Treasure Map

Here is the treasure map I worked on last weekend. I finally got it scanned. Had to do three scans and put them together since the poster board I did the treasure map on was larger then the scanner bed.

Isn't this just a perfect visual expression of what I want to do and where I want to go when we are full-timing in the RV? It is funny that I didn't even know what I wanted to do my treasure map on. Then I picked up the first magazine to start looking for pictures and words that spoke to me. And there were all these travel related pictures and words. I knew that I was supposed to focus my treasure map on full-timing and traveling and seeing the west.

The map includes all of the states I'd like to explore. And the pictures are representations of the places I'd like to see and experience. And the words reinforce how the experience will help me grow and enjoy life.

I'm looking foward to seeing how HP makes all this happen. I'm sure it will be even more then I can even imagine. Just waiting for the ride and looking to do my part to make it happen 

Next Trip Planning

Amy and I are thinking about going to Big Bend in October for about 5 days. It will take us about 10 hours or more to get there and then the same amount to get to Dallas so that Amy can do the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in Dallas.

I've never been to Big Bend National Park and this way if we go we won't necessarily need to take a detour there on our way out west when we leave for full-timing.

I did a workshop yesterday where we did treasure mapping. You go through magazines and cut out things you'd like to have in your life. I wasn't thinking to much about our full-timing plan. But the first magazine I picked up was a Texas Monthly which had all kinds of ads for travel destination in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California among others. Just perfect. And in another magazine I found a picture of all the states I'm hoping to visit first. It was of New Mexico north to Canada and New Mexico west to the Pacific.

My treasure map turned out great. And now I have a visual reminder of what I want to being doing. I put it on my dresser in the bedroom so that I'll see it several times a day. And I turn the results over to HP.

I'll need to scan it and post it.

Hope and Relief

So the world isn't ending as my last post would imply. My FIL called me after I told my MIL that we probably weren't going to Dallas because the RV wouldn't start.

He asked what was happening when I tried to start the engine. I told him that it sounded like the starter was clicking on but not able to turn over. He said it sounded like the battery needed charging. He asked if I had tried using the auxilary battery to get it started.

I had but after I got off the phone with him, I went back out to the RV and tried again. This time I held the auxilary button in while I turn the key and pumped the gas. It turned over and started!

I let it run a little bit to charge up the battery. But now that I know how to use the auxilary battery, I don't think we will have any problems in the morning.

Now back to packing!

Disappointment and Frustration

The plan was to leave tomorrow to go to Dallas in the RV. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home after work to pick up our food for the weekend. When I got home I loaded it all in the refridge. We had to have that fixed after our last trip because it went out on us. It is working great now.

While we had the RV there for repair to the attenna and refridge, we also had a tune up and oil change. After I got up off the floor from the total cost: $1100, I was able to reason that at least now we would know it was road worthy.

But apparently not. The RV won't start. It seems like the battery is charged but the engine just won't turn over no matter how often I try.

Is this thing going to turn into a money pit? Who knows how much it is going to cost to get someone out here to look at it and fix it.

So it looks like there won't be a trip to GeoStock in Dallas for the national geocaching event being held there. I was really looking forward to going. It is being held at a state park on a lake.

But now with Amy's transmission in her car needing to be replaced, I think we will have to hold off on getting someone out here to fix the RV. Maybe next month.

And to top it off, the roofers are coming tomorrow to replace the roof on the house damaged by the wind and hail storm we had a few weeks ago. It was work out perfectly, we'd be gone while they were pounding on the roof. Looks like we will spending the weekend up at Fay and Bucky's instead.

Sigh.....

Rose and RV

Next Road Trip Planned

It isn't until May for Memorial Day weekend so we might end up going somewhere else between now and then, but we are going to GeoWoodstock 4 in Dallas May 26th - 29th with the RV.

Between now and then we need to take the RV in for an oil change, tune up, and an estimate for repairs to the antenna, air conditioner, and refrigerator. Plus I want them to look at the tires and let us know if they need to be replaced.

I like geocaching and all but I'm not sure about a whole weekend of it with a bunch of other geeky geocachers. Luckily, we will have the RV and at least one AC unit working. I can bring my knitting and a good book and I'll be set.

There is a BBQ dinner scheduled for Saturday night. And oh!!! we get a free t-shirt and button. Yippe! :0

The Offending Picture

Amy didn't want me to post this picture of her stuck on the bunk that she posted about. But I really think we need to remember this with a visual!



And really, I wouldn't have let her fall and hurt herself. I mean my computer was right there and I wouldn't have wanted her to land on it! ;)

Sue's never going to let us borrow the RV again

We have probably made more of a mess in this RV over the last two days than Sue and Bob did the entire 20 years they owned it. The fridge wasn't working so we put ice in there with our perishables. Of course, it leaked so we got the floor wet. Rhonda made us a yummy breakfast this morning but spilled pancake batter on the floor. We've both spilled soda on the floor as well. At least it was all easily cleaned up. We have some big shoes to fill in regards to the upkeep of this rig.

So we have this pull down bed above the cab. It's not the most easily accessible place in here. I couldn't get myself up there, Rhonda said it was because I was too short. She managed to get up there so I thought surely I could make it. I used the chair and managed to pull my not-so-dainty ass up there. I was worried it would not hold me and wanted to get down. So, there I was dangling off the edge not able to find the chair with my "short little legs" and I'm asking Rhonda for help. Actually, it was more like "Rhonda, help me down!!!!! Rhonda, come here and help me!!!! Put down that goddamn camera and help me down!!! Don't you dare take a picture!!! For the love of god and small children, put down that camera and help me!!!!!" She did help me...after she took that damn picture. Sometimes she can be so evil!

Oh, and did I say anything about our couch/pullout bed? Like how comfortable it is? Well, you won't hear my say that, cause it's not! I rolled over in the middle night and hit the wall so when I rolled the other way, I hit Rhonda. And then there's that ridge that runs right down the middle. Oh yeah, that's special. The only other alternatives are the twin beds made of granite and the kitchen table. Hmmmmm, which one should I choose? Actually, I think once we get the bedroom set up with a bigger more comfortable bed, it will work out just fine.

It's going to be challenging living in here with three cats and a dog plus a wife and myself but I have no doubt we will figure it out. It's a little smaller than what we used to have but it will be okay. The shower isn't too bad, it actually has pretty good water pressure. The water closet is another matter. It's very, very tiny. It's a wee place to wee. We are talking miniature toilet here. My ass hangs over into the trash can, :-). It is going to be challenging.

This was a fun first trip. We still have a few kinks to iron out but that's half the fun. We have to get up at the ass crack of dawn in the morning because I have to go to work. Putting up and taking down this motorhome is so much easier than the fifth wheel we used to have. I can't wait for the next trip!

Walking Around Fredericksburg

Today we walked over to the main part of town. It was about a mile walk. But the weather was nice so it wasn't too bad. But they don't have many sidewalks in this town so we had to walk on the street most of the way there.

Here is an old building and truck we saw on our walk.


Fredericksburg is an old town and we saw lots of old buildings and warehouses.

We did a couple of geocaches. One was a virtual cache and the other was a multi-cache. We were able to find the first part of the multi-cache but didn't find the second one. We may have gotten the coordinates for the second half wrong.

Here is a picture of what Amy called a "Pioneer Totem Pole". This was in Pioneer park where the virtual cache was located.



We also had lunch at Wheeler's on Main Street at Llano. Both Amy and I had the chicken salad. She had hers on a croissant with potato soup. I had mine by itself along with a green salad and fruit. We shared peach cobbler with ice cream. Mmmmm good!