Getting Ready - Part2 - #20

The weather predicted rain for Sunday - today - so I tried to get as much done yesterday as possible. I'm glad for the rain, the gardens and grass need it!

First thing on Saturday was my great niece, Rachel's becoming a Bat Mitzvah. The service for us was virtual but very lovely! It was nice to be able to share in on the event; in-person guests were limited. I made a quiche and roasted vegetables while I watched (hope this wasn't sacrilegious).

By midday - I was packing the trailer with clothes and food items.  Charlie and I are very casual people - prefer jeans to dressing up - so the camping lifestyle really jells with our personal style. We each have our own "wardrobe" in the bedroom and I think I've made pretty good use of the space by adding these hanging shoe holders to use as "shelves" for our clothes. I also placed a plastic shoe box on the bottom of each closet to hold our socks and underwear. We don't need a lot and can always do laundry on the road.  I collect quarters in a container all year to have for doing laundry.

A travel trailer is a moving house - which means the contents of your house is moving around as well. I store a lot of things inside plastic shoe boxes - they are inexpensive and just the right size for my ceramic mugs, utensils, keep bathroom accessories all in one place and they help everything stay clean as well.  I also save giant produce containers (from salad); they also fit perfectly inside my pantry and I use them to keep food items contained and from shifting around while on the road.  I love that they are stackable! Recently, I started putting contents of drawers inside zip lock bags.  This is helpful for springtime cleaning when inevitably, mice do their thing inside drawers and the lower cabinets during the winter.

Charlie and I also reorganized the truck bed.  We took our bicycles out (hung them on the rack inside garage); we won't be using them on this trip. We combined two containers into one for trailer accessories; hoses, electrical chords, etc... and the emptied container is to store firewood we cut from our yard to use for campfires. (wanted to get it stored before the rain).  While it is not recommended to bring "outside wood" to different areas of the country due to insect infestation, this campground is less than 30 miles from our home and if the wood goes directly into the firepit and is used right away, it should be fine.  Our wood is kept inside container when not used. I still need to clean the inside of the truck cab; I might do that today if the rain lets up.

The rest of yesterday afternoon I spent spreading the last of the bags of mulch I had purchased, weeding and cleaning up the yard. I got a lot done!

Monday I plan a trip to the store for a few final food purchases but particularly for water.  I don't like to drink the water from the fresh water tank.  Showering, washing dishes is where I limit my usage. We still need to flush the pink winterizing fluid out and fill the tank with water for the beginning of our trip. That might be on the agenda for today as well. Still a few more personal items to pack.  I need to do laundry, run the dishwasher, clean out refrig, clean the litterbox, strip the bed and straighten the apt - before we leave as well on Tuesday. I like to leave and come home to an organized and clean home. OCD.

Getting Ready - #19

We are only a week away from our first camping adventure! Lots to do to get ready!

I have completed the initial cleaning and have already started to stock the trailer with non-perishable foods - like tuna, coffee, drinks, etc... Since the first couple of days of our trip will be boondocking at Foxwoods, I am limiting the foods that require refrigeration.  When not directly connected to electric (even though we have a portable generator used intermittently) and even though refrigeration can run off propane, I never like to take a chance. I plan on doing a full food shopping when we arrive at the campground in Bellingham. The Foxwoods RV parking area isn't the most scenic, but it is within easy walking to the casino.  (some of the shuttle services from parking areas, like Mohegan Sun, are not running at this time) And - there is also a convenience store, Burger King and gas station, right at the end of the parking which makes it convenient to get a cup of coffee or gas if we need it. 

Foxwoods is really big and offers more than just gambling.  We enjoy walking through the Tanger Outlets and have gotten some excellent deals in the past. 

For my birthday this year, Brooke, Rakib and the kids bought me a chair I had been coveting -  for the inside of the TT.  It is very comfy and I will really enjoy using it!

Charlie has checked the operation of the generator - running fine.  Will need to get gas and fill up the truck at the same time as well. We will need to reorganize the storage in the back of the truck; we need as much usable space as possible. And we will need to clean the truck cab to make room for Minnie.

I have a few projects for repairs and additions to the camper.  I plan to have a couple of plexiglass inserts made to put over the inside of the screen door.  For a couple of reasons.  First, so Minnie doesn't rip the screen on the bottom, should she scratch on it; second, to be able to keep the door opened and let more light in on cooler days. I also want to make a little curtain to cover Minnie's cat station. I hope to get that done before we leave.

We need to repair some molding which expanded and delaminated - just in one spot at the bottom of the bathroom entry.  Since we won't be able to get a match, my idea is to just cut the bottoms off on both sides and get matching rosettes to put on the bottom.  I will take before and after when we do the project. 

I've been doing some measuring of the storage areas inside the trailer to see what space we are working with.  Charlie really wants to bring his keyboard when we go to Texas, and I was hoping it would fit in the under-the-bed storage - but it's just a couple of inches too short.  No worries - the alternative is to put it in the under-storage area - plenty of room there.

I am excited about leaving - and my next post will be from the road!

Welcome April! - #18

The mild weather of March really gave us a head start on outdoor work. I have been weeding, edging and mulching and generally cleaning up, getting the yard ready for that burst of spring color! The tulips I planted a few Octobers ago have pushed through; the plantings on the sunny side of the house have already bloomed! Still too cool and uncertain yet to plant additional flowers and veggies but it's not too far off now!

I have to moved out cushions I temporarily stored inside the camper this past winter. We have also decided to uncover the TT - with 70 degree temps it only seems right! The trailer held up well during the cold months.  There is definitely indication mice used our trailer for shelter  - but not too bad and fairly easy to clean up. One thing I learned from our very first winter - don't leave any paper products inside the trailer that can be used as nesting material. That even includes canned food items that might have a paper label on them! Over the next week, I will finish my cleaning inside the camper and start to get it ready for our first trip.  Only about 2 weeks away! Yay!

Monday, 4/5 - I completed the second of my COVID vaccines; Charlie will complete his on 4/15. We are happy to have these behind us and feel a little more confident now in public, though we still plan on masking and sanitizing.  With just this effort, it will probably reduce the likelihood of regular flu and colds too!

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Life can change in an instant.  My mom has very recently been having falling issues.. Last week, another such occurrence resulted in a trip to the hospital. Luckily, she was not injured this time. My sister and I are now in uncharted territory and want to make sure we make the right decisions for her.  We thought this would be a good, safe place for her at least temporarily until we could get more information from professionals.  At the hospital, she would be evaluated and we would be advised and given information to make the best decisions possible.  We were just taking these necessary steps, when the third fall happened; this might have helped move things along for us. We thought, perhaps, this was turning to be a positive, giving us some additional time.  Until... mom's dementia went to a new level and she because abusive, paranoid and angry.  Likely, it was her reaction to being in an unfamiliar environment with people she did not know - she was afraid and confused. The dementia really took hold; the psychiatrist Anne spoke with felt she was also suffering from delusions, - brought on by incidents. (I refer to it more as trauma). It has been a very long, terrible, awful week.  We could not even be of any comfort to her - she lashed out at us, accusing us of all sorts of things; we felt helpless as we listened to her behavior and talk to us like we were her enemy. She is finally back to her home at assisted living and hopefully with the help of medication, this will reset her brain.  We don't know.  We take it a day at a time keeping each other updated.

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Keeping busy, doing physical activity this past week, has helped me get through it. I finally am feeling less stressed. I guess we'll see how it goes. Flexibility is the key.