After a great spring and an early summer of cool temps and low humidity, summer arrived yesterday in the form of 'sticky' humidity and high temps. I don't mind the high temperatures but the humidity is a killer. I don't like it, the hounds don't like it. I've decided this summer all yard work will take place in the am before noon. That will be easier this year since I am now retired and not at a job all day during the week.
I'll also have to get any of my bike riding in early in the morning if not doing the once per week yard work.
I've thought of leaving the area for a few months to escape the humidity and do a little camping along the way but I hate paying the high prices for mowing my yard while I'm gone. I only have 3 neighbors around me with only 1 of them having a teenage son, that doesn't mow. Plus I have an older basset, Winston, that is a little gimpy with a bad lower back. It comes with the breed and at 10 years old it will only get worse. He is having a hard time getting up the two steps into the house right now. I can't imagine being lifted in and out of a Toyota FJ 4x4 would help his situation much. I have to ask myself sometimes of those two reasons alone are enough to keep me and my three hounds from traveling to some states with cooler temps and lower humidity.
It's times like these I miss those mild summers up at Whidbey Island, WA northwest of Seattle. I remember playing golf some days in July wearing a sweater. I read the other day in the Whidbey Times the problem with theft has now moved to stealing mail from mailboxes which leads to identity theft. Last winter the theft epidemic was people having things stolen from their barns and separate garages. Times have changed a lot from the time I lived out there between 1984-1994. It's still a beautiful place and one I consider at times of making a move back to the area.
With that location, besides the great fresh seafood, great roads to bicycle on I would have the ability to fly 'standby' for all flights out of NAS Whidbey. I haven't checked the current cost since I do not have that ability from my location in Indiana but it use to be $10 and show your retired ID card. It was an easy way to fly to San Diego for the weekend, Las Vegas or even up to Alaska.
Along with that Indiana heat, my internet connection has been acting up. I am not sure if it is heat related. Due to my location I am only able to get two types of connection. DSL through a local provider that uses AT&T phone lines. (What I use). The would would be Hughes Net with their satellite pointing to the southern sky like my DirecTv dish. I have great reception with DirecTv even through the thunderstorms and winter snow. I am not sure that Hughes Net would be that reliable and it comes with a 2 year commitment once they install their equipment.
So internet connection problems are ongoing. I put a call in last week with plans of the AT&T repairman to check the lines. Of course when he came this morning everything was working perfectly and the internet signal was quite strong. He checked all the wiring anyway and came to the same conclusion.
About 5pm tonight it started disconnecting just like it has since June 9th.
I'm am kinda lost starting this blog. I've been blogging for the past 2+ years on a different topic and years before that when I was running my online sports memorabilia business. I have to remember from what I said in my first post, this blog is mostly a personal journal which has other people reading it. A little strange.
The daily life in 'the tropics', the high desert of the southwest and back to 'the tropics' with the hounds and a dog
Showing posts with label Whidbey Island WA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whidbey Island WA. Show all posts
June 17, 2014
May 21, 2014
I'm Back Only to Update the Latest Plans
I'm back tonight, much sooner than you probably expected and sooner than I had planned on, but there has been some recent developments this afternoon. I thought I'd post the updates and then take a break from blogging ... my future schedule just got really busy today. I chose to, on the suggestion of a friend, to blog about things tonight, instead of continuing to stay away for a month or so and then posting when I got back "by the way, last May I decided and did this while I was away" .... I don't believe that is fair to people logging in to read this blog and have chosen to follow me.
I have spent the last couple of days getting prepared to leave the area for a short vacation. Some of my camping gear is missing. I believe it's one of those "senior moments" you hear about...all speculation I know :) ... but a few years ago camping was more of a regular activity. A younger relative needed some equipment on the trips I did not have time to go on. I believe that is where some of my stuff is. I forgot to get it back or ask for it back. I was pretty job oriented then and was extremely busy with traveling, so I just spaced it. It's not a big deal because it's all replaceable.
I spent more time than I wanted and expected at the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles this morning. Since my plates for the Chevy Truck were just bought a few weeks ago because in this state, my plates expire 28 April every year for all my vehicles ... I was wanting to transfer those plates to the Toyota FJ Cruiser that was just bought. It's a simple process and the lady doing my transaction has shown in the past to be very knowledgeable about her job. I felt good as I sat down up until she started frowning at the computer screen, then her hand went to her forehead and possibly some slight mumbling to herself, barely audible. I knew then I might see many other people sit down, do their transaction and then leave way before I would. I remained calm. It ended up being a successful transaction taking longer than planned but at least I was given a huge credit.
With everything transpiring with the vehicle changes, mind changing on what rigs to buy, etc ... there has been a lot of thinking going on about my plans going on. Those plans have been thought about for a long time but a lot of it just got sorted out the past few weeks and hit loudly today and I feel its all part of the plan starting to come together. The pieces of the puzzle are showing up with the most appropriate timing, something I thought might happen once I was retired.
You probably remember over these past few years I have looked at, blogged about, a lot of different ideas, a lot of different rigs, a lot of different trailers. So what I am going to explain was NOT just something that flashed through my mind and a minute later I decided to do it .... I might be crazy but I'm not insane.
Last week after looking at the RV in Indy, since I was near one of two large RV dealers in the area, I stopped in to look at used trailers and new trailers. They all had one thing in common, they felt like trailers when I stepped inside them. Nothing impressed me, new or old. They were poorly constructed, it was just a feel I had again about them. When winds out west are up to 50mph at times and I am moving the trailer a little bit just by stepping inside ... I see that as a problem. It wasn't something I had not thought of before or felt before.
Through all my research there were a few manufacturers that had topped the list. Probably the Nash, Arctic Fox, Bigfoot and Escape (Canadian) always seemed to end up in my "favorites" folder of trailers I liked. The Jayco makes good stuff but it had that feel I described earlier.
So last week I was on a forum and saw "Production Dates" for a specific manufacturer. I didn't think much of it, because I always assumed I'd buy a used one. The problem with that theory was twofold. One, few were available and Two the used ones had retained their value to where there were a few $1,000s difference between a old and new one. The difference was small enough in most cases to make you consider just ordering a new one. Also rarely did I find a used trailer having everything I needed. The thing is with all of these trailers based on my past research and past Excel spreadsheets to compare ... they all ended up about the same total price but they all had different standard equipment and you were going to have to buy options to get what you NEEDED, not what you WANTED.
So a long story short .... {drum roll}
I called Escape Trailers in Canada today, late this afternoon, to place a deposit on a new build for a December 2014 delivery. I found out the last reservation spot sold earlier this morning. So they took down all of my information except my cc number and I am to call back soon for a January 2015 production date.
That is the trailer I am going to buy, no doubts, no changing my mind. Not only have I thought about that trailer before but with my recent change of tow vehicle, that changed the amount of weight I could tow ... it's all good, it wasn't a surprise. I have a close friend that has inspected them for me in real time, stepped inside them, touched and felt them and the trailer came highly recommended. With over 15 years of being on the road, more on the road than off, I felt their knowledge was more valuable than me traveling 2,000 miles to find out for myself on what very little experience I have.
Now that the trailer date has been decided ... and it definitely has ... that changes my plans of leaving this week or next because based on my other decision I am about to tell you about ... after months, if not years of thinking about it ... Since my retirement roughly 6 weeks ago, I found out some things that I suspected would happen and have. Some of these reasons are personal and will not be blogged about nor discussed with anyone but basically it is something I thought about last year, all through this year and even years before an RV was even part of my vocabulary. I felt that once I retired I would have my answer ... that has come to be true and I have an answer.
I am selling my house.
My two cars are already listed for sale as of today and in fact one was cleaned today and is parked down by the US Highway I live on, that gets a lot of traffic. It will take longer than my 1994 Chevy which lasted about a day down by the highway before it sold. Now before we all go freakazoid about this move, don't look at this decision as if I'm selling out to go full-time rving/traveling, something I have never done but look at it with the perspective of the hounds and I relocating back to the western states where I spent over 20 years of my life. Only this time I'll not be looking to live on the beach in Carlsbad Calif like I did in 1977, nor Whidbey Island NW of Seattle where I spent 10 years before moving back to Indiana for job related excuses. Some where out in states many miles west of the Mississippi River, there is a place that will let me know when the time is right ... that's it. In the meantime, what little I keep will be stored at a friends and small enough amounts that things can be shipped or driven out to me. There will not be much to take because honestly after my downsizing last summer and fall, I really don't have that much stuff to move.
So the new plan is and has already started:
1. Get down to one vehicle ... my tow vehicle the FJ Cruiser ... Two other cars are currently for sale.
2. Deposit on a new trailer after years of study.... the time spent searching for a rig or trailer are over!!!
2. Once the cars and house are sold I will hit the road and will either tent camp on my way to the western states and then find something locally to stay in until the January 2015 delivery date for my new trailer.
3. Based on weather, I plan to leave Indiana no matter what has or has not sold, no later than October 15. Based on local market information I received last week in a conversation, it is very possible that my house will sell faster than one of my cars. :) but I have to clean it out and clean it up for it to be shown to prospective buyers.
So as you see there is a reason I am not leaving for vacation or some camping like I had planned a couple of days ago. I cannot justify taking time off from here until I have prepped my house so that it it's prepared for the local Real Estate agent to show it. That also includes a final downsizing of possessions.
I HAVE A LOT of work to do, not only to prep the house for showings but also to get rid of the last of my possessions that I no longer want. It's NOT everything, just a few things that fall into that folder of either selling them online or donating them to libraries, Goodwill or local charities. This is stuff that I have not used or looked at in over a year or longer!! The stuff I blogged about in the past 3-4 months, that I didn't want to get rid of, most of that is going with me.
It's already close to June 1 and October 15, IF NOT SOONER is just right around the corner, so I don't have a lot of time. Currently the vehicles to do lists are all finished, either they are for sale or have been registered and have new tires. The humidity hit today and the hounds are panting on occasion and that's never a good sign. Highly motivating for me to get into action.
As far as selling the house and the moving part, I basically saw that decision weeks ago but put it on the back burner so to speak. Each day forward I could see it was the right thing to do.
So that is my plan update. Everything seems to be falling into place, just like I thought it would once I was in the retirement mode. I'm some of the readers are taking or placing side bets on if this happens ... when it does, I want a percentage of the winning amount. LOL
I do not plan, as some of the blogs I read a few years ago, do daily or weekly blog updates about the downsizing of possessions, the status of car sales or house sale. I'm going to be off the blog for a while doing what I just discussed. I will finally have to get my butt off this chair and away from this computer day after day to get the things done in time for hounds and I to head west.
Time waits for no one.
I have spent the last couple of days getting prepared to leave the area for a short vacation. Some of my camping gear is missing. I believe it's one of those "senior moments" you hear about...all speculation I know :) ... but a few years ago camping was more of a regular activity. A younger relative needed some equipment on the trips I did not have time to go on. I believe that is where some of my stuff is. I forgot to get it back or ask for it back. I was pretty job oriented then and was extremely busy with traveling, so I just spaced it. It's not a big deal because it's all replaceable.
I spent more time than I wanted and expected at the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles this morning. Since my plates for the Chevy Truck were just bought a few weeks ago because in this state, my plates expire 28 April every year for all my vehicles ... I was wanting to transfer those plates to the Toyota FJ Cruiser that was just bought. It's a simple process and the lady doing my transaction has shown in the past to be very knowledgeable about her job. I felt good as I sat down up until she started frowning at the computer screen, then her hand went to her forehead and possibly some slight mumbling to herself, barely audible. I knew then I might see many other people sit down, do their transaction and then leave way before I would. I remained calm. It ended up being a successful transaction taking longer than planned but at least I was given a huge credit.
With everything transpiring with the vehicle changes, mind changing on what rigs to buy, etc ... there has been a lot of thinking going on about my plans going on. Those plans have been thought about for a long time but a lot of it just got sorted out the past few weeks and hit loudly today and I feel its all part of the plan starting to come together. The pieces of the puzzle are showing up with the most appropriate timing, something I thought might happen once I was retired.
You probably remember over these past few years I have looked at, blogged about, a lot of different ideas, a lot of different rigs, a lot of different trailers. So what I am going to explain was NOT just something that flashed through my mind and a minute later I decided to do it .... I might be crazy but I'm not insane.
Last week after looking at the RV in Indy, since I was near one of two large RV dealers in the area, I stopped in to look at used trailers and new trailers. They all had one thing in common, they felt like trailers when I stepped inside them. Nothing impressed me, new or old. They were poorly constructed, it was just a feel I had again about them. When winds out west are up to 50mph at times and I am moving the trailer a little bit just by stepping inside ... I see that as a problem. It wasn't something I had not thought of before or felt before.
Through all my research there were a few manufacturers that had topped the list. Probably the Nash, Arctic Fox, Bigfoot and Escape (Canadian) always seemed to end up in my "favorites" folder of trailers I liked. The Jayco makes good stuff but it had that feel I described earlier.
So last week I was on a forum and saw "Production Dates" for a specific manufacturer. I didn't think much of it, because I always assumed I'd buy a used one. The problem with that theory was twofold. One, few were available and Two the used ones had retained their value to where there were a few $1,000s difference between a old and new one. The difference was small enough in most cases to make you consider just ordering a new one. Also rarely did I find a used trailer having everything I needed. The thing is with all of these trailers based on my past research and past Excel spreadsheets to compare ... they all ended up about the same total price but they all had different standard equipment and you were going to have to buy options to get what you NEEDED, not what you WANTED.
So a long story short .... {drum roll}
I called Escape Trailers in Canada today, late this afternoon, to place a deposit on a new build for a December 2014 delivery. I found out the last reservation spot sold earlier this morning. So they took down all of my information except my cc number and I am to call back soon for a January 2015 production date.
That is the trailer I am going to buy, no doubts, no changing my mind. Not only have I thought about that trailer before but with my recent change of tow vehicle, that changed the amount of weight I could tow ... it's all good, it wasn't a surprise. I have a close friend that has inspected them for me in real time, stepped inside them, touched and felt them and the trailer came highly recommended. With over 15 years of being on the road, more on the road than off, I felt their knowledge was more valuable than me traveling 2,000 miles to find out for myself on what very little experience I have.
Now that the trailer date has been decided ... and it definitely has ... that changes my plans of leaving this week or next because based on my other decision I am about to tell you about ... after months, if not years of thinking about it ... Since my retirement roughly 6 weeks ago, I found out some things that I suspected would happen and have. Some of these reasons are personal and will not be blogged about nor discussed with anyone but basically it is something I thought about last year, all through this year and even years before an RV was even part of my vocabulary. I felt that once I retired I would have my answer ... that has come to be true and I have an answer.
I am selling my house.
My two cars are already listed for sale as of today and in fact one was cleaned today and is parked down by the US Highway I live on, that gets a lot of traffic. It will take longer than my 1994 Chevy which lasted about a day down by the highway before it sold. Now before we all go freakazoid about this move, don't look at this decision as if I'm selling out to go full-time rving/traveling, something I have never done but look at it with the perspective of the hounds and I relocating back to the western states where I spent over 20 years of my life. Only this time I'll not be looking to live on the beach in Carlsbad Calif like I did in 1977, nor Whidbey Island NW of Seattle where I spent 10 years before moving back to Indiana for job related excuses. Some where out in states many miles west of the Mississippi River, there is a place that will let me know when the time is right ... that's it. In the meantime, what little I keep will be stored at a friends and small enough amounts that things can be shipped or driven out to me. There will not be much to take because honestly after my downsizing last summer and fall, I really don't have that much stuff to move.
So the new plan is and has already started:
1. Get down to one vehicle ... my tow vehicle the FJ Cruiser ... Two other cars are currently for sale.
2. Deposit on a new trailer after years of study.... the time spent searching for a rig or trailer are over!!!
2. Once the cars and house are sold I will hit the road and will either tent camp on my way to the western states and then find something locally to stay in until the January 2015 delivery date for my new trailer.
3. Based on weather, I plan to leave Indiana no matter what has or has not sold, no later than October 15. Based on local market information I received last week in a conversation, it is very possible that my house will sell faster than one of my cars. :) but I have to clean it out and clean it up for it to be shown to prospective buyers.
So as you see there is a reason I am not leaving for vacation or some camping like I had planned a couple of days ago. I cannot justify taking time off from here until I have prepped my house so that it it's prepared for the local Real Estate agent to show it. That also includes a final downsizing of possessions.
I HAVE A LOT of work to do, not only to prep the house for showings but also to get rid of the last of my possessions that I no longer want. It's NOT everything, just a few things that fall into that folder of either selling them online or donating them to libraries, Goodwill or local charities. This is stuff that I have not used or looked at in over a year or longer!! The stuff I blogged about in the past 3-4 months, that I didn't want to get rid of, most of that is going with me.
It's already close to June 1 and October 15, IF NOT SOONER is just right around the corner, so I don't have a lot of time. Currently the vehicles to do lists are all finished, either they are for sale or have been registered and have new tires. The humidity hit today and the hounds are panting on occasion and that's never a good sign. Highly motivating for me to get into action.
As far as selling the house and the moving part, I basically saw that decision weeks ago but put it on the back burner so to speak. Each day forward I could see it was the right thing to do.
So that is my plan update. Everything seems to be falling into place, just like I thought it would once I was in the retirement mode. I'm some of the readers are taking or placing side bets on if this happens ... when it does, I want a percentage of the winning amount. LOL
I do not plan, as some of the blogs I read a few years ago, do daily or weekly blog updates about the downsizing of possessions, the status of car sales or house sale. I'm going to be off the blog for a while doing what I just discussed. I will finally have to get my butt off this chair and away from this computer day after day to get the things done in time for hounds and I to head west.
Time waits for no one.
November 22, 2011
Today Work Was an Eye Opener ... I'm Motivated More Than Ever!
I know I left you last night with my thoughts of having a lot of questions and justifications on why I could't go full-time right now....or at least I was thinking that way. I use to be very adventurous, where location was more of a priority than a job. For some reason in the past few years I have changed to conservative, and playing things safe. I would have the chance to move but would come up with excuses not to.
Unbelievable really. My family has stated more than a few times, they are surprised I have lived in a small midwest town, instead of on the beach somewhere, or traveling somewhere.
I have a job that pays well, I guess I like my job...I don't love my job. It's almost a daily thought when I wake up "I wish I were not going in today". So I guess I am staying for the cash. I have great managers to work for, still most of my job is out of my control. I track large amounts of funding, track expenditures, develop financial plans, and provide monthly reports....on data that is out of my control. The majority of the time I am looking forward to the weekends off and the next paid holiday.
Those are HUGE signs, aren't they?
It's not that I live in a bad area, or a bad house or with bad neighbors.....I don't. I live in a small house, a few miles outside a small rural town and I have 3 neighbors in sight and none of them close. Yet when I think of some of the places I have lived in the past, I realize that even when I am debt free (very close), this is not where I want to spend the rest of my life.
I want to sit on the beach again, like I did when I lived in Carlsbad California for 10 years. Or hike the Cascade Mountains and could get back home within an hour drive back home, looking across the water from Whidbey Island to Victoria. Or the winter I spent in Breckenridge Colorado, living in a small cabin and skiing every day.
I want to wake up in the morning and have the chance of dumping my tanks, filling up with fresh water, fuel and moving my hounds and I to a new location. If that means workcamping for a while, great!! At least I am living where I really want to, meeting great people along the way and having control of what I want to do.
That sounds a lot better than waking up 5 days a week, dreading going to a job that I no longer like and really only do it for that paycheck every two weeks. Then paying off a house that will only need more maintenance in the future to keep it in good condition. Mowing the yard 1 per week, paying taxes annually, and having "a market" decide just how much my house is worth. The market doesn't know my house, so how stupid is that process?? That will take time and money. I'd rather put that money into RV maintenance while I am boondocking somewhere out in Arizona for the winter, rather than sitting here in the midwest waiting for the winter predictions to hit..."worse than normal"!! That means a lot of snow, going to a job I can't say I really like anymore.
So, I looked at my spreadsheet that I made last month showing all of my options, financially, depending on what I decided.
My eyes, my focus and my thoughts all went back to the same option on that spreadsheet. The same thing I posted here a few weeks ago. The only change to to the list is #1. I'm going to sell my house instead of renting it...with an option. That option being, when I get to the point that I am ready to leave and it has not sold, then I will rent the property. My house will NOT decide when I leave.
I have a lot of things to do between now and the time I leave. I am going to be scanning full-time and shredding the rest of my paper files, photographs etc. I am going to all electronic filing. I've been electronic for years in my banking, taxes, basic expenses, etc. I just have a lot more "stuff" to get rid of than I thought I did. Living solo I am shocked how much I have laying around that is never used.
This Friday I am heading to 3 different RV dealers within a 70 mile radius to look at A's and C's. By Monday I plan to have a For Sale sign in my front yard for my house and will sell it below market value if it means I get to RV full-time sooner.
It's sad and very disappointing when I look at myself and realize that the ONLY reason I continue to work and wait 2 years 7 months to retire, is just for a paycheck. Honestly, that is the only reason I can come up with on why I still work. I understand in today's economy, millions of people would die for a paycheck, so what I say may sound quite strange or rude?
For me, there are a lot more ways of making money using my financial and online sales experience, rather than sitting at a desk all day, spending my free time reading RV blogs, forums and looking at RV's for sale....WISHING I was on the road!
Today at work was an "eye-opener"!!
Unbelievable really. My family has stated more than a few times, they are surprised I have lived in a small midwest town, instead of on the beach somewhere, or traveling somewhere.
I have a job that pays well, I guess I like my job...I don't love my job. It's almost a daily thought when I wake up "I wish I were not going in today". So I guess I am staying for the cash. I have great managers to work for, still most of my job is out of my control. I track large amounts of funding, track expenditures, develop financial plans, and provide monthly reports....on data that is out of my control. The majority of the time I am looking forward to the weekends off and the next paid holiday.
Those are HUGE signs, aren't they?
It's not that I live in a bad area, or a bad house or with bad neighbors.....I don't. I live in a small house, a few miles outside a small rural town and I have 3 neighbors in sight and none of them close. Yet when I think of some of the places I have lived in the past, I realize that even when I am debt free (very close), this is not where I want to spend the rest of my life.
I want to sit on the beach again, like I did when I lived in Carlsbad California for 10 years. Or hike the Cascade Mountains and could get back home within an hour drive back home, looking across the water from Whidbey Island to Victoria. Or the winter I spent in Breckenridge Colorado, living in a small cabin and skiing every day.
I want to wake up in the morning and have the chance of dumping my tanks, filling up with fresh water, fuel and moving my hounds and I to a new location. If that means workcamping for a while, great!! At least I am living where I really want to, meeting great people along the way and having control of what I want to do.
That sounds a lot better than waking up 5 days a week, dreading going to a job that I no longer like and really only do it for that paycheck every two weeks. Then paying off a house that will only need more maintenance in the future to keep it in good condition. Mowing the yard 1 per week, paying taxes annually, and having "a market" decide just how much my house is worth. The market doesn't know my house, so how stupid is that process?? That will take time and money. I'd rather put that money into RV maintenance while I am boondocking somewhere out in Arizona for the winter, rather than sitting here in the midwest waiting for the winter predictions to hit..."worse than normal"!! That means a lot of snow, going to a job I can't say I really like anymore.
So, I looked at my spreadsheet that I made last month showing all of my options, financially, depending on what I decided.
My eyes, my focus and my thoughts all went back to the same option on that spreadsheet. The same thing I posted here a few weeks ago. The only change to to the list is #1. I'm going to sell my house instead of renting it...with an option. That option being, when I get to the point that I am ready to leave and it has not sold, then I will rent the property. My house will NOT decide when I leave.
I have a lot of things to do between now and the time I leave. I am going to be scanning full-time and shredding the rest of my paper files, photographs etc. I am going to all electronic filing. I've been electronic for years in my banking, taxes, basic expenses, etc. I just have a lot more "stuff" to get rid of than I thought I did. Living solo I am shocked how much I have laying around that is never used.
This Friday I am heading to 3 different RV dealers within a 70 mile radius to look at A's and C's. By Monday I plan to have a For Sale sign in my front yard for my house and will sell it below market value if it means I get to RV full-time sooner.
It's sad and very disappointing when I look at myself and realize that the ONLY reason I continue to work and wait 2 years 7 months to retire, is just for a paycheck. Honestly, that is the only reason I can come up with on why I still work. I understand in today's economy, millions of people would die for a paycheck, so what I say may sound quite strange or rude?
For me, there are a lot more ways of making money using my financial and online sales experience, rather than sitting at a desk all day, spending my free time reading RV blogs, forums and looking at RV's for sale....WISHING I was on the road!
Today at work was an "eye-opener"!!
November 02, 2011
I want to leave now - but I can't
As bad as I want to leave now, the financial numbers and the "to do" list prevent my impulsive, exciting departure. A HUGE blow to the left side of my brain....HUGE! On top of this, I haven't bought my RV yet! Throughout the day at work today I was ready to pack and go. Job stress was not causing this thinking because there isn't any job stress in my life. It was just the continuous thought of living in the pictures I am seeing in the different blogs that I follow. When I make my 12 mile commute every morning through farm lands, trees, hills etc, with the sun coming up I can relate to my past experiences driving down the highway at that time of day while on a trip of some kind and YOU driving your RV or just getting outside at your campground with a cup of coffee as the sun is coming up. I have always loved driving long distance.
So my day started by answering a the few emails I had in my inbox, did about an hour of work, then got online and started looking at different kinds of RV's. Read a few blogs, checked the forums for new posts, then back to looking at RV's. I looked at different National and State Parks I like and know of (ie: San Clemente State Park) and checked for maximum length. At San Clemente, it was 30ft. Others I checked up through the Pacific Northwest, near Whidbey Island was set up for any length.
Now the day starts getting interesting. A co-worker of mine that kind of lit my RVing flame last spring was at work today. I had not seen him for a few months. I figured he was traveling. We start talking and catching up on our interests when I told him my "new addiction" is RVing. He asked if I was going to buy one, a 5th wheel or a motorhome. I answer motorhome, probably a Class C, around 30' max so I can get into some of the state parks. He mentioned that he wished he would have known that limit before he spent money on his 40' 5th wheel last spring. He said he did do a lot of research on what manufacturer to buy from but not much more than that. He is 59 can retire anytime from his previous employer retirement plan but has been waiting for his wife to retire from work in 2 1/2 years. Last spring, they sold their house with plans of living in their 5th wheel until she retires. Which they have been doing. Plus they spent some time this summer traveling and finding out somethings they didn't expect or didn't know about.
He said "there were just a lot of places I wanted to go but couldn't get into because of the length of my 5th wheel. He has bought space at an RV park in Florida and is thinking of just leaving his 5th wheel down there and live in a smaller RV up here until his wife retires. (Indiana winters???). Anyway, the "bomb" hit suddenly in his conversation.
The wife wants to buy a house and stay in the area permanently and RV part time. Last April it was full-time after selling their "dream home". I just listened but was surprised. He would prefer to RV full-time. We then started talking about retiring from our work positions instead of waiting. That got me thinking that I needed to take another look at my analysis I have on an Excel spreadsheet and make sure the numbers are good.
So when I got home, finished the daily walk through a 15 acre hay field with my 3 hounds, I sat down and went through my numbers again. I then made a "no holes barred" pros and cons list. The list surprised me! I guess I found out that I have a lot of likes living where I do, that I really hadn't paid attention to. This then led me to wonder if I should ever sell the house? When I looked at the numbers....I CAN'T quit today, unless I pay my mortgage off or sell the house. I do have some people interested in buying this house and I believe I could price it right for a quick sell and good profit. That list put a little bug of confusion if I should sell everything or not.
My financial analysis showed it would be best for me to work another 2-1/2 years, instead of retiring now and yes that is a valid option.
So it feels almost like it did the first time I started this RV thinking.....like what to do? That is somewhat disappointing after the emotional high I spoke of last night. So, I guess it is back to my original plan of taking this next couple of years of downsizing (selling my cars, my house), then picking out an RV. Still, with the economy the way it is, it seems to me it would be a great time to buy the RV now. Then take it out on weekend trips (I rarely take vacations from work) for the next couple of years to "sharpen my RV skills".
My plan LAST YEAR was to keep this house as my base camp and spend most of my time traveling and camping in an old, mint condition, VW camper. With 3 dogs that would change from VW CAMPer to VW CRAMPed. So that vehicle is a dead issue.
This whole thing is like mental torcher.
So an interesting day.....the RVing co-worker story, my pros and cons list, my number analysis and possibly a dab of doubt wondering if I am making the right choice.
I saw that google visited my blog today, which was kind of cool. It usually takes google 3-5 weeks to show up to "crawl" your blog or site and it took less than a week to pay me a visit. For those that don't understand what I am saying, anytime you have a blog or website, google "spiders" will crawl your space automatically gathering keywords so you can be found in their google search engines when other people type in keywords that can lead them to your site. This is advantageous for those here with an adsense account and make some money with their google advertising on their blog or if they were selling something on a website like I use to do.
After the day I had, I still thought it was pretty nice that google showed up.
Now.....back to looking at of those RV's for sale online !! (laughing as I open my sales site)
So my day started by answering a the few emails I had in my inbox, did about an hour of work, then got online and started looking at different kinds of RV's. Read a few blogs, checked the forums for new posts, then back to looking at RV's. I looked at different National and State Parks I like and know of (ie: San Clemente State Park) and checked for maximum length. At San Clemente, it was 30ft. Others I checked up through the Pacific Northwest, near Whidbey Island was set up for any length.
Now the day starts getting interesting. A co-worker of mine that kind of lit my RVing flame last spring was at work today. I had not seen him for a few months. I figured he was traveling. We start talking and catching up on our interests when I told him my "new addiction" is RVing. He asked if I was going to buy one, a 5th wheel or a motorhome. I answer motorhome, probably a Class C, around 30' max so I can get into some of the state parks. He mentioned that he wished he would have known that limit before he spent money on his 40' 5th wheel last spring. He said he did do a lot of research on what manufacturer to buy from but not much more than that. He is 59 can retire anytime from his previous employer retirement plan but has been waiting for his wife to retire from work in 2 1/2 years. Last spring, they sold their house with plans of living in their 5th wheel until she retires. Which they have been doing. Plus they spent some time this summer traveling and finding out somethings they didn't expect or didn't know about.
He said "there were just a lot of places I wanted to go but couldn't get into because of the length of my 5th wheel. He has bought space at an RV park in Florida and is thinking of just leaving his 5th wheel down there and live in a smaller RV up here until his wife retires. (Indiana winters???). Anyway, the "bomb" hit suddenly in his conversation.
The wife wants to buy a house and stay in the area permanently and RV part time. Last April it was full-time after selling their "dream home". I just listened but was surprised. He would prefer to RV full-time. We then started talking about retiring from our work positions instead of waiting. That got me thinking that I needed to take another look at my analysis I have on an Excel spreadsheet and make sure the numbers are good.
So when I got home, finished the daily walk through a 15 acre hay field with my 3 hounds, I sat down and went through my numbers again. I then made a "no holes barred" pros and cons list. The list surprised me! I guess I found out that I have a lot of likes living where I do, that I really hadn't paid attention to. This then led me to wonder if I should ever sell the house? When I looked at the numbers....I CAN'T quit today, unless I pay my mortgage off or sell the house. I do have some people interested in buying this house and I believe I could price it right for a quick sell and good profit. That list put a little bug of confusion if I should sell everything or not.
My financial analysis showed it would be best for me to work another 2-1/2 years, instead of retiring now and yes that is a valid option.
So it feels almost like it did the first time I started this RV thinking.....like what to do? That is somewhat disappointing after the emotional high I spoke of last night. So, I guess it is back to my original plan of taking this next couple of years of downsizing (selling my cars, my house), then picking out an RV. Still, with the economy the way it is, it seems to me it would be a great time to buy the RV now. Then take it out on weekend trips (I rarely take vacations from work) for the next couple of years to "sharpen my RV skills".
My plan LAST YEAR was to keep this house as my base camp and spend most of my time traveling and camping in an old, mint condition, VW camper. With 3 dogs that would change from VW CAMPer to VW CRAMPed. So that vehicle is a dead issue.
This whole thing is like mental torcher.
So an interesting day.....the RVing co-worker story, my pros and cons list, my number analysis and possibly a dab of doubt wondering if I am making the right choice.
I saw that google visited my blog today, which was kind of cool. It usually takes google 3-5 weeks to show up to "crawl" your blog or site and it took less than a week to pay me a visit. For those that don't understand what I am saying, anytime you have a blog or website, google "spiders" will crawl your space automatically gathering keywords so you can be found in their google search engines when other people type in keywords that can lead them to your site. This is advantageous for those here with an adsense account and make some money with their google advertising on their blog or if they were selling something on a website like I use to do.
After the day I had, I still thought it was pretty nice that google showed up.
Now.....back to looking at of those RV's for sale online !! (laughing as I open my sales site)
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