“ It’s Light Out and She’s Still Home, Yea! ”

                              

                                             Mom, You’re home!

 

It feels soooooooo goooood to stay at home, although I have my work cut out for me.  So far I have gotten the paperwork done for the Medicare Part B, supplemental insurance, and registration for my truck and fifth wheel. 

I think that the hard part for me will be going through all my ART things, yet again.  Ted took all the extra tools, so they’re gone.  I have to dispose of the note cards that I didn’t sell last November.  I have a lot of supplies too.  Much of that will have to go as well.

Yesterday, I went the Pleasanton RV Show with Bob and Dee from church.  Bob has also recently retired.  They have family back East and are considering buying an RV for their trips back to PA.  They are at the stage now where everything runs together.  Going through all the new models was nice, although I didn’t see anything that I liked better than what I have now.  There was one Big Horn model that I liked (not better, but almost as much.  It had a salon in the front, upstairs with a 50” TV and the bedroom downstairs in the back.   Very nice.  I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have any seminars or RV related vendors.

Angel is liking me being home.  I know that she doesn’t like riding in a crate in the truck, so I thought that I would try a harness that the seat belt goes through.  She seems to like it better and doesn’t show as much anxiety.  

                                      

    Not a great picture, but she is happy, next to me and is up high so that she can see.

Retirement + one week and so far things are going good.  Still a lot to do, just one day at a time and one duck at a time.  I will soon be out there on the road and enjoying my new lifestyle.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel

The First Day of 2012 and !!!!!!! I’M RETIRED !!!!!!!!!

After spending Sunday with Ted (he fixed the lights on my truck). New Year’s Day is now over, and I would have to say good bye to Ted. He hung around till evening, caught some ZZZZZZZZ’s and then headed back home to San Francisco. I’m sure that I will see him again before I leave later this month.

“sleepy heads”

I think that tis week was the hardest to get through. Monday I stuck out the whole day, mainly for the money. It was holiday pay and overtime pay, but I actually took some vacation time and left early Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday I would have to work the whole day.

It’s official, today was my last day at work. I was supposed to work until 5:00 pm and have my exit interview at 3:00 pm. Well my supervisor’s boss came over to say goodbye and said that I could leave right after the interview. So, that’s what I did, except that I had to make the rounds to say goodbye to everyone. I guess that the only thing that I will miss will be the friends that I have made there, whether it’s been 11 years or a few weeks for the “newbies”, the people there are amazing. Even though it has been extremely busy, there was a “celebration'”. Kimi, (my supervisor) brought in a cake and everyone signed a card wishing me a happy retirement and gave me a gift card at grocery store. They new that I didn’t need any more STUFF. Another couple of friends on another team gave me a hand made table runner,

Thank you to every one of you at VSP for being there and being such a good friend. It’s time to get on with the next chapter. Feel free to keep up with me and my adventures, seeing more of this great country and the rest of my family, especially all of the “grandkids”.

Now I will have the time with the “ducks”, more appointments, transmission check up, transfer to new domicile (TX), more purging, although I have already have my new address. The goal is to have it all done by the end of this month and then on to the road and a new lifestyle. I appreciate all of your suggestions and will need to make those decisions as I get closer to that time.

Mom, I don’t want to “go” here.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

As I look back on 2011, I am so thankful that I will be able to finally follow my dream.  I also want to thank everyone who has helped and encouraged me to pursue this lifestyle.

I also want to wish you all a very Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year to you and yours.

                                 

Susan and Angel               http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

More Time With Ted and Nearly There

 

                                      

Well, one more work week gone and one to go and my mom doesn’t have to leave me.

Ted had part of Monday off, I had to work(regular salary + time and a half), I put in to get the time off if we weren’t busy and was able to leave by 9am.  I called Ted to find out where he was and caught him before he left town and met for a late breakfast.  The rest of the time before he had to leave in installed some new headlamps and fog lamps on my truck that he gave me for Christmas.  He had to leave by one, to get back to SF by 3pm to work.

It was back to work on Tuesday and for as slow as it was on Monday, it was extremely busy and it didn’t stop,  Wednesday and Thursday were just as busy.  I sure won’t miss this job.  It is a good job, but I ‘m ready to get on with the next change in my life, on to a better lifestyle and slower pace.

          

                                     This is my motivator at work.

The time is here to worry or just give it up.  I will probably go with the latter, it doesn’t do any good to worry.  It will be whatever it will be.  I am still working on what I will do.  So far the plan is to stay where I am until the end of January and take that time to pull everything together and then head South.

My plan is to take my time and take CA99 South to Bakersfield and then East to CA395 and South to I10.  I plan on stopping in Desert Hot Springs and then in Quartzite before going onto Phoenix where two of my daughters live.  I will be there for a while before continuing on to Texas for my first Workamping gig on April 1st.  I am hoping to do this as cheaply as possible and will open for any suggestions.  Since this is the first time that I will be doing this by myself, I think that I will do approximately 200 miles a day.  I would rather not have to unhook and pay for a CG site.  I have been keeping track on how long I have before I have to dump my tanks, one week for grey, several weeks for black.  I will  carry only enough water for basic needs.  I have access to my bed and bathroom and the refrigerator with all the slides pulled in.  It would be nice to have several options each day so that I can stop when I am too tired to go on.  It would be nice too if there is somewhere that I can take Angel for a walk,

A couple more ducks are in place after today.  I will be using Escapees as my mail forwarder, so had to get the form notarized mailed today.  We’re back at home  and it’s time for bed.

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe weekend.

Thanks for visiting

                                           

Susan and Angel         http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to everyone. 

                                     

I am spending it with my son Ted and friends from church.  We went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service after having a great Dinner with Karen, Steve, Kyle and their son Spearman.

                               

            

                                         Just some of what we ordered.

In the morning, even though, we couldn’t be together, I was able to share some of the “going ons” of my daughters and their families via telephone and texted pictures

Then today after Christmas Day Service we had brunch at Steve and Kyle’s where we opened presents and will be going back for dinner.  It seems that we eat all day.  We finished the day with dinner of a salad, a beef roast with mashed potatoes, roasted butternut squash and cheesecake.    Just a wonderful day spent with family and friends.

I hope that you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

From me and mine to you and yours,,,MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             

 

Susan and Angel

Solar Installed, Gave Notice, Countdown

 

The solar installation is complete.  Tuesday I went into work for a couple of hours and then went home after it got light enough to see what I was doing, so that I could move “My Spot” over to Folsom Lake RV (FLRV) to get the rest of the stuff done,  Harry the service manager got George right on it.  The Inverter came in on Monday, so that got installed in the front compartment near the two new batteries.  There is still room for a portable generator, but that will have to be strapped in so a not to be able to interfere with the inverter.  He also finished whatever he had to do in the control panel.  I can now see the percentage of all the tanks rather that the lights that I couldn’t figure out. 

                 

           Harry  next to the new control panel        George installing the inverter

               

I was going to go back to work for a few hours, but that wouldn’t be possible because I didn’t have any place to leave Angel, (I couldn’t leave her in the truck).  Instead I went over to the Social Security office to see what I have to do to sign up for  Part B.  She gave me the forms that I had to get my employer to fill out.  I then took a run out to IKEA to check out their Chair/Bed and how much it would weigh.  I also shopped in the Swedish Food section to stock up on some things that I usually get there.  On the way back I stopped off at the HR Department at my work to get the papers filled out, but had to make an appointment.  Then it was back to FLRV to see how they were progressing.

                                 

I made it home just before dark.  There was this magnificent sunset, unfortunately no picture.  With help from some neighbors as spotters, I got the rig in place, avoiding the tree, water tank and another parked RV.  It was already dark while I did the hookups.  I had a problem getting the water hooked up, even though I had a “quick connect” connection.  I just gave up and put some water in the tank so that I would have water in the morning and just use the pump.  Then went inside and put most everything away.  No fireplace and the tuner for the TV wouldn’t come on.  I was too tired to figure it out, so it was off to bed.  Three o’clock comes awfully early.  I would just deal with it when I got back home from work.    I just will have to get used to all the little “hiccups” and deal with them one at a time.  Such is life of a full-timer.

The other thing that I did on Tuesday was to give my notice at work.  I will retire on , drum roll please     January 5, 2012.  with the holidays, that’s only 7 days that I have to work.  It sure is a bit scary, reducing my income by so much.  So now the count is on.  I will probably pay my park rent for January and take that time to corral the rest of the ducks.

Thanks for visiting

 

Angel patiently waiting for her house to be finished.

Susan and Angel        http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Still Busy, News!

        

I finally put up my tree.  The rest is going up in stages, since I still have to take the rig to the dealer for more work.  The tree is easy as I just wrap it up in the chair cover and put it on the sofa when I pull in the slide.

Friday was spent doing some Christmas shopping.  I did girls’ and grandkids while I was in AZ.  Only Ted was left.  No, Ted, I’m not reporting here what I got for you.  It’s hard enough keeping secrets from you.   I know that my kids read my blog, but rarely comment. 

Saturday, more shopping.  I had to get the makings for “truffles” for a potluck at work.  It is a very easy recipe, just Oreos, crushed and mixed with cream cheese, rolled into small ball (they are very rich) and dipped in something, (cocoa, powdered sugar, sprinkles, chocolate or whatever you like).  I chose chocolate, white, red and green.  I then decorated them, easy but time consuming.  After forming them I put them into the freezer to make them easier to handle them while dipping.

                           

While out I spotted a group doing a Car Wash as a fund raiser for Teen Challenge.  I have been planning  to do it myself, but kept putting off and then it got too cold for me.  I did a U turn and got in line for them do it for a donation.

     

          With everyone working, it took all of 10/15 minutes. They did a great job.

Sunday, after church I went over to FLRV,where they had a major event,  lunch for their customers and they were giving away a brand new Springdale TT, along with other door prizes. 

        

It was fun and I met a few wannabes, Several were also planning on doing it solo.  Unfortunately,  I didn’t win anything.

After returning home, I just caught up on reading the adventures of fellow bloggers and dipping the candy in the above picture.  They are peppermint truffles.  I still have to dip the peanut butter truffles.

                                  

                            picture from the Garner State Park website

And now the News!  Yesterday I got an email from Rick at Garner State Park in the Texas Hill Country with an offer to work/volunteer in their visitor center, my choice as a start date.  So it looks like I will be spending the summer in Texas.  It is not too far from where my sister lives and my daughter and grandkids are a little farther, so the plans are to spend some time with them too.  I don’t have any details yet, so those will come later.

I think that when I go back to work I will give them January 5th 2012 as my retirement date.  Wow, just putting down an actual date is really scary.  I could stay until the end of the month for the money, but then I wouldn’t have time to herd those ducks.  There is so much last minute stuff to be done, mail forwarding, change my domicile state, get the Medicare and supplemental insurance started, just to list a few.  I’m afraid that I won’t be able to get it all done.

Enough rambling,  Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel        http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com