Lazy Daze mothership and Camping World

(Montclair, CA) High 85 / Low 58 
Well I drove down south and went to the Lazy Daze factory in Montclair, CA today. A little disappointed.  All there was to see were (2 )24' and (2) 27' models in the showroom.  They also had an area with parts for sale.

A couple salesmen asked if we needed any help and we said no thanks just looking and taking pictures.  One said, "taking pictures?"  Made me feel that he felt uncomfortable about that but he didn't say anything else.  Wish we could have seen them building or working on the rigs. I took many pictures inside and out but only put a few here. 

You just can't beat the large windows on a Lazy Daze.
I really love that they have a window in the bathroom
and directly in the kitchen.  I want the one with the 3
large windows in the back.
The next stop was Camping World in La Mirada.  I had never been to one before.  From all I have heard, I was expecting the store section to be a lot bigger. Maybe others are. The area for servicing motorhomes did seem to be a good size.  Long day in LA traffic on a Friday.

3rd Open House

(Santa Barbara) high 72 / low 58-- Today was the 3rd open house.  I have to take the cat in the car and go to a shady parking spot in a park.  The cat doesn't do too bad.  He meows until 5 min after parking and then he settles in.  No bites on the house yet.  A few questions though from people that makes me believe some have been interested.
Still love my new Ipad2.  It automatically downloads my email.  I can then go somewhere without wifi and still read my Yahoo Groups "RV" mail. I started a subscription to Netflix and so far so good.  Except that some of the movies I would like to see are only available on DVD and not the online version I have.

Looking forward to the days I can travel and post pictures of my travels here.
I am planning to go the The Rally March 2012 in Phoenix.  I will either rent an RV to go, stay elsewhere, or who knows maybe by then there will have been a miracle and I'll have my own rig.

1st Open House

Well, today was the first Open House.  Not sure how it went yet but it is a holiday weekend so many people may be away. I had to disappear with the cat for a couple hours.

Yesterday I broke down and bought an Ipad2 (64 GB)with wifi only.  I am loving it.  Soooo many apps that are useful or fun. 

Santa Barbara RV Show

Took my mom to the local RV show.  The show we have here is not like the large ones.  I just wanted to show her what they were like inside.  Until lately, she has been referring to the RV I am planning on to a van.  We were there for about 45 min.  That's all she could handle.  The whole idea is really not her thing.  She is trying to support me though.   I took only some misc photos.   Looking forward to the bigger show in Pomona in October. Can't seem to get pictures to go just where I want them.

 

Nothing much to update. Still more things leaving the house. They are either going to storage, thrift store, being sold or put out on the street. This is a real overload for me to do alone. I need another 7 days though. The inside is being spruced up and the outside is looking nicer. The agent I think is chomping at the bit to get the sign up and on the market.

Fixing Up

Did a little more sorting today. So far I have 27 boxes in the storage. I am attacking the kitchen and a few small items from the living room that the realtor says needs to be pared down. The gardener is coming by this afternoon to see what should be done outside for more curb appeal. Then on Monday a handyman is coming to start sprucing up things inside. I have done a bunch but I am really getting mentally burned out. I average 50 hr work weeks and then have to come home and take care of things here. I have decided to just pay and let others do things that don't have to be done by me.

My RV groups and magazines

I belong to the following groups:

1) Good Sam Club

2) Escapees

3) Rving Women

I subscribe to the following magazines

1) FMCA

 2)   Workamper

3) Motorhome Magazine

4) Gypsy Journal

New Storage Unit

Earlier last week I rented a 10' x 10' storage unit.  Today I finally went to take some things.  It took very little time and now I have a renewed interest in getting my items sorted and into boxes and to the storage unit. 



I put some more items in a cardboard box out on the sidewalk with a FREE sign on it.   Within 1 hour, the items including the box were gone.  Still not wanting the box to disappear also.  I want to keep using it.


I also went and talked to a real estate broker today and she will be coming to see my house on Monday or Tuesday to give me an idea of how much I can list it for and what I can do to give it appeal.

RV Podcasts

I have 4 podcasts that I get on iTunes.  The first 2 are audio ones and they are great.  They are "Living The RV Dream" and "RV Navigator".  The next two are video ones and are "American RVer" and " RV Dream Radio". You should check them out.   Below are the websites for them.

http://www.livingthervdream.com/  

http://www.rvnavigator.com

http://www.americanrver.com/

http://nrs.blogtronix.net/RVDREAMRADIO/
   

Cleaning Out Kitchen

My main objective today was to start cleaning out the  kitchen.  Took out the majority of items from all the cupboards and put on the counters.  So many things.  Lots of do-dads. So many items that I can't remember using past once or twice.  I either put an item in a box for keep or thrift store or put on the street or tossed it in the trash.  Many food items also needed to be tossed.  It felt good to let things go. I still have the counters filled with items. 

The next thing I did was to take 5 boxes of things to the thrift store.  Glad to pass them on.  

Then I decided to stop by the storage place to check it out.  I wasn't sure I wanted to pay for one now because I didn't feel I would be able to start taking things over for a few days so I didn't want to pay for nothing for that time.  There were 3 10'x10' units left at this place.  The lady told me they start disappearing in June when the students start taking them.  That makes sense with UCSB and SBCC here.  I liked what I saw and she told me I could have the unit now and not start paying for it until June 1. That's two weeks.  That sold me.  So glad this next step is done.

 A few weeks ago I ran into an acquaintance and she asked me "what's new?" ...so I told her my plans on selling the house..retiring and getting an rv and traveling.  Seeing her reaction, you would have thought I told her I was going to buy a '73 VW Van to live in.  She made such a face as if in disgust.  I guess I should be careful with who I tell this to and filter what I do say.  Today I drove around collecting info on storage units.  I got a wide range of costs.  I mentioned I was looking for a 10' x 10' unit.  The first place said they had 5 x 19 for $197.  When I didn't look interested she suddenly mentioned a 5 x 15 for $157. I didn't like the long and narrow type place.  The next place first mentioned a 10 x 10 for $219.  ouch   that one was a drive-up unit. They had no inside units so if someone made it over the fence then technically could then cut off the lock.  I don't really need that.  He then checked the prices of a couple other places that were related and the prices were $170.  I drove by another place without stopping before going home.  I looked them up online and found a 10 x 10 for $155.  I think I will be going for that one.  I will go by tomorrow and see it.  Waiting for the rain to start tonight.

The garage

The garage and one of the bedrooms are the staging areas for the organization. I plan to go price storage units on Monday.  Then I will begin to take the boxes over there.  The furniture will stay in the house while it is being shown.  Only the bare minimum of things will be in the house.  Well maybe a little more. Wow...am I really showing everyone my messy garage?

Lazy Daze

Found my dream Lazy Daze in the parking lot today so I took a picture of it.  Hoping the owners were going to return but they didn't before I had to leave.  I've put the picture in the header of my blog. They also had an Escapees sticker on the back.

Real Estate

Going out later today to check out other open houses and look for a realtor.  It's getting close to that time.  I have also been checking the prices on storage units.  I think the prices have gone up in the last couple of weeks.  Can that be possible?  I guess because it's almost summer time that people using them are pushing up the prices.

Still putting items into my storage boxes. It keeps looking like a big mess but I know I am making progress. I am trying to reduce a 3 bd/ 2 ba into about 10' x 10' space.

Can you believe it...my "FREE" sign was also taken by the person to take the last item.  OMG...I still needed that sign for more items.  Maybe I'll have to get another large Rusty's Pizza so I can use the cardboard.  Anyway, I put a few more things out without a sign and they disappeared. 

Sorting going slowly

It's not easy to get rid of items.  So many are perfectly good and it's against human nature to discard something that still has a function. I am running out of time to get rid of things.  I had wanted to get the house on the market  by June 1st.    Hope I can still do it.  Tonight I got the great idea to start putting items that I don't want directly out on the sidewalk with a FREE sign on them.  So far in two hours, people have come by to take tools including a shovel.  The types of items that are awkward to take to the thrift store.  I will continue to put out items in place of the ones that disappear.  Still will take the easier things to the thrift store.   I am trying to  take a three bedroom 2 bath house and condense it down to about 10' x 10' storage area.   There are about 6 boxes (12 gal plastic ones)of music CD's and pictures that in time I will be able to turn into digital form and that will save space.                                            

Publish Post

Pomona RV Show...

....or should I call it McMahons Dealership show.   I was expecting more.  It was just the dealership with all it's different rigs.  Lots to see and that was nice.  The next RV show there is in October.  That one will have the manufacturers.   I am looking forward to seeing the Lazy Daze's and Born Free's.  There were no brochures today and in some of the rigs I liked...there was no info like price and size.  The temperature was 92 in Pomona today and most rigs had no A/C going.  Way too hot to just sit and think or discuss.  Had to keep moving.

Craigslist

Still having problems with people saying they want an item and then not responding again. They say they will
call me the next day and then I never hear from them again.  Anyway, things are slowly getting sold. The bed has been sold but at a price 1/4 of what it originally cost. 

 Tomorrow I am going down to Pomona to the RV show.  Plan to take notes and photos.

A Horse With No Name

OK...I think I've found the saying to put on the back of the RV.  I am not one to name a vehicle but felt that it will need a theme.  " A Horse With No Name" by America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSAJ0l4OBHM
A Horse With No Name

On the first part of the journey,
I was looking at all the life.
There were plants and birds. and rocks and things,
There was sand and hills and rings.
The first thing I met, was a fly with a buzz,
And the sky, with no clouds.
The heat was hot, and the ground was dry,
But the air was full of sound.

I've been through the desert on a horse with no name,
It felt good to be out of the rain.
In the desert you can remember your name,
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la

After two days, in the desert sun,
My skin began to turn red.
After three days, in the desert fun,
I was looking at a river bed.
And the story it told, of a river that flowed,
Made me sad to think it was dead.

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name,
It felt good to be out of the rain.
In the desert you can remember your name,
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la

After nine days, I let the horse run free,
'Cause the desert had turned to sea.
There were plants and birds, and rocks and things,
There was sand and hills and rings.
The ocean is a desert, with its life underground,
And a perfect disguise above.
Under the cities lies, a heart made of ground,
But the humans will give no love.

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name,
It felt good to be out of the rain.
In the desert you can remember your name,
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain.

La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la
La la, la, la la la la, la la la, la, la

Craigslist

Slowly organizing items.  Dismantled the captains bed in middle room to reassemble in the garage.  Didn't want people to have to come in house to look at the bed.  Had 4 people interested in the bed in the last 2 days.  One decided he wanted a larger one, another wanted  me to hold it for another 2 weeks.  Two others never got back to my reply.  This is such a long process.  I need to clean window sills and repaint.  With the bed out of the middle room I have room to organize the 12 gallon storage containers.  Didn't do much inside today.  I mowed the back lawn and did some weeding. 

House

You never really realize how much stuff you have until you try to downsize.  I am listing things on Craigslist for about 1/2 the price you could get them at the store.   I have some things I have let go for 1/4 the new price.  I bought a filing cabinet at Staples for $169. and had to put it together.  I sold it for $40. and even then the guy tried to get me to lower the price cause there was a 2" scratch on one side.  I have had so many people get in touch with me and say they will give me "x" amount of  $ for an item and take it off my hands.  They say they can pick it up today for cash.  I just tell them "no thanks".  At this point I am not desperate.  Friday I canceled the house phone and brought the internet connection down one level.  That phone call was not easy cause the person on the phone tried talking me out of it.  He said he needed to "educate me" in that I would no longer save the $10. bundle discount.  Yes, but the house phone that I am not using was costing $27. a month.

My Travels

Just testing out this blogging thing in preparation for my 2013 travels