Getting there....

Willie is learning to like his 'go-kitty' rig

He has even jumped in it several times since spending the night in the coach.  Sunday evening we took Willie and Scooter out to the Gypsy Rose and spent the night.  A VERY  cold night, lol.  We turned on the propane the next morning, but it got so cold, Pirate got up and went inside to the condo around 4 am.  He did bring me fresh hot coffee at 6 am...what a sweet guy!

WillBilly spent a good portion of the evening under the blanket overhang in the bedroom.  I finally laid down on the floor with him and got him to start exploring.  By the time it was all said and done, he was going from window to window watching the birdies and 'chattering' at them.  He just needs time spent out there and he'll be just fine.  I'm sure once he gets his treefort out there, he'll be the happiest of campers.

Scooter is acting so strange...since we've returned from our trip, she cannot stand to have either of us out of her sight.  Usually she is fine with one or the other of us home.  Not now!  We are going to find the batteries for the Bark thing to nip this in the bud NOW.  I tried reasoning with her, but she's pretending to not understand English right now...lol.  

We found that we have a flat tire on the coach...thank goodness for triple axles.  We made it home fine, just kept adding air to that tire.  BUT...we will have to drive Miss Gypsy over to Les Schwab or something.  Oh, well...we do need to dump the holding tanks, anywayz.  

Slowly and surely we are getting things arranged and into the coach.  I can't wait to be done!!  And once again, we give thanks that this is our most pressing concern.  How blessed are we?!

 mistake posting...can't figure out how to delete...sorry! 

I get so much joy from the 'little thangs!"

These cupboards are so high!

But that's ok, cuz my Pirate bought me a step-ladder today!  Hee hee...I love it so much, I just might name it!  Pirate and I braved Walmart today and we totally scored...found a million things we needed for the Gypsy Rose.  Pop up garbage bins, a sweet little broom/dust pan combo, a gopher 'grabber' for the high shelves and fan in the kitchen, organizer bags for in the bathroom and living room...YAY!  Those little things are going to make day-to-day life so much easier.  I found all of the cables and cords we need yesterday, plus a set of walkie-talkies.  We also found covers for the outside steps so I don't fall when they are wet.  Score on acrylic wine glasses, as well.  I even found one of those 'rodent things' that you plug in.  We WILL be traveling with a Mighty Kitty, but while the Gypsy Rose sets out in the gravel apron, mice could have been an issue.  Don't forget about those unwanted guests...for under $10 we have it handled now.  The one we found also doubles as a night light, but I plugged it into the outlet in the loft.  I also got 25 feet of extension cord so we can plug the surge protector into it and not worry about the lack of handy outlets in the living room.

Willie got a new kitty box, Clever Cat, and it looks pretty much like one of those storage bins you use at Christmas time.  It has a lid with a large hole, the lid also sports groves to collect the litter from his feet.  It is tall enough we won't have to worry about him flipping litter on the floor.  I hope the kids that invented Clever Cat make a million.  What a great idea they came up with!  Now let's just hope it keeps the smell down as advertised.  We've been lucky with our boy so far.  The Booda Dome he currently uses keeps the smell down so well, our litter box is under the dining room table, believe it or not.  

I found some things for hanging keys and pictures that won't wreck havoc on my brand new walls.  I also don't have to try to pound 1 inch nails into my pristine walls.  We have clearance to 1 1/2" but don't want to take any chances.  I picked up a tip from another blog to put a line of clear silicone sealer on the bottom of items to keep them in place, too.  The only picture we're super worried about is the portrait of Boone our tattoo artist painted for us in oils.  THAT goes in a very special spot in our bedroom.

I've taken a small rest, and now it's out to the Gypsy Rose again!  I love playing out there!!

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm in love with a Yellow Jacket...

....central vac, that is!  I finally broke out the box under the pass-thru and figured out how to work it.  WOW!!  It's light, easy to maneuver, and I even have a 'dust pan' feature where I can sweep dust/dirt right up to the outlet, lift up...and viola!  Sucks that dirty dirt right up! YAY!  My arms feel like rubber, but I carried out all of our pots and pans and their lids.  They fit! Now I just need to schlog them all back into the house until it's time to roll.

I think I will find a nearby Radio Shack and get the cables and cords we need for our new entertainment system.  I also need to find a cable hook-up cord.  Not sure if I need to go to an RV store or not for that.

I'm still beyond tired, but I'm pushing through it and getting things accomplished.  I can rest when I'm dead, right? LOL!

KEEP SMILING!!

Nothing Doin'

Pirate said the entire trip home he felt like someone was watching him....LOL!  It does look like eyes!

Today the trip finally took it's toll on us.  We did nothing today, other than nap and lay around in my chair.  Pirate did a few errands, but the only thing I got done was to drive down to my TFL's house and take care of her precious Poochie Pie Anna and Louie the incredible white ferret.  I could still sleep some more and not feel rested.  I tried as hard as I could to keep my energy level up and keep moving.  I haven't even been out to the Gypsy Rose today!  My mind has been working overtime, though.  I'm arranging cabinets and how all of our clothes and linens will fit even as we speak.  Gosh, I'm not sure at all where I'm going to store towels at.  That teeny cabinet in the bathroom isn't going to work.

This morning, my muscles refused to work.  With the big trip, then being so active, plus all of this wet weather...I am totally wiped out.  I'm not even sure if I can make dinner for my Pirate tonight.  Wow, am I ever glad we don't have a hard deadline to be out of the condo!

In other news, our youngest daughter Tracie has some wonderful news!!  She landed an assistant manager position with an apartment complex in Seattle!!  Her dreams are coming true, as well!  We knew Seattle didn't stand a chance against Tracie's determination and drive! And Tracie's new job is only a couple of blocks from her roomie's work, so they can carpool until their current lease is up.  The reality of Seattle traffic has hit!

We're headed toward the other end of the spectrum...a nice, slow pace like back in the 60s. This was one of the reasons why we thoroughly enjoyed the Mid West while we were there...open, friendly folks not in a fool rush.

I suppose I should get up outta this chair and get the bones moving....cuz tomorrow is going to be a busy day!

I missed this face!!

The truth about those pictures on the internet...

They are taken at angles that 'enhance' the coach...in other words, things look bigger in the pictures the dealers show on their sites.  I was amazed when I actually got to touch my coach and see it for myself...the cabinets are small!  The oven is tiny....whaaaaat????  LOL!  I thought I would show you what I mean, so here are some pictures of what the RW 405 looks like with cupboard doors open.

 The long cupboard in my island

 the drawers in island

cabinet above toilet...maybe five towels will fit?

Also, the overhead cabinets in the kitchen are sweet, yes, but up too high.  I need to purchase a step-ladder with rails!


I will take photos again when I am all moved into our Coach.  I've got a litter box out in the 'garage' for now, but will get a smaller covered one.  ACK! Where to put everything....sigh! Oh, to have this be the biggest 'dilema' in my life is so wonderful!

Whadda ya mean it doesn't fit!!

Oh, my....when I took a look at my new oven...my heart sank to my ankles!  There's only HOW MUCH room?!  Are you kidding me??  LOL!  I had bought some nice new cookie sheets, you know, the much smaller kind....yeah, they don't fit either.  Moving a household into an RV is an exercise in honesty.  How much 'stuff' do you honestly need, cuz ya ain't got much room!

As I look at each item, I almost kick myself for 'wasting' money on the things we cannot take.  Did it give me pleasure when I bought it? Did I use it?  Then it was worth it.  Pirate just took all of the ties and suits he had amassed, and yes, amassed is the right word here, down to the Shelter.  He was astounded by how many ties he owned.  Oh, the things we take along with us on this journey called life.

We probably really needed these 'things' when we purchased them.  Why else would they be here, right? With limited space, you are forced to rethink everything.  If it's really, really necessary, you'll find a spot for it.  But at the sacrifice of something else!  I thought I had already pared down my wardrobe...HA!  With only two drawers, three very small shelves, and half of a small closet (which part of my side is taken up by the Splendid Splendide) I'm a little be overwhelmed!  And what am I going to put in some of the other cupboards?  The ones above the couch...what will go there?  What will go here, what will go there...Holy Moly!!

I guess I've taken a long enough break...so it's back at it!  Hope everyone is having a super fantastic day....

Driving the beastie

Kitty is scared, but made the first two stops! God bless me with green lights and easy parking so far. I even left the house early, so I'm vaping in the truck for a minute. I think I can manage grocery shopping alone, too...wish me safe journeys!

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The pain catches up with Kitty

It is so good to be home!!  The folks here at the condo did move a boat and camp trailer, so we were able to put the Gypsy Rose into the gravel apron and put the slides out.  Now the hard part really begins.  Where do I put everything!  LOL!!  There is such a limited amount of room in a 5th wheel, yet it seems like I have so many cupboards, I don't know where to start!

I had purchased, online, some of those handy dandy helper gadgets for my shelving issues...well, none of them fit!!  My cabinets are just a wee bit too small.  At least the drawer thingy will fit under the bathroom sink.  Wow...I have my work cut out for me.

Before we left, we did not shop for groceries...no sense having to throw out spoiled food, right?  So after nine days of 'road food' we come home to eat more road food!  Today we are going grocery shopping, to a dr's appointment, and sometime in all of this we need to work on the condo and keep forward motion going.  I would love to just crash and burn, as my pain is so bad.  I am thankful my dear Pirate did all of the driving, but being disabled and in chronic nerve pain doesn't make 5000 miles sitting in a truck pleasant.  I just feel so badly for what Pirate has had to do alone, I am pushing through the pain and just doing things anyway.  I don't really have a choice!

I'm glad we don't have to sell the condo through 'regular' means, as that would mean deadlines to meet.  We CAN do this at our own pace, but this beautiful family is living in such a small space I feel the pressure of wanting to make their dreams come true as soon as possible.  This condo unit will be happy to have childrens' laughter once again echo in the halls.

As I was cooking our dinner last night, I was amazed at how inconvienant our house kitchen is!  LOL!  One thing I love about my Gypsy Rose is everything is right there.  As these poor knees climb the 14 stairs, I want to already be in my new place!!

I will miss having three bathrooms, but we're old and know that sometimes, you are sick, sometimes things happen in the bathroom that aren't for the faint of heart...and it just is what it is!  You know the 'honeymoon' is over when you can have explosive diarrhea with your spouse close at hand and not be embarrassed! LOL!!

The storms that we drove through in the Mid West are now causing havoc and destruction across the nation.  Wow, are we blessed!  I feel so badly for those effected, and for those RVers who are/were looking forward to a great weekend...please stay safe out there!!

Today I will work on packing up the 'treasures' and working on those remaining boxes of photos.  It all seems so overwhelming with so much work still to do...one thing at a time and one day at a time!  I am going to be good to myself in that I will take the time to label each and every box with the items inside.  I know it's a pain now, but will be worth it later when trying to find something!  

...speaking of finding things...has anyone seen my set of RV keys? I still can't locate them, lol!

Blessings...be sure to count yours

It feels so good to be home, to have 'made it' with our new home all safe and sound.  We only put on 5,000 miles in the last nine days!  I missed my Willie so much!!  Ahhh....


Anyone who already knows us, knows that we are very blessed people.  I want to take this time and point out a few things for those who are just getting to know Pirate & Kitty.  About two years ago, we were thinking we'd move somewhere where it's always warm, oh, say Panama, for instance!  Somewhere we could just fish, relax, do whatever...and Panama has a great standard of living as far as prices and with the Armed Services Bases, it's basically 'Americanized' down there.  Eventually, we came to the conclusion we'd like to travel the USA in an RV.  So, I started researching and dreaming....


Once we decided what we were going to do, it all started rolling.  I found our RV, we started making purchases with RVing in mind, saw ourselves living in one, figured out what we needed to make it happen.  We invested our time and energy, and it seems the Universe did the rest FOR us!!  Our truck 'landed' in our laps.  Even losing our diabetic Schnauzer to cancer was what was best, considering he was blind and last winter was one big ice storm.  


The timing continued to just chug along like WE had planned all of this!!  Even the timing of the delivery of the Coach coincided with us missing all of the Memorial Day Weekend traffic and hassle.  There is just NO WAY it can be denied that a Higher Power, God, Intelligent Design...whatever label YOU want to put on it...is involved in all of this.  Even the people we ran into along the way at motels, stores, rest areas...they were all there to tell us something, show us a short cut, a tid bit of knowledge.  We take nothing we learn for granted, because we know we will NEED that information later.


We 1) decided what we wanted 2) put the effort and research into what we needed 3) allowed what came our way to come our way ....we didn't step on our own toes is the best way I can describe this part.  4) we are thankful for it all...even the worst, which was Boone's death.


We hope that we can inspire others to follow their dreams.  Life is for LIVING!!  Not for existing and just getting by.  What is really important to you?  Your 'things' or those you love?  Get back to the simple life.  You don't need botox and surgery to be happy, even Jessica Simpson doesn't look like Jessica Simpson without airbrushing and make up...so give it up.  You don't need that certain car or huge house or whatever it is you 'think' you need.  You were born with what you needed to live your life.  So stop making excuses and start living it!!


We learned so many things on our 'shake down cruise' home, and I was going to go back and edit my 'swype' mistakes, but it is what it is and so I'm leaving them as is.  We will post later about the tips we learned, such as dumping a bag of ice into the toilet as you travel down the road to 'loosen things up.'  But for now, I have a lot of work to do!!  


Here's to dreams coming true!!!  Cheers!!

Yesterday was...

Quite a lesson in adaptability. Part of interstate 90 was flooded at the wy/mt border, so we had to detour across the big horn mountains. With the way the truck is running, we used an eighth of a tank to go thirty miles.

Then out of that area and before we connected back up with 90...gravel washboard road. Only one light fixture came loose!

We hope to make kennewick today, which is home. This phone has fabric us several times on this shakedown cruise. So thankful for it.

We pulled out of the walmart in laurel, mt at 6am. We'll see if we make it, but pretty sure we will. I am so proud of pirate and his handling of each situation as it arose yesterday. I sure married a good man!!

At least the detour was beautiful...

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We continue to have issues with the truck

Seen so many bikers today, ac/dc you can see the weather isn't good. At least we're dry.

We can't use cruise and have to make sure the turbo didn't kick on and weare fine. Really looking forward to getting home and getting this truck on the shop. Anyone know a good diesel mechanic in the tri?

We are going to just park tonight and hope we get home tomorrow. Shakedown cruise...perfect phrase.

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Feels good to be off the road

Scooter watching Daddy hook us up.

We are very road weary! Ere staying at our first Good Sams, Als Oasis in South dakota. Very very nice spot outside reliance, sd.

We went to lower the front landing gear and saw that we lost one of our feet. God only knows where, lol. It's nice to have power, as we still need to figure out how to run only of battery power.

Going to rest my weary bones after I thank Brookey for watching over Willard and Tracie and Lindsay and Fella for staying with him this weekend. I don't know if Tracie called my folks to come visit or not while she's in town...if not, I'll be sure to hear about it.

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We are ok

Forgot to engage the tow haul function so the turbo overheated.

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Anxious

Sitting here at a truck stop with something wrong with the truck. Any one know about f450s, lol. The little wrench lit up about five minutes into the drive...these new fangled trucks have more bells and whistles than a gypsy! Pirate is reading the manual to se what we should do.

We stayed at a Walmart last night, didn't put the slides out for courtesy sake. I learned a BIG lesson yesterday...put absolutely everything you need for the day in the truck...you can't just go inside and reach things at every pit stop.

Will update y'all later

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Back to the dealership

We had some issues...tip of the day name sure your break away cable is clipped securely. Your trailer brakes will engage, but if you drive a big diesel, it WILL still pull it. Also, when in a humid region, brakes will squeal until you rub of the rust. Omg we found out the hard way!

We're taking of in the morning for the long trip home...wish us luck.

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Sitting in the rain

The storm we were outrunning finally caught up with us. We're going to sit it out and get to know our Gypsy Rose. Nothing is labeled! And the owners manual is too generic and doesn't match up to the pictures. The rv place said they would include an a to z guide, but didn't. Small oversight, surely.
So, last night was interesting, to say the least.

This site has trees in the way, so no awning out, couldn't hook up the sewer...if we were impatient or rasty nasty, we probably woulda ran screaming and given the coach back on the three day right of recision laws. Lol! It's funny that Boone came to visit me as we pulled away from the dealership... I started crying, with no reason why! I think he was saying hang in there Mom!

It's back to the dealership today...we'll see how today goes

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Day 5, taking delivery

I just can't say enough about General RV!!  We thought they were great before, but after meeting them in person, they are even better!!  From day one of contact with Christine, to working with her and Rich, to Chris who helped us buy the 'extras' and Bill who did our demo....TOP NOTCH 100%!!  This company is doing it right!

We have a little 'issue' that we're not sure about, so we're happy Christine suggested parking tonight close to the shop.  We're only 3 miles away, thank goodness.  #1 is half way down the gravel road to our spot, we started hearing this God Awful squealing noise, metal on metal.  I say it's the hitch, but what the heck do I know.  ???  We weren't going to unhook tonight, but we had to so we could see if it was coming from the truck.  NOPE!  Also, since there are so many things to remember, we can't figure out how to do the water!!

The morning will be interesting!  I promise picture will follow once we get home!

Day 4, sicko Kitty

Not feeling well, in Battle Creek, MI...more tomorrow

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Day 3

We're in Albert Lea, MN!!  No pictures of today because I can't seem to sync up my phone, this flea bag spot has thicky thick walls so it'll be quiet....using their crap wifi..GRR!!!  OK, now I'm better..oh, wait...and they also charged us $25 for my SERVICE DOG!!  Hell, she even gets to FLY for free, dumb *#%^'s!!

OK, so, we sure saw a bunch of pretty country.  Can't wait to go exploring the Badlands on the Harley some day.  We may have to stop and take pics on the way home.  It's as flat as they say on the Plains!  WOW, this Mountain Girl was really surprised.  It was similar when Tracie and I moved to Tri-Cities and couldn't tell our North/South/East/West on a cloudy day...we're used to mountains and hills to judge direction by!  Thank goodness for GPS!

We called Rich at the Wixom General RV Center and he said we should make it there tomorrow, but we're not holding our breath.  We're OLD!! hee hee  He also said that The Gypsy Rose is in the shop getting her W/D installed.  YAY!!  I know they don't was huge loads or anything, but it's going to be nice to have the option.  I spent too many years in my early motherhood with NO W/D, so I don't care if I have to wash them one item at a time, at least I CAN if I wanna!!

We have seen several smaller Class C's along the road the entire trip...heading West...and they are ALL Ford-based 'Chalet' units...some smaller, some larger, but all Chalets!  We're wondering that since we're not far from Winnebago, MN if they are driving their units elsewhere??  We seem to see them in groups of 3-5. Interesting!  A funny thing:  Pirate no sooner remarked that he hadn't seen any Hummers with these high gas prices, and sure enough...one passed us on the left!

We're starting to get pretty road weary, but Scooter is riding like a champ!  No complaints from her except when Daddy has the audacity to step out of the rig to fuel up (how DARE he?).  I sent Pirate off to find a bar and some food to bring back to me...I couldn't leave her with that sad look on her face.  She knows, and she works it!!  hee hee

Okie Dokie, got me some research on the internet to do....We're almost there!!! YAY!!!

Day 2

Started the day off by seeing a HUGE Grizzly Bear in a roadside attraction...from the freeway.  Man oh Man was it HUGE!  I'd hate to run across one in real life.  So from Bozeman, MT to Rapid City, SD....we were tired critters when we pulled in!

Saw some antelope along the way...I saw a big huge pheasant in Buffalo, MT when we stopped for diesel and a potty walk.  Sturgis was awesome, got some t-shirts for the boys while we were there at the Harley shop.

We're going to try and get all the way across South Dakota tomorrow.  Wish us luck!!

On the Road Day 1

First day of our trip to Michigan to pick up our "house."  We started out at 7 am and stopped in Bozeman, MT around 6 pm MT time.  FULL DAY of driving!  If you're ever in Bozeman, please stay at the Blue Sky Motel, a privately owned little Mom 'n Pop, well, it's just Pop.  Melissa, our check in gal, was so sweet...she even pointed us to a yummo meal at the Montana Ale House.  I had the mussels and Pirate had a spinach salad, with artichoke dip to share between us.

Scooter did SO WELL on the trip...we are reminded that our Boone would not have done well on this trip...or traveling at all.  Scootie only needs to stop every 2-3 hours, and with Boone, it woulda been every half of an hour.  Brookey and Tony are watching the WillBilly.  Hopefully Miss Tracie will be able to come down and stay with him.  (It does NOT help that on TV there are starving kittehs)  Momma don't like being away from him!

We're gonna hit it first thing in the morning, so it's a shower and bed for this kitteh.  Pirate is sacked out with his widdle puppeh by his side.

Purr purr purr purr purr

We’ve come a looong way, Baby Girl!

 

This picture is from the start of Tracie and my adventure in life alone.  Taken January 1989…right after we left a marriage that just wasn’t meant to be and moved in with my folks.  Wow, Tracers, we sure went through some hard times, but we landed in the exact right spot, huh?!  Can you believe where we both are today?

Tracie is in Seattle, all safe and sound with a promising job interview yesterday.  She negotiated I-5 traffic and got a rock chip in her window as a souvenir. She is so happy to be following her dream in HER city, she didn’t even get upset! We are so proud of our youngest ‘chicklet’ as she spreads her wings and soars with the eagles!!

Miss Scootie pants has to go to the vet today and get updated on all of her shots and we will grab a copy of her vaccination records.  I have read ahead that some RV parks do require your pet’s shot records.  Glad I have been researching this all along…we’d have been stuck between a rock and a hard spot!  I’m not going to do the same for WillBilly…I think our pets are over-vaccinated as it is!  I had my Big Boy Boone titer tested and he did not need one more vaccination had he lived to be 100 years old.  But, we are a nation of laws….and I’d hate for someone NOT to vaccinate their dog.  If Willie catches something inside our house or trailer, then it was meant to ‘get him.’ 

I have some natural flea spray (clove oil) and this is about as harsh a chemical I’ll put on my babies.  For Scooter’s ‘backne’ or “Schnauzer Bumps” we are using emu oil and it’s clearing it up rapidly!!  Yay for holistic methods!  It’s taken all of the red from her irritated skin and is soothing the itchies, too!  The ‘bumps’ or blackheads, are also falling off!  Thank you once again to her groomer, Nicole at Purrcision Pooch in Richland, WA.

I signed us up for Netflix yesterday…I did sign up for the DVD delivery, as we will be ‘in town’ basically until September, so we will have the chance to watch them…NCIS series!!  I just used Tony’s address from the ‘git’ and once we hit the road for ‘reals’ I’ll take the DVD service off.  It’s only $2 more/month, and only $7.99 for the instant access.  We plan to hook our laptop to the TV to watch our movies on the ‘big screen.’

I also found an awesome TV app on my android phone!  Watched the latest episode of NCIS on it this morning!

So, looks like we’re leaving tomorrow for Michigan…wish us luck and we’ll be posting down the road!  Pardon any misspellings now, as I’ll mostly be update with ‘blogger-droid’ from my phone.  My kitty-paws don’t do fine motor skills well anymore, so this swyping thang is working for me…but I still won’t be able to ‘really’ double-triple check my mistakes, so just enjoy the pictures, lol!

My big worry is going to be my Willie…and he’s just  not going to be happy and there’s just not anything I can do about it….Brookey will be over, and of course, Tony will be over twice a day.  Tracie will be here a few days while we’re gone, but not sure which days yet.  Yep, Willie will have TONS of company…but it’s still not his Momma by his side. =(

I LOVE YOU MY TRACIE LYNNE!!!

Our Unit has arrived!

Trying this from Picasa, so I'm hoping the picture of Boone and Scooter comes thru...these two are the #1 & #2 reasons we decided to RV...and Willard is #3! We had to find a way to keep our babies with us while we fulfill our desire to ride the Lower 48. Although our Big Pal has passed on to the Rainbow Bridge, he is still with us wherever we go.

Time to gear back up for a road trip, cuz our new home will arrive in Michigan tomorrow! I think we are leaving Saturday, but Pirate is at the hitch center getting our badd-ass Hensley hitch installed. It may have cost us an arm and a leg, but the money we will save down the road, plus the smooth ride we will enjoy...priceless! This hitch keeps the pin from sliding around, up or down, or side-to-side. This means there is less stress on the coach, our belongings won't get tossed to and fro so much, it cuts the vibration, so wiring, pipes, etc won't rub together as much, less friction all around. This one item will keep our truck and coach 'together' longer and keep us out on the road longer, too! Plus, as soon as you get the pin anywhere 'near' the reciever, it automatically 'grabs' the pin...this will be important as our eyes start getting worse and in case I ever have to be the one to hook us up (read emergency!). LOL!!

As a 'frequent road-tripper' on our Harleys, I've learned over the years to carry my make-up and anything like pills in a backpack attached to ME. It serves as a back cushion and also keeps things from being vibrated into powder. The first time I got into my make-up bag and found my powdered items were dust...like a nice pile of eye shadow or blush...I decided to change the way I carried things. Have you ever seen a blister pack of benadryl after it's ridden a few hundred miles on a bike? Powdered!!

I think we have everything we're going to need already purchased. Now I just need to start packing up our road-trip stuff. I have a list of what we'll need to take. Bedding, linens, the coffee maker...Poochie-Smoochie's stuff, get Willard all ready to have folks come in to care for him....HERE WE GO!!

Had a wonderful weekend

Miss Tracie was here on her way thru to Seattle.  Heather and Manix stopped by with Bella and ended up having dinner with us.  Tony was here for dinner, so we had a full table, full house, and full hearts.  We were only missing our Amy to be a complete family.  This was the first chance Aunt Tracie has had to see Miss Bella, so it was a very special occasion.

Grandpa tried to teach her something bad here:


Manix had mentioned that occasionally she accidentally flips people off...so Grampy Pirate had to show her how to tell folks they're still NUMBER ONE!

Both girls mentioned how bare things were getting in the house and garage.  I loved to hear them giggling and catching up...like old times when this big ol' condo was always filled with kids and laughter.  Sure miss those days, Ladies!


Tracer is safe and sound in Seattle tonight, and we're wishing her success as she begins her job search.  She already has some leads and most of those who have contacted her are just waiting for her to get there and show up for some interviews.  Seattle isn't gonna know what hit!!!  Wahooo!!!  It's also very, very comforting having her only 3 1/2 hours away--for now!  It's Mom & Dad's turn to fly the nest next!!

Waiting for my Girlie to get home…

 

“Just in case” y’all hadn’t noticed…WE LOVE OUR KIDS!!  Our youngest, Tracie, is currently 2 hours away or less from here…Seattle via Mom & Dad’s house.  Tracie is following her dreams and is moving to Seattle to live with one of her Lifers, Lindsay.  I have so much admiration for Tracie to step out on Faith and go for it.  She has some job ‘possibilities’ when she gets there, but no actual j-o-b to go to.  We know our Tracie, though…and Seattle doesn’t stand a chance!

 

It will be so very handy for us to have Tracie in Seattle, as Pirate’s sister Cathy lives there, and our oldest, Amy, is in Bellingham…a mere hour North!  Tony will be ‘all alone’ in Tri-Cities soon.  We are so thankful to him for being our point man and all-around go-to guy.

 

Bettered hit the store while Tracer is still in transit…don’t you just love the picture?  It is my tassel and hers together…20 years difference.  I certainly had some struggles along the way, having her so young and doing almost the entire thing alone…until meeting Pirate when she was age 14.  So, yep, we’re kinda tight!  purr purr purr

 

Okey dokey, the Pirate is ready to hit the supermarket….we need things for the weekend with Tracie and also to get ready for our trip to Michigan….I’ll bet not only everyone in the neighborhood will hear us squeal…YOU probably will be able to hear us, too!  SQUEEEE!!!!!!!

Slight miscue

The car is sold! ...and we got an email this morning from general rv that the wrong coach was sent. We laughed cuz there is always a reason for these thing. We don't get upset by the little things !

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Heading to Michigan May 14th!

 

 

Finally, we know the day we’re leaving!  We have an appointment for the hitch on the 12th, then on the 14th, we’ll shoot on out to Wixom, Michigan and go get our new home!!  I don’t know if everyone is this excited for their new Coach or not, but I can hardly stand myself! LOL!

 

We’re sitting here waiting for the phone call to take Ruby to her new owner. I’ve been working on the ‘to scan’ picture pile all day, and Pirate has been working on cleaning up Ruby.  He took her for a bath and is cleaning, dusting, vacuuming her out for Mikey and his family.  I’m really happy Ruby is staying ‘in the family’ but sad my TFL Brookey wasn’t able to purchase her. 

 

I’ve got a list of items I’ll need to take with us to Michigan…working on fine-tuning it.  We’ll need to bring our own bedding, towels for bathroom and kitchen, the new coffee pot, thermos, of course our personal items for 10 days…as well as what Scooter will need and her Service Dog vest.  But what I’m more worried about is Willie.

 

Willie will have to stay at home while we’re on the shakedown cruise.  We have never been apart for that long before!  Momma don’t like!  I’m sure Willie don’t like, either!  Tony will feed him and clean the outhouse, Brookey will come by as often as possible, and hopefully Tracie will come stay a couple of days…she doesn’t know what her schedule will be yet, of course.  Sometime in there my folks will come over to see Tracer so I’m sure Willie will have lots of company.  I just hate that he has to sleep alone.  He always lays on top of me at night, usually on my stomach or legs.  Nothing like the soft lullaby of a warm purring kitteh to drift off to.

 

You like the Pirate/Kitty graphic I found?  I was waiting for an occasion to use it, hee hee. 

 

One step closer to the ROAD!!!

trying my android phone

pirates gonna have to call the hitch place here pretty soon we need to figure out where were gonna get our hitch installed along the waywe're getting ready to figure out if were going to leave this sunday or next sunday...

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What a great day!

Well, it IS possible to surprise the Kitty!  My Brookey and Heather AND Pirate all kept a secret...the 'little putt' we were going for yesterday turned into a surprise birthday party, complete with ice cream cake and Little Baby Bella!!  After the sweetest surprise, laughter and catching up, AJ, Brookey, Pirate and I all went for a nice ride.  WOW, did it feel good to have the wind in my face!!

Next Saturday, my Tracie will be home! She will stop through on her way to Seattle.  It's gonna be an awesome Mother's Day for this Kitty!  I am still undecided as to calling my folks to see if they wanna travel to the Tri to see her...I will, though...I promise!!