New house, being busy, and not wanting to do much

It has been almost a month since the last post. We got our furniture finally, though some of it was in bad shape. The folks who packed the first truck, the one that arrived last, did not use enough blankets, and some of my wooden furniture was scratched and damaged. I was NOT a happy camper. We worked first to get the kitchen, bedroom, and master bedroom set up. Then we worked on the kitchen. We got the new range (a multi-fuel Samsung – gas burners and electric oven that can be used as one big unit or subdivided into two) plus some great storage for the pots and pans.

It is called a Rev-a-shelf. It holds all my pots, the lids, and left enough space in the cabinet for my Kitchenaid mixer! I still want some more pull out shelves, especially in the bathroom that has deep cabinets, but those are on hold. We also got the blinds we ordered. We bought two at first, to make sure we like them. We did, and then ordered them for the rest of the house. These have cloth strips holding the cords, and I like the look. Oh, and notice the dirt mountain just visible behind the blinds? The first week we were here the developer started moving a huge amount of dirt from other construction sites nearby. This pile is probably 15 feet high and 50 or more feet long. Luckily I know it won’t stay since there will be a Road right through the middle of it in the next year or so. However all the trucks were amazing noisy, though my grandsons were entranced.

However, after all the big stuff needed to live was done, I have found it hard to get motivated. I say each day I am going to get X, Y, and Z done, but it just doesn’t happen. I admit my back is giving me fits, but I think it is actually a response to just too much happening.

Oh, and the motorhome is built and is either at the dealer or getting there soon. They will do an inspection, and we will arrive in Sherman, MS on 11 June to start the inspection and instruction how to operate it plus they will modify the Jeep Grand Cherokee to work as a toad. We then need to drive it to not far into AL for driving lessons! Lots of people just drive off in a big motorhome, but we though it would be much better to get driving instruction. It will be two 6 hour days, and we both will do it (together). This is what is getting exciting! Of course we are also need to sell the current trailer, and that is taking more time than I thought it would. Here in the Midwest there just aren’t as many people interested in this manufacturer. It isn’t like we need the money from the trailer to buy the motorhome, but we don’t intend on being here a lot and want it gone! We can’t sell the truck until the trailer is sold, and we will use the cash from the truck to pay off the Jeep. Lots nicer to be back to just one payment – the mortgage.

Christmas with family

We left Utah on 20 December running out in front of a big snow storm. We did pretty good, 660 miles, and we spent the night in North Platte, NE at the the Oak Tree Inn. It was just ok. However the bad news was the forecast changed. We missed the front of the storm by about 100 miles and had to drive through snow and freezing drizzle for a while. After that it was pretty good, and we decided to just head to Cedar Rapids, IA where we stayed for 3 nights at Homewood Suites, a place I really liked. Two separate rooms and a little kitchen made it a lot easier to sleep well and have good coffee. We normally stay with my daughter in Marion, but one of my sons was staying in her spare room until he could move into his newly purchased house. We enjoyed our time with the newest grandson, 11 months old. We like our privacy anyway.

Christmas Eve we went to our oldest son’s house in Cedar Falls, staying until 27 December when we went back to my daughter’s house. My other son had moved into his house by then so her spare room was available. It worked out well because we were needed to babysit one day due to an emergency in her sitter’s family. We left on Friday, 29 December running back to Utah in front of a horrific cold front. We ended up driving to Sidney, staying at the Fairfield Inn. This was also a nice place though expensive.  The weather on Saturday was quite interesting. We left Sidney when it was -4 degrees with a bad wind chill. By 40 miles east of Laramie, WY it was 48 degrees! The temperature raised 40 degrees in 20 miles. Back home we have temperatures in the 40s so I hope to not experience low temps again this year.

Christmas itself was great fun. The kids all seemed to like their presents, and so did the grown ups. Of course the grown ups had all given us pretty detailed lists so it was fairly easy LOL! We were also able to pick up our mid-century maple dining room table at a shop in Marion, IA. They refinished it due to some damage it got before I inherited it, perhaps a hot pan a couple of times. The shop also modified the stretchers so it would take an additional leaf, p,us they made a matching left. I can now sit 6 people much more comfortably, and probably 8 in a pinch.

We are now getting an assortment of appointments done before we head off on our next snowbird trip south. Doctors, financial advisors, haircuts, etc. all get done in the next week and a half.