Monday, September 19

[chalet05]

Good Morning from Frackville, Pennsylvania!

I'm on my last leg of this trip (alone) and sitting the day out due to rain! Hoping to stop at a couple places to sightsee before I get back to Virginia. Another SS event there this weekend then life should be a little more normal!

This trip has been more amazing than I could ever imagine. A lot of great people. I was awarded a $100 gift certificate for being the only one (other than the organizer) to cross the country. Everyone else was there for part of the ride. One of the guys left before the raffle drawing so he split his tickets among several of us. I had the winning 50/50 ticket for $410! I really wanted to send him the money but he and his wife said no way - still feeling a little uncertain about it.

I've been quickly reading here most days so have probably missed a few things. Alice, the countdown is on! Same for you Barbie! Peggy, so happy to see your post and know you are recovering! Catherine, amazed at all you got done in Kansas and now a Californian! Carolb, know you had a great visit with Irmi and Steve. I waved as we rode past your area tho I knew you weren't home!

Hope all are well and having a good day!

[Othersharon]

Good morning, Anita and all to follow! What an exciting trip you are having! Have you kept track of how many miles you've driven on this trip? Be interesting to know by the time you get back to VA! Looking like rain for you this morning but maybe some sun later today. About what we're having here. But tomorrow looking like we might dry out a bit! The yard will get mowed again, I guess! 80's the next few days! I'll enjoy it while I can!

For some reason I got into clearing out some of the stuff in my office yesterday. Now I need to put it back together, stuff still all over the floor and other surfaces! But filling a box of cords and such to get rid of. Not to mention the papers that need to be shredded! So that's on my project list today! It'll keep me busy for most of the day! And this started cause I was cleaning the top of my desk off!

Peggy, glad you're doing well and starting your rehab. You'll be on the road before you know it! Barbie, you are getting closer to your new adventure! Carolb, time to get the rake out yet? My trees are starting to drop leaves but think it's mostly stress rather then autumn.

Well, time to get moving and step into the mess I call my office! Hope everyone has a good day and travel safe.

[JudyJB]

Morning, everyone! Lots been happening. My son helped me on Saturday to clean out the rest of the stuff from my storage place. Most went into the dumpster, but did sell a couple of things at a ridiculously low price. Lesson learned: Get rid of almost EVERYTHING when you go full-time. It is very difficult to sell anything from a storage locker, so you end up either giving it away or tossing it. I did go through all of the maybe 25+ boxes of stuff, and repacked my china and the family memorabilia--photos, travel souvenirs, family stuff, etc. In fact, I kept the irreplaceable stuff and tossed or gave away the stuff I could replace, which was a lot.

So, now I am down to about 12 boxes, plus four small boxes with china and a very few dressy outfits that are now in my son's basement bedroom closet or storeroom. The good news is that I no longer have to pay $90 a month for storing all this crap. Over 4.5 years it has cost me a ton of money. The thing is that furniture is replaceable with the money I could have saved on storage fees.

After packing up on Saturday and putting stuff into a covered trailer, my son and grandkids spent the night with me and then we drove the 100 miles to his house and unpacked on Sunday. Whew! I am just exhausted and really need to rest today. Oh, and I got a wasp sting on Sunday morning just as I was leaving the campground, so my right arm has a big, really sore lump, in spite of my using ice and taking two Benadryl, plus using a prescription cortisone cream! I am heading back to Michigan for Friday and Saturday to take some more stuff to my niece. She is going to try to transcribe my dad's journals that he wrote the last four years of his life. I have also decided to give her my antique cast iron pan my dad gave me. My son's are just not interested in this stuff, so I am glad to give it to her.

Anyway, I am glad to get rid of all my "stuff" but I know I will miss some things. However, the tradeoff is that I get to travel and save money, and that is much more worth it to me that the furniture and stuff that can be replaced.

ALso, broke glass tray to microwave, and it is completely out of stock online. Would you believe the RV dealer I went to today saves parts from dead microwaves and had a whole box of glass trays??? First one fit perfectly!!

[Acadianmom]

Judy, you really lucked out on the microwave tray. Mine has a metal tray and sometimes it makes so much noise on the road I take it out. You never know what you might find at a flea market. At one I went to the lady had nothing but lids. I wish I had some of the measurements I needed to replace a couple of lids.

I found out how much you don't need a storage place after one of the hurricanes. Most of the stuff could have gone in the trash. I lucked out on saving most of our pictures. I had already put a big bin of pictures at my son's trailer. I don't remember now why but probably from another hurricane scare. Most of the other pictures were in the top of a closet and didn't flood. We now use the old house for storage but most of it could go in the trash. When it cools off I need to get in there and throw some more away. I was doing pretty good filling up the trash bin every week but it's too hot to work in there now. A lot of it is my son's from his last move.

My office always looks like I am cleaning it. I think the papers multiply during the night. I put a cabinet for tax papers within arms reach so my filing has been going a lot better. I can usually find things when I need them. Not so much the rest of the stuff floating around.

I have to bring Posse for her ear check up and blood work for her tooth on Wednesday. She's not going to be happy.

Martha