Preparation/Planning

The plan was for her to retire June 30, but she just couldn’t wait to be done with that job, so she up and quit.  She will find something to do, but it will be short-term as she still plans to take the summer off.  This is a good chance for her to work on … Continue reading »

We got a commitment from an insurance agent yesterday to insure our coach.  I am a little surprised at how inexpensive it is – less than $50 per month, even when we are traveling.  Less than that if is is parked seasonally at a campground.  Even less if it is in storage. I didn’t have … Continue reading »

One more brick in place.  We have approved financing for a $30,000 loan to purchase the coach.  Next step: insurance.  We are looking to be actual RV owners by mid-March. The terms aren’t great, given the current low interest rates: 6.75% over 15 years with a pre-payment penalty if we pay it off in less … Continue reading »

I would like it to snow this winter.  Not a lot, mind you.  Enough to make it look like winter but not so much as to wreck my back.  As this could be my last cold winter for a while, I want to have some memories – not necessarily fond ones – of what I … Continue reading »

It took me almost a week to compose my most recent page (“Searching for a Used Fifth Wheel”).  I wrote a draft, then got caught up in trying to find a photo of the nose cap of an Open Range 399BHS. Before I found one I had to deal with some tenant issues, a granddaughter’s … Continue reading »

As we slowly, incrementally, tell family and friends of our retirement plans, we get two responses: “That’s great! I am SO envious!” “We will miss you.” The first response is direct and always seems very genuine.  The second response is conveyed more through body language and follow-up questions, such as “How often will you be … Continue reading »

Our plan includes renting our home for a year or more.  We will leave it furnished, but will remove all personal items.  Some of the most precious – pictures, quilts made by my grandmother and the like – will go into storage. But there is a lot of stuff – “belongings” I guess – that … Continue reading »

Jett and I both had Thursday and Friday off this week, giving us a 4-day weekend to enjoy family and food and have a lot of fun. Yeah. Our weekend has actually consisted of Thanksgiving dinner alone, followed by moving furniture, painting and listing on eBay some of the stuff we want to shed before … Continue reading »

One year from now, Thanksgiving 2012, Jett and I hope to be on the left coast, having dinner with my mother and my sister in Tillamook, Oregon.  One year, about $80,000 and about 4,200 miles of driving a big rig separate me from that goal. But as God is my witness (I watched Gone With … Continue reading »

It is Thanksgiving week which, in addition to turkey and cranberry jelly (which I truly don’t like, but don’t shoot me), means a short work week. Which brings us one easy week closer to hitting the road. The current count, not counting this week: 44 weeks to departure (if we leave October 1, 2012) 40 … Continue reading »