Let Me Show You Around Our New Home

Some of you who know me have been rather surprised that I would give up my home and go on the road in a semi - come to think of it, what was I thinking? It has been a radical lifechange for both Shannon and myself. I've been amused at myself that no matter where I am I seem to try to "nest" and make things more comfy. While at Watkins I was always tidying up the shared kitchen area and much to the dismay of one trucker, throwing away food that looked old. The rule was if you didn't have your name on your food it was fair game to be eaten or thrown away. Well, I was cleaning up and making room in the refrigerator and cupboards for the next class of students to come in and I threw away a couple of hotdogs that were "nameless" and looked old to me but apparently this trucker was planning to eat them that night before he left. He was a rather large man and I didn't want him to be mad at me so I bought him 4 chili cheese hotdogs and fries from Dairy Queen. I was told he could be heard muttering, "Women! Everything was fine until SHE got here."  Oh, well, you win some, you lose some.

Since I've joined Shannon I've been "nesting" away, trying to find the best way for two grown people to live in a space built for two grown canaries! I think I've come up with some good ideas and it seems to be working so far, but ask me in about 6 months how it's going. 

Here is our HOME OFFICE. It is complete with automatic window washers, centralized climate controls, fully computerized data control center, two warning devices (one on the steering apparatus and one located in the upper left quadrant which is the one that children traveling in other cars indicate that they would like us to blow repeatedly), Sirius radio, Garmin GPS, and beverage recepticals. Shannon and I were concerned that we would both want to work in the HOME OFFICE at the same time but it has worked out that whenever he is working there, I am doing something else, and visa versa.  Amazing how it all worked out! 

We move on to our LIVING ROOM. This is where we sit or read or sit or work on the computer or sit or take pictures or sit or get up and get things for the person in the Home Office (what's with that?) or sit. You get the idea. If you look closely you can see one of our special treasures sitting on top of the dash area. It was on top of my going away cake from our Small Group from Snohomish Community Church - Thanks Skip, the Dodrills, and the Seefrieds!  We love and miss you all so much. 

So, here is our bedroom. The bunk is 38 inches wide and 80 inches long (which is good for Shannon who is 74" long). At the foot of the bed I have installed a spring-pressured curtain rod where we drape our extra blankets, since from one day to the next we have gone from temperatures in the high 70s to temperatures in the teens or colder the next day. We need to keep the blankets close and easily accessible.

We move on to our LIBRARY. Here we find books I'm reading for research for one reason or another and our personal finance records are housed here, too. This picture is a little outdated because we no longer store our computer in this location because on a particularly bumpy road the other day it bounced right off and onto the floor. Thankfully nothing was hurt and now the bed serves as the holder of the computer during the day.

Here we come to the KITCHEN. We have a microwave, refrigerator, and a 2 qt crockpot. I've had fun trying to come up with creative ways to cook using the crockpot. I've done the usual things like beef stew and chicken & rice, but the more unusual dishes have been Malt-o-Meal for breakfast and hamburger pie (where I used instant potatoes that I cooked in a ziploc bag). I use disposable crockpot bags that I find at Wal-Mart so no messes to clean up. Oh, look, our garbage receptacle is strategically placed to allow quick clean-out of the refrigerator when needed. 

I have a dream pantry...look at all my storage! 

What girl wouldn't be thrilled with a walk-by closet.  Yes, I walk-by our closet many times a day which allows for constant evaluation of our current style trendiness. If t-shirts and blue jeans are in, we are all over it, baby!

This is our state-of-the-art "DOS" communication center. We keep in constant contact with headquarters and receive up-to-the-minute data concerning our trips, safety, and countless other important communiques.

Hey, if you believe that I have a fine piece of waterfront property in Waterville I want to sell you!

I've saved the best for last...our most treasured possessions - pictures of our grandchildren located on the backs of our visors so that we see them every single day

I mustn't forget the hand crocheted eagle that Madison gave Grandpa when he first began driving. He's had it on the dashboard from day one of this new experience.  Then there is the beautiful flower arrangement that Bailey gave to us to brighten our home. Everyday I look at it and remember how proud Bailey was when she gave us this beautiful gift.

And that brings us to the end of our home tour. We hope you enjoyed it and maybe learned a little more than you ever wanted to know about us!  What was that?  The bathroom?  You're asking about the bathroom?  Well, that would put you astronomically way over the top of knowing more than you ever wanted to know about us. Let me just say that when you are relaxing on the throne of your choice tonight, please say a prayer of thanks to God above.

With that lovely thought we will say farewell for now.