Yesterday, in addition to perusing the local area, we finally got to visit Cyclemos. It's one of those things we've tried to do ever since the first time we came to the area, but they have odd hours and were always closed. I like motorcycles and it was interesting to see some very early models, including Mike's favorite - the Indian. They had about five of them plus Harleys and Triumphs and several I'd never heard of. All in all it was interesting, but my own personal *squee* moment was when I noticed a couple of American Pickers signs scattered throughout the place. I love that show. (Mike hasn't even read this yet and I can already see him shaking his head and giving me that look of disapproval that says, 'you just don't get it... they had Indians... you can't beat that with American Pickers' hahaha)
Music was nice last night. One guy, one guitar, and an audience of about ten people. I made the bbq potatoes and they turned out better than I anticipated... Manwich is not Joe's BBQ, but it was what we had. So we had dinner and a show and it was nice to get out and do things. Then our neighbors invited us to sit around their firepit. It was nice to just sit and talk with people and we had a really good time.
Today we perused commercial properties. We've found a couple that piqued our interest and could be viable without too much work. By that I mean we wouldn't have to renovate anything major or start from scratch... we take over, probably change a few things up, and "simply" keep it going. Yes, it will be hard work. Ideally we'd like to be our own bosses, make a decent living, and be able to set down roots here. For once we were pleasantly surprised by something we saw online and not the other way around, and the location seems good.
Made tuna helper for dinner and am watching A Dolphin's Tail as I type. We rented it about six months ago, paused it for some reason, and never got to see the end. Now it's on HBO for 'free'. I'm marinating chicken for tomorrow, jerk chicken. Forgot to get jalapenos and the nutmeg is in the belly of the beast, so I'm improvising a little, but I had most of the ingredients. Slap it on the grill and it should be tasty. Apparently my potatoes got a lot of notice last night and people wondered where they came from. If I could parlay that into a weekend gig here at the RV park that would suit me fine. I like to cook, people seem to enjoy what I cook, and if I get a good reputation, that could only help. :)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
0027 - For $50, I'll buy yer holler
When I get really bad news, or feel like crap, I take a few hours to wallow and then I wake up the next day with new resolve. Took Mike a while to adjust to that. He wanted to fix whatever was bothering me, and sometimes I just needed time. He still wants to fix it, but I think he understands now that I'm not falling apart forever... just for a few hours while I regroup. So I regrouped. We both did.
Yesterday we met with the realtors and discussed the improvements we've made, the marketing strategy, and the list price. We were pleasantly surprised by the list price as it's about $5k more than we thought we could ask. It's still about $7k less than we've spent... I know this leaves wiggle room for negotiation, and there is a oommission to pay, but still... given our own calculations, we're coming out ahead... in a roundabout way. This link is only good for 30 days, but if you click on it before it expires... this is/was our land: http://www.navicamls.net/displays/?n=406&i=452620&k=Tby4
We are still looking for a piece of property to replace this one. We found an interesting plot that was owner financed, and we thought it might work for us. It's about 30+ acres with a crappy trailer on it and a nice building, which is what piqued our interest - plus it said something about hookups for an RV. When we got there it was about half an acre, we could barely drive the truck around the building, and the rest of the land was down the mountain and into a steeply sided holler. Guess who listed it? Same bitch who listed our land. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... I'll cut a bitch. We've come to realize she is an evil marketing genius that sells junk land to trusting people who buy property from afar, or maybe people who have more money than sense (hint: we're the former).
Today we made a big loop from Granville to Gainesboro to Red Boiling Springs to Celina and back. Saw some interesting things... a graveyard with a dead end road <--irony... A fire department selling fireworks <-- way more irony, or perhaps job security. We saw a few properties, but none that got us hot and bothered, or at least none in our price range.
I have begun to wonder about old abandoned commercial buildings in town... the white brick kind with windows and a little parking in front. How much do those go for? How much would it cost to renovate? There is a part of me that says a Cajun diner might fly here. It's something different, it's still simple country fare, it can be prepped ahead of time so it's quick. A little boudin, some Cajun pasta, gumbo, crawfish etoufee, cornbread, fried okra, salad, poboys... doesn't have to be a huge variety. Except for the diner here in Granville, I... haven't been overly impressed by the food in town. There is a decent selection in Gainesboro... two bbq places, a diner, a Mexican restaurant, a pizza parlor, DQ. The Mexican restaurant has a sign out front that it is under new management and will be reopening soon, which is great, because it sucked. Good luck to the new owner. If it still sucks we may open a MexiCajun restaurant.
But even if we never went the diner route, a building like that could make a decent building to store our things in. Just tossing ideas around.
Our pear cider was nary to be found this time. *sadness* No cider at the liquor store either. But they had Cocoa De Vine... chocolate wine... so the edges of my mouth are starting to curl a bit. It's odd to see Indians in a small country town. I don't know why, it just is. I think they are the only two here. I wish they would open a restaurant because I loved Cuisine of India.
We met more of our neighbors today. Very nice guys. One knows someone who might want to trade us for our land, and the other raised wolves for several years. We seem to meet people that have something we need... knowledge, contacts, etc. Our luck may be shitty in a lot of respects, but in others it's not so bad.
Tonight there is live music at the RV park, so I'm going to make bbq baked potatoes using my leftover manwich meat and my toaster oven - hoity toity? Yes indeedy. I have been able to use all the leftovers instead of tossing them out and that makes me happy, so shut up. Then we're going to crack open a bottle of blackberry wine and go be social for a while. Then? Well, that's between two consenting adults... Have a good weekend!
Yesterday we met with the realtors and discussed the improvements we've made, the marketing strategy, and the list price. We were pleasantly surprised by the list price as it's about $5k more than we thought we could ask. It's still about $7k less than we've spent... I know this leaves wiggle room for negotiation, and there is a oommission to pay, but still... given our own calculations, we're coming out ahead... in a roundabout way. This link is only good for 30 days, but if you click on it before it expires... this is/was our land: http://www.navicamls.net/displays/?n=406&i=452620&k=Tby4
We are still looking for a piece of property to replace this one. We found an interesting plot that was owner financed, and we thought it might work for us. It's about 30+ acres with a crappy trailer on it and a nice building, which is what piqued our interest - plus it said something about hookups for an RV. When we got there it was about half an acre, we could barely drive the truck around the building, and the rest of the land was down the mountain and into a steeply sided holler. Guess who listed it? Same bitch who listed our land. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... I'll cut a bitch. We've come to realize she is an evil marketing genius that sells junk land to trusting people who buy property from afar, or maybe people who have more money than sense (hint: we're the former).
Today we made a big loop from Granville to Gainesboro to Red Boiling Springs to Celina and back. Saw some interesting things... a graveyard with a dead end road <--irony... A fire department selling fireworks <-- way more irony, or perhaps job security. We saw a few properties, but none that got us hot and bothered, or at least none in our price range.
I have begun to wonder about old abandoned commercial buildings in town... the white brick kind with windows and a little parking in front. How much do those go for? How much would it cost to renovate? There is a part of me that says a Cajun diner might fly here. It's something different, it's still simple country fare, it can be prepped ahead of time so it's quick. A little boudin, some Cajun pasta, gumbo, crawfish etoufee, cornbread, fried okra, salad, poboys... doesn't have to be a huge variety. Except for the diner here in Granville, I... haven't been overly impressed by the food in town. There is a decent selection in Gainesboro... two bbq places, a diner, a Mexican restaurant, a pizza parlor, DQ. The Mexican restaurant has a sign out front that it is under new management and will be reopening soon, which is great, because it sucked. Good luck to the new owner. If it still sucks we may open a MexiCajun restaurant.
But even if we never went the diner route, a building like that could make a decent building to store our things in. Just tossing ideas around.
Our pear cider was nary to be found this time. *sadness* No cider at the liquor store either. But they had Cocoa De Vine... chocolate wine... so the edges of my mouth are starting to curl a bit. It's odd to see Indians in a small country town. I don't know why, it just is. I think they are the only two here. I wish they would open a restaurant because I loved Cuisine of India.
We met more of our neighbors today. Very nice guys. One knows someone who might want to trade us for our land, and the other raised wolves for several years. We seem to meet people that have something we need... knowledge, contacts, etc. Our luck may be shitty in a lot of respects, but in others it's not so bad.
Tonight there is live music at the RV park, so I'm going to make bbq baked potatoes using my leftover manwich meat and my toaster oven - hoity toity? Yes indeedy. I have been able to use all the leftovers instead of tossing them out and that makes me happy, so shut up. Then we're going to crack open a bottle of blackberry wine and go be social for a while. Then? Well, that's between two consenting adults... Have a good weekend!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
0026 - The House of Cards
Ever heard the term "putting the cart before the horse"? If you have, you can skip this blog post altogether and just do the math. Otherwise, insert a Lemony Snicket-esque word of warning about the tale being extremely woeful and bad for your psyche, and read it at the peril of your former good mood.
We thought we were doing everything right. We had discussions, mulled over the pros and cons, and we thought getting a smallish piece of property where we wanted to be was a proactive and intelligent decision. We'd put a metal storage building on it... it would (in the long run) be less expensive than renting a storage unit, and it would belong to us - possibly even increasing the resale value of our land, should we choose to go that route in the future. Basically, from here we'd be able to take our time and find the perfect piece of land, and everything else would follow in suit. Dammit, we were practically pioneers!
Yes, our first trip to the property in January was slightly terrifying, but after finding the other way down the mountain and talking to a contractor, we felt a lot better about things. We didn't have an RV at that point, so we envisioned things as only people who have never owned an RV can foolishly imagine them... and with that mindset, we were cautiously optimistic as we made our way up the mountain this afternoon.
You view things differently when you actually have an RV... when you know how tall it is... when you know how it takes the turns... when you know how it reacts to bumps. You start to notice power lines, and tree limbs, and narrow, winding, climbing roads made of slag with no center stripe or shoulder. As we drove up this time, we decided it was manageable, and if we were going up once and not planning to come back down... it would probably even be okay... but in the transient lifestyle we foresee... it's dicey at best. As Mike says... we are the lane. There is no sharing a road.
Then we got to our property.
The "road" had been widened and cleared in January, but several months and a few storms later, a lot of the dirt had been washed away and it was narrow again, with tall weeds growing up through the middle and a small rut along the side. Truth be told... I didn't even see the "road" as we approached it. There is no way in hell an RV is going to make that.
Also, we had the land leveled and thought it ended up being fairly flush with the road, but the piece we would need to utilize in order to pull in was way too steep. As one of our new "neighbors" so aptly put it, "40-ft RV's don't bend." No they don't. It made me sick to my stomach. We've already invested enough money in that property, and we simply don't want to invest more. When Mike said it out loud, I was glad I didn't have to be the one to say it first... there's nothing we can do with it, let's sell it.
Another problem we've had is the building. I'll spare you the back story and just say that we got a 44' x 45' steel building kit - no end walls, no insulation, just the arch part with some skylights. It is supposedly super-easy to erect... bolt the arches together, raise them up and bolt them to the frame. Repeat until fully erect. (<-- humor) In total, between me, my cousin, and our dozer guy, we contacted about twenty contractors. All of them turned us down. One of them said, and I quote, "I don't want anything to do with it." So we don't even know how it's going to get put up... or where at this point. Our dozer guy offered to let us drop it off at his place, we may take him up on it just so that we don't have to worry about where to put it for now.
I'm wondering how much we could sell it for as scrap.
So at this point we're staying at an RV park, and will probably continue to stay at RV parks until we figure things out. We are meeting with a real estate agent tomorrow morning to put our property on the market. It has water and septic, our dozer guy said the county would level the "road" for us for free, and since there is someone building behind us, electric should be easily accessible to the new owner(s). With all of the improvements we've made, we hope it will go fairly quickly, but you never know. It's okay for someone who wants a get away, or is willing to do a little more work... it's just not good for us. We have special needs. I am (a) Jerry's kid after all.
We are still reeling a bit, I already had a mini-meltdown, but we think we now want to find a small piece of property that we can put the building on. Acreage doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or large because we're probably not going to be there much. We're most likely headed to Huntsville, AL because Mike is pretty sure he can get a job there... probably me too, although I'm still going to try to pursue something I can do from home. Suffice it to say that our future is very uncertain at the moment because it seems like everything we touch goes to shit in a New York minute.
Gracie is now a console kitty (Mike's nickname for her... it makes me happy that they have bonded). She spends most of her truck time on the console between Mike and I. She wanders into the back seat for a bit, but it doesn't last long. She's gotten more adept at using the litterbox while the truck is in motion, no more poop on the other side of the box. In the 5'er she hides behind the couch during the day, and sleeps by my side at night. The longer we stay in one place, the more she begins to wander. It's not her favorite way of life, but it's all new to her. She was born in my garage and never knew anything different until recently. She's a trooper.
I have started cooking dinner on a regular basis. Last night we had beans and rice with sausage. Tonight we had Manwiches with 3-bean salad and German potato salad (from a can). I'll start cooking real meals soon, but for now convenience is a big part of the decision. Tomorrow night we'll probably have bbq baked potatoes using the leftover manwich meat, and we'll use potatoes Ron sells at the store. We need to go to a grocery store and get sandwich meat so we can make our own lunches as well but that's easy enough, there is a Food Town down the road.
The good stuff... We have internet now, and the cable works. Doesn't sound important, but we pay bills and look for jobs on the internet, and since there is no cell reception where we are, it is also how we keep in touch with people. Cable keeps our minds occupied so that we don't drown in our sorrows. Right now we're watching a Joan Rivers roast... laughter helps.
We have hot water. Mike went on the forums and figured out how to turn the water heater on... it's not the switch on the main console, there is a switch on the outside of the RV, behind a panel... Showers are much more enjoyable now, but more water pressure would be good if we can figure out how to make that happen.
We keep meeting really nice people and it is lovely here. Granville is perhaps even more attractive than Gainesboro, and it is just a few miles down the road. The people at the RV park couldn't be nicer. Made in the Shade, really is just that... first RV park we've been to with actual trees. The owner is incredibly cool, and our "neighbors" are salt of the earth. He also has the best variety of grocery items in his little office, even better than the actual stores we've seen at larger RV parks... hamburger patties, hot dogs, buns, eggs, individual packets of condiments... very well thought out. We have been looking for a portable charcoal grill and were planning a trip to Walmart tomorrow... he had one for $10. And we bought some farm fresh eggs (can't wait to find a farmer's market). It's the little thoughtful touches that impressed me. Seems like others appreciate it as well, he has a handful of long-term and repeat customers, as we are likely to be.
There is also an awesome store / cafe down the road, The Granville Market Deli... very cool couple who run the place. It's within walking distance of the park. I have been talking about chili cheese fries for days, and this morning Mike went there for breakfast while I slept in and the lady was just deciding on the lunch special... which ended up being... chili cheese fries. We got one order and split it... huge plate of deliciousness - chili cheese fries with sour cream on the side, and a coke, for $5. I should have taken a picture... it really hit the spot. We'll probably head there tomorrow for breakfast before we meet the realtor... biscuits and gravy, yum.
It's funny, I told Mike that the last RV park was nice, but I got bored. It felt like we were visiting, but it didn't feel like home. This place has probably less going for it in terms of size and amenities, but it feels like we're home. People talk to you, they share stories, they offer advice. They helped me smile again when we got back from our disastrous visit. And the whole area is like a nature painting. There is a trail to the lake here at the RV park, and if you follow the road in both directions there is gorgeous lake everywhere. Add mountains and trees to the mix and this is what we came to TN for. We still hope to put down roots here, we really do. Hopefully sleeping on it tonight will bring us new perspective and a solution...
We thought we were doing everything right. We had discussions, mulled over the pros and cons, and we thought getting a smallish piece of property where we wanted to be was a proactive and intelligent decision. We'd put a metal storage building on it... it would (in the long run) be less expensive than renting a storage unit, and it would belong to us - possibly even increasing the resale value of our land, should we choose to go that route in the future. Basically, from here we'd be able to take our time and find the perfect piece of land, and everything else would follow in suit. Dammit, we were practically pioneers!
Yes, our first trip to the property in January was slightly terrifying, but after finding the other way down the mountain and talking to a contractor, we felt a lot better about things. We didn't have an RV at that point, so we envisioned things as only people who have never owned an RV can foolishly imagine them... and with that mindset, we were cautiously optimistic as we made our way up the mountain this afternoon.
You view things differently when you actually have an RV... when you know how tall it is... when you know how it takes the turns... when you know how it reacts to bumps. You start to notice power lines, and tree limbs, and narrow, winding, climbing roads made of slag with no center stripe or shoulder. As we drove up this time, we decided it was manageable, and if we were going up once and not planning to come back down... it would probably even be okay... but in the transient lifestyle we foresee... it's dicey at best. As Mike says... we are the lane. There is no sharing a road.
Then we got to our property.
The "road" had been widened and cleared in January, but several months and a few storms later, a lot of the dirt had been washed away and it was narrow again, with tall weeds growing up through the middle and a small rut along the side. Truth be told... I didn't even see the "road" as we approached it. There is no way in hell an RV is going to make that.
Also, we had the land leveled and thought it ended up being fairly flush with the road, but the piece we would need to utilize in order to pull in was way too steep. As one of our new "neighbors" so aptly put it, "40-ft RV's don't bend." No they don't. It made me sick to my stomach. We've already invested enough money in that property, and we simply don't want to invest more. When Mike said it out loud, I was glad I didn't have to be the one to say it first... there's nothing we can do with it, let's sell it.
Another problem we've had is the building. I'll spare you the back story and just say that we got a 44' x 45' steel building kit - no end walls, no insulation, just the arch part with some skylights. It is supposedly super-easy to erect... bolt the arches together, raise them up and bolt them to the frame. Repeat until fully erect. (<-- humor) In total, between me, my cousin, and our dozer guy, we contacted about twenty contractors. All of them turned us down. One of them said, and I quote, "I don't want anything to do with it." So we don't even know how it's going to get put up... or where at this point. Our dozer guy offered to let us drop it off at his place, we may take him up on it just so that we don't have to worry about where to put it for now.
I'm wondering how much we could sell it for as scrap.
So at this point we're staying at an RV park, and will probably continue to stay at RV parks until we figure things out. We are meeting with a real estate agent tomorrow morning to put our property on the market. It has water and septic, our dozer guy said the county would level the "road" for us for free, and since there is someone building behind us, electric should be easily accessible to the new owner(s). With all of the improvements we've made, we hope it will go fairly quickly, but you never know. It's okay for someone who wants a get away, or is willing to do a little more work... it's just not good for us. We have special needs. I am (a) Jerry's kid after all.
We are still reeling a bit, I already had a mini-meltdown, but we think we now want to find a small piece of property that we can put the building on. Acreage doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or large because we're probably not going to be there much. We're most likely headed to Huntsville, AL because Mike is pretty sure he can get a job there... probably me too, although I'm still going to try to pursue something I can do from home. Suffice it to say that our future is very uncertain at the moment because it seems like everything we touch goes to shit in a New York minute.
Gracie is now a console kitty (Mike's nickname for her... it makes me happy that they have bonded). She spends most of her truck time on the console between Mike and I. She wanders into the back seat for a bit, but it doesn't last long. She's gotten more adept at using the litterbox while the truck is in motion, no more poop on the other side of the box. In the 5'er she hides behind the couch during the day, and sleeps by my side at night. The longer we stay in one place, the more she begins to wander. It's not her favorite way of life, but it's all new to her. She was born in my garage and never knew anything different until recently. She's a trooper.
I have started cooking dinner on a regular basis. Last night we had beans and rice with sausage. Tonight we had Manwiches with 3-bean salad and German potato salad (from a can). I'll start cooking real meals soon, but for now convenience is a big part of the decision. Tomorrow night we'll probably have bbq baked potatoes using the leftover manwich meat, and we'll use potatoes Ron sells at the store. We need to go to a grocery store and get sandwich meat so we can make our own lunches as well but that's easy enough, there is a Food Town down the road.
The good stuff... We have internet now, and the cable works. Doesn't sound important, but we pay bills and look for jobs on the internet, and since there is no cell reception where we are, it is also how we keep in touch with people. Cable keeps our minds occupied so that we don't drown in our sorrows. Right now we're watching a Joan Rivers roast... laughter helps.
We have hot water. Mike went on the forums and figured out how to turn the water heater on... it's not the switch on the main console, there is a switch on the outside of the RV, behind a panel... Showers are much more enjoyable now, but more water pressure would be good if we can figure out how to make that happen.
We keep meeting really nice people and it is lovely here. Granville is perhaps even more attractive than Gainesboro, and it is just a few miles down the road. The people at the RV park couldn't be nicer. Made in the Shade, really is just that... first RV park we've been to with actual trees. The owner is incredibly cool, and our "neighbors" are salt of the earth. He also has the best variety of grocery items in his little office, even better than the actual stores we've seen at larger RV parks... hamburger patties, hot dogs, buns, eggs, individual packets of condiments... very well thought out. We have been looking for a portable charcoal grill and were planning a trip to Walmart tomorrow... he had one for $10. And we bought some farm fresh eggs (can't wait to find a farmer's market). It's the little thoughtful touches that impressed me. Seems like others appreciate it as well, he has a handful of long-term and repeat customers, as we are likely to be.
There is also an awesome store / cafe down the road, The Granville Market Deli... very cool couple who run the place. It's within walking distance of the park. I have been talking about chili cheese fries for days, and this morning Mike went there for breakfast while I slept in and the lady was just deciding on the lunch special... which ended up being... chili cheese fries. We got one order and split it... huge plate of deliciousness - chili cheese fries with sour cream on the side, and a coke, for $5. I should have taken a picture... it really hit the spot. We'll probably head there tomorrow for breakfast before we meet the realtor... biscuits and gravy, yum.
It's funny, I told Mike that the last RV park was nice, but I got bored. It felt like we were visiting, but it didn't feel like home. This place has probably less going for it in terms of size and amenities, but it feels like we're home. People talk to you, they share stories, they offer advice. They helped me smile again when we got back from our disastrous visit. And the whole area is like a nature painting. There is a trail to the lake here at the RV park, and if you follow the road in both directions there is gorgeous lake everywhere. Add mountains and trees to the mix and this is what we came to TN for. We still hope to put down roots here, we really do. Hopefully sleeping on it tonight will bring us new perspective and a solution...
Sunday, June 17, 2012
0025 - No biggie
We are staying here for a few days. We want to make sure the truck is good to go before we strike out again so Mike is taking it in for a checkup tomorrow. He cleaned the MAP sensor today... it was nasty. He showed me the cleaner he put it in... it started out orange, and ended up looking like cappuccino. Sensor looks a lot better now and I imagine our gas mileage is going to go up.
While he did that I reorganized the kitchen. The first leg of the trip everything stayed pretty much in place. Second leg, for some reason, cabinets opened up and stuff poured out. We also realized that some of our cabinet bottoms aren't as sturdy as they seemed, especially under the kitchen sink where the bottom literally fell out. I had a lot of canned food that we didn't really need *now* so I have culled that out and put it underneath in the belly of the beast, and moved the heavier cans to a more sturdy location. We're learning as we go. Life in an RV isn't like life in a house - there is a definite learning curve.
Last night we cooked our first meal at home. Nothing fancy, just burgers with chips and onion dip, but it makes us happy. I was already in love with him, but one night when we were staying in Austin we decided to borrow a movie from the front desk and make onion dip for dinner... when Mike said that was one of his favorite things, I fell even harder. It's nice when you have things in common, but the silly things that you have in common are the best. Anyway, from now on I think we are going to be eating at home more. Eating out is nice if it is occasional, but eating out all the time gets to be old. There is a lot more variety at home, even if you make sandwiches.
Yesterday we walked around and took pictures of the RV park. We're both camera geeks so we have fun doing that. Didn't upload the pics yet, I'll get to that later. It's nice... right outside our window you can see the water and lots of trees. I love Sundays at the RV park... most people move on and it clears out. It's strange how there are lots of people, and they're near by, but it's still pretty quiet. Probably has to do with the volume of our a/c... Since it's summertime that doesn't seem to be the case here... there are people moving in this afternoon, blocking our view of the water. Hmph.
All in all we've had a couple of normal days and it's been good for us. I know I feel better. Yesterday we went to WalMart and got more stuff that we needed... and some movies because we don't know how to get our Winegard to work property... so we don't have cable... which sucks. We were getting a total of three local channels, and they kept cutting out, but they do have a cable connections so now that we hooked in to them we get about 10... Mike has engineered a way to make it work, but it's not as easy as it is supposed to be... not by half. I want to watch Falling Skies tonight, so he gerry-rigged it to make it work. He's a good egg.
Tomorrow we'll get the truck checked out and then we'll see how much longer we'll be here. Hopefully it's an easy fix...
While he did that I reorganized the kitchen. The first leg of the trip everything stayed pretty much in place. Second leg, for some reason, cabinets opened up and stuff poured out. We also realized that some of our cabinet bottoms aren't as sturdy as they seemed, especially under the kitchen sink where the bottom literally fell out. I had a lot of canned food that we didn't really need *now* so I have culled that out and put it underneath in the belly of the beast, and moved the heavier cans to a more sturdy location. We're learning as we go. Life in an RV isn't like life in a house - there is a definite learning curve.
Last night we cooked our first meal at home. Nothing fancy, just burgers with chips and onion dip, but it makes us happy. I was already in love with him, but one night when we were staying in Austin we decided to borrow a movie from the front desk and make onion dip for dinner... when Mike said that was one of his favorite things, I fell even harder. It's nice when you have things in common, but the silly things that you have in common are the best. Anyway, from now on I think we are going to be eating at home more. Eating out is nice if it is occasional, but eating out all the time gets to be old. There is a lot more variety at home, even if you make sandwiches.
Yesterday we walked around and took pictures of the RV park. We're both camera geeks so we have fun doing that. Didn't upload the pics yet, I'll get to that later. It's nice... right outside our window you can see the water and lots of trees. I love Sundays at the RV park... most people move on and it clears out. It's strange how there are lots of people, and they're near by, but it's still pretty quiet. Probably has to do with the volume of our a/c... Since it's summertime that doesn't seem to be the case here... there are people moving in this afternoon, blocking our view of the water. Hmph.
All in all we've had a couple of normal days and it's been good for us. I know I feel better. Yesterday we went to WalMart and got more stuff that we needed... and some movies because we don't know how to get our Winegard to work property... so we don't have cable... which sucks. We were getting a total of three local channels, and they kept cutting out, but they do have a cable connections so now that we hooked in to them we get about 10... Mike has engineered a way to make it work, but it's not as easy as it is supposed to be... not by half. I want to watch Falling Skies tonight, so he gerry-rigged it to make it work. He's a good egg.
Tomorrow we'll get the truck checked out and then we'll see how much longer we'll be here. Hopefully it's an easy fix...
Friday, June 15, 2012
0024 - Never a Dull Moment
On today's episode of The LeBlanc Travel Diaries...
We got our carrier back, Bruce did an awesome job, and our generator is nice and secure. The RV park was nice enough to let us stay a little late, sort of like a late checkout in a hotel room, and we left around 2:30 pm.
We made it just past Texarkana, into Arkansas, and were pulled over by a State Trooper. I knew he was checking us out... he got in the lane next to us, got even with us then dropped back... and then came the lights. He said we were riding the line and didn't know if it was just the trailer or what, then he proceeded to ask Mike twenty questions - one of which was... ahem... "LeBlanc... what nationality is that?"
I am not joking. I wanted to say "American, dumbass..." but that's inappropriate.
He gave us a warning, so at least there's that. Arkansas is a very welcoming place. *cough*
Our truck has been acting up a little. While Mike is driving, the acceleration suddenly cuts out and he can floor it and maintain about 60-70 mph... starting from a standstill is painful. It doesn't do it all the time, but was happening enough to concern us. So about fifteen minutes from tonight's campsite the truck tells us under no uncertain terms that we need to get to a dealer. Wouldn't let us change the display back to mpg or miles to empty, just kept that message up... find dealer... need immediate service.
So... we may be here for a day or two until we can figure out what's going on. It's a nice place... lots of people here... it's on the water and it's a weekend so I guess I should have expected that. Didn't get to check it out much since it was almost dark when we pulled in and there was a nice storm brewing. We were rushing to get the 5'er ready so we'd be safe inside. I'm not sure it isn't just bluster, but there was a lot of rumbling and some nice wind and lightning. They were nice enough to change last night's reservation to tonight, so we didn't get charged twice. Hopefully if we need to we can stay put tomorrow. I'd like to get to TN... maybe bad luck will stop at the border...
We got our carrier back, Bruce did an awesome job, and our generator is nice and secure. The RV park was nice enough to let us stay a little late, sort of like a late checkout in a hotel room, and we left around 2:30 pm.
We made it just past Texarkana, into Arkansas, and were pulled over by a State Trooper. I knew he was checking us out... he got in the lane next to us, got even with us then dropped back... and then came the lights. He said we were riding the line and didn't know if it was just the trailer or what, then he proceeded to ask Mike twenty questions - one of which was... ahem... "LeBlanc... what nationality is that?"
I am not joking. I wanted to say "American, dumbass..." but that's inappropriate.
He gave us a warning, so at least there's that. Arkansas is a very welcoming place. *cough*
Our truck has been acting up a little. While Mike is driving, the acceleration suddenly cuts out and he can floor it and maintain about 60-70 mph... starting from a standstill is painful. It doesn't do it all the time, but was happening enough to concern us. So about fifteen minutes from tonight's campsite the truck tells us under no uncertain terms that we need to get to a dealer. Wouldn't let us change the display back to mpg or miles to empty, just kept that message up... find dealer... need immediate service.
So... we may be here for a day or two until we can figure out what's going on. It's a nice place... lots of people here... it's on the water and it's a weekend so I guess I should have expected that. Didn't get to check it out much since it was almost dark when we pulled in and there was a nice storm brewing. We were rushing to get the 5'er ready so we'd be safe inside. I'm not sure it isn't just bluster, but there was a lot of rumbling and some nice wind and lightning. They were nice enough to change last night's reservation to tonight, so we didn't get charged twice. Hopefully if we need to we can stay put tomorrow. I'd like to get to TN... maybe bad luck will stop at the border...
Thursday, June 14, 2012
023 - Road Trip
We decided to stay another day in Mansfield. As Mike would say, it's hot as ballz here... This is what I picture when I think of Phoenix in the height of summer. Mind you, I've never been to Phoenix... I just imagine it to be one of the hottest places on earth. To give you an idea, I went outside for about 20 mins and am now a crispy critter. I guess that's not an accurate guide for most people since I burn pretty easily anyway, but I'm feeling almost blistered so I assume 'normal' people would be feeling the heat, too. Despite that, it was nice to stay in one place for a day and relax a bit. We were still on the hunt for a solution to our generator issue, but we got to take our time instead of trying to turn and burn.
In my case, I slept in this morning (8:30)!!! Mike came home about an hour after I woke up, he went to get gas and somehow ended up at WalMart... that's the way it goes I guess. He got some cool stuff though... a wastebasket for the bathroom, which sounds silly, but you miss having one when it's not there... a bath mat... a mat for the entry... towels because ours are all dirty and I haven't been able to do much laundry lately... good homey stuff. And we have similar tastes so I don't have to worry that he'll buy fugly stuff. :) For the rest of the day we tinkered around the house for a bit, looked around for towing baskets and welding shops, and had a late lunch.
We're at the Texan RV Ranch. It's nice here. Quiet. Graveled versus paved, which does make a difference in how our self-leveling jacks behave... but all in all, easy to get to, generous space, some landscaping, and they have a general store which is nice, because there's nothing within walking distance. There is a lot within driving distance though. I would recommend it. Saw some 'parks' on the way in that I wouldn't recommend... they were barely more than parking lots. Depressing.
Our first stay was at Marina Bay RV Resort in Kemah. It was uber convenient, Target, WalMart, Home Depot, tons of restaurants. Really liked it. We used the shower facilities since we were parked at Holiday World for two nights, and they were spacious and sparkling clean. I still wore flip-flops, but if it ain't my shower, I'm not ditching them for anything, so that isn't anything against the park. The people who work there are really friendly, too... so far they all seem to be.
Selecting a restaurant from a list of names on a GPS is hard to do... you don't know what you're getting so it's risky... but we lucked out. We ate lunch at an amazing restaurant, Steven's Garden and Grill... everything was delicious, and the setting was nice. It was kind of out of the way, surrounded by metal buildings which seemed more industrial in nature, but once you turn the corner there is a nice patio with landscaping and tables. Half of what makes a meal memorable is the atmosphere of the restaurant, and this place had a relaxing vibe. I imagine it's packed in the evening, we picked an odd time because we ate a late breakfast.
Because it's so hot we ate inside, which is wood paneled and smelled of barbecue. I had a half of a half rack of baby back ribs, which were delicious even without the sauce, mushrooms, and baked potato salad (basically escalloped). Mike had brisket and sausage with mac and cheese, and the baked potato salad. Some of the food made it home with us... not much. Then we had pecan cobbler for dessert, which was basically pecan pie a la mode... also yummy. I would venture to say there isn't much there that wouldn't make your toes curl.
In my case, I slept in this morning (8:30)!!! Mike came home about an hour after I woke up, he went to get gas and somehow ended up at WalMart... that's the way it goes I guess. He got some cool stuff though... a wastebasket for the bathroom, which sounds silly, but you miss having one when it's not there... a bath mat... a mat for the entry... towels because ours are all dirty and I haven't been able to do much laundry lately... good homey stuff. And we have similar tastes so I don't have to worry that he'll buy fugly stuff. :) For the rest of the day we tinkered around the house for a bit, looked around for towing baskets and welding shops, and had a late lunch.
We're at the Texan RV Ranch. It's nice here. Quiet. Graveled versus paved, which does make a difference in how our self-leveling jacks behave... but all in all, easy to get to, generous space, some landscaping, and they have a general store which is nice, because there's nothing within walking distance. There is a lot within driving distance though. I would recommend it. Saw some 'parks' on the way in that I wouldn't recommend... they were barely more than parking lots. Depressing.
Our first stay was at Marina Bay RV Resort in Kemah. It was uber convenient, Target, WalMart, Home Depot, tons of restaurants. Really liked it. We used the shower facilities since we were parked at Holiday World for two nights, and they were spacious and sparkling clean. I still wore flip-flops, but if it ain't my shower, I'm not ditching them for anything, so that isn't anything against the park. The people who work there are really friendly, too... so far they all seem to be.
Selecting a restaurant from a list of names on a GPS is hard to do... you don't know what you're getting so it's risky... but we lucked out. We ate lunch at an amazing restaurant, Steven's Garden and Grill... everything was delicious, and the setting was nice. It was kind of out of the way, surrounded by metal buildings which seemed more industrial in nature, but once you turn the corner there is a nice patio with landscaping and tables. Half of what makes a meal memorable is the atmosphere of the restaurant, and this place had a relaxing vibe. I imagine it's packed in the evening, we picked an odd time because we ate a late breakfast.
Because it's so hot we ate inside, which is wood paneled and smelled of barbecue. I had a half of a half rack of baby back ribs, which were delicious even without the sauce, mushrooms, and baked potato salad (basically escalloped). Mike had brisket and sausage with mac and cheese, and the baked potato salad. Some of the food made it home with us... not much. Then we had pecan cobbler for dessert, which was basically pecan pie a la mode... also yummy. I would venture to say there isn't much there that wouldn't make your toes curl.
Just before lunch we decided we liked the more relaxed pace of today, so we are not going to set a deadline to arrive in Gainesboro. Instead we're going to take our time and make this a road trip. We needed to slow down... we've been pushing ourselves for the better part of two years now, and these last couple of months especially, have been monsters. I'm already feeling better about things.
And we found a place that can reinforce our hitch basket (that there is a technical term), Bruce's Welding. The guy had no problem doing a rush job so that we move on tomorrow. I figure we'll head for Little Rock. It's about five hours from here, so even if we get on the road around noon, we still arrive early evening and have time to set up and get dinner.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
022 - Maiden Voyage, Rough Seas
Today we struck out for TN...
We spent a second night in the Holiday World parking lot. They fixed our slide yesterday and we made a last minute decision to put an A/C unit in our bedroom because it was stifling in there and sleeping in a pool of your own sweat sucks (I suppose someone else's would be worse...). They needed to get the parts from their Katy store, so we decided to take them up on their offer to stay on premises so that we could be there first thing in the morning.
This morning was, in a word, hectic. Check out time at the RV park is noon, so we needed to clear out. We made it with six minutes to spare. After that we went back to Holiday World. They were just finishing up, so while they printed the paperwork they brought the 5'er out so that we could hook up... Rain was looming... it started falling... then it fell with gusto... perhaps even verve. In the meantime, Mike is moving the tray for the generator from the truck to the RV, I'm moving plants from the back of the truck into the RV, then we had to hook the truck up to the RV. It poured just long enough for us to finish up. Then it stopped... sigh... We changed into fresh clothes, I flashed the salesmen, we settled the bill, and headed out.
Our intention was to overnight in Hot Springs then continue on to TN tomorrow...
First setback was our departure time. We were already two and a half hours behind "schedule" when we finally got on the road around 2:30.
Second setback was when we overestimated our height. Our GPS has a Good Sam app where you can program your height and other information, and it will use that to route your trip. When we estimated 15 ft 6 in, it took us west. We decided to look online to find out what our height is... plus the new A/C unit... and once we input that new number it took us back east but we kind of wasted two hours. We're closer to 14 ft 6 in. Going through small towns with their low power lines and tree limbs is still no fun. And the height of the overpasses is almost in neon to us now... we notice every single sign.
Third setback was that a couple of hours outside of Dallas, we stopped at Buc-ees and noticed that the generator appeared to be sagging a bit. We don't know if we just need to shorten the rail to get a better center of gravity, or whether the basket is a piece of crap. We bought it at Harbour Freight so I'm leaning toward crap...
By then it was after 6 pm, so we decided to change our plans and stay near Dallas instead.
Then came the storm... we're talking the rain drops that fall with a splat. Followed by hail. Followed by me not being able to see anything (didn't have my glasses on but I'm not sure they would have helped much)... to more hail... I was a nervous wreck, but I had Gracie in my lap and she was on the verge of freaking out so I tried to stay calm. Mike was just pissed about the hail.
It's almost 11 pm. I have a load of laundry going and we're watching Letterman. We still haven't tried our carryout satellite... too tired to care. We're getting decent channels by letting the tv scan the airwaves. I will say that the new A/C is WONDERFUL... instead of sweating and being miserable, we may actually pull the comforter up tonight. It's the little things.
Yesterday we left Gracie in a cage with the RV while they worked on it... they kept the air going for her... Thought we were doing her a favor by not subjecting her to the truck, and it was easier on us because we didn't have to the leave the truck running. She went batshit crazy when we let her out... tried to dig her way into the couch... not under it... into it. Today we decided she needed to come with us while we ran errands. Mike has been wanting to let her out of the cage to explore the truck, I've been nervous about it. She mostly sat on the console between us, in my lap, or in the floorboard at my feet. Sometimes she would sit in front of the cage. Before we open the door I put her in the cage so she won't get out of the truck. Anyway, she's wandering around as if nothing happened... I guess she just needs to be with us and she's fine.
Tomorrow... good lord I hope tomorrow is far less interesting than today was... I would be happy with ordinary and uneventful... Guess they call it an adventure for a reason. :)
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