In it

Well, we rolled out of Florida on June 4th and brought a whole lot of good memories with us.  

My heart ached a little as we rolled down I95 - Mom beside me and a piece of moss from Dad's house on the top rail of the RV whipping in the wind - but I was excited at the possibilities and more good memories ahead!

We had a pretty uneventful trip from FL to AL - thank goodness! - minus a couple of gigantic rain storms.  I'm a bit concerned about the items we have stored in plastic tubs and our bikes/chairs in the back of the truck, but hey it is what it is and will be what it will be....  I did have to walkie Quinton along the way for an emergency poddy break, good thing we had one with us otherwise it wouldn't have been pretty! lol!
Haven't taken a road trip in quite some time, never one this big and never one that I have driven, this is all pretty freakin exciting!

Logan has been taking turns riding with each of us - one of our first stops I think Quinton told Logan to ride with me for a bit, because he switched pretty fast, just jumped into the truck and buckled Grandma in with him when it was time to go.  It was a good thing too, cause he kept a ramblin away, think he was trying to make sure I was awake, it worked too!  So, I'm guessin Daddy told him to make sure I was safe and wasn't sleepy - love my boys.

I look forward to my 'Logan turns' - he brightens the trip, when he not passed out - haha!

Most of the time he's very excitedly pointing out sights that he thinks are cool: mountains, plateaus, different animals and the occasional 'punch bug' followed by a bump on my shoulder.  I have even heard him singing along with me and the radio a couple times ... didn't say anything to him because I didn't want him to stop - love his lil voice. :)

When we stopped for a few hours rest in AL, we parked in a Walmart parking lot for a snooze.  It was raining and dark when we got there so we didn't see much of the surroundings.  Honestly don't think it mattered much where we were at the time, we were all ready to pass out.  When we woke about four or so hours later, the sun was out and we went right into the 'coffee making, excuse me while I squeeze by you because I have an early morning pee that just can't wait, pass me a pop tart please, who's takin Maxes out' routine.  I got to take Maxes out and I think I was the first one outside ... it was beautiful!  We were parked on a big hill with a tall tree line, blue sky and puffy clean white clouds around us.  I smiled, and then thought to myself ... man it has been a LONG while since I've woken up, stepped outside and felt happy.  The sky was brilliant, the air was clean with a breeze and the trees were so green - my spirit was meant for that.  

The feeling I had that morning, I hope to have every morning.  It made me feel alive, lifted.  I am so excited at the idea that it will be that way soon.  I am excited for my son to be infected with that feeling, for my husband to feel renewed, for our Maxes to be able to run free ... to be living, to be in it.  To be alive and to be living.

Mushy stuffs

So we officially have two more days until we roll out of Port Orange, FL (literally)!  I was able to keep myself busy with working on the RV, getting things in order at work for a transfer and other things - like the beach - and ignore the fact that when we say goodbye to FL we are going to be saying goodbye(for a bit anyway) to family and some dear friends.  

In the last week or so it has started to creep up on me and yesterday at work it hit. 

I'd like to reiterate what I tried to say last night at La Fiesta, I think it was filtered by tequila and may have come out all jumbled up, lol.  It's important to me to be clear in how I feel about those people that have come into my life over the last nine or so years.

I'm not sure when or how it happened, but somewhere in the nine years of me being at Walmart coming in to work everyday became more than just clocking in for a pay check.  Let me be clear : it has nothing to do with the company - it has to do with the people that are together in the trenches everyday.  As with all people there will always be those couple of jerks that aren't worth time or effort in knowing - but along with those few I've had the opportunity to come in contact with some pretty incredible people.  

You all have become dear to me - I have enjoyed working along side you for the last nine years and I have come to care about each of you.  Thank you for sharing in my life through the good times and the not so good.  Thank you for the support, both in my career and personal life.  Thank you for all the laughs, for keeping me going on the days that I just didn't want to be at work.  I'll miss you guys!  Promise to carry your your spirits - and when we get settled on our piece of earth, you are welcome to come visit!  

See ya out in it!

For any of you that would like to keep in touch: cdiets@gmail.com

   

She's Nekkid!

Finaly! Some time and wireless connection - oh how I've missed you interwebs ... now here's hoping my laptop battery hangs on!

We've started more in depth repair on Minnie's back wall - we have to - not much time left in Florida and she needs to be ready to roll!

I say 'we' and really I mean my boys.  After I starting taking apart the back wall from the inside, I got scared.  I went into full on panic mode - 'What have I done?'  and how in the heck am I gonna put it back together.  I kept hearing my husband's voice on the day I decided to attack and conquer the wall, 'Just be responsible for what you create out there'.  I was in no way qualified to be responsible for the mess I made, lol!  So, when we landed at Dad's house May 1st .. the boys went into fixit mode - thank goodness for boys!

She's coming along nicely and I'm almost ready to let loose of this sigh of relief.  Not sure how they're doin it, but they are and it's working out perfectly! 

Photos can say so much more than words, so here are some photos of her progress:

It has to get worse before it get's better, right?

Did you say you were hungry?  I'm sorry, the kitchen is closed due to remodeling.

She's a complicated RV, with layers ... like an onion.

Thank goodness we have a boy dog, he's not afraid to get some sawdust on his nose

Da daaaah!

We're almost there!  Hubby has been a very busy worker bee!  Today he has a couple of projects that he needs to have finished before Dad gets home from work, so they can possibly put the finishing touches on it tonight!

Things are progressing nicely, life in an RV is definitely different.  I think it will be much better once the stress of fixing the RV has come to an end.  Then we can get on with our adventure!

Stuff and more stuffs!

Coming out of a two day garage sale and we are pooped!  

With only 15 days left in our current house, I thought it was time to start surveying the RV for storage and start moving things in...like me and my newly updated/cleaned laptop(thanks to hubby <3).

~This post is coming to you from Minnie!~  

(We're sittin in the driveway...but still...lol)

Boy do we have a lot of stuff!  Some stuff I haven't seen in about a year and honestly forgot we had.  So that means that we are going to have to have another sale next weekend as well, wee!

Most of what is out there, sold ... but I've got a whole other load of stuff to add for next week!  Ya don't realize how much stuff you have until you take away all of the bookshelves, dressers, cabinets, etc.  It's amazing how much stuff ya have that you haven't touched in a while, so long you may have even forgotten ya had it, like I did.  

So... in preparation for our adventure to come in the next couple of months, we are lightning our load.  Mr.Adventure is going through all of our paperwork/pictures and scanning them to electronic storage and I'm working on emptying the house - starting with the kitchen.  Starting to finally see an end in sight!

For anyone trying to get down to the bare minimum, I recommend doing it in phases.  It's too dramatic/heart breaking otherwise.  Like going to get a hair cut and chopping it all off at once, versus a little trim each time.  I think I'm on round three or so of looking through my stuff and deciding what to keep...still have a couple more to go.

As my wise hubby keeps reminding me, if we haven't touched it in a year and it is replaceable ... we don't 'need' it.  Shocking to see in this 'buy more stuff' society I've been in for the last 33 years how little one actually 'needs' to survive.  This is turning into a liberating experience.

Alright, I must get back at it!  I've got some more things to get listed on http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites/ and get sold and a house to finish emptying!

More projects!

I had to take a break from the back wall.  We took the mattress and the bed frame out this morning, only to find that the back wall is not secured to the floor in all spots, sigh.  I saw the driveway through the gap. I think we're gonna need professional help ~cries~

Hubby cheered me up with a trip to Camping World! We got all kindsa goodies for life on an adventure :)

The boys installed an under the table drawer for secret stashes! Soap holders and dispensers for the shower area and loads of command strips for picture hanging.

 

Ooo and a banana hammock! Lol

 

 

Hubby is pretty good at coming up with crafty solutions to situations.  We had a 'Welcome' sign hangin over the dinette area that wasn't quite our style.  Took it down and were left with two lil annoying screw holes.  I'm paranoid about getting anything inside wet and thought for sure that water could find a way in through those little holes...hubby to the rescue!

Toothpicks and elmers glue, who woulda thought?  Stuck toothpicks coverred in elmers glue into the screw holes, clipped off the toothpicks left sticking out and dabbed up the glue areound the edges of the holes.  Tap the toothpicks flush with the wall, dab the toothipick with a brown marker to match the wall and voila!  Looks like there were never holes in the wall :)

Need to get back to tinkering around with Minnie, can't let the boys have all the fun! 

 

Diggin in!

Today's project: The back wall

There were a couple of soft spots in the wall and I wanted to make sure that there were no rotted/moldy spots.  So this morning, I started the peel away process.

 Gloves, check.  Homemade anti mold/disease mask, check.  I've got my towel laid down, box cutter and plastic trash bag.  All suited up and ready to go!

Let the peeling being!

As I dug deeper in, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the damage wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.  The wood on each side of the window is still solid.  Definitely going to have to replace the wood below the window and probably the top piece too.  I'm not sure if it would be easier to cut around the good wood or to just replace the whole panel.

Left side:

Right Side:      

                                                

In the process of all this, I took a flashlight to the storage cabinets overhead ... looks like they are going to need some attention as well.

I'm thinkin I'm going to focus on one part at a time, trying to not get over whelmed with just the bit of work I did this morning.

I haven't peeled or cut any further than what is shown in the pictures.  Feeling in a bit over my head and I stopped to check out the interwebs for 'how to' advice.  Slightly frustrated with the current selection of help videos available.  Haven't found one that has actually shown/explained the process of replacing a water damaged wall from the inside of an RV.

Going to make a run to the store for some J-B Clearweld, come back wash Winnie and make sure all of her holes are completely sealed.  Just in case the rain moves in.

Minnie Winnie!

Mr. Adventure asked me the other day why I hadn't posted a blog post in a while, that he had been watching for one and hadn't seen one...


My response to him was somewhere along the lines of, "Well, I haven't really had anything to post about" - that my friends has changed!  We have been in a holding pattern of sorts...trying to save money and make steps toward bigger plan.  We have made a couple of purchases that have led us closer to our dream.  We've gotten a second vehicle - a full size F150(perfect for towing...) aaand drum roll please...

Presenting ...duh duh duh duuuh...

Winnie! Hubby has requested a new name for her, I guess Winnie is too generic - any suggestions?

This is the first RV that I've ever had - I'm excited for what is ahead!

Mr. Adventure has been one busy bumble bee!  He's been working on the mechanics, last night he installed a new water pump(I am very impressed at how quiet it is) and now we have running water without city hook-ups, yay!  Today he is going to tackle some lights that are out around the RV and I think he is going to check out the water/holding tanks, he thinks he found a leak in the process of replacing the water pump. 

I on-the-other-hand am more concerned with decor...who cares if we have running water, as long as it looks cute?! Haha!

I am pretty happy with the colors already in place.  It's funny, when I was growing up we lived in an old school house in NY that was build in the late 1800's.  Needless to say, the colors in that home were dark woods, green, yellow - you know, the 70'-early 80's colors.  I didn't care for them when I was younger and always said that my home would never have those colors!  Isn't it funny how full circle things come? Heh!  Today I love those colors, the early types, I guess they make me feel more connected to nature.  Maybe it goes even further, on a psychological level, the colors probably make me feel closer to my past.

Love that it already has the laminate floors, saves me the work of installing them.  I'm totally new at this RV decorating thing.  With a house, I know what materials to use, like which type of paint for what room - I'm not sure what you can and cannot use in an RV.  Lucky for me, I have a sweet friend-Mindy- that came over and seemed quite excited about RV projects, woo!  She had some great ideas and I'm looking forward to hanging out having fun with her!

So, got some big plans for this area!  A new mattress is a must.  Hoping to replace the mini headboard with a larger one - maybe one that wraps all the way around the sleeping area.  Mr. Adventure has suggested that we make a headboard that has pockets - I think that's a great idea!  Maximize space = key.  I'm a little nervous to remove that piece...the window had a leak at one point (if you look closely you can see the crap caulk job that was done - gonna fix that too) and there is a softness under it.  I fear that we're going to have to replace parts of the wall and I have no idea what I'm doing - lol!  Thank goodness for Mindy :)

Our little man is excited!  He finally has a bunk bed!  The whole time looking for RVs, we only looked at ones that had the bunk above the driver - had to make our son happy :)  I'd like to make new curtains, which should be interesting as I've only ever used a sewing machine in 6th grade home economics, lol!  Also going to have to make something to cover the dash window for privacy.  Half of that job is already done, there are snaps installed along the roof and sides.

Well, it's time to head outside and spend time with Winnie - Happy Adventuring!