It appears that all is on track and going to work out for us.
After several calls, emails and texts, we have an action plan. First of all, we will take the exact trip back to AZ that we took getting to Texas - only in reverse. Tonight we stay in Boerne, TX, Wednesday in Fort Stockton, TX, and Thursday in Deming, NM. We will arrive back in AZ on Friday and - get this - will move back into our old space at Pioneer RV Resort. At least for now.
We will begin working on Monday, the 6th of March, at Surprise Stadium and Spring Training in the retail department where we worked last season. We aren't sure about our work schedule yet, but will get that before Monday.
Josie may also work at the flower shop beginning in April - this time at the 7th St store. She will contact that store manager today to find out if he needs her. Her old shop has already hired a replacement for her, so that is out of the picture. If none of the Phoenix Flower Shops are able to take her back, we will leave earlier for Jackson. That would probably be in late April or early May.
The vehicles are gassed up and we are almost packed inside our RV and ready to head out. It looks like rain outside this morning so we hope it doesn't interfere with our preparation. Our plan is to leave by 9 AM, so we will see you from Boerne, TX tomorrow AM...
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
It's Over
We went into work yesterday at 9 AM and when Dana came in at around 9:30, she said she had some good news for us. Evidently, the couple coming in this week to begin working has friends that want to work here also, so we were free to leave anytime we wanted. Of course, since it was Sunday and businesses were closed, we were not able to make any contact yesterday to get things moving for us to establish a new direction. We left the office and came back to our RV to talk about options. We will use today to organize our schedule for the next couple months until we leave for Jackson in May.
Dana also wrote a check for us to cover our time here and we had a nice discussion which left no hard feelings. Doug and Dana have been super, and it is unfortunate that it did not work out for us. There was really no way that the job could have been changed to allow us to stay, as the housekeeping requirements will always be there. It is unfortunate that, among other things, we were not informed that housekeeping was a big (50%) part of the job. Also, the area will not change anytime soon, and it was a huge disappointment. Anyway, we are preparing to move on.
Josie will contact the flower shop this morning to see if they want her to work through Mother's Day. I am waiting on word from our contacts at Aramark for us to possibly have a late start at Spring Training, if needed. We have pretty much decided that we will return to Arizona. Where we will stay is dependent upon what we will do. Our space at Pioneer is gone, even though we may be able to return there in a different space. There are many locations for us to consider and the only potential drawback is the time of the year which may force us to take something we don't necessarily want, but may be the only option available during this busy season.
Life goes on, and we hope to turn this experience into a positive, as we usually can do...
Dana also wrote a check for us to cover our time here and we had a nice discussion which left no hard feelings. Doug and Dana have been super, and it is unfortunate that it did not work out for us. There was really no way that the job could have been changed to allow us to stay, as the housekeeping requirements will always be there. It is unfortunate that, among other things, we were not informed that housekeeping was a big (50%) part of the job. Also, the area will not change anytime soon, and it was a huge disappointment. Anyway, we are preparing to move on.
Josie will contact the flower shop this morning to see if they want her to work through Mother's Day. I am waiting on word from our contacts at Aramark for us to possibly have a late start at Spring Training, if needed. We have pretty much decided that we will return to Arizona. Where we will stay is dependent upon what we will do. Our space at Pioneer is gone, even though we may be able to return there in a different space. There are many locations for us to consider and the only potential drawback is the time of the year which may force us to take something we don't necessarily want, but may be the only option available during this busy season.
Life goes on, and we hope to turn this experience into a positive, as we usually can do...
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Looking at Options
It is becoming more clear each day that this experience is not one that we envisioned. We can stay as long as we like and work here, but it has become more frustrating with the more exposure we get to the procedures and with the area. We also have informed the owners that we will be moving on after they hire suitable replacements for us. They are very nice folks and understand our frustration.
We worked with Dana all day yesterday and she is a super person to work with. She is from Houston where her family still resides and she also sympathizes with our disappointment in the area and with the system that is used at the Resort. She also has some issues with the system, and she is one of the owners.
We could help make the changes that would be required to improve the system, but there are other considerations. For starters, there is no authentication for the hours you work. No time clock, no sign in sheet, nothing. We would get paid for 32 hours per week, but already we have worked 7 of the first 8 days on the job. The kicker is that if you work the day, you are responsible for making the rounds at the Resort at 10 PM each night to make sure everything is locked, the pool is closed and the satellite laundry room is locked. So, after working at least 8 hours during the day, you are expected to stay up to work another half hour to 45 minutes performing night duties. Doug also has no intention to hire a housekeeping crew, so we would be responsible, every day, to clean all the restrooms (10), the clubhouse, the fitness center, the kitchen and the office. These responsibilities take half your work day, and is perhaps the biggest disappointment of all. We did not sign on to take housekeeping jobs. I could go on, but you get the picture.
We are trying to decide our best option for now. We are certainly going to keep our commitment to work in Jackson this summer, but we aren't sure what we will do between now and then - and, following our Jackson time. There are lots of details to work out before we do anything. Let me just say that this throws a wrench into our whole set of plans, but, as always, we will find the best way for us to proceed...
We worked with Dana all day yesterday and she is a super person to work with. She is from Houston where her family still resides and she also sympathizes with our disappointment in the area and with the system that is used at the Resort. She also has some issues with the system, and she is one of the owners.
We could help make the changes that would be required to improve the system, but there are other considerations. For starters, there is no authentication for the hours you work. No time clock, no sign in sheet, nothing. We would get paid for 32 hours per week, but already we have worked 7 of the first 8 days on the job. The kicker is that if you work the day, you are responsible for making the rounds at the Resort at 10 PM each night to make sure everything is locked, the pool is closed and the satellite laundry room is locked. So, after working at least 8 hours during the day, you are expected to stay up to work another half hour to 45 minutes performing night duties. Doug also has no intention to hire a housekeeping crew, so we would be responsible, every day, to clean all the restrooms (10), the clubhouse, the fitness center, the kitchen and the office. These responsibilities take half your work day, and is perhaps the biggest disappointment of all. We did not sign on to take housekeeping jobs. I could go on, but you get the picture.
We are trying to decide our best option for now. We are certainly going to keep our commitment to work in Jackson this summer, but we aren't sure what we will do between now and then - and, following our Jackson time. There are lots of details to work out before we do anything. Let me just say that this throws a wrench into our whole set of plans, but, as always, we will find the best way for us to proceed...
Saturday, February 25, 2017
First Week Review
We took a morning drive to Palacious, TX, and then on to Bay City, TX to check out the towns. Palacious is where the second RV park is located that Doug purchased and is renovating. Bay City is just another town along the Gulf but a bit larger than the others we have visited. It is still not very impressive.
There was a lunch meeting scheduled with Doug and Dana to chat about our first week on the job and to give impressions. They had a nice spread of various lunch meats, cheeses, and other goodies for us as we had our "chat" starting at noon. We told them that our initial reaction to the job is a frustrating one. The housekeeping duties are much more than we envisioned and the system is very different from any we have worked with before. We gave our impression of the area which has been a disappointment to us and, generally, we told them that the experience, so far at least, has not been satisfying.
They told us about the new couple starting work next week and that they have very heavy experience in the software that we use and also have managed campgrounds previously. Some of those have been very large campgrounds. Based on their experience and knowledge, we suggested that they make them the managers and we will cover for them on their days off and that we will most likely keep our commitment in Jackson, WY, for another year. Our retaining the managers role is still our option since they offered it to us before any other people were hired. Doug and Dana want us to stay on, and have suggested the possibility of working right up to May when we would leave for Wyoming and returning in October when our time there is over. That is a possibility, but probably not going to happen. The fact is, there isn't enough to do here outside of work - at least in the immediate area - and there are no nice beaches within a couple hours of here. They totally understand, and will work with us to do whatever we want.
So, today and tomorrow we work with Dana and expect a fairly slow couple of days. They (Doug and Dana) are super people and want to try to make it right for us. Unfortunately, There isn't enough to work with to make that happen. We will keep everybody posted on developments...
There was a lunch meeting scheduled with Doug and Dana to chat about our first week on the job and to give impressions. They had a nice spread of various lunch meats, cheeses, and other goodies for us as we had our "chat" starting at noon. We told them that our initial reaction to the job is a frustrating one. The housekeeping duties are much more than we envisioned and the system is very different from any we have worked with before. We gave our impression of the area which has been a disappointment to us and, generally, we told them that the experience, so far at least, has not been satisfying.
They told us about the new couple starting work next week and that they have very heavy experience in the software that we use and also have managed campgrounds previously. Some of those have been very large campgrounds. Based on their experience and knowledge, we suggested that they make them the managers and we will cover for them on their days off and that we will most likely keep our commitment in Jackson, WY, for another year. Our retaining the managers role is still our option since they offered it to us before any other people were hired. Doug and Dana want us to stay on, and have suggested the possibility of working right up to May when we would leave for Wyoming and returning in October when our time there is over. That is a possibility, but probably not going to happen. The fact is, there isn't enough to do here outside of work - at least in the immediate area - and there are no nice beaches within a couple hours of here. They totally understand, and will work with us to do whatever we want.
So, today and tomorrow we work with Dana and expect a fairly slow couple of days. They (Doug and Dana) are super people and want to try to make it right for us. Unfortunately, There isn't enough to work with to make that happen. We will keep everybody posted on developments...
Friday, February 24, 2017
Propane Exams in Austin
It was almost 6 AM by the time we left the RV to head to Austin for our propane dispensing certification exams. It was very foggy for much of the drive and we ran into work traffic and construction delays when we got to within 15 miles of our destination. So, it was around 8:45 by the time we arrived. The exams are given between 8 AM and noon.
There were a couple problems that surfaced when we arrived. First, there are two exams (not one) that are available. A DOT (Department of Transportation) exam and a Recreational Vehicle exam. We decided that the exam we were intended to take was the DOT exam. The RV exam only covered containers in an RV which are not the only containers we will be filling. Anyway, the book that we were given to use as our study guide was the wrong book. It has been replaced by two books which we had never seen before.
We were instructed on the rules of the exam, given the "new" books for the open book test, informed on other rules and taken to the exam room where we started at 9:15 for the two hour exam. There were 33 questions. I scored a 94 (miracle), and Josie just missed the passing grade of 75 by scoring a 71. It was amazing that she had done that well as she had never before been exposed to any of this propane language or processes, with hardly any study time at all. We both must take the class and she gets to try again to pass the exam - within the next couple months. I received a temporary certification until my card arrives at the office within ten days.
We left the facility and headed home. There was one stop in a nice town - Lockhart, TX, where we spotted this beautiful building from the freeway:
There were a couple problems that surfaced when we arrived. First, there are two exams (not one) that are available. A DOT (Department of Transportation) exam and a Recreational Vehicle exam. We decided that the exam we were intended to take was the DOT exam. The RV exam only covered containers in an RV which are not the only containers we will be filling. Anyway, the book that we were given to use as our study guide was the wrong book. It has been replaced by two books which we had never seen before.
We were instructed on the rules of the exam, given the "new" books for the open book test, informed on other rules and taken to the exam room where we started at 9:15 for the two hour exam. There were 33 questions. I scored a 94 (miracle), and Josie just missed the passing grade of 75 by scoring a 71. It was amazing that she had done that well as she had never before been exposed to any of this propane language or processes, with hardly any study time at all. We both must take the class and she gets to try again to pass the exam - within the next couple months. I received a temporary certification until my card arrives at the office within ten days.
We left the facility and headed home. There was one stop in a nice town - Lockhart, TX, where we spotted this beautiful building from the freeway:
It is the Caldwell County Courthouse.
Across the street from the Courthouse was a nice Café - Market Street Café and Apothecary - where we had an excellent lunch:
We also stopped in Victoria to check out the Mall which is the closest one to us:
It was a long, long day and we have our first day off today. We heard from Doug and Dana last night and we are meeting for lunch today to chat about our first week. It should be a very interesting meeting...
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Off to Austin
We are leaving now to take the exam for propane dispensing certification in Austin. We have between 8 AM and noon to take the exam.
Neither Josie nor I have studied the material because we were just given the manual on Tuesday and have had no time to study. If we pass this exam - which is open book - it will be a miracle.
More on this later when I have time...
Neither Josie nor I have studied the material because we were just given the manual on Tuesday and have had no time to study. If we pass this exam - which is open book - it will be a miracle.
More on this later when I have time...
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Slipping
Yesterday was a repeat of Monday. Josie and I spent half the day doing restrooms and other housekeeping duties and did some computer work in the afternoon. Actually, Josie did some computer work in the afternoon as she is the one primarily responsible for the very few check-ins and check-outs we get each day. My primary responsibilities are suppose to be outside duties, but I have yet, in two days, seen or done anything outside. I watched over their (Josie and Sheryl) shoulders while Sheryl instructed Josie. Doug, the owner, showed up in the office - for the first time since we started - and spent about 15 minutes with us. We are taking the propane dispensing exam in Austin tomorrow and we have had no classroom training and only the study guide which Doug gave us on Monday. That should be interesting.
The net of our experience so far is that our disappointment is growing, and we are slipping into a negative hole. At this point, we are still giving this experience a fair chance to turn around. Nothing that has been described to us has come true - including the beaches, which are nothing but shells, stones and a little dark sand in this area. We have to go to Corpus Christi for the nearest white sand beaches that are what we are used to seeing. These are not the kind of beaches where you spread your towels, lie down in the sun and listen to the waves. There are mostly people fishing from the beach. The downtown Port Lavaca area is a run-down stretch of mostly abandoned buildings. The only nice area is the main route at the edge of town where there are some businesses - such as Walmart - that are decent.
Our schedule today is the same as yesterday and Monday. It is difficult for us to imagine how the couple that is departing next week could have stayed here for three years. Sheryl is frustrated because she has one week to train us after she notified Doug in November that they would be leaving now. We are very concerned that we have not had, and will not have, sufficient training and exposure to the day to day operation to be able to effectively take over next week. There is another couple starting this weekend, but who is going to train them? It is not a pretty picture right now...
The net of our experience so far is that our disappointment is growing, and we are slipping into a negative hole. At this point, we are still giving this experience a fair chance to turn around. Nothing that has been described to us has come true - including the beaches, which are nothing but shells, stones and a little dark sand in this area. We have to go to Corpus Christi for the nearest white sand beaches that are what we are used to seeing. These are not the kind of beaches where you spread your towels, lie down in the sun and listen to the waves. There are mostly people fishing from the beach. The downtown Port Lavaca area is a run-down stretch of mostly abandoned buildings. The only nice area is the main route at the edge of town where there are some businesses - such as Walmart - that are decent.
Our schedule today is the same as yesterday and Monday. It is difficult for us to imagine how the couple that is departing next week could have stayed here for three years. Sheryl is frustrated because she has one week to train us after she notified Doug in November that they would be leaving now. We are very concerned that we have not had, and will not have, sufficient training and exposure to the day to day operation to be able to effectively take over next week. There is another couple starting this weekend, but who is going to train them? It is not a pretty picture right now...
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
First Day Impressions
Our first day on the job at the Texas Lakeside RV Resort was overwhelming. That was to be expected as there are so many new procedures and requirements that we are not used to. The storm that went through yesterday morning prevented me from doing any outside work, so I spent the entire day with Josie working inside and learning the procedures relating to the Campground Manager software that we had worked with previously. Our initial reaction is probably a normal one - we don't like it. I'm sure that as we get more familiar with everything and get more into the job, the uneasy feelings will disappear. We hope so.
The main problem for me yesterday was the time spent cleaning restrooms which I detest. It is a daily requirement and something that Josie and I will be responsible for until a housekeeping crew can be hired at some point in the near future. We also were given instructions to drive to Austin on Thursday to take the propane dispensing exam for certification. We were given a manual to study and it is an open book test, but to be given just two days - actually, two nights - to learn the material is very demanding. Our initial schedule has us working 8 of the next 10 days - we signed up for 4 day work weeks, so I'm not sure what they are thinking. I do know that the couple that is training us are leaving on the 2nd of March, so we need to have as much time as possible with them before they leave. I did happen to get a couple shots yesterday at the propane station. This is Sheryl - the one training us on the inside work - with Josie, explaining the system, and also a shot of the propane station:
The main problem for me yesterday was the time spent cleaning restrooms which I detest. It is a daily requirement and something that Josie and I will be responsible for until a housekeeping crew can be hired at some point in the near future. We also were given instructions to drive to Austin on Thursday to take the propane dispensing exam for certification. We were given a manual to study and it is an open book test, but to be given just two days - actually, two nights - to learn the material is very demanding. Our initial schedule has us working 8 of the next 10 days - we signed up for 4 day work weeks, so I'm not sure what they are thinking. I do know that the couple that is training us are leaving on the 2nd of March, so we need to have as much time as possible with them before they leave. I did happen to get a couple shots yesterday at the propane station. This is Sheryl - the one training us on the inside work - with Josie, explaining the system, and also a shot of the propane station:
The other half of the departing couple - Matt - has another job locally with a different company. He was told by his physician that he should not perform any more of the physical, outside work, so he recently found this other job. We don't fully understand his role here, but he is gone most of every day working the other job.
I hope that I get a chance today to do some outside work with their maintenance person - Victor - who was not working yesterday as a result of the storm, and to learn more about the other requirements for my duties. Josie has her "niche" in the office, so it will be interesting to see how it goes today. I know that with only one computer system in the building, it will be difficult for me to do any work on the system during regular working hours.
The sun is shining today and it will warm up to the high 70's, so we look forward to getting more training and to begin to feel more comfortable with our duties...
Monday, February 20, 2017
Exploring Victoria, TX
We were anxious to check out the nearest town with the amenities and services that we would need while in Port Lavaca. The town of Victoria has a population of around 67,000 and has all the shopping, medical and other services that we need. It is less than a half hour away - 23 miles - and is very easy to get around.
We found out where the Bank of America was located, Sam's Club, the Hospital and several other nice areas such as the Victoria Mall (most of the big-box stores), Super Walmart and other professional services. It makes us feel much more comfortable knowing we don't have to travel to Houston, Austin, San Antonio or even Corpus Christi for these services.
We also took a side trip, following our visit to Victoria, to see the second RV park that Doug has acquired (Serendipity) and is renovating to the standards of "our" park. He has a long way to go with that park but it will eventually become a showplace. That one is located about 25 miles northeast of this park.
The storm that was forecast for last night arrived at around 4:30 AM this morning with some gusting winds. We are getting steady rain at the moment and will eventually end up with several inches of the wet stuff by the time it moves through later today. That means our first day will be spent inside today.
Doug has sent us the study guide for taking our Propane Dispensing Certification exam in Austin. He wants us to have those exams completed this week and we will travel to Austin, probably Thursday, to take the exams.
We are off and running...
We found out where the Bank of America was located, Sam's Club, the Hospital and several other nice areas such as the Victoria Mall (most of the big-box stores), Super Walmart and other professional services. It makes us feel much more comfortable knowing we don't have to travel to Houston, Austin, San Antonio or even Corpus Christi for these services.
We also took a side trip, following our visit to Victoria, to see the second RV park that Doug has acquired (Serendipity) and is renovating to the standards of "our" park. He has a long way to go with that park but it will eventually become a showplace. That one is located about 25 miles northeast of this park.
The storm that was forecast for last night arrived at around 4:30 AM this morning with some gusting winds. We are getting steady rain at the moment and will eventually end up with several inches of the wet stuff by the time it moves through later today. That means our first day will be spent inside today.
Doug has sent us the study guide for taking our Propane Dispensing Certification exam in Austin. He wants us to have those exams completed this week and we will travel to Austin, probably Thursday, to take the exams.
We are off and running...
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Exploring Port Lavaca Area
Our entire day yesterday was spent exploring the immediate Port Lavaca area. We started by driving through the downtown area and that part was mostly disappointing. There were no nice shops or boutiques as we expected, but rather lots of vacant and run down buildings that have been weathered in many years of the salt air.
Once we left the downtown area and went to Walmart, it started to look like a real nice town that was full of new shops and classy businesses. Below is a shot of the famous lighthouse building:
We did some shopping at Walmart and then returned to the RV to drop off the food that required refrigeration before heading out for more exploring. While making that stop, we went into the office area to get a couple shots. The first is of the small store:
and this one of the front desk:
We went back toward town so that Josie could check out a flower shop that she had seen advertised in the local magazine. It was a nice looking shop except that, for some reason, it was closed which surprised us for a Saturday. Anyway, we looked in the window and saw that it was a big shop with lots of plants and arrangements .
The next part of our day involved a drive to the beach area. It is fairly close to us and very easy to find. Of course, we took lots of pictures here and spent a lot of time exploring the beach. The beach is not a white sandy beach, but rather an area of sand and shells. You can still enjoy swimming and sitting on the beach but the real white beaches are a bit further away and we will explore those on another day.
These shots were taken yesterday and give you a feel for the local beach area:
You can see several RV's that pulled right up to the shoreline. Driving on the beach is permissible in this area and anyone with an RV can set up anywhere along the shore for the day. You can also see that, particularly in the shot of the pier, that fishing is very popular along the beach.
We couldn't leave the beach without Josie getting her feet wet and having an opportunity to locate the best shells in the area:
She accomplished both.
It was an excellent day exploring our new area. There were a few negatives, but for the most part, it is an exciting place to be. We attended the going away party for the existing managers at the clubhouse and we took a veggie tray as our dish for the affair. We got there a bit early, but took this shot as the folks were beginning to arrive:
It was nice meeting a lot of the residents and meeting the managers that will be training us this week. They will leave in about 10 days and head to their home in Bullhead City, AZ.
Our plan for today is to drive to Victoria, about 20 miles from here, which is the closest town with major amenities - hospital, department stores and other major services.
So far, so good...
Once we left the downtown area and went to Walmart, it started to look like a real nice town that was full of new shops and classy businesses. Below is a shot of the famous lighthouse building:
We did some shopping at Walmart and then returned to the RV to drop off the food that required refrigeration before heading out for more exploring. While making that stop, we went into the office area to get a couple shots. The first is of the small store:
and this one of the front desk:
We went back toward town so that Josie could check out a flower shop that she had seen advertised in the local magazine. It was a nice looking shop except that, for some reason, it was closed which surprised us for a Saturday. Anyway, we looked in the window and saw that it was a big shop with lots of plants and arrangements .
The next part of our day involved a drive to the beach area. It is fairly close to us and very easy to find. Of course, we took lots of pictures here and spent a lot of time exploring the beach. The beach is not a white sandy beach, but rather an area of sand and shells. You can still enjoy swimming and sitting on the beach but the real white beaches are a bit further away and we will explore those on another day.
These shots were taken yesterday and give you a feel for the local beach area:
You can see several RV's that pulled right up to the shoreline. Driving on the beach is permissible in this area and anyone with an RV can set up anywhere along the shore for the day. You can also see that, particularly in the shot of the pier, that fishing is very popular along the beach.
We couldn't leave the beach without Josie getting her feet wet and having an opportunity to locate the best shells in the area:
She accomplished both.
It was an excellent day exploring our new area. There were a few negatives, but for the most part, it is an exciting place to be. We attended the going away party for the existing managers at the clubhouse and we took a veggie tray as our dish for the affair. We got there a bit early, but took this shot as the folks were beginning to arrive:
It was nice meeting a lot of the residents and meeting the managers that will be training us this week. They will leave in about 10 days and head to their home in Bullhead City, AZ.
Our plan for today is to drive to Victoria, about 20 miles from here, which is the closest town with major amenities - hospital, department stores and other major services.
So far, so good...
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Port Lavaca, TX
We didn't leave our site in Boerne until around 9 AM yesterday. The drive was only 210 miles - slightly more than we had calculated earlier - but there was no rush. There was the one stop at a rest area:
and we made one more stop to fill up our gas tanks.
As we got closer to Port Lavaca, the clouds seemed to be rolling in and we even got a few sprinkles for the first time on this trip. The thought I had was that the rain would become heavy after we arrived and would create havoc for our setting up process. It turned out that the storm had already gone through and we were in the clearing phase.
The owners of the Resort - Doug and Dana Jensen - met us as we arrived and we spent the next 1 1/2 hours sitting at a table in the clubhouse talking about everything - the job, the town, the area, the future, etc. Doug and Dana indicated they wanted to take us to dinner at a nice seafood restaurant not far from the Resort - Bubba's Cajun Style Seafood.
They picked us up at our site at 5:30, and we had and excellent dinner with a variety of seafood. I did get this shot of Doug and Dana just before we left the restaurant:
They are super nice and will be fun to work with.
Our site, #53, is on the water and these shots will give you some idea of how we are situated in the park. This is our setup:
and this is our view:
The only real concern we have at this point is how serious the winds will be during stormy weather. They can get pretty fierce according to Doug and Dana. We are not strangers to wind as you know, but sometimes the gusts can get to around 60 mph according to Doug, with whitecaps on the lake. Supposedly, that doesn't happen very often.
Our plan today is to familiarize ourselves with the town and the area and to begin to discover where we will be able to get things we need. There is a going-away party tonight for the departing managers and we will be there with a dish for the affair.
Our first day at work will be Monday. It is a relief to be here and we are anxious to begin...
and we made one more stop to fill up our gas tanks.
As we got closer to Port Lavaca, the clouds seemed to be rolling in and we even got a few sprinkles for the first time on this trip. The thought I had was that the rain would become heavy after we arrived and would create havoc for our setting up process. It turned out that the storm had already gone through and we were in the clearing phase.
The owners of the Resort - Doug and Dana Jensen - met us as we arrived and we spent the next 1 1/2 hours sitting at a table in the clubhouse talking about everything - the job, the town, the area, the future, etc. Doug and Dana indicated they wanted to take us to dinner at a nice seafood restaurant not far from the Resort - Bubba's Cajun Style Seafood.
They picked us up at our site at 5:30, and we had and excellent dinner with a variety of seafood. I did get this shot of Doug and Dana just before we left the restaurant:
They are super nice and will be fun to work with.
Our site, #53, is on the water and these shots will give you some idea of how we are situated in the park. This is our setup:
and this is our view:
The only real concern we have at this point is how serious the winds will be during stormy weather. They can get pretty fierce according to Doug and Dana. We are not strangers to wind as you know, but sometimes the gusts can get to around 60 mph according to Doug, with whitecaps on the lake. Supposedly, that doesn't happen very often.
Our plan today is to familiarize ourselves with the town and the area and to begin to discover where we will be able to get things we need. There is a going-away party tonight for the departing managers and we will be there with a dish for the affair.
Our first day at work will be Monday. It is a relief to be here and we are anxious to begin...
Friday, February 17, 2017
Almost There
Our third leg of the trip to Port Lavaca was another good travel day. The weather was perfect and we had little traffic. The driving was through more hilly country than before so our fuel economy wasn't the best - 9.4 mpg - but still was very good considering the weight we are pulling.
We stopped at one rest area during the day:
and then continued for the rest of our 280 mile trip for the day. We did stop at the last rest area on I-10 before arriving in Boerne, TX, to connect with Roger and Sue by phone to schedule our get together.
They arrived at our site at the Top-of-The-Hill RV Park in Boerne at about 2:30 PM which was probably a half hour after we arrived at the park. They are staying in Fredericksburg, TX, about 30 miles from us, while they work the month of February on a Habitat for Humanity home which they often volunteer for during the winter months.
We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful day at our picnic table:
before heading down the street for an early dinner at a place called Popo's. We had no idea how good it would be, but it turned out be an excellent choice. Below is a photo of the very unusual interior of the restaurant which was filled with thousands of plates that the owners had collected over the years:
We stopped at one rest area during the day:
and then continued for the rest of our 280 mile trip for the day. We did stop at the last rest area on I-10 before arriving in Boerne, TX, to connect with Roger and Sue by phone to schedule our get together.
They arrived at our site at the Top-of-The-Hill RV Park in Boerne at about 2:30 PM which was probably a half hour after we arrived at the park. They are staying in Fredericksburg, TX, about 30 miles from us, while they work the month of February on a Habitat for Humanity home which they often volunteer for during the winter months.
We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful day at our picnic table:
before heading down the street for an early dinner at a place called Popo's. We had no idea how good it would be, but it turned out be an excellent choice. Below is a photo of the very unusual interior of the restaurant which was filled with thousands of plates that the owners had collected over the years:
It was a steak, seafood and chicken restaurant, and we all ordered the grilled chicken which was a great choice.
Here is the shot taken by our server:
Following our meal, we all came back to our rig for coffee and more conversation:
It was 8 PM before they left, and it was a terrific time - as usual - with two of our very best friends.
Well, today is our final travel day. We plan to leave by 9 AM this morning to drive the final 175 miles to Port Lavaca. We expect to arrive at our destination by early afternoon. We are, to say the least, very excited about our new opportunity...
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Travel to Fort Stockton TX
It was another great day weather wise and we had another smooth travel day to Stockton, TX. It was 8 AM when we left Deming and we gassed up just down the road from the RV park before getting onto I-10. I averaged 10.4 mpg for the day vs 9.3 mpg on our first travel day. It definitely made a difference driving in less traffic and also traveling on the east side of the Continental Divide where the travel is on the down-hill side. We again made one stop in a rest area:
and traveled the 340 miles in about six hours including stops. Also, we lost an hour when we crossed into the Central Time Zone. That also includes a second gas stop as we decided to gas up yesterday for our travel day today.
The RV park in Fort Stockton is a forgettable one. When you stop at a bargain basement park, that's what you get:
That's all we need for one night - full hookups and a pull through space for $12. We'll be gone by 8 AM again this morning, so it is no big deal.
We will stop along the way as we get closer to Boerne, TX - our destination for today - to call Roger and Sue to let them know the time we expect to arrive at our park in Boerne. They will drive from their location to meet us and we will go somewhere to have an early dinner and chat. We are looking forward to seeing them again...
and traveled the 340 miles in about six hours including stops. Also, we lost an hour when we crossed into the Central Time Zone. That also includes a second gas stop as we decided to gas up yesterday for our travel day today.
The RV park in Fort Stockton is a forgettable one. When you stop at a bargain basement park, that's what you get:
That's all we need for one night - full hookups and a pull through space for $12. We'll be gone by 8 AM again this morning, so it is no big deal.
We will stop along the way as we get closer to Boerne, TX - our destination for today - to call Roger and Sue to let them know the time we expect to arrive at our park in Boerne. They will drive from their location to meet us and we will go somewhere to have an early dinner and chat. We are looking forward to seeing them again...
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Travel to Deming NM
By the time we said our farewells to our neighbor, it was almost 9 AM when we hit the road yesterday. That was OK though, as we missed most of the business traffic on I-17 and I-10. The weather was perfect all day and we made the 360 mile trip to Deming, NM, by 3:30 PM.
We stopped at one rest area along the way:
and once for gas. Our site in Deming is a very plain and just an ordinary pull-through space, but for $12 it fit the bill. Below is a shot of our setup:
It is very cool and damp here as there was a storm that went through within the last 12 hours - maybe, the storm that we were suppose to get in AZ and didn't.
We connected with our friends Sue and Roger Sandlin and will meet them in Boerne, TX (near San Antonio), tomorrow after we arrive at our site.
As for today, we have another 340 mile trip to Fort Stockton, TX, and we hope to leave earlier today - like maybe around 8 AM if we can. We'll see you tomorrow following the second leg of our trip...
We stopped at one rest area along the way:
and once for gas. Our site in Deming is a very plain and just an ordinary pull-through space, but for $12 it fit the bill. Below is a shot of our setup:
It is very cool and damp here as there was a storm that went through within the last 12 hours - maybe, the storm that we were suppose to get in AZ and didn't.
We connected with our friends Sue and Roger Sandlin and will meet them in Boerne, TX (near San Antonio), tomorrow after we arrive at our site.
As for today, we have another 340 mile trip to Fort Stockton, TX, and we hope to leave earlier today - like maybe around 8 AM if we can. We'll see you tomorrow following the second leg of our trip...
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Departure Day
The day has arrived that we say our farewell to the Pioneer RV Resort and head to Texas. There are probably some things that we forgot to take care of, but we'll handle each one as we discover them. We are ready to go and plan to leave at around 8:30 AM this morning. All that is left is to pack our lunches and hitch-up the truck and put away everything on the inside so that nothing rolls around the RV while traveling. In some ways it is a sad departure as we have made some friends here and we don't know when/if we will cross paths again. That bit of sadness is overcome with excitement to get to Port Lavaca, TX, and begin our new chapter.
We plan to meet our friends, Roger and Sue Sandlin, in Fort Stockton, TX, sometime tomorrow evening. They are staying in Kerrville, TX and will be less than an hour from us. They are traveling west to AZ to spend some time this winter. It will be nice to see them again.
We received our employee packets last night from Doug, the owner and our boss at the Park where we are headed. I completed the forms, scanned them into my computer and sent them back to him last night. We should be good to go once we arrive there on Friday.
It's bon voyage everybody!
We plan to meet our friends, Roger and Sue Sandlin, in Fort Stockton, TX, sometime tomorrow evening. They are staying in Kerrville, TX and will be less than an hour from us. They are traveling west to AZ to spend some time this winter. It will be nice to see them again.
We received our employee packets last night from Doug, the owner and our boss at the Park where we are headed. I completed the forms, scanned them into my computer and sent them back to him last night. We should be good to go once we arrive there on Friday.
It's bon voyage everybody!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Final Prep
We are ready to go. Final prep was done yesterday as we organized some closets for travel - specifically, bathroom closets. The only other closet that creates problems during travel is the pantry where we have to be careful opening the doors for the first time after arriving at a location. We usually can catch things falling out of the closet before they hit the floor (ha).
The predicted storm never materialized so I still have to do some final prep outside. The covers will come off the tires and be packed away and the ladder and spare tire will be loaded in the truck for travel. We gassed up the Escape yesterday afternoon, and we will gas up the truck while out shopping for last minute food to take while driving over the next several days. I think I will probably hitch up tonight so that we can be ready to go in the morning. I know the start of our drive will be tough with all the work traffic on I-17 and I-10. There is just no other viable option to get through Phoenix. I'm thinking that the later we leave in the AM, the better our chances will be for getting through traffic.
This is the part of every change in location that we don't especially like - the driving from one location to the other. Unless it is all vacation and sightseeing, it tends to wear on us. The excitement is building to get there and begin the new chapter...
The predicted storm never materialized so I still have to do some final prep outside. The covers will come off the tires and be packed away and the ladder and spare tire will be loaded in the truck for travel. We gassed up the Escape yesterday afternoon, and we will gas up the truck while out shopping for last minute food to take while driving over the next several days. I think I will probably hitch up tonight so that we can be ready to go in the morning. I know the start of our drive will be tough with all the work traffic on I-17 and I-10. There is just no other viable option to get through Phoenix. I'm thinking that the later we leave in the AM, the better our chances will be for getting through traffic.
This is the part of every change in location that we don't especially like - the driving from one location to the other. Unless it is all vacation and sightseeing, it tends to wear on us. The excitement is building to get there and begin the new chapter...
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Another Missed Forecast
Every day for the last week, including right up to Thursday, rain was in the forecast for this weekend. It was suppose to rain both yesterday and today, with clearing on Monday. They missed it. So far, we have not had one drop of rain and I'm not sure we will get any today either. It's OK though, as we were ready for it if it did come.
Josie did some laundry and I moved some more papers and files to the basement of our RV and we pretty much made sure all is about ready to leave on Tuesday. We also returned the Rug Doctor equipment to Albertsons. If we hadn't paid for our space here at Pioneer right up to Tuesday, we probably would have left either today or tomorrow. There is no sense leaving and pay for a space somewhere else while losing the monies paid to stay here until Tuesday. I'm sure we will find other chores to do that will keep us busy. We do have to gas up the vehicles, shop for food for the trip and make sure the tires are all in good shape before heading out...
Josie did some laundry and I moved some more papers and files to the basement of our RV and we pretty much made sure all is about ready to leave on Tuesday. We also returned the Rug Doctor equipment to Albertsons. If we hadn't paid for our space here at Pioneer right up to Tuesday, we probably would have left either today or tomorrow. There is no sense leaving and pay for a space somewhere else while losing the monies paid to stay here until Tuesday. I'm sure we will find other chores to do that will keep us busy. We do have to gas up the vehicles, shop for food for the trip and make sure the tires are all in good shape before heading out...
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Clean Carpets and More
Yesterday was the day that we finally got the carpets cleaned. We went to Albertsons and rented the Rug Doctor for a day and also picked up the proper cleaning liquid for the job. It took from about noon to almost 4 PM to do the job which was our entire RV inside - the living area and upstairs bedroom area. It doesn't sound like much, but let me tell you, that rug cleaner wears you down. It isn't the lightest piece of equipment on earth and both Josie and I were plumb tuckered out at the end of the day. These two shots give you some idea of the job:
It was another tough job moving all the furniture out of the way to do sections at a time. We have a tower fan that we used to help dry the areas quickly and it did a fine job. The carpet looks fantastic and the total job only cost $54 for the equipment and cleaner. We were fortunate to get a brand new machine that had never been used before and it worked like a charm.
We also took care of the final items that were outside - rolled up the outside carpet and packed away the chairs to get ready for the trip. It can rain all it wants to now and we are ready. With only three days left, we feel we are in good shape unless something unexpected happens or we discover something we overlooked. The Rug Doctor goes back this morning and we will shop for our food to take on the trip to eat during the drive each day...
It was another tough job moving all the furniture out of the way to do sections at a time. We have a tower fan that we used to help dry the areas quickly and it did a fine job. The carpet looks fantastic and the total job only cost $54 for the equipment and cleaner. We were fortunate to get a brand new machine that had never been used before and it worked like a charm.
We also took care of the final items that were outside - rolled up the outside carpet and packed away the chairs to get ready for the trip. It can rain all it wants to now and we are ready. With only three days left, we feel we are in good shape unless something unexpected happens or we discover something we overlooked. The Rug Doctor goes back this morning and we will shop for our food to take on the trip to eat during the drive each day...
Friday, February 10, 2017
Race to Beat the Rain
We know there is a storm in the forecast for this weekend which will produce some heavy rain at times. Our goal yesterday was to accomplish some of the tasks that we needed to complete before leaving on Tuesday.
The main objective was to take everything we had packed for storage to the storage unit. It would be our final visit there before heading out to Texas. Our storage unit is about to "choke" if we put anything else in the unit. This shot shows what I mean:
The picture really doesn't show the entire unit which is 30' deep! Of course, everything isn't packed in there as tightly as it seems because we have visited the unit many times with more stuff to jam into it and we can't get to the rear of the unit in order to create more room in the front. It has about reached its capacity.
We stopped in Surprise where I got a final haircut and we attempted to stop at the eye doctor's office to give signed permission to forward our records to Texas but discovered they had moved, so we passed on that. While in Surprise, we paid one last visit to Macayo's Mexican restaurant for an early dinner (late lunch?) and had one final meal there. It was forgettable as the restaurant continues to go down hill in our minds. The next stop was at the grocery store where we got all the info on their carpet cleaning rental equipment. It looks like that will be the job for the day today. Our plan is to pick up the equipment this morning and have it back by this afternoon. I hope it goes according to plan...
The main objective was to take everything we had packed for storage to the storage unit. It would be our final visit there before heading out to Texas. Our storage unit is about to "choke" if we put anything else in the unit. This shot shows what I mean:
The picture really doesn't show the entire unit which is 30' deep! Of course, everything isn't packed in there as tightly as it seems because we have visited the unit many times with more stuff to jam into it and we can't get to the rear of the unit in order to create more room in the front. It has about reached its capacity.
We stopped in Surprise where I got a final haircut and we attempted to stop at the eye doctor's office to give signed permission to forward our records to Texas but discovered they had moved, so we passed on that. While in Surprise, we paid one last visit to Macayo's Mexican restaurant for an early dinner (late lunch?) and had one final meal there. It was forgettable as the restaurant continues to go down hill in our minds. The next stop was at the grocery store where we got all the info on their carpet cleaning rental equipment. It looks like that will be the job for the day today. Our plan is to pick up the equipment this morning and have it back by this afternoon. I hope it goes according to plan...
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Getting Closer
Yesterday, we got a lot closer to being ready to go. I did outdoor work before the forecasted bad weather this weekend. I cleaned the large grill and prepared it for storage, packed away the lounge chairs, loaded the truck with more storage boxes and basically got everything ready for the trip to storage today. Meanwhile, Josie did a lot of closet prep by sorting pantry items and other closet items into plastic containers, disposing of expired goods and then scrubbed down the interior of the fifth wheel.
Once again there are strange and very unusual weather patterns in the country. Yesterday, several high temperature records were broken in the northeastern states, and today those same areas are getting a huge winter snowstorm. Philadelphia, for example, set a record of 66 degrees yesterday and they already have several inches of snow on the ground this morning with temperatures hovering around freezing. Fortunately, where we are going in Texas there is hardly ever any snow. The all-time record snowfall in Port Lavaca is 12 " in February, 1895. The modern record is 5.2" in December, 2004.
As mentioned, we are headed to our storage unit today. We will combine that trip with a visit to the eye care facility to pick up our records to be taken to Texas with us and another stop for a haircut. We are definitely getting close to being ready to go...
Once again there are strange and very unusual weather patterns in the country. Yesterday, several high temperature records were broken in the northeastern states, and today those same areas are getting a huge winter snowstorm. Philadelphia, for example, set a record of 66 degrees yesterday and they already have several inches of snow on the ground this morning with temperatures hovering around freezing. Fortunately, where we are going in Texas there is hardly ever any snow. The all-time record snowfall in Port Lavaca is 12 " in February, 1895. The modern record is 5.2" in December, 2004.
As mentioned, we are headed to our storage unit today. We will combine that trip with a visit to the eye care facility to pick up our records to be taken to Texas with us and another stop for a haircut. We are definitely getting close to being ready to go...
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Insurance Switched
After hearing about how the cost of living will be lower where we are headed in Texas, our first exposure to the new costs was not positive. Our insurance rates will be higher in Port Lavaca than here in Phoenix. Shocking. Not only that, the new rate will reflect zero miles for commuting to our workplace. The new agent in Texas informed us that Texas has the second highest auto insurance rates in the country - behind New York. Our auto insurance will be about $20/Mo higher in Texas for almost identical coverage. There is a way we can reduce the premium though, and that is by installing a unique device in our vehicles for three months - called a Right Tracker (?). This device monitors your vehicle use for three months and can lower your premiums by up to 30% depending on results. The agent feels that, with our truck basically "parked" for three months, and only local, pleasure use of the Escape, we should get close to the 30% discount. I hope he's right.
I started loading the truck with our packed boxes and items we will be taking to storage. We also have to take our table and chairs which we will load tomorrow when we make the trip. We are doing a great job, I believe, in downsizing our load for the trip to Texas.
We want to clean our carpets yet before leaving and have decided to check out the cleaners that you rent from the grocery stores to see if they are cost effective. Our carpet is not the large, and we can possibly save some money by doing it ourselves and not calling somebody like COIT or Stanley Steemer. We'll check that out today...
I started loading the truck with our packed boxes and items we will be taking to storage. We also have to take our table and chairs which we will load tomorrow when we make the trip. We are doing a great job, I believe, in downsizing our load for the trip to Texas.
We want to clean our carpets yet before leaving and have decided to check out the cleaners that you rent from the grocery stores to see if they are cost effective. Our carpet is not the large, and we can possibly save some money by doing it ourselves and not calling somebody like COIT or Stanley Steemer. We'll check that out today...
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Reservations Made
We made the campground reservations yesterday to finalize the trip. We will be staying in parks each of the three nights that are Passport America discount parks and the total cost for the three nights will be $47. How can you beat that? The 50% discount offered by that membership makes it a real bargain at $35/yr. The locations are: Deming, NM for the 1st night, Fort Stockton, TX the 2nd night and Boerne, TX the 3rd night. We are still leaving on Tuesday the 14th - Valentine's Day.
We had a very nice farewell dinner last night with George and Cheryl at the Haymaker Restaurant in Peoria. Josie didn't care for her salmon, but I think the rest of us enjoyed our choices. One of the topics we discussed was Brian's search for his perfect motorhome. Maybe everybody can pay us a visit in Port Lavaca, TX if he gets one sometime soon.
In the meantime, we have more packing to do and we will most likely take everything to storage that needs to go by tomorrow or Thursday. We are getting control of that process and should have no trouble having everything ready in time...
We had a very nice farewell dinner last night with George and Cheryl at the Haymaker Restaurant in Peoria. Josie didn't care for her salmon, but I think the rest of us enjoyed our choices. One of the topics we discussed was Brian's search for his perfect motorhome. Maybe everybody can pay us a visit in Port Lavaca, TX if he gets one sometime soon.
In the meantime, we have more packing to do and we will most likely take everything to storage that needs to go by tomorrow or Thursday. We are getting control of that process and should have no trouble having everything ready in time...
Monday, February 6, 2017
Historic Collapse
I was so happy and enjoying the Super Bowl last night - until midway through the third quarter. It was an epic and totally unexpected collapse by the Atlanta Falcons. Leading 28-3 with about 1 1/2 quarters to play, the Atlanta Falcons decided to call it a season. Thinking they had the game won, they allowed the Patriots to come storming back and score 31 unanswered points to win Super Bowl 51. I never saw anything like it. The Falcons were so dominant, and suddenly they became fodder for the Patriots. It will be a game to remember, for sure.
Now, it's back to business. There are lots of things yet to get done before we can say we are ready for our trip to Texas next week. We have several boxes ready to go to storage but there will be more. We are performing a major "flush" of our possessions in the RV. I keep putting off the basement, but I guess it is now time to tackle that part of the purge. It is difficult to know exactly what to take and what to pack away, but we will have to use our best guess and judgement. I'm sure there will be times when we wished we had something that we packed away.
Tonight we will meet George and Cheryl at the Haymaker Restaurant in Peoria for our farewell dinner. Who knows when we will return here and we look forward to seeing them one last time before our departure.
I am still shaking my head over that Super Bowl Game...
Now, it's back to business. There are lots of things yet to get done before we can say we are ready for our trip to Texas next week. We have several boxes ready to go to storage but there will be more. We are performing a major "flush" of our possessions in the RV. I keep putting off the basement, but I guess it is now time to tackle that part of the purge. It is difficult to know exactly what to take and what to pack away, but we will have to use our best guess and judgement. I'm sure there will be times when we wished we had something that we packed away.
Tonight we will meet George and Cheryl at the Haymaker Restaurant in Peoria for our farewell dinner. Who knows when we will return here and we look forward to seeing them one last time before our departure.
I am still shaking my head over that Super Bowl Game...
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Packing Progress
Yesterday was a good start for sorting through clothes and other "stuff" in our closets. We have two boxes packed with clothes that will go to storage. Most of the clothes are heavy winter items along with some shirts and vests that were uniforms from previous jobs. We still have to empty closets that contain books and other items that we will not need in Texas. Hopefully, we can lighten the load to where we will have a safe rig to travel to Texas. It is always a problem to make sure you don't accumulate too much stuff and add enough weight to make it a dangerous load with which to travel. I'm debating now whether I should take my golf clubs. I haven't played in several years and the weight is a lot to carry for something that is not used regularly. That is just one example of items that need to be questioned.
I also settled up on our site here at the Resort. We are paid through the 13th and then we are out of her on the 14th.
There won't be too much more done today as the Super Bowl will dominate the activities for the day. Although Josie will probably not be too excited to watch the game and will spend her time doing sorting and packing. I hope that the Atlanta Falcons win, but the odds are favoring the Patriots. I just hope it is a good game.
This is the peak season for workamper job searches. The number of jobs being advertised is about triple the number normally published each day. Some of the jobs are intriguing, but we are set for the foreseeable future. We hope so anyway.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday everybody!
I also settled up on our site here at the Resort. We are paid through the 13th and then we are out of her on the 14th.
There won't be too much more done today as the Super Bowl will dominate the activities for the day. Although Josie will probably not be too excited to watch the game and will spend her time doing sorting and packing. I hope that the Atlanta Falcons win, but the odds are favoring the Patriots. I just hope it is a good game.
This is the peak season for workamper job searches. The number of jobs being advertised is about triple the number normally published each day. Some of the jobs are intriguing, but we are set for the foreseeable future. We hope so anyway.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday everybody!
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Taxes Done
Very early yesterday I received an email from the accountant in Wyoming informing me that the W-2's were not sent out until January 30th because she was on vacation and that is when she returned. Also in the email was a photocopy of our W-2's which was a godsend. I immediately printed them and started work on the taxes. By 3 PM yesterday, our taxes were done and e-filed for our refund. I expect to see the refunds (Federal & AZ) within a couple weeks. What a relief to have them done. Turbo Tax keeps getting better and better and it makes the tax exercise painless, even with the house rental.
Josie had her final day at the shop yesterday and she said her farewells to everybody. We can both concentrate now on organizing everything for our trip. Identifying what goes to storage is the most important task. We also need to identify any items that we might need to take out of storage.
We scheduled a final get together with George and Cheryl before leaving next week. We will meet for dinner at a place we met before and had a nice dinner - the Haymaker in Peoria. That will be Monday night.
I plan to settle up with our RV office today for the balance of our stay. There is no sense retaining the space when we will not be here, and have no immediate plans to return anytime soon.
Things are beginning to move forward now as we count down the days to departure - 10 days...
Josie had her final day at the shop yesterday and she said her farewells to everybody. We can both concentrate now on organizing everything for our trip. Identifying what goes to storage is the most important task. We also need to identify any items that we might need to take out of storage.
We scheduled a final get together with George and Cheryl before leaving next week. We will meet for dinner at a place we met before and had a nice dinner - the Haymaker in Peoria. That will be Monday night.
I plan to settle up with our RV office today for the balance of our stay. There is no sense retaining the space when we will not be here, and have no immediate plans to return anytime soon.
Things are beginning to move forward now as we count down the days to departure - 10 days...
Friday, February 3, 2017
Tax Delay
I still have not received our W2's from Wyoming. The person responsible for preparing and sending them is out of the office, sick, and I have not been able to correspond with her. The manager said they were sent out long ago, so ours must have been sent to the wrong address, or they are lost. The problem now is that I don't want to risk missing them before we leave on the 14th. If they are sent here after that date, I risk losing them again in the mails. Sheesh!
I connected our grill propane tank to the RV gas hookup so that we can drain that tank before taking it to storage. We have two tanks for our grilling - one is a small tank that we use for our smaller grill that we travel with, and the other is a larger one that we use for our larger grill setup. I hope we can get it drained before we need to take it to storage.
Today is Josie's final day at the shop. It is with mixed emotions that she leaves. She is getting burned out with the business but had some great times with the people over the years. The jury is out about whether or not she will return. Ideally, she would like to work in a shop during holidays only. Maybe that can be arranged down the road sometime.
The days seem to be getting shorter as we get closer to the time we will leave...
I connected our grill propane tank to the RV gas hookup so that we can drain that tank before taking it to storage. We have two tanks for our grilling - one is a small tank that we use for our smaller grill that we travel with, and the other is a larger one that we use for our larger grill setup. I hope we can get it drained before we need to take it to storage.
Today is Josie's final day at the shop. It is with mixed emotions that she leaves. She is getting burned out with the business but had some great times with the people over the years. The jury is out about whether or not she will return. Ideally, she would like to work in a shop during holidays only. Maybe that can be arranged down the road sometime.
The days seem to be getting shorter as we get closer to the time we will leave...
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Loose Ends
Trying to identify tasks that need to be done before we leave on the 14th is a real challenge. Another event/appointment that has to be cancelled is Josie's scheduled date for jury duty which is now scheduled for Monday, February 27. That won't happen, and we need to notify the court. Little things keep popping up that will have to be cancelled, or at least, delayed. Most of these loose ends are medical related and we will have to address them as we think of them. It's amazing how much we take for granted when there is no plan to change locations.
Decisions will have to be made on what goes with us and what goes to storage. There are clothing considerations, for sure, but I believe we will be close to AZ weather most of the year - except for the high humidity in Texas. It will bring back memories of growing up in the humid Philadelphia area. Also, there are other items - tables, chairs, appliances, etc. - that we will decide whether to take or leave behind. The unknown about how long we will be there is the overriding factor. We are going into this assuming that it could go beyond a year, and maybe two. On the other hand, it could be only a couple months if it doesn't work out. Our belief, from what we know so far, is that it will be long term...
Decisions will have to be made on what goes with us and what goes to storage. There are clothing considerations, for sure, but I believe we will be close to AZ weather most of the year - except for the high humidity in Texas. It will bring back memories of growing up in the humid Philadelphia area. Also, there are other items - tables, chairs, appliances, etc. - that we will decide whether to take or leave behind. The unknown about how long we will be there is the overriding factor. We are going into this assuming that it could go beyond a year, and maybe two. On the other hand, it could be only a couple months if it doesn't work out. Our belief, from what we know so far, is that it will be long term...
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Moving Ahead
There are a couple appointments that we identified that we will need to cancel. Since we are leaving in a couple weeks, we have to cancel our eye appointments that were made for March, and my Colonoscopy which was scheduled for April. The car was serviced yesterday and the truck doesn't need service as it has been mostly sitting since October. One thing we will do as soon as possible after arriving in Texas is to get new medical providers and reschedule these appointments.
Josie called her manager yesterday and discussed our plans with her and indicated that her last day will be Friday. She was happy for our new opportunity but not happy that Josie would not be here for Valentine's Day. As you may recall, she missed Valentine's Day last year as a result of her sickness from which she still has not totally recovered.
Our boss - the park owner - is preparing our personnel package and he also indicated that our site number will be #53. I inserted the park map below where you can see our site:
The nice part of that waterfront space is that it is free for us as part of our compensation. All utilities are included and that is great as electric use will be huge, especially during the summer.
We are excited about the way things are coming together for our new adventure. We are looking forward to spending some quality time in the area and the nearby towns of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi - and the beach!...
Josie called her manager yesterday and discussed our plans with her and indicated that her last day will be Friday. She was happy for our new opportunity but not happy that Josie would not be here for Valentine's Day. As you may recall, she missed Valentine's Day last year as a result of her sickness from which she still has not totally recovered.
Our boss - the park owner - is preparing our personnel package and he also indicated that our site number will be #53. I inserted the park map below where you can see our site:
The nice part of that waterfront space is that it is free for us as part of our compensation. All utilities are included and that is great as electric use will be huge, especially during the summer.
We are excited about the way things are coming together for our new adventure. We are looking forward to spending some quality time in the area and the nearby towns of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi - and the beach!...
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