What A Great Weekend

When I first saw the weather forecast a week in advance, it's hard to picture temperatures in the 60's just 5 days away as you sit inside your house freezing. I was suspicious on Friday when the temps rose to 58° but not the predicted 60's. Yet when letting the hounds outside first thing Saturday morning ... some warm air hit me, even early in the morning. The wind had been howling most of the night bringing warmer air from the Southwest.


By 9am ... ALL of us were outside, including Heidi. Yes, she did her normal refusal of going outside on her own when I asked her. Like a week ago when the weather was nice, I picked up her and carried her outside. Once her feet hit the yard, her tail started wagging and her nose went to the ground ... she spent a lot of time sniffing around and she looked happy.

 

While I was in the front yard picking up all the fallen tree branches, Stella had decided it was time to stretch her boundaries in the field in back. When she didn't come when I called her, I decided it was time to bring out the tether again ... so she could roam the field without wondering off and I could get my yard work finished. She is looking back at me to see if I am watching her before she makes her escape into new territory. Way out of bounds for her.

She didn't leave though when I was in the backyard picking up branches to add to my new burn pile in April. Once I started washing the vehicles, I attached the tether because she was wondering off. While I was getting my first yard work completed in 2016 ... the hounds did nothing but lay and watch.

In this photo she is on "semi-probation". She didn't go in the field though ... she laid in the backyard trying to show me she didn't need tethered.

By the time I finished picking up tree branches, it was warm enough to peel off the sweatshirt. While mixing the soap and water to wash the Mini Cooper S, it was getting hot outside. I went from jeans to shorts as the temps had moved from 62° to 71°. The hounds never moved while I washed not only the Mini Cooper S but also the FJ. Sadie was the only one to get out of the sun later on. She was thirsty enough to try drinking the water from the leak of my water hose. Could it really be 73° in late February? I was more than happy to enjoy the spring like weather. All the windows in the house were opened to bring in some fresh air.

The hounds stayed outside from 9am - 1:30pm. Once Heidi found her spot in the sun, she never moved.

I needed coffee and could go either direction 12 miles to the store. I chose to load up all the hounds into the FJ as a test for them (mostly Stella) and a way to dry off the FJ since I was going to let it air dry anyway. All of them love to ride, all of them jump into their locations without any help. The test for Stella was going to be what takes place as I leave her to go inside the store for some quick shopping. Although Heidi got a little car sick on the way, about the 10 mile mark. She didn't look good.

From Stella's howls as I walked away ... she wasn't happy as I went towards the store.

My shopping was fast ... coffee, pizza and yogurt. As I walked to the FJ Stella had moved from the back to the drivers seat to keep an eye out for me. I could tell she had tried looking out the front window since the rear view mirror was turned at a weird angle. Plus there were hound tongue prints on the different windows. I could tell by things on the console she had been climbing everywhere. I would have loved to had a camera hooked up to see what she did. No damage but I could tell she didn't just sit there waiting for me to come back. Yet, she didn't hesitate to move to the back as I opened the door to get in.

We headed back to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and 73° weather here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

At times I think of selling my 2006 Mini Cooper S. In fact I had a couple test drive it last summer and was sure they were going to buy it by the way they talked. She contacted me the next morning to let me know they were buying a newer one and a different model. I don't drive it much anymore but after washing it I find it always hard to think about selling it.

The temps are cooler this morning but it's still sunny and a jacket is not needed. It is suppose to snow this Thursday, so as you can tell Indiana weather is always changing and at times from one end of the spectrum to the other end. Within 6 days it will have gone from 73° to low 30's and snow.

No complaints though, it's been a really mild winter this year in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Car Washing Day

This past few days I've been staying up after letting the hounds outside for their first time of the day. That is usually between 6:15-7:00 am. This morning was cool with a light fog and the high temps today were not going to get out of the 70's. That will soon change with the local weather predicting normal August weather to return this weekend with the temps coming back to the high 80's and of course possibly some rain since I washed both vehicles today.

If I need rain ... I just have to wash a car.

Since I missed doing it yesterday, I wanted to get both vehicles washed and vacuumed today. They now both look clean enough to put up for sale. That won't happen, I like both vehicles and they are breaking records for time of possession. For example last year I only had the Kia Sorrento for 4 months before selling it. I was never planning on keeping the car when I traded the H3 Hummer in but that is a long story that I'll not get into. It is an interesting story though.

The Mini Cooper S is pretty easy to clean because the hounds never ride in it. It is rare that it is driven in bad weather unless a storm blows in unexpectedly while I am out driving it somewhere. The Toyota FJ was a different story.

The FJ had all the dirt, dog hair, dog nose candy on the inside of the windows, dropped cup of coffee by me and one large DQ Blizzard that melted before I could get home, only 3 miles away. So I knew from the beginning the FJ would take a little longer. My side mirrors and the front of the FJ had a ton of bugs covering each of them. All of these things were from the trip in June we took to Colorado and Utah, except the ice cream which dripped into and down the side of the console.

I was going to just leave the FJ as it was since it would be our traveling vehicle and it will get messed up again. Yet, there is just something I like about a clean vehicle. The Toyota paint job is great quality and really shined up after the wash, no waxing was involved. There are a few dog hairs still attached to the seats or the material in between them but it's not bad since there are just a few of them.

The coffee and ice cream all came off easy as did the dog nose candy from the windows and dash. It's amazing the places you find dried bloodhound drool after a week of traveling. The rear cargo area mat and the two front floor mats were taken out, scrubbed and hosed off. Of course I had to have my two on site inspectors look at them, sniff them and walk on them, just to make sure I had cleaned them up to their standards. There was no advance notice they were going to do this.

After that, there wasn't much more I wanted to do. Heidi has been having an 'off' day today, so she had slept most of the day. The other two hounds gave me the look that they wanted to get back inside for their daily siesta. They were fast asleep within minutes of getting inside the house.

The Look To Go Inside

Life's Rough

Excuse Me? ... A Photo While I'm Trying to Sleep????

I mentioned above I've been staying up this week after letting the hounds outside to start the day. One reason is I've been getting a full night of solid sleep. A minor change to my nightly routine has made all the difference in the world.

What changed? No matter what time I go to bed, it's usually after midnight ... I'll turn off the computer. Instead of heading to bed and then tossing and turning trying to get to sleep, I've been reading a book that I pulled off my shelf. It's called Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. This is a scientific view of the dog species and will hopefully give me a new perspective on what my hounds really see, smell and know. I'll keep you posted on any information that is different than what most dog owners think is happening.

By reading that book late at night, it makes me sleepy, thus a good night of sleep. I had been reading books during the day and that also led to taking siestas.

Although I kind of fell off the diet wagon last Monday with the trip to 5Guys Burgers, I am still losing weight, losing fat and still not having any acid reflux issues like I did last spring. I do all my measurements the 1st of each month. I did glance at my weight today out of curiosity and I've lost 20 pounds since May 1.

I hope to lose a lot more than that but I am right on schedule.

A little side note about blog traffic during the 5 days of writing about my weed pulling project. I find it interesting that two different sites show my traffic was almost double those 5 days compared to normal posting like tonight and this past week. The subject for that 100% increase in traffic was WEEDS!!!!

I'm not sure how to take that ... I am laughing as I type this last sentence.

First Week Off Is a Success

It was week ago today when I sent in my letter to the company to let them know I was retiring. It's been a fast week, with NO stress of any kind, and a lot of things got accomplished. In fact I have not thought about work or my past job for one second. If I didn't have my exit interview appointment on my iPhone calendar, there would be a chance that I would forget all about it. I did get a lot of emails from co-workers that either worked at home on Monday when I was there or didn't realize that I was sneaking out without the goodbyes. They didn't realize I finally did what I warned them about ... retirement. All of them understand and are excited about my future plans. A majority of them wished they could do the same thing.

This week I started looking at trailers and trucks to replace the Class C I sold last week. I ended up with a good truck as a tow vehicle. I have my 1994 Chevy Truck cleaned and sitting down the hill by the highway with For Sale signs, a new bench seat cover, two new floor mats, plus the oil filter and oil was changed just last Saturday. I would say the future new owner will be happy with their purchase. It is also listed on Craig's List. My Mini Cooper was also washed today, will vacuum the inside Saturday morning. I've had one caller from Indianapolis, 70 miles away, wanting to drive down and see it Saturday. In these kind of sales you never know who will show up and who will not.

That is one thing I like so far about being away from work, there is no pressure to get something done that day. Normally I would have spent more time to finish the vacuuming and spraying the stuff on the tires to make them look great ... but today after washing a truck and a car, I didn't feel like finishing it today. A dog walk was a better option on a beautiful day. As far as the potential buyers, if they show up fine, if not, doesn't matter. The Mini Cooper is also listed on Craig's List, a few dollars below the NADA value because of a few cosmetic blemishes I would fix if I were to keep it.

I've looked at trailers most of the week online. Talked to some people on the phone and via email for trailer ideas and opinions. I have narrowed the search .. I think?? I have had some people send me some pretty good ideas, all of them considering the fact that I will be traveling with dogs which one of them is pretty good size. Of course the majority of trailers that I like are 1500-2000 miles west of me. I like that idea of sitting inside a trailer before I buy it, kind of visualizing what it would look and feel like living in it with my hounds. I would like to kind of get a feel for it, what kind of vibe I get when I am sitting in the trailer day-dreaming. So, will that distance play a factor in my purchase? A lot of people buy trailers, rvs from a distance. I have bought old VW buses from a distance and paid for them just by what the pictures showed and what the owners told me. It seems different doing that with something you are going to be living in.

At least if I have to travel to check them out, I don't have to ask for a day off from work to travel...LOL

So to end the week, I have great weather, happy dogs because they can go out anytime they want now, a couple of vehicles for sale, a great new to me truck, and a plan that is in action while not even being May 1 yet.

Thanks to those for the helpful emails, blog comments, phone calls, .. all very helpful information.

One thing I forgot to mention. This past week is the first time in years I haven't gotten up multiple times during the night. I have slept through the night from the time I got to bed until the time the hounds wake me up. Currently normal time because they think I am going to work. Instead of staying up until 1-2am and getting 4-5 hours of interrupted sleep, like I have for years, I've been getting close to 8 hours of un-interrupted sleep. I am also noticing some diet changes taking place showing the proof that stress did play a part in the junk food I ate on a daily basis.

Action Has Started

This week I was finally able to mentally let go of thinking over and over what I had decided to do or not to do. That seemed to help me a lot mentally of not second guessing my plans and have a clearer idea of what was taking place. By doing that and listening to what my mind was telling me, things have been falling into place and some things at a fast pace. I actually marked my calendar for the first time today, showing the date that I will send in my resignation at work. It will be a shock to many. I will then have my last day at the job two weeks later, then a week at home wrapping up loose ends and plans to be on the road by the end of that week.

It's been a really good few days. I have been in the action mode the past couple of days. I have re-listed my Mini Cooper and Chevy Truck on Craig's List. I will sit them down by the highway with For Sale signs after the snow stops flying but thought I might find a buyer sooner via Craig's List. I have also taken pictures of things I will be selling on eBay. I usually take pictures first of all of the things that I am selling, download them, edit them and then write the ads for each item to list it.  I've always had good luck with eBay and was a full-time seller, Power Seller a few years ago before closing my online business in 2010. So, it might take me a little longer to get the ads written but by Sunday night I plan to have the majority of my items up for sale either as fixed price or auction items.

Taking a tour through the house, there is not that much work to clear it out. I have downsized a lot last summer and this past fall, so now that has paid off. With what possessions I have left, I know exactly what is going and what is staying. The inside of my house is not barren but just the minimum things I needed to live in a house.

Remember when I have said that yard work and general house maintenance had gone from enjoyable a few years ago to a dreaded waste of time recently?  I cannot wait to get away from that. It's a never ending battle where there always seems there was something to do to the yard, house or one of the 3 vehicles, taking up most of my free time on weekends. I will trade all of that for just some of that maintenance being transferred to my rig as needed.

I will probably not talk names of states in my plans until I actually hit the road, but the "road trip" is all laid out and in the final stages of preparation.

The "momentum train" has left the station and is moving forward at a nice pace.

House Trucks & Trailers

Once again I recently tried to put this living on the road for any length of time out of my mind. I still read the blog lists but moved all of my bookmarked RV info out of site. Tried convincing myself that I would work until I drop, make more money than I need and keep buying toys as I had the urge. That would surely make me the happiest.

The "itch" to leave it all never disappeared as it never did in past attempts to shove it aside in the past 22 months. This time I also realized a couple of new things. I have been buying "toys" for a long time and I have made more money than I need for a while and I have lived in this low cost of living area for 16+ years .... guess what? All of this was just a rut or routine, little true happiness and different periods of deep depression.

My happiest times were when I was younger of course, traveling cross country to San Diego from Indiana and then up the coast highway to Seattle....all with a tent, sleeping bag and traveling riding a bicycle.  The best summer I ever had. Other times I was happy were the times driving cross country from the west coast to Indiana and back or about 6-7 years ago when I was buying old '60s VW buses online, flying to their location and driving them back...keeping some of them and selling others.....it was the traveling cross country where I was the happiest.

I think there are some pretty obvious answers there ... answers that I should follow.

So I made some decisions.....again, but at least I keep catching myself when I am about to make a purchase recently, ask myself "am I going to need this on the road?" ... that stops the purchase.

As far as the house I have decided a different approach. When people call me to ask about it, in the past they would ask what the price is. This time I am going to tell them to make an appointment to look at it and I am considering all offers!!  With it being paid for, I am willing to take less to move it and that puts me on the road sooner.  Yes, the For Sale sign is back in the yard.

The 1994 Chevy 2500 truck is back on Craig's list and will be on eBay by the weekend. My 2006 Mini Cooper is back for sale on Craig's List and will be on eBay or Cars.com by the weekend. In the meantime I am going to keep the H3 Hummer to tow a small trailer unless feedback from the question I ask below, leans towards a larger trailer.

My question is ... being a "rookie" in pulling camping trailers ... which would be better for me, a smaller trailer to tow and learn the RV lifestyle, towed by my H3 ... or trade for a Tundra or F150 so I can tow a trailer around 21' and 6,000lbs.  Would the bigger trailer be a problem for a trailer towing rookie? My only experience in towing a trailer were the times I moved, driving a Uhaul truck, and towing my car.

I've made these decisions to sell in amongst the best weather we have had for a while, very cool nights, low humidity and highs of 70's during the day.  Everything is green. I feel better selling and leave rather than play it safe and stay in the rut/routine that has engulfed me.

My house has peaked out for me personally and all I see when I think of the future is money spent on house maintenance and house repairs ... neither of those two options thrill me at this point in time of my life. I'm 61. I get more excited when I think of starting my day outside with a cup of coffee, with a great view and no plans unless I want to.

House Truck Car and H3 Hummer For Sale

Craig's List was not a fast process but I have listed my 2006 Mini Cooper S and Chevy 2500 Truck on Craig's list. This was after spending the day washing all 3 vehicles and taking some current photos for the ads.

The For Sale Sign for my house has gone back and forth from the front yard to out of view ... LOL

Each time I have posted it out front, down by the highway, I get calls asking about it. The small town local people probably know more about this house than I do and I have lived here for 17 years. My friend that is a popular real estate agent has told me over the years people have asked about my house and if it was available. She feels it will sell fairly quick based on the current market.

So I'll see what happens with everything for sale. I have only tried selling 1 set of Z4 wheels and tires on Craig's list in the past and the only response I got was from my favorite people down in Nigeria with the best shipping costs there is. (j/k)

Yet, people I work with tell me they have always had great luck selling cars and trucks on Craig's List.

It is still early tonight, so I will be listing some personal items on eBay, I still have good results selling there.  That will be the plan tomorrow, taking pictures and writing eBay ads...a lot of this stuff I was going to sell even I had stayed here.

The days off I have from work (The Forced Friday Off by the Government) show me what retirement would be like if I were to stay "status quo" .... and I can't do it that way.  I have to be on the move otherwise I would go nuts sitting here day after day. I have seen about all I want to see within a 5 hour drive from here, over the years I have lived here. I have looked at keeping the house and traveling, yet that changes with costs on the road and costs at home to keep it maintained, also with possible additional stress leaving a house empty for extended period of time. I have had to do that in the past for 6-10 month periods, all with negative results. 

There are periods of great weather in Indiana over the course of the year but it's tough living through the extreme weather changes as you get older. As temps and humidity become unbearable, the cost of electricity increases rapidly. As those temps drop into the single digits with ice and snow in the winter, the cost of electricity increases rapidly. I don't know about your local electric company but mine prefers to charge you more per kilowatt during the "high usage" months, as they call it.

I would prefer to be pulling my electric from a solar system and at times a small generator if needed or boondocked in locations to beat each extreme weather and not paying the overpriced power companies. I even have to pay $32 per month for a "facility" charge on my utility bill....they could have built a castle with that monthly fee per customer!!  LOL

So, even when traveling full time was not even a thought ... I was still thinking about moving back out west after I retired and do that I would have been selling my house.

Here are my 2 Craig's List ads links. For some reason when I post links, they never change to the color of font that I have chosen for links....so you can hover your curser over each and click.  Feel free to send the links to your friends if they interested.  I am also open for suggestions for a better ad if needed. 

1994 Chevy Cheyenne 2500

2006 Mini Cooper S For Sale

It's good to see a plan come together.  No time limits, just continuous daily action toward that goal of traveling....hounds and all.

The Casita Trailer is Ruled Out

The Casita trailer option was ruled out today. 

While looking at the site for fiberglass trailers for sale today, I saw where someone within 30 miles of my house had two of them for sale. This man is retired, buys them in "as is" condition then cleans them up and adds his own electrical features that are really neat.

He had a 2009 16' that was still in the rebuild status and a 2006 17' ready for sale. The 16' model was a deluxe with the two separate chairs along one wall with a small table. As soon as I walked into it I knew it was two small and that was not including my big bloodhound and 2 basset hounds.

The 2006 17' was immaculate, one owner and never used. The carpeted walls and ceiling looked in brand new condition. He said he would put in laminate flooring if I wanted and tint the windows at no extra charge. A very nice man that said he and his wife had been camping in Casitas for the past 13 years but they were at the point due to health and age that there traveling days were over. Asking price was $12,500. It could have worked if it were just me but it would be pretty cramped with me and my 3 hounds.

So one option is taken off the list.

The options left have been discussed here over the 20 months I've been looking.

1.  Class A towing my H3 Hummer or my Mini Cooper.

2.  Class C towing my H3 Hummer or my Mini Cooper.

3.  A different truck and a 5th wheel.

4.  A different truck and a 19'-22 ft trailer.

My H3 Hummer can only tow 4,500 lbs and take off the allowance for driving in the west and I'm looking at smaller 17' light trailers...take the 3' off for the hitch and I'm in the same situation I was able to look at today of 13'-14' of living space and knowing its not enough room.

My thought process even before looking at the Casita was a Class A 30'-32' or a Class C 28'-31'.

I was glad I could finally see the Casita trailer up close. I commend those that fulltime in the Casita.

Well after this post, the cleaning process starts on the house. My deadline to mount the For Sale sign in the front yard is Sunday afternoon around 5pm.