Tumbleweeds and Lemonade (Robi's new blog!)

[Robi]

Hi Ladies,

Sorry I disappeared but you would not believe what I have been doing to push this to happen soon. Well, just go read it on my blog. I started it on blogspot cuz, I thought that would be easiest, but I have done some web design and blogspot format is driving me crazy, so eventually i'll switch it over to wordpress or something prettier...ok, so now that I've made excuses, here is the address:
[url]
http://tumbleweedsandlemonade.blogspot.com[/url]

Now, if you comment, please remember to put your website link in so I can follow others. This will be the best way to keep track of me while I try to get all this done by JULY 15TH YIKES...I DON'T HAVE A RIG YET.

I am real close to buying a Bounder 34 ft. I know long, but I think that will make a good transition for fulltime till i get used to living smaller (with 2 medium dogs and a cat).

I'm really scraping the money together, had three garage sales, posted up the yingyang on craigslist, talked to a lot of flakes, talked to alot of chepos, and also met some super nice people. In fact this one couple that I gave old paint to for their barn invited me to dinner last night. That was super (super supper, hehe) I thought how it was a practice for having many other dinners with strangers.

So, cross you fingers, I am only about $1500 to $2500 away. (Could not do the loan cuz of the BK which was due to a forged signature which no one in AZ would help me...etc whatever, I'm gonna make this work.

Still so many plastic bins! I'm affraid I will have to get storage...really don't want to, but ...sigh, too hard to dig a hole in the desert, otherwise I would consider that.

bye for now!
Robi


oh, ps, I even started the paperwork to change my address to South Dakota for eventual residency...am I good, or what!

[BirdbyBird]

Congratulations on your find. You certainly have been busy busy..... Your excitement is showing. May your good fortunes continue!

[avalen]

I enjoyed reading your blog

[Excel]

Hi Robi....Really enjoyed your blog....some of which I can relate to...but my question is....what's up with July 15th...some sort of deadline for????
I've done the Craigs List thing too...some people are really strange & some are real morons...but there's always those really nice ones that make your day !!!!
Good luck...

[Bethers]

Hi Robi! I really enjoy reading your blog. Most of it brings back my memories of downsizing. Then I stored most of my pics and paperwork and it was only last year I went through what I had stored - scanning, etc - and having all those memories come to the front. It was a very good thing - and now, the ones I saved, are all so easily accessible. I've been sharing old (very old) pictures from grammar school, etc that I never would have probably seen again. Our technology today is wonderful. And, yes, it's good you could get rid of that which you didn't want your son to have to deal with later.

Downsizing has been wonderful for me. I'm still, even though in my 7th year fulltime rving now, learning what I need to do to continue living like this. Money sadly is still an issue, but it takes a lot less for me to do this and be happy, than for me to live full time somewhere and work too many hours and not be enjoying what this country and land have to offer. I'm continually learning. And I've learned that I like (sometimes) to be with other people, and I love, sometimes, to be all alone. I can do both so much easier now without being an outcast for being me.

These are some of the thoughts reading your blog left me with - so hope you don't mind me sharing.

Oh, and I'm so glad you found your way back to us!

[sharon]

Loved your blog and have added it to my list. You'll get to where you want....maybe not easily, but you will!

[cpatinjones]

Happy to hear you are still on the path of getting you an RV. It is out there.

[bluepinecones]

Glad to have you back with us. I enjoyed your blog. Know you are going to succeed at this new life.

[Robi]

AH, my lovely ladies,

Such loving support and encouragement, and shared experiences.

GUESS WHAT! eeeeeeeeeeeeeee I bought an RV today. (Or like the cute wife called it, an SRB, hehe or did she say SOB, LOL Yikes! I hope not, rotf)
Here are some pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/111948254974923409701/Southwind?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKW1nsvojZbOBA&feat=directlink

Take a look. I had $5000 cash and I had a guy who I just met last week at a Mail Box Etc place go with me to help negotiate. (That was one of those weird blessings I have yet to write about...meeting a total stranger and having him be the one to help you when no others I knew stepped up to the plate...everything happens for a reason).

The guy selling it was pretty firm at $5000, but we settled for $4200, and get this...I would have paid $4500 (This IS the Bay Area, ya know). My new friends started walking away at 4150, the seller said 4300, and I said that is so weird cuz that is the amount I had in my head. My friend was still not taking it, the seller said, I want to buy some extra groceries, I said, what about me...I need some extra money to buy food to get me on the road...for some reason that stuck with the seller and he dropped it another $100. What an amazing exchange as I teared up and told him "you have no idea how much you are helping me, he teared up too. What an amazing journey it has been and I have not gotten delivery yet...yes he is having it cleaned and delivered in the morning).
Anyways,

That gives me money to have some things checked out.

First the hoses, belts, fluids, brakes. Then recaulk the roof (except it is not recaulk, something special for it, which the guy already has)

ANyways, I think I got a fair deal, and now I'm ready for the next step...figuring out how to get my stuff to fit. and still leave room to move Alec's stuff. hehe.

So, since his registration expires next week, and I called the South Dakota mailbox place and they said they have not processed my address yet, I think the timing is not going to work to register in South Dakota, (I probably would not get papers or plates in time and the cops around here are looking for reasons to pull someone over or ticket the rig). So anyways, register it and I am done...I can work on South Dakota later. I have to get this move finished...oh and I have to decide if I go with Good SAm for insurance or one of the others. I'm sure there is a forum about that somewhere here.

Oh and yes, I will have to reseal the roof. Will use the stuff he got at camper's world, then when I get to san diego, and save a little money, i will have it professionally checked then.

Considering what I had to work with, I think this worked out pretty fair.

OH and I drove it! Not too bad (it is 32, not 34 like the other oneI was looking at). Not as tight as my SUV of course. steering floats a little, have to push the brakes down further before you feel it than in my suv. Every car is different feel.

I was thinking what I will do is pay the $50 for an RV orientation that Camper World has, then I might learn a little more about what needs to be done without having to pay the $495, hehe.

There was a question about the July 15th deadline? It was just a date I set. I actually told landlady July 1st a couple of months back. With the option to extend if I needed it. She is fine with that. I could probably extend it again. BUT I find that, for me, when I have a deadline, I get things done. When I was a flight attendant I would get so much done on my two days off, then when I had vacation, I got little done because I did not have that deadline to push me. So I pushed myself in to a deadline. For a Libra, that is another tool I use. I can annalyze things to death, seeing both sides, but once I make a decision, its a done deal...don't look back and have regrets.

Also, I could save $680. That's a lot of gas, hehe.

[VickieP]

Congrats on your new home!

[Excel]

Don't know anything about your particular RV, but you did say the brakes were 'soft'.....so my 2 cents is to spend a few $$$ & have the brakes checked...other things can be fixed as you go but brakes....they hafta work when you need them....glad for you...enjoy this time...as you said.... things happen for a reason & this RV just had to be meant for 'you'.....

[AlmostThere]

Robi, congrats! That's one big looking rig. I hope things check out with very little added expense.
Enjoy many safe miles and smiles in it!