That's right! Two days in a row, Yo!
So after writing yesterday that things were in a holding pattern I got to looking at a calendar and realized it's actually time to start getting my ass in gear.
The campground officially opens in 6 weeks, but I can get in early (any time after Feb 1st, but it's waaay to cold here now). I need to get in early. My site is quite large, but it's kind of a strange configuration and positioning the MH so the utilities work and it can conveniently be taken in and out throughout the summer will be tricky. Right now it is just backed into the middle of the site for the winter. It'll be easier, and no doubt much less embarrassing, to maneuver her into the best position while the campground is mostly empty and there are less witnesses!
So after looking at a calendar last night I decided that my 'moved in by' date should be March 15th.
That's 4 weeks away. Assuming the weather cooperates (I know - fat chance right?), I'll start on the 8th by reinstalling the batteries, positioning her in the site.. and again, depending in the weather, possibly de-winterizing her. The weekend of the 15th I'll move the remainder of my stuff in .
March 8th is only THREE weeks away! That means only two free weekends before things start to get interesting again!
Holy crapola!
I think I see a light in the tunnel. I hope it's not a train!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Did I really just post again?
Saturday, February 15, 2014
I'm sensing a pattern!
I didn't think blogging regularly would be easy.. I tried once before during a short road trip and figured that out!
Turns out I was right.. Kudos to all the bloggers that manage regular posts.. I'm going to stop apologizing for my lack of posts and hope things get better as things move along..
Right now things are kind of in a holding pattern any way. The motorhome is sitting, winterized and waiting for me at the campground. I've visited a few times over the last couple months to run the engine a bit and check on things but I've still got another month or so of winter before I can move in.
And a hell of a winter it's been here on the east coast.. Probably the worst/most snow we've had in a season in a few decades. Perfect. Why would I expect anything less?!?!?!?
I'm muddling through by telling myself it's ok, it's my last one!
I hate to wish my life away.. but I'll be glad when this winter is over and I can move into the motorhome and begin the second phase of preparing for takeoff.. Which is still scheduled for late November, right after the Thanksgiving holiday...
Woot!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
I know, I know... It's been a long time again!
Time has just flown by..
By November 30th my house was empty, cleaned, and 99.9% of my un-necessary stuff gone! I gave a ton of stuff away, but it went to good people or Purple Heart and I had just lost patience with selling stuff. Even a few things I had listed and inquiries about on Craig's List I ended up responding with... "If you can use it, come and get it - Merry Christmas even if its not your holiday!" That actually felt pretty damn good! So in the end everything that needed to get gone, got gone in time!
In the last hours of my last day at the house I had a bit of a panic attack about moving in with my girlfriend for three months. I love her dearly, like a sister... But it's been a long time since I've lived with anyone (other than people I've allowed to stay in my home), I'm a bit of a loner at times... And I have two dogs! I wasn't really sure how things would go and didn't want to risk f'in up a good friendship. Also I kind if felt like this was my journey and it WAS possible for me to move the motorhome to another campground, very close to my job, and move in now. In the end... After talking to the campground owner (yes it was possible) and my sister and Jerry... I decided since I'd already winterized and de-batteried the motorhome I was being silly and should just relax and stay the course I had plotted.
Good decision. My dogs love Cindy and adjusted pretty quickly. They miss their fenced yard, and don't appreciate being walked instead of running around a yard, but they need to get used to that anyway! They will not have free rein at the campground, on the road, or in the desert!
It's also good for me and Cindy.. I can help her with some projects, we both have some company, and she doesn't have to drive to my house all the time like she used to!!! Hahahaha
She has even decided that she'd like a dog (or two?) of her own! And is making a trial run by watching and walking my babies for two weeks while I flew to TX to visit with Jerry over the holidays!
I've been here just over week and will be here till this Sunday when I'll fly home and resume life in the frigid NE! The weather here this year has pretty much sucked, but its warmer than PA and I'm with Jerry, who I haven't seen since September. I'm happy and blessed to be here.
Tonight we have grand plans to hang out quietly together, watch some movies and the ball drop.. And if its not raining, maybe go fishing in the morning. Or not, who knows!
Anyway... I hope everyone else is having a safe and Happy New Year and I'll try to keep a better and more up-to-date journal here in the new year! Still much work to be done before take-off next fall! BTW... Targeting Black Friday for 'head out on the road' day!! :)
Toodles,
M
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Not Quite an Update
Well damn.. It's really been over a month?!?!?!?
How the hell did that happen?
I'm not prepared to write a full update, but that's because I have not been sitting in my laurels! And most nights I'm exhausted.
Emptying your life of 30 adult, child raising, yrs worth of crap is time consuming, emotionally draining, scary, exhausting, physically tiring damn hard work, enlightening, inspirational, uplifting, totally awesome and personally satisfying. I feel like I have accomplished some major shit here. All.. well, mostly by myself.
I need a nap.
My house is almost empty. Of personal things, anyway. By the end of this weekend when I take what's left to an auction there will be nothing left to do here but a last cleaning.
The motorhome is stored for the winter. I originally rented a spot at a storage lot, but ended up finding and renting a site in a campground for next summer - and was able to store it on my site for the winter cheaper than the original spot, so there she waits. I decided to winterized her myself, don't ask me why.. still not sure if that was worth it. Probably. Her plumbing is filled with pink yumminess, her tanks are empty, plastic covered boards under her sneakers and batteries pulled. Not bad if I do say so myself... Also everything I'm keeping but don't need for the winter is moved into her, and I accomplished it all while in the midst of the 'get everything you own gone' crunch time too!
So that's where I am...
This part will all be over in less than two weeks. I just keep telling myself that.
The dogs are a little squirrelly.. Trying to keep things normal for them is impossible right now... And truthfully.. It might be a damn long time, if ever, before 'normal' can be defined for us again!
Have I mentioned before that I have dogs? I do. :) Two of em. I'll tell you about them sometime, but they deserve their own post.
Toodles for now... Need sleep.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Ok, so it's been a wee bit of a while...
The purging continues...
Maybe it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Sometimes I think I'm doing really well. I do have a plan after all... and things are moving out the door. Just sometimes not as fast as I think they should be.
It is overwhelming at times. Will I get it all gone in time? Two days from the 5 week mark, and the only thing I'm sure about is that I sure as shit hope it's all GONE when it needs to be gone by.
I stayed home last weekend, and took the time to load as much as I had ready, into the RV. Sunday afternoon I moved her to the secure storage spot I had reserved. I'm staying home this weekend too. The deciding factor is I'm first on-call this weekend at work. It's our slow season, but I didn't want to deal with the possibility of emergencies while I was trying to winterize the rig.
Instead I'm going to take her out one final time next weekend. Sunday afternoon before leaving the campground I'll winterize the rig and park her for the winter.
In the mean time I'm purging at home. I missed scheduling a pickup this past week, but have been back at it and already have 10 boxes ready to go out for Purple Heart next week. I also have quite a large trash pile set out right now for tomorrow's trash, and also broke down a shitload of boxes to go out with the recycling this week or next. Things are starting to look sparse around here.... sort of.
Still a long way to go...
On a totally HAPPY note... my partner in crime might just be heading back my way! :)
Shhhhhhh
Maybe it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Sometimes I think I'm doing really well. I do have a plan after all... and things are moving out the door. Just sometimes not as fast as I think they should be.
It is overwhelming at times. Will I get it all gone in time? Two days from the 5 week mark, and the only thing I'm sure about is that I sure as shit hope it's all GONE when it needs to be gone by.
I stayed home last weekend, and took the time to load as much as I had ready, into the RV. Sunday afternoon I moved her to the secure storage spot I had reserved. I'm staying home this weekend too. The deciding factor is I'm first on-call this weekend at work. It's our slow season, but I didn't want to deal with the possibility of emergencies while I was trying to winterize the rig.
Instead I'm going to take her out one final time next weekend. Sunday afternoon before leaving the campground I'll winterize the rig and park her for the winter.
In the mean time I'm purging at home. I missed scheduling a pickup this past week, but have been back at it and already have 10 boxes ready to go out for Purple Heart next week. I also have quite a large trash pile set out right now for tomorrow's trash, and also broke down a shitload of boxes to go out with the recycling this week or next. Things are starting to look sparse around here.... sort of.
Still a long way to go...
On a totally HAPPY note... my partner in crime might just be heading back my way! :)
Shhhhhhh
Monday, October 14, 2013
I tried to post over the weekend, really I did...
I started a post Saturday evening from the campground I ended up going to... :) but then Steve and Annette came by and I put it away...
Then I tried to finish that post last night.. was just about finished when I did something in blogger that basically wiped out my post...
Boo hoooo
I kind of lost my posting mo-jo at that point and went to bed without posting..
Maybe I'll re-write a more detailed post about the weekend but the upshot was...
Picked up the RV, brought it home, realized it was too damn nice out to sit at home and headed out to a campgroup.
My sister and a girlfriend went with me to pick her up, my sister rode back to my house in her with me (she was skeert! my sister, that is! lol), and my girlfriend went camping with me..
Steve and Annette stopped by the campground later with Margaritas!
It was a good first run, and I think I'll take her out again this weekend too! Even though I am on call.. blech!
Anyway.. that's the shortened version of my original post..
Now back to my local purging of crap!
Toodles,
Rae
Then I tried to finish that post last night.. was just about finished when I did something in blogger that basically wiped out my post...
Boo hoooo
I kind of lost my posting mo-jo at that point and went to bed without posting..
Maybe I'll re-write a more detailed post about the weekend but the upshot was...
Picked up the RV, brought it home, realized it was too damn nice out to sit at home and headed out to a campgroup.
My sister and a girlfriend went with me to pick her up, my sister rode back to my house in her with me (she was skeert! my sister, that is! lol), and my girlfriend went camping with me..
Steve and Annette stopped by the campground later with Margaritas!
It was a good first run, and I think I'll take her out again this weekend too! Even though I am on call.. blech!
Anyway.. that's the shortened version of my original post..
Now back to my local purging of crap!
Toodles,
Rae
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Ready or Not, here She comes!
Sooo.. two days from now my new baby will be parked, very temporarily, outside!
Holy Crap!
I was originally planning to run about 10 miles up the road from the dealership, to a campground I'm a little familiar with. I'm considering a seasonal site there next year, and it's close, easy, and has hookups so I could run through lots of 'firsts'... kinda semi-privately but with help close at hand if necessary! Yo Steve and Annette! LOL But the weather is crappy this weekend so I'm bagging that.
I'm just going to bring her home and park her here till at least Sunday night, and move a bunch of 'stuff' that's destined for the new digs anyway into her now. That way I won't be tripping over it while I'm getting rid of everything else, and I won't have to schlep it with my car to where she's being stored for the winter. I at least want to get the stuff that's already been sorted and packed into her now.
I've mentioned getting rid of my stuff a few times. When I decided to re-start this blog it was because I had always wanted to record this change in my life and the process of it all. I thought getting rid of my stuff could be one of those agonizing things that fast forward.. can be a great laugh and learn up the road. That's not happening. Turns out I don't mind getting rid of my stuff at all. Ha! Nothing agonizing about it so far! And I have a lot of things that I love. But they're things... and I'm damn tired of carrying them around! Good-bye, love ya lots!
I have to admit I do have a plan for my dearest things. My dearest things are mementos and pictures and yes.. school projects (I admit I have a whole box of public school fired ceramics that my children made in school) and things of that nature that I just CANNOT throw out. A weakness.
I decided that my children, who are 25 and 29, were old enough to take ownership of this stuff. At least the stuff that was from their childhood, yanno? I split the shit, er... stuff up and made a box for each of them. Surely they would want it to someday show their children. Right?
Well... Apparently, Not so Much. Yo.
Throw it out they told me!!! (mostly of their old school stuff, not photos) No matter, I was JUST as devastated! Those lil bastahds! How could they? This is important stuff! So I desperately needed a plan. Fortunately, I'm good at plans! :)
Mahahahahahahaa
My daughter recently moved home for a month, before moving to Brazil for a year. Knowing full well that I was selling, tossing, donating, giving away and purging everything I own... she had the audacity to leave me with several pieces of furniture, a sleeping bag and bedding, and a huge, very heavy tote of personal things! All at my soon to be vacated house! Oh she thought that was hilarious... LOL
To her credit, there are arrangements for her father to pick those things up, and store them at his home until she returns from her current adventure. I have a very adventurous daughter! :) She totally rocks, BTW! Anyway.. it's all good: When she eventually returns from her globe trotting... there will be a tote or two more included in the 'stuff' at her dad's that will look a tad familiar when she looks inside! Part 1 of "Plan Stuff".
My son's totes are even easier. lololol I'm just gonna give them to his paternal grandparents! They'll love the conspiracy, and he'll end up with them eventually down the road... hopefully he'll enjoy the flashbacks before THROWING THEM OUT?!?!? The finale of "Plan Stuff"!
Anyway.. with a fairly safe plan for those types of things, I'm pretty ok with getting rid of most everything else. I've been planning this for a while. I relocated back to this area where I grew up and raised my kids 5 yrs ago. I knew then that this was the plan and got rid of a heaping load of crap then. Everything I've acquired since then has been with the knowledge that it had better be damn useful or easily gotten rid of..
This is what I've done:
I had some nice antique furniture that I sold last month on Craig's List. I had complete bedroom and dining sets that were going to be much easier to move in decent weather. I have a three bedroom house full of furniture, so was able to sell those things now and with a little shifting of other things, no loss convenience wise.
My neighborhood had a Whole Neighborhood yard sale that I also advertised on Craig's List and put a TON of shit out, priced to sell. Much shit gone.
I've sold quite a bit of things on eBay over the years and am selling individual items that will do best there through them.
Purple Heart is my friend. My Best Friend. They pick up in my neighborhood on Tuesdays, and I've become a regular on their weekly route. I've set a personal goal of getting rid of, or at least packing up to be donated, a minimum of one full box of shit, er... stuff a week! I average more than that. I think they love me.
Now that I will have possession of the new Digs BEFORE I move out of the house, I'm seriously considering having an "everything in the house must go" sale in mid November to get rid of everything I'm not keeping. Then I'll be packing up everything left afterwards for a Monster Purple Heart pickup, scrubbing the place clean and running for my life!
I soooo can't wait till this is all done... and then I can look back, laugh and learn from it all!
Toodles,
Rae
Holy Crap!
I was originally planning to run about 10 miles up the road from the dealership, to a campground I'm a little familiar with. I'm considering a seasonal site there next year, and it's close, easy, and has hookups so I could run through lots of 'firsts'... kinda semi-privately but with help close at hand if necessary! Yo Steve and Annette! LOL But the weather is crappy this weekend so I'm bagging that.
I'm just going to bring her home and park her here till at least Sunday night, and move a bunch of 'stuff' that's destined for the new digs anyway into her now. That way I won't be tripping over it while I'm getting rid of everything else, and I won't have to schlep it with my car to where she's being stored for the winter. I at least want to get the stuff that's already been sorted and packed into her now.
I've mentioned getting rid of my stuff a few times. When I decided to re-start this blog it was because I had always wanted to record this change in my life and the process of it all. I thought getting rid of my stuff could be one of those agonizing things that fast forward.. can be a great laugh and learn up the road. That's not happening. Turns out I don't mind getting rid of my stuff at all. Ha! Nothing agonizing about it so far! And I have a lot of things that I love. But they're things... and I'm damn tired of carrying them around! Good-bye, love ya lots!
I have to admit I do have a plan for my dearest things. My dearest things are mementos and pictures and yes.. school projects (I admit I have a whole box of public school fired ceramics that my children made in school) and things of that nature that I just CANNOT throw out. A weakness.
I decided that my children, who are 25 and 29, were old enough to take ownership of this stuff. At least the stuff that was from their childhood, yanno? I split the shit, er... stuff up and made a box for each of them. Surely they would want it to someday show their children. Right?
Well... Apparently, Not so Much. Yo.
Throw it out they told me!!! (mostly of their old school stuff, not photos) No matter, I was JUST as devastated! Those lil bastahds! How could they? This is important stuff! So I desperately needed a plan. Fortunately, I'm good at plans! :)
Mahahahahahahaa
My daughter recently moved home for a month, before moving to Brazil for a year. Knowing full well that I was selling, tossing, donating, giving away and purging everything I own... she had the audacity to leave me with several pieces of furniture, a sleeping bag and bedding, and a huge, very heavy tote of personal things! All at my soon to be vacated house! Oh she thought that was hilarious... LOL
To her credit, there are arrangements for her father to pick those things up, and store them at his home until she returns from her current adventure. I have a very adventurous daughter! :) She totally rocks, BTW! Anyway.. it's all good: When she eventually returns from her globe trotting... there will be a tote or two more included in the 'stuff' at her dad's that will look a tad familiar when she looks inside! Part 1 of "Plan Stuff".
My son's totes are even easier. lololol I'm just gonna give them to his paternal grandparents! They'll love the conspiracy, and he'll end up with them eventually down the road... hopefully he'll enjoy the flashbacks before THROWING THEM OUT?!?!? The finale of "Plan Stuff"!
Anyway.. with a fairly safe plan for those types of things, I'm pretty ok with getting rid of most everything else. I've been planning this for a while. I relocated back to this area where I grew up and raised my kids 5 yrs ago. I knew then that this was the plan and got rid of a heaping load of crap then. Everything I've acquired since then has been with the knowledge that it had better be damn useful or easily gotten rid of..
This is what I've done:
I had some nice antique furniture that I sold last month on Craig's List. I had complete bedroom and dining sets that were going to be much easier to move in decent weather. I have a three bedroom house full of furniture, so was able to sell those things now and with a little shifting of other things, no loss convenience wise.
My neighborhood had a Whole Neighborhood yard sale that I also advertised on Craig's List and put a TON of shit out, priced to sell. Much shit gone.
I've sold quite a bit of things on eBay over the years and am selling individual items that will do best there through them.
Purple Heart is my friend. My Best Friend. They pick up in my neighborhood on Tuesdays, and I've become a regular on their weekly route. I've set a personal goal of getting rid of, or at least packing up to be donated, a minimum of one full box of shit, er... stuff a week! I average more than that. I think they love me.
Now that I will have possession of the new Digs BEFORE I move out of the house, I'm seriously considering having an "everything in the house must go" sale in mid November to get rid of everything I'm not keeping. Then I'll be packing up everything left afterwards for a Monster Purple Heart pickup, scrubbing the place clean and running for my life!
I soooo can't wait till this is all done... and then I can look back, laugh and learn from it all!
Toodles,
Rae
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Speaking of Tools..
I only have a few. I mean that literally, not sarcastically.
Until 9 months ago my entire collection, or toolbox, consisted of a hammer, a few stray screwdrivers (definitely at least one each Phillips and Flat!), a spark plug wrench and an adjustable wrench that is way to big to be useful for anything. I can't remember ever using it.
There was no "toolbox"
The spark plug thingie and at least one screw driver were out in the garage and the hammer, another screwdriver or two, and the huge adjustable wrench were on the basement landing shelf. I also have a micro screwdriver/allen wrench set. The kind you use for laptops/computers. I actually use that more than anything else.
And then.. Enter Jerry! LOL He's the guy who NEVER 'Calls the Guy'!! There is one exception (isn't there always?!?) Anyone with a best friend who is a master mechanic would be a fool not to consult and/or defer to superior automotive talents, yes? So he does call Steve, The Auto Guy, for advice. Never really known him to call anyone else.
Anyway, on the other end of the scale.. I totally am the reason 'The Guy' exists. I have no macho ego to prevent the call, and I don't really know how to do anything mechanical. I 'Call the Guy' regularly. That makes me an economical asset! I regularly support financial growth in my local economy. Yippee for me right? Right? Blech..
So like I said, enter Jerry. It took a while for the numbers to add up on paper because I wasn't expecting or looking for it. But Daaamn! He fixed a lot of shit for next to nothing, and I was FIXED myself! I want in on this deal! Which basically means instead of Calling the Guy, I need to become The Guy!
And so a bit of a tool obsession began...
Shhhh no one realizes yet..
Please don't tell
Mahahahahahaha
Until 9 months ago my entire collection, or toolbox, consisted of a hammer, a few stray screwdrivers (definitely at least one each Phillips and Flat!), a spark plug wrench and an adjustable wrench that is way to big to be useful for anything. I can't remember ever using it.
There was no "toolbox"
The spark plug thingie and at least one screw driver were out in the garage and the hammer, another screwdriver or two, and the huge adjustable wrench were on the basement landing shelf. I also have a micro screwdriver/allen wrench set. The kind you use for laptops/computers. I actually use that more than anything else.
And then.. Enter Jerry! LOL He's the guy who NEVER 'Calls the Guy'!! There is one exception (isn't there always?!?) Anyone with a best friend who is a master mechanic would be a fool not to consult and/or defer to superior automotive talents, yes? So he does call Steve, The Auto Guy, for advice. Never really known him to call anyone else.
Anyway, on the other end of the scale.. I totally am the reason 'The Guy' exists. I have no macho ego to prevent the call, and I don't really know how to do anything mechanical. I 'Call the Guy' regularly. That makes me an economical asset! I regularly support financial growth in my local economy. Yippee for me right? Right? Blech..
So like I said, enter Jerry. It took a while for the numbers to add up on paper because I wasn't expecting or looking for it. But Daaamn! He fixed a lot of shit for next to nothing, and I was FIXED myself! I want in on this deal! Which basically means instead of Calling the Guy, I need to become The Guy!
And so a bit of a tool obsession began...
Shhhh no one realizes yet..
Please don't tell
Mahahahahahaha
Just like everyone else..
I think weekends are TOO SHORT!
This past Saturday was the first Saturday in a looong time that I didn't spend the day sorting, boxing, tossing and donating crap!
Instead I spent the day in Philly where a friend of mine got Ink! She had an older tat on her shoulder blade covered with a really nice green and purple dragon holding a butterfly. Turned out really nice..
On Sunday I did do some more purging. I went through about three boxes and ended up with one.. not bad for a half-hearted, quasi attempt, but then I went shopping! lol
I actually did pretty good at only buying things I needed and was looking for.
My, yet to be named RV has twin beds instead of a queen in the back. This works for me, as eventually one twin will be rebuilt into a full or queen along one wall and a desk will be put in place of the second bed. This isn't scheduled to happen until next summer at the earliest tho, and possibly not until the following year when I'm on the road and catch up with Jerry.
I don't have any twin beds in my house, so no twin sheets.
So I learned something this weekend too: It is damn near impossible to get decent (by that I mean a thread count of 400 or greater) twin sheets!
I realize that it is mostly kids sleeping in twin beds, but seriously... is everyone bedding their kids in burlap these days??? Yeesh!
I did finally find some at Target that were 'ok' .. after going everywhere!
I hate shopping.. which is probably a good thing!
I also picked up a staple gun, staples, hoses and a few totes I needed.
I'm picking up the RV this Saturday and I've decided not to have them winterize it so I can use it a few times before putting her to bed for the winter!
I've decided that since I bought the damn thing, there's no time like NOW to start maintaining it my damn self. Or at least trying... Ha!
This should be fun. I refuse to "Call the Guy".... at least not until I've screwed it up good myself first!
Have tools, will demolish!
This past Saturday was the first Saturday in a looong time that I didn't spend the day sorting, boxing, tossing and donating crap!
Instead I spent the day in Philly where a friend of mine got Ink! She had an older tat on her shoulder blade covered with a really nice green and purple dragon holding a butterfly. Turned out really nice..
On Sunday I did do some more purging. I went through about three boxes and ended up with one.. not bad for a half-hearted, quasi attempt, but then I went shopping! lol
I actually did pretty good at only buying things I needed and was looking for.
My, yet to be named RV has twin beds instead of a queen in the back. This works for me, as eventually one twin will be rebuilt into a full or queen along one wall and a desk will be put in place of the second bed. This isn't scheduled to happen until next summer at the earliest tho, and possibly not until the following year when I'm on the road and catch up with Jerry.
I don't have any twin beds in my house, so no twin sheets.
So I learned something this weekend too: It is damn near impossible to get decent (by that I mean a thread count of 400 or greater) twin sheets!
I realize that it is mostly kids sleeping in twin beds, but seriously... is everyone bedding their kids in burlap these days??? Yeesh!
I did finally find some at Target that were 'ok' .. after going everywhere!
I hate shopping.. which is probably a good thing!
I also picked up a staple gun, staples, hoses and a few totes I needed.
I'm picking up the RV this Saturday and I've decided not to have them winterize it so I can use it a few times before putting her to bed for the winter!
I've decided that since I bought the damn thing, there's no time like NOW to start maintaining it my damn self. Or at least trying... Ha!
This should be fun. I refuse to "Call the Guy".... at least not until I've screwed it up good myself first!
Have tools, will demolish!
Friday, October 4, 2013
I was wondering..
Is my sister still out there?
Well, I know yer out there... ya still reading?
Just in case you are, I wanted you to know:
I'm still the most ROCKINEST sister in the fam!
Bahahahahahahaaa
And I'd like to make a prediction: within the next year, you'll be able to say... "I have camped!"
And no, not at Camp Mariott!!
LOLOLOLOL I may not be able to get you into a tent, but you had BETTER be willing to do a sleep-over with me.... and you just don't even worry about where you'll be waking up! :)
Well, I know yer out there... ya still reading?
Just in case you are, I wanted you to know:
I'm still the most ROCKINEST sister in the fam!
Bahahahahahahaaa
And I'd like to make a prediction: within the next year, you'll be able to say... "I have camped!"
And no, not at Camp Mariott!!
LOLOLOLOL I may not be able to get you into a tent, but you had BETTER be willing to do a sleep-over with me.... and you just don't even worry about where you'll be waking up! :)
Ok, so this is the deal...
I'm not writing this blog for my sister anymore. I'm not taking a road trip, she's not worrying about me being out alone on the road (Yet.. Ha, not sure she realized how much of a warmup that trip was), and I may or may not be able to keep this blog posting thing happening.
BUT... I want to document the process and the life change I'm going through. So I attempt...
Michelle, I'll keep you posted no matter what happens with the blog! Promise! And still won't make ya do the porta pottie thang! *snickering* Long as you don't count my beautiful new RV pottie as a porta pottie just because it's PORT-ABLE! :)
That being said.. I'll just carry on...
So last Saturday I purchased the RV I've been dreaming about owing, traveling and living in for many years! Yeah me! OMG, I'm terrified!!
For something that has been well researched, a long time coming, and a dream of mine for many years.. shit's flyin fast! No fans involved.. yet! At least things seem like they're happening extremely quickly and are a tad more scaaaary than I thought they'd be when I got to this much-imagined point.
This is the basic plan currently:
1. One week from today I will take possession of my new baby, spend a few shakedown weekends this month, and then put her in storage for the winter (boo hooo).
2. I currently rent a house. I've given my notice and at the end of November I'm moving in with my sister (tha'd be Michelle) and her husband, who live 3 miles from me, for 4 months. (It felt pretty damn good to write my last huge rent check!). No rent again until Dec, and those will be much smaller.
3. Between now and the end of November I will be separating and moving my things. Things I need for the winter will be going with me to my sisters. Things I need, but not this winter will be moved into the RV. I have two grown children, and they'll each get a pile of their childhood things - like it or not, on the sly if necessary. :) The rest is getting sold or donated or given away or thrown out.
4. In the spring, when the local campgrounds open up for the year the RV will be moved to a seasonal/long term site and I'll move into her. Yeah! Can't wait!
5. Throughout the summer I'll be exploring the east coast with her and shaking out the bugs.
6. I'll be hitting the road next year, either right after Xmas, or... depending where my kids are (my daughter currently lives in Brazil) and monetary opportunities.. maybe, just maybe after thanksgiving and before the snow flies here! Oh... I live in NE Pennsylvania, about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia.
So that's the plan.. It's official now. Really! Witnessed and notarized by Etch-A-Sketch!
We shall see how things shake out in the end... eventually. Ha
BUT... I want to document the process and the life change I'm going through. So I attempt...
Michelle, I'll keep you posted no matter what happens with the blog! Promise! And still won't make ya do the porta pottie thang! *snickering* Long as you don't count my beautiful new RV pottie as a porta pottie just because it's PORT-ABLE! :)
That being said.. I'll just carry on...
So last Saturday I purchased the RV I've been dreaming about owing, traveling and living in for many years! Yeah me! OMG, I'm terrified!!
For something that has been well researched, a long time coming, and a dream of mine for many years.. shit's flyin fast! No fans involved.. yet! At least things seem like they're happening extremely quickly and are a tad more scaaaary than I thought they'd be when I got to this much-imagined point.
This is the basic plan currently:
1. One week from today I will take possession of my new baby, spend a few shakedown weekends this month, and then put her in storage for the winter (boo hooo).
2. I currently rent a house. I've given my notice and at the end of November I'm moving in with my sister (tha'd be Michelle) and her husband, who live 3 miles from me, for 4 months. (It felt pretty damn good to write my last huge rent check!). No rent again until Dec, and those will be much smaller.
3. Between now and the end of November I will be separating and moving my things. Things I need for the winter will be going with me to my sisters. Things I need, but not this winter will be moved into the RV. I have two grown children, and they'll each get a pile of their childhood things - like it or not, on the sly if necessary. :) The rest is getting sold or donated or given away or thrown out.
4. In the spring, when the local campgrounds open up for the year the RV will be moved to a seasonal/long term site and I'll move into her. Yeah! Can't wait!
5. Throughout the summer I'll be exploring the east coast with her and shaking out the bugs.
6. I'll be hitting the road next year, either right after Xmas, or... depending where my kids are (my daughter currently lives in Brazil) and monetary opportunities.. maybe, just maybe after thanksgiving and before the snow flies here! Oh... I live in NE Pennsylvania, about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia.
So that's the plan.. It's official now. Really! Witnessed and notarized by Etch-A-Sketch!
We shall see how things shake out in the end... eventually. Ha
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Really??? It's been over TWO years?
Hmm Hard to believe it's been over two years since my mini-trip that I never kept up posting about..
It went something like...
Left the mountains to camp and kayak with Nicki in Shenandoah NP - Awesome, had a blast!
Visited bro Rich and the girls in OH - Also Awesome!
Missed the earthquake in VA, but ended up doing a run home to wait out a hurricane with the pups before heading back up into the mountains for another 4 days with my northern peeps!
I discovered something on that trip: It's a lot of work, and sometimes a real pain in the A$$ to keep up a blog! And I'm lazy, so... didn't do so well here.
Today it took me 2 hrs to figure out how to get back into the blog. Yeesh.
Lots going on.
Thinking about trying this again...
It went something like...
Left the mountains to camp and kayak with Nicki in Shenandoah NP - Awesome, had a blast!
Visited bro Rich and the girls in OH - Also Awesome!
Missed the earthquake in VA, but ended up doing a run home to wait out a hurricane with the pups before heading back up into the mountains for another 4 days with my northern peeps!
I discovered something on that trip: It's a lot of work, and sometimes a real pain in the A$$ to keep up a blog! And I'm lazy, so... didn't do so well here.
Today it took me 2 hrs to figure out how to get back into the blog. Yeesh.
Lots going on.
Thinking about trying this again...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Happy ReCycle Day!
Yesterday was Recycle Day, which is really just a girls day out that starts with the errand of dropping off the recyleables that you collected over the last month. I usually try to contriute at least one beer can!
Up here everybody recycles, and one Saturday a month huge bins are set up at the community center for drop off. They're there till Noon, and we're often the last ones through before they close down. Afterwards we have the day to ourselves, the guys aren't invited.. although they usually catch up with us later once we've settled somewhere. I never know what we're going to do, and a lot of the time I don't know where I am.. lol But we always start out with somewhat of a plan, and this is us putting one together for this month.
Soon Larry got bored of our peckin and plannin and decided he would leave us for his new love..
He shined her up a bit (not that she ever needs it) and took off to find his own adventure for the day. We'll catch up with him later..
Our plan was to hit the community center, get gas, then stop at a little shop (where the lady who wants to buy my beads sells her stuff), then grab some lunch. After that we were planning to run over to Lisa's new house so I could see everything she's done since she moved in and also grab some chairs and end tables that she wanted to bring up to the old house so I'd have something to sit on... since I'm going to stay at the house on the hill till I head to VA on Wed. Thee plan was to meet Kevin (Lisa's husband) up there later and have a bonfire or bbq.
So off we set, took care of our chores, and do a bit of shopping. We headed into Wellsboro to shop. It's a cute little co-op type of shop where a bunch of different artists and crafters sell their stuff. Connie's stuff was nice but mostly her wire wrapping, which is what she kind of specializes in. Other than those pieces I thought her jewelry designs were uninspired compared to some of the others with stuff there.
No wonder she didn't want Linda as competition. LOL I like LInda's stuff better and wait till you see her newest things.. I wore one on Sat. Very comfortable and well balanced. And of course the beads are lovely. Don't have em yet, but I'll get some pics.
Then it was off to the Gaslight, a pub in town, for lunch and libations.
The Girls in front of the Gaslight, and the door to a friend's tattoo shop in town..
While gadding about town I noticed that things have really changed quite a bit. It's noticable even to those who are here every day. There are probably 40 to 60,000 more people living here today than there were 18 months ago. Thats fast growth.
There are new neighborhoods (RVs parked along the side of the road) popping up all over the place. But I suppose there are some good points too.. new businesses are also being born to accommodate the needs of this new influx of population. Here's one now...
Click on any pic to enlarge, or to read the street sign!
Here, have a better look: I bet they have excellent, authentic food, and I intend to try me some before I leave..
It's hard to listen to the locals bitch about the traffic - sheeeit, they don't know what traffic is! However, they are seeing quite a change in this department too and most are not happy with the changes they see in their community and all around them. Here's one example of why, and one of the ways the locals are expressing their displeasure...
Check out the sticker someone slapped on a sign that hangs on the door of the Tattoo shop..
Yep, that's what they call the gas workers... gasholes.
We had a great lunch at the Gaslight then headed off to Lisa's Rivah House (as opposed to the Hill House). The Hill house is the house on the mountain that I've always coveted. The River house is the new house they moved too that is right on Tioga Creek. They're both lovely, and after seeing the new place.. I guess I can forgive her for moving out of the house on the mountain.. ESPECIALLY since I now get to stay there while I'm here. :) Win Win!
Once we had picked up our wares at the new house we picked up my car from Linda's and headed on over the mountain.
My Beloved Mountains
Now Lisa's house is outside of town up the mountain on a 2 mile paved road, then about half a mile of gravel road, and then... behold her driveway: Yes this is her driveway to paradise.
A Trip up Lisa's driveway
Kevin met us with a fire in the pit when we arrived. We called larry, who joined us and we kicked back for the rest of the night.. Lisa entertained us by splattering pizza sause all over herself and I almost went over the edge of the patio backwards.. it was all good though. By 10 we were all ready to call it a night and they all went home and I was left alone at Camp Paradise.
This camping is rough, I tell you.. wonderfully cool night, huge kingsize bed (all to myself - no dogs to share with and quiet.. just me and the leaves. :) I slept great.
Got up this morning and ran to the supermarket to stock up a bit, then posted about Thurs. I had lunch and hung out this afternoon with Linda and Larry. It rained this morning, but later this afternoon the sun came out and I went for a walk on the mountain. Took this of the outside of the house since yesterday's "driveway" Vid didn't really show it..
The rest of the story.. er, the outside!
It's a beautiful house and so quiet and peaceful. I've just been kicking back this evening and am planning an adventure to the Glass Museum tomorrow. I can't wait.. I'm sure I'll have more pics and some kind of story!
Hope things are happy at home!
Love you
The Wacky Sister
Up here everybody recycles, and one Saturday a month huge bins are set up at the community center for drop off. They're there till Noon, and we're often the last ones through before they close down. Afterwards we have the day to ourselves, the guys aren't invited.. although they usually catch up with us later once we've settled somewhere. I never know what we're going to do, and a lot of the time I don't know where I am.. lol But we always start out with somewhat of a plan, and this is us putting one together for this month.
Soon Larry got bored of our peckin and plannin and decided he would leave us for his new love..
He shined her up a bit (not that she ever needs it) and took off to find his own adventure for the day. We'll catch up with him later..
Our plan was to hit the community center, get gas, then stop at a little shop (where the lady who wants to buy my beads sells her stuff), then grab some lunch. After that we were planning to run over to Lisa's new house so I could see everything she's done since she moved in and also grab some chairs and end tables that she wanted to bring up to the old house so I'd have something to sit on... since I'm going to stay at the house on the hill till I head to VA on Wed. Thee plan was to meet Kevin (Lisa's husband) up there later and have a bonfire or bbq.
So off we set, took care of our chores, and do a bit of shopping. We headed into Wellsboro to shop. It's a cute little co-op type of shop where a bunch of different artists and crafters sell their stuff. Connie's stuff was nice but mostly her wire wrapping, which is what she kind of specializes in. Other than those pieces I thought her jewelry designs were uninspired compared to some of the others with stuff there.
No wonder she didn't want Linda as competition. LOL I like LInda's stuff better and wait till you see her newest things.. I wore one on Sat. Very comfortable and well balanced. And of course the beads are lovely. Don't have em yet, but I'll get some pics.
Then it was off to the Gaslight, a pub in town, for lunch and libations.
The Girls in front of the Gaslight, and the door to a friend's tattoo shop in town..
While gadding about town I noticed that things have really changed quite a bit. It's noticable even to those who are here every day. There are probably 40 to 60,000 more people living here today than there were 18 months ago. Thats fast growth.
There are new neighborhoods (RVs parked along the side of the road) popping up all over the place. But I suppose there are some good points too.. new businesses are also being born to accommodate the needs of this new influx of population. Here's one now...
Click on any pic to enlarge, or to read the street sign!
Here, have a better look: I bet they have excellent, authentic food, and I intend to try me some before I leave..
It's hard to listen to the locals bitch about the traffic - sheeeit, they don't know what traffic is! However, they are seeing quite a change in this department too and most are not happy with the changes they see in their community and all around them. Here's one example of why, and one of the ways the locals are expressing their displeasure...
Check out the sticker someone slapped on a sign that hangs on the door of the Tattoo shop..
Yep, that's what they call the gas workers... gasholes.
We had a great lunch at the Gaslight then headed off to Lisa's Rivah House (as opposed to the Hill House). The Hill house is the house on the mountain that I've always coveted. The River house is the new house they moved too that is right on Tioga Creek. They're both lovely, and after seeing the new place.. I guess I can forgive her for moving out of the house on the mountain.. ESPECIALLY since I now get to stay there while I'm here. :) Win Win!
Once we had picked up our wares at the new house we picked up my car from Linda's and headed on over the mountain.
My Beloved Mountains
Now Lisa's house is outside of town up the mountain on a 2 mile paved road, then about half a mile of gravel road, and then... behold her driveway: Yes this is her driveway to paradise.
A Trip up Lisa's driveway
Kevin met us with a fire in the pit when we arrived. We called larry, who joined us and we kicked back for the rest of the night.. Lisa entertained us by splattering pizza sause all over herself and I almost went over the edge of the patio backwards.. it was all good though. By 10 we were all ready to call it a night and they all went home and I was left alone at Camp Paradise.
This camping is rough, I tell you.. wonderfully cool night, huge kingsize bed (all to myself - no dogs to share with and quiet.. just me and the leaves. :) I slept great.
Got up this morning and ran to the supermarket to stock up a bit, then posted about Thurs. I had lunch and hung out this afternoon with Linda and Larry. It rained this morning, but later this afternoon the sun came out and I went for a walk on the mountain. Took this of the outside of the house since yesterday's "driveway" Vid didn't really show it..
The rest of the story.. er, the outside!
It's a beautiful house and so quiet and peaceful. I've just been kicking back this evening and am planning an adventure to the Glass Museum tomorrow. I can't wait.. I'm sure I'll have more pics and some kind of story!
Hope things are happy at home!
Love you
The Wacky Sister
And we're off...
Friday, August 12th 2011
When I woke up on Friday I still had a half day to work.. but it sure didn't feel like it.
Till I sat down and organized what I absolutely had to get done. Quite a bit. No problem. I was motivated... Finally after tieing up some pesky customer issues and a few snafus setting my auto responder and voicemail away message I was finally out of there at 1 p.m.. damn, I was hoping to slip away between 11-11:30. Oh well.. I'm free and that's all that really matters! lol
I had an ambitious route and a realistic route mapped out, in several different navigators I should mention here, for my drive up to Wellsboro and my rendezvous with the Ladies.
I was on vacation, and wanted it to start right way.. so to that end I had planned an adventure right off. Why wait till I get to my first overnight destination to start things off right??
So my ambitious route included a stop at a Classic Roadside Attraction (in fact called Roadside America), the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, and then on up to Wellsboro taking a rather scenic route rather than the upper North East Extension and Rt 80.
I knew from the get go that the Brewery was a long shot. When I got out of the house at 1 p.m instead of 11:30 I killed that plan right quickly. Yo.
So off I went, heading north.
As you know I've been to Wellsboro many times, and I've taken the back route up as well as the turnpike. I don't really *need* the GPS to get there.. but it's new, and I had the stop planned along the way so I was using it. As previously mentioned I actually had the trip route entered into two or three different navigators.. and I used at least two of them in the first 20 miles! lol
So anyway.. I am plodding along, famiar with the route and knowing that I'm getting off at the allentown exit, shooting west across Rt78 for a ways, then heading north somewhere along the way to head up to Sharlesville where Roadside America is.
As I approach the Allentown exit, where I am sure I'm getting off - because I've looked at the route and entered it into several different navigators right??? But the Google Navigator app that I'm using at this point for my GPS tells me to keep going to the Leigh Valley exit???? Huh??
I'm a pretty quick thinker, so immediately deduct (since I'd switched navigator apps at least once already at this point) that this navigator app is taking me one exit further along the turnpike and then must be planning to take me a scenic route west and then South to shartlesville.. I keep tooling along happyily ignorant in the knowledge that my adventures had in fact started at that very moment!!! lol
On through the tunnel I go, and 18 miles later exit at Leigh Valley and get on 209 S as I'm instructed to do. Immediately the wise (and annoying) voice from the navigator starts telling me to make a U-turn and then a right onto the entrance ramp to the North East Extension SOUTH!
After pulling over and examining the mapped directions more carefully... sure enough, the bitch had me driving up to Leigh Valley, looping through the exit/entrance ramps only to drive back 18 miles South on the turnpike to exit CORRECTLY at Allentown.
What the hell???
At this point any sane person would hop back on the turnpike heading north to Rt 80 and take the most direct, fastest way to my end destination of Wellsboro.
However... I've never claimed to be sane, and I was damned determine to have an adventure on this first day of my vacation.. so I followed the cursed GPS's stoopid ass directions and went BACK down the turnpike to 78 where I KNEW I should have gotten off in the first place! Oh well. I'm NOT on a timeclock so all's well...
I was soon greeted by a homely Amish couple at the entrance to the somewhat hokey, very awesome little attraction in no-where PA.
This place is actually pretty cool. It's a miniature village, the largest known in the country. Built by hand, by a guy (now deceased) who was into miniature train sets. The displays depict life in rural america from the 1800s through to the present - industries, architecture, homes, villages, towns... it was neat and really interesting. I passed on the giftshop...
One (miniature) porta potty you missed out on, Michelle!!!
After spending a little more than an hour checking out their HUGE display I set out for Wellsboro. I removed the Brewery from my trip route, double checked the directions for any more "loop-dee-loops" and arrived safely at Linda and Larry's in plenty of time to run some errands before settling in and watching a movie...
Stay tuned for an accounting of ReCycle Day itself, along with more pics and video too!
Have I told you lately that I love my phone???
Later Yo
When I woke up on Friday I still had a half day to work.. but it sure didn't feel like it.
Till I sat down and organized what I absolutely had to get done. Quite a bit. No problem. I was motivated... Finally after tieing up some pesky customer issues and a few snafus setting my auto responder and voicemail away message I was finally out of there at 1 p.m.. damn, I was hoping to slip away between 11-11:30. Oh well.. I'm free and that's all that really matters! lol
I had an ambitious route and a realistic route mapped out, in several different navigators I should mention here, for my drive up to Wellsboro and my rendezvous with the Ladies.
I was on vacation, and wanted it to start right way.. so to that end I had planned an adventure right off. Why wait till I get to my first overnight destination to start things off right??
So my ambitious route included a stop at a Classic Roadside Attraction (in fact called Roadside America), the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, and then on up to Wellsboro taking a rather scenic route rather than the upper North East Extension and Rt 80.
I knew from the get go that the Brewery was a long shot. When I got out of the house at 1 p.m instead of 11:30 I killed that plan right quickly. Yo.
So off I went, heading north.
As you know I've been to Wellsboro many times, and I've taken the back route up as well as the turnpike. I don't really *need* the GPS to get there.. but it's new, and I had the stop planned along the way so I was using it. As previously mentioned I actually had the trip route entered into two or three different navigators.. and I used at least two of them in the first 20 miles! lol
So anyway.. I am plodding along, famiar with the route and knowing that I'm getting off at the allentown exit, shooting west across Rt78 for a ways, then heading north somewhere along the way to head up to Sharlesville where Roadside America is.
As I approach the Allentown exit, where I am sure I'm getting off - because I've looked at the route and entered it into several different navigators right??? But the Google Navigator app that I'm using at this point for my GPS tells me to keep going to the Leigh Valley exit???? Huh??
I'm a pretty quick thinker, so immediately deduct (since I'd switched navigator apps at least once already at this point) that this navigator app is taking me one exit further along the turnpike and then must be planning to take me a scenic route west and then South to shartlesville.. I keep tooling along happyily ignorant in the knowledge that my adventures had in fact started at that very moment!!! lol
On through the tunnel I go, and 18 miles later exit at Leigh Valley and get on 209 S as I'm instructed to do. Immediately the wise (and annoying) voice from the navigator starts telling me to make a U-turn and then a right onto the entrance ramp to the North East Extension SOUTH!
After pulling over and examining the mapped directions more carefully... sure enough, the bitch had me driving up to Leigh Valley, looping through the exit/entrance ramps only to drive back 18 miles South on the turnpike to exit CORRECTLY at Allentown.
What the hell???
At this point any sane person would hop back on the turnpike heading north to Rt 80 and take the most direct, fastest way to my end destination of Wellsboro.
However... I've never claimed to be sane, and I was damned determine to have an adventure on this first day of my vacation.. so I followed the cursed GPS's stoopid ass directions and went BACK down the turnpike to 78 where I KNEW I should have gotten off in the first place! Oh well. I'm NOT on a timeclock so all's well...
I was soon greeted by a homely Amish couple at the entrance to the somewhat hokey, very awesome little attraction in no-where PA.
This place is actually pretty cool. It's a miniature village, the largest known in the country. Built by hand, by a guy (now deceased) who was into miniature train sets. The displays depict life in rural america from the 1800s through to the present - industries, architecture, homes, villages, towns... it was neat and really interesting. I passed on the giftshop...
One (miniature) porta potty you missed out on, Michelle!!!
After spending a little more than an hour checking out their HUGE display I set out for Wellsboro. I removed the Brewery from my trip route, double checked the directions for any more "loop-dee-loops" and arrived safely at Linda and Larry's in plenty of time to run some errands before settling in and watching a movie...
Stay tuned for an accounting of ReCycle Day itself, along with more pics and video too!
Have I told you lately that I love my phone???
Later Yo
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Yes Michelle, You CAN come with me...
And I won't even make you piddle in campground or State Park bathhouses with the spiders!
This blog is for my sister, and I'm sure of no interest to anyone else - even though I do ROCK terribly.. *snickering* so you can follow along on my roadtrip without getting wet, bug bitten, sweaty or have to use a porta potty!
This thing is a first for me.. so be patient and I might even figure out how to post up a pic or two for ya.
I head out tomorrow.. and I can't wait, only 3 or so more hours to work and they're from home tomorrow - piece of cake!
I'll be on the road, living out of my car, for the next 23 days. I sure would rather be roaming in an RV!
Next year... :)
I'll post when I can..
Yer Rockin sister
This blog is for my sister, and I'm sure of no interest to anyone else - even though I do ROCK terribly.. *snickering* so you can follow along on my roadtrip without getting wet, bug bitten, sweaty or have to use a porta potty!
This thing is a first for me.. so be patient and I might even figure out how to post up a pic or two for ya.
I head out tomorrow.. and I can't wait, only 3 or so more hours to work and they're from home tomorrow - piece of cake!
I'll be on the road, living out of my car, for the next 23 days. I sure would rather be roaming in an RV!
Next year... :)
I'll post when I can..
Yer Rockin sister
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