I Bought an iPad Today

I went and got a pedicure this morning and the lady working on my feet was talking to the lady next to her about getting an iPad.  She was going to get one today, right after she finished my pedicure.  The other lady already has one and was explaining it to me.  I liked what I heard.  Now that I have it I wonder why it took me so long to get one.  I love it.  

I HAVE A REQUEST...would you let me now which apps you use on your iPad or iPhone that helps when you're on the road?  I've heard about a lot of them but I never wrote the info down because I didn't have one.  Instead of reinventing the wheel, because you already have, I'd really appreciate the info. Thanks. 

Now I'm going to go back and play with my iPad.  I'm so glad I've already gotten mifi because I can work on my iPad in my backyard.  My house is too hot until later tonight so I don't want to be inside.

Sorry this is so short but I want to go play with my new toy.

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana

77 on the 7th...Followers, That Is

Seven is my favorite number.  Today, September 7th, I now have 77 followers.  Nan and John are my latest followers.  It doesn't look like you have  your own blog so I can't put a plug in for it. Welcome to my journey as I prepare to hit the open road in Olivia, my Winnebago View next month and head for Tucson.    

It took about twenty minutes this morning to go from this...

to this...

There is some serious downsizing going on in my house.  In addition to the inside of the house, I climbed up a ladder to check out the storage over the garage.  The three suitcases and Christmas decoration boxes were easy to deal with, however, I think I need to go through the Christmas boxes to see what I don't need.  

Then there's the rest of the storage area...

Would you believe a box of encyclopedia's!!  Remember them, back before the internet???   The white contraption next to the box is the thing that enables you to hang by your ankles.  I don't know what they're called, but they're still around.  I'm not even going to try to get that down by myself. As it is, I'm on the top step and that's too scary for me.  (I searched the website and the contraption is called an inversion table.)

On the other side of the attic is this brass tray from Morocco...

Notice that it's too wide for the opening.  I suppose if I angled it up I could get it down, but remember, I'm on the top step of the ladder and not feeling very safe. I have to hang onto something so I only have one hand to work with, so it isn't going to be easy.  


I don't normally write my posts this early in the day (2:22 PM), so I don't know why I'm doing it today.  I have work to do, things to pack, stuff to sort through, important decisions to make.  I have three weeks to get it done. Wow, three weeks.  I don't know where the time has gone.  Gotta go...work to do.


Loving the sunshine,


Jeana

Might Be More Than You Want To Know About My Bowling Balls

Last Saturday I went and bought an aluminum trough...

I bought it so that I can put my bowling balls in it.  I figured it would be the sturdiest way for moving them to Tucson.  I had an extra piece of wood, so I decided it would probably be better if I lined the bottom of the trough with some wood that I cut, sort of to size...

I inherited a sabre saw from my dad and I really enjoy using it, so cutting a piece of wood was kind of fun.  

This is how they've been stored in my garage since before the moving sale...

I sure didn't want anyone running off with any of my bowling balls...they can be hard to find.  

This is how they're stored now...

all twenty-one of them.  That doesn't include the fourteen that have been transformed into yard art...

they won't fit.  So, either I cut down how many bowling balls I take with me, or I get another trough.  Or, maybe I come up with a different hobby.  

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana

Quiet Labor Day

It was a very quiet day today.  I worked out with my trainer first thing this morning and then I took some planters to a friend. We went to our favorite nursery where I returned a planter I bought recently.  This is not the time to be buying anything, except food, when I'm downsizing, so I returned it. Then we went to lunch and polished it off with white chocolate mousse at TCBY. TCBY white chocolate mousse is my favorite and I haven't had any for years. The last time was in Tucson and I haven't lived there for five years.  This one opened recently across the street from my favorite nursery. When we go to this nursery we go north across the street for stir fry for lunch and then east across another street for TCBY frozen yogurt.   Perfect positioning.   

There is one item I bought recently that I won't be returning...

Yes, an ironing board (the little blue one on top of the big one).  I still iron and found this at a fabric store and it's a great size for storing...

I particularly like the iron rest.

I made sure that Home2Home will be open tomorrow before I put the items back in my SUV so I can drop them off.  Having had to take them out once, doing that over and over again is not something I want to keep doing.  They were supposed to pick my furniture up today but I changed it to Wednesday.  

I can sure feel Fall in the air even though we hit 80〫today.  Yesterday was hot and humid and today was perfect.  Maybe today was perfect because I didn't do much of anything and didn't get overheated.  

I'm aware that I'm really grasping for something to say and I'm not finding anything.  So, I'm going to stop for today.


Loving the sunshine,


Jeana

Goodwill Turned Down an Item

Before I talk about Goodwill, I want to welcome two new followers:  Tanya who appears to not have a blog and Jammin' Along.  After 14 years in Arizona, they've returned to Spokane, WA and I don't envy you this winter.  I graduated from high school in Spokane and my in-laws lived there, so I know Spokane pretty well.

Now to Goodwill.  I had a wrought iron shelf thingy, in decent shape, that's been in my garage.  I don't have a picture of it because I don't want to unload it from my SUV because I'm bound and determined to find someone who wants it.  They had actually unloaded it, placed it off to the side, when another man came up and said they wouldn't be able to sell.  I doubt that it wouldn't sell, but what could I do.  So, I still have it.  I have a friend I'm taking something else to tomorrow and she might take it.

When I got home I moved stuff around in my garage and drew lines on the floor for the two sizes that PODS offers.  I'm going to start stacking stuff in that area to see if I can go with the smaller size.  Right now, I'm scheduled to get the 8x8x16' POD, but I think there's a 12' and that's the size I'd like to go with.  My reasoning is that it's probably cheaper.  I need to check that out and if it is, that's the way I want to go.  

I had an aha moment about 2:00 AM a couple days ago and acted on it yesterday.  My aha was to ask my friend Nancy if she and her husband would be interested in a road trip, with Ray, her husband driving my Volvo to Tucson.  First she said yes, then he did too!!!  I'm so relieved.  I'm starting to get excited about this whole move now that things seem to be falling into place.  

Nancy and Ray are the friends I went to Las Vegas with and they joined me when I was house sitting in California.  They're interested in finding a 55+ community and driving to Tucson with me will give them a chance to check out what Tucson has to offer .  I've told them about a couple communities down there, plus the large retirement community in Green Valley.  

My next door neighbor came over to talk to me while I was out in my garage and she ended up buying a couple shelf units.  I hadn't decided if I was going to take them with me and when she said she could use them at her school, I sold them to her for $10.  I'm really getting into the swing of downsizing and it's feeling great!!  

I talked to the RV salesman in San Diego today that I dealt with last year when I found the Class A that has a floor plan that I'd really like to have. I told him that I was still interested in it and when I'd be moving to Tucson. He said that most of the people buying RVs now are buying smaller ones instead of the larger ones.  Hopefully, that trend will continue until I get to the dealership.  


I finally figured out how to upload pictures from the dealership in San Diego so now I can show you what I like so much about this motorhome...

View from living room

Separate dining room

Walk through bathroom from bedroom
and dining room

Kitchen across from dining room table

I first saw this floor plan about four years ago and I knew then that this was the floor plan I wanted.  I like how the dining room is separated from the living room.  I also like that the bathroom can be entered from the bedroom or the dining room.  This is also the vehicle with the four windows on the side, which is where I got the  name for my blog.  This is a much higher end vehicle than the first one I looked at..it's a Magellan by Thor.  I can see me in it and I feel so excited when I look at the pictures that I just tingle.   I've already put out to the universe that this RV is mine...please join me so it's there when I go to San Diego in October.  

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana

  

Unnecessary Rushing

I packed up my SUV last night to take another load of stuff to Home2Home today.  After reading some of the comments on yesterday's post, I decided to follow the suggestions and take pictures of my mother's paintings.  I leave early on Friday to go work out with my trainer, so I was in a rush.  I had to unpack them, take pictures, then repack them.  I managed to do it and get to the gym on time. In fact, I beat my trainer, who proceeded to set off the alarm when she arrived, so her day didn't have a great start.  

After the work out I went to Home2Home and they were closed, even though they're supposed to be open on Friday.  I was so frustrated because my plans for the day were ruined.  I was going to go home and load up a bunch of boxes to take to Goodwill after dropping off the stuff at Home2Home, but my SUV's still loaded.  I was so irritated I almost took it to Goodwill but that's not what I want.  What I will take to Goodwill is mostly items from the garage and not what Home2Home is looking for.  So, tomorrow morning I'll unload the Home2Home items, put in the Goodwill items and get rid of something.  

I talked to my property manager and the people I met the other night are definitely going to lease my house!!!  I'm so glad.  According to my property manager, they think I'm wonderful, I think they're wonderful, so we're happy all around.  They're in California for Labor Day and will get the signed lease back to my property manager on Tuesday.  If I remember correctly, the lease will start 10/24/11.  Kate, the lady of the couple leasing my place, just finished her dissertation for her master's degree having to do with wine. She's graduating in France so they'll be leaving for France soon.  How cool is that? 

When I went outside to water my new grass this morning, I noticed that someone had driven over it...

And then there were some foot steps in it.  They weren't there last night so I'm wondering when and why.  Since I forgot to water before I left this morning it probably happened while I was gone.  I still wonder why.  

It's looking pretty good, the grass that is...

The rest of my yard looks terrible, because, except for the new grass, I don't water my grass.  I live in the Seattle area, we have lots of rain, mostly, and it will come back.  It will save me a lot of $$$, except for the new grass.  I'm pleased that it's coming up so well.  Our weather has really helped.  

I thought I'd mentioned this, but apparently not.  I went and looked at previous posts so that I don't repeat myself.  Anyway, I recently hopped onto the website of the RV dealership in San Diego that had/has a motorhome with a floor plan I really, really like/want.  The motorhome is still there!!!  Oh, be still, my heart.  I'm so excited that it's still there...that means...what?  That's what I'm trying to decide.  


OK, I sent an email to the salesman I corresponded with last year.  If I don't hear back from him I'll call him tomorrow.  Again, what does that mean?  It means that I need to decide what I truly want to do and I'm thinking I'm going to bite the bullet and say I will full-time for a year, then decide if I want to keep doing it.  If I get the motorhome in San Diego, full-timing would be a breeze and I'd be in a motorhome with a floor plan I love.  Plus, I wouldn't be sleeping over a cab because I'd have a bedroom in the back!!! I have lots to think about.


Before I close, I want to welcome my new follower:  casa de nwlambear, also from the Pacific Northwest, but a bit further north than I am.  Thanks for joining me for my ride.  


Loving the sunshine,


Jeana

I've Caught the Downsizing Bug

I mentioned in my last post that I found an organization that doesn't sell what's given to them, but gives it to needy people in the community I live in. I packed my SUV and delivered a ton of stuff today...

While the lady and I were unloading my SUV (I feel so pretentious when I say SUV, but that's what it is). I mentioned that I have furniture that I'd like to donate and do they pick up.  The answer was the one I wanted...yes...they do pick up.  So, this is where the downsizing bug comes in and now I want to get rid of all of it.  I also know that's not going to happen because there are some things I want to keep...tools...bowling balls to be turned into yard art...a box of Hummels...a box of silver (silverware and the like)...printers...yard art...to name a few.  I don't know if it will be enough to justify the PODS price.  I'm still working that one out.  

I'm starting to see noticeable signs of progress.  Today I broke down two shelving units in the garage...

In fact, the garage is starting to look empty and that's a good thing.  My SUV is full again with stuff I'm going to take to Home2Home tomorrow, the place I've been writing about.  

One side of the garage has stuff earmarked for Goodwill and there's not that much.  I took a load there right after my moving sale.  I figured I'd better do that before any of the stuff made it's way back into the house.

Home2Home also takes pictures, so I'm taking my mom's oil paintings.  I must have 20 pictures she painted.  It's been tough trying to decide what to do with them...you know...feeling guilty at the thought of not hanging onto them.  She did a nice job, but they're not my style.  When I was loading them into my car I looked at each one and then I found one that really appealed to me...

I don't know how I missed this one before, but I did.  Fortunately, I found it before it was too late and it's going to Tucson with me.  Now I don't feel guilty.

Monday the people from Home2Home are coming to pick up the couch and loveseat, coffee table, end table, dining room table, and six dining room chairs.  They won't take the buffet because it's too big.  At least I have that worked out with the people leasing the house.  Now I won't have to deal with it for a year.  

The next thing I'll schedule for them to pick up will be the dressers and desks.  I have two chairs in the family room that swivel and rock, which I really like, so I think I'll keep them.  

I swear, I'm going to get down to the bare minimum and stay that way so that my son won't have to go through this in 30 or so years.  

Loving the sunshine,

Jeana