No more stix ‘n brix

For the first time in many years, I no longer own a sticks and bricks house. The closing today went fine (my Realtor let me know) and the funds will be in my bank account on Monday. I had to rush a bit this morning to get out, had stuff from the bedroom - bathroom - living room to transfer. Some of it is still in a muddle....stuffed in bags, totes, etc....but I will eventually get it all sorted out. LOL!

My satellite dish didn't arrive until almost 1 pm so spent all afternoon waiting on the installation (along with my new radio, DVR & DVD player). Everything works well, few inconveniences like having to keep the cabinet door open while the sat/dvr is running but I can deal with that since I only have to flip a switch to hook onto the satellite. They also ran the wires for my Sirius radio and antenna, no more cables dangling all over the place!

I'm sitting in the installers parking lot, hooked up to their power for the night. It was dark when we got completely done and since I had to clean up what they had done (boxes left behind, some Styrofoam from drilling, cabinet needing to be repacked so it worked for me) as well as still deal with the totes/bags I stuffed into the RV from the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Gonna take a bit to resettle things.

Can't wait to get service...right now my steps aren't working and I can hear a ticking sound that just doesn't stop. I know it has to do with the damn battery disconnect switch that is flaky. The repair folks suspect the relays on the switch are bad.

Will pick up the bike & trailer in the morning and head north. Because my batteries seem to think they are always disconnected, I have to stay in a campground instead of the Flying J or Wally World or no power, no tv, no water, no toilet, no heat! Now off to figure out where on the route to Elkhart I will stop tomorrow night.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Home for now...

I slept well last night, my final night in the Chattanooga Camping World campground. After walking BoBo, I headed up to the store to talk to the service folks about getting some work done. Long story short, they were booked until next week which wasn't going to work for me. In addition, they don't do any engine work, I would have to see a Ford dealer. Okay, no problem...I'll get the work done in Elkhart, IN while I'm there and I proceeded to get the phone number for my local Ford dealer.

Oh-oh, they don't work on motorhomes of any size. Their bays just aren't large enough. So I proceeded to call an retired trucker friend of mine. He told me he ran into that as well with a friend's Class C. (He called me later with the name of someone close to home that might be able to take a look at it for me. I'll call them tomorrow.)

The ride home was uneventful. The motorhome did very well through the mountains outside Chattanooga....thanks to the Banks system on the Triton V-10 engine. Not a blip.... As I rolled into Sparta I pulled into our local Wal-Mart to do some shopping. I needed a few groceries and had a few things I wanted to pick up (more throw rugs, floor mats for the front of the truck, a sunshade for the windshield, etc). Found an out of the way parking spot, fired up the generator and headed off shopping. Found everything I needed and then some (the usual story ).

From there I headed home, taking it slow on the tight curves that lead to my house. Before I left I asked my neighbor if he would trim the branches hanging over my driveway. He had done so, thank goodness, and I had no problem pulling up the drive to my garage. I found a spot that didn't require leveling (still having issues figuring out the "combination" to getting that perfected), got out and stood back in awe. This was my new home now sitting in the driveway of my soon to be old home.

Let the adventure begin!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

First an apology for my OOPS.....

I know I need to simplify....how do I know? Because I keep doing dumb things....at home, at work, driving the car, working on the computer, paying bills (actually NOT paying bills), etc. Yesterday was a big OOPS at work (my apologies to the lady I talked into letting her house be shown in 45 minutes after our phone call - she wanted 24 hr notice - turns out it was the wrong house - OOPS).

Tonight my OOPS was emailing a update to all my family & friends and NOT sending it BCC (meaning everyone's address is shown - something I detest doing). Guess I was subconsciously showing why I need to move my updates here. So I'm extending my abject apology to the masses who got blasted tonight...OOPS!

Okay, now for the life in general update for everyone else who bothers to read my blathering here (I promise it will get more interesting soon....).

The house is still getting shown but no offers...have another showing tomorrow afternoon. Keeping fingers crossed that something happens soon but know it will sell when the right person sees it. I've sold several furniture items, a bunch of motorcycle gear and am slowly sorting through things for eBay, keeping, storing, donating & trashing.

I think the Harley is sold....the good news is that he will go to a lady rider friend of mine. She relocated from GA to eastern TN last year. I'll know more next week.

I'm still looking at RVs for sale....vacillating between Class C (probably too small for me but great for boondocking) and Class A (more room but less built for back roads & out of the way boondocking). There is a nice Class A for sale here locally. Good news is that it's in my price range, appears to be in good shape AND already has a motorcycle carrier on the back. Bad news is that it's 3' longer than the maximum I had set for myself. I'll be looking at it next week, unless it's sold first.

I plan on doing a lot of boondocking (hopefully) both to save money on campsites (gotta love fixed incomes) and to be able to see more out of the way places. The photos and stories on several blogs I follow have made me realize that THIS is one of the main reasons I want to be on the road. Sort of a female Charles Kuralt...well, in my mind anyway.

My final day at work will be 8/30...then the serious fun (?) begins. I will be attending the Escapade in Goshen, IN from about Sept 7-14th. I may be in an RV (mine or rented) or a hotel...looks like it will be last minute planning on that.

My to do list is huge...all the little details that still have to be done. It's really hard to pin down everything, some days I feel like I have accomplished a lot, other days I feel like I've added three items to the list and only crossed off one. Part of the problem is every time I think of something, I jot it down. I now have a PILE of jotted down items....time to compile one list and set priorities and deadlines (hopefully the last deadlines I'll have to worry about ).

I know it will all fall together...eventually. I am really looking forward to simplifying things, getting on the road and taking things slowly....one sunrise & sunset at a time.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

P.S. if you currently use a blog reader, I hope you'll add this blog to your list. If you haven't started using a blog reader I highly recommend the Google Reader. It's free and it's the easiest one I've found to use. You can toggle the display from ALL blogs to UPDATED blogs. You can also set up folder and sort them that way. I currently have 46 blogs marked and most days only a few have updates, this way it's not overwhelming PLUS I don't miss an update on a friend's blog.

Naked Ladies & Unexpected Visitors

As many of you know, I have my house up for sale. Had an interesting afternoon. I got a call about 10:30 that an agent wanted to show the house between 12:30-1:30. Since I was trying to decide whether to read, surf or watch a movie, that made up my mind for me. Picked up a little around the house, got dressed and headed to my hang-out (McDonald's for coffee to enjoy while I read my latest book - Lisa Jackson for anyone who enjoys good mysteries with a minor dab of romance).

Came back home at 2 figuring that was plenty of time (and as always, prepared to turn around if they were still there). Started trying on more clothes, sorting out them out (keep, giveaway, consign). Was taking a break, sitting on the sofa watching a VH1 special on Freddy Mercury when I see a car drive in. Normally not a big deal but I had no shirt on...OOPS!

I rush into the bedroom, dig my t-shirt out from under the pile of clothes I was sorting, pull it on, grab my soda to put it away, jug a quick drink, manage to slosh it down the front of my shirt so I then rush to the kitchen to splash water on it (Cola stain) so I could then meet them at the door - wet shirt to the forefront. LOL!

Oh well, the joys of selling a house....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

The future is written in JELL-O

Things are slowly moving....not as fast as I would like but moving. Nothing concrete, but that's okay since I now know the future is written in JELL-O anyway. So what have I accomplished since the last blog?

• Arranged for a good friend to handle all the eBay auctions for me for a percentage of the sales (WHOO-HOO!!! This is huge since she will handle everything including the shipping)
  
• Sorted out my motorcycle gear in preparation for selling the extras (forums first)
• Posted my Harley for sale in several motorcycle forums as well as a local online freebie trader
• Posted several larger pieces of furniture in the local online freebie trader
• Sorted through almost half my clothes, creating a pile for friends at work to go through and two bags for donation to Goodwill and discovering that NONE of my jeans fit
  
• Sold three pieces of the furniture listed in the trader (which left me with all the knick-knacks to go through deciding what goes with me, what gets stored and what gets sold)
• Bought anchors and fixed the closet organizer in the guest room....after it collapsed from the weight of all the motorcycle gear and extra jackets that I moved in there
• Continued researching RVs (another thing written in concrete - motorhome vs trailer)

On the house, there is currently a young couple looking at it, first-time home buyers. So far the wife, her brother, the husband and his parents have all looked at it and seem to like it. Now waiting for her parents to take a peek and then I am hoping for an offer (hopefully not a lowball one). She's also visiting their credit union tomorrow to discuss financing...hmmmmmm, keep those fingers crossed!

I am really getting excited about moving out onto the road. When I first posted the ad about my Harley for sale, I was really sad. Now I know it's just part of the path I need to take...simplification. It's starting to feel good....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

WARNING: Dates on the calendar are closer than they appear!

Once again time flies....even when we're not having fun. It's been an eventful month. Here's a short recap since my last blog.

• June 19th I listed my house for sale
• July 4th my BMW was delivered (thank you to my agent's hubby who went to Houston and loaded the bike on his pick-up and brought him to TN)
• July 4th I took my first ride on the BMW, who is now renamed "Squirt", and knew he was going to work out just fine (and yes, I flat-foot him just fine)
• July 5th the house is scheduled for the second showing
• July 5th I get a full price offer on the house contingent upon closing within 3 weeks
• July 6th we make a slight contract change (deductible amount on the home warranty) and counter the offer, their agent insists that it will be no problem
• July 7th and we still don't have the signed counter offer back
• July 7th I spend the day in Chattanooga with a friend looking at RVs at Camping World (Shipp's RV)
  
• July 8th and the buyer's agent still hasn't gotten the buyer to call back
• July 9th and the buyer's agent finally hears from the buyer's boss (this is a corporate relocation) and finds out that they called him and no longer plan to move to TN (can you say culture shock?)

Fast forward to today, no more showings so no offers....open house set for tomorrow afternoon. I'm slowly starting to sort through stuff, finally. My friend Diana, who went to Chattanooga with me, is going to start eBaying stuff for me. My newly imposed deadline is approaching.

What deadline? Oh, guess I skipped that part...... In the aftermath of the sale fiasco, I made the decision that whether the house has sold or not, I plan to hit the road by September first. It may be in the something older, it may be financed, it may be....who knows? But it will all work out. My new quote is:

"I refuse to sit around waiting for the perfect tomorrow, I'll continue to work on savoring my perfectly imperfect todays." ~ Froggi Donna

My September is already pretty well booked. The first week I plan to ride my last 6 states (New England) with my youngest brother, his wife and possibly my son. I will park the RV in NC near my niece's home. When I get back from the week of riding I will head over to Goshen, IN for the Fall Escapade. I'm hoping to make it in time to attend one of the pre-Rally sessions (like RV driving school). After that I will head to northern GA for two weeks....I'll be fine-tuning the RV (may stop in TN if needed) and will be baby-sitting grandkids the last weekend.

After September the world (well the USA) is wide open....no real plans yet, I have to get there first.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Ruts...digging in or climbing out

It's been nagging at me for over a month. I'm in a rut and seem to be settling into it way too easily. My weekdays are the same.....alarm goes off, hit snooze for half an hour, fall back asleep, get up with the second alarm goes off. Shower, head to work, work through a lunch at my desk, leave work and head home. Hit McDonald's for an Asian Salad with grilled chicken and Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegarette dressing and a senior cup of coffee (50 cent coffee). Get a coffee refill and a low-fat ice cream cone while I read for an hour. Head home again, check the mail, toss everything on the counter, settle onto the sofa, check caller ID and voicemail, turn on the laptop and TV. Next thing I know, it's after midnight and past my bedtime once more. The weekends aren't much different....I try to get a few things done around the house but for some reason have been having a really hard time motivating myself. I do the critical things and the rest waits. I'm in a rut and seem to be sinking deeper. While chatting with a new friend from Knoxville, the subject of RVing dreams came up again. I explained my whole history and why I wasn't full-timing. The talk seemed to have set some things in motion.... This past week I have spent a lot of time getting back into the RVing world - forums, magazines, books, etc. It is really calling to me, telling me to get out of this rut and do what I proclaim I have been doing (but for the last year haven't). Life is truly too short, so I've made a decision....whether I sell, rent or leave the house empty is still undecided. But come September when I start receiving my widow's Social Security in addition to Mike's small pension income, I will hit the road. It may be part-time while I work part-time or it may be full-time. It will most probably be in a vintage (OLD) motorhome and I will, for now, pull a small trailer with my Harley for local transportation. Down the road....only time will tell. But the decision has been made, the notebook for developing the plan has been started, the countdown is ticking! Before I know it, I will be ON THE ROAD AGAIN! Till next time - keep on rollin', Froggi/Donna

Nothing to say....

Seems folks think I have something to say, I've gotten several messages asking what's up....but unfortunately there have been no changes since I last posted. Well, at least no changes in the house selling area. Only one showing and nothing came of that. As I've said before, I refuse to fuss about it, can't change it anyway.

I have started sending out resumes again...maybe something will turn up. I know, what happens if I get a job and then the house sells. Well, at that point, if I like the job I will stay in the area and find something cheaper to buy...hopefully I will be able to buy a small used RV and get in some weekend trips for practice. Then, when I can better afford it I will take my stab at full-timing. Remember, everything happens for a reason. I'm just waiting to see what the reason is for the delay.

I've been watching TV in the evenings and started putting MONK on TiVo. I love the show and the quirky character. But as I watched the shows recently, I realized that I am somewhat obsessive as well as Monk. Not as bad, but still like things in their place, count letters in words in my mind, like symmetry in things (except when asymmetrical seems more symmetrical - okay, so you have to be me to understand that ). I even took the "Are you MONK-ISH" quiz - yup, it's official. I'm more MONK-ISH than most.

I do like quirky....some of my favorite TV shows and movies have involved quirky people and places: Northern Exposure, Soap, WKRP, Mash, Mystery AK and even The Prisoner series. I once lived in a place with quirky flavor.....if the winters weren't so harsh, I'd live there now. Always something of interest happening.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Chaos rules...or do I know what I am doing?

The second yard sale is over, the whole house is in chaos, I'm living out of totes, and I have no motivation. Hmmmmm, now do you understand the title? LOL!

I know this will pass, think I have been on overload trying to get everything done for the closing that would have been next Monday. So now that it's not going to happen, I've become a slacker. Maybe tomorrow will bring some energy....well, I did get two totes packed today, along with all my t-shirts sorted. Oh, and I labeled four totes....that should count for something, shouldn't it?

No hits on the house....with the market slowing down across the country, I may be in for a long dry spell. Maybe that is why I am not attacking my "to do" list the way I should....my sub-conscious knows that the deadline is no longer imminent.

The next yard sale will be a buy one, get one free (same price) to clear out as much as possible before hauling it all off the Goodwill. I have sold a LOT of stuff but there is still quite a bit left in the garage and I keep coming across more things to put out there.

One day this week or next, I plan to head over to Knoxville to check out the Heartland Cyclone toy hauler and make a final decision if that is what I want. I love the extra storage as well as the ability to easily add a washer/dryer (even a stackable one). I do worry about a one ton truck being enough to pull it, maybe I worry too much. LOL!

Well, everything happens for a reason so I know this will all work out....somehow, sometime.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Life's twists and turns...

They say, and I believe, that everything happens for a reason. I hope that reason becomes apparent soon...today the buyer backed out of the sale of the house. The realtor and I both think that her kids talked her out of it....they wanted her in an apartment (less maintenance for them I suspect) and really didn't want her to buy a house. I think they wore her down.

So, the search for a new buyer starts.....wish me luck! The toughest part is the house isn't in shape to show well....most of the furniture is gone and there are a ton of boxes, totes and plastic bags scattered around. Guess I need to concentrate on getting them all into one room.

The biggest frustration to me is that I thought I had finally found the perfect rig - a Heartland Cyclone toy hauler. Dealer is close by, has great prices and a top reputation for service. We've been emailing for several days and were coming to terms on add-ons. All that was left was for me to physically visit and put down a deposit if I liked it.

So....I continue to roll along on the roller coaster of life.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Yard Sale Musings....

Well, it's done....the first yard sale is history. The weather last week was harsh...in the 90s with high humidity. Since I had decided to hold the sale in the garage to allow for a "rain or shine" event, that meant a lot of time was spent sorting things out and making sure people could walk around to see everything. Friday morning arrived...it wasn't even 7 am and I heard a car drive in. YIKES! The ad said 9 am and NO EARLY BIRDS. I hadn't even gotten in the shower yet. Fortunately my neighbor knew what was up and asked them to come back later. Phew!

Well, since I was now awake I figured I might as well get up. Grabbed a quick shower, ate a quick breakfast and grabbed a cup of coffee. My neighbor came over to get the signs so she could put them out while I put the finishing touches on the sale items.

At 8:30 I opened the garage door...had 2 guys there within minutes. By 9 am I was slammed....thank goodness for my neighbor and a good friend from Cookeville who helped me out. I couldn't have done it without them. For two hours we were non-stop, and then we stayed pretty steady until around 1 pm. By 2:30 the storms were moving in and I sent my help homeward. I had one lady coming back after 3 pm to pick up a few things so I cooled down in the house while I waited for her. The heat had been unbearable but could have been worse if not for two borrowed fans.

She came with her husband, bought a few more things and after they left I hit the shower. Now that felt good....I was exhausted but excited because I knew it had been a good day. As I sat watching a great show on that I had TiVo'd from The Travel Channel, RV Crazy, the doorbell rang. It was the girlfriend of my mailman's son (got that? ). She brought a girlfriend with her, who had been working, and they wanted to see if I would let them go through the yard sale stuff. Heck yeah! An hour and $50 later they left.

Did I mention that my mailman came by Thursday and bought about $85 worth of stuff and not 2 hours later his wife came by and bought my two bar stools as well as about half my Christmas stuff...now toss in his son & girlfriend who bought my coffee/end table set, my old stereo and some other smaller stuff (plus what she picked up later Friday night). Gotta love mailmen....

Saturday was slower, probably due to everyone enjoying the cooler temperatures brought by the rain moving through the night before. The day started off slowly but by 10 am it picked up and stayed fairly steady till around 1 pm again. By 2:30 we started packing it in....and of course this is when my neighbors decided to make an appearance. They were only browsing and not seriously - more interested in chatting.

Got everything condensed in the garage, a bit jumbled which means I have more sorting to do before the next sale, but at least my motorcycle and my car are back inside. Later in the afternoon the mailman's son, girlfriend, her girlfriend and that girlfriend's boyfriend (got that? ) stopped by to pickup two swords I was holding for them. Before they left I had sold more furniture to them, as well as a promise of bringing someone who might be interested in my motorcycle knick-knacks. Great to have friends....

I settled down to relaz and did a tally for the two days. Not counting the furniture sold I netted over $1200. Not bad for a country yard sale....I hope the next one does that well! Less than two weeks and I have a lot to get done.

Till next time - keep on rollin', Froggi/Donna

Faster than a speeding bullet....

I thought I was making good progress towards the yard sale, really I did. Enough that I could take some time off today and visit with a good friend while her bike was being serviced. Enough that I could spend some time chatting in the forums and sending off emails this afternoon. I did spend about 2 hours bagging & tagging more things...

Then the phone range...late...9:30 pm. It was the buyer. She wanted to bring her other daughter out to see the house tomorrow. Okay, that's fine. Then she started hemming & hawing...we need to talk, she says. More hemming and hawing....oh no, I think. Does she want to back out? I've sold all my furniture...my house is a disaster....my garage is full of sale stuff.

Turns out that she is closing on her house July 15th but has until July 30th to vacate the premises. Okay....no problem with that. I had intended to move out the last weekend of the month anyway, with the closing scheduled on the 31st. First problem is that her kids, who are moving her, will not be in town the weekend we were all going to move. Then she lets the bomb drop...she wants to close early.

Hmmm, not a huge problem except that I have a lot to get done in less time and really need to know when we'll close. More chatting and we are going to try to close both houses on the 15th and I'll rent the house back for a week. This is actually good news for me....it gives me a week of having CASH IN HAND to buy my RV, pick it up and actually load my stuff directly into it!

She's going to contact our realtor (we're using the same one) tomorrow to see if we can pull this off. So things are moving faster than a speeding bullet around here!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

And you thought it was all settled....

It's been almost a week since I signed the contract on the house, hard to believe. Thanks to my back I didn't get anything done until today. Today I attacked my office....I think I will need another day this week and several more next week to finish the paperwork sorting, filing and shredding. Then I get to attack the office "stuff" and see what can be weeded out.

Do I keep the shredder or do I get a cheaper, more portable unit to save space? What printer do I keep? How many pens and notepads will I use in 10 years? Who really needs all these cables anyway....you get the idea. Yup, another several days there.

Before the week is out, I will start taking photos of stuff to sell. I suddenly feel GOOD about clearing out things. I've started a box for each of the kids....there is always stuff they want . Clothes will be the hardest....what to bring with me, what to store and what to get rid of. Means a couple of days trying everything on. UGH!!

The kitchen I've already pretty well decided on what stays & what goes. The linen closet as well, but still have some decisions to make on blankets, bedspreads/quilts. Guess I won't need the dozen or so sleeping pillows anymore....LOL!

But the biggest decision is still up in the air - motorhome or toy hauler. Yup, I'm conflicted again. I like the security and simplicity of the motorhome but also like having my bike stored inside. More on this later....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

The great adventure is finally beginning!

OMG!!!! It happened....they showed the house at 11 am today and I signed the acceptance 1pm today. Closing is scheduled for the end of July - three closings in one day. First, the lady from NY selling her house to buy the house of lady #2 who is buying the house of the lady #3 who is buying mine - got it? ;-)

Now I really have to buckle down and start sorting through stuff. Someone posted in an RVing forum how she handled it and I thought it was a great idea. It's so easy to let it all overwhelm you. Her suggestion was, " I found it was easier for me to get four boxes...one give away, one trash, one keep or to sell, one RV. Then go into one room and start in one corner...and work my way around it. Don't leave that room unless you have to eat or go to the bathroom! Stay focused on that room. Once you get that one done...dispose of the things in the boxes, put them in the motorhome, pack them into permanent boxes to keep stored or to sell...and put the give aways in a bigger box so you can start on another room, with empty boxes! You will get a whole lot done that way."

I'm excited - I'm thrilled - I'm terrified! LOL!! Oh, and I'm back to the decision on motorhome vs. toy hauler fifth wheel. I'll keep you posted!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

"And it's a great day to be alive"

"And it's a great day to be alive, I know the sun's still shinin when I close my eyes..." A couple hours of great riding on this sunny day....and this Travis Tritt tune was constantly invading my mind. Yes, I sing to myself when I ride.....in fact I kept track of a lot of the songs that popped into my mind while traveling the country. But I digress....

It's been several weeks since I got out riding and I was way overdue. At 9 am it was already 80 degrees and I knew the storms would be moving back in by afternoon. Time for a ride - time to stretch my senses and exercise the bikes pipes. Green as far as I can see....spring is moving into summer here. But the smells, they never fail to send my mind wandering....flowers, fresh mown grass, cows and yes, even dead animal smells. All part of the experience.

It was hot but passing through the tree lined back roads, running alongside local rivers the temperature moderated. Today was the first time I wore my new Vega Nitro mesh jacket and I felt much more visible. Of course my pink shorty helmet and gloces with pink accents definitely let everyone know that I was a lady rider.

The clouds started moving in so I knew I had to head home but I got in close to 60 miles in just under two hours. Well, worth it and hopefully I'll get out again tomorrow.

Still no bites on the house....beginning to wonder if it is meant to sell. I ran into the guy who painted the house when we moved in. He told me he thought a friend of his was going to buy it, they bought further in the country - a bit smaller, a bit more expensive with no trees. Hmmmm....not sure what's up with that.

Last thought of the day...tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day. Many think of it as a day of play, the end to a long weekend. Boating, swimming, camping and the start of summer come to mind. But Memorial Day is much more than that. It's the day when we should all honor those who have given their all to protect our country and our freedom. It's the day when we should all honor those who continue to serve to this day. Please visit http://www.remember.gov/ to learn more about uniting in remembrance on Memorial Day.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna