1week to go (sort of)

We'll, we are 1 week out from the true start of the adventure. 1 Oct is our official last day in the military! We will most likely stay in the Reno area for about 3 weeks while we do final preparations to start traveling.

Last shakedown

So we are getting closer to our last day in the Reno area, it's coming fast. We have accomplished another good shakedown/practice run and think we are ready now. So it is only the calendar that we are waiting on.

Becky and I on the North rim of the Grand Canyon

I had to fix a number of small things on this trip but all was easy. Thank you to Julie (sister) and Milton for the use of their driveway and shop and thanks to Chuck and Rick for the help. 

Sorry we don't have more pictures for the blog but we are working on a good way to export and edit photos from the SLR to ipad.

Ok, here we go with some major changes

Ok, so here is the plan, some people know and some don't...due to the fact that we have both been "forced" into retirement and jobs making 80k - 100k a year don't fall in your lap, we have decided to take the RV that we ( Becky, Chuck, Elaine, Robbie, and I ) have been slowly working on for over 2 years and travel.

We will be living on only our retirement checks and trying to make that stretch. Making 75% to 80% less money than we are used to will be tough. We have set a budget and been living by it and pay on bills with the rest.

It is time for us to quit the rat race and go enjoy life OUR way. We don't know what will happen, but that's when the best parts of an adventure hit you...when you know what's coming next.

Becky and I have talked about the plan and the biggest thing we are unsure of is, what label to put on us. Are we full-time rv'ers, gypsies, vagabonds, traveling rednecks, hippies, etc.

We tell people we are retired and they look at us like we have a dick growing out of our forehead. Some people ask what we are doing and we tell them we will be living in our RV and traveling, they say "that's cool, for how long?" And we say "forever, well the foreseeable future anyway, maybe 3 to 5 years in North America and then we'll see from there". We get the same look as above and they have now way of understanding.

Oh well, it's our life, our plan, and for sure our adventure.

Here we go......

Well, we got some sort of not so good news this last Saturday. I have been non-retained. This means I am being forced to retire early from the military. I say sort of bad news because I do get my pension (although it's 75% or less than what I am currently making).

Becky and I are, very soon, going to be in a state of mutual retirement.

It's now time to start our retirement life of  adventure.

More to follow soon.

Adding a new picture from our shakedown run.

Ok, just a quick update...the shakedown run was our annual July trip to Laguna Seca for MotoGP. The trip was extended by going to Las Vegas to visit a long time great friend and then back to Reno.

The new project...

Here we go, a 1979 Itasca Sundancer. It's 20ft long and structurally and mechanically in great shape. We have started the remodel by gutting almost as soon as we got it home. It has gotten a new fridge, new leather seats and couch.

We will be posting pictures soon.