The title search is done!
Not so fast! The settlement papers emailed to me late yesterday are not correct. At 8:00 a.m. I sent an email to the attorney pointing out errors. The closing is set for 4:00 tomorrow. Next I answered emails. Now I am writing this blog post.
At 10:00 I take the PTV in for an oil change.
She’s overdue about 1,000 miles according to the sticker on her windshield. While waiting for the oil change, I’ll go online and find the nearest location for obtaining a Senior Pass for Corps of Engineer parks. I don’t think there is any way of getting one without driving an hour or so. My first camp will be at Oak Park at Navarro Mills Lake, TX. on Tuesday, August 16th, and I want that 50% discount! (Navarro Mills no longer sells passes.)
Also on today’s to-do list . . .
I need to plan my route from Athens, Georgia to my sister Pauline’s house in Rienzi, Mississippi,then on to Corsicana, Texas, during which I’ll be homeless! I’ll reserve a motel room in Corsicana, near the Casita factory for the night before I pick up my Liberty Deluxe. If you’d like to look at the Casita showroom, click on www.casitatraveltrailers.com
Janie spent her first night at her new home.
I delivered her yesterday afternoon. My friend welcomed her with toys, pretty water and food dishes, and a special bed. A few minutes later, the man of the house came in the door from work, and Janie trotted up to him, tail wagging. At that moment I realized how happy she’ll be having a man around. Avoiding a prolonged goodbye, I walked out to the PTV, turned over Janie’s medical records, some kibble, and other supplies to my friend, and drove away.
Later in the evening I received an email, sent from my friend’s iphone . . .
The subject line: “Best Friends Already.” I double-clicked to see a photo of Romeo and Janie lying on the floor together! (I’d share it with you but photos taken with a phone won’t transfer here.) How I wish I could explain to Bridget and Spike that Janie is okay! They seem subdued this morning and I can’t tell if it’s because they are concerned about Janie’s absence or if it’s because Janie isn’t here to start the day off with her usual, contagious enthusiasm for playtime.
On a different note, I’m happy to report my nose is almost healed.
No more going around with a bandaid in the middle of my face. It’ll be nice to be given eye contact again!
rvsue
Oh Sue! Reading about Janie’s successful debut in her new home brought tears to my eyes. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you – much harder than for Janie, I’m sure. Your friend is a real friend!
So title search done, Janie esconced, nose healed, oil changed, How does it feel to be so close to your dream?
Driving away from one of the sweetest animals I have ever known was hard. I managed to keep it together, although I’m feeling a bit depressed today (which is my customary reaction).
Janie was a starving, scared little critter when I met her, afraid of human touch. It only took a couple of days seeing Bridget and Spike being inspected and petted and cuddled before she came up to me, wanting some lovin,’ too.
Shortly after that she became her chubby self. I suppose I should have put her on a strict diet to please the vet, but having seen her hunched, bony shoulders and ribs sticking out, I figured she doesn’t need to be bothered by food issues. So I let her eat her fill …. time to enjoy life, Janie!
I am so glad to hear that Janie is comfortable in her new place. I’m going to have to find a place for my Dad’s cat as he goes to a nursing home and I’m not looking forward to finding a good home for an elderly cat.
I can’t wait for your journey to be begin. Your writing is contagious and I can’t wait to read more stories.
Carla . . . I hope you can find a good home for your father’s cat. It isn’t an easy task.
I’m glad you like to read the blog. Thanks for the compliment!
And may God bless your dad in his new home . . .
Newbie here!!!
Okay then….I’ll reply!!! LOL!!! Just started following you a few days ago! Have been going back to your beginning posts to get the WHOLE picture as well as trying to stay current. You are living, at least, part of my dream. I’m not sure I could ever fully give up “home base”…but would love to travel for months at a time! My whole immediate family is all in my hometown including two grandchildren, so will probably always keep my grounded home! ! I am pushing 60 and am a single female. Still many years of employment yet to go…. but I hope to start with 3 to 4 week trips at a time as soon as I can manage to get a trailer! So happy to learn of other women who have “braved” traveling on their own!!! I’m in Birmingham, Alabama…so we are not too far apart from your starting point!
I can’t imagine parting with Janie! So blessed that her new owner is a friend of yours and also that she still has a dogfriend!
Best of luck with your upcoming closing on both your homes! 🙂 patti
Hi, Patti!
It delights me to hear someone is interested enough to read my entire blog. I am inspired to keep writing when I hear it helps others realize their dream. Thanks for letting me know.
You will be so fortunate if you can set up a retirement where you have the best of two worlds: a home base with loving family around and a home on wheels with time to travel in it. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Believe me, I know how lucky I am (and Janie, too) to have such a fabulous friend.
Good luck finding the perfect trailer and thank you for sharing a bit about yourself. Welcome!
Not homeless, just between homes. The Casita will be your home – it just won’t be stuck in one place. So glad the bandaid is gone. I know you’ll feel more comfortable in new situations without it.
FYI, if you’re at least 62, you want the SENIOR pass that costs $10 and is a lifetime pass. The America the Beautiful pass costs $80 annually.
The countdown continues.
Thanks, Reine. I edited today’s entry.
I think you are aware of this but I will say it any way. 🙂
The senior pass is good for more than just COE and can be gotten at other places but does have to be done in person.
Bill Kelleher
Hi, Bill,
I was aware. Thank you for making sure I knew that.
I made some calls and everybody routed me back to the COE office in Gainesville as being the closest to me. That’s about an hour and 15 min. drive one way. I’ll squeeze that trip in somehow!
Today I have to meet with my seller again and also have a long-postponed get-together with a friend in a neighboring town.
I love the way people reading this blog look out for me.
You’re exactly right about the change — moving from this house — being a distraction from Janie. The crew does seem a little mopey today. That will pass.
It sounds like it’s all GOOD!
I can’t complain!
Well, I can, but I shouldn’t. 🙂
if you pass by East TX… Tyler…we should connect.
I am a 55+ woman looking to follow in your tire tracks soon.
I’d love to but the day I’ll be going through East Texas is one very long haul from NE Mississippi. I’ll eat while driving and only stop for restroom and dog walks.
If we keep in touch and you get in my “tire tracks” soon, we’re bound to meet someday!
Sounds good… travel safely and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are an inspiration :O)
Sounds like all systems are a GO. And, you go girl. You are making me jealous.
Emily, You make me smile.
Hi Sue,
I have been following your blog since the beginning and I’m thrilled for you. I retired almost 6 years ago while still in my early 50’s. I’m not wealthy; I’m thrifty. It’s amazing what you can get along without and still enjoy life. I still have my home but travel on extended trips with my 13′ egg; no A/C, no microwave, no generator…. just my Macbook, iphone and mp3 player. I really don’t miss the extras. I have dual propane tanks so I don’t worry about running out and keep my battery charged up. I plan my travel according to the seasons and weather forecasts. I look forward to reading your blog whenever you have a chance to write. I have met many fellow campers that travel with 2 (or more) dogs and they all seem richer for it. Enjoy!
Barrie
Hi, Barrie!
What a wonderful send-off! So encouraging and upbeat!
I love your approach to life. Why work until you drop? Get out as soon as you have a workable plan and enjoy life, right? You know one of the secrets of happiness . . . less is more as long as you have your technology with you. Before the invention of A/C and heat pumps and such, people relied on their knowledge of the seasons and the ability to predict the weather, and then they lived their life accordingly.
I would like to meet you and your egg someday. Thanks for telling us about yourself and also for following my blog. I’m thrilled, too!
Photo question.
Do you have any idea why a photo taken with a phone will not transfer to your blog ?
Just curious.
Bill Kelleher
I don’t have any idea why it won’t. My friend took the photo on her iphone and forwarded it to my computer. I opened her email and had a lot of difficulty opening the photo. After several tries, it opened. WordPress won’t allow me to move or copy the photo from an email onto the dashboard where I draft my blog. I tried putting it on my desktop, putting it in my Microsoft LivePhoto gallery, copying and pasting into Word, and so on before trying to put it into WordPress . . . no luck.
There’s probably some small maneuver I’m missing. I don’t have any trouble if she takes a photo with a regular camera and emails it to me, which BTW she plans on doing.
Check the extension, you might have to change it to jpg.
Bill K
She said the extension was jpeg. I’ll check it.
This is a crazy day . . . doing everything “on the fly” . . .
Good luck today, I hope everything goes as planned.
I am out of ideas on the photo. It should work. ( it say’s here in fine print ) LOL
Bill Kelleher
Would love to know rvsue, why buy new casita instead of used? “Anyone?… Anyone?”
Hi, Patti,
New for a couple of reasons:
1) There aren’t many Casitas in Georgia. To buy used means traveling and buying sight unseen in order to grab a deal. That’s hard to do when you are not familiar with Casitas, and you cannot always grab one up before someone else when you are working a full time job.
2) I am not handy with repairs and I didn’t want to do a lot of repairing and mods. My house needed repairs to get ready to sell …. that’s enough to do!
3) the biggest reason . . . . I’ve bought used houses and cars all my life. Simply put, I wanted new.
Everyone needs to get a NEW car or house at least once. We recently bought a new car because we got a better deal (translated fewer $$$$) than we could on a used one. We were blessed to find one with minimal hail damage and the dealer gave us the $$$$ off the price that they would have paid to have it fixed.
If you’re going to keep it forever, then I can understand purchasing the Casita new especially the way Casitas hold their value. To get significant savings, you would have to find one that’s at least 4 or 5 years old.
Did your closing go off as scheduled?
This little trailer is going to be my home for a long time, God willing.
The closing was a quick and easy cash sale.
Something you might not know: Army Corps of Engineers land is officially “off-limits” to firearms. So make sure and hide your gun good, and keep it on the QT. 😀
Good to know, Mike!