Check in day

[monik7]

I remembered to say “rabbits” since I was up at midnight. I’m stressing because I leave on Monday to head to Tehachapi (east of Bakersfield) to attend a hearing for one of the guys who murdered my son Joshua. The guy’s in prison there so that’s the reason for the almost 300-mile drive from my home. This is the 3rd hearing for him over the years, and I’m worried he may be granted parole or may be released under a recent new California law allowing participants in a murder who were there but didn’t actually pull the trigger to go free. I believe he’s just as responsible: he was there; had a loaded gun; Joshua gave him all his money ($17); he wrestled with both Joshua and his friend David; he definitely contributed to the murder because his fighting could very easily have caused the shot made by his buddy to become mortal rather than just wounding.

I imagine I will be allowed to make a statement. I still have’t figured out what to say. I just wonder if the people who sit on these government panels, who like me will travel from other parts of the state to attend the hearing, are there just hoping it will be over soon so they can get back on the road and home to their families. I wonder if it would be different if the story were different and it was their child who was murdered. Thinking about their murdered child, would they want the murderer to go free? Positive thoughts/prayers would be appreciated that this criminal won’t go free to terrorize and cause so much pain to other families as he has to mine.

After the hearing I will drive south to San Diego to deliver items my best friend, who passed away on Christmas Eve, left to her two cousins. Even though I can’t afford it, but feeling so stressed about the hearing, I decided to stay in San Diego for 2 nights and will go on a 3-hour whale-watching cruise next Thursday. Then I will take two days to return home. Safe travels to all.
Sandi

[cnq50b]

HI all... Time flies.
Peggy, I really like your final sentence "Enjoy today and be kind to those you meet.".
Lyn, you continue to amaze me. Safe journey on your way home.
Sandi, I'll keep you in my thoughts & prayers. I'm sure you'll know what to say when the time comes. A trip down to San Diego will be well deserved afterwards.
Ava, Making beer, huh? New hobbies are nice - glad you enjoy it.
JudyB, ouch! take care of yourself. I can't even imagine how painful that was.
Barbie, soon this move will be all behind you. I thought of you as I drove past Indio yesterday on my way home from the midwest.
Anita, those storms in KS & the midwest in general are fierce. I snuck in & out between them. Rivers all along I-35 looked like they would lap the highway if they got more rain - a little scary at times.
Donna, you've had a heck of a year so far. Hope it goes better from here on out.

I just returned from my road trip to Kansas & Texas. I didnt enjoy the trip there as much as I used to since I was worried about the weather & the car (has over 186,000 miles on it). Thought my roadtrip days were over. Thankfully, the trip back from Texas was much more enjoyable. The minivan ran like a champ. I was able to get nearly all the containers I wanted to bring back in it. I think God wanted me to gain a better appreciation of the desert on the way home. I had no idea that I would be driving thru it nearly the entire time across I-10 from Texas. The car running great along with great music reminded me of the beauty of the road. Plus I've learned to stop frequently & enjoy the journey a little more.

Really appreciate getting back out here to the 60s - I miss the family & my friends in the midwest but you can't beat the southern CA climate - plus I missed Olivia & my younger kids who live here. My son called first thing this morning so Olivia could invite me over for breakfast! Hard to believe she'll be 4 in a couple of months. Time passes so quickly!

Safe journey to each of you. Take care,
Catherine & Sadie

[Irmi]

Hi everyone! I enjoy reading your posts and do try to check in daily.

Our dear friend, Brenda, is our neighbor in FL and we do lots with her. She's a great friend to have around. Can't wait to get back together with her. We had terrible storms here in MD a couple nights ago that took down hundreds of trees. We are staying in a campground as our house is winterized and we'll be leaving in a couple weeks to go cross country. A friend here says it looks like a war zone, which it does. She should have seen it a couple days ago.

The weather is warm and humid, but I like warm. Tomorrow, I will play for church for the first time since I left last spring. Unfortunately, I'll only be there for a few weeks because of the cross country trip. But we can't do that in the winter for reasons you all know. I will make it up to them next year.

I missed last months check in because we are still trying to get our identity theft issue straightened out. That's not an easy task.

[havingfunnow]

I forgot rabbits -- again! Oh well.

I'm having good luck already, though. I went to big yard sale (a whole neighborhood) and found two very nice baskets filled with wool roving and three drop spindles! My "knitting with dog hair" project just got a big boost. I'm excited! I recently learned that the Salish Indians had a special breed of dog raised specifically for its hair, which they spun and wove.

I'm going to be doing driveway camping in June and July. Not my driveway, though. There's a class I want to take about 100 miles from home, which is a little far for me to drive home late at night. Luckily, my oldest friends live fairly near the class, so I can sleep there. Bonus -- morning with old friends! Yet another benefit of having a driveable home.

Happy June!

[BarbaraRose]

Judy, get some Aloe Vera to put on those burns! That will heal them a lot faster and prevent any blistering and scarring. It works amazing on burns!

Sandi, Sorry you keep having to deal with this situation for your son. Just reopens old painful wounds.
Too bad we will miss each other. I will already be moved by the time you get down here. Hope you enjoy the whale watching tour. Lots of whales have been spotted around here lately, including some rare ones.

Catherine, am glad you enjoyed your trip back thru the desert. It is nice to be able to relax and enjoy your surroundings without having things to worry about. On my trip out here 2 years ago, I was so stressed and worried about what was going to go wrong with the car next, that I couldn't even look at the scenery (mostly watching the dash board for lights!), let alone appreciate and enjoy it! Missed a lot on that trip. Hopefully, I can go thru those areas another time in a more relaxed state.

I went to the clubhouse earlier for their monthly dinner to eat and say good-bye to some friends. While we were getting ready to leave, a guy who looked like he was in his late 40's, early 50's came over to me and just asked me if I am single. I said "yes". He asked if I live here. I said I do but am moving in a couple days. He said "oh darn" and walked away. No introduction. Then he disappeared. Never seen him before and no one else seemed to know him. Really weird! Luckily I didn't tell him my name or which house I live in. He was nice looking but just a little too assertive for my comfort level.

I decided to get the UHaul tomorrow afternoon instead of Monday morning so I can start loading it right away and be able to leave earlier on Monday. I got all the windows washed inside and out today and just have the floors to do but am waiting til tomorrow when my roommate has all her stuff out and my stuff is mostly loaded in the trailer.

I dug up some tiny pine seedlings that are from the large pine tree I had taken down last fall. I put them in a container and hopefully can grow them and replant them somewhere when they are bigger. Here is a photo...

[MandysMom]

I'm late to the June first party. Today a guy came and looked at my bus for the third time. Really hope he makes an offer that I can accept. This time he brought his batteries ( he has same model but his has a froze up engine). . My bus turned right over and purred like a Detroit Diesel will. Sounded like we had just been on the road yesterday. That really pleased the guy. I'm not going to just give it away so I hope he comes through, with an offer I can swallow.
Later I discovered the little 1.6 cf fridge Mel had in his closet which still had bottles of insulin in, had died. That made the what to do with insulin easy-- RX recycle since its illegal to give it away. I emptied the fridge and son helped me get it out of closet where I put on our hand truck and hauled it out front to go to recycle. Another reminder of the years of Mels illnesses gone. I had to jockey vehicles today so the guy could get all around the bus, so I had to back the long pickup with bus only a foot away on one side and a short brick retaining wall on the other. It's a long trip backing past a 40 ft bus uphill backwards out the drive! But I not only got it out but later drove it back in! Also had to back van out from in front of bus, easy to do. Tricky part was backng it in so I can get to sliding side door easy for packing and cleaning over next two weeks until I pull out. Our drive is not straight so it took me a couple of tries to get van back in where I wanted it and a few jump out and look to get it nestled up with rear bumper of van close to rear of bus, but I did it! Pretty pleased with myself.
For all the years I've been here, it's always been watching most of you take off in your RVs on trips or continuing full timing. I'm sort of amazed that soon I will report in from on the road and from meeting up with fellow Womwn RVers. I look forward to trips ahead.
Tonight we actually had distant thunder and measurable rain, as if we didn't have enough in May with a record breaking 3.35 inches!
Velda

[JudyJB]

So glad to hear you are getting closer to getting on the road, Velda. You have had a rough couple of years. So where are you headed first??

Don't forget that some of us are headed for the Powwow in Redding in early October.

[Rufflesgurl]

Good job Velda especially moving the bus. On the road again for you!

Linda

[Cudedog]

Tonight we actually had distant thunder and measurable rain, as if we didn't have enough in May with a record breaking 3.35 inches!
Velda

I think the storm you heard was right over my head. LOTS of thunder and lightning (extremely unusual for Northern California, as you know, Velda). Poor Big Joe just wasn't having any of it. Since he tends to go berserkers with any kind of loud booms (think 4th July!) I just crated him (he tends to climb on tables and knock things off looking, I guess, for "a way out").

Quite a bit of rain came down with the storm, too.

Hoping now for a cool(er) summer. With all the rain we have had, the wild grasses and chaparral in the foothills are going to do a major growth spurt.

Hope it isn't another bad fire year here. . .

Anne

[BirdbyBird]

Checking in a day later, but a dollar "ahead" from the seasonal work that I've been doing. If you heard a loud "wheeee" this morning that was the sound of me enjoying a day off. Will need to resupply the groceries, maybe take Lark on a walk and generally recharge my mental and physical "batteries" to head off and face the challenges of the coming week. I will feed my spirit for strength to find those moments of joy, beauty and grace, that are out there waiting to be discovered. So much about this life of ours is about making choices. I don't always succeed but sure to try to remain open to possibilities, some of which I could not have imagined until suddenly there.

As others have said, some of us may post inconsistently but check in more frequently. Just a reminder, whether you are actively living and traveling in an RV, this forum was built for women with a love of travel, adventures and discoveries. That kindred spirit that carries through our journeys remains true regardless of whether those journeys are with or with our traveling in an RV. Those journeys are our lives. Once a member of this "tribe"........

As Peggy reminded us....go forth this month, have a good month and be kind.

Tina

[SoCalGalcas]

Tina, that was BEAUTIFUL! What a great check in day to hear from so many with good stories! Judy, there’s many a day I do not wear a bra!, Don’t tell anyone.
Sandi, great BIG hugs for you in this latest ordeal, I won’t be home in time to hug you in person.
I am a beer drinker, and, still like the Mexican beers the best.
Barbie, am hoping all this stress ends for you SOON
Irmi, would you put your schedule on here?
Thanks to everyone for posting. My next stop will be Fargo, ND. Picking up the interstate there. Leaving beautiful MN!
Lyn

[Acadianmom]

Velda, you sound like you have too many vehicles like me. Someone is coming from two and a half hours away to look at the motorhome this morning. I am really getting tired of the people that message me on Facebook. As soon as someone asks what gas milage the motorhome gets I know they are not ready for an RV.

Martha

[Shirlv]

Checking in, still kicking just not as high. Finally, settlement on the house scheduled for Tuesday. Will not know how to act without boxes in my life. Bad storm last week, lights went out but micro light still on. Checked breaker box and several breakers flipped. Office said I was the only one in the building that didn’t need maintenance to show where the breaker box was and how to flip breakers. Guess they never owned a house or a RV. Had to buy diffusers for the hateful gas range, was burning food and destroying my 60 yr old pots. Office said no one else complained, guess I am the only one who cooks. I’m starting to feel like an old timer. Love reading of everyone’s travels and seeing pictures. Also happy everyone is safe. Take care

[Cudedog]

Sandi -

My thoughts go out to you. I can't imagine the difficulty and stress this must be (and always has) causing you.

Take care.

Anne

[snowball]

it's always fun reading everyone's post on check in day... I have been catching up not only on the internet but on tv... sil and dd hooked up my tv today...yea been since the generator broke down... and I just have been busy enough that I didn't even take the computer out of the bag I took it in to SLC till today... right now watch NCIS LA .... need to actually get up in the morning son in law wants to use my truck to go to the farm for a couple days so I need to run to town for a few things... got bird seed the other day before I left for SLC and grandson packed it up for me he dumped the sunflower seed into the bin and the finch seed as well so need to buy more finch seed so that I can fill the finch seed feeder they can't get to the sunflower seeds in it he didn't know but I will have to remember to either tell him or not have him pack the niger seed up...
really have no plans for the summer may still have to go to Vegas although my sister is still in rehab think read that don't know for sure think that they are trying to build up her strength. the only way that is going to happen is if she puts for more effort...
my daughter told me today that she has a chiropractor appointment on Weds I think she wants me to take it thinks my hips are out of whack hmmm guess I will do it but... I don't know that I can afford to keep going...
hoping some one comes see me this summer... Lyn are you going to the black hills? if you are going to Fargo probably not but what way are you going if going through Idaho or depending upon where in Wyo might be able to meet up
sheila