Too Tired To Write

I'm too tired to write anything worthwhile tonight.  Maybe tomorrow.  One old photo to enjoy.

My mom's front porch flowers many years ago.

She could sure grow flowers.

What Strange Thing Will Happen Next

We moved into the motorhome one month ago.  Life went along as normal this past month.  We've enjoyed our limited travels so far.  My dear wife is adjusting to being retired.  She keeps saying, "I feel like I'm on vacation."

I now have hard evidence that Terri may be an alien.  She has caught some kind of bug.  She has turned into an "RV'er".  I know this to be true and I have photographic proof that this has happened to her.

Terri attaching funny little lights to our awning.

 

I've seen this happen to other women.  One minute they are just normal people and the next thing you know they are hanging funny little lights on their homes in the middle of August. 

 

What will happen next.   A little sign in front of the RV with our name attached to it.  Maybe one of those USA maps that you fill in the states with colorful sticker each time you visit a new state.  She has already mentioned that one.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens to my wife next.

I Hate Microsoft ....They're Idiots

I received good news from Group Health today.  I was approved to receive a Warfarin meter so that I can do my own testing.  This has been one of the things that has kept us in Washington state this summer.  My numbers have been stabile for the last month and it has been over 90 days now so I qualify to do my own testing.

I have had to do a weekly blood draw by going to a lab.  Now we will be free to travel without having to find a lab each Monday.

I finished the kitchen floor project today by 2:00.  Right on schedule.  I'm amazed.  I was going to show you a photo, But .............

Windows 8 is a piece of junk.  It has decided to put a pop-up blocker on my photos.  It is hard enough to navigate around Windows 8 to do the very basic things, it has me stumped tonight.  So no photos tonight.

Did I mention that Microsoft should be taken out and flogged for putting Windows 8 out in the market place.  They truly deserve to go out of business and for Bill Gates to have to go on welfare.

End of rant.

Finished new kitchen floor.

 



O.K. I was able to find a workaround to my photo problem so I have revised my flogging schedule for Mr. Gates.  But he should live in fear of my next rant.  I still don't like Windows 8.  I'm sure millions of dissatisfied customers agree with me.

No Excitement Just a New Floor

Not a very exciting day for the Ranger's.  Terri spent all day working in the square dance hall setting up the annual rummage sale.  This is the biggest fund raiser for KSDA each year, it keeps the organization going.

I spent the morning and early afternoon on my hands and knees chipping up the old ceramic tile in the motorhome kitchen.  My brother, Dave delivered his chop saw and a circular saw so that I could begin cutting the new wood flooring. 

It's strange to not own all those kinds of tools anymore.  Not very manly.

I'm running ahead of my self imposed two day goal to finish the project.  I've only got two boards left to cut.  Next will be the final installation of the flooring followed by new trim work.  The optimist in me says I'll be done tomorrow but the devil is always in the final finishing details.

Three garbage cans of old tile, a bunch sweat and I was ready for new flooring.

Two boards to go.



 

I'm tired, so it's time to rest and then hit again tomorrow.

The Sky Is Falling, or Maybe Just Fiesta Ware

On one of our first days living in the motorhome we learned an important lesson. We now secure our kitchen cabinets before starting down the road.  The cost of that lesson was 2 Fiesta dinner plates and 3 pasta bowls.

That was the easy part of that lesson.  Now it's time to really pay for our transgression.

When the plates and bowls came crashing down they did major damage to the ceramic tile floor in the kitchen area.

The picture doesn't show how bad the 3 broken tiles look to me.  It's one of those guy things, my eye immediately goes to the chips and cracks every time I walk by.  In a 300 square foot home that is all the time.

After a couple of days of looking at the options we choose to replace the white tile with a manufactured wood flooring.  We are here in Gorst at KSDA for the rest of the week so this is the only time I would have the opportunity in the next 10 months to do this project.

This is a photo of the new flooring laid out over the tile to see how we like our choice.  Next comes the fun part, the old ceramic tile has to come up.  It's BIG hammer time.  While Terri's working at KSDA to help set-up for the rummage sale, I'll be making a mess in the motorhome.

It has to be done.  I can't stand looking at the evidence of our little mistake any longer.

Not even close to done, just laid over the old tile.

 

We'll see how it looks when I'm done.  It should only take 2 days, but I've been known to be wrong in my guesstimates before.

 

Yes, We Can Do This

The big question?  Can we make the RV a home for many years to come?  The simple answer after living in it for nearly a month is “YES”.

We had done a lot of research before making the move to the RV but the only way to know for sure was to make the leap of faith and see what happened.  I can report that after the first month we are both satisfied that we are on the right track. 

We have yet to stay at a full service RV park so we have had to rely on the systems within the motorhome.  At this point we both agree that it is easier to live with an electrical hook-up than to depend on batteries. inverters and our generators. 

Holding tanks for gray and black water are the big surprise, they have to be dumped every 4 or 5 days.  That means you don’t get to stand in the shower for 15 minutes.  We have both developed our “Navy Shower Technique” in order to conserve on water consumption. Our hot water tank and our fresh water tank are more than adequate but the question we always ask ourselves is when will we be dumping next.  If it’s the next day than we can stand in the shower as long as we want or until the gray water tank is full.

Cooking has been great.  The kitchen is well laid out and works fine for me.  I still get to cook over gas which I prefer.  The double fridge and freezer is just like home but without the cold water in the front door. It has an ice maker that I haven't figured out yet. 

Because we have not been near restaurants most of this month the temptation to eat out is not there.  We are certainly cooking healthier now.  Cooking seems less rushed and dinners at the dining table are relaxed and unhurried when you are not rushing off to the next thing in life.

We don’t miss broadcast TV at all.  I had wondered if we should get a satellite TV system for the RV but decided to wait and see.  It turns out that neither of us miss it and spend more time reading and doing things on our iPad and laptop.  During the first month we only had one day that we did not have cell or internet access.  We do have a TV and Blueray to watch movies but have watched very few in the last month.

For me writing the blog has become my “thing”.  As I go through the day I think about what I might write that night.  Sometimes it’s the photos I’ve taken that will inspire what I’ll write.  It has been a lot of fun to spend time writing. 

Over my work years I had spent a large portion of my time writing in one form or another .  Now I get to do it for fun.  After college my first job was being a photographer.  During that year I shot over 10,000 photos and after leaving that job I did not touch a camera for the next 5 years.  Once again photography is fun.

Terri and I get along fine in our 300+ square foot home.  Not quite sure why I needed to have a few thousand in the past.  Lots of stuff is probably the answer.  I sure can't win the guy contest for most toys, oh well.

 We are enjoying our new life.

Why Do People Stack Rocks?

We're back in Tacoma parked in Tamra and Robby's driveway.  We have a bunch of doctors appointments we have grouped together for today.  We'll be leaving this afternoon for Gorst and the Kitsap Square Dance Center to help set-up for their annual rummage sale.

Salmon La Sac was a quiet and peaceful setting to camp.  We just relaxed after a rather busy 10 days at Circle 8 Ranch.  I've been a little under the weather the past few days and haven't felt like hiking.

I've taken up a new hobby.  As we have driven around I've noticed rocks balanced carefully in a column in remote locations.  Well I have decided to add my abundant talents to this great venture.  I'm sure this endeavour has a name but I don't know what it is called but that hasn't stopped me from practicing my newly found outlet for artistic achievement.  I'm now a rock stacker.

I know with much practice I will become better.  My first few "Stacks" can be found on display in the Salmon La Sac area in case you would like to go view my first showing.

Fame can not be far off for a struggling artist like myself.

Now on display at the Salmon La Sac Gallery

Our campsite.  Yes, the picnic table was almost as long as our motorhome.