A Break in the Heat

Today was a good day even though the buyers once again said they were doing one thing and didn’t follow through. We were supposed to have a new contract today and as of this writing we do not.

We are moving forward though.

We have lowered the price on the school and will take showings again, we’ll rethink the price again in a couple weeks depending on what sort of action we get at the new price.

Thus the graphic!  Think Positive.

As for the day, it cooled off last night and we slept pretty well.  Might have left the A/C on a little longer in the evening — the bedroom was a bit warm but through the night it cooled nicely and we were both pretty lethargic about getting up this morning.

Expecting some papers to sign, and realizing we didn’t have any computer paper in the RV we journeyed once more into the brink…. of Clinton that is.  A couple reams of paper later, some groceries for the next few days and we were back home to squish the air out of a few large clothing and linens to make some more space in the RV.  Last fall we bought a wonderful comforter for the bed and it’s great for fall — but for 90+ temps it’s overkill.  So, suck out the air and stow it beneath the bed!  Hurrah! It fits.

Meals & Shopping

We did another Salade Nicoise tonight.  Not quite the same without balsamic – something else we just realized we should have bought in Clinton. Oh well.  We’ll get this sussed sooner or later.  This pantry is so different from what we are accustomed to — that it’s going to take some thinking to realize WHEN and HOW MUCH to buy.  You’d think it would be easy — but after living with a primary ingredients pantry for 40 yrs and transitioning to a as-needed pantry it’s not automatic, it’s not even intuitive.  I bought some frozen fish tonight because we have some excess malt vinegar in the pantry and after checking out I realized that I really should have waited until we cleared a little more space out of the freezer.  I’ll get this right, really I will!!!!!!

We have young families across the street now.  Three couples with kids have descended upon our end of the loop and I can see it’s going to be a fun weekend.  They are playing in the water, riding bikes, rubbing sun-block all over each other — it’s a hoot!  Love kids.

Organization

On the organization scene we have turned our attention to the cockpit.  Thus far we have tended to arrive at a campsite and the all sorts of miscellaneous stuff gets left on the dashboard, on the driver’s seat, between the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, behind Peg’s captain’s chair … well, you get the point.  We made some progress and are continuing to rethink how we use what has been stored in those places.

Restaurant to Avoid

Yesterday we went to the Old Time Family Restaurant and thought we were having a good time/meal.  However I didn’t not feel great after leaving (but blamed it on anything else)  — Today we returned on our way to get the paper and once again I did not feel well after leaving — so scratch that one off the list!

We are usually quite lucky about places we eat on the road; this one just wasn’t one of those times.

Moving On

We are here until Monday, and from here to Grant River Recreation Area — another of the U.S. Corps of Engineers sites.  As soon as we get there I need to check with the P.O. to find out about receiving General Delivery mail there.  We have a couple items to order from Amazon and we’ll be there for 2 weeks… a good time to get that shipped in.  But — new experiences for us both.  Why in heaven’s name would we ever have used general delivery in the past?

One of the things we need is a decent step for outside the RV.  Our prior location was levelled better than this and we have the jacks up fairly high — Peg needs a boost — so we might as well get a good, safe one to have with us always.

A Pool With No Ceiling

This was written some months ago,
forgotten about by Peg
and recently found again;
enjoy….. 

One day we stayed at a motel with a pool
It was a very nice place and what was really cool
You could swim from the indoors to the outside
Under a double wall of plastic you had to dive

What an exhilarating feeling
To be in a pool without a ceiling.
To be able to look up at the swaying trees
While your body’s warm and yet there’s a chilling breeze

To peer through the mist to the sky on high
And watch an autumn leaf catch the wind and glide
To breathe in the fresh fall air
And linger in the soothing water without a care

I thought what an enchanting place to be
Until the wind picked up and I was touched with reality
Back to the inside I had to go
Because of a miracle – gently falling snow.

Travel Plans – The Year of the Mississippi

Iteration #1

(knowing that life isn’t scripted)

We have sort of decided that this is going to be The Year of the Mississippi. 

We were forced into staying close to Milwaukee because of the R/E transaction.  But we’ve concluded a deal to have the house maintained and shown so now we are free to give some thought to our plans for the next few months.

Some very vague plans early on have us sort of hovering between Clinton Iowa and Hudson Wisconsin for a couple months — those plans and reservations have been in place for a while and we will not change them.

From Mid August we are planning to head a little further North and up into to Minnesota forest country.  After Labor Day we will gradually start working our way South along The Mississippi with the season. We will plan on stopping in St Louis — I want to make a stop at the Gardens there when the Lantern Festival has ended.  I’m sure we’ll find a lot of interesting things and places to visit but by late fall we expect to have made it to Southern LA.

Whether we will winter in LA or TX has yet to be determined — heck, it’s just the 2nd or 3rd day of Summer.  But at least a sort of plan is forming.

The pins aren’t necessarily where we will be staying, but they do give an idea of our intent, if not our actual route.