Renovation

Where to start? We knew we had to rip out a wall to access the bathroom easier, so that came first. Such a God thing this rig...we found a sturdy metal beam going across the top, so we had no fear of "cave-in". Husband was able to reuse the "pretty" wallboard to cover the bare wood we'd ripped out! He's so good at this stuff! We gotta keep the fake wood looking 80's motif, you know!

After this was accomplished, the big job was to install the flooring. After ripping out the bed in back for wheelchair accessibility, ('cause who needs places to sleep?) in went the this roll out vinyl that a contractor friend introduced to us this summer. It was light, and only need some trim and glue in some parts. We now have more "fake" wood flooring and it looks awesome.

Miraculously, the generator that kind of worked was an answer to prayer. Our mechanic neighbor came over, tinkered with it and started it right up. He gave us some lessons on generators, which was so helpful. Now we know that a generator goes bad from non-use. So use those generators, people!

We have yet to "use the facilities" or water for that matter. We still have to check if the water heater and furnace works. Although if we are in a place that needs a furnace, we are in the wrong place! More next time...

Bureacratic BS

Taking a break from RV related topics to speak my mind this early Thursday morning. I just got some dishwashing time in (my thinking/praying time) and wanted to say I don't want to be a part of any organization. Anymore. Be it Boyscouts, a church denomonation, whatever! I so want to be a part of a real movement of God. Maybe the free spirit in me doesn't want to be tied down to rules anymore. Maybe some of those rules prevent us from loving people like we should. I have been guilty of that. Because I am part of this or that, I can't do this or that. How do we breath life into these clubs, etc. that we find ourselves a part? How do we love people, but not be in charge of everyone's well being? My brain hurts, I become bitter, then "burned out" as churches like to say. Loving shouldn't cause burnout! I've felt like I've lost my love for my community. Maybe our answer is to leave so that we realize what we are missing. But will we miss it? Time will tell. The world is there. And we're gonna explore it. I can have hope that we will find community wherever we go.

General Business and the Retrieval of DV

Right on the heels of the Speak conference my oldest attended church camp. It was a miserable week for all of us, as it just doesn't feel right when we aren't all together. Youngest was extra sensitive with brother being gone, and by the second night had many tears. This same week came the NEW WHEELCHAIR. I will decline to comment on it as, we'll just say, it's not the one I'm using right now. Adjustments are still being made (as in a whole back replacement) and I just hope it is done by the time we leave.

Tangent: I'm listing myself to death (and in my brain) on what to get rid of, what to do before we leave, TENANTS and fall activities coming up.

Ok, back to August. Right after new wheelchair and camp return, we traveled back down to my dad's to get DV. It was bittersweet, knowing I would be driving the minivan back home while husband and children would ride in DV. Oh how I wished we had a car dolly to pull the minivan! But I was just so happy that DV would be home. Dad, as always, did an excellent job on his handywork.

During this visit I got to visit my dad's work. He works for a nursing home as the head of (and only) maintenance. It was nice to see how much alike (once again) my dad and I really were, as I just love elderly people. I got to talk to a resident my age, as my dad thought I could give him some encouragement in his situation. So after a night stay, a few pictures and some instructions on lift usage, we took off back home.

Next up, the renovation...

The Speak Foundation and Hot-lanta

While waiting for the lift project to be completed, we attended a conference. This conference is for people with disabilities such as myself. It is put on by
The Speak Foundation, which was started by a beautiful Christian lady named Kathryn Bryant. She probably never dreamed it would be this big, but oh man it has grown. How exciting to meet up and make lifelong friends with people who know exactly the things you go through from day to day.

It was so much fun traveling around downtown Atlanta, GA, or Hot-lanta as we Speakies like to call it, in our wheelchair posse. Even getting caught in the rain was fun! What's more important is that we now have friends around the country (and Canada) that we will go to visit. How exciting! I can't tell you how invaluable this conference was for me. Good thing 16 hours in a minivan without a/c at the beginning of August didn't stop us! While in the area, we had to visit a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives restaurant, The Silver Skillet. Good old southern fare, complete with grits and lemon pie! This place hasn't been changed since its inception in the 1950's. That goes for accessibility. Since there are stairs in the front, I had to roll (squeeze) through the tiny kitchen, past the fryers and all. What we do for experience!

If that wasn't fun enough, we went to the most awesome restaurant ever with the best sister in the world on the way back: Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. This restaurant seats over 300 people, and we sat in the darts room. Yes, that means real dart boards, for free! The boys were in heaven. I loved the variety of food as well as all the framed pictures of famous people who had passed through the venue. Chuck Barry still also plays there! What a great trip!

I am Janice Joplin

It was July 2011 as Me and Bobby McGee came on the radio. Flying down the road in my (way cool) minivan, bandanna wearing, windows open, praying to God that what I was following would not fall off our rig and kill me. I was following our future: the very RV (henceforth referred to as Da Vinci, or DV) that would be carrying our family into the unknown. I was the watchdog for the 400 lb wheelchair lift that was strapped to DV, being transported down to my dad's, and magically, somehow, installed. It was a 3 hour journey down and within the first hour, tow straps had already broken twice. Was this even worth it. We were irritable. Neither the minivan or DV had a/c. It was 90 some degrees without heat index. What the crap were we thinking?

Faith does wonderful things. I knew if we got it down there, dad would work his magic and get it installed. We made it down safely, got to see the local museum (love small towns) and had a heart to heart with my sister. It was a nice time. We then headed back without DV, as this project was going to be more than a few days.

I think that most people think we are crazy. Good thing my mom taught me not to care what people think. It has served me well. So I'll just keep singing this crazy melody of traveling fulltime. 'Cause it's gonna happen. More to come...

Blog: revived!

Well, it's not going to be all fancy, but I wanted a place to record our travels. That's right, people, we will be traveling full time starting at the beginning of November. We are taking the kids to Disney World before they get too old, and we are very excited. I will be blogging about taking Da Vinci (our RV) down to dad's, getting the lift installed, and about DH's injury at the beginning of the year that threw us head first into this craziness. I'm also going to record some recipes I need, so I'm not travelling with paper/books on the road. Stay tuned...