We are HOME!!!

We got back to Nevada County on the 23rd. Alan met our landlord, we all went over the do's and don'ts , then took the paperwork to the office where we became official Lake Wildwoodians. Alan loves the house (especially our incredible view) and so the unpacking has commenced. We actually are nearly done with it.
We ordered our bedroom set which won't be here for at least 3 weeks, Lisa's bed came on the 23rd, so she is set. Also bought her a beautiful antique oak dresser and a stereo for Christmas. Christmas, itself, was very lowkey with no tree or presents or family.....next year, we will do it up BIG!
My birthday was the 29th and I ordered the front room furniture and 2 desks...they should start trickling in this week which is great because we are sitting in camp chairs. Alan took care of the TV situation and Direct TV comes today!
This post will end our RV adventures. We are glad we did it or we would have always wished we had tried. We learned some valuable lessons and our marriage survived it all. We are very happy with our new home, it's "in the works" to get Lisa back to her school and friends and life is feeling much more normal.
New address:
  18163 Deer Run
  Penn Valley,CA 95946

Home phone: 530.913.4625




Thanks to all of you that kept up with us!! We sure missed you!!
Love, Carol

Nearly there

Well, let's see...the right part came in and while Alan handled the RV end, I handled the house end.....both of us experiencing problems. Once the first slide was fixed, the repair guys ran out the other slides and had to adjust another one! Then, one of the compartment doors had a problem with broken locks...got that fixed. Then our brand new electric connection cord wouldn't go back in... Alan explained that to the guy buying it and he said to leave it. I guess they are gonna fix the ripped up carpeting, too. Alan weathered 15 degree weather and no heat, propane running out, snow and dealing with Lisa and Irie....no small task.
I flew out to CA on the 5th and didn't get back til the 18th. In the last 5 days, I found a nice house for us, but not til I saw some 28 houses...most of them so awful I wouldn't have put my dog in them. One even had raw sewage in the yard and decks you could easily fall thru! It was so hard to keep looking and looking. Thanks to all that helped me (and my family)...from the loan of a car for 11 days, to staying at friends' homes.....thank you from the bottom of my heart!! You KNOW you are beyond special to me!!
We have been on the road in the truck for 2 days now and have 2 more to go before we are home. We sold the RV and had a contract, but had to leave before the money was in our account...talk about nerve wracking!!  It is there now, so the sale is complete. I had to leave Nevada County before I had a key and a lease.....they want to have Alan there to sign it also...again...no key= nerve wracking!!!
We will be there Friday with our little UHaul, sign the lease, take delivery of Lisa's bed, our friends Kim and Julie are loaning us a bed for us and are also bringing a nice table and chairs, a big comfy chair, the sheets and blankets I bought and probably stuff I've forgotten, too! So, it is all coming together nicely.
We are in Needles, Ca and it was sure nice to know I was back in the right state! We really need to be home....this is the first day in 3 that Lisa has not had a seizure. I am always watching her for any sign of impending seizures....(she gets this certain look on her face) and then just crumples to the ground if I don't catch her in time....that takes it out of me, for sure. Then, when she does, I have to support her dead weight of 130#....not easy for this fibromyalgic bod of mine....I pay the price for days. Obviously, she needs her doctor. We've "upped" her meds yet again and I am hoping this helps smooth things out for her. She never, ever complains, but I can tell the whole thing scares the hell out of her and it would me too!! She is such a trooper!
Tomorrow, we will end our day in Fresno...it will be another looong day, but we HAVE to be home the 23rd around noon to meet our landlords and sign the necessary paperwork.

WRONG part!!

OMG!!! Unbelievable!!! They sent out the wrong part!! The guys didn't work on it Monday, but waited til Tuesday and then discovered they had the wrong part! Alan called them this AM (Wed) and was told.....so....we'll go back tomorrow and pick it up and go BACK to the RV park and wait..........GRRRRR...
The good news is that the deal is NOT off and the guy is willing to wait. I will still fly out Monday and find us a place.
Slow day today. Sean had to work til 3, but after work, he picked up Alan and they went to the museum. Hopefully, dinner with all of them later on....

We're in Killeen, Texas

Got here yesterday afternoon and called Sean....met up with them for pizza, which was very nice! The grandkids have gotten soooo big!
We started off the day hoping and praying that someone would want the Magic Bus and ended it with a small bidding war!! Kinda nice....nothing compared to what we originally paid for it, of course, but something....
So the way it stands now is, a company in Southern California wants it, as is....we may not have to spend the money on the carpeting! So, I will fly out on Monday to secure housing and some furniture, fridge and washer/dryer (probably), then fly back and help Alan pack up our stuff and drive home. We will call the "new" owners of the rig and they will come and pick it up and we will leave in the truck. I don't know why, but I have had the worst gut feeling that we shouldn't drive the RV anywhere....and I have learned to listen to those "hunches"!!
We left this AM and went to San Antonio to see The Alamo and the famed "riverwalk".....it's very cool ....a river winding around with waterfalls and bridges...lots of trees and shops all around. They had little lights in the trees and it looked like it would be so romantic at night with your honey.......as it was, we had Lisa and the dog, so, no, not so romantic at all, but fun.Pics to follow....
Tomorrow, Alan and Sean are gonna go to a military museum on base (Ft. Hood) and then Alan hopes to talk him into going to the Tilted Kilt which is very closeby. I think it would be nice for them to have some father/son time.  He made the reservations here and it's a super nice room (thanks honey!)....kind of suspicious tho, being so close to his fav restaurant! LOL!!
Friday, we start back to Las Cruces....a two day ride.

The part is IN!

So here's the new plan! The RV place isn't open tomorrow (Turkey Day) or Saturday or Sunday and the manager can't guarantee the repair will happen in one day, so..... we will take it in on Monday on our way out of town to see Sean and his family. 2 days to get to Ft. Hood Texas, 2 days there, and 2 to get back here. Voila`!!! Then, I will fly out to find us a house and Alan will (hopefully!) sell this thing....that's the plan right now. Things change fast in our lives, so stay tuned!!

Part will be shipped

But not til the 28th!! Arrrggghhh....3-5 days to get here, the 3 days (we're guessing and padding!) to install it. They seem confident that this part will do the trick...I sure hope so! We plan to go and see Sean and his family in Texas while they work on the rig. 2 days of driving, but I feel much better doing it in the car. I just don't trust the RV to make it there and back without a problem! So, 2 days there, stay 2 days and then drive back in 2 days. LaMesa RV in Arizona buys RV's and will even come and pick your's up, we hear. Haven't contacted them yet because we want to have the slide all fixed first, but that's the plan. If they won't buy it for some reason (uh, like it's a piece of doggie doodie??????), then we will have to go to plan B. Don't know what Plan B is exactly, but we'll figure out something!
While this is being handled, I plan on being in Nevada County looking for a house to rent. Anyone know of anything? We prefer 3 bedrooms, if possible....
Today (Saturday) we went to the local Farmer's Market.....not much produce at all...well, except chilis! People were selling them by the huge bagful! Lots of South West decor items, too. We walked up and down the blocked off street and came back in time for Alan to go to the local Las Cruces High School football playoffs. He really enjoyed it and said it was great high school football, even though Las Cruces lost.

Lisa and "school"

Lisa has an old cell phone of mine (not connected) and she makes frequent phone calls......sometimes to her Mom, sometimes to David and ALWAYS to Gary, her imaginary friend/boyfriend. I just listened to the sweetest conversation between her and Amee, one of her "teachers" at her "school"....it went something like this:
She opens her phone, clears her throat, and states in a very business-like voice 3384789923   "Amee"
Then she waits about 15 seconds   " Amee, hi!" waits a few secs, "Lisa" "I a good girl" "Yeah" pause...."Yeah, I coming!!" "YEAH!!" and she laughs...."I coming, my school" "Uh huh" "Yep, I coming, my house...nice house" pause..... "I good girl.....yep (and she laughs) MY school, my friends, my house!!" pause...."Yeah, my friends" and laughs...."OK, I love you too" "OK, bye"
I just re read that and I feel like crying....obviously, she would rather be home and seeing her friends at school. We thought this life would be so fun for her (and us), but it sure hasn't worked out that way. The stress has been palpable....so thick in the air it felt like you could see it! And our sweet Lisa uses what she feels to help her navigate a difficult life (to say the least!)....what have we done??? This makes me even more determined to get us back to Nevada County, get her a home where she feels stable and back into her school with her friends.

And, we have missed OUR friends, too! I know we won't make it for Thanksgiving, but I REALLY want to be home for Christmas!!!