RV Blog--Life in a Box. This just ain't 'camping' any more....

Sunday, November 30, 2003:

The bird has been stuffed, cooked, eaten and refrozen for leftovers--I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!
We finally managed to get out of our own driveway and hit the road--as far as Louisville, anyhow! Spending quality time with old friends before we move on down to the Sunshine State. We've had days of pouring rain, followed by snow and cold. One last taste of Winter.... Thank goodness I packed some WARM clothes!

Dinah // Sunday, November 30, 2003
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Friday, November 21, 2003:

EVEN? Did I say "Even"? Walnuts were nothing! I'm totally the winner! We blessed them with a small washer and dryer!!! The units were given to us and we don't need them and didn't get them sold--so..... :) I won.
Finally, on Thursday, they got their truck back and were on the road again! I spent the morning hanging out with the grandson, while marking and loading rummage sale stuff into the car. Granted, a rummage sale was not something I had even contemplated, what with everything else going on, but the opportunity presented itself to rent tables INDOORS. What was I to do? If I have to give the stuff away, it's NOT getting back into my car! LOL!

So, today was moving day. I sent Keith away with the dogs, to get them bathed and manicured and shots and wormed and all that wonderful 'doggie stuff', while I moved bedding and the refrig stuff into the HR. I figure we need to spend a couple of days in there before we pull out, just to make sure I've remembered everything and all the stuff WORKS! keith got the water pump replaced already, and there's fresh propane and the batteries are up, but we need to heat up water, shower, cook....

In the process of mapping out the trip down, I had a chat with my long-time e-friend, Suzi--who has just moved from So. Cal to Knoxville, TN. Next thing I knew, we're re-routing so we can go right past her new home and actually MEET!!! How cool is that?

But first, we have to leave here. Then, Turkey Day with the Snauzer Cloud in Louisville! Aside from our family, they are the people we miss the most, thanks to this crazy lifestyle! It's been fun to be back in Hooterville, doing the ordinary, everyday stuff and seeing all the folks and eating at The Bash instead of cooking! We're not going to be here long enough, of course. But we're enjoying what we can!

And then there's my skinny niece and her shrinking cousin (aka Caffeine Headache and the Yarn Diva)! I have an entire new wardrobe to take to Florida--and our daugher looks adorably thinner! :) And Hope? Looks exacly like me--25 years ago! Hurray for them both!!!

And now--time to 'move' something.....

Dinah // Friday, November 21, 2003
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Sunday, November 16, 2003:

Whew! Definately a challenge. Gotta figure out what's REALLY important enough to take up space! Thank goodness the little freezer will sit outside the camper when we're parked, or I'd be sitting on the floor to eat! Replaced the dining chairs with folding ones. As for the quilt stash??? Not. When I start a new quilt, I'll just be forced to shop for new fabric.... That'll be a terrible strain.... :)

Our South Dakota friends made it in, towing their 40' trailer on Friday nite. Barely. Their bigass truck is misbehavin'! And it's the weekend, of course. So, they're not going to get to Florida much ahead of us!!! We seem to be having a contest to see who can unload the most stuff onto the others! LOL! I think I'm behind.... Shirley blessed me with a bag of flour, a big container of oats, and 2 cans of coffee today. I had to vacuum seal it all into smaller packages and stick them in the freezer! We did load them up with unshelled walnuts.... :) Maybe we're even!
Time to go feed the 'girls'....

Dinah // Sunday, November 16, 2003
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Monday, November 10, 2003:

Moving from a big, triple slide 'box' to a little bitty box! Gotta love a challenge! Ah, minimalism--or is that minimalizm?

Dinah // Monday, November 10, 2003
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Saturday, November 08, 2003:

It was a struggle, but the "Box" has finally come to rest in Illinois! Where the weather basically sucks--highs around 40, lows below freezing.We finally got out of Rapid on Sunday and made it as far as Mitchell--had to spend the nite in Cabellas parking lot, of course. The weather report was a mere 20% chance of rain. Reality was sleet/snow/freezing rain early Monday morning. About 4 inches of it, by mid-day. Had to spend another nite, frozen to the parking lot--with our battery power acting up. Finally, we got outa there on Tuesday and boogied on down the road. First time we stopped for fuel, there was the mighty thump behind us--the gooseneck had jumped off the ball!!! Fortunately, that was all it did and we were back on the road after a fill-up.
Next stop was Big Lake SP in Missouri, north of St. Joseph. Nice park! Filled with walnut trees--forcing us, of course, to collect a bag!
Then we went almost to Springfield, IL and parked at the Walmart in Pittsfield--and discovered that buying new batteries didn't cure our 'power' problem! Turns out that no one had ever run a hot wire to the batteries, in the RV! The wire from the truck was hot, but there was no matching one in the other plug--so the batteries didn't charge while we were on the road, leaving us without a furnace fan or lights in the middle of the nite. We were SO not amused!

But we're here now. Seen the kids and the kids-in-law and little Connor, who is several inches taller now! It's really great to be here--even if it's only going to be for a couple of weeks....
I've started the process of moving the most vital things out of the big rig and into the little Holiday Rambler, which will be our home while we're in Florida for the next 4 months, or so. We're talking minimalism here! The HR has a great kitchen,but only one tiny slide out, with a love seat in it! But, it's so much easier to haul around, and we can't be sure we'll actually stay in Florida once we're there--altho Keith has the promise of a job, and a place to park cheap.
Back to the packing....

Dinah // Saturday, November 08, 2003
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