SITTING UNDER A THUNDERSTORM, PLANNING OUR DEPARTURE

The weather has been CRAZY lately!   Ten days ago, we were sweltering at 90 in Sacramento for two days.  Then the temperatures mellowed, and we moved up into the foothills outside of Sacramento where mornings were nicely cool and afternoons balmy for a couple of days.  We had our windows wide open and a fan running, airing out the motorhome in case something inside is the cause of my allergy problem.  Yesterday the temperature dropped as clouds thickened and now, as I write this at 12:30 pm, hail and heavy rain is pelting us, at a temperature of 40 degrees!  Sheesh! 

On the health front:

Many of you suggested that my allergy might be caused be the new carpet or something else that changed when we did the renovation, and we reluctantly entertained that scary thought.  A big thank you to the Anonymous Commenter who suggested cleaning the carpet!  We carry a carpet cleaner and Odel immediately washed the carpet with plain water.  I think it really helped, as my allergic reaction is much improved; then again, maybe it was simply because we were able to keep the windows open most of the time for three days.  We plan to clean it regularly (every couple weeks) for awhile, and to air out the rig every chance we get… plus, spend more of our time outdoors, as we have in the past. 

Odel’s knee continues to improve and the swelling is gradually diminishing.  He is walking a mile or two each day, and working consistently to improve the extension (he is still 2 or 3 degrees off of straight, but has great flexion).   The pain continues to lessen, and we are both looking forward to hearing his surgeon’s comments at the 6 week follow-up on Tuesday, after which…

… we will be taking off on Wednesday morning!  Those of you who know us will be surprised to read that we don’t know where we are going; no plan except to go where the weather looks good.  After our big swing to the east coast last year, the stress of the renovations, the knee replacement and my unexpected allergic reaction, we decided to take it one day at a time this summer, planning a couple days or a week in advance at the most (yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts!). 

The only item on the wish list for summer: a visit to Fins in Port Townsend, Washington, so Odel can have his very favorite clam chowder.  We expect to spend quite a bit of time this summer in Oregon and Washington but, since the weather up there is still “iffy”, we might start our summer travels with a visit to the Napa/Petaluma area in California’s wine country, where the weather next week looks mighty fine. 

Other big news:  though I haven’t yet graduated to a smart phone, I DID break down and buy a Kindle.  My sister Sydney loaned me hers when I was feeling so miserable with my allergy, and I really enjoyed it.  Since we don’t have any trust issues - she shared her Amazon.com password with me! – we are able to share books, a big help to the book budget. 

I spent several hours yesterday learning how to set it up and connect to our MiFi hotspot (saving $50 over the cost of the 3G-enabled version), downloaded some samples, and made my first purchase: Lost in Shangri-La, a book I had planned to purchase in paperback.  Fun!  As soon as I finish reading my bound books and pass them on, my library will weigh the same as a thin paperback book, and take up about the same space (not including my extensive cookbook library, of course).  What a boon to a full-timer who likes to read!  I can see myself now in my mind’s eye, relaxing in my lounger under the awning (I still consider the electric awning one of our best expenditures!) on a sunny day, maybe in the tall pines, maybe by the ocean, my Kindle library in hand, wondering what to read next…

So, we are all set to head out (somewhere) on Wednesday morning.  I feel the energy rising around here.  :)