My All Time Favorite Holiday!!!!

HALLOWEEN!!!!!

It's that time of year again ... spooky Halloween arrives in 24 days.  Most people count down to Christmas ... I count down to Halloween!!  When working, I cajoled the entire office into dressing up in some sort of costume.  My friend Diane and I would spend hours pouring over ideas until we came up with something that would suit everyone ... from "Brides" (dead bride, witch bride, our boss was the Reverend) to "Queen of ---" (Sheba, Vampires, Accountants) ... "School Girls" (bad girls, Catholic girls, angelic girls) ... It was scads of fun!!  Since we both retired, they have not dressed up at all.  What fun is that???  Now I try to figure out themes for my house ... not that anyone comes Trick-or-Treating here any more, but it's fun anyway!!  Guess I'm just a kid at heart!!

Once I enlarge this sign, it will hang on my front door.

The Headless Horseman will appear with a pumpkin head somewhere on the property.  The head was needed for my other greeter ...

Kitty Kitty Kitty!!!!  I set this one on the floor and Cooper went nuts!!

Here's the "Greeter" ... a Day of The Dead doll, six feet tall.  The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration of family members who have passed and it happens to coincide with our Halloween celebrations.  The costumes they wear and the dolls they use for the altars, just scream Halloween!!!  This is actually my Mummy Girl, minus her head.  With very little work, I was able to attach her NEW head!!  She's a work in progress ... I'll keep you posted!!

Next up will be some pumpkin carving!!

Stay tuned for the rest of the decorations!!!

Porky Deliciousness Is Smoking Good!!

I can't believe how good this smoked pork shoulder is!!  After 18 hours of cooking, I opened the door, expecting to see the now-much-smaller roasts due to shrinkage (everyone understands shrinkage?) and found they were just about the same size as when I started!  I was actually counting on them getting smaller, because there was enough meat in there to last me a year!!!

I actually shortcut the process a little since I had a shopping trip scheduled for Saturday morning, but I don't think it mattered at all. 

It was AMAZING!!!  So good in fact, that I was stuffed before 10:00 am ... I just kept tasting pieces because I couldn't believe how good it was on my first try!!

It took me some time to get it into 7 containers ... and I gave away two whole roasts.  They called later to say it was (and I quote) "spectacular"!!!   I'm sooo happy!  In fact, I already have orders for Thanksgiving!!  I'm hoping it's not just beginners luck ... but with Dennis' recipe, I don't think I can go wrong!  Thank you Dennis .. I owe it all to you!!!!!

On another note ... people do the strangest and DUMBEST things!!  This is a HUGE load of trash sitting on the back of a CORVETTE convertible!  I was so shocked, I almost ran over the guy!  At least he put down some kind of blanket, but I'm seriously thinking this is illegal!!  I had to turn off the highway ... I just didn't want to see the wreck!!  Really?  You're going to drive your Corvette into the dump????

So after parking all that gorgeous meat, my friend Chris and I headed off to Modesto for a shopping spree.  It really wasn't planned that way ... I just needed a couple of items (duplicates) for the RV.  

Unfortunately, we had to go right by Beverly's Fabric Store.  I don't know which ones you have been in, but the one in Modesto has more home decorating items than any one I've seen.  We found a fall wreath on sale, 50% off.  Of course we both wanted it and they only had one, but they DID have all the stuff necessary to make your own ... which I did ... for about the same price.  They also had several items that I can use to turn my Halloween Mummy girl into a Day-Of-The-Dead girl for my front porch.  I'll have to figure out how to chain her to the porch (things sometimes disappear in our neighborhood), but with that and my new wicked witch mask, I'll be ready for the little tasty munchkins ... I mean neighbor kids ... for HALLOWEEN!!!

No weight loss today :(   Tooooo much Q!!!

A Smoking Good Time!!

My friends know I'm all about BBQ!!  LOVE the stuff!!  What could be more fun than eating some great smoked pork!!  At an Escapee rally in Los Banos, we all went to Hot City BBQ for lunch, which had amazing Q.  Out front, the BBQ Master took me from one section of his grill to the other, explaining all about temperature sections and smoke.  I just don't think I see a $10,000 smoker in my back yard any time soon.  Besides, it won't fit in the rig and you can't drive it!!

Recently I saw an advertisement for a Bradley Smoker, did some research, and decided I just couldn't wait any longer.  In talking to Nick and Terry Russell, they have an Amazon.com Link on their site, which when used by anyone to access Amazon, results in a credit to their account.  They also suggested I look into Amazon Prime, which offers discounts and free shipping on most products for a yearly fee.  I really didn't think I would use it enough to warrant the charge, until I saw the savings on the Smoker of well over $100 dollars.  Okay then ... a Bradley Smoker it is!!!

While reading another one of my recommended blogs, Dennis & Carols RV Adventures, I noticed he does quite a bit of smoking ... pork that is!!  Recently he even posted a partial recipe.  That was enough for me -- I need to talk to Dennis!!  A few emails later,  he was kind enough to not only give me the recipe, but include his secret tips too!!

A quick trip to Costco and I was ready to get started.

It couldn't be easier.  Attach the burner unit to the box, plug it in, add biscuits and water in a bowl that sits inside on the bottom.  The controls are all digital and easy as pie to operate.

In about 20 hours, this pork will be the pinnacle of porky deliciousness!!  Another plus is that since I smell of hickory smoke, the men in Home Depot seem to follow me everywhere!!  Ladies I think we need to rethink the flowery perfumes!!!  Eau de Hickory Pork may entice them more!!!

While waiting for the smoker, I tried a new pot roast recipe in the oven.  This couldn't be easier too!!   I like easy because I'm not that great a cook!!!  Brown the pot roast, take it out of the pot.  Put in lots of chopped celery, carrots and onion and cook for a couple of minutes.  Now add the meat back in, along with bay leaves, a teaspoon of thyme, a can of Dr. Pepper and enough vegetable or beef broth to barely cover.  Cook at 350 degrees for 3-1/5 to 4 hours.  Now who would have thought Dr. Pepper, which I really don't like, could make a great pot roast.  You'll have to try it and see!!!

This morning I checked out the Q and it's doing nicely.  I forgot and left my back door open a little for the dogs, so now my house smells of BBQ.  At least it's better than the "old" smell it had when I got home from Alaska!!  A few more hours and it will be ready.  Don't worry, there will be lots of pictures for tomorrow!!!

Since you know about the Amazon link now, be sure and log on to Nick and Terry Russell and look for the link to Amazon.com (on the right hand side) whenever you plan to access the site and/or order something -- and pass the word along to your friends!!!  

Diet update:  loss of 4.8 pounds  One of four pair of levis fits!!!  YAY!!

Back From Hanford ... Chores To Be Done!

I surprised myself when I arrived at the Kings Fair Hanford Fairgrounds.  The roads in were VERY narrow and when Dell told me where I needed to go, I was pretty hesitant.  As I skinnied down the line of rigs, I heard "Look ... it's a WOMAN!!  Look Look!!"  I just laughed!!!  Watching for overhead trees, some of which I couldn't miss, I made my way slowly to a turnaround I thought I could manage and turned into an even narrower road, but managed to get parked without hitting anything!!  Against my better judgement, I followed the parking gentleman's directions and ended up with my slide about 12 inches from my neighbor.

I figured it was a good reason to meet some new people, so I knocked on their door to apologize for the close quarters, and met Warren and Marla James ... VERY nice people who didn't care about being close or the possibility (assurance actually) of my dogs barking.  In plugging into the electrical outlet, which meant running my cord under their rig, I discovered this gorgeous image.  I thought of Patty Chance immediately!!!  Boy would I LOVE to have this on the back of my rig!!!

That was it for Hanford.  Back at the ranch, I've got sooo many things on my to-do list!!  First up, connect the water to the horse waterer and ditch the nasty water trough.  With the purchase of a few connectors, it's up and running!!

Next up was to replace the guts of the toilet that wouldn't shut off the water.  This is one I've not done before, but how hard can it be???

The worst part was finding a unit that looked like mine and then trying to navigate through the list of directions in ten languages!!  Ready ... set ... GO!!!  Ladies ... we can do this!!  It was easy as pie.  I did get some water on the floor, but 15 minutes later, the unit actually worked!!!  That $15.00 was much better than a $75.00 plumber bill!!

I woke up early this morning to this nice view in my back yard.  The entire time we were in Alaska, I think I only saw one sunset.  When the sun sets at midnight and rises at 3:30 am, there aren't going to be many pictures on my camera.  Here however, the sun rises at the reasonable hour of 6:30 .....

You can see in the above picture however, all the grass that has grown into the flower beds.  That's today's task!!  Anyone want to help???   You're busy????  Okay, maybe next time!!!

Two of Everything ...

I'm learning more and more!!  I got an email from Terry Russell who wondered why I went through all the trouble to unpack ... that I should just have two of everything.  One for the house and one for the RV.  I'm beginning to see the smart reasoning behind that philosophy since I left my camera cable home.  It was one of the things that I unpacked, along with the phone charger!!  I actually thought I was only unpacking the treasures ... but that doesn't seem to be the case.  It all means you'll have to wait for the few images I took here in Hanford.

From Fresno, it was a fairly short drive South, then West to the boondocks.  I arrived at the fairgrounds and got parked with no problems ... except for that electrical box full of hornets!!!  Luckily I'm quick and was able to dodge the barrage of flying stingers that came at my face!!  Hanford is a lovely little town with the fairgrounds situated between the train tracks and the dirt track racing speedway.  Being part of the Golden Spikes, you KNOW I love trains ... but around 1:30 am when the fifth one went through blowing his horn, I wasn't feeling like they were very special at all.  Another four came through after that.   Needless to say, I'm pretty bleery-eyed and groggy this morning!!

My instructor Bill Hall showed up early yesterday, as donuts were on the schedule at 7:30 a.m., and I told him I wanted to get there before they ran out.  Tom Westerfield showed up shortly after that, and they began introducing me to the "locals".  I met a lot of very nice people who were pleased as punch that someone was going to handle the ice cream!!  Turns out there's a little more involved than just calling for the ice cream, but no matter, I think we got it all taken care of between the Subway sandwiches for lunch and the thanksgiving turkey dinner we inhaled ... oh, and don't forget the peach cobbler with ice cream!!

Although I think they planned for some major "discussions", they didn't come about, and the meeting ended early.  I'm in the process of contacting Kurt Simon from the Golden Spike Group for directions regarding the Indio Rally gathering.  I assume it will be the same as last year ... meet in the parking lot on Sunday, drive en masse to the holding area and get parked in the same lot as before.   In order for this to happen however, I need a definite count of attendees, along with your FMCA member number by November 30th, so you can all be registered as happy volunteers!!  I get a golf cart (good for drag racing) and a badge, so I'm feeling pretty "official"!! 

They talked about the different groups getting involved in the parade theme ... but never told what the theme was.  If the group is really interested, let me know and I'll find out.  The other "different" activity will be a Pet Style Show ... bring your pets dressed in their best for a chance at trophies for "Longest Ears", "Shortest Tail", "Wettest Nose" ... you get the picture!!  Since Jesse Belle would just as soon rip up all their cute clothes, mine will opt out of the competition!!

Heading home this morning and will regale you with all three images in tomorrow's blog!!  

Happy Trails ............

I Hate It When I Do That!!!

Most times you figure if you pack everything, anything missing can be picked up along the way.  MOST times ... that is.  THIS time, I'm not towing, and wouldn't you know, all those things I was SURE I packed, can't be found anywhere!!!  I hate it when I do that!!!

First off was my phone charger.  It's okay, I aways carry a spare in the rig, just for these occasions.  What I DON'T have however, is the plug on the end ... you know, the one that allows the electricity to flow through the wire and charge the phone??  I scrounged around until I found one that plugs into the dash ... cigarette lighter type ... but it refuses to charge the phone.  I pretty much imagine I'm not going to last three days on one days charge.  If you need to contact me, you'll have to send an email.   At least I remembered the MiFi!!

It didn't take long until I discovered the next forgotten item ... butter.  How can I have toast without butter???  I KNOW I put it in the fridge!!  I looked everywhere ... in the bathroom, in the cupboards and even in the freezer, because sometimes us old folks get sidetracked and just don't know where we put stuff.  Once I found my keys in the fridge!!  I HATE it when I do that.  While scrounging for the butter, I happened on a jar of Marionberry jam from Oregon ... a suitable substitute for a couple of days.

I'm parked in Hall's RV Park this morning, amid beautiful trees and singing birds, waiting for a donkey bray or two!!  I got to hang out with Sofie and Bitsy, two gorgeous Westies, getting lots of puppy kisses in the process.  We spent two hours going over my Ice Cream Social duties last night, along with parking requirements, acquiring the tri-tip, executing the final clean-up and a pizza party.  We ended the night at Sals Mexican Restaurant in Fresno with the best Chili Verde Fancy Burrito I've ever had!!

This morning I'll head off to Hanford, about 50 miles away where I'll be meeting with other Western Motorhome Association members in the planning stages of the Indio Rally.  Maybe I'll meet someone who can spare some butter!!!

Service and Diet Updates ...

Out of the blue, the new Gardner I called to help clean up my jungle, showed up at my door last night.  I was getting worried about the lions and tigers that might be lurking!  As with most contractors, they're not good at initial customer service ... but once you can get their attention, they are very helpful.  We agreed my old gardner needs new blades on his mower, as my lawn has sections that look like the grand canyon!  Sal (who I discovered actually lives fairly close) will clean the flower beds, mow and fertilize the lawn, prune and shape the trees and clean out my back fence layered 12 inches deep with trash from the buzzard trees ... all for the same cost as the current gardner who only mows the lawn.  Now THAT's service!!  I just have to remind myself to be patient I suppose!!  Work will begin when I return from the FMCA meeting.

In the meantime, one of the problems with leaving my horse alone is sufficient water.  In the past, I've just let the hose drip a little, resulting in a nice lake at the base of the trough and a high electric bill for the well.  I just couldn't seem to get it adjusted correctly.  Having seen the automatic waterers at the boarding facility and knowing my horse will actually use them, I decided to give it a try.

Bolts are required for installation, but none are included????  Since my stalls are steel tube panels, I needed a sturdy piece of lumber, 14" x 18" to attach the unit to.  Off to Home Depot I trot, looking for help/service.  Unfortunately, help/service wasn't working this day!!  The only thing I could find to mount the waterer to was an 18" round table top ... it works for me!!!  I should have purchased some new drill bits ... mine are very old and dull ... but I got all the holes drilled, even if they are a little crooked.  I never said I was GOOD at this stuff, just that I can get it done and Showby doesn't care if it's not pretty!  

U-bolts attach it to the fence.   After dropping three of the tiny nuts in the water trough, I got it attached, when I discovered the long ends of the bolts would be sticking out too far and would be a hazard to the horse.  So I took everything apart, turned them around and reattached it to the fence rails.  MUCH better!!  All I need now is a different hose end and we're in business!!  It's not exactly pretty, but it works!!!!

While I had the drill out, I put up a couple more hangars for halters and bridles.  I don't mind doing this kind of work at all ... it's pretty fun actually ... just wish I could do a little more professional job.  Next up is the toilet repair!  Upon return from Alaska, one of the whatchamacallits won't shut off the water flow, but it will have to wait for another day.

I KNOW everyone wants a diet update ... boy is it hard to eat rabbit food when you are used to halibut and chips, giant bacon cheeseburgers and cookies!!!  I seem to eat when I get bored, which is often ... making my task even more difficult.  While visiting, one of my friends mentioned she was using "myfitnesspal".  I've heard several people say they are using this free app on their phone and how it has helped them loose 30 pounds and more!!   I had it on my phone, but it seemed to be too time consuming ... like I don't have time!  Really Nancy, you play games on your phone 30 minutes a day!!  She showed me how to use it as a planning tool for each meal AHEAD of time.  If you know you are having Panda Express for dinner, it will help you pick the least of evils, showing what your available balance is for the rest of the day ... allowing you to make better choices for breakfast and lunch.  So far it's working ... the ONLY diet method I've ever tried that even came close.  Wish me luck!!  

I'll spend today repacking the rig ... even though it's still not "unpacked" ... and will be heading South.  I'll also be getting the location of the Santa Maria Tri-Tip for purchase and transport to the Indio Rally in January.  Can't wait to see everyone again!!!

The Battle Begins and Ends!!!

I'm sure there are good and bad things about every place you might choose to live when it comes to critters.  In Arizona, it's pack rats and scorpions.  At my house, it hornets or wasps and black widow spiders!!  At least that's what I THINK they are .. and they are prolific!!!  Luckily I don't have any problems "inside" the house, but venture outside and it's another story!  These two set up house above my front door.  Surprisingly, their neighbor was the largest daddy long legs I've ever seen!!  I usually head for the biggest hammer I can find to dispatch these little invaders.  Since these guys were about nine feet up, the chance of missing the swing and having one fall down my shirt while perched on a ladder, was a scary proposition that I was not willing to risk.  Enter my second best option ... wasp spray!!

This stuff is the BOMB!!!   It kills spiders, wasps and really, any insects, as well as does some nice damage to burglars and car jackers.  I carry a can in every vehicle and two in the RV.  It sprays up to 27 feet away!!!  PERFECT!!!  As you can see, it definitely worked on these guys.

Death in an instant!!!!!  I apologize for being so gruesome today, but really ... don't you feel good when you dispatch these guys???

Come to think of it, I spied a small wasp nest on the eaves ... and since I was in the destruction mood, I took a walk around the outside of the house.  As any great detective would, I found my targets in a flash ... five two-inch nests of them!!!  A quick spray, followed by a sprint to at least 30 feet away, led to more death and destruction.  

These wasps tend to hang in the grass where the puppies roam.  I have on several occasions, had to hold an ice pack on Jessie's foot to relieve the pain and swelling caused by a sting, so she's my biggest supporter when it comes to the elimination of these guys!

It's back to unpacking ... and packing up again.  Tomorrow I leave for an FMCA Indio Rally planning meeting in Hanford, meeting with Bill Hall, who is training me in his specialty ... the ICE CREAM social!!  I'll update you on everything Indio Rally in the next few days!!

What Happened to Service???

I appreciate service ... and I pay well when I receive it, but it seems to be a thing of the past, just like me!  What happened to businesses providing service?? Hmmm I think I sound like Bad Nick.  Did I mention that my friends, with all good intentions, turned my sprinkler system up rather high while I was gone to be sure there were no brown spots in my lawn?  I definitely think I would opt for the brown spots over the overgrowth of bermuda grass I now have invading my flower beds.  It was so overwhelming that I decided to hire a gardner (with much younger strong MEN) to fix the problem.  So far I have called three ... and none have seen fit to even return my call.  Did I miss the spectacular fireworks display of money floating from the sky making everyone rich while I was gone??  No one seems to want work anymore, so my idea that we were pretty much in a depression must be completely WRONG!!!  Same goes for the tree trimmer and the horseshoer.  With no other options, I started on the task myself.  I finished two small areas, trimmed one tree and sprayed the driveway for weeds.

I ended up with so much brush that I had to quit.  My "green" can is already full to the brim with bad hay from yesterday's cleaning of the barn area!!   All of which means I get to look at the overgrowth until Sunday when the bins are emptied.  Where's the advil?????

In the meantime, although this isn't the best of pictures, my Showby horse is doing well.  I've actually been riding him every day for 10-20 minutes.  If he had shoes on, I'd be taking him out, getting him in even better shape ... but alas, the horseshoer must have won the lottery, since he hasn't called either.  I guess it's just too much trouble to drive here for only one horse, even though it ends up putting $100 in his pocket for 45 minutes work.  I'd work for $133 an hour!!  So what happened to SERVICE??

At this point, I'm tired, cranky, achy and could use a cigarette!!!  Not really, I don't smoke ... but 5 or 6 advil should help!!  Next up will be pruning the 5 foot high rose bushes I have along my back fence ... the ones that the landscaper assured me were Carpet Roses and only grow 2 feet high!!  In the meantime, the spiders and ants will have to wait.  Don't worry, I'll get them in the end!!!

I don't think I showed an image of the wire sculpture I found in Seaside.  Hand made by a very young local artist there, I was stopped two times on my way to the car by people asking about it.  It's about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.  How smart was she to attach rocks ... like he was standing on them ... to keep it upright and balanced.  I brought back lots of cool treasures, but I think this is my favorite!!

Scratched by thorns and dirty from head to toe, I'm off to Tractor Supply for some "horse" things and the biggest saw I can find.  My neighbor's trees are hanging over breaking the fence, and he refuses to trim them.  Since the tree trimmer also won the lottery ... how amazing is THAT!!! ... I'm going to hack away in the hopes I kill the tree!!!  Then I won't have to worry about it any more!!!

Idle Hands And All That!!!

But it's not going to be MY problem for some time!!  Too much cleaning to do!!!  First up ... remove the kennels and protect the hay ... it's time to bring Showby home!

I pretty much left the place a big mess when we pulled out in May.  Now I'm paying the price!  The large kennel can go, as I have no big dogs.  I did consider leaving it up so anyone entering the back yard would wonder where the dog was .. as in burglars ... but I really need the hay covered.  It's very easy to disassemble the kennel ... just a wrench to loosen the clamps.  The hard part is dragging them over to the horse stalls for storage!!

Now you see it ... now you don't!!!  Two hours later .... how time flies!!!

With that done, it's time to move the hay.  Now THAT took a little longer!!  I probably shouldn't be doing this at my age ... but then again, maybe that's why I CAN do this at my age!!!  There are tricks to using hay hooks and stacking 125 pound bales of alfalfa.  If you ever need my services, I'll be happy to provide some instruction.  At least now I can stop buying $100 tarps that just shred by the end of summer.  Although I used to buy hay by the retriever load (80 bales) I've opted to purchase from a local feed store (at a higher price of course), 40 bales at a time, which they will stack for me.  I guess it's a wash!

Time for the cleanup ... the two bales remaining have to go to the dump ... moldy hay is killer for horses!!

Now ... move the motorhome, hook up the horse trailer, move the motorhome back, get the horse, move the motorhome, park the trailer ..... it's the musical chairs of motorhome versus horse trailer.  I REALLY need one more parking spot.  Then it's off to purchase a pressure washer to clean up the black widows.  That's the down side to living in a sandy area ... they LOVE it here, and although I sprayed and sprayed before I left (you know, with the stuff that will work for 12 months?) they have again invaded every nook and cranny!!  My Ninja spider killing skills are known far and wide however ... pictures to come!!!

It's An Addiction ...

I keep hearing about fall ... fall is here, it's cooler ... but not where I live in Central California.  Daytime temps are still upwards of 88 and I've been forced to turn the AC on.  One of the interesting things I didn't know about RV'ing is how conservative everyone has to be.  You conserve water, you conserve T.P., you conserve fuel ... what a shock when I come home to see how much of everything is wasted!!  It takes a full three minutes of running my water in the sink full blast before it gets hot.  I have one of those new electric heat-as-you-need-it systems instead of a hot water heater.  What a waste of energy and water!!  Instead of cooling approximately 200 sq ft, I'm cooling 3,000!!!  Pretty sobering ... and I pride myself on being one of the conservative homeowners in my area!!  Apparently my neighbors have no clue, because when PG&E sends out their little "how much electricity you use" letter, everyone in my area is at the highest scale ... I'm at the bottom.   Besides just being cheap, I credit that to being an RV owner.  Being conservative has become an addiction!!

One of the problems I encountered when I got home was the smell of a house being locked up tight for five months.  You know, that musty "old" smell?  Does anyone have any ideas how to get rid of it??  I had all the drains plugged, so it's not from the sewer.  I've left the windows open for two days, turned on all the fans and cleaned and cleaned.  Nothing! I even used up an entire bottle of Fabreeze .. the one they advertise takes care of EVERY odor??  Still nothing!  I even Fabreezed the dogs ... no help.  Maybe someone with more experience has some ideas I could try.

Today's task is to disassemble the big dog kennel and move about 50 bales of hay under the small shed so I can quit buying $100 tarps that disintegrate over the summer.  Sound like fun??  Now you know one of the reasons I need a MAN around the house.  Really, I'm getting too old for this stuff.  I visited my baby horse yesterday at the boarding facility and will pick him up tomorrow.  If you remember, I have him on some expensive meds ... and it's working really well.  He looks gorgeous, like he did in the old days ... not that I can ride him much ... but he looks good!!!  That's a horse owner for ya .. it's an addiction!!

Lastly, I hate to complain, but this BLOG thing has become an addiction too!!!  I can't even have a cup of coffee before I'm on the computer reading Gypsy Journal RV Travel Newspaper Nick and Terry and Dan Chance Travel By Chance, along with several more.  To make it worse, I go around all day looking for things to take pictures of to post on the blog.  It's ALWAYS better with pictures ... which means I take a camera with me everywhere!  I'm telling you, it's an ADDICTION!!!  So tomorrow, I'll have pictures!!!!!

Let The Diet Games Begin!!!

Eating out as much as we did the last 5 months was a good thing ... and a bad thing.  I crept up on the scales and held on to the wall, hoping I could sneak up on it and it would read 5 pounds more than when I left.  No such luck ... I put on 10 pounds and my clothes don't fit.  I just cleaned out my closet in May (a really big thing if you ever saw my closet), and I don't want to fill it up again, so the first stop was at the store for some rabbit food!!  Change is hard, especially when you love bacon and cheeseburgers!!  I read recently however, that if you just change one little thing a week ... like half a cup of coffee instead of two ... or an egg for breakfast instead of a bagel ... that it's easier to get used to the deprivation!!!!!  Worst of all, I'm out of Ben and Jerry's!!  It took lots of willpower to pass that section of the freezer and go for green beans!!

I think I just figured out why so many people want to full-time!!  It took me 2-1/2 hours to clean my house ... in the rig, it takes me 5 minutes.  It takes two weeks to change a habit ... it was pretty easy adapting to the small motorhome, it's much harder trying to adapt back to a large house.  There was no yard work ... no messes to clean up, except for that bottle of chili sauce that came flying out of the fridge and hit the floor ... it was just so much easier with less "stuff".

Speaking of stuff ....  this is maybe half ... an Alaskan license plate??  Really????  Where did THAT come from!!

And of course the quilt material!  After dragging all this from the rig, I guarantee I have learned my lesson.  Any travels from here on out will NOT result in the purchase of soooo many treasures!!  They go in so easy one at a time, but getting them out is a tripping/falling hazard!!

I picked up my mail that was forwarded to a friends house to the tune of $300 ... glad I can keep the U.S. Post Office in business.  Two boxes, 12x18x10 were finally reduced to a stack of large envelopes 8 inches high.  Talk about waste ... 1/3 was magazines I never ordered, 1/3 was "refinance your house" and the rest just trash.  The funny part is that my friend actually threw away all the advertisement junk!!

Here's my final tally of the rig expenses for the 5 months ...

Miles traveled                   8,670  (can you believe it???)

Gal fuel used                    1,008 

Cost                                $4,602  (avg $4.56 per gallon, most $$ left in Canada)

Gal DEF used                       16  (take it with you ... it's not readily available in Canada)

Avg MPG                            8.6

RV Parks                        $1,800 (not counting the purchase of a new TT membership)

Food and Misc                I'm guessing here ... maybe around $500 a month

Dan's estimate of $10,000 was right on the money!!  If you never ate out, you would probably spend much less, but what's the fun in that???

Best trip of my life ... and I hope to have many more!!  I plan on getting MORE than my money's worth out of my Thousand Trails membership!!!  Now to find some place to fly a kite!!!

Happy Trails!!