Well, we made it thru Hurricane Fay with only a few rain bands. Then Gustav decided to cause some trouble. We are so greatful that all our Louisiana family made it thru with just a messy yard and power outages. It could have been so much worse. Of course because we are in Pensacola we are on the "bad" side of Gustav. We spent Labor Day weekend inside because of the weather and I can't remember ever NOT having a BBQ for Labor Day.
Today is Tuesday and the weather has been worse than it was for the storm. I think its the final rain bands coming on shore and causing way too many tornado warnings! Tornado warnings always scare me but living in a 30' travel trailer makes it a little scarier. I had my "safe" spot lined with pillows, blankets, etc and was ready to jump into it if needed! Thank God I havent needed it and the storm seems to be leaving my area.
Now hopefully, we can catch our breath before Hanna, Ike and whatever else is out there heads our way. We pray for all of those who have been hit by these storms or any storms on the way.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WOW! A lot has changed since last post!
Didn't realize how long its been since I posted! A lot has happened since then....like we moved across the country!
Wow, last post had us talking about fixing up the 5th wheel to move. Well I did make the curtains......then we sold it! We decided it would cost a fortune to haul due to its size PLUS all the work it would need like new tires, new AC, etc. We paid $4000 for it in Dec 2007. We sold it for $7500 in June! Then we bought a 1994 30ft Jayco Travel Trailer tow behind for $6000! It is really nice and plenty big enough for us. It would be cheaper to haul because its smaller and we also didnt have to buy and install a 5th wheel hitch!
Hubby had been doing contract work and his contract was going to end in July. He tried to find work locally, but at his age, IT is a hard job to get because they want fresh out of college kids that they can pay peanuts to and not seasoned hands on guys who know what they are doing but don't have a degree. So as it got closer to July we sent his resume on the web. He got offers from Illinois, Iowa, and Massachusettes! NO WAY we were going to live there! Then he got an offer from Gulf Shores, AL......hmmm if we HAVE to relocate, the South would be the best, kind of like going back home. Gulf Shores sounded like a nice place! So he kept looking locally or at least states closer to ID so we could be closer to the kids. NO LUCK.
So the end of July, we pulled up jacks on the RV and headed South so he could be ready to work in AL in mid August. The plan was to go "home" to Louisiana for a week or so, visit parents, etc before starting new lives in AL. We stopped in UT for a few days to visit friends. We took our time, after all this would be the only vacation we get for a while. After UT, we stopped the first night in Cheyenne WY. The 2nd night we stopped in Hays, KS. DO NOT EVER STOP IN HAYS KS FOR ANYTHING! NOT EVEN GAS! SCARY SCARY SCARY place. The best RV park in town- there are 2- happened to be a grassy, area behind a convenient store, adjacent to a rundown motel looking thing. We were too tired to travel the 87 miles to the next town so we took our lives in our own hands. No one slept very hard, wondering if the hookers, drug addicts, and all around hoodlums would like the stuff locked in the back of our truck...or maybe just take the whole darn truck.
We were out of there at daybreak the next day! We were headed to OK City, then TX, then LA but it was Thursday and hubby got an email to call his boss. The job was being moved to FL and they needed him to be there MONDAY at 10am! HOLY MOLY talk about regroup.
Our family would freak if we went straight to FL without seeing them after they waited so long to see us. Hubby had not seen his mom in years! So we decided if we went straight to LA we could be there late that night, spend Friday and Saturday with them and head for FL on Sunday. SO taht is exactly what we did.
God has blessed us so much and we just have to know that if he leads us to it, he will see us through it!
We made the entire trip with our 1997 Ford F250 towing a 1994 30' travel trailer. We had no truck or trailer problems, no accidents, nothing thanks to the good Lord watching over us.
We had one situation that could have been bad but someone somehow saw to it that we noticed before it became a problem.
In the whole trip, I could go for a few hours without having to make hubby stop for a bathroom trip. At my age, I was pretty proud of that! LOL! Anyway, we left the RV park in Cheyenne, tanked up both tanks on the truck and headed out. We weren't on the road 10 minutes and I needed to potty. I had just gone, didn't drink anything and figured it was nerves. After about 20 minutes I told hubby, you are gonna hate me but you will have to find a place to pull over so I can potty! I can go in the RV just find a place to stop. He looked at me like I was nuts and said ok. We can't just stop on the interstate so he found the first exit and pulled off. There was a mall, it was closed but it didnt matter with the RV attached. We just parked in the middle of the parking lot and I headed for the RV.
I asked them WHAT IS THAT SMELL as soon as I opened the door! We all got out and as I got to the back of the truck I told Bob something was leaking at the back of the truck and ran in to the bathroom. When I got back out, the guys were under the truck trying to figure out where the GAS was leaking out of the truck! It was just pouring out like the whole bottom of the tank was gone! We traced it to the fuel cap on the back tank. Apparently all the construction we had driven thru shook the tank, caused pressure to back up, and the cap couldn't vent without shooting gas out. He tried to open the gas cap and it almost blew off. He relieved a little pressure, and we called the fire dept. We couldnt leave the gas on the road and knew if we opened the gas cap a lot more gas would come out. SO fire dept comes over, puts absorbant stuff on the spill and more around the truck so we could open the tank. All in all we lost about 3 gallons of gas but it looked like a lake! Apparently hubby put a little too much gas in the back tank so when pressure built it caused the problem. I promise you he never put more than 3/4 tank at a time again for the whole trip! Considering we traveled over 2400 miles for this relocation we thank God that was the only problem we had!
We got here Sunday afternoon, set up in a nice rv park and hubby went to work on time the next day. We knew it would be a full time position which is better than a contract! We knew it would be programming in .NET which is his favorite type of coding. We had no idea the pay would be so awesome, the benefits would be great, etc. We thank God for that every day!
I was going to job hunt when we got here, but hubby makes enough that he wants me to stay home and I am not going to argue with that! So you think I am spoiled? You bet I am!
Wow, last post had us talking about fixing up the 5th wheel to move. Well I did make the curtains......then we sold it! We decided it would cost a fortune to haul due to its size PLUS all the work it would need like new tires, new AC, etc. We paid $4000 for it in Dec 2007. We sold it for $7500 in June! Then we bought a 1994 30ft Jayco Travel Trailer tow behind for $6000! It is really nice and plenty big enough for us. It would be cheaper to haul because its smaller and we also didnt have to buy and install a 5th wheel hitch!
Hubby had been doing contract work and his contract was going to end in July. He tried to find work locally, but at his age, IT is a hard job to get because they want fresh out of college kids that they can pay peanuts to and not seasoned hands on guys who know what they are doing but don't have a degree. So as it got closer to July we sent his resume on the web. He got offers from Illinois, Iowa, and Massachusettes! NO WAY we were going to live there! Then he got an offer from Gulf Shores, AL......hmmm if we HAVE to relocate, the South would be the best, kind of like going back home. Gulf Shores sounded like a nice place! So he kept looking locally or at least states closer to ID so we could be closer to the kids. NO LUCK.
So the end of July, we pulled up jacks on the RV and headed South so he could be ready to work in AL in mid August. The plan was to go "home" to Louisiana for a week or so, visit parents, etc before starting new lives in AL. We stopped in UT for a few days to visit friends. We took our time, after all this would be the only vacation we get for a while. After UT, we stopped the first night in Cheyenne WY. The 2nd night we stopped in Hays, KS. DO NOT EVER STOP IN HAYS KS FOR ANYTHING! NOT EVEN GAS! SCARY SCARY SCARY place. The best RV park in town- there are 2- happened to be a grassy, area behind a convenient store, adjacent to a rundown motel looking thing. We were too tired to travel the 87 miles to the next town so we took our lives in our own hands. No one slept very hard, wondering if the hookers, drug addicts, and all around hoodlums would like the stuff locked in the back of our truck...or maybe just take the whole darn truck.
We were out of there at daybreak the next day! We were headed to OK City, then TX, then LA but it was Thursday and hubby got an email to call his boss. The job was being moved to FL and they needed him to be there MONDAY at 10am! HOLY MOLY talk about regroup.
Our family would freak if we went straight to FL without seeing them after they waited so long to see us. Hubby had not seen his mom in years! So we decided if we went straight to LA we could be there late that night, spend Friday and Saturday with them and head for FL on Sunday. SO taht is exactly what we did.
God has blessed us so much and we just have to know that if he leads us to it, he will see us through it!
We made the entire trip with our 1997 Ford F250 towing a 1994 30' travel trailer. We had no truck or trailer problems, no accidents, nothing thanks to the good Lord watching over us.
We had one situation that could have been bad but someone somehow saw to it that we noticed before it became a problem.
In the whole trip, I could go for a few hours without having to make hubby stop for a bathroom trip. At my age, I was pretty proud of that! LOL! Anyway, we left the RV park in Cheyenne, tanked up both tanks on the truck and headed out. We weren't on the road 10 minutes and I needed to potty. I had just gone, didn't drink anything and figured it was nerves. After about 20 minutes I told hubby, you are gonna hate me but you will have to find a place to pull over so I can potty! I can go in the RV just find a place to stop. He looked at me like I was nuts and said ok. We can't just stop on the interstate so he found the first exit and pulled off. There was a mall, it was closed but it didnt matter with the RV attached. We just parked in the middle of the parking lot and I headed for the RV.
I asked them WHAT IS THAT SMELL as soon as I opened the door! We all got out and as I got to the back of the truck I told Bob something was leaking at the back of the truck and ran in to the bathroom. When I got back out, the guys were under the truck trying to figure out where the GAS was leaking out of the truck! It was just pouring out like the whole bottom of the tank was gone! We traced it to the fuel cap on the back tank. Apparently all the construction we had driven thru shook the tank, caused pressure to back up, and the cap couldn't vent without shooting gas out. He tried to open the gas cap and it almost blew off. He relieved a little pressure, and we called the fire dept. We couldnt leave the gas on the road and knew if we opened the gas cap a lot more gas would come out. SO fire dept comes over, puts absorbant stuff on the spill and more around the truck so we could open the tank. All in all we lost about 3 gallons of gas but it looked like a lake! Apparently hubby put a little too much gas in the back tank so when pressure built it caused the problem. I promise you he never put more than 3/4 tank at a time again for the whole trip! Considering we traveled over 2400 miles for this relocation we thank God that was the only problem we had!
We got here Sunday afternoon, set up in a nice rv park and hubby went to work on time the next day. We knew it would be a full time position which is better than a contract! We knew it would be programming in .NET which is his favorite type of coding. We had no idea the pay would be so awesome, the benefits would be great, etc. We thank God for that every day!
I was going to job hunt when we got here, but hubby makes enough that he wants me to stay home and I am not going to argue with that! So you think I am spoiled? You bet I am!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Ok, I survived the heat wave!
Ok, so I panicked when it hit 83 the other day. Since then it has been no hotter than 80 and as low as 34! We brought our fan from storage and pulled all the winter protection off the windows and life is really good. Our RV is blessed with 4 full walls of windows in the living room and dining room slide out. We have a full size door in the living room. We have huge windows on 2 walls in the bedroom and 5 ceiling vents. That helps a whole lot! We will still head south ASAP!
I had been trying to let my hair grow out so it was at the stage where its too long to be cool and too short to put up. I got a really nice short haircut this week and feel so much more like myself! Now, I decided that I will let the light auburn grow out and go back to my salt and pepper. My only issue is what to do with it in the mean time. Suggestions have been to die it a sandy blonde or frost it. Need to think about that.
We have started putting some work into the rv to make it homier. We bought 6 yds of fabric and I will be making valances for the living/dining area this week. I have been looking at the fabric for a while but didn't want to pay $7 a yd for it. Hubby convinced me that this is my home and it needs to make me happy and I couldn't find drapes already made that would cost me less than the fabric that I loved. So....I gave in and I am so happy! Can't wait till he leaves for work tomorrow so I can start sewing!
We made a list of what needs to be done before we can relocate anywhere. The truck needs to be tuned up, tranny checked, tires replaced, 5th wheel hitch installed. The RV will need 4 tires, brakes checked, 2 batteries for the AC and AC's checked out. We need to go thru storage again and sell more stuff to have less to haul out of state. Its amazing the things we got rid of already and dont miss at all. I have more than I need in here and don't feel like I am doing without anything. Less is definitely better!
I had been trying to let my hair grow out so it was at the stage where its too long to be cool and too short to put up. I got a really nice short haircut this week and feel so much more like myself! Now, I decided that I will let the light auburn grow out and go back to my salt and pepper. My only issue is what to do with it in the mean time. Suggestions have been to die it a sandy blonde or frost it. Need to think about that.
We have started putting some work into the rv to make it homier. We bought 6 yds of fabric and I will be making valances for the living/dining area this week. I have been looking at the fabric for a while but didn't want to pay $7 a yd for it. Hubby convinced me that this is my home and it needs to make me happy and I couldn't find drapes already made that would cost me less than the fabric that I loved. So....I gave in and I am so happy! Can't wait till he leaves for work tomorrow so I can start sewing!
We made a list of what needs to be done before we can relocate anywhere. The truck needs to be tuned up, tranny checked, tires replaced, 5th wheel hitch installed. The RV will need 4 tires, brakes checked, 2 batteries for the AC and AC's checked out. We need to go thru storage again and sell more stuff to have less to haul out of state. Its amazing the things we got rid of already and dont miss at all. I have more than I need in here and don't feel like I am doing without anything. Less is definitely better!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Maybe I spoke too soon!!!
OH MY GOD!!! It was 83 degrees outside today.....it ws 83 degrees in HERE today! HOLY HECK!!! If you think living in a trailer home is hot, try an RV with a stainless steel roof!!!!! Next weekend we will have to invest in $100 to put the white sealant up there to reflect the heat.
On a good note, I think the sauna effect will help me lose weight....but who can live with my cranky self. I am not proud of the fact that I am a whiner but when i am hot I can be such a witch. I dont perspire like most people so my body doesnt cool itself naturally. You can only drink so much water and if you dont sweat it.....you stay in the rest room!
I think hubby and I really need to rethink moving to a warmer climate. Yup, I think we need to stay here year round and move to the south for the WINTER only.
On a good note, I think the sauna effect will help me lose weight....but who can live with my cranky self. I am not proud of the fact that I am a whiner but when i am hot I can be such a witch. I dont perspire like most people so my body doesnt cool itself naturally. You can only drink so much water and if you dont sweat it.....you stay in the rest room!
I think hubby and I really need to rethink moving to a warmer climate. Yup, I think we need to stay here year round and move to the south for the WINTER only.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Change in Plans!
We have been talking about moving to the Oregon Coast this summer. The coast, beach and warmer weather made me excited to go. Then I found out that no matter how far South on the OR coast, the water is always pretty cold. I CAN NOT live near a beach that is too cold to swim in, its just...wrong in so many ways. Being from Louisiana, it was Holly Beach in Cameron, that provided coastal water for me all my life, even if it was muddy, or oily, it was WARM! You could swim at night and relax in the warm water. SO......
Hubby and got to talking about how sick we are of the cold, I expressed my reservations about Oregon and how with our parents aging and living in Louisiana, we need to be closer NOT Farther from them. So after a while we decided our new plan it to be in Gulf Shores Alabama by next summer. I am so excited.
We will be 1 hr from his sister and we will be 3 hrs from our parents and his baby sister!!!!!!!!!!!! We will have fresh redfish, crab, shrimp and crawfish readily available.
Living in an RV will be great in the South because we can unplug and go inland when the hurricanes come our way. Our reason for waiting till next summer is so we can illiminate extra bills and be able to sell this RV before going. We will take the money we get from it and use that to buy another one when we get there. We wont have to tow this one 2600 miles!
We want to be able to work part time when we move there so we can do what makes us happy the rest of the time!
Hubby and got to talking about how sick we are of the cold, I expressed my reservations about Oregon and how with our parents aging and living in Louisiana, we need to be closer NOT Farther from them. So after a while we decided our new plan it to be in Gulf Shores Alabama by next summer. I am so excited.
We will be 1 hr from his sister and we will be 3 hrs from our parents and his baby sister!!!!!!!!!!!! We will have fresh redfish, crab, shrimp and crawfish readily available.
Living in an RV will be great in the South because we can unplug and go inland when the hurricanes come our way. Our reason for waiting till next summer is so we can illiminate extra bills and be able to sell this RV before going. We will take the money we get from it and use that to buy another one when we get there. We wont have to tow this one 2600 miles!
We want to be able to work part time when we move there so we can do what makes us happy the rest of the time!
Friday, April 18, 2008
So, I was a cynical in my last post....
As I look back I see that my last post was very cynical....the world was out to get me..yada yada.
Amazingly, I don't even feel like the same person who wrote that. I have been to the doctor, got on Antidepressants and find myself smiling more, giggling more and pretty darn happy. Not bad considering that for the past 3 wks, we have been 4 adults and a 3 yr old in the 40 ft RV. The kids moved back here because daughter-in-law got a job close by. We had 29 degree temps at night and had them move in here till they could get the power/heat working in their RV. No popcicle kids and baby for us!
Things have gone pretty smooth, everyone doing their share and taking turns 'training' the munchkin. She is in big girl panties now and we are all so very happy about that!
Poor hubby is having a rough go of it at work. They want solutions to the IT problems but can't give him access to the stuff he needs. They lost the whole IT dept a few months ago and no documentation was left for the next programmer. NO ONE knows where to find the info he needs so its like looking for a little needle in a huge haystack. He is working as a contract programmer and has been working with the stress and fear that they will cancel the contract because he can't do what they want him to. NOT because he doesn't want to...NOT that he can't do the work.... but because THEY can't give him security access to the area he needs and THEY can't get the program he needs to work around it. That is what happens when 1/2 of a company is in WI and the other 1/2 is in ID and WI will not provide what ID needs.
I have seen him eager to go to work, get up and go to work and now its dreading to go to work. This morning we had a long heart to heart. He opened up some and I got him to open up more by not losing my mind when he said he was afraid they would let him go. He is waiting for the shoe to drop so to speak. Honestly, I would rather have them let him go, rather than raising his blood pressure the way it is, give him a stroke or kill him! He worries about making the bills and paying for the RV and lot rent. I could care less about all that, as long as he is happy. He can get a job making less money and it will be tight but we can make it. I told him after the year we just had, we can make it thru anything.
After the talk he said he felt better, he looked like he felt better and I pray that our talked helped him to relax a little more. He would never let me work with that much pressure and he shouldn't either. He is my love, my best friend and my life.....we will always make it no matter what!
Amazingly, I don't even feel like the same person who wrote that. I have been to the doctor, got on Antidepressants and find myself smiling more, giggling more and pretty darn happy. Not bad considering that for the past 3 wks, we have been 4 adults and a 3 yr old in the 40 ft RV. The kids moved back here because daughter-in-law got a job close by. We had 29 degree temps at night and had them move in here till they could get the power/heat working in their RV. No popcicle kids and baby for us!
Things have gone pretty smooth, everyone doing their share and taking turns 'training' the munchkin. She is in big girl panties now and we are all so very happy about that!
Poor hubby is having a rough go of it at work. They want solutions to the IT problems but can't give him access to the stuff he needs. They lost the whole IT dept a few months ago and no documentation was left for the next programmer. NO ONE knows where to find the info he needs so its like looking for a little needle in a huge haystack. He is working as a contract programmer and has been working with the stress and fear that they will cancel the contract because he can't do what they want him to. NOT because he doesn't want to...NOT that he can't do the work.... but because THEY can't give him security access to the area he needs and THEY can't get the program he needs to work around it. That is what happens when 1/2 of a company is in WI and the other 1/2 is in ID and WI will not provide what ID needs.
I have seen him eager to go to work, get up and go to work and now its dreading to go to work. This morning we had a long heart to heart. He opened up some and I got him to open up more by not losing my mind when he said he was afraid they would let him go. He is waiting for the shoe to drop so to speak. Honestly, I would rather have them let him go, rather than raising his blood pressure the way it is, give him a stroke or kill him! He worries about making the bills and paying for the RV and lot rent. I could care less about all that, as long as he is happy. He can get a job making less money and it will be tight but we can make it. I told him after the year we just had, we can make it thru anything.
After the talk he said he felt better, he looked like he felt better and I pray that our talked helped him to relax a little more. He would never let me work with that much pressure and he shouldn't either. He is my love, my best friend and my life.....we will always make it no matter what!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Why do we even get our hopes up?
Due to the financial situation we have been in for a while...we make it paycheck to paycheck. Then the government is going to give out the stimulus package. Thank you Lord, we can put tires on the truck, put it in the shop for tune up or whatever so we can get more than 5 miles to the gallon. We can pay off a couple of small bills that are hanging over our heads.
We are in a payment arrangement for federal taxes from a few years back. They take the refund every year and we expect that. When the stimulus package started it was believed that it would not go to leans or back taxes...because it was meant to be put back into the economy.
Today I found out that yes, it will go to back taxes..so no truck repair for us. I need to feel like I am helping hubby. He has been wonderful...telling me that being here and having his home, dinner, etc for him is more help than I know. I love him for that but I know that he needs me to bring income in to take some of the load off him. It would help us get closer to our "heading for the coast" goal. I have been looking for work, we have only 1 vehicle so it has to be close enough for hubby and I to work out transportation. Now future daughter-in-law is working so we need to add her schedule to the list because her van died.
The job search is really discouraging for me. I am 53, suffer from depression, rheumatoid arthritis (especially in my hands and feet), and fibromyalgia. My symptoms get worse in a high stress environment. So I need to find a job where i can sit and stand off and on, rest my right hand as needed, with no stress. Yeah that will be really easy! I am going to go to Goodwill staffing this week, maybe they can help me out. We shall see.
We are in a payment arrangement for federal taxes from a few years back. They take the refund every year and we expect that. When the stimulus package started it was believed that it would not go to leans or back taxes...because it was meant to be put back into the economy.
Today I found out that yes, it will go to back taxes..so no truck repair for us. I need to feel like I am helping hubby. He has been wonderful...telling me that being here and having his home, dinner, etc for him is more help than I know. I love him for that but I know that he needs me to bring income in to take some of the load off him. It would help us get closer to our "heading for the coast" goal. I have been looking for work, we have only 1 vehicle so it has to be close enough for hubby and I to work out transportation. Now future daughter-in-law is working so we need to add her schedule to the list because her van died.
The job search is really discouraging for me. I am 53, suffer from depression, rheumatoid arthritis (especially in my hands and feet), and fibromyalgia. My symptoms get worse in a high stress environment. So I need to find a job where i can sit and stand off and on, rest my right hand as needed, with no stress. Yeah that will be really easy! I am going to go to Goodwill staffing this week, maybe they can help me out. We shall see.
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