Super Sunday

Beautiful weather in Colorado today.  I believe it was in the high 50s.

Church was awesome.  We are now attending The Springs Church which is growing by leaps and bounds. 

Lola and I went for a nice walk after church.  Still a little chill in the air, but bright and sunny with no wind.

After our walk, I worked out in the front yard, raking up leaves, trimming a lot of the plants, and pulling some old weeds.  My tulips are coming up and several of the others are getting there first leaves.  The poppies are also coming up and it appears my original plant has multiplied.  They are always so pretty.  I only wish they'd bloom longer than they do.

Miles spent a lot of time cleaning up from behind the shed in the backyard.  Seems that a lot of junk had found a home back there.  I wonder who did that?

Miles also brought all the camping stuff that was in the shed into the house.  It had originally been in the pop-up, but migrated to the shed when he cleaned it out so we could list it for sale.  I went through all of it; putting the stuff we'll keep in my craft room and the stuff we'll be getting rid of into the small room of our bedroom.

I also got another sock knitted.  It was a pattern I had printed out from a website and it worked up quickly which is always a plus in my book.

I pulled out the suitcases for our trip to Seattle and I've got mine packed.  All I need to do to finish up is figure out a knitting project to take, load a couple books on my MP3 player, throw the book I'm reading in my backpack and load up my computer.  I'll probably do all that tomorrow night. 

We'll probably leave for DIA (Denver airport) about 5 Tues. morning.

Cole just called and he's going to spend the night with his friend Mason, and come over tomorrow before going back up to Jonathan's.

I'm planning on having the first garage sale the weekend after our return from Seattle or the one after that; it will all depend on the weather. 

Miles talked to Gary, the realtor/broker and he's going to give us an estimate of closing costs we will be responsible for when the house sells.  That will give us some idea of what our net will be.

Well, we still don't actually have possession of the 5er as it is still down at Intermountain having clean-up done on it.  They had to have  a container or box built for the generator and the company that built it messed up so they had to build another.  I sure hope we get it when we return from Seattle.  They've had it about a month now and we are both chomping at the bit to get our hands on it.  

The weekend is over for us and we are off to bed.

More tomorrow.

Shopping Day

Today was the day we made it to Camping World and made our first purchases for RV goodies.  It wasn't to hard to decide what we would get as the funds were limited to the money I made on selling some of my scrapbooking/stamping stuff and my allowance.  Not too many things on our list fit into that budget.  So, what did we get?  We bought two dual Tyre Gards and a small step stool that is light weight and folds flat.  It is so cute.

Tyre Gards and the Step Stool Opened Up

Stool Folded Up

We also stopped off at WalMart on the way home from Camping World and picked up a few groceries.

I continued sorting thourgh my craft items deciding what I wanted to keep and putting all those non-keepers into the small room off our master bedroom which is the garage sale staging area.  The room is just about full so I'll need to have a garage sale soon after we return from Seattle.

I actually got a little knitting time in after dinner.  Speaking of which was really good.  We had bought two small turkeys after Thanksgiving and froze them..  Miles sure is a terrific cook; the turkey was very moist and super delicious.  I now have to bones in the soup pot.  Tomorrow I'll make turkey and rice soup and will freeze the leftovers. 

Are you ready for more pictures?

A Partial Short of the Bedroom

The Closet

Shelves at One End of the Closet

Dresser

I still have lots of pictures of all the cupboards, and there are many.  

On March 16th we went to a membership meeting for the FCRV club.  We joined up and today made the choice to join the Gray Wolves chapter which is made up of retirees.  They go camping through the summer months and get together for a monthly dinner.  The like to hike, fish, golf, sightsee, and play games so I feel we'll fit right in.  Many of the local chapters are ATVers and if you know me, you know I can't stand the damage they do to trails, not to mention the noise they generate. 

It's about time for bed so this is a short post.

Blessings

I'm on a Roll, 3 Days in a Row

Another busy day on the homefront.  We both worked today, but no doctor, dentist, PT, or massage therapy appointments so it was a good day.

It was also laundry day.   Speaking of laundry, here is a picture of our new laundry area on the 5er. 

Stacked Washer and Dryer

The washer/dryer unit is actually in the bathroom.

Looking from the bedroom through to the living area.  Toilet is behind the closed door next to the washer/dryer.

The sink/medicine cabinet is across from the toilet area.

 Cabinet in the Toilet Area

The shower is across from the washer/dryer. What, no tub!  EGADS, can I live without a tub?  Time will tell.  I think that is what relatives are for. 

I spent a good part of the day sorting through stuff in my dog/craft/exercise room.  Lola probably thinks that her bed will be the next to go.  I did get a lot of stuff put aside for a garage sale since I'll be doing digital scrapbooking in the future.  I am keeping some of my stamps, stamp pads, papers and embellisments so I can continue to make greeting cards for friends and family during all that spare time I'll have.

It is amazing how nice the house is looking with all the decluttering going on. 

Miles' friend, Gary (the realtor/broker) came by and we got the scoop on selling the house.  The commission is what I'm not too happy about.  We'll spend some time thinking about what direction we want go with it.  Gary is a trusted friend and works hard for his clients. 

Cole, my grandson, left DC for Colorado this morning but didn't make one of those tight connections and is now spending the night in Kansas City and won't get to Denver until 3:37 tomorrow afternoon.  One day gone from his spring break.  :(

We were headed for Camping World and WalMart when we had a call from Michael, Miles' son, that his wife, Jennifer, was at the hospital with a possible stroke.  As it turned out she had inhaled some mold during some major cleaning at her work and that was the culprit and she is now back home. 

We had more snow today; typical springtime snowshowers, heavy and wet with nice big flakes.

Couch with Upsidedown Coffee Table Sitting on it

When we got in to take the pictures we had to put the slideouts out and we didn't have a lot of time so the coffee table stayed on the couch while I took the pictures.

 

The Dining Room

There's Even Storage Under the Seats

Well, it's past my bedtime so that's all there is for today. 

Two Days in a Row

I can't believe I did it, posted two days in a row.  There is hope.

Today was a busy day with the last PT appointment for my knee at 7 AM, work, and then a massage therapy appointment at 1:30 PM.  Miles had a dental cleaning this afternoon.

I did manage to touch up paint in the kitchen and painted around the front door on the inside which has needed to be done for a long time.  Sure does look a lot better.

Miles contacted a realtor friend of his, Gary, and he'll be coming over tomorrow to let us know things we should be doing to get the house ready to put on the market.

I've also been working on going through my craft/exercise room to see what needs to go by the wayside.  Miles will need to start working on the storage shed and the garage.  I'm hoping to do a garage sale between the time I get back from David and Alison's and before going to Jennifer's in May. 

Lola and I had a nice walk this afternoon.  There is still some snow on the ground in lots of places, but the trail down by the creek was pretty clear.  Of course, there were a lot of muddy spots.  I let Lola off her leash and she had fun running down in the creek chasing birds.  Here are a couple pictures of the trail I took this afternoon.  I walk the trail most every day.

The Trail and Cottonwood Creek by the House

Looking West at Pikes Peak from the Trail

Okay are you ready for some more 5th wheel pictures? 

Our Refrigerator/Freezer and Pantry

The pantry is really nice, it pulls out and has lots of shelves for food.  I'll have to get a picture of that next time we're in it.

The entertainment center.  Neither of our flat screen TVs will fit in the space.  ACK!! So, we'll be getting a smaller one that will fit.

 Space Below the Entertainment Center

We'll probably use this space for the tub that contains all our paperwork.  Trying to decide if that paperwork can be scanned and kept on either a DVD or a thumb drive.  Any thoughts?


We'll that's it for today.  More tomorrow?  Check back and see. 

I'm not Julie

If you saw the movie Julie and Julia you'll realize quickly that I'm not Julie as I don't seem to be able to post here every day.  By the way, I loved that movie and have already seen it twice. 

Julie and Julia

Yesterday was a crazy day with work, then an appointment with my knee surgeon who determined I should wait another 6 weeks and then see him again as I still have quite a bit of swelling and twinges of pain.  I'll always have some swelling because of the blood clots in that leg back in 2006.  After that I rushed home to grab dinner and go to my Bible study which will be my last time as we will be in Seattle taking care of Alison and David's children while they fly to Anchorage to close on their new home.  I left early as we were having a raging snow storm.

Miles worked on touching up the paint in the upstairs bathroom and it looks so much better.  He also finished up sealing the new grout job he did.

Oh so pretty grout.

On Monday, I painted woodwork in the laundry room.  My advice, think twice before putting in 6 panel doors.  I still have the door to paint going from the laundry room into the garage.  Was waiting to see if we wanted to replace it and we've decided not to. 

Miles put the quarter round molding under the ledge on the wall separating the dining room and kitchen and around the drawers in the dining room.  Now all I have to do is paint it and the baseboard and that job will be finished up.  Looks 100% better.

Today, work was delayed until 10 because of the snow and icy roads.  This is what the front yard looked like at 3 this afternoon.

 
Miles is currently studying all the paperwork that was in the 5er when we bought it.  Lola also helped.

Miles talked to Mike today and everything is just about done on the 5er and hopefully we'll be getting our hands on it soon.  Probably won't get it moved to storage until we get back from David and Alison's.

I have been going through my "stuff" and took a load of stamping and scrapbooking items to work to sell yesterday.  So far have sold $30 worth of "stuff" that would have gone to Goodwill.  I'm using the money we get from selling "stuff" to buy items we'll need when we hit the road.  I have a $10 off coupon from Camping World that we'll use this weekend, probably to buy tire guards. 

Tyre Gards

Now, as promised, are a couple more pictures of the 5er.

The backside.  I love all the windows.

We are looking at adding a bike rack for our two bicycles to the ladder and a portable clothes line to the bumper.  We won't be using the dryer when we are at campgounds that don't offer power which are most of the national forest campgrounds.  Those are the ones we get half price with the golden age pass Miles has.  I'm too young to have one.  Isn't that a hoot.

Ladder-Mount-Bike-Rack
Portable-Clothesline

Two chairs and a table.

This is where you will find me knitting some days; if not knitting then reading a good mystery.  Check back often to see more pictures and learn more about what we are up to.

Working Around the House

Thursday, March 18th, we had 70 degree weather and then Friday, March 19th, it snowed most of the day with a high of only 33.  Springtime in the Rockies has arrived.  Friday night was date night so Miles and I bundled up and went to Subway for dinner and then to King Soopers for really good cups of coffee at Tulley's and to pick up a few things.

Today, March 20th and officially the first day of Spring, has been sunny but chilly. The day has been all about getting more of those house repairs done. Miles has been working like a maniac to get the nasty grout out from the shower/tub area in the full bath upstairs so it can be regrouted properly.

I spent most of the morning painting the woodwork in the downstairs half bath.  I had hoped to get the workwork in the laundry room done too, but my left knee started hurting so stopped when I finished the bathroom and got some ice on it.  Tomorrow I'll do the laundry room.


I did get out for some fresh air while walking Lola, our 2 yr. old AU cattle dog/border collie pound pup.  We got a couple miles in.  I keep trying to add a little extra walking time in each day to get back to my 6 miles which I try to do during the winter and then 9-12 during the summer when there is more daylight.

Lola Girl

Things I hope to get done this next week:

Front door, the frame on the inside needs painting and the outside needs to be repainted too
Baseboards in the dining area need painting
Quarter round needs to be put around the drawers in the dinning room and under the small counter on the wall separating the dinning room and kitchen
Touch up ceiling with white paint where the latte paint got on it

One thing we'll have to deal with is the grout in the bathroom, kitchen, and the fireplace hearth which is cracking in places. 

I'm going to be posting some of the 5er pictures periodically so be checking back to see how it looks now.  Of course, after we get it into it's storage spot we'll be working to personalize it to our liking.

 

This is our new kitchen.  Lots of cupboard space and there is even a coffee maker and microwave.  I really love how many windows there are which makes for a bright environment.   You'd be surprised how many campers we looked at that were dark and gloomy inside.

Miles has gone to Home depot to get the grout for the bathroom, to check out exterior doors as we'll need to replace the one going from the laundry room into the garage, and to see if there is a product out there to repair a small boo-boo in the bathtub.  We really don't want to replace the tub if we don't have to. 

Yesterday was my first day back on my Wii since my knee surgery and it sure felt good.  Only on it for about 5 minutes, but every little bit helps.

As friends and family know, I've been doing Nutrisystem since 10/5/09 and have lost 47 pounds so far and have about 30 more to go.  The weekly losses have slowed some which is probably because I haven't been able to exercise much since the surgery.

More Catch Up

After work on March 5th we headed to Intermountain Coach in the Pete the PT and Peep the Jeep. Yes, I name our vehicles. We signed all the papers on the 5er and turned over the keys to Pete. Miles had spent hours getting both vehicles all cleaned up. Why? Because after we traded Pete in, we sat down to see if we could work out a deal on the Dodge Ram 3500 sitting on the lot. So, bye-bye Peep and hello to "The Beast."

"The Beast"

My first experience driving The Beast was a scary experience.  Having had left knee surgery on 2/10 and still not at 100% on 3/8 when I got behind the wheel.  I came up to a major intersection and was unable to get my left leg up on the clutch and heading quickly to the intersection.  I think we both just about had heart attacks, but alas, slammed on the brakes and stalled it out stopping before entering the intersection.

The Beast got new air and oil filters and an oil change sortly after we got it, and then on March 15th got 3 new tires.  Tomorrow Miles will take it in for a transmission fluid change and rear end greased. 

Monday I was able to get some pictures of the inside of our 5er and printed those out and working on what will go where when we actually get it.  It is currently having a brand new 5500 generator put in and new tires put on and general clean up done on it.  We are hoping to get it real soon.  Mike, Miles' son, will be taking us both out to the mall parking lot to drive it around and practice backing up.  That should be fun.

While all this is going on we are working on getting a lot of home improvement jobs finished up. Of course, I should give credit where credit is due and that is to Miles who is doing about 95% of those jobs. I did paint the new closet doors and some woodwork in the 2nd bedroom and a portion of the stairwell that Miles worked on to smooth out a poor patch job done before I bought the house. One of us gets pretty cranky when dealing with those jobs. I want things done perfectly and Miles just wants them done. My thoughts are if it’s worth doing, its worth doing it right. I heartily believe that.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY YOUNGEST, JONATHAN, WHO IS CELEBRATING 38 TODAY.

Time to Catch Up

Our life became crazy on February 26th when Miles came home and advised me that he saw the somewhat perfect 5th wheel for us.  So, on Saturday February 27th we trouped off to Intermountain Coach to see our futurre "dream" home.  That's Miles standing beside it.  Check out the grin on his face.  :)

Of course I fell in love with it and told them on the spot it was ours.  We didn't want them to put it on the lot for sale.  Now, sweating profusely, I had to figure out how we were going to swing this. 

I called our credit union where we have our pop-up and Jeep financed and asked them what they could do for us on the Cedar Creek 5er (that's what 5th wheels are called).  Didn't know you were going to learn stuff from this blog, did you?  That was the same Saturday and had to wait until Monday to get a go/no go from the credit union.  I was dreaming and sweating, dreaming and sweating.  Miles was just plain ol' stressing out.  He at this point decides I'm not just a little nuts, but nuts big time. 

Another option was to pull my pension money from the account set up and funded by my employer.  I talked to the company managing it and they said sure I could pull from it by just filling out a two page form from my employer and they'd send it in and wahlah money for the 5er.  Called my employer on Monday and got an emphatic NO you can't do that.  Back to waiting to hear from the credit union.

Praise report, the credit union came through and the 5er could be ours.  But, they only loan 80% on RVs which meant that we'd need to come up with about $5,500 to make it ours.  Not a piece of cake, but we could trade in Miles' PT Cruiser that he's had for about 6 years and very attached to.  Can you guess what happened?  Yep, we decided to trade in the PT on the 5er and scheduled time to sign all the paperwork and make it official.