Reading between the lines....

Since I have been staying too busy to quickly catch up my back travel blogs (will still do, promise!), I thought it was time to update everyone....at least those that haven't been reading between the lines.

You may remember my mentioning meeting Stu at the Escapade and doing some traveling together. Shortly after my workamping started, Stu headed east for the birth of his second grandbaby (born 8/7/08 & a beautiful baby girl). Being separated for a while was good for both of us, but it brought out the obvious. We wanted to continue our relationship to see where it goes.

So, once I am done workamping, I will put my RV in storage in Colorado Springs (reason being that 1) I have friends there who can retrieve & ship me anything I've forgotten and 2) it's an area we can see us visiting next summer), sell my car to my middle daughter and hop a flight to Baltimore.

Yup, we are officially a couple! We're both widowed so this is the start of a great new adventure for both of us. We've notified all our kids & other family as well as good friends. Everyone is anxious to meet the new person in our lives. This means we will be spending the fall in the east because that is where most of our family is located.

We will be traveling in Stu's 41' KZ Escalade toy hauler, pulled by a small Freightliner (no, I don't know any more details about the truck than that...LOL!) He rides a Harley-Davidson converted trike and I'm perfectly content on the back. We discussed my getting another bike but for many reasons I've decided that it's just not what I need or want right now.

Here are some photos of us, the trike and my new home...I promise some inside photos at a later date. It's really nice, lots of amenities.



So the next few weeks will continue to be busy as I get through the final sorting of stuff to stay and stuff to ship to Baltimore. I'm getting down to the wire, I will leave the campground the afternoon on September 2nd, make it as far as Reed Point, MT (where I have already stayed twice), then halfway to Colorado Springs on the 3rd, finishing the trip on the 4th.

In closing, here is a shot of the full moon over the campground that I took this week. It was the first time I had played with the shuttering settings and left it open too long so it almost looks like daylight....until you notice the lights that are lit around the campground. It was beautiful!!



Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Dating, Health Care & Other Dilemmas

Dating has always been a traumatic event....at least for me. An awkward, homely geek in high school quickly became a young mother who turned into a divorced single mother who once again quickly became a wife again. Not much room in there for dating....just the usual ups and downs of marriages made in haste and for the wrong reasons.

But at least my 20's-40's found me healthy, confident and reasonable attractive to the opposite sex. As I approach an age that I equate with finally being a senior citizen, I find myself single and not so sure I want to be looking. I mean why should I? I do what I want, when I want. If I want popcorn and ice cream for dinner, that's fine. If I want to veg away the evening watching television or reading, no one will complain. Got the urge to take a road trip? No problem, tell the neighbors to watch the house and head off.

Of course it also means that there is no one to listen to my daily ups and downs, no one to share those dreaded household chores, no one cuddle with on a cold day, no one to let me know that I am loved...as a wife, lover and best friend. Maybe I had better rethink this dating thing....

I've got it all figured out....about my health insurance that is. Simple....just gonna marry someone with group insurance. Heck, we don't have to live together...we don't even have to like each other! I mean think about it....people get married to live in this country. So why not? Think it'll work? Probably not....but it's a thought! LOL!!!

I'm sure you all remember my house-selling drama, I was going to sell the house and go RVing full-time. Got a contract on the house, sold everything just to have the buyer back out two weeks before closing. No other offers were forthcoming and I decided that the house just wasn't meant to sell and took it off the market. Oh, and then I re-bought everything.

Today, out of the blue, my UPS man saw me in McDonald's and asked if I would still consider selling my house. He and his wife love mine but they had no contract on theirs so never placed on offer. Well, they now have a contract on theirs and are interested in mine again. What to do...got to give this some thought.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

The words get in the way.....

Two years today.....so much time, so little time. If you've followed my blog, you know that a lot has happened in the last two years. Some good, some not so good. But in general, I am doing well. I am finding that I'm more fragmented than usual but wonder if that isn't just the time of year. We'll see if it continues. Not staying focused on things and getting them done - like websites, email, etc. (So if you email me, don't be surprised if you don't hear right back. Today I found some that were from Aug & Sept - LOL!)

I still miss Mike and know that a piece of my heart will always belong to him. I just have to believe he is watching and cheering me on as I struggle with being a "mature" single. Dating after 50 is a whole new ball game I've found...yes, there are some nice guys out there amongst the toads. I've been lucky to meet and date a few. What I have found out is that my independence seems to get in the way of taking the next step in a relationship. Guess it will be a really special guy if that ever happens again.

I'm still working full-time, learning a bit more about the real estate business each day. Other than that not much is new....I know I have sadly neglected this blog and I am going to try to be better about that.

I did get out a couple of weekends ago for lunch with a bunch of riding friends....had a great time. Winter is trying to close in but with my electric gear I should be able to continue riding even with temperatures in the 30's - but will opt for sunny days regardless.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and here's to HOPPY HOLIDAYS ahead!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

A voice in the wilderness....

Yes, I am still alive...just getting used to a full-time work schedule. I've survived the first two weeks and got a raise starting Monday. Big surprise but a nice one. Everyone in the office is great to work with and I find my mind is getting sharpened by being back in the workplace. Having to remember names, addresses, what properties are under contract, what's been sold....definitely giving the Post-it® Notes a workout. LOL!

I started out working 8:30-5:00 but now work 8:00-5:00 with a longer lunch. Still trying to figure out how to use up the longer lunch without eating out every day. Once it cools down I might start doing some walking during lunch.

I really want to ride the motorcycle to the office once in a while...just have to pick my days. I've been a bit blasé about riding lately and today it hit me again, the need to feel the wind in my face. We're back in the 90's again but looks like it might drop a bit next week. Keeping my fingers crossed!

This looks to be a busy weekend. Saturday my living room entertainment center, coffee table and end tables are being picked up. I happened to mention in the office today that I was going to have to find a cheap TV table by Saturday and one of the agents GAVE me one that they're not using. They'll deliver it sometime Saturday and help me get things set back up. WOW!

Sunday I hope to meet an on-line RVing friend I've made. He's a widower and lives/travels full-time in/with his Airstream trailer. He's a runner, non-TV watcher and a vegan. Oh, and a former BMW rider. We're both interested in seeing how well that meshes with a Harley-Davidson riding, TiVo addicted viewer and junk food junkie. Watch for updates.....

Trying to plan some weekend trips soon - Labor Day is almost here and that means I have three whole days off. Thinking about making a quick driving trip to visit my friends in PA but might do something on the bike instead. Still thinking.....

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna