No Tucson in Arizona This Year

For the last several years, for a couple days in April, we have joined our friends from high school in Laughlin/Bullhead City.  The last two years we went in our Hyundai Tucson.  Not this year.  We won’t be going anywhere in the Tucson. 

Tucson in Utah

After running the numbers, or is it crunching them? - I don’t like numbers in general - we figured that unloading the car now was the best move.  Although the “experiment” was shorter than planned, it was long enough to know that we don’t need a second car when only one of us is working.  It will require more planning and consolidating but those are good habits to have anyway.

Because I love to drive I tend to do it for entertainment, which adds up in gas costs and wear on the vehicle……and of course if I’m out anyway I might as well stop in there and see if they have something I should pick up! My spending habits have changed significantly during my first year of retirement but when I look at where the money goes I still see places I can cut back. Only having a car a couple days a week will make that pretty easy.
  

The money that was the monthly car payment, insurance and XM Radio subscription will now expedite the payoff of the tax bill and the last credit card, getting us to debt-free by our deadline.  For that reason alone it feels right to have gotten rid of the car!  Reducing our personal impact on the environment, fixing lunch at home every day, increasing the time I spend walking and riding the bike, parking the Jeep in the garage……..these are all added bonuses that have us feeling really great about the decision. 

I made sure I included all this in the blog so that in a few weeks when all this self-righteousness is wearing thin and I want to go get another car, I’ll have a reminder in my own words of why it was a good idea J!

We took some great road trips in our Tucson, including Highway 1 along the coast and Monument Valley.  We visited family in and out of California, and took some family to see other family.  It helped Brian move twice and took all of Jeff’s belongings to Seattle.  It got great gas mileage, was always reliable, and had that really bitchin’ chocolate brown interior!  I’ll miss the XM radio until I figure out the sound studio in the Jeep. 

No Tucson in Arizona for us this year - time to start making new memories in the Jeep and getting closer to our dream!

 

Everybody Relax. Our Tax Payment(s) Will Resolve the National and State Debt!

Ouch!  We knew we were going to take a big hit this year due to some movement of investment accounts and final payments from my employer that rolled into 2013.  Still, those big numbers really sting.  Certainly as we look back at 2013 it doesn’t feel like we “made too much money.”  Compared to what/who?  Alas, it is actually a relief to know for sure what we owe and that next year we will be just fine without making any adjustments to the income we have moving forward.  It will slow down the payoff of those final pesky bills, but we will make it work.  As I told Bill: it’s just money, not a cancer diagnosis.

There was good news this week to somewhat offset the tax numbers.  First, I went to CarMax as planned and was very pleased with their offer-to-buy.  It is much higher than the online calculators gave me, and enough to “nearly” pay off the car loan.  Second, housing prices have risen 21% since we bought our place in 2011 and are expected to increase another 8-9% by the end of this year.  This, coupled with very few houses on the market, gives me more confidence that we can afford the rig we want once the house sells.  Will keep an eye on things between now and then, but the projections are good!  Finally, I received positive confirmation on a question regarding the impact of Bill’s retirement next April for Richie’s (our youngest still at home) health coverage.  Thanks again to my BFF Janis for the heads up and the necessary kick.  She always says I’m lucky that things go my way, but she forgets that a lot of time she is the one responsible for that good “luck.”  I know I’m blessed to have her in my life J!

On a completely separate note…….

As an admitted blog/forum junkie I’m enjoying the comforting similarities and differences between the hooked-up RV parkers and the unplugged boondockers.  I try to live my life with responsibility and respect: responsibility for my own actions and respect for others.  As we prepare to completely untether from our current lifestyle and join the growing number of full-timers, I am encouraged by a similar common thread that seems to run through those “out there”.  While the “how” they do it is vastly different, the “why” is nearly identical.  It is like one big organism with many brains and one heart.  Whether they are always connected to full hookups with multiple amenities available, social events every day and night, close to major towns, and comfortable parked close together; or living on solar panels with bi-weekly moves to a dump station, days and weeks without other human contact, far from any conveniences, and feeling safe completely alone in the wilderness; or a combination of both – full-timers  seem to support and truly enjoy each other!  A great example comes from reading regular bloggers’ posts and comments on the big January show in Quartzsite – sort of like Miracle Whip, hate it or love it - with strong opinions attached!

The regulars generally know where others stand on the Quartzsite fence and have good-natured fun lobbing a few zingers back and forth for a couple weeks.  Still, even with strong differences just on this one topic, it is clear that in a crisis those cables would be unhooked or those solar panels lowered, and without hesitation help would be on its way.  I’ve “seen” it happen several times, with people who have never met in person, being there for each other on so many levels.  Even politics and religion, although rarely referenced, are handled with tolerance and good humor. 

So maybe bloggers are special and the rest of the full-timing community is a bunch of jerks who will burst my bubble the first night we open the slides……..but I don’t think so.  It’s also a lot of pressure – so much to live up to!!

Regardless of where they park their home, all will be able to relax come April 15 when the government receives our check and is once again in the black!

 

Experiment Update and Spring Snow in SoCal

We started Week 2 of Operation One Car yesterday.  I just don't know.  Maybe it was a bad week to start. Bill worked late a couple evenings to complete inventory so I didn't keep the Jeep any of the days.  The wind made getting out on the bike or walking the dog too uncomfortable <insert wimp here>.  So the first week I was admittedly a tad bored and feeling like a slug.  Then I ran the numbers on the car loan against the current resale value of the vehicle.  Hmmmm, maybe we can't sell it yet. Yes, that would have been a good place to start rather than thinking of it after starting the experiment.  Oh well.

But I did say we started Week 2, so what's the plan??  Before throwing in the chamois I'm taking the car to CarMax to get their we'll-buy-it-from-you-and-you-don't-have-to-buy-one-from-us amount.  I'm pretty confident it will be lower than we need but maybe another creative solution will present itself that can save us some money now and help get us to debt-free by next year.  I even drove Bill to work this morning in keeping with our pretend-one-car-lifestyle :-).

If nothing else comes of it, we probably saved a gallon of gas - woo hoo!!

When is "snow" on the ground a sign of early Spring?

 

Where the cool picture would go if I had thought to take one!

Our neighbor's fruit tree has been an over-achiever when it comes to "getting its flowers on" for the last two years we have lived here. The huge sycamores that line our back wall are bare as are the other trees in the neighborhood. However the little some-kind-of-faux-fruit tree next door is full of white flowers with small leaf buds ready to pop. While still early, the flowers usually show up the middle of February. Not this year. I noticed them a few weeks ago when we were in the high 70's and low 80's - you know, like less than a month into Winter! So when the cold winds came last week our backyard was covered in hundreds of small white flowers - spring snow! You just never know what you're going to get in Southern California.

Not sure what triggered the sudden increase in blog hits this last few days but it's very exciting!  In case anyone comes back for more I'll attempt to keep the posts stimulating and educational - like this one :-)!

Surely We Will Want to Remember All This

Every time I think "you should be writing something in the blog.....", that thought is immediately followed by "....and say what?"  Afterall, I started the blog to record our journey to get to the journey (Bill and Jodee throw away a lot of stuff so they can fit a little stuff in a motorhome just doesn't have the same ring).  Unless we're doing something super-fun like taking the Jeep to Borrego, or successful like losing the weight, it just doesn't seem "blog-worthy".

Then I remind myself that this is our journey and we are doing something every week that keeps us on point to reaching our goals.  Not always as fun as a road trip, and not always something that can be "checked off" as completed, but still we remain focused.  It's not that hard when you're obsessed I suppose.....

The yard sale did wait for a week and I was glad that I took the time to get things more organized.  Emphasis on making me happier, I doubt the organization did much to boost sales.


Getting the "stuff" organized

An added bonus of postponing was the timing of several other yard sales in our neighborhood so there were dozens of cars making the rounds.  The weather was perfect with no wind and probably over 75 people stopped to browse and buy.  About 80% of the stuff went home with happy shoppers, by noon we were loading up a few boxes for Goodwill, and calling it a day.  Because there will be more yard sales while we continue to downsize our belongings, I kept a few items back that may sell next time.  A day that ends with more cash in my pocket and more space in my garage is always a good one!

One of the "shoppers" owns the Lazy Daze motorhome down the street and it was fun to meet her and learn about their adventures.  Of course I mentioned our plans and that lead to more discussion.  A while later her husband stopped by to talk and offer some advice.  Nice people - and both lit up when talking about the time they spend in their rig. 

Mobility continues to increase in my shoulder and I'm confident that with another two sessions of physical therapy I'll be back to normal (or at least back to where I was).  I didn't realize how much I've avoided because of the pain so just being able to spread a couple bags of mulch in the planter yesterday morning felt great!  It was a little project but makes a big impact on the curb appeal.  Just leaves the trim paint and concrete pour :-). 

Spent a fun evening with Megan at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Monday.  I have great memories at the old theatre including seeing Dr Doolittle (original) with my mom, and Pirates of the Caribbean with the boys.  This time was a little different and just as wonderful.  We went to see Mary Poppins and it was a "sing-a-long" with the words on the screen.  Sooooo many great songs!! 

 

Although they have extended the show for a week, it was a light crowd for this showing.  Still, everyone participated and Megan and I had so much fun.  We were mostly adults but one family brought their four pre-teen boys who sat in front of us.  Apparently they were being punished for extreme crimes against their parents.......poor kids.

"Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down....."





Speaking of fun!  We got some new toys in preparation for our future adventures.

 Hours of fun for ages 8 -80!

 

Benchmark makes wonderful Road and Recreation Atlases for eight Western states and after reading how great they are for planning routes I ordered Washington, Oregon and Arizona.  We spent one evening looking at these and Bill suggested that we really needed the California one as well.  Done.  It came today :-).  I could definitely spend hours lost in these maps.  The majority of daily bloggers I follow are currently in Quartzsite, Yuma, Florida or stuck in their S&B homes with snow in their yards.  However, I read all of RV Dreams and WheelingIt - covering up to eight years of traveling the country. From those I noted several places I want to see.  Many of them have familiar names but I'm unfamiliar with exactly where they are in relationship to each other, to major highways, etc. Finding them on the map makes it less dream and more plan.  Most recently I went back to the beginning of rvsue and her canine crew (I'm at October 2013 today) and it was in her blog that I learned about the Benchmark books.  She mostly boondocks, and in amazing locations, so being able to follow the route to her locations is very fun.  

 

A possible job opportunity came up last week.  Ultimately it forced me to be honest about what I really want/need to do over the next year.  Weighing the time and travel commitment against the temporary expanded income was a worthwhile exercise after one year of retirement.  Nope, I walked away.  

 

We've discussed getting rid of the Tucson and with the decision about taking a temporary job made in the negative it is again an option for us.  Tuesday we start a 30-day "experiment" to see if we can be a one-car family!  It would be great to have that car payment out of the budget if we can make it work.

 

Perhaps not blog-worthy adventures, but I think we'll enjoy looking back from the road at what we did the year before we started out......surely we will!!

 

 

 

 

Next Year Sounds So Much Better!

For the last seven months we've been saying "In 2015 we will be......." and that just sounded like it was forever from now. Since January 1 we've been able to say "Next year we will be......" and what a difference that is just in the saying! Of course it's still too long in the instant-gratification-desires of my real world, but it does make a difference.

After a few more reviews of our budget and what that will look like in 3, 6 and 12 months we are confident in saying that at-the-outside Bill can retire on April 1, 2015.  It's still next year but in just a few short months we can say "in a year, in less than a year, in a few months" he will retire. Even with that awesome reality, we continue to look at options that could move that date up even more, and include having a motor home sooner rather than later. Pathetic I know :-(.....but it does help one stay enthusiastic. 

At the same time I know there are lots of folks out there (because I spend waaaaay too much time in blog/forum-land) who are planning for 3-8 years before they can head out full-time.  I was reading a post from one of the many who have been weathering the polar vortex (such a great name) who just purchased a new Tiffin motor home and is looking forward to retiring in a couple years.  I'm sitting in perfect t-shirt weather here in SoCal, with beautiful warm sunny days and a year of retirement behind me, and I was JEALOUS because they already have their motor home!  Again with the pathetic.....

We have done pretty close to nothing since getting back from Borrego.  Bill had his two-month check up with the surgeon who released him without restriction.  Bittersweet as it confirms his recovery has been amazing but also means he has to return to work.  Still it has been so wonderful having him home for eight weeks and I will miss his being here every day.  Definitely not worried about being "stuck" with each other in that small motor home!  Tessa says doing nothing is a perfectly wonderful way to spend a day......or six.

Pain in my left arm and shoulder has gotten steadily worse so I finally went back to the doctor.  She made an appointment at the orthopedist and had the physical therapist do an evaluation.  Now that Bill is finished with all those people it's my turn!  Bill inspires all of us:  Nick loses over 50 pounds in five weeks and I go to physical therapy!  Awesome. There was good news from both this week that it is bursitis made worse because I have let it freeze up my shoulder from dis-use.  Didn't want any part of a cortisone shot (at least for now) but it already feels better just doing the PT at home.  I'll see the therapist a couple times a week until it's back to normal and be grateful it wasn't something more serious.

Still deciding on tackling a yard sale tomorrow.....weather is perfect but I haven't done a lot of prep and that always means more work on sale day.  Nothing says I can't do it next week.....we'll see.  I do need to keep moving forward on the purging because....wait for it.....this is so good.....feels great.....we're heading out NEXT YEAR!

New Year's Adventure in the Desert

Playing with art in the desert -

a great way to start 2014!

We wanted to get the Jeep off-road and the perfect weather forecast made it impossible to stay home!  There are several options for us to get out in the desert but Borrego Springs has been calling my name for months......lots of bloggers posting pics of wonderful drives and hikes.  I camped there 3 decades ago but although I spent years driving past it I haven't been back in the park. 

  

On the road about 8:00 AM on New Year's Day (the freeways were "post-apocalyptic") we took the "back" way from I-15 on a nice-but-narrow-two-lane road through a large variety of scenery.  We thought we were seeing a lot of motorhomes and 5ers on that road - then we got inside Borrego Springs State Park and it was like being at an RV show!  Every combination of rig, trailer, toad, toy hauler....it was crazy!  Our first stop was the hotel to see if early check-in was an option.  We were staying at the recently re-opened La Casa del Zorro and they enjoyed a full-house for New Year's Eve so we had to wait until later.  Fine with us, we were ready to get the Jeep dirty!

One of the areas on my want-to-see list was Galleta Meadows.  It is a popular attraction and the front desk had a map of the metal sculptures starting just down the road.  I was surprised to see that they were spread out from one side of the village to the other, in all directions.  Not really a "meadows" area by itself, the pieces dot the landscape in numerous areas. I figured dinosaurs and big bugs were the kind of art Bill might enjoy!

The scorpion echoes when you talk to it.

There is a large variety of animals and pre-historic animals including mammoths and giraffes and tapers and horses and sloths......and the large serpent that takes up both sides of the road.

 Serpent head

 Standing at the tail

But I have to say my favorite was the farm workers....amazing detail including tools and clothes and just different than all the other pieces.  Tessa was not nearly as impressed....

Pruning the vines

Walking the dog....very life-like



Most of them are close to the main highway with close-up access on flat dirt trails.  After enjoying a wonderful lunch at El Borrego (don't let the carpeted outdoor eating area deter you - the food rocks!) we went in search of the few remaining dinosaurs out in the desert.  The dense cholla made staying on the trail a must but it was still a good test of the Jeep.  As expected it did just fine.  These were the bigger dinosaurs with great detail.

Don't sit down!

 Gnarly gnails

I didn't take a picture but from this spot you can see across the whole valley and the weather was perfect - 72 with no wind and crystal clear skies.  There were several other vehicles at the other pieces but we had these critters to ourselves.  There was zero sound and so peaceful. 

We were nearly back to the hotel at this point so we tried to check in again.  Had to wait about 45 minutes so we suffered through a cocktail (best mojito I've had in years) sitting in a small covered patio on the beautiful and serene grounds.  Fountains and beautiful natural desert landscaping made for a very nice wait time.  Tessa was so good, just hanging out with us off leash.  Other dogs came by with their owners and while she kept her eye on them she didn't get up from her spot. 

Our room was upstairs above a "running" creek with a balcony over the pool.  It was huge with king bed, fire place, wet bar and large spa bathroom.  Such a surprise find here in the wilds of Borrego!

Won't be coming back to this in the RV!

Had a couple snags with the room phone and ordering dinner but it worked out with service to our room and a delicious meal.  Prices are steep but portions very large - too large for me.  I enjoyed a very tasty salad and shrimp with pasta while Bill liked his scallops and loved his cheese cake!

Unfortunately the nasty "vacation virus" that laid Jeff out on Christmas day caught up with Bill and he was up and down all night.  No matter how nice the accommodations, it just sucks to be away from home when you're sick!  In the morning I drove into the village for the magic cure that is Pepto Bismol, Gatorade and saltines.  While he and Tessa slept until check-out I had breakfast in the dining room.  Another good meal of granola pancakes - couldn't finish half but it was exceptional.  Lovely space and friendly, efficient service. 

Although Bill was feeling better we headed for home.  Decided to take the "front" way out of the park giving us the opportunity to see more of the area.  Once out of the village about 5 miles we came upon the "bo-dunkers" (boondocker) area.  Lots of rigs still there including a few large circles of multiple rigs.  While it was crowded due to the holiday it was encouraging to see many large 40-foot MHs had access to the area, several pretty far from the highway.  Seeing these bigger units in places I want to go gives me confidence that our smaller one will be no problem!

The canyon area is incredible and we both said we WILL be back to play in the near future.  The ORV area was packed with quads and buggies and Jeeps and while I would have loved it 20 years ago it held no draw for me now.  Too many people, too much dust, too much noise......and I'm totally okay recognizing it means I'm getting older :-).  As I told Bill a couple times on the trip, while I'd rather have the place to ourselves, I'm glad  so many people are getting out in nature with their families and having a good time.....it is a good sign that we are recovering.  We will have to share with others on weekends and holidays but be able to enjoy our own space when they return to work and school.  I think we can live with that :-).

A quick drive with a couple of traffic bumps and we were back home.  Although we didn't get to really challenge it, the Jeep definitely passed the "glad we got it" test.  We're already looking forward to getting out there again.









A Month of Milestones and Moving Forward

After knowing Bill for 43 years it sounds odd that we celebrated our one-year anniversary on December 29 - but indeed we have been married a year now!  We went for dinner and drinks - very formal with long pants, closed-toe shoes, and mascara :-) at Wood Ranch.  It was a lovely evening of laughter and confirmation how very lucky we are to have this life together, to be in love for the last time, to share our dreams.

 

 

And to be so darn cute.......

 

The end of December also marked one year of retirement for me.  It is difficult to describe "how that feels" because it has just been natural and easy.  While I'd be okay working a 90-day contract sometime this year, I have no desire to return to that world.  I'm very blessed with the financial means to have that choice and I don't take it for granted.

 

Bill's appointment with the surgeon is this Friday and he plans to return to work early.  No reason not to as he is more mobile than before surgery and nearly pain-free - and he can save some leave time for this Spring when we have plans to visit with old friends.  His rapid recovery has been amazing and like my retirement has been natural and easy (especially for me :-] ).  With the successful weight loss and knee replacements he has done what he needed so we can get more active and thus more fit over the next year, keeping us on track with our goals.  While he hit goal on the weight loss I still have about 20 more pounds I'd like to drop and I'm looking forward to the increased activity to help with that.

 

Brian and Jeff were both able to get here for a couple days over the holidays but Jeff was sick all day Christmas and spent most of the day in bed, missing dinner and the brilliant company of his family.  Even though it was a short visit, it was wonderful getting to see them.  Jeff's return trip home was a mess but he eventually arrived back at his apartment in Seattle.  Although Brian and Shalise are here in SoCal, I don't get to see them much more than I do Jeff :-(.  Richie was with his mom in Sacramento for Christmas but Nick, Corey and Travis were able to spend the whole day with us so it was truly a family affair this year - the best holiday tradition.

 

When the Christmas decorations went back in the attic there were three less large bins, having purged everything I didn't put out this year into the yard sale collection in the garage.  Next year I hope to reduce it to one bin that goes with us - a warning to family and friends that I plan to pass on these marvelous treasures for you to stow in your attics....

 

Another goal realized this month was buying our toad.  Getting the Seadoos moved allowed us to get serious about trading in the F150, and when we get serious.......

I was looking at Jeep Libertys with some concern about leg room for Bill.  We found a couple nearby that were in good shape and went to check them out on Christmas Eve.  Nope, even with the driver's seat all the way back it was too tight.  Good to know, time to look for something else.  Knowing exactly what was important for us we knew a Jeep or Ford 4x4 were our only options......getting off-road is a priority.  We've had a Wrangler before but were now leaning toward a Cherokee.  Still had to check on leg room so when we found a 2007 at a local dealer we drove over to check it out the day after Christmas.  With the exception of leather seats it had everything we wanted and has great leg room.  In fact the passenger side has more leg room than the F150 - unbelievable!  They took care of a couple bugs we noted during the test drive, made a deal that fits our needs, and now we have our toad!

 

 

 



The day after purchase Bill had a new stereo installed that connects to his full external hard drive of music (almost 90K songs).  With Boston speakers already in the Jeep we're now driving around in a sound studio with a music library that rivals many recording labels.....because if you can, why wouldn't you?

 

Tomorrow starts another year and we are resolved to stay on track and keep working our plan. In fact we have an adventure planned to kick things off right - for next time then....



Outta Here!

Not us, the Seadoos and trailer.  We decided at the last minute to drive them up to Clearlake.  The motivation came from "finding" a possible toad and recognizing we couldn't move on it because we still needed to tow the Seadoos 400 miles. There was the issue of Bill sitting "bent" for that long but there was no rush and we could make as many stops as needed for both of us to stretch our legs. Even the weather was going to be clear all week..... So with nothing holding us back we tossed a couple bags and Tessa in the truck, hooked up the trailer (thank you Corey and Richie), and Monday morning we were on the road heading north.

Passing the "scene of the crime" at Fort Tejon we celebrated getting farther than our last attempt  :-).  It was an uneventful trip and we landed at the lake house just before dark.

We had a wonderful visit with Wayne and Marilynn, and Tessa was a well behaved house guest.  She was polite to their cat Gumby and shared doggy kisses equally among the deserving humans.  Marilynn and I drove to Ukiah for her appointment while the guys hung out at the house on Tuesday.  Clearlake is really beautiful and there was still light snow in the shadows along the drive.  The water in the keys is very low and we didn't spend any time out on the deck although the temps were fairly warm for December.  It was great to spend time with family, just relaxing and sharing a few yummy meals.

As I drove from their place on Wednesday morning I felt another link in the chain break away.  Now we are free to find our toad and trade in the truck when we do.  Yahoo.

The return trip was easy as well.  We took a quick detour to pick up Christmas presents from Janis and Nick in Sacramento.  Bill hadn't seen their place yet so it was fun for him to see where I spent two nights a week before retirement.  Unfortunately the Phaeton is in the shop so he didn't get to see that.  Bummer.  Before leaving Sacramento we stopped for breakfast at Lumberjacks.  I don't know how people eat that much food at one sitting....the biscuits are the size of pies.  It was a tasty meal but Bill felt yucky for the next few hours.  We are definitely not the eaters we used to be.  Yahoo again :-)

Five and a half hours later we were in our driveway and Tessa was VERY happy to be out of the truck!  She got a new travel bed for this trip so she could see out the window while lying down and hopefully be less fretful while traveling.  She had some periods of whining but she was definitely much happier on this trip.  Obviously she needs to be comfortable in a moving vehicle so we're glad to know she is going to be just fine.  With her calm personality, good manners, and off-the-leash discipline she is such a perfect dog for our new life style. 

It is wonderful having Bill home full-time, we talk about his retiring earlier than 2015 and what it would take to do that.  We can't head out full-time until Richie graduates but there could be alternatives including an RV, intermittent travel, and getting debt-free.  Ahhhh, the pleasure of dreaming!

After our setback in November it was great to make the successful delivery. Everybody's happy. They are delighted to have the Seadoos for family to enjoy come summer, and we are just as delighted to have them "outta here".

Happy One Week Anniversary

Bill and his new knees have been together for a week now.  So far it looks like a great relationship.

A double (bi-lateral) knee replacement is the most complicated orthopedic surgery done through Kaiser.  It is major surgery that usually takes about four hours.  Five and a half hours after Bill went in the surgeon came out to give me the good news.  Everything went well even though the knees were "the worst I've ever seen" and he felt very positive about how improved Bill's quality of life will be.

From the time he moved from the recovery area to his hospital room to working with his physical therapist at home, Bill's progress has been amazing.  Every person on his medical team has been blown away by how quickly he is moving through the necessary steps.  This is not to say he is without pain and some frustration, just that he is very far "ahead of the curve" in his physical therapy and ability to get around independently.  Except for the mandatory discharge trip out of the hospital he has not seen a wheelchair. The day after surgery he was walking down the hall. Using the walker he is able to get around the house and Wednesday he took a couple of trips down the street.  He's definitely my hero!!

We are still looking at a 90-day rehab period and being right on track to reach our goals. 

In the meantime I've started a couple spreadsheets on campgrounds and domiciles and continue to feed my full-timer blog addiction on a daily basis. 

We made the decision to get rid of the truck before it sees 100,000 miles which means driving it VERY little before and after the 1000 mile trip to deliver the Seadoos to Clearlake.  We both love the F-150 and the King Ranch package makes it a very comfortable vehicle with all the bells and whistles.  But the MPG sucks for Bill's daily commute to Burbank and it is not going to be our toad.  Once the Seadoos are gone we'll have no towing needs and can figure out how to transport the trykes in the Tucson if needed.  We've narrowed down our toad choices to a Jeep or a Ford Escape.  Off-road capability is important to us as is decent MPG.  I'm leaning toward the Jeep Liberty for several reasons but have to be sure Bill can drive and ride comfortably (his height is an issue in the Tucson and we don't want to repeat that mistake).  While we really want a new motorhome, we will definitely get a used toad.  Getting it now means we can have it paid off before we hit the road.  I'd love the additional savings of getting rid of the Tucson now as well, but I'm not ready to give up that independence just yet!

So the knee surgery is off the list and recovery looks to be checked off ahead of schedule.  The holidays are just around the corner so we'll get some more family and friends time in before the end of the year.  In just six weeks we'll be able to say "next year" we're hitting the road - that sounds great!

Road Trip Mishap

We are supposed to be waking up this morning on the keys of Clearlake, CA, but alas we are back home. The good news is the trailer wheel did not fall off at 60 mph on the Grapevine and all the dangerous possible results of that mishap.

During our July 4th visit to Wayne and Marilynn's we arranged to return with the Seadoos later in the month.  We were ready to unload them and W & M wanted to buy them for the family to play with.  Good deal.  Health issues put that plan on hold until two weeks ago when M and I revived it and started making plans.  Our good friend Michelle would ride up with us, we would drop Bill off in Oakland on the way back to connect with his boys for an event they were attending; even Tessa would go along for her first road trip.  Fun times!

When we picked up the trailer from storage on Wednesday we hit our first little bump - none of the keys we had on the ring in the truck fit any of the padlocks on the trailer.  As we had locked them ourselves two years ago when we last parked it, and the key ring was in the ashtray this whole time, it makes absolutely no sense.  And none of the additional keys at home fit the locks either.....bizarre!  Bill was able to cut the hitch lock with our small bolt cutters so we could at least get the trailer out of storage and to the house.  One of the trailer lights wasn't working but it was still light, we had a short distance to cover, and he could fix it the next day. 

The seats are trashed from exposure and will have to be replaced, but the dirt came off with a good scrubbing so they were looking pretty good before noon on Thursday.  Another small bump when the non-working tail light was rusted inside making the removal of the broken bulb impossible.  And.....nothing we had was going to get the bigger lock off the storage box.  So with two new submersible tail lights, two new padlocks, and a rented huge bolt cutter I was feeling pretty good about resolving those issues before Bill got home from work - yay, back on track for Friday morning departure. 

We did miss our class at Kaiser but he replaced the tail lights in time to see Travis off for his big weekend.  Not a lot of trick-or-treaters this year so I finished getting things ready to go for the morning.  Bill got home, Michelle arrived, looking good for our big road trip.

Up early, truck packed, everything secured for the trip.  On the road before 6:30, before sunrise.  Lots of trucks on the freeway but smooth ride up the Grapevine.  Just before Gorman a Mercedes lost the full tread on their rear tire but got safely off the freeway with the tire making its way off the freeway as well.  This started the discussion on our own past experiences with blow outs and tire issues......all with happy endings.  We would soon have another tale to add.

While airing the trailer tires and cleaning the boats I had noticed a crack in the sidewall of the driver's side tire.  It didn't look deep and I made a note to keep an eye on it during the trip.  Because of that I had been checking on it for the hour we had been on the road.  As we got close to the top of the summit the tire was looking weird.  It seemed to be running at an angle, with the bottom of the tire moving away from the trailer.  I did not like that.  Fort Tejon exit was just ahead and I got off the freeway and on to a small side road to take a look.  Nothing wrong with the tire.  The same could not be said about the hub/wheel bearing.  Disintegrated, extremely hot, not going anywhere on that axle.

First order of business - say ten times "Thank god we didn't lose the wheel headed down the mountain, it could have been so bad!"  Being grateful for no flipping trailers and crashing cars is a good start to dealing with these little "set backs".  AAA didn't cover the trailer so we were on our own to make arrangements for transport.  After a few phone calls we confirmed our only option was having the trailer towed back to the Valencia area.  So we relaxed, watched the numerous deer who watched us back, walked the dog, enjoyed the beautiful blue sky and the trees.  We were pretty zen, all things considered
:-).

Even after the first flatbed wasn't wide enough to hold the trailer and Bill had to find us another option, our only concern was where to find a restroom.  We were parked between two Fort Tejon corporate office buildings but both had prominent "No public facilities" signs posted outside so we took the hint.  When the second tow truck showed up with an additional pick up truck for "backup", Michelle and I took off in our truck to find more welcoming "facilities".  Just over the freeway was the state park with no signs but a small building barely visible from the side road - yep restrooms!  And more deer grazing in the meadow next to them.....lovely.

Back at our "parking spot" the guys were making the trailer fit on the flat bed.  It took removing the side rails, jockeying the tires to squeeze them on the bed, and tightening the chains down really tight but we were ready to go.  Bill had to ride in the tow truck so Michelle and I headed out in our truck.  They got stuck in the construction traffic but we made great time and were able to drop off the dog and unload our luggage before driving to the axle place in Saugus.  

Not long after we arrived, the tow truck turned in.  While the trailer was unloaded I talked to the tech and got the estimate for the necessary repairs.  With the long distance tow plus new hubs and bearings on both sides it quickly turned into an $800 day.  Sure glad I got those boats out of storage to save us $90/month!  Geez.....but still saying "It could have been so much worse...."

We are all disappointed we aren't spending the weekend with Wayne and Marilynn and we still need to get the boats to Clearlake (they are not going back in storage), but I have to say that the incident further confirmed that when we hit the road we are going to be just fine.  It is so wonderful to be with a man who can just take things in stride without dumping anger and frustration all over the people around him.  Shit happens, you don't have to be shitty when it does.

One silver lining ....... we pick up the trykes this afternoon!  All's well that end's well.