How DID I Get Here?

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cherterr

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How DID I Get Here?

In 1994 I surprised my now deceased hubby with a really useful sturdy storage building where he could finally set up his shop area and work on the many projects we would come up with as a homeschooling, newly semi-rural family of 5 with countless animals and ideas.

I remember sitting out there in cooler weather enjoying the peace, and quiet as it was the only place to hide from all the busyness of our home. I'm not sure if it was that calm pleasure or just the thought of wondering when I'd ever be 'free' again from all my responsibilities; but I would often think I'd be quite comfy living in something like it.

As a midwest child of 9, I was dragged kicking and screaming to Texas, a month after the JFK assination. My coloring book contained a big black 'X' on the state and I was completely disgusted with being bombarded by others about 'how funnie ah taulked'. So, almost immediately, I planned to escape this backward hell hole as soon as adulthood made it possible. In the meantime, I always enjoyed the road trip to get here in our little green and white Ford Station Wagon. Adventures with a Kansas blizzard, all the little truck stops, and moving our aquarium fish who froze and thawed out to live, were all some pretty heady travel memories!

In my mid 20s I managed to escape for a couple of years, traveling 3 or 4 times in various methods back and forth to California. It was the 70s! I met a guy, he was from LA, and off we went. Most of the traveling was done in a shiny, cavernous, Lincoln Continental, although I hopped a SouthWest Airlines L1011 'peanut fare', a time or two, as well. I lived and worked in LA for about 18 months with a temporary worker employer, then tried out northern California for a few months. Ironically, I lived just a few blocks from what later became Silicon Valley!

Living the previous decade of my life in Texas had apparently had an effect on me. By the time the movies Urban Cowboy, and The China Syndrome came out - I was ready to go HOME, to Texas! See, at that time California had a nueclear power plant built on a fault line not too far east of San Francisco, and since I had a first hand encounter with a very tiny earthquake, I realized I aboslutely wanted nothing to do with anything more lasting in California, no matter HOW beautiful it was. So, home I went.

After the husband died (three months before "Y2K") I purchased a 26 foot bumper pull Wilderness trailer, which I dragged behind my Chevy G20 conversion van, lovingly dubbed "Globey" by the kids, due to the company's logo of the earth on all the seats and the spare tire cover. We made a trip to Niagra Falls, and spent 3 days of a collectibles shopper's bliss, in Lebanon, Ohio, while the transmission was replaced.  Never let it be underestimated how much a good emergency fund can save the day.

A few more years would go by, I would remarry, the kids would grow up, and I finally remmebered my calm pleasure sitting out in that storage building, dreaming of when I'd be free. The only problem I could think of was how to finance my dream of what's come to be known as my Granny Cabin Project. 

 Stupidly remarrying in 2002 resulted in divorce, caused us to come to an agreement regarding our combined financial arrangement. We had equally shared in decisions to rehabilitate my house where my youngest son was born, and had spent three years on that task. I still have it today and have never made a penny on that thing. But she's my Real Estate Soul Mate. A fabulous Mid Century Modern built as a gift to a new wife in 1955 by members of the masons. Yep. It's THAT cool!  The PurplePalace.

The first time I lived there from 1989 to 1992 I was a happy homeschooling mom of 3, and took in more kids as a childcare provider. We were happy. The second time (2007-2013) was with Mr. Abusive during the rehab project (after my 'renter/purchaser'of 13 years did nothing in the way of upkeep for all those years). I think it actually made me madder to have the 'energy' of that anger and abuse in my house than the actual bruises from time to time.

In 2010, after I set myself free from Mr. Abusive, I purchased a little lot on a well known northeast Texas fishing lake, and by then had invented what I called my Pretend RV, which was a converted 6 x 12 cargo trailer. I could only go out every few weeks as it was a 4 hour drive from my home. After about a year, I came up with the idea that I could just live out my days in a nice 5th wheel RV thinking I'd probably be dead in 10 years or so anyway, so what did it matter if it fell apart?

The problem came when I wanted just 8 square feet more in my storage shed than was allowed by the restrictions, so I got rid of the whole thing and moved to greener pastures.

I had found my BFF a place from Craigslist during that year and he hated the fact that I was going to be forever stuck with no freedom to build what I wanted in the way of a storage shed, so he put the bait out for me to come build my Granny Cabin on his place. Within a very short time it became evident that his place was almost too small for HIM, so I started looking around the neighborhood for a place of my own.

In March of 2013, I sold all my stuff, rented out the PurplePalace, and moved the RV to my sparsely shaded (okay, there's really NO shade) 3/4 acre non-restricted lot in south central Texas! There's an exclamation point because even now, I still get a bold, exciting feeling reading it. I was free!!! Well, almost.

After a year or so I began to realize that I would need a more permanent dwelling. RVs are not great with insulation, etc. etc. etc. I could do a Granny Cabin on this god forsaken treeless place, but I just couldn't see the virtue in not getting it right, this time. So I waited, and within another year, I purchased one of the best little lots in the neighborhood complete with a really nice small lake at the back.

The trees on the Granny Cabin lot are fantastic. So are the vines and underbrush. At this writing, it still is not exactly what I would wish in a perfect world, but a lot of the tree killing vines have been dealt with - s l o w l y over time; enough so that in October of 2015 I ordered my shell for the Granny Cabin.

The important part of this story has yet to be told. It's about my income. I receive a fixed income from social security, which will hopefully continue til I drop dead. The OTHER two-thirds which I have invested in paying off debt and working on the Granny Cabin Project, could stop at any moment, as it was the settlement Mr. Abusive and I came up with. When he dies, it stops. I'm 62 now. Although healthy, he's 15 years older. See why I'm a little stressed to get this right?

Enter Matt Foley. Some of you fans of Saturday Night Live I'm sure are familiar with the character created by Chris Farley who "lives in a VAN, down by the River!!". This always sounded like a 'capital idea' to me. Why not?

So here it is 2016. I constantly feel the possible looming financial time constraints, still paying off some real estate debt, but I have a piece of property, 5th wheel, and my little Toyota Sienna minivan all paid for; which I am in the process of turning into my vanabode. If all else fails, I'll have IT.

The Granny Cabin Project is on hold while I prepare the Sienna for life on the road. In the last month I have used my newly acquired skills with power tools to build a little bed and kitchen area for the Sienna. I will be so glad after tomorrow when the mechanic installs the house battery system, and I can get back to planning my interior space for actual travel. Hopefully, it will be the LAST time I have to take it all out; but I have a sneaking suspicion it won't.

My original intention was to wait til really hot weather arrives in August and September and just GO, since my current intention is to be more of a SnowBird. Unfortunately for me, Bob of CheapRVLiving.com came up with a reason for me to rush my van plans: RTR in Flagstaff! I went there in the Lincoln back in May of 1980 on the way down from my 6 minute stay at the Grand Canyon, and fell in LOVE!  I always said I would go back.

What can I say? Motivation. What a concept! :)
 
Now, THAT's a story :) Off to watch some of your videos.
 
It was an interesting trip.


Videos ? I like videos......oh crap bandwidth !
I'll just have to go to LOWES!!!
I need some paint thinner and a bolt for my door latch and....................how many videos are there ?
 
Thank You, Marie.
RVPopeye: I think I have around 100. Been a YT'r for a long time.
Rugster: Thanks for reading, the 'condensed' version!! lol :)
 
May 25, 2016
The week long wait finally came to an end to get my house batter system set up.  Oh, oops.  The mechanic was an hour late, then could not assure me it would be fully installed before he HAD to leave at noon.  REALLY?  I was very nice, made my excuses, left and drove to the next town's Toyota dealership to get a bid.  For about the same money, they'll install it (and I can have a rental car, so I don't have to sit there all day!)

At this point in life, I figure stuff that pisses me off is just good training for my 'zen-ness', or the 'universe' saving me from things I don't know about! :)  Not too many years ago, that guy would have gotten a good tongue lashing.  Apparently, my little bit of German blood is enjoying the shop thinking I'll be back to reschedule.  HA!  NOT!

Perhaps my resources are not to be spent right now on this project, and I'm supposed to get back to the Granny Cabin work.  I am starting to doubt my shaky decision to go to RTR.  Before I heard about it, I had planned to wait until August to go anywhere.  Maybe I will need to stick with that. :(  I learned long ago that decisions that are fear based or haphazard are sometimes fraught with problems.  Maybe right now, it's best not to temp fate.

I WILL call the Toyota dealership in the morning, though.  (Never let it be said I was a quitter!)  Things may feel different tomorrow.  "After all; tomorrow is another day".
 
June 8, 2016

Began to build out the 'basement' area of the Sienna for keeping the batteries in one place.  If I knew more about angle cuts I could have been done in 15 less trips between shop and van!  When  the correct cut was finally made, it was like a party!!!  What's that saying about things that come easy not being as valued as those that come with more difficulty?

ANYWAY... on to the money:  Unfortunately, my damn dog (Maggie) grabbed the cat again (second time in 3 years) and she had to go to the vet after hiding out for 4 days.  I was glad to see her, but she had a huge hernia/gut protrusion from her encounter.  I can't decide which one of them is more annoying:  the stupid cat, who KNOWS the dog is going to get her, yet she insists on coming into the fenced area occasionally; or the dog who I would like to kill at these times, and who is smart enough to KNOW when she's wearing the Ecollar, and is actually a perfect, wonderful, fully trained canine... except for the cat thing.  Grrrrrrrr.

I feel like the cat wrangler.  There are very staunch rules around here for when I let who(m) out, etc.  It's animal juggling at it's best.  At least this time it wasn't my fault:  SO MUCH RAIN, forced kitty to seek shelter UNDER the RV... unbeknownst to me.  (Of course, she couldn't have chosen one of the half dozen other housed areas inside fences that I have around here.)

I'm really feeling the noose tightening around me again, and indecision creeping up on my mind.  I need to just SIT ON my money for a while and see which route to take; Granny Cabin, van dwelling, or stay put.  *sigh*
 
cherterr said:
and moving our aquarium fish who froze and thawed out to live, were all some pretty heady travel memories!

Wow, thanks for sharing your story.  Having never met you, I already know you will make it through and do fine with what ever decision you ultimately decide on.  I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my own life so I know how you feel.  However, even if you make a mistake, a little planning, flexibility and an open mind and you can turn almost any negative into a positive.   

I had a similar experience with some fish growing up.  I used to always walk to a small local pond and fish after school. When I got home I had some extra bait fish and my dad had just finished putting the pool cover on.  Being 12 or 13 at the time it seemed like throwing the small baitfish into the pool cover would be a good idea.  That winter the water in the cover froze solid and you could see the fish in the ice!  Forgot about them.  Drained the cover the following spring and as we were pulling it off something was jumping.........upon closer inspection it was the bait fish alive and well! Not one to waste an opportunity I scooped them up grabbed my rod and headed to the local pond.
 
ERLH: HA! I think suspended animation must have come from fish studies!! :)
 
June 9, 2016

A few days ago I saw a FB posting of a local person raving about a local mechanic.  I gave him a call, paid him a little bit and we worked out the arrangement for my house battery, cables, etc.  I left saying we'd talk on Thursday, and after checking my 'funds' decided to just forget about doing any of it COMBINED with the fact that I was still X-eyed about the cables.. grrr.

SO.. this morning, Mr. Mechanic calls bright and early (wow..finally.. another person who gets up!) and is all gung ho; so I rush to the car parts place he suggests, and get all the cables from our schematic/plan.  While there, it became evident that those guys didn't think too much of Mr. Mechanic, and long story short... I decided to just go with a good ole factory install by Toyota.  (I'm sorry, but.. I LOVE them down there.  I get A/C waiting room w/TV, tea, coffee, comfy seating, and generally treated like a queen. :)
I figure it was worth the slight difference in cost (literally only $10 more per hour) for the peace of mind, particularly dealing with electronics.  If I blow up or catch on fire.. I can always fuss @ Toyota!! lol :)

After an hour or so, they brought me a (FREE, yes, I said FREE) rental car.  My mechanic there is also they're tow truck driver, and it seems a very bad accident caused him to be pulled off of my job.  Okay. 

Here's the important part:  While we walked out to the shop to retrieve my other keys and phone charger I was shocked to see my little 'Chrissy' all wide open!!  The thresholds by my doors all torn off, so he can PROPELY install my cables!  #1 I am happy it's being done RIGHT #2 I had to laugh at myself because I thought about hospitals, and vet clinics who don't allow you into the surgery rooms.  It's always annoyed me not to be able to walk into a shop where I was having repairs done.. Now I can laugh about it.  I GET IT!!! lol :)

Sometime tomorrow I will FINALLY have my House Batteries installed BUT, I will be too poor to make the summer RTR.  I need some more practice runs before I go that far anyway; and I REALLY need to start parting with some 'stuff'!

I'm working on selling my big house, the property I'm ON, and rehoming my big dog (who keeps getting my cat).  Onward and Upward!!

Anybody want an awesome dog???
 
:huh:  OMG... I got a call today from a lady who visited my place a couple of months ago for possible purchase.  We've texted a few times since then.  Like 2 or 3.. not a lot.

Today, she calls and says she's 'found a home" (I assume mobile) and I replied I was very happy for her.  Then she says she's filling out paperwork, needed the address here, and was I ready to move?!

:huh:   Okay.  I hope she's not just on a manic phase of bi-polar disorder. :p

I just told her to give me a call later.  That would be NICE, except I would have to do a lot to get to my other little property.  Move RV, move shed, move pond/fish, install electric and water @ Granny Cabin, figure out dog pen.... argh. 
We shall see.
I'm just thinking this is a little weird.
 
Perhaps she would want a dog.   :D

Make 100% sure that you are paid in full (Check cleared) before you let her move ANYTHING on the property.  

Go through a title company.
 
GotSmart said:
Perhaps she would want a dog.   :D

Make 100% sure that you are paid in full (Check cleared) before you let her move ANYTHING on the property.  

Go through a title company.

Ha Ha.. dog.. she has a couple already!  She DID call back, and we are meeting on Wednesday to go over our details, and she will make her down payment.  YES.. title co.! ;;) (I actually used to work for real estate attorneys, but let's just say 'I've slept since then'!)

Looks like it's a GO for sure.  She's ordered her mobile and the assembly window is 6-8 weeks.

I made a HUGE list of 'to do' items, so it all seems a little more controlled now.. ha ha!  Still a lot of work. ESPECIALLY for someone who (for the first time in 5 years!) just re-upped their Ancestry .com membership. ::( I figured I'd be hiding from the heat a lot, so would continue my 10 year? quest for research!!  *sigh*  No rest for the wicked my mother always said. :angel:

The 'bright spot'? I get to start learning how to live w/o my black tank! Now HOW do I turn off that water to the RV toilet?????
Sad thing: I'll have to cancel volunteering my place for the fall Girls Only RTR. :(:(
 
"I made a HUGE list of 'to do' items, so it all seems a little more controlled now.. ha ha! "

First, congrats Cher about selling the property! and no worries, we'll figure out the WRTR, if meant to be.  Now, about that 'to do' list...for me at least it just seemed to keep growing and GROWING and GROWING.  :s  Also, I thought 8 weeks would be enough time to close down 23 years of life, but actions had to get a little radical toward the end just to meet deadlines.  It's a relief now that it's over, but the pressure was intense.   Good Luck and hope you find a nice home for your dog too.    :)
 
The Saga of the Pets:

Within the last 7-10 days my big dog (who just won't back off cats) injured BOTH of my darn kitties.  They are 'wilderness' kitties and LOVE to live outside the fence in the park, or down in the 'wash' attached to my property and there is a huge state park literally across the little street.  They KNOW to stay outside the fence.. but ugh.. anyway.  The stress of what to do while they recover has been HUGE.

Today I went to pick up kitty #2.  Her leg was broken and it was too severe to be set, so it was amputated.  At the SHOULDER!!  I was shocked, but that's kind of been my state of mind anyway lately.  $1000K between the two of them.

Tried rehoming the offending dog, but so far no luck.  This is a very rural area, and a lot of irresponsible a-hole's who have no clue about proper conduct of a dog owner/parent. When I awoke this morning, I thought maybe I could rehome the kitties.  It's not like I can van travel with three dogs and two cats anyway.

Long story short:  The Vet (female) has bonded w/ Kittie #2 and we discussed it all and I told her I was just so sad that the cat will probably NEVER be able to be 'wilderness kitty' again like she loves.  She adopted her!!! YAY!!!!!! ::)  NOW kitty has a super fantastic Indoor home WITH A VET!!!!  Life just doesn't get any better!!

For now I'll keep playing 'god' over here and keep big dog and remaining cat away from each other.. AND trying to rehome the dog.  Once I move, Kitty can also be cared for by my friend who's property adjoins mine over there.

OH, yeah:  I forgot to say my Chihuahua also decided to get sick, so THAT was another $200.  *sigh*  (She's old, what can I say)

AS TO THE MOVE/SALE:
YES.. huge list, but most of it is covered already GGWoman!;)  (I did my BIG downsize 3 years ago when I moved here, so this should be way simpler.. except.. "I" have to do it all.. ggrrrr. :)

I received the down payment funds, and today was able to finally confirm movers for shed and RV, electric pole installation, and water meter. 

Now, on to that smaller/next list!!! :)
 
I'M TAKING THE DAY OFF!!!!!!

:):) I decided I deserve it. Maybe I'll get REALLY wild, and take off tomorrow too!

(No, I do not 'work' for anyone else. I'm just a slave to my own life projects, it seems :):)
 
cherterr said:
Long story short:  The Vet (female) has bonded w/ Kittie #2 and we discussed it all and I told her I was just so sad that the cat will probably NEVER be able to be 'wilderness kitty' again like she loves.  She adopted her!!! YAY!!!!!! ::)  NOW kitty has a super fantastic Indoor home WITH A VET!!!!  Life just doesn't get any better!!

What a stroke of luck. After quite a search I finally found a  farm home for one of my cats who always wanted to be an outdoor cat and has never gotten over her fear of my dog. She's headed to her new place tomorrow. Actually , your preparations sound a lot like mine - the to do list is staggering.
 
What a great day! I only had two things to do today: Pay for my water meter, and DISH appointment.

After deciding to treat myself to breakfast at a restrauant, I discovered they were closed today for installing new kitchen equipment, so went to the donut shop (not raw, eh? but it's the only other place w/morning food!). Before I finished I received a call from the Electric company's arborist. (I know, right) who was at my granny cabin place checking on the trees to be trimmed to set poll. I met him there (instead of my exciting intended trip to the dollar stores while in town!) and it was wonderful. Only very tiny limbs to be trimmed AND he took (for a friend who makes things) all the huge logs of cedar off my burn pile. That means I can spend less time in the heat while burning brush AND someday I can see pics of what they became instead of just ashes!:)

I was expecting an appointment w/DISH to see about reconfiguring my dish, and thought I would be tied up all afternoon. DISH guy shows up 3 hours early while I'm with the arborist, so now my entire afternoon is free! Speaking of free - (from the dish) so is my little storage shed, so it can be moved at any time.

I'm surprised how quickly things are moving about moving. All is up to me now. Trenches for water pipe and electrical; final appointment times for movers of rv and shed. WHEE!

The good news is: I don't have to do much to the RV and shed except 'batten down the hatches' after speaking with both movers. YAY!

(A little side note: yesterday when I took Kitty #1 to have her final staples removed, Kitty #2 had been Readopted to one of the techs at the office. I was a little shocked, and still hate that it has to be this way. Still no hopes of a new home for "Maggie" the cat hating dog. :(:(

Sad to hear the news about the RTR @ Flagstaff, BUT.. thank goodness I had a 'feeling' about not going. That trip would have been a Big Deal for me to try to attend. It would have been awful to have gone all that way and all the expense of it, only to see it shut down. Hugs to those of you who had that happen!
 
July 14, 2016

The move to the Granny Cabin property drags on.

After a day's delay by the RV mover, he came, it wouldn't budge, he left. They're coming back on Saturday. I hope they have jacks and stands to check the brakes. From advice I received on this forum, it sounds like the brakes or the pull away brake is sticking.

It becomes more and more tempting just to RUN. Jump in my little Sienna and just go. Argh.
 
gsfish said:
Dang! That's some expensive cats! $1M for the two!

Couldn't resist.

Guy

Oh.  I see the typo.. Good math!
 
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