AN INTERVIEW OF MY FULL TIME TRAVELER

Hi.

Hi

Thanks for giving me this interview.

You're welcome

When did you purchase your first motorhome?

About three years ago.

Why did you decide on a motorhome?

I wanted to travel and do the fiber art shows with you.

Had you ever been camping prior to the motorhome?

Yes

Can you elaborate?

yes

Oh, brother!

(laughing) Years of tent camping when our children were small.

What did you like about the first motorhome?

I like sitting up high while driving....the visibility while sitting up higher.  

The convenience of uh, stopping where ever I wanted. 

It provided the opportunity to explore new territory and is more economical than  using hotels and restaurants. And we can have our dogs and cat with us.

What did you not like?

It's size.  Driving it was intimidating.

What mistakes were made when purchasing the first one? 

Not spending enough time with the dealer and learning more about motorhomes.

Describe your first trip in the motorhome?

Our first trip was north of Chicago and we went through Chicago and I was petrified with all the lane changes, primarily.  Our steps had a mind of their own and would come out while driving.  That was nerve wracking. 

Did you have a Toad?

No.  Are we done yet?

Nope.

Then how were you able to sight see and shop?

We had to drive the motorhome. Occasionally we shared rides with friends when we went out to eat. 

Do you like emptying the holding tanks? I just have to ask?

I don't like it, but I don't really mind.

What is your baddest of bad mistakes you made driving the motorhome....so far?

I guess backing over the retaining wall in North Carolina.

And just what the reason for that mishap?

I should have gotten out and surveyed the situation before backing. I should have listened to you.

When we got married, I weighed ninety-three pounds. I don't weigh that much now.  Do ya still like me? 

Yes, there's more to like. 

What would you change about me?

Your sudden mood changes.

Have they improved since I've started taking my anti-depressant in the morning instead of at night?

Yes.

Sigh....

How did our kids to get to be so old and turn out so great?

I guess the same way we did.... 

I can't answer about our kids that but I  often ask  myself that question.

Are you still driving the Winnebago?

No  

Why not?

We traded for a newer motorhome with slide-outs and a diesel pusher. 

How are you feeling now that it has been a year since you were hospitalised for respiratory failure?

Physically, I feel much better.  I haven't felt this good for eight or ten years!

What did you learn from that experience?

How precious life is.  How important family is to me also relationships.  

What do you like about the Tiffin Allegro Bus?

Wellll, I like the stability of the ride, especially in curves.  The Tiffin does not feel top heavy on the on and off ramps.  The Jake-break is a real life saver!  I like the roominess.  I just like the comfort.  And it's interior is homey and pleasing.  

What do you like our new style of eating?  

I'm sorry, was there a question? Did I miss something? 

What do you like our new style of eating?  

I like the flavors, the freshness, and it has helped me feel better.  I appreciate Karen's introducing us to this lifestyle and I like the weight I have lost.  I can breathe better!

(Karen is our oldest daughter)

Describe your favorite place we have visited thus far and why.

Oh boy......I am going to have to say that we have been to a few different deserts and their vastness, the quiet, how bright the starts are at night from the lack of light pollution, the coolness at night.

I really enjoyed visiting the Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego.

Is there one place you would not return?

There probably is, but it must not have been terrible, or I would remember it.  

Why does it take you so long to wake up in the morning?

I have no idea, it's just me........leave me alone!  

Where are we going when we leave here?

I don't know.......yet to be determined. 

Do you feel that helping Jojo with the Koi pond retrofit and the pergola has helped you gain strength?

Yes.  Physically = yes.  I've made some calculation mistakes and that really bothers me.  I think the mental mistakes are due to being on life support for so long...and the medications.  

What have you enjoyed most about being able to spend so much time with her after not being able to for twenty years?

That's tough to answer because I just enjoy  being with her.  She's good and fun to work with.  She is a great worker.  

Thanks for giving me this interview even though you are still asleep and on only your second cuppa coffee. 

You are welcome, I'm sure.  Should I add a disclaimer.

I think you should add that this interview was done under duress. 

Do ya still like me now that we are done with this interview? Huh, huh?

Yes, definitely like ya.  

STAYING BUSY AT THE ASPHALT JUNGLE

 

Our original plans were to be able to leave Indianapolis tomorrow, but here we are at Camping World Of Indianapolis’ transition / overnight parking lot.  Our asphalt jungle. 

We watch people come in for repairs.  The steady streams of RV’s coming in and out is astounding.  Some come for repairs or to shop.  Some come to leave their old RV and take delivery of their new home on wheels.  Today, the new home owners are having to compete with rain showers.

 

I am inside cooking.  John and I love apple butter.  Our former neighbor gave us a huge sack of pears, so I am attempting to make pear butter.  The pears, peelings, cores, stems, cinnamon sticks and all cooked in the crock pot.  They cooked all day yesterday and last night.  This morning they had cooked down to that looked “right” to me.  After they cooled, I put then through my grandmother’s ricer that she used for mashed potatoes.  Voila!  It looks like apple butter, but tastes like pear butter that is a bit sour.  Now I need to go to the store to purchase some Truvia to sweeten my pear butter. 

 

                                                                                          

 

Today is another experiment with food.  I am making a squash, yam bisque.  I am not sure it will be finished cooking in the crock pot for dinner this evening.  Maybe, lunch tomorrow.  We shall see.  As you can see, it is just starting cook. 

 

We took Oliver and Olivia to the groomer to get their full timing trims.  The cuts are a bit short right now, but in a month or so, they will acceptable.  Now, Oliver shivers when he is going out to do his duty first thing in the morning.  He also sleeps under a blankie now. 

               

 

Another activity we are participating in is new to us motorhome shopping.  Shopping on line, shopping here at C. W.  There are questions we ask ourselves.  Diesel pusher, gas or gas pusher?  Winnebago, Monaco, Newmar or Tiffin?  At least we have the make narrowed down to four.  This could take a long time. 

 

We also have had an offer on our last Indiana property, the condo in Greenwood.  We have countered and are waiting for a reply.  At least this offer was more reasonable than the offer on our house.  I do not think this will be nearly as stressful as the sale of our house. 

 

Twenty three days until John’s MRI and biopsy.  God willing, we will pull out of here and head to South Dakota in twenty four days.  In the meantime, we continue to pray for God’s healing to continue in John, and every other blogger that we follow.  There are many suffering RVers out there and they all need our unceasing prayers.

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

 

God bless you and keep you healthy and safe. 

Iowa to Indiana

The Iowa Sheep and Wool is now history.  Wow!  What an experience and what a successful show, both in sales and in new friends.  It's hard to tell Deb and Bob Cline from Maple Row Sheep and Wool and Carol Larsen of River's Edge Fiber Art both from Michigan good by till the next show.  We have been vendors  at the sames shows for the last 3 weekends.  We have a pitch-in pot luck at each show as we sit around and chat about our dogs and fibery things. 

Our trip started out on a rough note.  Thursday morning, we had an eight o'clock appointment for a front end alignment and oil change for the motor home.  The expected wait was said to be two and a half hours.  When we pulled in, the technician asked if we were also replacing our "old" front tires.  Oh, Oh,....we just purchased those tires last fall!  Hum, something is rotten in Denmark!  They explained that the tires that the other company said was recommended for "motor homes" were actually for trucks.  A special Michelin tire is recommended for the Winnebago motor homes.  Lessen learned....Not all RV tech's at RV dealerships know what they are talking about. Well, THAT added to the expense!

We were finally on the road at two thirty, three hours later than estimated.  Catch the word estimated?  Arriving in Davenport, Iowa was a relief.  We pulled into a Wal Mart Superstore at eight thirty, fixed dinner and we off to bed for a peaceful nights sleep to the sound of a gentle rain.  Then BOOM! Oliver jumped about 3 feet into the air, I sat straight up....a bolt of lightning and a huge crack of thunder woke us up at 4:00.  Well, that ruined my good night of sleep!  I tried and tried to go to sleep.  Nope, no luck.  I tossed and turned, planned my display, and desperately wanted a nice cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.  I tried to get the hot chocolate out of my mind knowing I'd wake John up.  (nothing ever keeps him from sleep, ever)

I kept track of the weather on my new Droid X and at 7:30, saw that another storm was moving in, so I woke John up and suggested that we get on the road before it reached us.  It was good that we did leave at that time.  We arrived in Adel, Iowa just as they were allowing vendors to set up.  We were able to pull our motor home right next to our display area and unload.  What a blessing! 

The Festival was great.  We had a ball and now are back on I 80 on our way back to Indiana.  We will stop off in Moline, Illinois to visit the place we lived when we were first married.  We actually lived in East Moline and I am eager to see the house again.  It was a cute Cape Cod across from a park.  The park had a large pond where in the winter, we ice skated.  Late summer, we collected walnuts put them in the basement where we promptly forgot them and the worms hatched.  Lovely, just lovely!  Little did I dream that someday, many years later, we would collect walnuts  and I would use them for dyeing wool a beautiful chocolate brown.  As I "cooked" the walnuts I thought of those pesky worms and kinda felt sorry for them simmering in my stew that I would use for dyeing. 

Well, we are about one hundred twenty five miles from Moline.  Will keep you up to date....Bye for now

Weather Change!

For the better! We have gone from snow and almost zedro visibility to driving into the sun, puffy clouds and clean blue sky. The sun is soooo bright, we need air conditioning in the motorhome.

We stopped at the Arizona welcome center, picked up some information, I fixed lunch and we are back on the road. Something that amazes me is how the scenery changes dramatically with each passing mile. . It looks to me right now that we might be in the dessert, The Petrified Forrest is the next interchange. Off in the horizion, we see a gully, brown grass and then way off there are low (seemingly, form a distance) mountains. The diversity is amazing. Another thing that John and I have comment on is the lack of fencing. In the midwest, farm fields are separated by rows and rows of fencing. In Texas, New Mexico and now Arizona, we cannot tell where one property ends and another begins. The only fence we see is to separate the land from the interstate. Ok, we are goig to tumble on down the the road with the tumbleweed!

Preparing house to sell

Carpeting is up, thanks to Zack - grandson #1. All squeaks in the floor eliminated. Roofing liner partially down and John is resting today. This is hard, slow work for someone with COPD. Today is a day of rest for him. He has slept most of the day. BUT, he says that If he enjoys this, we may remove all carpet and lino in RV and put down hardwood.

I'm working on Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival today. Placed ads in Spin-Off, Interweave Knit, a special edition of a Knit magazine, Interweave Handwoven, Crochet, Piecework. Guess I've spent enough money today.

Tomorrow, move that huge antique, finish the liner (serves as a moisture barrier) and begin laying the cherry hardwood. I'm getting excited, but sad that we will not enjoy the fruit of our labor for long (we hope).

I sold my desk and credenza! Another positive move. Now to take photos of antiques and get them on Craig's List.

The Road House (name of our 35'Winnebago Adventurer) is in the drive calling our names. It's ready to roll. Wish we were.