#27 Slowly Moving Forward

Before I get into the LJ update, did I mention we have a new great grandson!?!  He just melts my heart.  Noah was born in January.  A bright spot in what has so far been a crappy year.  Our daughter and granddaughter keep us updated on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.  Thank goodness for modern technology.  He's all the way across the pond, so at least I feel like I see him every day.  Doesn't make up for the hugs and kisses but beats waiting for a picture in the mail lol.

Looks worse in person 😐

Now.. on to LJ.  What a difference two weeks makes.  Once his treatment ended, his side effects worsened for a bit.  But I was prepared.  The docs said it would get worse for a few days then turn the corner and get better.  One of the hardest things to deal with was his neck.  The skin on his neck and chest was just horrible.  The radiation causes several layers of it to die and that dead skin has to be removed.  He was in pain all the time.  I put different types of medication on the burns to help the dead skin soften for removal.  It wasn't pleasant for him, or for that matter, me.  I didn't choose to be a nurse for a reason, but I digress.   Slowly his new skin is becoming visible.  Now, two weeks later, there are only a couple of small spots that still need to be worked on.  His skin was bright red a few days ago and is now looking more like just a normal sunburn.  We have found the combination of creams that works for him.  It doesn't hurt any more to touch it.  I'm starting to see pieces of the old LJ again.  His fatigue is still there, but he's awake more hours and functioning normally..to a point.  He lost his goatee and that he isn't happy about.  I said at least that's all the hair he lost.  Could be worse!  He thinks he looks old, and he does.  But that, too, will improve as he improves.  He gets around much better.  He even takes the dog out once in awhile which is huge progress.  Showering on his own; dressing himself.  The change over actually the last five days is fantastic.

We went to see all different doctors over the last week.  His nephrologist is very pleased with his kidney function.  Sees no reason why he won't be fine after the right kidney is removed.  Has dropped him from a stage 4 to a stage 2, meaning the likelihood of needing dialysis is severely reduced and not something he is even thinking about now.  That was fantastic to hear.

His urologist, who will do the kidney surgery, didn't like how his throat was looking so decided to delay the surgery until June.  He wants him to heal so when they do the surgery they don't do further damage when they stick that tube down his throat.  I have some concerns over delaying it, but at the same time know it is for the best.  His surgeon said the likelihood of it spreading in a couple week delay is slim, but a chance we need to take.  If they try now, they could permanently damage his throat and vocal chords.  So, delay it is.

His chemo doctor was very encouraged by his progress.  She agreed with the surgeon about the delay for the same reasons.  He did break out in little spots all over.  She explained that is the chemo and radiation leaving his body.  So, another round of antibiotics.  Surprisingly after two days on the antibiotic the spots all but disappeared.  She will be the doc who orders his future scans and deals with anything cancer related.  I really like her.  She's a great doctor and you can tell she is a great person.  She truly cares about each patient...and their family.

His ENT doc, who originally found the cancer, saw him a few days ago.  As we are sitting in the little room waiting, LJ sees the scope on the counter.  He looks at me and says "he's (the doc) not shoving that thing down my throat".  So when the doctor scoped his throat (hahahaha) he told us the swelling inside was medium.  Doc thought LJ was doing very well.  He has seen much worse at this stage of the game.  He also said the tumor before was raised and now concaved which indicates the treatment was successful.  He, too, will keep seeing LJ off and on over the next year and beyond.  But we walked away with another doctor pleased with what they were seeing.

All the docs seem to talk to each other and will schedule their appointments so LJ isn't adversely impacted by the exams.  If one is going to scope and look...the other will rely on that doc so LJ doesn't have to have it done over and over.  What a great team.

Based on what I have seen over the last two weeks, it wouldn't surprise me if LJ is almost back to normal by June, just in time for his surgery.  That will make for a quicker and better recovery from that.  Attending the reunion in June is still up in the air.  He'd like to go, but there is still so much going on with his treatment and recovery.

He still has the feeding tube, but is starting to drink shakes, so that's good.  We will, every day, add things until he is eating normally again.  But I am still in charge of "feeding" him every three hours.  I'll be glad when that is over but, realistically, they won't remove the feeding tube until his first PET is clear..just in case, although he says he'll never do this again.  Can't say as I blame him, but we all know if he has to, he will.  He can have the tube and not use it.  I know he wants it gone, though, so we will work on getting rid of it.

look close..scooter in the shade

I can see light at the end of the tunnel...wayyyyy down there, but I see it.  There for a while, with all of his appointments and needing constant care, I felt I didn't have time to breath. But now, fortunately I have time to crochet and read, play iPad games since I can't be gone from the RV over a couple hours.  Scooter and I spend time at the house a couple days a week.  Scoot chases the ball and goes lizard hunting.  I just enjoy the peacefulness of the back yard.  David (our sales guy) has locked up the model so no more lookiloos.  I can sit there without random strangers coming in wondering why this weirdo is just sitting around like she lives there lol.  It gives me a break from all the stress of life at the moment.

I also, fortunately, have Bruce and Kath.  They make sure I get to go out to lunch or dinner once a week.  I don't cook so LJ doesn't have to smell it and get depressed.  But, one can only eat so much Taco Bel, lol.  And the two of them are always there if I need something.  Not sure I could have done this completely alone and am grateful to have them as friends.  I'm looking forward to living a normal life again and happy hour at the pool...one day their house.  One day ours, lol.

Kids wanted to come over from England this summer, but we all realize it will be easier on LJ and me if they wait. Plus, it will allow me time to buy furniture or we will all be sitting on crates and lawn chairs lol.

our slice of heaven

I was pondering moving into the new house, buying stuff...what I kept (not much) and what we need and it donned on me ...hmmmm... every time we have moved in or out of a home since we retired LJ has been unavailable, usually due to some pre planned atv trip.  This time it's cancer.
I mentioned that to him and he said "well... I didn't think atv trip would work again, so...".
If you can't laugh, why bother lol.  But that's my LJ.  He hasn't lost his wit or sarcasm.

He still has chemo brain, tho.  The other night Scooter was acting weird about 1 am.  So finally, through process of elimination, I figured he had to go poop. Side note.. Scoot only poops at the dog park because that's where he's supposed to go.  Far be it for him to go just anywhere!

So I tell LJ, who is awake now, that I'm taking Scoot to poop. Ok, he says.  I leave..come back..

LJ says "are you taking Scooter to poop?"  I just did. "You did?  Did he go?"  Yes. "Oh, ok."

Five minutes later.  "Babe, I think Scooter need to poop."  He shouldn't have to, I just took him.  Is he acting weird?  "No, he's sleeping."   Sigh......back to trying to sleep.

I swear..ten minutes passes and I am in wonderful dreamland.  I hear "babe?  babe?"  Am I dreaming?  Nope... It's LJ, So I say are you okay?  "Yea, I'm fine, but I can't sleep.  I was wondering if Scooter went poop today."   Yes, folks...that is my life.  Be it taking the dog poop, turning on a light, closing a window or changing the time on the microwave.. I shall answer the question at least three times before it sinks in.  Hopefully THAT side effect goes away soon. 😂

So for now it's same thing every day.  But we are getting there.  The support you all have given is so appreciated.  It means a lot and has been what helped get us through the worst part.  We still have a ways to go, but I think, the worst is behind us.  It's all downhill with a few bumps the rest of the way.

But, just to be on the safe side, please keep him in your prayers.

#26 Round one...done...on to the next

What a difference a few weeks makes.  LJ completed his chemo last week and his radiation yesterday.  Watching the deterioration is mind boggling.  Just seven weeks ago he was his usual strong self, a very young 70 year old.  Now at times it's like watching an old old man.  He shuffles around; sleeps 20 hours a day, waking to eat and use the bathroom.  Because of his extreme dry mouth (side effect of radiation) he can't talk well.  Plus his sore throat makes it hard to talk, so sadly we can't have conversations about anything.  He is a bit "foggy" at times.  Just a couple days ago he asked me what time it was.  I told him 10 am.  He was certain I was wrong and it was the following day at 10pm.  I told him to look out the window. It's daylight.  Took a minute for him to be convinced of the time. Not sure I ever convinced him what day it was.  That is chemo brain.  Per the doc all of these issues will lesson over the next few weeks.  But he also said his radiation burns and fatigue, along with the chemo brain will get worse over the next week as those leave his body, so be prepared.   But the good news is he is DONE with this first treatment.  Now we wait while he returns to his old self.  On the upside, his radiation doctor looks at the scans of the treatment every day.  He told us he thinks, based on what he sees, that this was successful.  Won't know for certain until the PET three months from now, but at least he is relatively comfortable telling us that.  Happy dance in my head.  I'll save the actual dancing for the PET results.

In the meantime, he still has to use the feeding tube because he still can't swallow anything but small amounts of water.  That, too, will get better over time.  Starting next week he will gradually increase what he takes in by mouth until he eventually eats normally.  Until then, the feeding tube stays.  He actually has maintained his weight since getting the tube.  The docs say that's a good thing and will speed up his healing.  We had a speech therapist come out to help with the swallowing issue.  He explained how the esophagus is flexible and with the swelling caused by the treatment, the opening is closed up.  As the swelling goes down, the tube opens up allowing more food/drink in.  It just simply takes time and only LJ will know what he can do.  He's determined to drink a big glass of tea and go have Chinese food with Bruce, so he's on a mission.  It will definitely be awhile but, as he mentally comes back, he will accomplish his goals.

Lots of Doctor appointments still in our future.  Round 2, the removal of the right kidney, is still scheduled for May.  We see the surgeon next week to confirm.  As bad as things are, they are good.  He, in many ways, is doing well.

Now on to funny stuff.  So this morning I get up at 6am, which if you know me is not normal.  I needed to get LJ fed and head to the dealer with my car.  I had an 8am appointment to get a rubber piece on the roof replaced.  Now LJ usually sleeps till seven, so this will be timed perfectly.  As I'm getting ready to go to the shower I see he is getting undressed.  "Watcha doin?" I ask.  "Taking a shower."  "NOW?  You can't wait till I get home?"  Nope.. gotta be now.  Ok.. he's going through a lot so I'll accommodate him.  30 Minutes later, with my help,  he is done...30 minutes...fiiiiiiine.  Not a problem.  I can still make it.  Gonna have to skip breakfast and combing my hair, but it's all good.

our teeny tiny 2nd bathroom 

Now he has to go to the bathroom.  Ok... you can do that on your own.  Go to the other bathroom cuz I really need to get in the shower.  As I'm exiting the shower I hear groaning.  He's sitting on the couch complaining the skin on his neck is hurting so I need to put the cream on it.  Can I dry off first????? geesh... Nope.  Hurry cuz it really hurts.  The cream does take away the pain and he does take priority, so cream applied.  I can air dry.

I hurry and get ready because I need to feed him before I go and now I am pushing it on time.  As I'm getting the food and syringes ready I hear..."oh...by the way...somehow the water got turned on in the shower (2nd bath) and it won't drain."  "How did that happen?" "I dunno, but you're gonna have to dump the black tank #2." R U Kidding Me!!  (If you don't RV,  Dumping a black (waste) tank requires pulling the dump handle, letting it run out,  turning on the super wash, filling it up, draining it again then adding water so you can add packets to help break down the waste.).  But ya gotta do what ya gotta do...so off I go outside.  I finish dumping the tank and come back in.  Shower isn't drained.  WTH...wait, awwww dang it.......because it drains into the GALLEY tank, which makes total sense, but, since we have never used that shower, who knew?  So, back outside I go to dump THAT tank.  This only takes a couple minutes.  BUT now I am 15 minutes from my appointment time.  Go back in and shower is drained.  Problem solved.  Clean up the mess later.  Now I feed him which fortunately only takes about five minutes,  so he will be good for about three hours.  Head out to the car...oh yea... Scooter would probably like to pee since it's been several hours and LJ won't be able to let him out.  So back to the trailer.

Finally on my way.  With all that, I got there only five minutes late (it's not that far).. no biggie.. and Five hours later I am done.  Five hours.  That meant LJ had to try to feed himself, through the tube because he can't go longer than four hours.  He said he managed but it wasn't easy.  That's an LJ story to tell.  You can imagine trying to put stuff in the syringe, open the cap on the feeding tube, pinch off the feeding tube until you can get the syringe in and pushing the plunger, pinching the tube, removing the syringe, putting on the cap...repeat..5 times.  It's a two person job, I admit, so I cleaned up the minor mess when I got home if that's a hint, lol.  The good thing that came out of this fun morning is we now know the small secondary shower goes into the galley tank AND most importantly we know he won't starve to death if something happens to me, lol.

A day in the life of a caregiver, lol.  I have a newfound respect for those folks.

A bright spot in our week was the gift of flowers from Mary Pat and Don Jones.  It was a lovely thing to do.  Brightened up the trailer, that's for sure.  Made LJ tear up a little.  He's been more emotional and appreciative of the texts and phone calls he has received.  It's nice to know people care.  Another bright spot for me was a lunch outing with the Clark's.  Only took us an hour to go to Spaghetti Factory 20 minutes away...on a Saturday...welcome to the Phoenix area, the land of constant road construction.  You'd think we lived in Montana or something, HA!  But a fun thing on that trip was seeing the old trailer park Bruce and Kath lived in many many many moons ago, back when he was stationed at Luke AFB.  Always a silver lining, lol.


I take back roads driving LJ to the doctor.  I pretty much stay off the I-10.  Surface streets are easy to get around on if you stay off the main one (McDowell).  I have noticed on our drive, up on a hill, what looks like an old resort.  No names, no signs, no idea what it is.  Bruce has researched it and can't find who owns the property or what it might be.  I happened to notice, between the buildings and Luke AFB, an entrance sign like you see on ranches.  Says Wigwam Resort and Golf Club...the current wigwam golf course is down the road quite a ways.  But..it gives us something to research.  I'd love to explore up there.  Looks like its been there a long time.  It's on my list of things to discover about our new home.


They finally sold out (save one) the development we are moving to.  Still won't be in the house till July.  Will take awhile to convert the office back to a garage and get the place ready for us.  We are okay with that.  Gives him more time to heal.  I still take Scooter over once a week or more to play.  He is obsessed with chasing the ball and looking for lizards.  Little munchkin has figured out how to catch the ball, then toss it toward the pool.  And of course he makes sure the ball goes into the pool.  He doesn't go after it though.  He lays down and looks at me with a "well...go get it" look.  Crazy damn dog.  Cracks me up.

Scooter, after five years, has discovered he likes to stick his head out of the window when the car is moving.  He likes the wind in his face, I guess.  Don't know why that is suddenly his "thing".  He barks for me to roll down the window, lol.  He is buckled in so he can't jump out.  He can only get his paws on the door and barely get his head out, so no need to worry.  He especially likes it when we see the cows down the road, hahaha.  Makes his barking more effective I guess.

I don't see any way for us to make the work reunion we have in June, but LJ says wait till the last minute because, like Thomas the Train, he thinks he can... he's a trooper, that one.  So, fingers crossed.

So, that's kinda where we are right now.  Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  Means a lot to both of us.  I'll update again when we know what's next.

#25 Round One, down but not out

This has been a month full of surprises, both good and bad.   It started out great!  Our son, Jeff (who the English girls for some reason call Uncle Joe, lol) surprised us by flying down to see his dad before he was unable to have visitors.  He conspired with the Clark's to get here and was waiting at the RV park when we got back from seeing the doctor.  It was hilarious.  The office people came to get us saying they had a package at the office they wanted to be sure was ours.  So off we went.  We both walked in and I looked around for the package.  Of course Jeff was standing in front of me and my brain thought he was a park employee.  He said something and all of a sudden it clicked.  He laughed his ass off because his mom didn't recognize him. I started crying..the office people were crying lol.  It was so unexpected and such a wonderful thing for him to do.  It meant a lot to me, but more importantly it meant so much to his dad.  Thank you, Jeff, making our month start out right.  His sister wants to come over from England, but I have told her to wait until dad is better.  Not much she can do at this point and he'd like to see the whole family.  It will be easier when we get the house. We have some great kids.  His grandkids have called him to check on him, too.  Couldn't ask for more.

Can't blame him...yuk 

LJ has been going each week to his treatments.  Five days of radiation and one day of chemo.  He was doing fairly well and then he wasn't.  He tried like hell to drink the shakes I made him.  I made him wonderful things like Avocado mixed with ensure...yuk.  Or his favorite, blended Taco Bell because he wanted something different... double yuk.  I thought about blending a burger and fries, but he said no for some reason.  The radiation did such a number on his throat he couldn't get anything down very easy.  Plus everything tastes awful, and not just because I have no culinary skills.  He is getting a broader area treated since they are doing the lymph node, his throat and his thyroid.  We found ourselves butting heads...me frustrated because he couldn't get the shakes down.  Him frustrated because he knew he was trying but just couldn't do it.  In one week he lost 8 pounds, a total of 20 over three weeks.  In my eyes he was starting to look bad and was having difficulty walking and talking.  Some of it I expected, but not as bad as I was seeing.  You have friends who have gone through this and you are told what it will be like.  I don't know if people can actually put into words what it's like.  You think you understand, but you really don't.  Not something I would want my worst enemy to go through, I tell ya.  He's a tough guy and it's heartbreaking to see him trying to keep a brave face when you know he's miserable.

On Monday of week four the doctors told us he needed a feeding tube because he was losing too much weight.  Both of us were trying to avoid it so we told them to give us another week.  We had changed his shakes to a higher calorie one and he was getting the recommended calories each day now.  It is ultimately his choice so the docs backed off.  If others can do it without a tube, then we can.  Then Wednesday came.  I was gone on an errand and LJ apparently tried to take a pill.  It got stuck in his throat.  He told me when I got home that he choked on it and coughed for a good thirty minutes.  He felt like he had damaged his throat more and couldn't even swallow water.  He was tired and not feeling well so went to bed early having eaten very little that day.  On Thursday he tried again to "eat" and drink water to no avail.  He asked me to call and make an appointment to get the feeding tube put in.  So I did.  But the best they could do was a week out. By late that night he was obviously dehydrated and suffering.  There was no way he could wait a week, but his dehydration needed to be addressed immediately.  He looked like he had aged 10 years overnight.

So off we went to the Emergency Room at Banner Estrella Hospital, a hospital I highly recommend if you are in the west Phoenix area and need one.  The ER was busy, but they recognized he needed to be seen.  We waited no more than five minutes before seeing the triage nurse.  The last thing I wanted was for him to be around a bunch of sick people with his immune system compromised, so we found a quiet spot away from everyone.  It was about fifteen minutes after that we were in a room in the back.  They immediately started him on IV fluids.  He recovered a bit, but wasn't responding like they thought he should.  His heart rate was staying up which told them he was severely dehydrated. Finally at about 5 am they told us he was going to be admitted and I should go home and get some sleep.  Since he was sleeping I decided they were probably right.  

I made it back to the hospital after noon on Friday.  He had just made it to a private room.  They put him in an observation ward, continuing with the fluids.  He was visited by his Nephrologist who had some good news for us.  Since he had been receiving the IV, his kidney function had improved.  Our visit to him two weeks before had indicated his kidneys weren't as strong as the doctor had hoped, but this meant they were better and there was less concern about his forthcoming kidney surgery.  Apparently he had already started being dehydrated early in the process of radiation and chemo.  We thought he was getting plenty of fluids, but he wasn't.  Since he was on an IV, the Nephrologist upped the amount of water he was getting.  In a day you could already see a difference in LJ.  He looked better and was able to talk, although he was still very tired.

The doctors were trying to decide whether or not they were going to keep him until the feeding tube could be put in later in the week.  The GI doc told him he couldn't put the tube in because the damage to his throat was too severe and their method might cause more problems.  So the only way to do it would be through specialists in the radiology department.  This is the downside to not getting the tube in the beginning (like we were told) before the damage is done.  So many others have done the treatment without it, we thought he could too.  It was, in hindsight, a mistake.  Would have been better to have it and not used it than for him to go through what he did.  The other issue was the specialists only work on call and are difficult to get, especially on a weekend.  Long story for future campfires, but they found someone on Saturday afternoon and it was placed with no issue.  Ok, there was a little issue but thats LJ's story to tell on campfire night.  T'was quite the experience he tells me.

By Saturday evening they had him started on a special formula.  And finally he was able to come home on Monday, just in time to make his Monday radiation appointment.  Through it all, he only missed one treatment that will be made up at the end.  He's had the tube for over a week now and is doing so well with it.  He talks better, looks better, walks better.  He can drink water again and even take in some jello a little at a time.  That is 1000% better than he was prior to the tube.  It's not difficult to use at all.  It was placed in his stomach, so his shirt hides it.  I prepare the formula and help him with the feedings.  He also gets larger amounts of water through the tube.  It's amazing what a little nutrition and water will do for someone.  We went to his appointment yesterday, which was a week since being released from the hospital. He had gained 5 pounds!  His doctors were pleased.  He laughed saying he was hoping to lose another 15, damn tube hahahaha.  My LJ is back.

I on the other hand found myself sick while he was in the hospital.  I think the stress and lack of sleep had finally caught up with me.  I am not going to complain.  It's part of what you do when you love someone, but I did realize how important it is for me to have some down time, too.  Thankfully we have good friends in the Clarks.  Bruce takes him to radiation once or twice a week and they both make sure I am doing ok.  It's a blessing to have friends like that.

Sleeping during chemo

Something else we learned...a side effect of the chemo he is getting is "chemo rash".  It causes a red rash on your face and upper torso.  Prior to the feeding tube, his rash was pretty bad.  It doesn't itch but can be sore to the touch.  He is on a daily dose of antibiotics until he's done with chemo to help fight it.  Now that he has the tube, his rash is almost non existent.  Not sure what one has to do with the other, but it's another plus.

We just started his fifth week of treatment.  He has only 10 more radiation treatments and one more chemo treatment to go.  Then finally this part will be over.  It will still be about three months before he can get another PET and CAT scan to see if the treatment worked.  All we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed.  Be glad when we have an answer.

These guys hang out by our window

Doing all this in the RV is tough.  I don't spend a lot of time outside like I would like to do.  Between taking care of his needs and household stuff the day just flies by.  He is up and down a lot at night, so sleeping isn't ideal.  But again, it is what it is.  Beats the alternative.  And I keep telling myself it's one day at a time.  And look!  We are almost done with round one of a three round fight.  We can do it.

So that's where we stand right now.  This obviously isn't the path we would have chosen.  We had soooo many plans for this winter.  But..there is always next year.  I just hope he gets though all this and comes out on the other side healthy and happy.  His goal is for us to make it to the reunion in June at Boomtown.  He says he can do it..I'm not so sure.  We shall see.  MY goal for HIM is to make it to his annual atv adventure in Utah this October.  He may not be able to ride, but he can at least enjoy time with friends.  If neither happens, that's ok too.  The future is still bright according to the docs and that's what we hang on to.  We will get back to this blog being a fun RV blog, documenting LJ's antics and our great life, I promise.

On our way to Taco Bell lol

Scooter is doing well.  He's adjusted to his dad being sick.  I try to get him out to play ball at least twice a week for his well being (and mine).  It's funny how animals instinctively know when something is amiss.  He's become quite cuddly.

As far as our new house, it still won't be ready until at least June, and most likely not until the end of July.  I really wish we were in it now because this would be so much easier to do, but it is what it is.  I am looking forward to not living in the trailer for awhile.  It will allow us to regroup, recoup and move forward more comfortably.  I'm looking forward to having a place for our daughter and family to come visit from England.  It's not so far that our son and family can't make it down.  And it gives us a home base so, for me, I can once again enjoy trips in the RV.  I guess I should call the blog our journey from sticks and bricks to Rv living and back again hahaha.  I know LJ would RV forever if he could.  I'll compromise and give him the summer.  It's too hot in AZ then anyway lol.

So, keep LJ in your thoughts and prayers.  We'll get back to the fun side of life soon.

#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.