SATURDAY AND SUN AT LAST!

[Nasoosie]

GOOD MORNING ALL!

It's also in the upper 30s here this morning, and nice and clear for the first time in a long while. As it's Fosamax day for me (I missed Friday!) I can't have coffee for a half hour, which always kills me. An 8 ounce glass of cold water (I use seltzer) first thing in the morning is a blow to my system, to say the least! Oh well----I do hope it will help my bones stay healthy for a long time to come.

My trailer is ready---part called a thermistor (thermister?) for it cost about 23.00. Labor, on the other hand, made the total about 200.00. They inspected it, serviced the refrigerator, replaced the faulty part, checked tire pressure, and that was about it. Why can't teachers make that much money per hour??? Sigh. As I have a 200 deductible with Good Sam, I am not even going to have the dealers call them. I will just have to swallow it up myself. Sure am glad to have that insurance, however, as I surely would have used it if I had needed to replace my refrigerator.

So I am off to the big city to pick up my home on wheels after I get to the time when I can have coffee and then pay my Verizon bill online. I would love to park it aimed out of the driveway so I wouldn't have to swing it around in the yard, in case it snows. But I don't think I have a long enough extension cord to be able to do that, let alone a long enough coaxial cable for my TV. My electric extension might work. I will check. Maybe I'll just pray for no snow until I get out of here. Last year, I got the trailer back from the dealership with its new (and faulty) tires at the end of October, and I still had time to park it in the shelter before the snows----not much time, but a few days. Maybe I'll look for an adapter for the coax cable to add on a section to that.

Anyway, now I need to get moving. Here's hoping you have a good day,. wherever you are.

To answer a question I just read from yesterday's coffee thread---nope! I have no set date to get out of here. I am just hoping it will be before the snow flies. If not, oh well----there is always next year. I am scared to haul this trailer 1500 miles alone, to tell the truth. A wimp I am at heart when it comes to hauling. I am not sure why.

[cpatinjones]

Good morning ladies,

Well, it is my weekend to sit with dad. I will be able to catch up in the forums, get some reading done, etc.

It is going to be a beautuful day. Enjoy your day!

[Barbzeee]

Yep Soos ...we finally are drying out as well.. some of the areas here got close to 10 inches of rain.. I feel like I should have put hip boots on.. it was awful.. and the critters were wading in water going out to the run... Yucko.. what a mess.. Now it's a cool morning and I'm heading out to renew Driver's license.. I'll be able to drive for another 4 years Lord willin...staying away from Electric Carts.. HA... for awhile anyway.. other than that.. I love this pretty dry day..

Hope you all have a wonderful Adventure ahead and always a safe Journey...


God Bless.....

Zeee

[dayspring39]

Now this is not fun had my message all typed and it went into cyber space... sooooo I will just say good morning and go for now... cool 50 here and only 60s today some rain... and smiling at you
Kathleen

[Getupngo]

Good morning, all. I have a full morning ... coffee with my SIL at 9 a.m. ... dash to a birthday party for my roomie, then off to watch my GS play football. I missed two great games whilst I was in St. George.

The weather here is unseasonably warm, still. Waiting for fall ...

[Redetotry]

Wonderfully cool and sunny here but still no rain.

Soos, could one of your children or a friend drive you or ride with you to Florida and then you could buy their ticket home? You don't really want to stay there for another winter when the lovely weather in Florida is waiting!!

[Marslet]

Soos,
If you can get your trailer home from the dealers, then you CAN drive it down to Florida. When I first starting pulling my trailer, I would go into drive through spots because wasn't sure of backing up. Didn't take long to build up confidence. It will be the same with you. Take your time, drive slowly, don't unhook (if you are scared of this) just take the weight off of the hitch. Sometimes when we are traveling and just plan to spend one night, we don't even unhook and don't put out the slide. Still enough room for us. Do hook up electricity, water. If you are worried about flats, then I would suggest you drive the interstates--they provide the side of the road you can pull way over on so you are out of the line of traffic.
You can do this!!!! Now comes the "tough love" part -- If you aren't gonna pull the camper anywhere, then why did you buy it????
You have had other campers, or did you just let them sit in the yard and the only place you pulled them was in and out of the shelter? Didn't you just go somewhere?? Sit down and figure out what is scaring you. Is it tires?????? We have had 7 flats in the last 2 years Have now gone up to 15 inch rims and larger tires and our trip to Ark went well. I know the feeling of listening to every sound and thinking , is that a flat???????
Do you really want to stay in New York and be stuck in the snow and not be able to leave your house, or would you rather be in Florida, basking in the sun and visiting with your son???? No brainer, I think.
Hope nothing I said to you has insulted or made you mad--was not posted with that in mind. I would love to meet you one day and girlfriend, there ain't no way in h--l I am going to upper New York.
Hope to see that bright beautiful red truck pulling that fine camper down the road soon.

[Birdie]

Soos, let me add to Marslet's post. Think of it as driving over to that beautiful lake you were at this summer. Only you are driving it about 50 times. Then stop for the night at a park. Then do it again the next day. After about 3 or 4 days, you will feel better about it. It really isn't any different!!

So much for my Saturday evening coffee. Was a beautiful day here in central Texas and my SIL and I went to market days at Wimberly, then came back to the rig, got the kayak out and got in the water!!!!!!!!!!!!! Probably won't do that Sunday as the lake is really busy with the big boats and lots of them. They will all have to do that '4 letter word' WORK on Monday and then I can do the other '4 letter word' PLAY.

Hope all are safe and tucked away for the day.

[Nasoosie]

First of all, nothing anybody can say would make me mad or insulted, as I know just how much I need a good swift kick in the butt! I am just feeling wimpy, and when I remember all those miles I traveled in years gone by, in vans, all by myself, back and forth all over the country, I had no fears at all then. But I was young and 'knew' I was invincible! When I ran out of money, I would stop and substitute teach a while, or waitress, or tend bar, or whatever.....once I picked walnuts in Oregon for a while, and made cedar shakes.

I just can't put my finger on why I am scared this time. If my son can get a day free from his job, or two would be better, I would be more than happy to buy his plane ticket up here to accompany me this first time. I think, once I discovered how to manoever the highways and byways while hauling something, I would be ok. Firsts have always been scary for me----my first experience with childbirth was something else! After that, it was a breeze, as I knew what to expect!

We shall see how things pan out. I'm good at driving/hauling on back roads like I am used to up here, but I also know where I can stop to gas up without taking the top of my trailer off! I will definitley get me a tire pressure monitor when I can afford to order one. The money I just spent on refrigerator repairs was earmarked for that monitor. There are no campgrounds open any more until I get to Virgina or the Carolinas, so that's another thing to consider. I need to find places to overnight that are safe and that I can get in and out of. I like the idea of not unhooking overnight, just cranking my jack to take off the pressure on my truck.

Thanks for all the good suggestions and encouragement!

[Carolinagal]

Soos, I feel so bad for you, I know where you are coming from. I have been there, forced into it, I had to go for it or just set here and wither away into old age. That was ten years ago. I would not do that. You must get over the thinking of what you did in younger years, that young woman is still a very big part of you!!! She's still in there, that adventurous person, she has just set to long in one spot. You will have to MAKE yourself get out there. Do you know that each trip I make out of my yard in my R.V. the first few miles are agony? Thinking I should just stay home, is my rig to old for trip, not sure where i'll stop for the night, where gas might be, if easy to get in and out of station etc.etc.etc. The EASY WAY OUT, is to stay home and be totally bored out of my skull and to really act like an old woman, which I absolutely refuse to do. So I keep going, and you know what everything always works out. Even my troubles of this last trip.

As far as an overnight stay goes on the way down, truck stops are great for that. Also for gasing up, eating out, and they are everywhere. I am sure you will find that you are not the only r.ver there for overnight heading south. Take your time on the trip. Also, please don't dwaddle in the north until weather is bad driving. Some of your sorting etc., could be done in the spring couldn't it?. Or are you waiting for the leaves to change up there? It has to be gorgeous there when they have turned.

I Took many words to say , Soos, that young woman is in there, let her out of her prison, you are not old, get that out of your mind. I will tell you as I have told my children all of these years, "Your life is what YOU make it or want it to be", in spite of anything and everything. Its a known fact, that you will really feel such a Great sense of accomplishment when you do what you have thought and planned to for so many years. Just think of the great feeling you will have and that doesn't even account for all the wonderful women you have been wanting to meet for so long on this forum. You really are in for the BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE. GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!
You have so many friends behind you, all the way down, if you run into any trouble, they're everywhere, I'm about half way, off the interstate, but I could be with you in a very short time for support etc. But, you aren't going to need any of that, just knowing we're all out here rooting for you, so HAVE A GREAT TRIP DOWN, AND PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE SNOW STARTS FLYING.

I've admired you for years Soos, you are a real pioneer type person, so get in the wagon and head south for the winter and new friends to meet and so many new things to do.
We'll be lookin' for ya!!!!!!!!
CArol

P.S. I don't think your inner self will like letting your son drive you down, if that would be a possibility. But then you know yourself, better then I do.

[Marslet]

Soos, in all the years we have pulled trailers, have never been in a place that was too short and had to worry about my top of the camper. Yu will be able to judge that quickly. Another advantage of traveling the interstates are the large gas stations that are advertised on the sides of the road as well as TALL signs off the side of the interstate. The Flying J's and Pilots will have places you can pull off and sleep at until you get to the areas where the campgrounds are open. Sit down, plan a route, then call and check on the campgrounds to see if they are open. Liz uses a lot of forestry and COE campgrounds. Do they close them down?
But seriously, get out of there BEFORE the ice and snow come. Then you will really have something to worry about.
Hope to see you tootling down the road soon.

[Bethers]

Soos, one other comment. If your son could get a day - that's not enough time. If you try to make this trip in one or two days, you're going to hate it even if you're the passenger. That's traveling too fast and too many hours in a day - when you're trying to get comfortable with it all. You'll be so exhausted when you get there that you'll reallys say this isn't worth it. Part of this experience is to enjoy the journey. And, yes, it's going to take you a little time to get there. But you will. One step at a time. One 50 mile journey at a time.

[dpf]

Soos...there isn't a thing that you're doing that can't wait until next Spring when you come back! Traveling is what you planned on doing when you retire! You have proven through your entire life that you are very self suffient....you won't have any major problems traveling to Florida. You have new tires on the camper and a new pickup. Life is too short....now get your turds in a herd, poop in a group...whatever.... get the house winterized and start planning your get away from snow and ice! I sure wish I could...but retirement just isn't in the picture for a few more years. I'm either going to have to wait to "parole" when I'm 62 or "flat" my time at 66...anything sooner than that is going to be considered just an escape attempt! (I have been working in a prison way too long!)

Marslet...if most states/federal campgrounds (in the frozen tundra areas) are like the ones in SD the majority are open in the winter months, but you probably won't have some of the amenties: bathhouses and dump stations may be closed and the water hydrants may be turned off. You have to arrive prepared to pretty much boondock except for electricity.

[Nasoosie]

WOW----great advice and kicks in the butt from so many wise women! Pilot and Flying J I have seen on my trips to FL in my cars, vans, and trucks. I don't remember too many of them, but, then again, I wasn't looking for them back then, either. I will stick to 95 most of the way down after the Washington DC areas. I get onto 95 just north of Richmond, so that and St. Augustine, FL are the only big cities I need to find my way through or around. I have done both many times in my truck.

No campgrounds are open any more until I get to VA----they do not stay open for stopping in the winters here, unfortunately.

After my wedding obligation on the 16th, I really don't have any other reasons for staying here. My trailer is already packed, other than my canoe and bike which I will toss in at the last minute. I still have a bunch of stuff to to pack in the truck bed, but it's all packed and sitting here in bins in the living room. I forgot I have to arrange for mail forwarding, too. Wiley still shares my mailbox, so maybe I can ask him to forward that to my FL house address or to my son's new address. Most (if not all) of my bills are now arranged for e-billing, so I will get emails about them and pay them online. I have to update Molly's vaccinations and heartworm meds, my med prescriptions. Then I need to get me a Verizon internet card, or something so I can get online as I travel. The more I think of stuff yet to do, the more frantic I get.

BUT your pep talks are really working, and I know you are all correct that I will love being out there once I let go of the tethers. No way do I wish to spend the rest of my life tethered because it feels safe.

Thank you all so much!

[Liz]

Then I need to get me a Verizon internet card, or something so I can get online as I travel. The more I think of stuff yet to do, the more frantic I get.

BUT your pep talks are really working, and I know you are all correct that I will love being out there once I let go of the tethers. No way do I wish to spend the rest of my life tethered because it feels safe.
h!

I'm guessing you should be able to pick up free WiFi along the way...especially at those truck stops. Then you can look into internet access after you arrive at your son's.

Looking forward to seeing you in FL.