Too Good to be True

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!  And I guess that is just a fact of life.  We sold our home and then we didn't.  When we signed the contract to sell it, it just seemed too good to be true.  Two days on the market, full price and a short escrow.  Oh, well, time to start over. 

Our real estate agent called this morning with the bad news. The deal just fell through.  Our empty, messy home is back on the market and our dream is on hold.  To tell the truth, I am rather pissed. Actually, right now - I am very pissed!  I think I will feel better about it all tomorrow but right now....not too cool.

This happens all the time to people, I know that.  But I also know that next time, I will not have the highs that I had when this deal 'came together'.  I was dancing around the house, squealing and laughing...it was too good to be true.

We have a hold on the listing for 2 weeks while we finish moving out and getting it cleaned up.  It won't sell as well with the furniture and pretty things gone.  I actually spent money on things to help stage the house to sell it.  Those things are gone.  That sucks!

Please send us good vibes.  I need some not just to sell the house but to ease my mind and my soul.  I am so ready to retire and begin our next adventure.

THE Garage Sale

I think I caught Christie in motion - which she was all morning as she helped us with the EVERYTHING!  She was here at 6:15 in the morning and I appreciated her help so much.  I couldn't have done it without her!

Our garage sale was very successful!!  And we had a blast.  We always have fun when we do a garage sales.  The neighbors come out and the shoppers are fun!  These are our very first shoppers in the picture.  I said 7:00 am in my ad but people started showing up at 6:20!  I guess we were ready as it all worked.  I had said in my at that we would be open from 7:00 until I was too tired to continue and that happened about 11:45.  I just all of a sudden couldn't do any more!

This was our smallest shopper.  He lives about 10 houses away and just showed up on his bike.  He looked around and then went home for some money.  He was so cute with all of his purchases and he even hung around until the end and managed to get some more cool stuff for free!  He was very entertaining!

This was taken near the end.  The funny thing was when I would all of a sudden see something I just couldn't part with and run with it into the house for safekeeping!! :)

Since is is not all gone we have decided to do it again next Saturday.  Then whatever is left will go to a charity.  We were really tired when it was over so we just went out to lunch and then came home and goofed off.  I have been working with my new Lenovo computer and trying to figure out Windows 8.  So far it is pretty cool.  I am also adjusting to a laptop.  I love my desktop with the big monitor and nice keyboard but I will get used to this.

So, one more step towards our escape!  Tomorrow we get to go visit Myrt!  (Myrt is our new 5thWheel RV)  We miss her!!

The Day Before The Garage Sale

Tomorrow morning we have to be outside at 6:00 am for our 7:00 am garage sale.  We have worked so hard all week to gather everything in the house and move it to the garage.  I actually took this picture early today ----there is much more in the garage now!  We are so excited to get this show on the road.  I hope we have a good turn out for the sale as we have everything out there ready for it's new life.  ( I have to admit that as I go through this stuff, I have actually returned some of it to the house - I just can't part with it!)  We have already sold some wine glasses, our lovely sunroom chairs, the exercise bicycle and a turkey roaster.  Not too bad!  But lots to go!  Wish us luck!!

Kirby picked up some 6 foot tables so at 6:00 we will be out there trying to make it all look appealing to the shoppers.  Mexican Coffee will probably be in order!

Whirlwind!

So much has happened in the last 4 days that I don't know where to begin and don't want to bore you with all the details but my goodness, life is roaring past at such a rate.  So much going on!

We left home first thing on Thursday morning to go pick up our new home, a 38 foot Avalanche Fifth Wheel now christened "Myrt"!  We had a great send off from Carolina RV - Doug, our teacher and Daniel, our salesman.

That is my hero there in the middle!  Kirby hooked that RV up to our truck and drove it out of the lot like he had done it a 100 times!  I was/am so impressed!  Then we stopped in a large parking lot that had no people and practiced backing up.  Poor Kirby, he has such a dumb partner.  I was not much help at all.  But after a few practice runs we were back on the highway heading south. 

We drove right past our house and around Charleston to the Savannah Hwy and our new home.  Oak Plantation Campground is beautiful and I think we are going to love it there.  Anyway, Kirby again did an awesome job of backing the RV into it's little space.  Why oh why couldn't we have gotten one of those drive through slips!  Oh, well, Kirby did a great job.  But when we went to hook up the power we were about 8 inches short of connecting.  So we hooked the truck up again and repositioned just a little.  Good practice, right?

We then unloaded all we had brought with us and proceeded to have an awesome time!  I guess it was like playing house.  We loved it and I was almost giddy with all the excitement.  So much to learn and then it will be like second nature the way it was on the boat.

Isn't this a pretty spot?  Nice trees and not too crowded.  This is the view from the front.

Friday morning we had a call from our realtor - we had an offer on the house - contingent on them SEEING it in person.  They made the offer based on the pictures!  Yesterday they came to see it and we now have a signed contract!  We close escrow in just over a month so my oh my are we busy.  That is why it has taken me this long to get this posted!

This is our agent, Ken, putting up the "Under Contract" sign!  We will definitely be on-board by Christmas.  Sold in 3 days!  (Ken was our agent when we bought the house - Christie found him for us and we didn't even meet him for a long time but we knew a winner when we met him!)  Thanks, Ken for a great job!

Next step is the MAJOR GARAGE SALE!!  Coming up next Saturday.  Kirby and I love giving garage sales so it should be a lot of fun.  You should see what we have in the garage.  I have no idea where it all was as the house still looks the same.

And in case you are wondering - yes, I will continue to work for a few months.  The campground is about the same distance to my office as the house is so it should work out just fine!

Ah, life is good!

Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is the DAY!  We leave bright and early with Jake in the back of Gordy and head up the coast to collect our new darling, Myrtle!  Have you got all of that?  Jake is our dog, Gordy is our new Chevy pickup and Myrtle is our new Fifth Wheel RV!  Well, we aren't sure that her name is going to be Myrtle but for the time being, that will do.  So, it is 2 hours up the coast plus a stop at our new favorite breakfast place, Eggs Up Grill.  Next will be the hook Gordy up with Myrtle and then have the grand farewell to the staff at Carolina RV and we will be on our way to Oak Plantation Campground.  The drive to the campground will probably take 3 -4 hours and then we will be HOME!

Well, not for permanent as I have to go back to work on Monday but tomorrow and Friday will be pure adventure for us!  They say we will have wifi there but we shall see.  I am not counting on it.

I am off to bed!  Pooped from all the packing and sorting.  Too much going on!

Here is a picture of us in 2005 when we did this same thing only moved to a boat.  Always packing and sorting!

For Sale

Our new adventure is getting more real each day!  Click on the picture to see Kirby! haha!

Ready to Take Delivery!

Some of you have asked what our new home looks like on the outside.  Would you believe that I haven't taken a picture of the outside?  I guess I should care but I am more interested in the floorplan and is the sofa comfortable.  So, I went and gathered a couple of stock photos of our new home!

This one really is OUR RV as it is from the dealer's website.

So, on Thursday we will drive to Myrtle Beach, SC and take delivery of our new home.  I am so excited!  Last weekend we went up there and did the walk-through and learned about every system there is.  Kirby will be in heaven. It is just like a boat and every time we head out, we have to have our little checklist of things to secure, put away, lock, check etc. So much to think about until it becomes second nature.  There are lots of maintenance things for him to take care of and multiple buttons and nobs.  What I like is that it comes with 2 TV's, a stereo and DVD player and surround sound.  I have double stainless steel sinks and leather sofa and reclining chairs.  The table chairs have seats that lift up with hidden storage in them.  There is loads and loads of kitchen storage.  Jake will love the fact that at most times he will be able to see both his daddy and his mommy at the same time! It will be hard to be very far away.

So, when we pick it up on Thursday we will go directly to our new home on the other side of Charleston - Oak Plantation RV Park .  We plan to spend at least one night aboard or maybe 2.   I need help thinking of everything I will need to be happy and comfortable those first 2 days.  Sheets, blankets, Tee Pee, dishes, forks, wine, rum, steak knives, barbeque, rum, pillows, towels, wine, wine glasses, charcoal, rum, oh, and ice!  Please help me compose my escape list!  What do I need?  and remember - I am not a rough it person!

We have not named it yet.  The truck is Gordy because he is from Punta Gorda.  The RV could be Ava but we have a great niece with that name.  I kind of like Alice or Allie.  Or it could be Myrtle because she comes from Myrtle Beach.  What do you think?

The Big Purchase!

I don't know about other people but when Kirby and I get an idea it becomes consuming.  Once we decided to do the RV thing that is all I could think about.  And once we had the truck it became even more consuming.  I did research and research and more research.  I designed so many different spreadsheets to help me compare all the different Fifth Wheels that were available in our area.  And Kirby did all the research on what were good ones and which ones weren't so good.  Every spare moment and even a few stolen ones have been spent looking at floor plans and all the different nuances in the various designs.

We selected a favorite from a dealer that we had come to trust and made an offer.  OK, it was a pretty ridiculous offer but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?  Well in this case - nothing was gained!  But we did realize that even though we could have bought that bigger better rig, we didn't want to spend that much money on it.  The price was very fair but we just couldn't do it!

So today I left work at noon and we drove the 2 hours north to Myrtle Beach to visit Carolina RV and our new best friend, Daniel.  Daniel had called Kirby about a deal he could make on a smaller unit by a manufacturer that we weren't as sold on but what the heck...let's go take a look at it.

I didn't like it very much.  I had thought that I might but - I just didn't.  That extra 2 feet in something that small really makes a difference.  So, we asked to look at the Avalanche that he had in stock - new 2013, 38 footer.  We hadn't looked at it when we were there a couple of weeks ago for some strange reason.

No, it was not love at first sight.  After looking at so, so many different RV's they almost start to all look alike so you have to zero in on a few details.  This was a manufacturer that Kirby's research indicated is a good builder and someone we could trust.  It has all the latest technology and a great galley.  The best part is that the carpet matches Jake!  Yea!  And we knew from our research that we could not get a better, prettier, larger or better built rig for the money.

We asked Daniel to please go away for a bit and let us talk.  Funny, we really didn't say much to each other.  I think we both knew this was what we wanted to do.  Personally, I just thought that was the way we should do it - "May we please have a moment alone?"  Following an unwritten script!

So, we were sitting outside the office on the porch (this is the south, very casual) talking this over when the owner came out and Kirby went for one more cut in the price.  You rock, Kirby!!  And by golly we got even more money cut off the price and said - OK, let's do this!

We are pretty darned excited but I have to admit, when we were signing on the line I was NOT excited.  I was nervous as hell!

So, stay tuned for delivery and our first overnight!  Yea!! I am so excited!

Ah, the Choices.........

I really didn't think it would be so hard to select which 5th wheel I want to live in for the next umpteen years.  Just look at some of the overwhelming choices.  Aren't they gorgeous?  Beautiful woods, corian counter tops, leather seating, big screen TV's.....the list goes on and on.  Of course Kirby looks at different things than I do.  He checks the axles, the weight of everything, the storage, the underneath that holds who know what and the leveling mechanism.  Just when I think I have it figured it out some sales person puts a whole new slant on it.  One of my favorites just got eliminated because of de-laminating.  Sure enough, Kirby did a check and the salesman was right.  So, can't buy that one.

Here are some of the items I am looking for that are important to ME!

I want a large refrigerator.  They are almost all very shallow so what looks like a nice normal unit really is half sized or smaller.  The double door units are about 12 cubic feet.  That is small but bigger that the small ones!

I want STORAGE!  Lots and lots of cupboards and closets.  The more the better!  All the bedrooms have a nice closet but some have more drawers than others, some have a small linen closet and some have at least one night stand with drawers.

I want a washer and a dryer!!  I have spent too much of my life in laundromats.  I even wrote a whole blog posting about laundromats during our last cruise - you can read it by clicking HERE.  Many of the larger units have the hook up all ready for a washer/dryer - but you sacrifice a closet.

A large shower.  We can do with a small one as we had that on our boat but a big one for Kirby would be nice.

I would really like to have a desk where my computer lives all the time.  Most units don't have that; instead they have big entertainment centers which are not important to me at all.  And they have "fireplaces" (electric heaters) that may be important later...I just don't know.

I would like a queen bed.  So many already have a king sized bed.  We are not used to a king, don't have the bedding for it and need the space in the room for our dog, Jake. (no, he does not sleep in the bed with us)

I want a pretty kitchen with lots of cupboards.  There are many configurations but my favorite is a U-shape.

So, the shopping continues.  Who knows what we will end up with.  I know I won't get everything on the list and I will have to decide what is most important.  And I will have to let Kirby have a little input on the decision...well, maybe!

I have realized that RV park rates go down this time of year so it really would be fun to have our new home to play in on the weekends.  Just have to find that perfect home!

New Life - New Truck

Kirby and I are getting ready to embark upon a new adventure.  We have lived here in South Carolina now for over 5 years.  I got my 5 years service award at work last week.  Our house has been remodeled to what we think is pretty awesome.  Five years in one place is almost a record for me and it certainly is a record for Kirby and I together.  When we had our boat in Mexico we would cruise the warm waters for 6 months and then head back north for 6 months of work before doing it again.  Always a new home and a new job.  Life was an adventure full of change!  So this time here has made us feel like - I don't know - old farts??  We NEED adventure!

Kirby retired in 2005 when we left California and headed east to buy a boat and sail the Atlantic.  Well, it is almost my turn to retire too!  So when I retire we aren't going to buy a new boat but we are going to buy an RV.

Kirby searched and searched for the perfect truck to pull our fifth wheel (that we don't have yet - which comes first?  The rv or the truck?  The truck!)  He knew exactly what he wanted and the only one he could find was in Punta Gorda, Florida.  So off he went on Monday and returned to Jake and I on Friday with - GORDY! Our new Chevy truck.

Gordy is a Chevy Silverado 2500 - 2 wheel drive, short bed.  I guess that is not in too great a demand but is perfect to pull the rv we plan.

So now the search for the fifth wheel can go into high gear.  It is fun and it is frustrating.  We already had to decide between fifth wheel and motorhome.  For us the 5th wheel won but it was a hard decision as both have great advantages.  We had friends with both and they helped so much with advise and information.

I hope you will enjoy my saga as we find our new home and begin our journey!  Stay tuned.  Finally some adventure!! Yea!