#24 Two down Five to go...round one

I’ve decided to try and update the blog every two weeks.  Makes it easier than trying to handle all the messages asking how things are going, which we do appreciate very much.

LJ started his treatments.  It’s going to be rougher than we thought.  To start with, because of the kidney issue the chemo doc decided to change the type of chemo.  The original chemo is very hard on the kidneys.  It requires flushing the kidneys, administering the chemo, then flushing the kidneys again.  That’s a five hour appointment on chemo days.  With his right kidney non functioning, the doctor didn’t want to chance ruining the left one.  So the insurance approved the higher cost chemo that doesn’t hurt the kidney.  His chemo appointments now are about an hour and a half, one day a week.  I see why the insurance doesn’t approve it right away.  The original chemo co-pay was $130.  For the new stuff the copay is $750. 😳 That’s every time he goes in for chemo.  That’s over and above his radiation costs and other assorted costs.  Thank goodness he has a good insurance plan.  We stop paying out of pocket at $6700.  This RV lifestyle fortunately has us in a good financial position so we can afford it.  I can only imagine what it does to someone with little or no insurance or struggling financially!

He is feeling the effects of the radiation and the chemo.  The chemo commonly causes a rash, which he quickly developed, so more medication for that.  The radiation (5 days a week) has his throat so sore he can’t swallow very well.  I am working on thinning the smoothies I make him while maintaining the calories.  It’s definitely a struggle for him.  He is trying to avoid a feeding tube but I don’t know if he can.  We’ll see how next week goes.  My heart just breaks seeing him in such pain.  He is managing to keep the external throat area from getting too dry...so far, anyway.  I have him put Eucerine cream on the area several times a day trying to get ahead of the inevitable radiation burns.

To do the radiation, they make him a form-fitted mask out of plastic.  Every visit, he lays on a table and they screw the mask down so he can’t move.  He’s not a big fan, but at least those treatments are only 10-15 minutes.

After next week, we are halfway through part one of the cancer trilogy.  I just hope he can maintain his health so he remains on schedule for part two: kidney surgery in May.


On a lighter note, David, the great guy who sold us the model home, let’s me bring Scooter over to play ball in the backyard of “our soon to be” home. I swear the dog smiles when he’s there. The backyard is peaceful. I enjoy spending time there. It allows me to relax and regroup. Can’t wait to move in. Please keep LJ in your prayers, and as always, please, at his request, keep it off FB. You are all appreciated ❤️

#23 Fork in the road

Wow.... really has been awhile since I updated the Blog.  My how time flies when you are having fun.

We returned to Reno at the end of August and stayed, once again, at the Marina RV Park for about three weeks.  I, of course, spent the majority of the time gambling...say it isn't so lol.  Caught up with our Reno area friends.  It was a nice stay.

We left Reno late September and travelled to our usual haunt that time of year.. Richfield Utah.  Atv riding for everyone!  Scooter and I were passengers while we roamed the Swells.  What gorgeous country there.  I would have given anything to ride horseback through that place.  But I am older and wiser, so being a passenger is just fine.  Scooter loved every minute of it.  I didn't go on all the rides, just the ones at the Swells.  LJ, though...rode almost every day.  There were several people there enjoying the scenery.  We did have more rain than usual which put a damper on things a few days, but all in all it was, once again, a good trip.

Of course, we left there mid October.  Spent the night in Las Vegas at Sam's Town, then off to Destiny RV Park in Goodyear, AZ.

We've been in Goodyear since October 18th.  Seems like we have committed to being somewhere on a certain date, so we haven't "travelled" like we planned.  We would like to change that in 2019.  I am getting bored and starting to want a home base.  We'll see.  We have made tentative plans to travel with friends this summer..back to McCall, the badlands, Mount Rushmore.  Should be fun!  And maybe we'll make it to Kentucky for LJ to ride some trails there.

Maybe if we move around a little more it would be fine.  But really we are just picking up the house and moving it to a new location.  And..sigh.. honestly, I'm tired of the trailer life.  On the one hand it is freeing and relaxing.  On the other hand boring and cramped.  I know we made a great choice going back to a toy hauler.  I do believe we would be miserable in a regular trailer, 24/7 - 365.  Since we got the toy hauler, I have been able to do a little sewing.  Made Scooter a cover for his ATV box.  I have a 1000 piece puzzle set up in the garage...that keeps me busy.  Read a ton of books.  I crochet a lot.  But, I still get bored.  I know I'm not the cook of anyone's dreams, but I miss having a regular kitchen.  Camping kitchens are fine..camping..but after awhile it's a pain in the patooty.  We travelled so much when we owned Harleys that there's really no place I want to go lol.  Now LJ on the other hand...he's got all kinds of places he wants to go, mostly atv stuff.  Yet here we are lol.  I say...if we are going to spend months in AZ in an RV park because it's not good traveling weather, then might as well be comfortable in a house.  We can travel alllllllll summer if he wants.

Truthfully, I can't get around as well as I used to which is a problem.  Makes it hard to sight see.  I have developed arthritis in my hands/feet and my knees are bad so lots of walking is definitely a challenge.  Thats another reason we need to settle where we spend the most time.  My Nevada health insurance doesn't cover me for anything outside Nevada unless it's life threatening.  Yea.  And all the individual plans are like that.   My health insurance sucks, so c'mon Medicare..18 months.

As a side note... AZ is freakin' COLD this winter hahahaha.  Not at all like last year when it was warmmmmm.   They say last year was warmer in the winter and summer than usual.  Interesting.  We've had some big time rain storms and it has just been cold.  Jacket cold.  What the heck is up with that.  We've been told this is a weird year.  uh, ok.. but still lol.

So my friends, We'll see where the road takes us.  But all in all..so far so good.  We are still saving money and living the dream.  And we are happy, so there's that😀

But wait...

I let this update sit for awhile before posting.  Why, I don't know.  Probably just lazy.  I have posted nothing on Facebook and will keep it that way.  But....What a difference a month makes.  I haven't been updating because life has taken us down a road we didn't intend.  When we got back to Goodyear, LJ decided to go see the ENT as a followup to last year.  He was still having an intermittent sore throat, but since the last test didn't show cancer we weren't overly concerned.  So, long story short...after a biopsy in December, they discovered throat cancer.  Crap.  So for the last two months it has been test after test after test.  To make an extremely long story short..LJ has three types of cancer...throat, thyroid and kidney.  They are unrelated with no metastasis so thats good.  But he still has cancer.  He starts Chemo and Radiation on Tuesday (2/26) for the throat cancer.  That will last for seven weeks.  Then, because it is really bad, he gets his right kidney removed in May.  Fortunately whatever is there is confined to the kidney.  As for his left kidney,  they will treat the two little spots they found on that kidney...at least thats the plan for now.  Then after all that they will deal with his thyroid.  Thyroid is very slow growing as is kidney cancer.  So they'll probably just remove it too, if the radiation chemo from the throat cancer doesn't take care of it.  To say this has changed our plans is an understatement.  But the docs seem to think its treatable and survivable.  The good thing is they all consult each other so the left hand does know what the right hand is doing..thats nice for a change.

So we have purchased me a car to get him around in because the truck is just a tad too big for me to park lol.  I got lucky and found a 2015 GMC Acadia Denali.  I sold my 2015 Acadia when we started this adventure.  It only had 12K miles on it.  It's freakin' brand new.  I love it.

And we bought a house..here in AZ because quite honestly, we like it here and the medical care is so superior.  His group of doctors have been by far the best doctors one could hope for.  We also have good friends right around the corner from us.  We can't move in until July because it's a model home, but that's ok.  We are doing fine in the RV.  But we both decided owning a home is best in case he can't travel or the inconceivable happens.  He doesn't want me stuck in an RV.  And we certainly don't want to be in an RV in August while he's recuperating from all of this.  Another reason to have a home is if he gets through this and we are traveling, but he needs tests or what not, he can fly home, stay in our house, see his docs and fly back to wherever he left me.  We are determined not to let this end our traveling dream.

It's just a change of plans.  We spent two years in the RV and it has helped us to reach good financial health.  And...if we hadn't done what we did, how we did it, we might not have been in the right place at the right time to discover the cancer.  Everything happens for a reason and we are certain fate brought us here.  We are cautiously optimistic life will go on as we know it, albeit with a rather large pot hole to maneuver through in 2019.

So, thanks for listening...keep him in your prayers and please don't post anything on Facebook.

DJ

#22 Happy Rv-aversary to us

Wow.  It's actually been a year already since we started this adventure.  Time flies when you are having fun.. or maybe time flies because we are older lol.  We've had the new trailer now for about 4 months and I'm glad we made the switch.  Since we bought it I know traveling is much easier.

I didn't write about it before, but a few days after we got it back to the RV park, tho, we had..shall we say a little issue.  Seems we had a water leak somewhere under the trailer.  We noticed it after a few days. The underbelly wrap was sagging and I noticed some water under the trailer.  Hey LJ.. why is there water under the trailer?...oh crap.  Fortunately Bruce was nearby and the boys were able to remove the underbelly wrap and release the water build up.  The insulation was sopping wet, so they pulled that down.  LJ took everything out of the underbelly and removed the underbelly walls.  He could see water standing, but not where it was coming from.  After the process of elimination they determined a pipe fitting was loose and water seeped out whenever the tank drains were opened.  There was no smell, so it was apparently the grey tank fitting.

KOA Las Vegas

Called the manufacturer and then the dealer and since we were leaving in a couple of days for Reno, they made room to get us in to fix it.  I had called the manufacturer to make sure there was no delay in getting it fixed.  They were very helpful.  To make a VERRRRY long story short, we left Arizona, spent the night at the KOA in Las Vegas.  Next morning we dropped the trailer off at the dealer.  They ... with LJ's help because they aren't the brightest bulbs in the box... found the fitting and re-glued it.  They had to keep it overnight to let it set and retest it, so off to the dog friendly Rio Las Vegas we went.  Fortunately it was the middle of the week so no problem getting a room.  It was a hassle, but only because we had to get a room and deal with the wait, but they fixed it. They replaced all the insulation and put it back together.  While they had it, they fixed a couple other minor issues and we were on our way.  I have to say, I like the way the company and the dealership handled it.  I highly recommend Grand Design.

SO now we were off to Reno.  We drove all the way even though we left Las Vegas at about 1pm.  Made it to the Marina RV Park in Sparks.  We were "home".  We planned on staying at the Marina for about 58 days.  This will make sense in a minute.  Of course, once we got there we learned the RV park had a new set of rules and to say LJ was unhappy was an understatement.  First of all, they didn't want the ATV parked by the trailer.  Well, hello.  If we don't remove it, we can't use the garage for a second room and can't use the second bathroom.  So basically...screw you, we are taking it out.  We parked it in front of the trailer with a cover on it and no one ever said a word.

Second, if you are there over 30 days they want a hard line sewer.  What????? Oh, and they want $125 to do it.   Again, What???????  Apparently in the last couple of months, someone complained and the county came out and ordered them to have that policy or face a fine.  Well, come to find out, a city/county ordinance written in the 60's requires it. 😂  Well, fine.  So LJ looked it up and the ordinance says 60 days (still stupid) and he argued it with the manager who decided since we were only going to be there 58 days so he wouldn't make us do it.  Now, I really like this park, but after this we certainly won't stay there longer that a couple of weeks.  Ridiculous.

I did our taxes, gambled a lot, and we went to see the kids and our moms is Sacramento.  LJ was not happy, too, because it was cold and snowy and just plain yukky weather the first three weeks.  He made me promise not to come back to Reno until May the next time lol.

The beginning of June we moved to the KOA RV Park at Boomtown.  I had put together a Sheriff's Dept camping reunion, and planned it for there because of the RV park and closeness of the hotel.  I had no idea whether or not people would come, but thought it was worth a try.  That was from June 10-16 so we got the the park a few days early.  Funny thing...we were staying there 45 days and not a peep about hard line sewer...same county but they don't care lol.

taken on BBQ day.. many more attended throughout the week!

The reunion was a success.  Over 75 people over the week attended.  It was a blast connecting with old friends and making new ones!  It was so much fun we are doing it again next year!  Reservations already made, lol.  So LJ has to come back to Reno whether he likes it or not hahahahaha.



I enjoyed our time in Reno, but found myself missing Arizona and our friends there, too.  I think a lot of it is we just aren't moving around a lot and we get bored.  But, I have learned, that moving around is easier said than done.  Talking to several full-timers, I found out you need to make most reservations almost a year in advance if traveling during the summer.  Many of them just make a circuit...go to the same places every year.  Well, shucks.  We don't want to plan that far ahead!  So I started looking, and sure enough, almost every park is fully booked unless you only want to be there one night.  I needed to figure out where we were going to spend the last two weeks of July and the month of August.  After that, we were already scheduled places.  What a nightmare.

We had already planned to leave Reno and go to Salmon Idaho for an ATV rally LJ wanted to attend.
That reservation was made, but where to after?  I called several places and finally was able to book us at the HWY 93 RV resort in Twin Falls for two weeks.  That's where we are now.  They have opened up the large pull through sites and it's quite nice.  When we leave here, I was able to get us into Village of the Trees RV park about an hour away in Declo, Idaho.  After that we move to McCall (north of Boise) and then back to Reno for three weeks before our annual Utah atv trip then Arizona for the winter.  I told LJ that I have it figured out until May...after that, he can do it lol.

While we were in Reno, LJ sold his ATV.  He found a RZR in Oregon for a great price. So we took a day trip to go get it.  We left Scooter at Patty's and off we went, 900 mile round trip.  It was a nice drive up to Ontario.  Got to see all the dead Mormon crickets on the way... yuck.  Picked it up and he spent the next week ordering stuff for it.  Our friends, Patty and Alan, let us ship the stuff to their house and helped install all the parts.  LJ had gone over to do it but it started raining.  He went back the next day and they had already installed most of them lol.  Needless to say, they are some great friends.  Once he got it back, he fixed it up with a place for Scooter to ride safely.  While he was doing that, I went gambling lol.  No sense sitting around doing nothing and I didn't want to be in the way 😁.

We left Reno the 8th of July.  We spent a week in Salmon with the Kropps riding atvs.  Since he
bought the RZR, I could go.  We rode all over the area.  Pretty scenery and Scooter liked barking at the free range cattle.  He seemed to enjoy it a lot.  While in Salmon at the rally, we stayed at the fairgrounds.  It was only 30 amp with no sewer or water hookups and dusty as hell,  especially with all the other atv riders there.  30 amp means we could use one AC and not the microwave at the same time.  It got so hot at times we had to use the generator which allowed us to use two of the ACs.  Another reason I love the toy hauler.  I learned to "dry camp", which was made even more difficult by the atv riding which required showers every evening..including Scooter.  I managed, but, yea that's not happening again lol.  Not for a week, anyway.  I can do it for a couple of days but I'm pretty much a glamper now, I freely admit it.

I truly appreciated the toy hauler during that Salmon trip, not only for the generator, but all the dirty dusty clothes stayed in the garage keeping it out of the living area.   I can only imagine the mess if we still had the Montana.

HWY 93 RV Park Twin Falls

But now, here we sit in Twin Falls.  Haven't done a whole lot.  I finished a book and LJ has been planning his ATV trails he wants to ride when we get to Utah in September.  I'm figuring out what I need to make the garage into a craft room when we get to AZ.  I mean, after all... a gal needs her space.  We have met some nice folks here at the park.  They live in Bullhead city AZ  after running from California.  This park is clean and very relaxing, even if it is warmer here than we hoped.  Found a great roadside fruit and vegetable stand just down the road.  Nothing beats farm foods.  Looking forward to Declo and McCall.  We've never been there so some place new.  Heard there's a lot of atv riding around McCall and the town is very atv friendly.  We shall see.  The pictures of the park in Declo shows a lot of trees.. might be why it's called Village of the Trees lol.  Might not even get tv there? oh no!.. if not, we will be playing cards and reading books.  Declo has a population of 343...but Super Walmart is 9 miles away so I'm good hahahaha.

I have no regrets over choosing to do this with LJ.  I do talk about buying a house.  There is a part of me that misses the stability of having a home...but the rest of me likes not being tied down.  Guess I have at least 18 months to decide lol.  After all.  A commitment is a commitment.

I'll let you know how Declo and McCall are.  Will they go into the yes, let's go there again file? or the OMG never again file lol.

Pics of our atv adventure in Salmon, Idaho:

 Free Range Cow.. Scooter barked and the cow walked away lol

Someone is really good about wearing his doggles on the dusty trail.  His Save-Mart box is just perfect.  He has a little bed at the bottom for comfort and has a tether so he can't get out or fall out.

In some places you could see for miles.  All that dust is other atvs coming up or down the hill

Pretty trails

He sits while in motion unless he sees a cow lol

Watching the little baby trout in the lake...he realllllllly wanted to go play with them

Trails were very well maintained and marked

#21 Changes..

It's been pretty interesting, this lifestyle change.  I haven't written in awhile because we've just been so busy...

We made some major decisions over the last couple of months, the most important of which is the purchase of a new fifth wheel.  Yes we did.  I know it's crazy but it makes sense for us.  After a lot..and I mean a lot...of soul searching and research we decided we needed a toy hauler.  But which one? And are we sure?

First I guess would be why?  The Montana is beautiful with loads of storage, a bath and a half, and all the comforts of a small apartment.  But what is it lacking?  Nothing much, but what it doesn't have is very important to our lifestyle and our sanity lol.

First and foremost, there was no where to go in inclement weather to have some privacy.  If I wanted to read but he wanted to watch tv one of us had to give up.  The bedroom just wasn't comfortable to read or watch tv.  Outside was out of the question in extreme heat, cold or wind.  Even though we enjoy spending time together, there is such a thing as too much togetherness.

If I needed to work on taxes or anything, the only place was the dining table.  Which meant I had to put everything away for meals.  Pain in the butt.  I needed to use the sewing machine to fix something. Oh wait... it's in storage because there is no where to put it.

Another issue was whenever I did laundry, the washer drained into the black tank meaning we had to dump it every time.  That, too, was a pain in the butt and costly.  Every time you dump it you have to add chemicals.   So I didn't do laundry but one day a week.  And while I love having my own washer/dryer, that meant all day sitting and waiting since each load takes about an hour and a half.

LJ hated the on demand water heater.  It took several minutes to get the water hot.  Again, pain in the butt.  I hated the water never got hot enough to actually use the bathtub.

Don't get me wrong.  The Montana was a great trailer in so many ways.  We learned a lot about our personal wants and needs.  And when we added the final negative of having to pull an extra trailer to get his atv places, the decision was made.  I think it was him realizing that we would have to maintain a storage unit for the atv that wasn't used but 4 months out of the year...that we would have to travel back to Reno if we wanted to venture outside our selected states to store the atv, blah blah blah.  So we set off to find the right toy hauler

We had numerous conversations about what we wanted and agonized over whether or not this was the right move.  After all, we had only had the Montana a year.  But off we went to look at every freakin' toy hauler on the market.

We looked at low end, high end, custom.  We must have walked through hundreds of toy haulers, all brands and makes.  We decided low end wasn't the kind we wanted to live in.  Super high end really was just money, not necessarily better.  So we finally settled on "luxury" toy haulers, if there is such a thing.  After all, nothing was going to be as nice as the Montana as far as the living area goes.

We finally decided on one Road Warrior floor plan, two Fuzion floor plans, one Raptor floor plan and two Momentum floor plans.  They all looked good on paper and in photos.  Fortunately we were I Arizona where there are a million RV dealers and all could be seen in person.

After physically walking through the Road Warrior and the Raptor,  neither of us was impressed with the fit and finish.  Neither "felt" good.  They were lacking in so many things that you don't realize until you are in it.  We were surprised and just how "not nice" they were.

After eliminating them, we settled on sticking to the Fuzion or Momentum.  We had been very close to buying a Momentum before we bought the Montana.  I absolutely loved the kitchen and living area in one of the Fuzions.  The counter space and kitchen storage was incredible.  I thought I had found the one.  But then we went and spent about two hours just sitting in it.  The bedroom was claustrophobic.  Only one of us could be in there at a time.  Plus every time you walked to the closet, you almost knocked the tv off the wall.  The longer I was in it, the more I hated it.  It had a large garage, but required the washer dryer be in the center against the living area wall, so in essence made the garage two feet shorter.  It didn't allow for a vented dryer with out drilling through the floor.    The underbelly storage was horrible.  So.. scratch that one off the list.  That's the beauty of not impulse buying.  We didn't make a mistake.  For virtually the same reasons we eliminated all the Fuzions.

So..back and forth through two Momentum plans.  Oh wait...did we see this one.  Make it three floor plans.  But wait, there's more.  Make it four.  Finally, after weeks of research and looking, we settled on the Grand Design Momentum 397.  It checked off all the what we want boxes and really didn't have any of the negatives we had been finding.  It was one of the few where the washer/dryer was in the bedroom closet so I could keep my vented unit.

LJs fav billboard on the way to Las Vegas from AZ lol

Now it was finding one at the right price.  So I sent out inquiries to local (AZ) dealers and dealers across the western US.  We were ready to buy from whoever came up with the best price for the Montana and the best price for the new unit.  After A LOT of back and forth, pitting dealer against dealer, the best all around offer came from Blue Dog RV in Las Vegas.  So, off we went to see their unit in person.  Just a short 5 hour drive from Goodyear AZ.  Did it in a day.  Saw the unit.  A couple things needed to be fixed which is not unusual.  Made a list...did the paperwork and we were the new owners of a 2018 GD Momentum.  We really didn't get hurt too bad on the Montana trade in.  Still an expensive mistake, but I've already been able to put the money back in the bank so it's all good.

We had a week before we switched trailers.  LJ went to Home Depot and bought 11 crates.  We emptied out 90% of the Montana and put the crates at Bruce's house.  That took about three days.  It's amazing how much crap you collect in nine months.  If there was a space in a cabinet, I put something in it, lol.  Then we were off to LV to get the new one.

They were going to transfer our satellite and our washer/dryer from the Montana to the Momentum.  That was going to take at least a day and a half.  So we spent the night in the Montana at the Sam's Town KOA in Las Vegas.  We spent two nights at the Rio, Las Vegas, because they are one of the few dog friendly hotels in town.  While there we hooked up with some Reno friends who were staying at another RV park.  That was nice!

Once the trailer was ready, we spent two hours moving the remainder of stuff from the Montana to the Momentum.  Nice thing about a garage is you can just throw everything into it lol.  Put it away later.   Funny thing is, not once, have we regretted making the change.  I know we regretted not buying it in the first place because we always talked about it.  Like I said, lesson learned. We did not apply enough weight to the separation of space, usefulness of the garage and other things when we bought the Montana.  Been in the Momentum now 6 weeks and I love it...so does LJ.

Rain sucks Mom
I look stupid.

Traveling from Arizona back to Reno was a breeze.  ATV inside...no extra trailer.  We had to stop at the RV dealer in Las Vegas on the way.  Had a water leak they needed to fix, and they did.  But we had to leave it over night, so one more night at the Rio.  Damn dogs, lol.  But it was good and we made it to Reno just in time for rain, cold and wind.  I'm thinking we left AZ a bit too soon lol.

I have discovered this trailer has every bit of the storage the Montana had, just different.  While the Master Bath is not as big, the shower is.  I don't live in the bathroom, so in retrospect, while nice, the large bathroom in the Montana...well it was wasted space.  The Montana had a lot of closet space but it was spread out into several closets.  The Momentum has one very large closet with, and we measured, the exact same amount of hanging space.  PLUS it has all kinds of cubby hole storage for shoes, Levis, crap, behind the hanging clothes.

There is hanging space over the washer.. something I didn't have before.  Perfect for hanging things straight out of the dryer.  There's actually more counter space in the kitchen in the new trailer.  I like the pantry better.  The other one was deep, this one wide so things aren't hiding behind things lol.  The secondary bath is smaller, but functional.  It is actually a full bath, but I think the shower is only big enough for a munchkin.  The underbelly storage is just a large as the Montana had.  The garage has two queen beds that lift to the ceiling when not in use, or turn into opposing couches.  The ramp is already designed to be a patio, with sliding screen doors, when parked in a spot that will accommodate it.

This 2018 has a lot of feature the 2017 did not have (that we almost bought).  So, I guess you can say the silver lining in all of this is by waiting we got the right one.  Neither of us, has once said we are sorry we made the change.  Change is good.  Like now.. here I am in the garage writing and watching my tv show.  He's ten feet away watching his Nascar race.  I can see him through the glass door but don't have to listen lol.  The other day I had our taxes spread out on the tables in the garage.  Didn't have to pick anything up until I was done.

And best of all... should one of the kids decide to come visit us on our travels, we have a bed for them!  And a private toilet, lol.  When we go to Idaho this July, we don't have to come back to Reno to drop off the ATV.  We can just keep going!  Scooter loves it.  I love it.  Happy and content once again.

And change of subject:

The Rio Las Vegas has a floor that is all dogs.  They give you little dog dishes and treats and poop bags to keep.  Dog can't be on the casino floor so no gambling for him lol.  Expensive, but at least we can stay with Scooter!  He apparently had never stayed in a hotel before.  Wasn't quite sure what to do.  Smelled everything, then spent most of his time on the couch in his little bed.  LJ didn't mind taking him out to pee because, as he put it, the little guy is quite the chick magnet.  He was constantly stopped so women could "pet the dog".  Whatever....lol.   The second time we stayed at the Rio, Scooter wasn't nearly as nervous or curious.  He was an experienced hotel stayer now.

The KOA at Sam's Town is ok.  The sites are buddy sites, but with a divider in between...weird.  But
they are long and it's next to the casino where there is food, gambling, a bowling alley and movie theater.  Wally World is across the street.  I'd stay there again.





We have decided to maybe go three years instead of two.  After all, we are already almost one year done and still have a lot to do.  We rather like being able to move from one place to another, even if we do stay put for months.  It's nice having the option.  Especially now, with this new trailer.  Not only has it made our travels easier, but more enjoyable.  Can't say I'm in any kind of hurry to settle down.

Now..I must get ready for my three day excursion to the Atlantis Resort in Reno...sans LJ and the dog.  Oh damn....😁




This is the floor plan of the new one... we have the super sofa...

Master bedroom

Master bath

Master Bedroom

Second bath..itsy bitsy but works!

kitchen

kitchen/living area You'll notice no carpet to get filthy!

kitchen/living area

kitchen

opposing couches with patio out.
couches make into a queen bed.
A second queen bed (not shown in this photo) is stored at the ceiling on ours.

#20 Not home for the holidays...

the extent of Christmas decorating lol

Well it's been awhile since I posted.  Thanksgiving, Christmas...busy times.  Or were they?  This is the first time in forever I have been no where near family during the holidays.  It's not like we always spend them together, but the opportunity is there if we choose.  Except when you are miles away.  So this year was different.  No house, so no decorating.  I missed it and I didn't miss it.  I like it when its up but not the putting up putting down lol.  There was no shopping for gifts since we wouldn't be seeing anyone.  Just checks in the mail.  Seemed rather impersonal but at least they can buy what they want.

This is also the first Christmas we have spent in super warm, summer like weather.  That was actually strange.  I find I miss the crisp autumn air and the beginning of winter.  Of course when I'm where it's cold I wish I was in the heat lol.  Guess there's no pleasing me.  We did spend each of the holidays with Bruce and Kathryn, so that was nice.  Dinner out on Thanksgiving; she cooked a fabulous meal for Christmas.  So, in the big scheme of things, it was nice.

I've adjusted to the RV life for the most part.  I get bored since I'm used to having my craft room.  Can't go shopping because where would I put stuff.  I did order a bunch of Tupperware and organized the pantry.  Everything in a container and the container labeled.  Yep, lots of time on my hands.





I bought a rocking chair for outside to relax in and a gravity chair for outside napping.  I decided to keep myself busy with 1000 piece puzzles so I have ordered a couple.  The weather is so perfect here, I'll do them outside.  I thought we would be doing more traveling, but we have been in the same place since October.  I was looking forward to going to Quartzite and Yuma with the old guy when he went on his ATV trips.  He just left for two weeks but I decided to stay behind.  Bruce and Kathryn just moved here and she doesn't know anyone, so I stayed here to spend time with her.  Next year when we come I'll go with the boys.

I am constantly looking at houses for sale in Sparks and down here.  Not that we want to buy yet, because we don't.  I just like to look.  After all, part of the adventure was to find where we are going to spend forever.  Currently my choice is buy in  Reno area, travel in the winter.  He likes here, travel in the summer.  Someday we will be on the same page hahahaha.  You do get more house here for the money, but I would have to have a pool or I'm sure I would die.  And we definitely could not be here in Summer, so we definitely would have to travel.  Reno puts us closer to Jeff and family plus we have friends I miss there, along with my gambling lol.  So I don't know.  I'm thinking some of the questions will be answered when we go back to Reno this spring.  We'll stay there until July, travel some, go back, go to Utah then come back here to Arizona.  That should give us a true idea of what we want to do.  By then our two year commitment will be ready for renewal or dismissal lol.

We both have talked about traveling more.  I think his side of the location argument holds up better since it's easier to travel in the summer.  Each time we talk about pulling up stakes and moving along from AZ, the winter weather keeps us here.  I don't know.  Research and talking to people has told us you also have those problems in the summer across the US...too humid..too buggy...too hot...geesh.  Do they not know that I am looking for Utopia? I'll be happy if we just travel the middle and the west.  East coast doesn't interest me in the least.  But while on this journey we need to go somewhere.  I have learned, despite what I originally thought, I don't like being in one place for months on end, at least not in an RV.

The other issue we have run into is medical.  LJ had a medical scare in December.

coincidence?  I think not lol

Not going to go into details, but at least he has Medicare with Humana as a supplemental.  Everything was covered, including a trip to Emergency.  Cost us next to nothing, including a minor surgery.  Plus, through Humana, his meds are always free.  The medical care here in Arizona is fantastic.  They have urgent care on every corner.. no seriously...every corner.  They have satellite emergency rooms that do everything except admit you to the hospital.  We had to visit one of those... five minutes from check-in to seeing a doctor.  I kid you not.  He had to make a couple of appointments with specialists... all covered and no wait to see the doctor.  Got him in within a week, even for just a normal appointment.  Impressive.  Fortunately all is well so we move forward.  I will say the availability of medical here as we get older is a check in the plus column for Arizona.


Me on the other hand...until I reach medicare age in 2 1/2 years, I must stay healthy.  Obamacare has driven out of Nevada allllllllll the major insurance companies.  I am only covered outside Nevada for emergencies.  That does not include colds, flu, etc.  Only a major accident or life threatening event.  Niiiiiiiiice.  And that was the better of the only two policies available for individuals!  I told LJ if I get super sick, drive me to Las Vegas as fast as he can lol.  If we lived here, I would have more choices for medical which would be nice.  But who knows what will happen to that debacle over the next couple of years.  Things could change.  Another plus for being mobile.

Scooter is doing well.  He has come so far with his barking at other dogs.  He walks on the leash like a good boy.  Rarely does he pull on it anymore.  We play a lot.  He likes to watch the world go by either out the window or laying in his outside bed.  I'm sure he misses his rabbit chasing and having a yard, but all in good time.  I try to take him everywhere I go so he has something to do.  He's adjusted pretty well.  I do plan on taking him to Pattys when we get back to Reno so he can run around with the other dogs in their yard.  It will be good for him.

I was asked if I was sorry I agreed to this RV time.  And as I think about it, I truly am not.  I can't say I don't miss our house because I do, but we will buy another one.  I miss the shopping, puttering in the yard, having space.  I don't miss the upkeep and costs involved.  So, in the meantime we do anything we want and go where we want.  There is something to this debt free, responsibility free life style.  So again, my answer is no.  I'm not sorry.  Time is actually going by fairly fast.  It will be interesting to see what our future holds.

So that's it....nothing too exciting.  Meeting new people as the RV park fills and empties.  Learning a lot about other areas of the country without leaving our spot lol.  Folks from all over the US, including Alaska.  Canada too.  Arizona is the hot spot for wintering.  And you get all kinds of folks who are snowbirds.  Some are a lot like us.  Some you just tilt you head and wonder how they get through life...others you wonder what criminal enterprise they are in to have that much money tied up in RVs hahahaha.  Like I said, nothing too exciting.  But it's our life and it's good.

My new chairs... rocking and sleeping lol












Where we going mom?

#19 A look back...a look forward

Things have really settled down now.  Starting to feel like the fun part of this journey is beginning.  I'm also starting to look back and put things in perspective.  I've read what I have written in the past.  I was pretty much going crazy during the process of moving lol.  But, I now know why.  Since this is a learning experience, let me elaborate:

Every time we have moved in the past, we just packed and went.  There was some purging, but for the most part everything went in a box and to the new place.  This time was different.  Everything had to go.  As a result there was the added stress of sorting through things..everything.  I had to choose wisely since we were only keeping limited items.  Some things were hard to part with; others not so much.  Adding to that aspect was the very short escrow and LJ not being around to help.  I had friends helping, but while appreciated, also added to the stress.  I felt the need to quickly sort, pack and eliminate.  In retrospect I kept things that should have gone and tossed things I wish I'd kept.  But some of that could just be donation remorse.  This was by far the hardest move we have ever done.  Now I have had time to reflect.  I almost wish we had saved nothing.  We are paying for a storage unit that holds things that really aren't that important in the big scheme of things.  I'd like to go through all that stuff when we get back to Reno in the spring.  Maybe now I can let it go.

Another thing adding to the high stress was Nevada Real Estate Law.  In California, when you sell a house, the buyer has 3 days to withdraw the contract, then it's binding.  In Nevada, the buyer can walk away up to the day of closing.  So here I was, emptying out the house of worldly belongings and furniture, all the time having that hanging over my head.  I realize now, that as the house emptied and it no longer looked like a home, I was worrying about the sale going through.  There was nothing the buyer had done to indicate she wouldn't follow through.  It was just knowing it was a possibility.

that was a nice $1500 win

Our friends have this beautiful home here.  We visit and I think about having a house.  But I'm
actually not ready yet.  I like the idea of being able to up and move when we want.  This first year it seems like we aren't really going many places.  Part of it is getting used to this lifestyle.  Part of it is winter is really not the time to travel.  I believe this summer we will move around a bit more.  In February we leave here for a couple weeks to go to Quartzite and Yuma....atv trip.  I know we will be in Reno from April -June to do taxes and allow me some gambling time. (I don't atv so it's my "me" time lol)  July we will be in Idaho to atv and just explore.  August is up in the air.
Middle of September we return to Utah...atv time....again.  
Middle of October we are back here in Arizona.  So at least we are moving around a little!


Since we didn't buy a toy hauler, our travel area is limited if we are pulling the atv.  In retrospect, as much as I love this home on wheels, maybe we should have considered that a bit more.  Larry has no problem pulling the extra trailer.  It tracks just fine and with the rear camera on the rv he can keep an eye on it.  He is perfectly legal in a few states, but unfortunately different state have different vehicle laws.  Legal here, not there.  It affects where we go.  So since we have the atv, we either leave it in Reno, travel and return to get it for the fall rides or we limit our travel area.

our home on wheels

I so love the storage and space this RV gives us.  It is so much nicer than a toy hauler.  But given LJ doesn't want to give up his atv that should have been thought out more.  We make it work, but it may not be the right thing in the long run.   It will be hard to give up the roominess of the living area, master bath.  The toy hauler when used to it's fullest potential allows for a separate family room and patio.  They do have half baths and decent kitchens, but a much smaller main living and master bath.  Nothing is perfect I guess.  Trade one thing for another.  Just have to decide, after some time of course, what the priorities are.  If it's live in comfort and limit the travel area when pulling the atv... stay with this one.  If it's being able to travel the entire US with the ATV, but not pulling the extra trailer, then we change to the toy hauler.  Priorities.

We have agreed to stay status quo for the two year commitment.  After all, we just bought it and we both enjoy living in it.  Should we decide to keep on with this lifestyle AND the atv, then we will probably need to sell and change types of trailers.  If the atv is no longer to be considered, then this trailer will be fine for years.

Another obstacle I have run in to is Medical. Of course, full timing in the RV really isn't the issue.  I discovered that any time I am out of Nevada, my health insurance only covers emergencies.  Nice.... That means if I need to see a doctor for a cold or flu, too bad.  Not covered.  When I went to get a policy for 2018 (Anthem blue shield left Nevada), I discovered that NO insurance had a policy that covers out of state thanks to the ACA.  And that included Anthem, even tho they are nationwide!  Crazy.  LJ on the other hand is fine because he is on medicare.  He is covered everywhere.  At least I have insurance should we get in an accident or I have a heart attack or something major.  Sometimes I think what's the point of paying that $900 a month... but then theres the mandate.  Thank you federal government.  At least our truck and RV are covered everywhere lol.  Not gonna let it be an issue.  I'll be 65 in 3 years.  I just need to stay healthy til then.

As far as living in the trailer, I rather like it.  The simplicity of it all is quite appealing.  We did have Satellite Tv put on the rig so we can have some semblance of normal life lol.  I like that now we can record shows for those days you just wanna sit in the chair and do nothing.  Plus we get all the news and movie channels so we can keep up what's going on in the world.  It's what we do at night when it starts to get a little cool.  Plus, to be perfectly honest, there's bugs at night.  yuck.. So I'd rather be inside.  We sprayed around the trailer and site so we don't have many, but those of you who know me know my dread of being around crickets.....and there are a lot of crickets here.  At night.  Ewwww.

As for our life so far.....Love it here in Arizona this time of year.  It's not too hot, but rather spring, early summer like.  Still shorts and t-shirt weather.  Pretty blue skies, slight breezes.  Makes being outside during the day relaxing and inviting.  Nights are nice, but again..crickets.  Ewwww.

It really isn't much different living in the trailer as opposed to a house.  Not as big, of course, but easy to take care of.  It is a stress free life style.  I have to admit LJ and I are together 24-7, 365.  It's not a lifestyle you should choose if you can't stand that much together time, lol.  We pretty much do everything we did when we had a house...except yard work, house work.  We go out, visit friends, shop, watch tv, walk the park, play cards and sometimes just sit and watch the world go by.  We have our "me" time when LJ goes to breakfast with Bruce or one of us simply goes outside while the other one stays inside.  Usually it's to watch tv.  I hate racing, he hates constantly watching the ID channel lol.  There is a tv outside so no one has to do without.

LJs lifestyle is the same as before.  He's replaced mowing lawns with the occasional dumping of holding tanks hahahaha.

Scooter seems to like it.  He no longer barks at everything that moves, except birds lol.  He has made a couple doggie friends.  He likes to be outside so he can keep an eye on everything.  I think he's outside more here that when we lived in the house...as are we.

I do miss my sewing room and being able to go to the casino when I want.  So I read and crochet.  I don't go shopping any more because there's nothing to buy and no place to put it.  We did have to replace our dining room chairs.  That was exciting, lol.  LJ was sitting in one and said "this seems a little wobbly, not real sturdy".  So let's wiggle our butt around in it a bit, I don't know, just to see what happens.  Crack.... oh that's what happens.  Oh and let's turn the other chair upside down without holding on to the open seat to see what happens.  Oh... it falls off and the screws come out.  Never a dull moment.  On the upside, we replaced the rickety crappy RV chairs with lovely new ones that should last for years.  And we found them at some little hole in the wall store and only paid $50 a piece for them!   I actually like them much better, so it was a good thing in the end.

So, all in all, I'm still glad we made this lifestyle choice.  It's nice continuing to watch the bank account grow.  It's nice to be debt free.  It's not perfect, but it's a good life.  I think the choice we made to stay put in one place was smart for the first year.  I also have changed my mind and think maybe we should travel a bit more in the future.  Places to go, things to see.  I originally liked just exchanging a house for an RV, but staying pretty much status quo.  I think I was wrong.  I find I get a little bored sometimes, but not enough to want to change the lifestyle...just maybe the scenery.

After reflecting on it....still the smartest decision we ever made.

old chairs on the left......                                                new chairs... much better