I'm out of the house and living in an RV park

[DianaCox]

The toilet is an interesting set-up - I find that if I put my feet up on the higher part, it's kind of like a Squatty Potty and it makes it easier to poop. Now I need a bidet to go with it - I miss my Toto Washlet. But, since we are going to be moving to a larger rig soon, I don't want to add too many improvements to this one now.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I am becoming diazepam deficient just looking at the photos.


You and I are SOOO different. I need EVERYTHING put "away," which means in cupboards or other storage. Nothing in "aisles," almost nothing on countertops and, since I don't play well with others, I might keep a spouse, but no animals. I like to live in something that is ALMOST permanently "staged." Blame my mom. When we had our first locker inspection in Army Basic Training...I just arranged everything the way my mother wanted things and my Drill Sergeant was a little surprised. She usually threw open wall/foot lockers and threw out everything that was not neat enough. She just stared at my locker...it was perfect...and moved on to another victim. Lol

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

I am becoming diazepam deficient just looking at the photos.


You and I are SOOO different. I need EVERYTHING put "away," which means in cupboards or other storage. Nothing in "aisles," almost nothing on countertops and, since I don't play well with others, I might keep a spouse, but no animals. I like to live in something that is ALMOST permanently "staged." Blame my mom. When we had our first locker inspection in Army Basic Training...I just arranged everything the way my mother wanted things and my Drill Sergeant was a little surprised. She usually threw open wall/foot lockers and threw out everything that was not neat enough. She just stared at my locker...it was perfect...and moved on to another victim. Lol

I'm Dr Jekyll and Mrs Hyde! I go through spirts where EVERYTHING is 100% organised, alphabetised and disinfected. Then I go through phases where I have a spot on the sofa for my ass with piles of my crap around me lol.

 

[Clematis]

I am becoming diazepam deficient just looking at the photos.


You and I are SOOO different. I need EVERYTHING put "away," which means in cupboards or other storage. Nothing in "aisles," almost nothing on countertops and, since I don't play well with others, I might keep a spouse, but no animals. I like to live in something that is ALMOST permanently "staged." Blame my mom. When we had our first locker inspection in Army Basic Training...I just arranged everything the way my mother wanted things and my Drill Sergeant was a little surprised. She usually threw open wall/foot lockers and threw out everything that was not neat enough. She just stared at my locker...it was perfect...and moved on to another victim. Lol

If you're ever in my area, I'd love to meet you... but (gulp) you won't be invited to my house.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

If you're ever in my area, I'd love to meet you... but (gulp) you won't be invited to my house.

LOL...it was not SUPPOSED to be a criticism as much as a comparison. Diana's been to my house; I've been invited to hers, but I'm not very portable.

Her home(s) look comfortable, lived-in, occupied-by-humans. (And kitties.) My home(s) tend to look cold, unoccupied, hotel-room-ish. And to make it worse, I cannot nap in a cluttered location. I think it plays into my ADD-ness.

 

[DianaCox]

If I can find the cats, and I'm not sneezing my head off, I'm OK. I'm a piler anyway - things are organized, sort of, in piles I make on any horizontal surfaces.

Actually, I'm trying pretty hard (for me) to not let this get out of control. I've put a few more things away, I'm using some of the boxes as part of the cat parkour course, and trying to figure out how Mimi keeps getting under the jackknife sofa, where the delicate heating ducts are run.

Yesterday's accomplishments:

(1) After nearly 2 hours on the phone with tech support, and countless hours trying on my own before, I finally got the babycam with the temperature monitor to work - I don't need the camera part, but I was very uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the cats in the RV during the day with the A/C on (it is warm here), because what if the A/C or the power goes out?? They might cook pretty quickly. The front desk has a set of keys to the RV, and now I can monitor the temperature of the RV while I'm away.

(2) The first night we were here, we had to turn on the furnace. I don't want to use up the propane, because I would have to unhook AND REPOSITION ALL THE CRAP inside the RV! - to drive 1/2 mile over to the propane refill station. I bought a small electric heater a while ago, which I had never used. I pulled it out last night, and figured out how to use it, keeping in mind the cats are active at night - I put it on top of the water dispenser (which I unplugged, as I don't need either cold or hot water at the moment), and used heavy utility tape to tape the feet of the heater to the top of the dispenser. I left the fan in the front of the RV on, and lo and behold, it worked beautifully - the whole rig stayed at a very nice ~71 degrees all night - I may even turn it down further tonight.

(3) I drove to the bigger bathrooms and took a shower before 4 PM and even got dressed.

(4) I put the cats in their new Kitty Holsters and took them outside for a little while - I want them to HATE it outside, but also to know what the RV looks and smells like from the outside, in case they get out. (Trash bag on the outside is recycling ...)

(5) I took a brisk walk around the RV park, which I plan to do at least once a day to get back in a little better shape.

So far today, I was pleased to find I had successfully set up the coffee pot last night, and had freshly ground and brewed coffee waiting for me when I woke up. I did a little work, made a cheese omelet for myself, fed the cats, did some research about my father's latest medical issues, and maybe sold another piece of furniture.

Tonight before I go to bed, I have to figure out how to lower the awning out front - there's a storm coming through in the middle of the night/early AM, and I don't want the wind to rip it up.

So many things that Charles normally takes care of - from feeding and caffeinating me and taking care of the cats to almost all things mechanical with the RV. It's good for me to do this.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

all

Diana, is your RV a Rockwood? The inside of it looks nearly identical to the one my Dad and I bought for him to park in our backyard here in Tennessee and winter in, coming down from northwest Missouri and the brutal winters up there. His is a bumper pull though, isn't yours the kind you drive? We fixed it up to be stationary with a line being run to carry his waste into our septic tank when it was emptied and water hooked to it directly rather than using a holding tank. Dad and my husband underpinned it to make it warmer and he and his two cairn terriers were very comfortable there for a few winters. They also built a small deck at the door with a ramp so he didn't have to go up and down steps and the little dogs were able to get in and out easily too. Also installed a pet door in the trailer door, which was not the easiest thing to do. He used one of the infrared heaters to supplement the propane furnace it had and he stayed quite warm in it. I'd go over to visit him of an evening and would stay until I was so hot I was about to explode! We had him hooked into our DISH service too and I moved the receiver box from the spare bedroom out to his trailer and he was all set! He passed away February 10 of 2015 and the trailer is still in our back yard. I can hardly make myself go into it because it makes me so sad but I have to soon because I need to get it cleaned and made ready to try to sell it.

 

[DianaCox]

No, ours is a Coachmen Mirada motorhome - see the first pic

When we buy our bigger diesel pusher after the house is sold, we will travel for a year or so, but eventually, plan to make it a moveable casita for our new house. I'm trying to think of how we could keep this one - it really is cozy, but it's not great for long haul traveling in the mountains out west.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

It's amazing how identical the insides look. Not being an RV person at all until Dad got his I didn't realize the furnishings looked so similar among different brands. I'll have to find a picture to post. Do you plan to stick with RV as opposed to bumper pull or 5th wheel? We have some beautiful parks with wonderful RV grounds near our house and througout Tennessee. Roll on down some day!

 

[DianaCox]

Yes, the motorhome is safer to drive and easier to manage, especially as we get older. And I like that we can ride IN the motorhome between places, and that the cats don't have to be in crates.

 

[southernlady]

Do you plan to stick with RV as opposed to bumper pull or 5th wheel?

All of those are considered RV's. The bumper pull is known as a travel trailer but all Class A's, B's, and C's as well as TT's and 5th Wheels are RV's, just different kinds.

Diana's is a Class A which looks kinda like a bus. Class B's look more like overgrown vans (and usually AS expensive as class A's cause they mostly use a Mercedes base) and then there are the Class C's that resemble UHaul van's...(the over the driver sleeping area resembles the "mom's attic" of the UHaul.

Dh and I also jumped into the RV lifestyle but still just part time, not full time like Diana is working toward. You can see one similar to ours here.

 

[aaa]

That's sure nicer than any RV I've seen recently.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

All of those are considered RV's. The bumper pull is known as a travel trailer but all Class A's, B's, and C's as well as TT's and 5th Wheels are RV's, just different kinds.

Diana's is a Class A which looks kinda like a bus. Class B's look more like overgrown vans (and usually AS expensive as class A's cause they mostly use a Mercedes base) and then there are the Class C's that resemble UHaul van's...(the over the driver sleeping area resembles the "mom's attic" of the UHaul.

Dh and I also jumped into the RV lifestyle but still just part time, not full time like Diana is working toward. You can see one similar to ours here.

Yes, that's right! I remember reading all about the classifications so I could sound halfway intelligent when helping Dad shop. Unfortunately, my retention of facts is horrible these days. I have no problem learning but if I don't use it for a time, it's hard to pull it back up. Hey, if Diana and hubs decide to start a band and go on a concert tour, they're all set!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

So... @DianaCox ...Passover Seder in an RV?

I know you usually cook your ass off. What happened this time?

 

[DianaCox]

Nothing happened - all the Passover stuff is packed away, no way to make a vat of chicken soup, no matzoh balls - and nobody invited us either. :-( Not that I could have gone - I'm 43 miles south of our home anyway. But there are 7 days left ... who knows?

Charles is exhausting himself at the house, trying to get the last of the crap packed up and moved to storage/sold/donated, so he can repair, patch walls, and then get the painters in.

At the end of the Seder, the Jews always say "Next year in Jerusalem." I'm not sure it will happen by next year, but "2018 in our new house somewhere."