Scanning Problems

Welcome to my blog Ali's Page...another Washingtonian quite a bit north from where I live.


I decided that today I'd start scanning photos into my computer (a Mac) and I'm so frustrated because I can't get my printer/copier/scanner to work.  The only thing it will do is copy and that's not what I want right now.  I got a new USB cable hoping that would help and it didn't.  I have many, many photos pre-digital camera that I want to scan and I wanted to start today.  I'm feeling disappointed that I couldn't get started on this project.  Maybe tomorrow.


I don't have a lot to say today so I'll share some Washington pictures.   

This is Mount Rainier taken the last time I flew Alaska Airlines from Tucson back to Seattle. I'm usually on the aisle but this was a relatively empty flight and I had three seats to myself. It was really nice to have so much room. 

I was on another ferry as I took this ferry picture on my way to Sequim (pronounced Squim) for the yearly lavender festival.  

We don't usually have clouds to brag about but sitting in my back yard last summer I looked up and this is what I saw.  

Happy Halloween,

Jeana


P.S.  On the preview there was lots of white space between the ferry and cloud pictures and my salutation.  I hope it doesn't remain that way when I hit Publish Post because I couldn't figure out how to get rid of it.  I guess this just isn't my day for being successful on my computer.  

RV Shopping in the Rain

Speaking of rain...this is my rain chain, working, after cleaning out the gutters.  I figure if it's going to rain I might as well enjoy looking at it and I do like watching the rain travel down the chain.  I looked at many rain chains before I found this one and the upside down umbrellas seemed comically appropriate.  

I drove a 2008 Gulf Stream Independence this morning (I didn't get an outside picture because it was raining so hard).  I recently told one of the RV dealers exactly what I'm looking for and he came back with the Gulf Stream. Looking at the picture of the Windsport on my blog, notice the four windows (the Four Windows with a View windows). The Gulf Stream had two. In the Windsport two of the windows are in the dining room... 

and two are in the living room...

 The kitchen and dining room have a nice separation from the living room and I really like that.  This is the Gulf Stream(↓).  The difference between the two models is that the Windsport has an opening in the middle under the TV and I like that better for visibility purposes when sitting at the dining room table.

Back to the Gulf Stream...it had a king size bed and I think that's a waste of space in a motorhome, especially for one person, but they're probably not built with just one person in mind.  This king size bed had something extra though, an automatic head raiser:

It also had a forward diesel engine.  I thought diesel engines were always in the rear but I learn something new all the time.  Being diesel it was noisy.  I wasn't able to raise the drivers seat high enough and the steering wheel was weird in the way it adjusted, or, in my case, didn't adjust. However, it had turn signal cameras and I really liked that feature.  Final analysis:  not interested. Besides, if I bought it, I'd have to change the name of my blog to Two Windows with a View and, to me, that doesn't have the same pop as its current name.  FYI...I'm not flaky enough to not buy a motorhome because of windows.  Fortunately, I didn't like the two window motorhome as much as the four window motorhome...whew.  

I emailed my pictures of the Windsport 36F to the dealer, reiterating that this is what I'm looking for.  I don't know how much clearer I can be.  

Blog Learning Curve

Before I get into the learning curve...welcome to my blog:  Travels with Emma; Places We Go, Things We see.  Yes, there is a blog learning curve...at least there is for me.  I'm so new to this that I feel like I'm that little kid again that copies all the other kids around.  I wonder how you bloggers find the things that you do.  For instance, NaBloPoMo.  Barbara at Me and My Dog found that website and has earned a couple badges to post on her blog for writing a post every day of the month.  I went and checked it out and I think I'll follow in her footsteps.  Thanks, Barbara. I feel like a copy cat but I like the badges.  Maybe I didn't get enough when I was a Brownie or Girl Scout and now it's time to make up for that.  Many of you have visitor counters so I went looking.  I found three websites and wasn't able to open two of them.  The one I did open told me to paste something somewhere and I didn't know what they were talking about...it's like a foreign language to me.  Then I found a page viewer somewhere on my blog site and I did as instructed and it appears to be working.


I think it was on NaBloPoMo that I read a recommendation to write posts in the AM.  I'm afraid if I do that I'll be on the computer all day.  But here it is past my bedtime and I'm writing my post for Friday.  Since I'm going to look at RVs tomorrow, if I write my post in the morning before I go, I won't have anything to write about.  Unless something happens in my sleep tonight.   Hmmm, maybe I won't follow their advice.  I do think that earlier might be better though.  I'm feeling a bit brain dead now and better stop before I embarrass myself and lose some followers.


I'll let you know tomorrow, earlier, how the RV shopping went.  I'm thinking tomorrow might help me decide if I want to fly to San Diego and look at the Magellan.


Good night.


Jeana

Welcome Followers!!

Hello and thanks to my new followers:  Gail Durham; Dawn and Denise/Cruzin2some; Kimbopolo; Kimberly; Donna aka Froggi; and Barbara/Me and My Dog.  I've  been following Cruzin2some and Me and My Dog...the rest of you I'll be sure and check out and become a follower of your blogs.

Yesterday a  sales manager at a local RV dealership called to tell me that he had a Windsport motorhome, which is the one I'm looking for.  I found out it was a 1999, which is too old, and it doesn't have the floor plan I'm interested in.  He proceeded to have me look at a couple on his website but I wasn't interested in them either.  I know what I want...either a Windsport (as seen on my blog) or Magellan 36F, 2008 or newer.  I mentioned that I found one in San Diego but wasn't sure if I wanted to fly down to look at it or not.  More than once I told him that I know exactly what I'm looking for.  

A bit later I was checking my junk email and there was an email from the sales manager with the subject being:  "I found your motorhome!!!!".  I felt pretty excited, moved it out of junk, and checked it out.  Well, it's a 2008 Gulf Stream Independence 8360 and it is quite similar.  However, it's a diesel and the Windsport/Magellan are gas.  It's also quite a bit more expensive.  While we didn't talk price it's about $35K more than I want to spend.   Somehow or other, he doesn't seem to understand what I mean when I say I know exactly what I'm looking for.  AARGH!!


Can anybody out there give me some pros and cons on gas vs diesel?  


I'll probably go look at it over the weekend just for the heck of it because the floor plan is pretty close to the one I want.  I also haven't looked at motorhomes for awhile and I'm starting to go through withdrawal.  


Happy traveling,


Jeana


PS:  If you're not traveling yet, then happy planning.

Sunshine Today!!!

I'm having a much better day today.  It quit raining, the sun came out and has been out for most of the day.  I'm really impacted emotionally when the sun isn't out and that's one of the reasons I'm going to get out of here.  


I've been looking for a particular motorhome and I found one in San Diego.  The picture on my blog is what I want.  I want one with a washer and dryer and it doesn't have one.  Cory, the salesman, said they can put one in for me.  The one in San Diego is a higher end model than I've looked at because I didn't know it existed, but it has the floor plan I want and I'm not against a better model.  It's in San Diego and I'm in Seattle.  It's almost November which means snow and ice are around the corner.  I don't do snow and ice...I'm from Seattle...I do wet.  Cory said they could store it for me until Spring if I want because I said I can't store it at my house.  I'm thinking I might have to take a trip to San Diego soon or wait and see if one shows up in the Northwest sometime.  We're supposed to be getting another batch of storms up here but for a much longer time.  Maybe San Diego is looking better and better. 

I have a handyman, Denny, and he was by today finishing up a couple projects.   That means I'm getting closer to having the house available for lease in the spring.  I learned about cleaning the gutters underneath the ladder while watching him clean it out (see yesterday's post).  I want to mention that I do most of the projects myself around my house.  Denny does electrical work and filling in spaces where old medicine cabinets used to be that I took out.  I have one major project left for him to do and then I think I'm done with the house.  Except for getting rid of possessions, that is, and that's on me.  



The project is in my backyard which is shown in the picture above.  A month ago the section in the middle were junipers that had gotten out of control.  Sitting in my rocker on the patio I couldn't even see the "upper 40", which is what I call the top of the back yard.  I had a brand new reciprocating saw and decided one day that I was tired of looking at the junipers, and three days later they were gone.  I had no idea there were any boulders under all the greenery.  There's a space on the far right (sure wish I knew how to get arrows in the picture) between the last two boulders. I try to get my lawn mower through there and it's difficult because there are little boulders that don't show in the picture.  I'm finally getting to the point.  Denny is going to build me an arched bridge wide enough for my lawn mower between those last two boulders and I think it'll be great.  


I have to go fix dinner for Big Guy and me before I go to my last hula hoop dance class.  More later.


Happy travels,


Jeana

Speaking of Cleaning Out

I started out on a relatively easy project last night...cleaning out my email account.  I had over 6,000 emails dating back two years.  Now it's down to a more manageable number and I plan to do a better job keeping the number down.


That started a trend though because those boxes of books I mentioned in an earlier post did make it into my car and to the used book store today.  I experienced highway robbery at it's finest for what I got for the books, but at least they're gone.  I don't have too many left in the house to sort through and I think that'll happen pretty soon because I'm on a roll now.

This is a partial view outside my computer room.  Notice the black umbrella rain chain to the left of the picture (sorry, I can't figure out how to insert an arrow)?  Isn't that clever...upside down umbrellas for a rain chain?  See the water pouring down off the white overhang?  It's not supposed to do that.  The water is supposed to be flowing down the rain chain.  I think I have a problem and I think I'm going to learn how to clean gutters.  If it would stop raining long enough I could do that.  Maybe tomorrow.


I'm having a tough time writing tonight.  I learned last night that a woman I used to be in a group with is in a coma.  She has an eating disorder, refused to get back into treatment and she appears to be paying the consequences.  She's had the eating disorder more than half her life.  I can't get her off my mind and I'm hoping for a miracle for her but I don't think it will happen because she's been in a coma for a week now.  


I need to go now and I hope to be back again tomorrow.  Today is actually Tuesday, I didn't finish my post last night.  


Happy traveling,


Jeana

Followers Already!!!

This is so exciting...I created my blog yesterday and I already have three followers!!!  Thank you for finding me and I hope you stick around.  Now that I have a blog I understand the importance of signing on as a follower on the blogs I read and you can bet I will from now on.  I didn't do it prior to yesterday because I didn't have a blog, but now that I do, I will.  

The wonderful dog looking out his favorite window is Big Guy and he'll be traveling with me.  He's 13.  Isn't he the lucky dog to have a window ledge at the perfect height, to watch what's going on outside without having to hold his head up.  By the way, we're sharing a bag of popcorn as I'm typing.  

Today was a tough day weather wise around here...rain, rain, and more rain.  Plus all the gray and gloom that goes along with it. Winter hasn't even started and I'm already being affected by the weather.  It's a real problem for me but I have a Verilux light now to help me get the "sunlight" I need to cope, plus I take Vitamin D daily.  If I'd had an RV today I probably would have packed up quickly and taken off for Arizona.  However, I still have a house full of stuff to get rid of, so taking off would have been counterproductive.  

As for getting rid of stuff, I've decided that the furniture, except for a couple chairs I really like, will go to a furniture consignment store I've used in the past.  The nice part is they have movers that will come to the house and pick up the furniture, for a fee, of course.  I have a bunch of books boxed to go the the second hand store, I just keep "forgetting" to put them in the car.  I also have a bunch more books to go through and sort.  

I'm exhausted just thinking about it so I better go rest!!

Happy traveling,

Jeana

Where to Start

I was going to take a friend out looking at RVs today because she's never been in one.  However, we caved in to the lousy weather and decided not to go.  Can you believe it...Seattleites not wanting to go out in the rain.  The only time I seem to like rain is during a monsoon in Tucson.  That's one of the reasons I'm going to go full timing in May, 2011, to get away from the weather in the Northwet (not a typo).  Originally, I was going to be gone before winter arrived but here it is almost November, I have a house full of stuff and no RV.  


I've been looking for community, specifically a 55+ community in Tucson that's been calling my name for a few years.  I went and checked it out and loved it but when I thought about buying a house there I felt trapped.  Plus the HOA fees were out of sight.  For two-thirds less money I can buy a pretty decent Class A motorhome and go wherever I want.  I've also come to recognize, through reading blogs, that there is definitely community in RVrs and I want to be part of it.    


Without thinking my decision all the way through, I went and put my house on the market to lease.  I inherited my house from my dad about a year and a half ago.  He and mom lived in it almost 40 years.  Guess what?  There's  40 years of accumulation to go through.  Not only that, I've been fixing up the house because it got to the point where dad  could no longer keep up.  Then I realized that I wanted to enjoy the changes I've made to the house, which are significant.  So that's another reason I'm still here.  I also cancelled out on leasing my house, for now.


Then there's probably the biggest reason of all why I'm still here...I DON'T HAVE AN RV.  Unless I come across something I like better, the one pictured on my blog is the model I want.   


I hope I haven't lost you as I rambled on.  Maybe I'm trying to cover too much on this first post, but this is my story.  I'm reading a couple other blogs of future RVrs and I'm really enjoying them.   You ladies have inspired me and now that I have my own blog I can sign up to follow you (I hope I said that right since I don't have the lingo down yet.)  


Happy traveling everyone!!


Jeana