While a few may have some salty language, they are generally harmless. That said, these annoying bits of bytes get in the way of otherwise interesting, entertaining and occasionally insulting comments.

Blogger's automatic spam filter does a pretty good job of catching most of this crap. But, a few get through. So, every week or two I'll look at the comments on my Blogger "dashboard" and clean out the spam. It's not a big deal, really. But, every time I do it I consider enabling word verification or disabling anonymous comments. I'm not a big fan of unscrambling letters to prove I'm not a robot, so I hesitate to ask visitors to this here blog to do the same. And, prohibiting anonymous comments seems just plain mean. As long as it isn't a big hassle, I'll just keep up my weekly spam weeding.

Truth be told, I do get a chuckle or two out of the process. While most of the spam is just jibberish to build up keyword counts for everything from drugs to knock-off designer bags, some of them are kind of funny. Here are a few snippets from this week's crop.

After getting more than 10000 visitors/day to my website I thought your website also need unstoppable flow of traffic...this BRAND NEW software...in testing phase generated 867,981 visitors and $540,340. Then another $86,299.13 in 90 days to be exact. That's $958.88 a day!!

An unstoppable flow of traffic? I dream of that! (Not!) Although I won't count on it,  I'd take a grand a day from my humble blog. I'm sure it's worth it. Right?

I've noticed a shift in spam recently. In an effort to dodge automatic detection, many spammy comments start out with a nice "compliment".

I visited several blogs however the audio feature for audio songs present at this web page is truly excellent.

Thanks. But, the audio songs on this site are, eh, non-existent.

Other spammers direct their compliments to the blog's author.

I do not know who you are but definitely you're going to a famous blogger if you are not already ;)

Why, thank you... 

I think the person or computer that crafted these words intended it to be a compliment. But, I'm not really sure. 

Whаt i do not realіze іѕ if truth be told how уou are now not really muсh more neatlу-favorеd than you might be right now. 

Neatly-favored. Me? Never!

When someone writes an article he/she retains the plan of a user in his/her brain that how a user can understand it. Thus that's why this post is outstdanding.

That one lost something in translation. But, hey, my post was outstdanding! 

Some of this week's spam contained some helpful advice. I suppose this made sense to the poor soul hovered over a keyboard typing comments in a foreign language for two cents a piece.

Shoppіng is some thing that ought to be approасhed with sοme preparing. You cannot just go into іt thіnking yοu arе gοing tо save cash and come out ahead. 

Before we go, we'll end with my favorite. 

It's the best time to make some plans for the future and it's time to be happy.

Absolutely!