How DID I Get Here?

[cherterr]

HI EVERYBODY!  I got moved!
My YouTube channel has a few videos for those of you who like to 'watch'!

I see from reading this thread that it's been THREE LONG BUSY Months since "I" had a break/girl day/off day.  SO.. since that's my plan for the rest of today and tomorrow, I'm gonna make this short.

First I had to get the electric pole and water meter installed, THEN I had to find someone to fun a line and set a little pole for my RV.  A friend had a son who was very helpful.  Yay.

The RV water is still on a hose cause frankly, I'm tired of digging, and after the cabin is done, I will sell it!! 

The Granny Cabin now has ELECTRICITY!! YAY... It also has a water pipe INTO it! YAY again!  Just last week, it got insulation in the 'attic' (Under roof).  Next, I'll be installing the wall insulation.  so...

Last month I managed to purchase a really cool Claw Foot Tub. Am I spoiled?  Yes!  After 3.5 YEARS of shower only I deserve a tub!  I'm pretty sure it's a reproduction since it's in perfect condition, complete with faucets, hand held shower attachment and all It was a STEAL $. 

 It's a FULL wonderful 59 Inches!!   The reason I know this is due to an annoying little discovery by a plumber who was giving me an estimate to install it:  My bathroom wall, which I designed and labored over in sketches and graph paper for THREE YEARS was put on a 5 ft. 'center'.  (Really? WTF?   Friends..grrrr)  SO .. NOW.. I'm trying to design a way to kick the wall on one end (kitchen) out a few inches to accommodate the tub.  I will be doing THAT MYSELF, like all the other wood/inside stuff EXCEPT for the ONE, too short, bathroom wall.

End of Pt. I

 

[cherterr]

Pt.2

The situation with the dogs has been pretty fluid this last 90 days. Maggie, the cat injuring dog is gone finally. It was tough, and I missed her a LOT.. but she HAD to go.

During the interim, Jenny the white slightly neurotic Pitbull I rehomed 5 months ago, came back to me from a shelter where she had been turned in. (The rehomed with lady called me, but I couldn't take her right that minute, and even though I OFFERED to help her find another home she took her there.) Jenny was here for about a month, and I just rehomed her again. This time it is the PERFECT home for this dog that I always dreamed of for her: no other pets, apartment/inside life, with an only person, who loves to RUN!

The same week Jenny returned I was driving along a FM road and spotted a ChiWeenie about to get run over due to running away from a couple of extremely amorous,, sexually abusive cattle dogs. SO.. I picked her up, tried to find her owners, vetted, spayed, and rehomed to a great couple where she is like their spoiled little 'baby'! SO.. in dog world, every thing is Wonderful!!

See, the reason I am so grateful/thankful that I am FINALLY now down to two little dogs is I MIGHT actually be able to travel some, now. And by that I mean actually be gone from my place for more than FOUR HOURS!!! My knees took a real Beating with this move. It took a couple of weeks to restore my 'ramp' and with no fence yet, I was reduced to taking out four dogs several times a day, up and down, up and down those steps! So now.. I'm doing the happy dance. (Well not really, cause I still have to be careful, but we'll just say 'mentally'!

I'm gonna go do some fun looking/shopping for the Granny Cabin the next few days, as it's till too hot to feel inspired about working in there; and, besides.. I NEED A BREAK!!! I can also get back to finishing my Sienna camper van and plan a road trip! YAY!!!!! Come ON fall!!!

 

[cherterr]

Wow. It's been a while. Here's the 'short' version:

The move this summer; I injured my 'good' knee, so still hobbling... ouch/grr. Got some pain pills but use gingerly.

The big news: Dec. 19th my beautiful mid century modern house in another town decided to commit suicide by catching fire... THREE DAYS after a buyer and I agreed to a price. (Seriously, house??) Guess she wanted a 'make ovah'! So now life is filled with insurance claims, contractors, and trips out of town (with no place to stay when arrive.. Fortunately, it's only a couple hours away.

Xmas night, my daughter 2 hours the OTHER direction was threatening suicide on Youtube... so she was picked up and taken in for observation/treatment. Took me a WEEK to find her dog, but at least it distracted me from the house issue. Found dog, she finally resurfaced and is actually texting me some now and on some meds with follow up therapy and counseling. (Thank GOD.. FINALLY. Mental illness is a bitch)

SO... I just threw my hands in the air, went to car dealerships on NewYear's eve and bought a little puddle jumper to take the brunt of future mileage to help save my little Sienna for TRAVELING.. IF I can ever ESCAPE!!! (rolls eyes).

The Granny Cabin now has insulation, but due to other stuff is at a virtual stand still. Fortunately, I will come out better after insurance (if I work my tail off to prove estimates!) and will be able to get out of that little debt and fix it up at some point in the future. SO...

I REALLY feel like George Bailey these days (or maybe for decades) (See movie "It's A Wonderful Life'). HE never got away EITHER!!

 

[cyndi]

Nice to hear from you, Cherr. So sorry to hear of all the turmoi;l you've been experiencing

 

[rvpopeye]

Wow , what a story that is !
Hope things happen a little more in your favor for a long time to even things out.....

 

[Phantom Blooper]

"I REALLY feel like George Bailey these days (or maybe for decades) (See movie "It's A Wonderful Life'). HE never got away EITHER!!"

Sorry for your troubles and your family issues......

George......did have a "Wonderful Life" though!

"Dear Cherterr: Remember no woman/man is a failure who has friends.

P.S. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence." A bell on the Christmas tree rings.

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!" Cherterr agrees and looks up to  heaven and says, "Attaboy, Clarence." Cherterr realizes that she truly has a wonderful life.......and she'll be able to  drive into the sunrise and leave Potterville behind! With a Clarence magnetized on your dash.

Best of luck! Hang in there!

 

[ArtW]

Damn that sucks, wondered what happened to you, this too shall pass

 

[jimindenver]

Hang in there Cherr and know we are all pulling for you.

 

[cherterr]

"I REALLY feel like George Bailey these days (or maybe for decades) (See movie "It's A Wonderful Life'). HE never got away EITHER!!"

Sorry for your troubles and your family issues......

George......did have a "Wonderful Life" though!

"Dear Cherterr: Remember no woman/man is a failure who has friends.

P.S. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence." A bell on the Christmas tree rings.

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!" Cherterr agrees and looks up to  heaven and says, "Attaboy, Clarence." Cherterr realizes that she truly has a wonderful life.......and she'll be able to  drive into the sunrise and leave Potterville behind! With a Clarence magnetized on your dash.

Best of luck! Hang in there!

Wow.  It's been 6 months, and you made me cry!! (in a good way-kind of like the movie!)  Thank you.  I'll be LOOOKING for YOU out on the road when I get there.  What a sweetie! I, at least, owe you a hug!

 

[cherterr]

Well... I just checked in here after a 6 month absence to find that I Have a TRIBE!! Like... friend people I've never met!!! THANK YOU ALL so much for caring and commenting. SO.... updates:

Insurance cooperated with the force to be reckoned with (that would be ME) and paid up. I'm still sad my poor little house bit the dust, but there was enough left to sell for lot price, and FINISH MY GRANNY CABIN. I am waiting on Counter Tops TOMORROW (the last thing!) Okay... well.. there's still a lot of exterior things... skirting, porch, driveway.. Garage??? Not sure on all that.. BUT I can finally get out of this RV!! (It's been okay but the storms.. not so much in RV.. scary).

Daughter is back to her usual ??? .... um... ??? ... delusions, but functioning and I can keep up with her on YouTube. (I know, right?) AND oldest son has been checking in and visiting lately, so that's good. SO much for family stuff.

My little Toyota Sienna is in the shop right now getting all the spark plug coils replaced (cause I don't want to put up with them continuing to go out one by one) and perhaps some transmission work. I love my little vanny!! It's ten years old, and (mostly) has never given me a bit of trouble, in all it's 208K miles +.

During my off time, I managed to rescue one more little dog from death/heartworms/shelter, and she only has her final check up to go on June 3. After that.. I'm free as a ?? in a breeze!

I'm kind of dumbfounded, though. In the infamous words of Scarlett O'Hara: "Where shall I go? What shall I do?"
ANYONE??

 

[Queen]

Welcome back!

It's weird, isn't it, when you get a chance to catch your breath? You sort of look around and go hmmm, and then realize you can do anything you want!

 

[ArtW]

Welcome back! we have missed you!

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome back !
Where to go , what to do ?
Come on uptah Maine and get you some Lobstah dearie !
yup yup yup yup.

 

[cherterr]

Well, two minutes after I rehomed the LAST dog, a big one showed up in my yard.  After 3 attempts to make him leave (escorted to outside fence) he returned so we Went For A Ride.  ( I Wish.. lol ended up at vet, and ..you know the drill..snip snip.. heartworm med, and FINALLY rehomed HIM two months later.. geeze) 

ANYWAY...

Since I am NOT a lover of 20" rainfall at my place (been there done that..If I'm gonna DiE, I at LEAST want tv or internet/phone radar to let me know!!) so since forecasts sucked, I decided to go on Wed. 23.  I started packing the van, which took all day Thursday.  About halfway into it.. I said "hey.. why not just GO on the trip?".  I'm basically lazy and didn't want to have to load all this stuff again, later!   (I also decided not to take away lodgings for those who may need it more! -Harvey evacuees).

So.. the long awaited (bucket list?) 'road trip' to my childhood home (Omaha) finally came to fruition.  I am there now and will head to Flagstaff tomorrow (Wed. 30th); the 'other place' I said I'd always return to!!   I've never lived there, but went thru on a return trip from GC and LOVED IT!

I'm looking for suggestions for property or places to stay for the Texas summer months.. kind of backwards 'snowbird' if you will !

 

[cherterr]

So, a new year has come and is going!  During Thanksgiving holidays my youngest son's fiancé died.  That sucked.  Both he and his older brother were IN the hospital room as they revived her 5 times, and were ultimately somewhat traumatized.  Sometimes life lets you know why you've had certain experiences so that you can help others.  We all sat around watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas to feel a bit 'normal' again. 

Winter has come to visit with a vengeance (for So. Cent. Texas!) and I got food poisoning to top it off.  After all that, I was ready for a road trip!

I spent the weekend driving all over the southernmost part of the state looking for warm and sun.  South Padre Island National Seashore was pretty good except for the FOG.  No horizon visible.  A bit weird.  The best part?  Little hand written sign on the Guard shack informing visitors that the government was shut down.   NO Rangers!! whee.  Amazing how people are mostly able to govern theselves and behave appropriately on the beach, isn't it?

Maya, my mini Dachshund is quickly becoming my own version of the traveling 'yard gnome' and keeps popping up in pictures here and there.



I've decided that no matter how much I LOVE my Sienna, that if I'm going to be on the road for 4 months, I'm going to HAVE to have something larger.  It's fun for a night or two at WalMart, but it's getting too difficult for old decrypted me, to crawl/sqeeze/move from the front seat to the back; not to mention the lack of cargo space.

SO.. I'm looking again for a good old high top v-8 G20.

And I'm also looking for a cool place to spend the summer.  Anyone?

 

[cherterr]

My Goodness! 8 months already? Time flies when you're still not leaving!! lol

SO.. let's see. I kept waiting for it to get warm enough out west until it was too hot.. and while I kept messing around about leaving, my (decades old issues) knee went totally out on me. Looks like the end of July the surgeon will be scheduling my knee replacement. I'm just wondering if I can live on steroid shots and pain pills til Dec. and just get gone for a while between now and then? That's my plan but first have to figure out what to do about the shots every 3 wks while 'on the road'.

NOTE TO WANNABE VANDWELLERS/Travelers: DO NOT WAIT.. GO!!! Especially if you're a bit older!


I took up knitting a couple of months ago, and Maya (mini dachshund) kept whining at me. I got her a puppy for her Birthday on 4th of July. Waa ha haa.. It's working out perfectly. Rusty is a sweetheart (and a monster!) lol


Hope you're all doing well and I WILL see some of you .. Eventually!!

OH.. I gave the Sienna to my oldest son because I adopted and refined a very low mileage high top '99 Chevy Express!!   Yay!!

 

[bullfrog]

Good luck with the knee! I go see about mine on Monday, I'm still walking on mine but got a heck of a Bakers cyst.

 

[cherterr]

So... Did I tell you the one about a FULL YEAR to recover from Total Knee Replacement? ugh.
Almost there, and getting the itch to just GO~

 

[Cammalu]

I get my second totally knee replacement on the 29th of this month. It WAS a year to recover from the other one but it had to be done.

P. S. Send tiny cute puppy to me.

 

[cyndi]

I had both knees replaced in 2012. Full recovery was about 6 months. I shouldn't have waited as long as I did.

Just got a new right hip and I'm hoping for a similar experience.