A better day

Yes, the Monterey Aquarium was a good idea. Watching the fishies was very relaxing. More about that later.

Posting about the house was also a stress reliever. I no longer feel like I have to keep it all to myself.

SallyB's comment about how her buyer had a heart attack at the closing, and died a few days later, sure tops anything we have gone through.

Thanks for the advice. We have suggested our buyer get a bridge loan, and he is looking into doing that.

The long delay caused by the buyer's buyer, came as a surprise to him as much as to us. Before accepting his contingent offer we drove by his present house, which is very nice and in great condition. We checked him out on LinkedIn. His credentials are all good. Our agent knows his agent very well and they have been in close communication throughout.

We let him move some of his stuff into the back garage four days before his closing was scheduled. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time: one weekend. Then we told him he could use the front garage and one bedroom as well. It seemed quite reasonable at the time. He was emptying his house so it could get cleaned for his buyers to move into following their closing. It was no imposition on us, and otherwise he would have had to get storage for just a week and move everything twice, and his stuff is not in the way of our showing the house if it comes to that.

We are quite confident we will close with this buyer. It is just a mater of getting the other property closed, and that is beyond our control and out of our buyer's control too.  He is as stressed as we are.

Last night we got an email from our realtor saying the extension paperwork was in progress, and a very nice note from our buyer thanking us for our patience and willingness to work through this. A few nice words go a long way to reassure me.

Now on to my "fish tale."

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best in the country. We have visited it many times over the years, and it's one of our favorite places to take out of town visitors. Monterey is about 45 miles south of here.

This week to celebrate their 50th anniversary, residents of the counties surrounding Monterey Bay were invited to visit the aquarium for free.  Free is always a good excuse for me!

Although we did have a light breakfast befor leaving home, Craig was hungry when we got there.  There are many restaraunts near by, and we choose Bubba Gump's, a seafood restaraunt based on the Forrest Gump movie.  We have walked past it many times, but it was always so busy we didn't stop in.

This time, being early for lunch on a non-holiday Tuesday, there was no wait.

The decor was fun and the food was great.

I tried my very first Shrimp Po'Boy.  It was wonderful, but I would have like a bit more lettuce.  I'm not sure where they would have put it!  Craig had a yummy shrimp taco plate.


On past visits to the Aquarium we have had to wait in long lines and jostle with crowds of people to look at the exhibits. That is the price one pays for going during a holiday week.  But this time we were able to walk right in and enjoy the tanks without the crowds.  

I always find the large kelp forest tank peaceful as the fish seem to float weightlessly and cruise by in their own time. 
No rush!

This is a three story tank that is located at the center of the Aquarium so you can walk all the way around it and see different views of the vast space.

The occupants of this tank are all from the Monterey Bay.

Big and small.


Pretty and not so pretty.

This guy was huge! He came up to the glass and seemed to be looking at us, while we looked at him.

His relative was not as curious.

There are many interesting exhibits: sea birds, penguins, octopus, and invertebrates. My personal favorite was the cuttlefish.

This still image can't show the graceful movements of this creature.  He looked like he was from another world, and I guess he is: from the world of the deep.

And then there are the Jellies: the most spectacular of the exhibits.

Once again, much is lost in these still images.

Whenever I go to a zoo or a wild animal park, I feel torn between being able to see the animals, and wondering if they wouldn't be better off in the wild.

Whenever I go to this aquarium, these questions don't arise. The animals are healthier and in no danger of being eaten by others. They live longer than they might in the open ocean.




So ... This was a better day.  Thanks for stopping by.

Bobcat At Camp Driveway

This is a Web picture, but the one I saw this morning gave me the same look!

I saw our resident bobcat this morning when I went out to flap our throw rugs. He jumped out of a tree just a few feet from the Alfa and gave me the most disgusted cat look as he quietly slipped away down into the forest.  

I am very glad to see him and to know that our living in the Alfa has not chased him off.  We have only caught one mouse in the bays this fall, and have had no other "signs."  I think it is because we have this excellent guy on the job.  

Other than that, there is not much to blog about.  The weather here has been excellent.  We are comfortable in the Alfa, and are planning a couple of local hikes. I think we are going to the movies this afternoon while the Realtor holds yet another Open House.  

The house has been on the market for more than two months now, and waiting for something to happen is a bore. 

I know, it only takes ONE buyer. 

But I wish they would show up soon. 

Back to the House, RV Budget

Well, we are back at the house and parked up in Camp Driveway again.  

Not counting the repairs both expected and unexpected, our budget numbers came pretty close to what I expect for full time living. 

I've never been one for making and keeping day to day budgets, and Craig isn't either, but we both try not to spend more than we have, and keep track of the big things in life.  This has worked fairly well for us because we have always had a pretty good income.

But I wanted to get a better picture of our day to day expenses in this new lifestyle we are planning.  During the last few trips we have taken, I have been developing an Excel workbook to keep track of everything.  Craig has been very good about keeping receipts and or telling me the amounts of each purchase. 

Once the house sells, I want to set things up so that we have a set amount per month for all of our regular expenses, and a fund with starting "large" lump for future repairs, maintenance, and dental or medical expenses, and as well as annual expenses like registration or insurance. For example I know we will buy four new RV tires in the next year or so. If I start with a nice lump sum at the sale of the house, I hope to be able to add some to it each month so the repairs and maintenance are not a burden. 

I know a lot of you keep financial records and share your budget. I have found them interesting and helpful for me to get a rough idea of what to expect.  But each couple or individual has different priorities. For some, eating out is a big part of your life. For some boondocking as often as possible is a must. A small class C is going to use less fuel. 

If RV plans are written in JELLO, financial plans must be set in Ice.  They seem to melt away in nothing flat!

At this point, I do not feel our numbers would be helpful to anyone, and my Excel template still needs some tweaking.

I remember being a 19 year old new bride trying to figure out how to make the dollars and the days match up.  Keeping track of every penny for the first few years really helped. I've been amused looking at my record books from those days.  Our first rent was  $75, including utilities. Several years later, I was saving up at the rate of $2.50 a month,  to buy a snowsuit for my child. We didn't have savings or a buffer amount for many years.  "Pay check to pay check" was a way of life.  

We are so much better off now!  Or at least we will be after the house sells.

Speaking of which, nothing much is happening with the house. The realtor says there are very few people looking right now. I hope it is because of the government problems, and once that gets straightened out we will get some action.  

Our next trip is planned for Thanksgiving through Christmas. I've booked a month at an RV park down in San Diego near our daughter and grandsons. 

Until then it is "Camp Driveway" in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.  

Camp Driveway

We are in limbo as far as the house goes. There have been several open houses, a decent turnout of people and agents, a few possible interested couples, and the usual percentage of lookers who had valid reasons for why this house was not for them.  When I look back on our own home buying experiences, I remember how many houses we walked thru and how different each was. So many of them were "not for us" but were quit right for someone else.

Our house has been very "right" for us for over 25 years.  So far we have not had any feedback about anything we can change about the place. We have done all the work we planned on. When that right couple finds it, they will love it as much as we have.


Until then we will be based at "Camp Driveway," here on the upper drive at our own personal National Park.  It is probably the best minimum-hookup site we will ever have!  If you don't count the expense of keeping the house, and the 20 amp connection, the space is free, peaceful, beautiful, and secure.

Putting a positive spin on the situation, I think this time is good for both of us.  We are getting the feel for just "living" in the Alfa.  Not traveling, not vacationing, not exploring new places.  Just living. 

If we wanted to move back to the house we could.  I know I don't.  Every time I go down I feel like I'm walking into a stranger's house. It does not feel like home.  

The Alfa feels like home. 

I am amazed at myself in that I really like the limited space. I know there will still be rearrangements, but I like the fact that everything should have a place and be put away when we are done with it. Clutter is not an option!

We have been eating really well!

Grilled lobster tails with fresh beans and steamed red potatoes

My first many-ingredient stir fry in the Alfa. I always get everything cut and ready before I start to cook.  I had no problem with the limited space. This was also the first time I used the electric fry pan. Note: We did not eat all those noodles!

Craig making pulled pork 

While we were in Sacramento, one of our jacks started to have problems.  Craig says it has been "balking" for some time.  It needs to be replaced and parts have been ordered.  So another trip up there will be required soon.  Hopefully it will be before the end of the month because I've made reservations at Zion National Park in Utah for the first week of October.  We've agreed that if the repair isn't done, we won't go. The repair guy said it will depend on how long it takes Atwood to send out the parts.  You would think most of a month would be long enough!

Keep us in your thoughts!  We want to be on the move.

MLS and Virtual Tour

Well, our house is finally listed on the MLS.  The agent had an open house this weekend.  We have decided to not blog about the process until it is done, closed, and money in the bank. 

When we return from this trip, we will still have some minor fixing up to do as a result of the inspections, and we will be working hard to get rid of all the stuff we still have. That I will post about!

This is the link to the Virtual Tour our realtor did for us. I know it is meant to be only a quick peek, I think it misses a few important features, but hopefully it will help bring in some potential buyers who will fall in love with the place.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

As I have written for many others “It only takes one buyer, the right one!”

Welcome

Seems like a couple of new followers have signed on to read my posts.  I hope what I write is interesting, if not amusing.  


Welcome to Joe and Betty, Bob and Jo, Peter and Peggy.  I look forward to reading about your RV adventures, and other thoughts!


I've been having a bit of "blog block" lately.  I've written and deleted several posts because they just didn't seem interesting, nor complete.  


Craig has started working on the house this week. 


 The number and size of jobs needing to be done is overwhelming to me.  


As I look at all the painting I did last year, I see places that  need to be touched up again.  I know there are things I could be doing, but I don't want to have to do things twice.  


Our "new" roof is almost two years old, and the "new" dishwasher and double oven we put in are going on three. 

I haven't done much since the day  I "gave up" last May.  Hopefully, now that he is home,  I can be of help to Craig.  

I also feel overwhelmed by all of the "things" we have. When we got back from our trip and I brought all of the stuff we had taken along back into the house, it seemed I was returning it to overstuffed cupboards and closets.  I don't want any of it!


Someday ...

I must be CRAZY!

597  days, or 1 year, 7 months, 17 days to go.  

Exercise goal: to walk 1000 miles on the treadmill

0 miles today,  989 to go  (Pool day)

To Trash:   

• 10 things from a drawer.
• Large bag of stuff from garage, including 4 large plastic jugs I had saved for some reasom!

I must be crazy!

I was lying in my nice warm bed last night thinking about going fulltime RVing and started to think about my life as it is now. Where I live, my workspace, and the peacefulness of my life.

I thought I must be crazy to contemplate giving it all up.

I am an artist. For over thirty years I sold my work at local Art and Craft street shows. They are an incredible amount of work, but for years they were the best way for me to show and sell. People would see my work, and if they liked it and it fit into their life, they bought it. My income was low, but my husband always made a good income so anything I brought in was "extra." It was enough to help the kids with college expenses. In some ways it is a self-supporting hobby more than a job or business

About ten years ago my husband built a Web Site for me. animalhead.com And eventually I was able to stop doing shows and sell exclusively thru the web site. They see my work, and if it fits into their life and they like it, the buy it. BUT I don't have to set up on the street every other week and carry finished work in inventory. My income is small, but it does help pay for my health insurance.

When we bought our house twenty-two years ago, one of my priorities was to have a studio room. That I have! I also have lots of other space and garage space for the storage that I feel I need. Many of my artist friends have far less room.  My space is perfect for me.

 The location of the house is beautiful and easy to get to.  We are in the Santa Cruz Mountains and are surrounded by forest.  But at the same time we are very near a major highway and it only takes 10 minutes to get to town. Craig still works part time at one of the many computer companies in the area.

 I’ve had customers who upon getting out of their cars, look around and say things like “This is a bit of paradise.”  Or  “You are so lucky to live here.” 

I know that.  But I’ve been here for long enough and I want to make a change. 

I must be crazy, but my heart is in this and I can't let the idea go.

We shall see ...