24 November, 2010

Rosy the Argosy

Are you ready?

Wait for it ....

Wait for it ....

Okay ... I am the happy owner of a 1977 Argosy travel trailer! Yay! It's parked in a temporary-ish spot at Spring Hill RV park. (Temporary-ish because they worked some things around to be able to accommodate me when I needed to be accommodated, so it's not a premium spot. As soon as another one opens, I have the option of claiming it.) I've been spending all week trying to get my belongings situated into my tiny new digs. I'm also taking this time to get some of the more imperative repairs taken care of. For instance, it turns out that there is a leak in the copper pipe plumbing, so I can't use the water until that is repaired. (The plumber comes tomorrow.) The water heater was repaired today. It only needed a new pilot assembly. The furnace has been (painstakingly) removed (NOT by me) and will be cleaned up to see if that is all it needs to work properly again. If not, then I'll have to procure a used (hopefully) furnace to replace it. (Cross your fingers that a good cleaning will do the job, please.) On a positive note, it seems the oven and refrigerator are in great condition and should last for some time as long as I treat them respectfully.

I've chosen my decorating palette and the fabrics that I will use for the upholstery and curtains. Now I just have to get the hardware for the curtains and then make the curtains. I have left a message with a local upholstery guy that has a high reputation at the RV park. Hopefully, he can get my seat cushion covers sewn up nicely for me in a hurry. While my little Rosy is far from being perfect, I am in love with her already. Being in this camper just feels good. She has ... yes ... a good vibe. There, I said it. And it's absolutely true. And it was even true before Jenn and I smudged her with sage.

The folks at Spring Hill RV Park are fantastic. I don't think I could have chosen a better place for my new home. They have taken me under their wings and are making sure I learn how to use my camper properly. They are hooking me up with repair people and even helping me with a few minor repairs themselves. They drop by when they see me out there just to see how I'm doing. I feel so fortunate to have such kind and generous neighbors at my new home. It was hard to leave my old neighbors - who are amazing people - but it's a little less hard when surrounding myself with such good new neighbors. Hooray!

I will be very glad to get the essentials set up so that I can actually start living in my little camper. For now, I'm spending most of my daylight hours at the camper (when I'm not with clients), and then coming back to Jenn's to catch up on my list of To-Do's and sleep. I'm exhausted ... still ... and getting more so every day. But it's all to a good end. I'll post up some photos as soon as I can get some taken.

If I don't get to post again before Thursday, I'll wish you all a happy, warm and wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. Ciao!

18 November, 2010

No Rest For The Weary.

This will be another quick update as it is very late and I am super tired. I decided to go ahead and put a deposit on the argosy camper in Bat Cave. Now, I'm just trying to figure out how to get it from there to here. And trying to figure out where I'm going to put it here. (Thinking I can secure a spot in the Chapel Hill RV park very soon if not immediately. Have been in talks with the owner/manager.) So, that's that. I will be glad to start unpacking some of my stuff from my storage units again. Now, I'm off to dreamland. *snooze*

16 November, 2010

Big Wheels Keep On Turnin'

Once again, I only have time for a quick update ... but I suppose that's better than no update, right?

Yesterday was the house closing. I am officially homeless. Woo Hoo! Today, following my class this morning, I am off with my dad to Bat Cave, NC (yes, it's a real place) to check out a 1977 argosy camper that I found online. If all goes well, I could be driving that sucker home. We'll see. I'm in talks with the Spring Hill RV park in Chapel Hill. The owner said he has two spots coming up (or already available ... can't remember which). So ... it's all happening. And there seems to be no rest for the weary .. or wicked ... or wobbly. But, it will all be worth it if I can be settled into my new home on wheels before the big holiday season rush hits. Wish me luck!!

09 November, 2010

Channeling Jerry Garcia?

Oh, what a long, strange trip it’s been ... and still is ... and is likely to be for some time.

So, for all intents and purposes, I have sold my house. The repair work is to be done this week in preparation for the closing on next Monday, the 15th. All that remains to seal the deal in finality is the final post-repairs walk-through by the buyers, and all of our signatures on the formal papers at the lawyers’ offices. It has been a very emotional ride, and, in the end, an extremely stressful one. I could say that I chose the wrong realtor for me - and have said so often - but, in all honesty, I learned so much from the experience, however harrowing it may have been, that I can see that my choice of an inept realtor was exactly what I needed. I was forced to recognize my needs, my boundaries, and my sense of self-worth; and then to firmly express them and demand they - and consequently, I - be respected. Mind you, this was not an easy task, nor a wholly familiar one, for me. But, with the help and support from my family and friends - most specifically, my dad and my dear friend, Jenn - I was able to handle this situation in a most acceptable manner. I feel quite proud of myself, actually. And, in the end, I do feel that I have managed a fair exchange for my house and yard.

While I know it is going to be a bit chaotic in the coming months, I am very much looking forward to stepping out into the next phase of my journey. Once again, my fantastic friend (and neighbor), Jenn, has offered, (along with her generous husband), to lodge me temporarily while I hunt for my new home on wheels. My hope is that I will be able to find my new home sooner rather than later. It will be fantastic if I find it before the holiday season gets fully underway, but I will also be fine if it takes longer. I can always try to find a short term rental apartment, if necessary. I have found a promising trailer for sale online recently. In fact, I’ve come across it before, but it has just been relisted, and apparently was just winterized. The ad claims that ALL the systems are in good working order. It’s an Argosy, which is made by Airstream. The only difference is that the bodies are white rather than silver. In fact, I kind of prefer the Argosys. The layouts and interior stylings are usually more to my liking than the Airstreams. This particular trailer is a 1977 model, and is 24’ long. It photographed very well - looks quite beautiful in the ad, really. Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that it’s in state. I have sent the seller an email requesting that I come take a peek at it in person. I’ll let you know how it goes.

It’s funny the things that have been showing up for me emotionally, lately. Now that there is some sense of real finality where the house sale is concerned, my emotional and stress levels are off the charts. I’m not sleeping well at all. And what sleep I am getting is riddled with the most stressful dreaming. (I’m writing this at 5 am, as I suddenly awoke from some lurid dreaming, and couldn’t get back to sleep.) My neck and shoulder muscles are in such gridlock that I have been having terrible headaches. I must be clenching and/or grinding my teeth in my sleep, because I’m waking up with such incredible jaw tension that it remains throughout the day.

I seem to have an overwhelming desire to buy myself new and pretty things (which is most unfortunate as I cannot buy anything else until after the closing.) I’ve also been finding myself missing a few of the possessions that I sold, gave away or otherwise unloaded prior to putting the house on the market. It is possible that one or two of these things are tucked away in storage somewhere since I can’t remember everything I chose to keep, and haven’t seen that stuff in so long now. But a few of these things are just gone. And, while I am sure I will be able to reconcile myself with these losses, they seem to be very emotional and anxiety provoking at present. Fortunately, however, I am only pining for a very few of the large masses of items I discarded. I suppose it could be much, much worse.

For those of you who are interested in reading up on my progress, I am going to do my best to update more regularly. I will be mostly packing up the rest of my belongings into storage and handling the minutia of moving this week. But, once I’m tucked in at Jenn’s, I’ll have access to the internet at the house, so it will be easier for me to add updates to the blog. I appreciate the support of all of you who are taking an interest. Knowing you are out there wishing me well helps keep me going when I start to feel overwhelmed. Thanks for that.

Have a lovely week!

04 November, 2010

Bumbling Through Wonderland

So, am still under contract and trying to hash out all of the "wills" and "won'ts" with the prospective buyers. I realize that buying a house - whether a primary residential or an investment property - is a large purchase, and should be analyzed from all practical angles before being committed to purchase. However, even despite that appreciation, I feel these buyers are being excessively nitpicky. But the really stressful part of all of it is that I can no longer trust my realtor to accurately and effectively represent me and my best interests, so I am having to be extra diligent in paying attention to all of the proceedings and correspondences between all parties, even having had to rewrite the repair request reply to the buyers since my realtor's version of the letter was appallingly unprofessional and embarrassingly weakened my stance within the power balance. (Sorry for the really long sentence.) This whole business is really causing me undue amounts of stress and my body is really starting to feel the weight of so much discomfort. However, I am choosing to look upon all of this ridiculousness as a positive opportunity for growth and learning. I am still sure of my decision to sell, but will also be fine if I am not able to sell right now. So, I guess, either way, whatever happens, it will be for the best, and I will accept it as such. Still, I am really ready for this chapter to come to a close, so please, if you have any charms to spare, continue to send them my way for a speedy and beneficial completion of this transaction. Thanks!