Wednesday, June 30, 2010

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen , Goodbye........

I have spent the morning in the hospital saying goodbye to the multitude of friends and co-workers that I have made or worked with over the last 20+ years. It is an emotional road. I will be coming back in October in a casual capacity, but don't know yet, where, but have some options. We'll see. At least working will put gas in the tank.

My main priority will be to sign up for health care insurance and I am going with  Health Care Providers as that will give both of us some coverage. If I stayed with Sunlife, then only I will be covered. This way, Michael gets coverage as well.

The first week in the motor home has been interesting and now as we move into a new phase of RV living, I think it will be more interesting than ever. Still so much to get rid of. Today we go back to Pickering to get our mail and do some unpacking of the storage area. We have that for $70 a month for 3 months, then it has to go.

The IS Department gave me a final farewell. Lovely cheesecake, chocolate cake and fruit cake. Thanks guys!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Down to the last 2 days.

Today the staff of the IS Department gave me a farewell lunch. They also gave me an Apple gift certificate towards an iPad. I am going to wait for generation 2, hoping that it will come with a USB port and a camera. I will have to decide if I am getting the 3/4G version or just the wifi version. The girls from 2West also gave me an Apple gift certificate as well as a lovely pearl and diamond pendant. I am really lucky to have so many good friends.

Michael has mounted the TV into the Motor home using a mount that hangs from under the old TV cabinet. Inside the old cabinet we have the DVD recorder and the satellite receiver/PVR. He did a really good job. Now we need to get the HDMI cable to connect the receiver to the TV to replace the huge flat cable that came with the TV.

I will take some photos as soon as I have a bit more time.....in 2 days time.

So far we have not been able to find the Satellite signal, even with the satellite finder. Tomorrow Michael is going to climb up a tree to see if he can get a clearer line of sight.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Satellite installation

We spent the day down at our son, Greg's, house getting the satellite system installed. Then we came home to the motor home and tried to find a signal. I tried everywhere and so far have not found the signal for Nimik 91. I can get 82 often, but 91? No. I thought the best place to put the dish was up next to the road, but still was not able to get the signal. Michael is going to put the dish up on the roof next week. If we still can't get the signal, then we will just use the antenna. We get several stations and because we have an HD TV, we get HD reception from several local stations.

Tomorrow we head up to Gravenhurst to visit friends.

Friday, June 25, 2010

We've moved....again!

We are now at Cedar Beach Resort on Tom and Sunita's site. It was a little difficult getting in because the sewer is situated right under the vehicle and also because of our slide we had to come in really close against the patio stones so that we didn't stick out into the neighbours yard. Anyway we are now parked and getting settled. We tried to get the satellite but realized that we have probably been cut off until we get setup again tomorrow at Greg's house.

We are supposed to be going to Cambridge on July 1st to get the Bike Rack fitted, but having spent so much time getting into this site, Michael is very loath to move until the end of July.

I have been sick the past 2 days. I woke up on Wednesday with a very sore throat. I had root canal scheduled that day and went ahead with it. Anyway, I have been off sick for 2 days, Coughing, sneezing and croaking. Should be better for work on Monday. Last 3 days of work!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Officially Homeless.

Got a call from the lawyer to say that the sale of the condo had all gone through successfully. We are now awaiting the call to go and pick up a big fat check. That will go into the bank as soon as possible and then we will think what we are going to do with it. Where to invest so that it won't be inaccessible just in case the full time RVing doesn't work out and we need to buy a house.

I went into work this morning, but got sent home because I am sniffling, sneezing and coughing. Slept the morning, half if it from recovering from being up half the night because of the heavy thunderstorms that roared through the area and half because I had taken some medication and wasn't feeling too alert!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Exciting Day - Root canal, a sore throat, an Earthquake, a sparkling, empty condo and a storage room.

Root Canal went very well. I took 2 Tylenol #3s and 2 Ativans and didn't feel a thing. My wonderful dentist (Dr Jeffrey Sher in Ajax) had the TV on and I watched most of the game with England and Slovenia. Now I have a very sore throat and my dose is blogged.

The good thing is that we are out of the house!!! It is empty and spotlessly clean. I have the blisters and aching muscles to prove it! The newly shampooed carpeting is sparkling! It looks almost as clean as when we moved in 15 years ago. I am very proud of our effort. We have also taken a short term rental at a storage facility in Ajax. It is really cheap at $70 a month for the first 3 months.

Just after I got home from the dentist I was checking my email and felt the motor home moving, rocking from side to side and I thought that there must a wind blowing suddenly. I looked out the door and it was very still, no wind. Just then the phone rang and it was Suzanne to tell me that something weird just happened. Noah said to her that the house was wobbling. She just picked up the kids and ran outside. Anyway it turns out there was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in the Ottawa area.

All makes for an exciting day.

Monday, June 21, 2010

First Night report


 Grrrooooaaaannnnn. Didn't sleep so well. nerves, anxiety, fear, excitement, whatever, all were jostling for supremacy. The bright moonlight and security lights in the "parking lot" didn't help. I heard some kind of animal outside. It must have come over from the forest behind us. I was convinced it must be something carnivorous! Not used to animals having just moved from a concrete jungle! Anyway it turned out to be rabbits. I never knew they made a little chirruping noise. I thought it was raccoons. Eventually slept from about 1230 to 0430. So I got up and pottered around, then had a shower. Checked my emails and got ready for work. Just dying for that first cuppa Joe of the day. Alas that was not to be. The coffee was sitting in the vacuum pack container at the condo. Tim Horton's, here we come!!


Talking about vacuum pack containers. We came across these wonderful containers at the Corning Ware Outlet in Pickering. They are made by OXO, and they have a lid with a big button that you press to open it and close it. Vacuum seals the container so no little critters or damp can get in. I also like that they are square so very little wasted space!


Boy! Do we have a space problem in the RV. There has to be some more serious disposing of stuff. Our over cab bunk is chock a block full of boxes and there is STILL stuff at the house. Thank goodness for our neighbour who is a very willing recipient of last minute stuff, cleaning materials etc. Her son is furnishing a home so she got some lamps, and odds and ends as well as the furniture that she bought. Thank you Anne!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Our first night as fulltimers!

Well here we are! Camped, not up at Cedar Beach, but in Moodies Motor Inn in Pickering/Ajax. We still have a lot to do in the house and as well as doctor and dentist appointments locally, so we decided to stay here, close to our old home for a few days, or until the end of the month when I stop working.

Tom brought his C Class over and took over our storage spot and we moved onto a site at the back of the storage area. There are only one or two sites with power, electricity and water. We are the only people who are here, camping.

We have realized that we still have too much stuff! so some serious culling has to be done. In July we will have all the time in the world!

I have my internet stick and the Magic Jack set up. and it really is a magic jack! I called my sister in Maryland and the line was as clear as a bell. Fantastic.

This is really the beginning of the rest of our lives!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Almost done!!!

Just about everything is out. We loaded the motorhome today, just a few more things to go in.....and then we have to pack and store in there.

All the boxes for storage have gone to Cambridge. Thank you Thea and Bobby. Our South African friends that we met just last year at Darlington.

Top floor is vacuumed and cleaned. Now to get the middle floor cleared, clothes packed.  Then it is all done!!!! I never believed that we would actually do it. Tomorrow we move into the motorhome. Excited and nervous as well.

The great adventure begins. Pity I still have to work until the end of the month!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Move out weekend!!!

All the furniture with the exception of a solid oak twin size headboard and nightstand are gone. Anyone want a really nice headboard and nightstand?? If you want photos, I will email them.

We have donated a whole ton of stuff to a church in Scarborough who does some really good things. They are having a jumble sale tomorrow and what ever is left over will go to a shelter or be given to the poor. My contact is Verona who lives in Ajax and works in the chemo clinic at NYGH.

Tomorrow Bobby Kruger is coming to collect all our boxes of crockery (my grandmother's Spode that will eventually be given to my sister in Maryland). photographs and videos,  Tax returns and bank statements etc. There is some stuff that we haven't had time to sort, so the boxes are going to the Kruger's and we will collect a box every so often and go through it and cull.

I can't believe how free I feel to be rid of everything. Its true what they say about your things owning you.

There is quite a lot going into the motorhome. Thank goodness for the cab over bunk as we will put it all up there and once we are settled in at Cedar Beach we will sort, cull and store.

We took a ride up to the campground the other day and it seems more than adequate. The site is in a very shady spot, which may be just fine as July is one  of our hottest months. Hope we can get a satellite signal!

One of our dilemmas has been the satellite TV. We had satellite here at the condo, so we bought a dish for the MH and take a receiver with us. There have been some great stories about finding the signal. Once I crawled through a thick hedge and nearly came to a very sticky end when I almost fell into a big ditch. But that story is for another day! All I can say is thank goodness for the walkie talkies!! We are using our son, Greg's home down in Toronto as a base so we are installing satellite service there and taking the small receiver with us, leaving the bigger PVR at the house.

I am beginning to think that we should look into Satellite internet as we can use the same dish for Bell Expressvu and I will have internet whenever we are travelling. Quite expensive to set up, but 500 MB on the stick is just not going to do it! Will see how the finances are once the dust from the sale of the condo is over.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

RV Leak

Just after yesterdays downpour, Michael went to the MH and looked at where the water was coming in. He and I both had the idea that it must be running through the seal at the top of the rear cap. We have the MH parked a slight slope so that the rain water would drain off the back. Well, what he found was that the water was indeed draining off the back, running down the outsides and straight into the 2 side compartments. I guess they need new seals. Thankfully the rain does not go into the back behind the wall. That would have been a really big problem.

This weekend coming we are switching spots with the Alves family. They are moving their MH into our storage spot and we are moving onto their seasonal spot in Cedar Beach.

Time is moving so fast now. This time next week we are out of the condo. Amazing!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A week to go!!

One week to move out date. The condo is pretty much packed up. We move the MH onto the site at Cedar Beach this Sunday. Hopefully everything will be moved. Michael and I will just go back to the condo in the evenings to clean and to shampoo the carpets. I seem to have a whole lot of stuff to move in and I hope we will have space for it all.
There will have to be a travelling mode and a parking mode, with the parking mode being using the cockpit for the plastic drawers etc that we had in the back during travelling.

We have noticed a new problem in that there seems to be a leak somewhere in the back storage areas. Michael thinks that it is probably up on the roof and once we are parked next week, he will go up to take a look. Have to find some EternaBond to fix the back roof area if there is some separation or bad sealant.

Two weeks to retirement. I am excited but also very nervous. Although we have absolutely no debt, I am still concerned that we will be able to make it on my pension and the measly Canadian Pension Plan. Our life insurance has gone up and our Extended Health Care will also be an added $250 a month. On the good side, I have been offered a couple of positions back at the hospital once my 3 months away period is over. A couple of shifts a week should keep us well provided for "Extra" money. There are also a few ideas brewing at the back of my mind.

Looking at solar panels and the RV.NET forums have been invaluable in teaching this ignoramus about solar and the installation thereof. Michael doesn't want to install them himself, but I think he can. It is not a very complicated task. We'll see!

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Bell Internet stick

I picked up the internet stick today and tried it out this evening. i am not going to be using it much because I only have 500 MB a month for $30 and then it is .05c per MB thereafter. My average monthly internet usage with my DSL was 6GB. Gonna have to look for free internet sites!

Packing is going kinda slowly. I opened the bathroom cabinets this evening and there is so much stuff. What do I do with it all? Just throw without looking? or do I try and keep what I want/need. That is the big question. Do I want it or need it?? I guess need triumphs over want. Note to self.......

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Moving Day!

Well, some stuff, anyway. The bedroom suite, the TV cabinet, The captains Chair, 1 dresser all gone.  At last I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have put some stuff aside to go into the MH. I think that pile is going to have to get smaller. Too much stuff!

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Closer and closer

I am retiring at the end of THIS MONTH!! Most of the furniture is sold. Just a few pieces to go. Just got the name of a church that is always looking for stuff to sell on their jumble sale. I think they will get a lot of our things.

This time next month I will be relaxing at the RV resort, with something cold in one hand and a book in the other!! Can't wait.