Weekend Fun

Saturday was a gorgeous morning, so Panera was our breakfast choice. (We should really buy stock in Panera) Our tools were packed: caulk and gun, sneakers and socks, rake, broom and front door key. It was roof cleaning day at the house. A call to our tenant found him Christmas shopping, so we parked the jeep and got our ladder and power washer from the garage. Gary had planned to replace some window sills, but he isn't allowed to lift a power saw with his arm, so he caulked and cleaned, inspecting the whole house, while I climbed our Little Giant ladder to the roof and began power washing.

Does it feel weird going into your own house and seeing someone else's furnishings, clothes and personal belongings in it? Oddly enough, not at all. Our tenants are really nice people, and it feels like we are friends visiting, than landlords checking on their house. They take very good care of it, and tell us they love it. They even made us an offer to buy it. If Gary was perfectly healthy we could consider it, but we're not quite ready to sell.

Meanwhile, the power washing was going well - I only had 20 more feet, but then the motor started sounding strained. I turned it off a bit thinking it was overheating and helped Gary clean the gutters. Turning it back on, I knew I had a matter of minutes until it died. Yep, that's what happened. Bummer. So I finished by using the jet setting on the hose and getting 3 inches away from the tiles. I was wet, dirty, hot and tired. But a relatively happy camper. The roof did look much better. By then our tenant returned from his shopping trip and offered us some jerk chicken he had just finished cooking. Sweet guy. We passed, drove home and took showers and I did a little more decorating for Christmas.

Then we decided to visit our favorite foodie restaurant KUMO for some sushi. I hear some of you saying yuuck, but others saying yummmm. It was so beautiful I wish we had the camera. Even if you dislike eating fish bait, you must admit it is beautiful, no?

Sunday we were disappointed that it was so windy and we had planned to kayak with Terri and John Shea. We love our SeaEagle 380SE, but it can be more difficult to handle on windy days as it's so large and filled with air. Now if you're heading in the right direction you can really fly across the water, but get ready to get wet - lots of splashing. That was no problem for John and Terri, we went to plan B. They arrived around 12:30 in a red Escape! That was our other car that we decided to sell and use our jeep for the towed vehicle.

Hugs all around and they came on in. We started talking, decided to keep talking and go out for dinner. They are so excited to start full-timing in a couple of years, but anxious about only one thing - how to make a living on the road. With no income from retirement or other source, they will need to find work on a regular basis. Just like much of the RV community. One can't have too much money as an RVer, but you at least need to break even, and it can be done. And most importantly, doing what you love in the lifestyle you have chosen for yourself. Doing what you want with your life, and not what others expect of you. Very liberating.

We finally listened to our tummies and headed out for dinner at MiPueblo, a Mexican restaurant in our 'hood. The boys had tacos that came with some hot - and they found out how hot - sauce. They both needed some our sour cream to help their eyes stop watering. We came home and talked a little more, until their son called wondering where they were. Well, that's a switch. We gave big goodbye hugs, or rather see you later hugs, and they headed home.

We love this lifestyle. If we had not decided to do this, we wouldn't have purchased a kayak, braved the alligators on the Myakka river and met John and Terri, who, will, I know be great friends. You gotta love it! Happy, happy campers.