Sunday, May 30, 2004
Another Big Sale...& Plan "B"
After a very short discussion, Mark and I decided not to try the flea market again. We'll have as many yardsales as we can between now and the last few weeks we're in our house. Then we'll call in an auctioneer to finish off the furniture and anything else we haven't sold.
This past week we had another huge yardsale. And in true Ohio fashion we managed to get rained on two of the three days of the sale! But we did manage to sell off a huge amount of the smaller stuff we've accummulated, plus most of the things donated to the sale by friends and family.
I'll be graduating from the apprenticeship on June 19th...Yay!! Ater 4 years, I'll be a full-fledged journeyman heavy equipment operator. We've decided to move out of our rental house by the end of July if at all possible. We'll use the rest of the time after that to finish our sales and to do some remaining wood trim in the RV. Plus, Mark wants to build wooden boxes to store his RC plane and the telescope.
Since we still haven't had any calls from the Union on jobs, we figure it's best to move out of the house and into a campground as soon as possible so we can stop spending our savings for rent and utilities. We can live for hundreds of dollars cheaper in an RV park. If the Union doesn't come through with some jobs soon, we'll probably take other jobs for the remainder of this summer and fall to augment our travel money and avoid spending our savings.
And then we'll be off on the road following Plan B, which is that we'll have to do some workcamping or find other places to work for few months to finance our travel plans. Either way, we're ready to get out of Ohio...and the rain...and the lack of work. We talked to a man the other day who lives in Las Vegas and he told us that Union heavy equipment operators have no trouble getting work in Vegas. Since it's someplace we've both wanted to visit, and we're heading Southwest anyway, we may just mosey on out there and see what we can see.
We are still excited about our plans to give up our stick-n-brick existence for a fulltime RV'ing lifestyle. We are a little bit bummed that after three years of planning, the bottom seems to have fallen out of the job market, but that would happen no matter what kind of house we lived in. At least with a motorhome, we can travel to places where there is more work and stay in the comfort of our own home at the same time!
This past week we had another huge yardsale. And in true Ohio fashion we managed to get rained on two of the three days of the sale! But we did manage to sell off a huge amount of the smaller stuff we've accummulated, plus most of the things donated to the sale by friends and family.
I'll be graduating from the apprenticeship on June 19th...Yay!! Ater 4 years, I'll be a full-fledged journeyman heavy equipment operator. We've decided to move out of our rental house by the end of July if at all possible. We'll use the rest of the time after that to finish our sales and to do some remaining wood trim in the RV. Plus, Mark wants to build wooden boxes to store his RC plane and the telescope.
Since we still haven't had any calls from the Union on jobs, we figure it's best to move out of the house and into a campground as soon as possible so we can stop spending our savings for rent and utilities. We can live for hundreds of dollars cheaper in an RV park. If the Union doesn't come through with some jobs soon, we'll probably take other jobs for the remainder of this summer and fall to augment our travel money and avoid spending our savings.
And then we'll be off on the road following Plan B, which is that we'll have to do some workcamping or find other places to work for few months to finance our travel plans. Either way, we're ready to get out of Ohio...and the rain...and the lack of work. We talked to a man the other day who lives in Las Vegas and he told us that Union heavy equipment operators have no trouble getting work in Vegas. Since it's someplace we've both wanted to visit, and we're heading Southwest anyway, we may just mosey on out there and see what we can see.
We are still excited about our plans to give up our stick-n-brick existence for a fulltime RV'ing lifestyle. We are a little bit bummed that after three years of planning, the bottom seems to have fallen out of the job market, but that would happen no matter what kind of house we lived in. At least with a motorhome, we can travel to places where there is more work and stay in the comfort of our own home at the same time!
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Friends & Family
It looks as though some of our friends and family are getting into the spirit of our travel preparations. Knowing that we're planning to have as many sales as we can before we leave, some of our friends and family have started going through their basements, attics and garages and contributing items for our sale! How cool is that??
In the beginning I was worried that many of our friends and family didn't understand what we were planning to do. I think some of the older ones think we're having 60's flashbacks and are wanting to "tune in and drop out" (isn't that what they called it in the 60's?)! I know quite a few people worried how we'd live and if we'd be ok. And of course, some people simply didn't want us to go away from them, which is so sweet.
But we feel we're doing something we really want to do at a time in our life when it feels right to be doing it. With our plans to come back to Ohio each summer and fall to work our construction jobs, we'll still have time to visit our friends, so it's not a complete abandonment!! We'll be back to visit!
And this way will actually give us more chance to visit all our family. Mark's family is in Ohio and mine are in Tennessee so we can spend time seeing both families. Maybe even drive up to Boston and visit my cousins there, and stop in to meet some of the wonderful friends we've made over the internet. Won't they all be surprised! *g*
In the beginning I was worried that many of our friends and family didn't understand what we were planning to do. I think some of the older ones think we're having 60's flashbacks and are wanting to "tune in and drop out" (isn't that what they called it in the 60's?)! I know quite a few people worried how we'd live and if we'd be ok. And of course, some people simply didn't want us to go away from them, which is so sweet.
But we feel we're doing something we really want to do at a time in our life when it feels right to be doing it. With our plans to come back to Ohio each summer and fall to work our construction jobs, we'll still have time to visit our friends, so it's not a complete abandonment!! We'll be back to visit!
And this way will actually give us more chance to visit all our family. Mark's family is in Ohio and mine are in Tennessee so we can spend time seeing both families. Maybe even drive up to Boston and visit my cousins there, and stop in to meet some of the wonderful friends we've made over the internet. Won't they all be surprised! *g*
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Our Day At The Flea Market
Today Mark and I spent some time cleaning up some of our belongings which we plan to sell. We've been having a few yard sales when the weather is nice, and last week we even tried setting up a booth at the flea market...that was tough! I'll never view them the same again; that's a lot of work! We haven't decided if we'll try the market again or stick to the yard sales. I think when it's closer to our departure date, we'll call in an auctioneer to get rid of any of the things that are left and to sell our furniture so we don't have to worry with it.
We still have to buy the wood to make the remainder of the trim for the motorhome; I suppose we'll do that soon. We'd better...it shouldn't be much longer before we get called for jobs and then we won't have time to do much of anything until the work season is over!
Here's a picture of the motorhome we'll soon be calling home, sweet home.
And here is a picture of our new license plate. We wanted one that said RD TRPN, but we found out that there is a law against having the letters 'trpn' on your license. It's assumed to be a drug reference!!? Anyway, we are still Road Trippin', even if our plates say we are simply a RD TRP!
We still have to buy the wood to make the remainder of the trim for the motorhome; I suppose we'll do that soon. We'd better...it shouldn't be much longer before we get called for jobs and then we won't have time to do much of anything until the work season is over!
Here's a picture of the motorhome we'll soon be calling home, sweet home.
And here is a picture of our new license plate. We wanted one that said RD TRPN, but we found out that there is a law against having the letters 'trpn' on your license. It's assumed to be a drug reference!!? Anyway, we are still Road Trippin', even if our plates say we are simply a RD TRP!
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
The Future is Wide Open
My s/o, Mark, and I are planning a major life change this year. We are selling most of our belongings and moving into a 25' motorhome full time! I wanted to have this blog as a way to document the processes we go as well as to follow our adventures after moving out of our stick-n-brick home.
Mark and I both work in the heavy equipment operating field as members of Union Local 18 here in Southern Ohio. We generally don't work during the cold, wet winter and spring months. A few years ago it occured to us that if we owned an RV we would be able to pack up and leave this place after the work season ended and not return until late spring every year.
At first, we didn't think beyond living in the RV temporarily as we traveled; much like retired people who are referred to as "snowbirds". Then it occured to us that we could actually move into the RV fulltime; give up the house and all the "stuff" and live in a local campground here when we returned to work during the summer and fall. And who knows? We might find someplace during our travels that we like just as well and won't want to return here every year. As the song says, "The future is wide open"!
We have begun the process of selling off some of our belongings; mostly things from the attic and books, old jewelry, things we will no longer need during the remaining few months of being "house-bound".
The remodel on the RV is nearly complete. We still need to install some new wood trim around the doors and a few of the cabinets. And we want to install a larger fridge and a new awning. But some of those bigger items will have to wait until we are back at work and bringing in the weekly checks again. Work is slow going back this year, and that is starting to bother us...we hadn't figured on less than a full work season and may have to re-evaluate our plan if we dont' get calls from the Union soon. We could be workcamping somewhere instead of sitting here spending our savings while we wait on a phone call!
Mark and I both work in the heavy equipment operating field as members of Union Local 18 here in Southern Ohio. We generally don't work during the cold, wet winter and spring months. A few years ago it occured to us that if we owned an RV we would be able to pack up and leave this place after the work season ended and not return until late spring every year.
At first, we didn't think beyond living in the RV temporarily as we traveled; much like retired people who are referred to as "snowbirds". Then it occured to us that we could actually move into the RV fulltime; give up the house and all the "stuff" and live in a local campground here when we returned to work during the summer and fall. And who knows? We might find someplace during our travels that we like just as well and won't want to return here every year. As the song says, "The future is wide open"!
We have begun the process of selling off some of our belongings; mostly things from the attic and books, old jewelry, things we will no longer need during the remaining few months of being "house-bound".
The remodel on the RV is nearly complete. We still need to install some new wood trim around the doors and a few of the cabinets. And we want to install a larger fridge and a new awning. But some of those bigger items will have to wait until we are back at work and bringing in the weekly checks again. Work is slow going back this year, and that is starting to bother us...we hadn't figured on less than a full work season and may have to re-evaluate our plan if we dont' get calls from the Union soon. We could be workcamping somewhere instead of sitting here spending our savings while we wait on a phone call!
