A Thought

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

OMG.... In my house 70 is the new 50... which makes moi 51, which explains, in part, why I am so whatever you want to call it. But, I'm only about 2" bigger in the waist, and 15 lbs heavier than when in the Navy back in the days of Wooden ships and Iron men..... This week I have to replace about 120 lbs of damaged concrete tiles on my roof before I can take another month long vacation the following week.


For this vacation I'm going to the fire area in Chelan, WA, where my ex-wife and I have to tear down a now fire damaged shed, rebuild a fire damaged fence, cut a new fire break and build a 2nd floor deck. The deck was planned, yesterdays fire wasn't..... After that, we will pitch in at Habitat for Humanity for a 2 week building session with them.


My wake-up call to never get old came when my Dad died from cancer at 51, and I decided to make up for the years that smoking took away from him, and that I had to live at least twice as long as he was able. So far it's working.

Bob, It's great your conscious about your family's past.

Have fun in Chelan, a nice area.

Norm

[Evergreengirl]

Happy Birthday, Norm! My hubby and I are very conscious of time fleeting by. We are constantly trying to balance our lives so that we get our "obligations" (many of them self-imposed!) done and still have time for adventure, fun and meaningful volunteer activities. Today we're off to watch a hula demonstration and take in a sculpture exhibit at Peace Arch Park in Blaine, WA. Fun activities can always be found close to home. So many of our friends and neighbors seem to forget that. Staying healthy is important too. Between the ages of 50 and 67, my current age, I put on 30 lbs of extra weight. I've been following Weight Watchers and now have about 9 lbs to go to get back to my old trim self! Yay!

[Evergreengirl]

Bob, what a kind thing to do to go help your ex. So sad that her property was damaged in the wild fire. It's been a bad season for fires this year here in the west and we're not completely done with them yet I fear.

[Bob Miller]

Thank You Norm, Wendy & Kathy


Judith lives on the south side of the Lake Chelan in an area of town called Lakeside, about 300 feet from the water. The "Reach Fire" started on Chelan Butte, about 1 mile above her house, and was stopped in her direction, after burning through two newer houses behind hers, exactly as it reached the back of her property . The fire damage to her almost 100 y.o. house is minimal, but one ember would have sent it up like a torch.


Her clean-up will be easy-peasy. I suspect we will be spending most of our vacation (?) time helping others that didn't fair as well.


We spent a month travelling in the Hunter in May & June and now she wishes we left it up there. Right now there is almost no power in what is basically an all-electric community. Anyone with a working Gas BBQ is king of the neighborhood for cooking.


The internet is down, land lines are down, the local Radio station was off for 24 hours & all cell phone reception, except Verizon, is down..... They evacuated the hospital and two elder care facilities Judith still works at, and she will drive 40 miles to Wenatchee to help with patients there tonight.


We talked on Friday morning about the upcoming visit, and the big news was the lightening storm of a few hours earlier, and the only fire concern was 40 miles up lake at Lucerne. Two hours later all hell had broken loose and the cat was missing!


Years ago British Airways ran a campaign slogan encouraging peeps to visit Europe and it changed my way of thinking. It went like this:


"Every Year You Don't Go To Europe..... Is One Year Closer.... To Never Going At All"


I try to live life so that the "Never Going at All" doesn't happen to me. When I kick the proverbial bucket, I want it's list to be empty.... It's interesting how so much in our lives can change so quickly.


Oh Yes ... the cat came back....

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Oh Yes ... the cat came back....

Oh good... I was just going to write and ask you this!

And BTW, I hope your birthday was a good one (even with concerns about fires and sheds burning and your ex, and for a while -- the cat)!

[image]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYG-bEsfUB0/VJ7p2ZHehVI/AAAAAAAAAEs/tnMvPdlFBiw/s1600/birthday_frog.gif[/image]

(image option just will NOT open!)

LP

[MarkyVasquez]

Happy Birthday Norm may you be blessed with thousands of trouble free miles in your Scamp!
Marky


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

Oh good... I was just going to write and ask you this!

And BTW, I hope your birthday was a good one (even with concerns about fires and sheds burning and your ex, and for a while -- the cat)!

[image]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYG-bEsfUB0/VJ7p2ZHehVI/AAAAAAAAAEs/tnMvPdlFBiw/s1600/birthday_frog.gif[/image]

(image option just will NOT open!<_<)

LP

Yep, when she called back she was more worried about the cat than getting stuff ready to evacuate.

All's Well, but it may be up to a week before power is restored to her area. A string of some 20 poles went down in the fire.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Yep, when she called back she was more worried about the cat than getting stuff ready to evacuate.

All's Well, but it may be up to a week before power is restored to her area. A string of some 20 poles went down in the fire.

Well, if you decide to tow your Hunter up instead of fly, we're right off the freeway about halfway along your journey ...

[MarkyVasquez]

Happy Birthday Norm may you be blessed with thousands of trouble free miles in your Scamp!

Marky





Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[honda03842]

Marky...

We love trouble free miles but on the other hand we try to be prepared. In 15 years nothing too bad, mostly tires and mostly on the motorhome with a couple on the tow vehicle but never while towing.

We're having so much fun not much could deter us.

Thanks for the good wishes.

[Bob Miller]

That would be a nice visit Ellpea, but when I drive I go up the 395, it's a bit longer, but much more interesting!


Gas to Chelan = $225+ 2 days drive. (but, what's said to be the best BBQ in the country is at a restaurant in Big Pine or Lone Pine...)
Alaska Air = $118, leave Ontario at 6pm, in Wenatchee at 11:45 pm

[EllPea in CA]

We hope you're having a great day (but somehow I suspect this is a job at which you're very good)!

Best,
Ellpea

[Evergreengirl]

Thanks for the update, Bob. You're so right - our lives can change dramatically in an instant. Your ex'es story is another reminded that if there's something you want to do in life to DO IT NOW! I read in this morning's paper that the fires in the Chelan area are growing. Good luck there and stay safe!

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Ellpea in CA

Oh good... I was just going to write and ask you this!

And BTW, I hope your birthday was a good one (even with concerns about fires and sheds burning and your ex, and for a while -- the cat)!

[image]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYG-bEsfUB0/VJ7p2ZHehVI/AAAAAAAAAEs/tnMvPdlFBiw/s1600/birthday_frog.gif[/image]

(image option just will NOT open!<_<)

LP

BTW: Yesterday was Norm's Birthday... I don't have those so as not remind me of any mandatory ageing attitudes... LOL

[honda03842]

Ginny is a huge on birthdays. I kind of enjoy her joy over them. Actually it's just a measure of time, an indication of achievement. I have no negative feelings about age other than being aware of it's passing.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

BTW: Yesterday was Norm's Birthday... I don't have those so as not remind me of any mandatory ageing attitudes... LOL

Well, shoot. I thought it was a coincidence that you two had a birthday on the same day. Happy next one to you, whenever you decide to have one!

LP

[honda03842]

Thanks Ellpea.

As some know I have a morning routine I've been doing for a year plus. I get up at 5:30 AM depending on the brightness of the morning sky. I do 6 different exercises, 25 reps each and one plank. I make the coffee and sit down to write for a minimum of 15 minutes but usually an hour plus.

I follow the breakfast with a 200 calorie breakfast, one egg, one piece of bacon and a piece of multi-grain bread. In Florida I follow it with a 2 mile friends walk.

I wake up without hesitancy, generally pleased to begin my day, stretching both my body and mind and satisfying my stomach. There's joy in the beginning to the day.

There are many ways to develop a beginning like this. Writing could be replaced by drawing. Trust me everyone can draw. Read drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and try the little exercises. You'll get a little smile on your face. All of us have a hidden self.

I know many of you are more competent. May have strong routines, may have more developed lives, however RVing provided a gateway to change for me.

Change can be an opportunity to reveal the rest of you.

[honda03842]

We've sold our NH house. Something we should have done years ago. We're particularly happy because it's staying in the family, going to our favorite niece and her family.

Ginny and I could not be happier. Our lives have gone so well. Very often there's a measure of sadness when you sell a property you've owned for 30 years, the longest we've owned anything. Not so with us this time. There's now some reasonable probability of long term ownership. Her children have been coming here since they were born.

For us, and I know for some it's not real, but our life on the road and in our Scamp has been nothing but joyous. Of course we can be silly about it but there are some technical measurements as well that are independent of my sometimes foolishness.

We have these Jawbones we wear that count our 5,000 daily steps but more important they measure the quality of our sleep. Ginny's sleep while we were camping was better than every day before we left and since we've been home. There must be magic in the Scamp bed, serious maybe it's just the road lifestyle. I'm not sure what it is but so far the Jawbone tells the tale.

On the topic of deep sleep... Ginny does better than me no matter where we are though I do a little better in the trailer than I do at home. I've never given a lot of thought to improving the quality of sleep but since sleep is equal to about 25 to 33% of our entire time on earth, I was wondering if any one knows how to improve it's quality.

Safe travels and deep sleep (but not 6' down)
3236

[WendyW]

Norm and Ginny,

Congratulations on emptying and selling your house! How lovely that it will stay in the family. I'm one week away from moving into my Casita, with still too much stuff to get rid of in my apartment. Enjoy your full-time home!

[honda03842]

In life it's possible for dramatic changes to occur as a result of your, lifestyle, job or simple activities. Sometimes you don't even realize that the changes are occurring until someone outside of your immediate circle comments.

RVing has been a marvelous vehicle for positive change. This weekend we attended a mostly relatives birthday party. One aspect of the party were poster boards of the birthday boy with friends. Two of my nieces helped create the boards. When it came to a picture of me and their grandfather, they did not recognize me though they are very frequent visitors to our house. The picture contained the pre-RV 'fat-Norm'. In our moving effort Ginny has in some measure rewritten history destroying many fat-Norm pictures.

As well numerous relatives, ones who see us only every 10 years or so commented on how thin Ginny and I were.

Extended RVing has had an effect on numerous parts of our person more me than Ginny I think, in addition to improved eating, . We are almost stress free people now. We are friendlier, I am kinder and more patient, I do more for my pleasure, I am more talented mechanically, a more patient, considerate slower driver. We are more conservative with our spending. We read and think more, at least in the sense of reading for the gaining of knowledge or pleasure compared to reading for employment.

We have dramatically more time to think, to think without stress, to think without producing a required result.

The thought of slavery is an ugly thought, but the normal life has some form of slavery within it that binds you to parts of life that are difficult to free yourself from that steal your time and add stress, not because of physical chains but rather the chains of job and family.

As we travel it's Ginny and I, free every minute to do as we please. This did not happen in the first day or month but gradually we have gotten better, smarter, thinner.... because of our travels.