Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Seeking Quiet....

Yes, the more obvious reason to "get away", but not what I'm talking about now.  While I'm exploring who knows where, I'm going to have a quest to seek out old cemeteries.  For some strange reason, I love photographing old cemeteries.  There's actually a large group on Facebook who 'focuses" (no pun!) on old cemeteries and their interesting history, headstones, monuments, etc.  Rather fascinating.  I have a bit of a library of cemetery photographs, but want to add to it substantially while traveling around.  Here's an example...


I think it will be fun and interesting to have this other agenda going on -- not just traveling from spot to spot, but maybe coming upon a cool, old cemetery along the way!

Monday, April 28, 2014

Purge #2 : Art Studio...Ugh

For two days, I've been going through my studio room...  It was so organized I didn't realize how much I had in there!  Well, so far, this is what is going in the auction!  I know I won't miss any of it....without actually looking at everything, I can't even remember what's in the "out box"!  Still have a bit more to do in there, but this is the bulk of what I hope are treasures to others!


If you are planning to downsize or RV full time and rid yourself of your 'sticks and bricks' environment....don't be afraid of letting go!  It is liberating!

Stay tuned!  Departure time is on the countdown!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

When the Cat's Away...

....the mice will play!  And play they did!  In my RV's generator!  It had been sitting a long time with the previous owner.  The little critters got into the generator and chewed up a bunch of wires.



Anthony to the rescue!  My brother-in-law (Super Mechanic Man) ordered all the parts necessary and it's humming away like new!  YAY!  I really didn't want to have to purchase a new generator at this point!

Now very confident about having power!

There's a big community Spring trash pickup this Saturday.  Would like to get stuff out to the curb so I don't have to deal with carting it away myself a little later.  I don't know exactly what I have, but I'm sure I can find something!  My art studio is going to be the most difficult to break down from its sticks and bricks environment to the RV.  I'll have to be ruthless about tossing things in there.  I can only take so many paints, canvases, pens, watercolors, special papers, inks, easels, etc.  And then there's my camera equipment.  Can you say, "tight squeeze"??  LOL!

The generator is my good news for today!  So glad it wasn't something BIG!

Thanks, Anthony!!




Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Trails !

Gorgeous Easter Sunday!  Perfect, really!  Everything is greening up...little wildflowers popping out.  Cody and I took his first (at least with me) practice trail walk today at Hueston Woods State Park, just a couple of miles from where we live.  He was like an old pro!  Stayed on the trail...no dilly-dallying...no dragging me to investigate "the wild".  I told him to get used to this outdoor life because there is a lot of it in his future....and if he didn't like it, I would turn him in for a little lap dog!  LOL!  He wanted none of that idea so he was quite the great trail blazer!  Well....he did get a little excited when a wild turkey ran in front of the car on the way out of the park!


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Do I hear.....

SOLD???

Not quite yet, but we're heading that way!  The auctioneer is coming by this afternoon to survey all my "stuff"...  some antiques that I've gotten from his past auctions -- deja vu for Doug! and all the typical household items everyone else has.  I will put reserve amounts on some collectible artwork I have. Can't let those pieces go for nothing!  Hoping he has an open day on May 31st or June 7th.  Want to get on the road no later than June 15th.

Still waiting to actually get the RV to my house.  My brother-in-law is soooooo busy at his garage.  People will wait for weeks to have him work on their vehicles -  no one else will do.  I'm happy, too, to wait for the best!  He needs to check over the Onan generator....seems to have some hiccups.  Hopefully it's nothing huge.  Then the normal 'tuneup' stuff and we should be ready for some detail cleaning and organizing!  

One step at a time!  

Cody is doing pretty well so far for not having him even a week yet.  We walk loose leash on familiar routes now instead of him DRAAAAAAAGING me behind him.  I only weigh a few pounds more than he does, so we had to get past that bad habit right away!  He gets into my clothes hamper and pulls out all my clothes destined for the washing machine...then DRAAAAAAGS them all over the house.  Will have to get a dog-proof hamper for dirty clothes in the RV!

Next steps....tossing or donating (more) stuff that doesn't need to go into the auction!  

Stay tuned....so much to do...so little time!  

Thursday, April 10, 2014

I Have a Traveling Companion !

Today I adopted Cody!  Part Rottweiler / part German Shepherd.  He's 15 months old...on the larger side of medium-sized....about 80+ lbs.  He came from a mean original owner - BOO!  He had been at the shelter since January.  I can't believe he was there that long!  In just one short day, I can tell he's a great dog! He stays right by my side every minute!  Minds well, considering his background...but we have some work to do.  I'm confident he will train fairly easily. We have about 60 days before our adventure begins.  Two months of working together should yield a pretty daring duo!


He likes riding in the car -- which is a good thing, since we will be living in a vehicle!  He is anxious to see the world!  He will make a great companion!  (First night -- he's already up on my bed asleep!)  I believe I see a rather spoiled pooch in my future!


Monday, April 7, 2014

My New Favorite Place !



THE CONTAINER STORE !

I love this place!  The minute you walk in you feel organized!   I’m already a box freak, so this was heaven! I got every container I needed in there.  Overhead, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, closets, under couch, weird space containers, cargo rack totes, hanging trash can….even museum putty!   They have it all!  I’m already a pretty organized kinda person, but this will make RV life even easier!  A place for everything and everything in it’s place!  All labeled, of course!  :-)  They aren’t the cheapest, but it’s one stop shopping and very durable products!



First Steps - First Purge

Now, you might ask, “What the heck is she moving FROM to be able to fit all her worldly possessions into the Tiff Mobile?   Good question!  

I currently live in a great, large (for one person)  100+ year old house (renting, luckily) that I revamped quite a bit.  It’s  filled with great art, a cool remodeled kitchen (which I took on to aid me as a personal chef), antiques and a various array of collected “stuff”.  Well…..99% of everything will be going up for auction!  Just about everything except a few kitchen items, some clothes, important documents, and my own and collected art pieces…just can’t part with those!  Speaking of clothes, my first pass at clearing an 11′ x 10′ walk-in closet room yielded over 100 items going to Goodwill on Saturday!  There will be more, I’m quite sure.  After all, the closet in my new home is only about 4′ high by 20″ across!  YIKES! 

What I'm Drivin'


Okay……here we go!  Less than a week ago I purchased a 27′ 1990 Gulfstream Limited Edition Ultra RV!   WHOO HOO!  It’s in great shape, only 37,500 miles.  My brother-in-law, Anthony, who just happens to be an expert when it comes to automotive-anything (lucky me!), is going through it with a fine tooth comb (or wrench or electrical testing thingies) so I’ll be as road worthy as possible.  This includes six brand new tires. (RV tires are known to wear from age before the tread wears thin.)  See?  I’ve been studying and watching a lot of You Tube RV videos!  Better safe than sorry when it comes to the rubber hitting the pavement.  Here — take a look at my new home —



Stay tuned and thanks for joining me!  Let’s get rollin’!

Let's Get Acquainted !

Welcome to my RV Travel Diary!  This is a long, first post…getting all the introductory stuff out of the way!

Let’s put everything in reverse first….we’re not rollin’  quite yet!   I haven’t actually started my adventure so you will have your foot on the pedal with me from the starting line!

First, some background:  My name is Tiffany (well, my given name is Jeanne, but that’s all a different story!)  I’m “over 40″…that’s being REALLY, REALLY kind to myself! I am not a wealthy retiree nor have a won a lottery nor was I great at “saving”.  I’m your average hardworking gal albeit I’ve had an interesting life.  I’m an artist, a photographer and a personal chef – right now, that is.  At a relatively young age, I owned the first mortgage banking company in Connecticut, then became a Corporate Credit Manager, then a Sales/Marketing Manager, then a Production Manager.  And I’ve also been a waitress, an executive secretary, a hotel restaurant hostess, and a landscaper at a country club (where I got 100 wasp stings and came very close to saying  ”goodbye” to the world!).  I’m sure I’ve had other jobs that I just don’t remember at this point!  I’m an Advanced Certified SCUBA diver and also enjoy classic rock (ok — I was a hippy-type!), hiking, perusing antiques, interior design….most anything artsy and creative!

I have relocated 39 times within four different states (OH, CT, NC and AZ) over the past 40 years so my wanderlust personality was carved in stone long ago!  I’ve been back in the small Ohio college town where I grew up for the past [almost] four years.  It’s been fun to meet up with old friends from high school and others I knew here after 38 years away, but my time here has come to and end.  Time to hit the road!  And you’re going with me!  I’ve decided to head back to Arizona, but instead of Route 40 straight across the U.S., then turning left in Flagstaff to Phoenix (really, it’s that simple!), I’m going to RV my way through hills, valleys, mountains, forests, by lakes and rivers, in rain and sun as a full-time RVer.  By ‘full time’ I mean, even when I arrive in Arizona, I’m not going to be thinking “house” or “apartment”!  Get the idea?  (Actually, I’ll need to be thinking “JOB”!)

To be serious for a moment….frankly, I’m tired of “stuff”.  I believe stuff creates stress, messy or not.  Why do we think we need so much stuff?  This is my thinking of late. I’ve always loved my stuff….and I’ve had a lot of it!  I should know after moving it 39 times!  But I’m not going to particularly “miss” much of anything I have, eventho’ I really like it.  I want simplicity…less of everything to deal with.  Trust me, learning everything about RV life is enough right now!  Anyway, the stuff will be going to those who love it and/or truly need it.  Auctions are good that way!  Even my very trustworthy Saturn VUE…it’s not the “towable” model.   I’m saying, “au revoir” to stuff and “bonjour” to whatever lies ahead in about two months when we (you and I!) start the engine!  VROOOOOOM!

Signing off now.  I won’t post every day at this point.  Just wanted to introduce myself and set the pace for the journey ahead with the steps (and mis-steps!) I’m taking to get this crazy adventure started  – in case any of you are thinking about totally cleaning house and starting on a new adventure yourself!  From there, until the adventure ends (whenever that is!) I’ll be posting everything from organizing my stuff in the RV, to figuring out all the batteries, hoses, dials, etc., to thinking about the general route to take, to where I stay overnight, expenses….what culinary delights I’m creating outside on the grill at my campsite or inside when I’m parked at a Walmart for the night!  The more free spots and less RV parks (just not my style), the better……..and everything in between.  Get this —  I haven’t even driven the Tiff Mobile one inch yet so we’re in for a wild ride west, my friends!

Stay tuned and thanks for joining me!  Let’s get rollin’!