RV Poetry

Mini rant, Bah:

We visited a recommended and long established auto upholsterer. I could tell the minute he saw Panoply, he didn’t really want to mess with it, but he kept us engaged in conversation for at least thirty minutes. Bottom line, he doesn’t want to put the upper carpet in with the screws and staples used by manufacturer, he insists the wool carpet I want to use (chemical and pesticide free) is too flexible not to glue and he only uses lacquer based glues. Now, he only looked at it from the door, that was my second clue. No matter how experienced, he should have at least looked at it closer.

He is convinced if we use a water-based non-toxic glue it won’t hold up to the summer heat. I told him I would rather have it fail years down the road and have to redo it than to have more toxins in the RV. He didn’t understand that, but then he has been breathing those glues for well over forty years. I don’t mind paying someone for their time, but his estimate of number of hours seemed insane. I could be wrong. Time will tell.

Mini rave, Yay:

• Found a company that can accelerate off gassing of formaldehyde (in theory?), waiting for a call back, no one local
• Spoke with the manufacturer of a radiant heating element, which in theory, cannot overheat. Can’t proceed until we decide if we are running it from solar or only with hookups
• Picked out a Flexsteel replacement driver and passenger seat, color undecided. We may color key them to the dark gray cab dash rather than with the maple cabinets since they will be curtained off most of the time we are stopped to conserve ac or heat.
• Found a company willing to build my weird chair should I go with a wild idea I had, though Leon stood behind me saying no no no no, but I caught him, lol.
• We are making time this week to tear out what carpeting we can get at, the shades, and passenger seat! Goodbye more odor.

May your day be free of toxic smells and disgusting odors… the wind blow smiles… your plans move forward

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Tuesdays are my day to rant or rave, not to be confused with ranting and a raving. Today is a rave!

The above trail at Snoqualmie Falls, in Snoqualmie, Washington, was one of our favorite places to walk. On days like that one, when it was cold enough for light fleece, we were both as happy as could be. But let it get the slightest bit warm. Leave me at home! That and working in the yard were our main forms of exercise back then. We thrived.

But back in South Florida, most of the time, I am a hermit. Hot sun and humidity and I are not pals, but enemies! I’m not getting enough exercise down here.

Years ago my bone density scan showed some loss, I don’t get enough exercise. I didn’t know about jumping and being on the third floor last year, but I couldn’t have jumped anyway living above an elderly person. I no longer do.

I have jumped in place a few times recently – but since our floors are concrete and I was barefoot each time, decided that wasn’t my most brilliant decision, so I did only a few teeny jumps, as if jumping rope.

Today I jumped on the search engines (pun intended) and found a guest blog by Sherri Betz, PT (physical therapist) on the Pilates Community of Wellsphere.com. It is a much quicker read than it appears and has good information and cleared up misinformation.

All this time I thought walking up and down the stairs was good for my bones…. because I had been told weight bearing exercise was needed. Well, it is obviously good for other things, but not as helpful for bones as I was led to believe. I will continue to make extra trips up and down the stairs because it makes me feel good. Enough about me.

Go on then, head on over to Wellsphere and check out the research Sherri Betz has shared. But, seriously, don’t change what you are doing until you’ve spoken with a professional, aka someone like your doctor.

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I’m sure I’ve posted this pic before – but this is part of my dream, just in a smaller vehicle than these:

I am so incredibly blessed right now. (OK, those who know me well, know I could easily rant at any moment – especially about South Florida drivers on the interstates crossing four lanes in a beeline for the exit.)

But, our niece whom we had the pleasure of raising for five years of her young life just had a healthy baby boy, we got to see a picture and we both got to speak with her and the baby’s father today. YAY!

But, this is about dreams. I never dreamed much as a child, content to read a book, go swimming, learn cool things in school – long enough to pass the test. I was so shy – and watched my parents everyday life push dreams right out of them, they were just trying to survive – but at the same time they enjoyed what they did have! So, possibilities in life seemed foreign to me, really.

As an adult I lived some dreams, but they just came on their own, more or less: managed to snag the man who would turn out to be my soulmate, talked him into having our son (grin), finally decided to try college, and had the pleasure of a temporary ‘daughter’.

Moving to Washington state for those three years was probably the biggest dream that I dared dream or that we actively pursued – we helped make it happen. The dream to own an RV came slowly, we tiptoed around it. Again, it partially came on its own, but we made the decisions that allowed it – and then we took a risk or two. And next week the transaction will be complete. We have more dreams to make happen. But, now, they seem less intimidating and more accessible.

I never dared dream as a child or teenager, but found that if you dare, the Universe may just help you a bit… but you have to go for it. You have to!

Oh, and for the record, the most time we have spent in an RV is driving it for the test drive recently, lol.

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Today, I wanted to scream, “Stop the violence you, ________s.”

It’s every where. Granted there has always been violence, but there are times it seems more prevalent and crueler.

Then I realized shouting is not the answer. That will stop no one from being cruel. I don’t know the answer. But I do feel education and less sugar filled junk in systems would make a difference with some. Yeah, sounds like a ‘nothing solution’, but it is a step, and without a step, nothing is solved.

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Grin, a fond memory for Leon and I. When he had to cross the Cascades for work, I got to go along. Stopping at the Leavenworth Starbucks was a necessity! An Americano and pumpkin loaf was my preferred morning snack. While the regulars were probably tired of the cold and snow, it was all new to me at the time: Bring it on!

Speaking of Starbucks, we tried Starbucks Via™ Ready Brew (instant) this afternoon. We liked it.

Leon is a French Press kind of guy at home, but he has never found a coffee to put in it I can stand, not that I am much of a coffee drinker. Even the Starbucks brands, I haven’t liked in it. And, he ends up making too much for him, half the time, so coffee and water are wasted. Granted it is not a lot on any given day, but over year upon year?

We purchased a Senseo for convenience, and once we aired out the plastic water container repeatedly and ran lots of water through it (yeah, more waste), I didn’t mind it. He didn’t like it – and we tried several brands.

So, he grabbed the three pack of Via™ Ready Brew Colombia. He liked it! So did I, though 8 oz of coffee is a bit much for me at one time, I’ll just pour a little extra in his mug next time.

Now, I know someone will say that the individual little packets are wasteful material wise, but I’d rather waste that than water and coffee.

So, for coffee. We’ll go with VIA™… but I really prefer hot tea with lemon, no sugar, thank you — and not those little slivers of lemon, please. I want to know I’m having tea and LEMON.

What coffee do you like? Or are you a tea drinker?

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