Cramped Quarters

When one lives in an RV, you constantly try to get away from it. That's just the truth. So one weekend I went home to visit my family and to get away from the RV life. It was great. I had a real living room to sit in, plus of course my family is awesome. 

I got home kind of late from the visit though, and really didn't feel like going grocery shopping. I was hungry though so I grabbed what I had to eat which was a banana that was a little too brown and a protein bar. Dinner of champions.

This banana is much fresher than the one I had.

Sometime in the middle of the night I woke up feeling incredibly nauseated. Luckily, the toilet is about 1.5 feet from the end of the bed and I made it in time. Food poisoning, yay. There I am throwing up overripe banana and fake-chocolate protein in a tiny plastic bowl in the middle of the night. To make matters worse (yes, it's possible), Milo decides to come check on me and what's going on in the little plastic bowl. Picture this: I am on my knees on the linoleum, holing my hair in my hands and resting my elbows on the bowl. Milo comes to inspect so I try to bat him away with my elbows. It's a sorry sight. I start getting really cold and shivering. I may have a fever, but it's also the coldest winter in recorded history and I'm on the cold floor in a box with paper walls. I couldn't help but think how terrible life would be if I were to run out of propane at that moment. It's enough to cause nightmares. 

At some point I go back to bed, but it was fitful and not even close to restive. I'm queasy when I finally get up and decide I'm not going anywhere for the day. I put out a very sad request to Facebook telling people how much they should pity me, when my soon-to-be-aunt-in-law messages me and asks what she can bring to me. She doesn't live far from Shady Grove and would gladly bring me food. When she doesn't take no for an answer, I tell her I just need something easy to keep down. This saintly woman shows up with bags of food and leaves it on my steps. I may be contagious. It was a smorgasbord of fresh tortilla soup, saltine crackers, bagels, and bananas. It was so touching that I wasn't even offended that she wouldn't get within 10 feet of my sickly self. To put it mildly, it was exactly what I needed (though I was a bit weary of the bananas). 

While I don't recommend anyone get sick in an RV, if it happens make sure you have loving family nearby who doesn't mind bringing you food, and make sure your WiFi is working. Who can be sick without Netflix or a good book? I'm just glad I lived to tell the tale.

Here's to checking your fruit before they go bad,

Ray

What I'm Thankful For

I've been out of the trailer park for three months now. It's amazing how time flies! It's also amazing how much can change in such a short amount of time. The juxtaposition of living in the trailer park and living in a new apartment (and being married of course!) really gives me a lot to be thankful for. So here are my biggest "thanks" in no particular order:

HEAT
Ok, so maybe there is a particular order because this one is a biggie for me. I go to bed and wake up knowing that I will stay warm and toasty throughout the night. In the morning, I'm not shivering so actually taking my pajamas off to put on work clothes isn't torture. I hardly ever cry when I get out of bed anymore. If I do cry, it's because we have a Tempurpedic, and I'm leaving it.

WATER
Running water. Hot water. Water that doesn't freeze your skin on contact. Basically, water at a temperature that allows me to wash my hands, face, and body without whimpering. It's a blessing. And my personal hygiene is much improved. So, you're welcome.

BATHTUB/SHOWER
These days, I don't have to take a combination bath-shower, also known as a bower. I get to choose. And there's enough glorious hot water for either. If I take a bath - which, I must add, is in a GARDEN TUB THAT MY BODY FITS IN - I still have enough hot water to then shower off. It's heaven in a GARDEN TUB. Did I mention how big my bathtub was? It's human-sized. Major upgrade.

ROSS
Of course my husband is a blessing to me. We went from seeing each other once a week to EVERY DAY! We can't get enough of each other, but then again, we have about 50 years to try. It's great coming home to someone and sharing life, responsibilities, cleaning duties, pets, Netflix, DVR space, etc. with a person. A person who's great and loves me. He's seriously the best.

SPACE
Another great thing is being able to be by myself. I can get away from Ross/pets/everything and just go watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Side note: This one is the BEST:

Anyway, if I don't feel like being around people, I can go into my room and be alone. In the RV, it was a struggle to get away from my cat.

TV
It has been years since I had cable/satellite TV. I couldn't afford it in my old apartment, and Shady Grove's cable offerings left much to be desired. I survived off of a mobile hotspot and Netflix. On weekends, I got to go to Ross's house and catch up on shows, but during the week, it was me, Milo, my cat, and Gossip Girl (Chuck + Blair For Eva!).  Now, we have movie channels and Netflix. I always have something to watch! The first month we were here, I did nothing but watch TV. Some may call that lazy, pathetic, or even sad. I call it living the dream.

DECORATIONS
Who knew getting to personalize your space would mean so much? Since I was borrowing the RV from my in-laws (who rock by the way), and because the walls were made of questionable material, I didn't get to decorate at all. Granted, I had so little room that my stuff was over flowing onto the furniture so I always felt at home, but still I couldn't really claim anything as mine. Now, my walls are full of pictures and fun stuff. I am actually writing this from my desk (yay, space!) which is bordered by 2 walls on which I have my calendar, two canvases, a portrait collage, the letter R, a shelf of kick knacks, and a 6 opening picture frame. That's one small corner. I have a lot of stuff. And now I get to show it off.
As a side bar to this "thanks," I must add that I love candles. I was too afraid to burn any in the RV, given the lack of space or viable exits, but I have two burning right now, and my house smells like Christmas. Ahhhhhh....

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Now that I don't live in the middle of nowhere, I am minutes away from fun, food, and people! Our apartment is in a great location and accessible to major highways. There are three grocery stores by us, countless restaurants, two pharmacies, several car washers/oil changers/tire fixers, a comic book store, an arcade, and even a movie theater. The theater kind of sucks, but hey, it's super close! Once I get home from work, I have options for what to do next. That's pretty nice. At the RV, once I was home, I was home. It was too far to drive somewhere else after driving an hour+ home from work. The city is where I want to be!

Well friends, since it is Thanksgiving, I need to get cooking. I'm in charge of a food item for the first time ever! These are going to be the best deviled eggs anyone has ever had! I just have to make them first...
Wishing you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. Go Cowboys!

Don't put a frozen turkey in hot oil,
Ray

Let's Do This

Hey everyone!
I know it's been such a long time since I've written, and for that I apologize.
But what a whirlwind it's been for me!
Ross and I moved into an apartment together (which was when we realized we have way too much stuff); I started a new job (which I love and seriously hope to stay at for a long time); Ross and I got married (woo hoo! It was such a great day. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was absolutely perfect.), and we went on our honeymoon (to Turks and Caicos which is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been, and probably ever will go)!! So, I've had a lot going on. No excuses though! I know I should've been writing the whole time, and I promise to be better at keeping a posting schedule.
I'm thinking of starting a newlywed blog, though there are so many, I'm not sure how to make mine stand out.
Other than with my impeccable wit and charm, that is...

Totally stolen from SweetOnDean.blogspot.com

So that's on the radar. Perhaps. We'll see.
For now, how about some updates?
So, Ross and I moved in together about a month before we got married. Since moving to DFW from College Station in 2011, we haven't lived closer than 45 minutes from each other. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining about the long distance. I know a couple that dated and were engaged when they lived several states apart. So I understand, that's not really a long distance. But when we first moved up here after college (that's right folks, I'm an Aggie. WHOOP!), it was really hard adjusting to not seeing him every day. There was a time when we went a couple months without seeing one another. It was really really rough. Like, "is it worth it?" rough. We obviously stuck it out, and made a Friday night date night part of our weekly schedules to make sure we saw each other. Things got much better. Now, we finally live not only in the same town again, but in the same house! We see each other every day! It's awesome.
Oh, and I have hot water, a bath tub that fits human beings, a laundry room with no strangers in it, heat, and a full sized kitchen everything! I'll never take space for granted again.
Ross and I got married! Guys, it was super fun. We wanted it to be a lighthearted celebration, and we nailed it. We had the best officiant ever (thanks, Thomas!). We had two readings and a duet by two practically-family friends that just did AMAZING jobs. One reading was the "Mawwiage" speech from The Princess Bride, which really set the tone.

Taken from DontHateTheGeek.com. Though, you spelled it wrong, so I kinda do...

The wedding party walked in to "Here Comes the Sun" instrumental. Our best friends and siblings were standing up there with us as we said our vows. Ross's brother gave him a Ring Pop instead of my wedding band. In our recessional, this happened:

Watch The Breakfast Club if you're confused.

My dad and I danced to a song he picked, and it was so sweet. Ross and his mom danced to a medley of songs that they love (which was a surprise and awesome). Ross and my first dance was also super sweet. I fell in love with him dancing in College Station, so it's something really special that we share. The music was great; I hardly ever left the dance floor (I'm not a good hostess.). Our cake was the bomb. And I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time. 

The next day we had brunch with the fam and close friends then left for Turks and Caicos. The Turks and Caicos islands is a string of islands on the border of the Caribbean and Atlantic oceans. And it's a screensaver. Check this out: 

I took this at a stop on our kayak tour. 

We kayaked, snorkeled, scuba dove, ate fresh seafood every day, and made cool friends. We stayed on Grace Bay in Providenciales. It's been rated the best beach in the WORLD numerous times. See for yourself.

#nofilter

It was magical.

I started my job 2 weeks before we got married. After being there about a week and a half, the company threw me a wedding shower. Who does that????? I'll tell you who: a company that cares about its employees and truly takes care of them. I'm so blessed to have found this place and been given the opportunity to work for them. After my last two places of employment, I just can't believe this place. It's a dream.

So now, Ross and I are doing our day-to-day being married thing. I gotta say, I really like the guy. ;) Seriously though, I'm loving being married to the man of my dreams who makes me laugh every day. We're friends, and that's special. I know I'm lucky. 

I also know I have more stories of the trailer park to tell! Be on the lookout for the next installments soon. I wish you all the best, and thank you for sticking on this adventure with me.

God Bless Peyton Manning and his 509 touchdown passes,

Ray

"The time has come," The Walrus said...

"To talk of other things. Of RVs and trailer parks. Of meth heads and propane. Of moving out and moving on to a place on Briargrove Lane! Kaloo Kalay we'll move Sunday to a place on Briargrove Lane!"

That's right, friends. Ross and I found our first home! My last day in sunny Shady Grove is Saturday!
As I think about leaving the trailer park behind, I am of course super excited, but it's also incredibly daunting. Well, maybe daunting isn't the right word. I am simply struck with the thought that I am closing a chapter on my life. I am starting another fun, beautiful, and exciting one with Ross, but moving out of the trailer park is signaling to me that nothing will ever be the same. I'll never live alone again, and I adore my independence. I'll cook for two, buy groceries for two, and (ugh) clean for two... I'll have two pets instead of one. I'll have to share DVR space. I'll have to be consciously tidy instead of cleaning up when I finally realize the place is dirty. I'll have to make sure it's OK if I invite company over.
None of these changes are bad. They're just different. I can't wait to live with Ross and marry him. I can't wait to have a full sized kitchen again. We've already discussed splitting up the chores, so cleaning won't be like pulling teeth. I love his (our) dog Lucy, and I've missed having a dog to walk. We watch many of the same shows, so it's not like the DVR will be taken over by crap TV. He's also going to have to work at being a little cleaner because we're sharing space so that's fair. And I would like him to OK it with me if he wants his friends over, too. What if I've had a bad day? What if I just want to zone out on the couch? I could say, "Why don't you just meet them somewhere?" And he could tell me the same thing.
I'm not really freaking out, but I just know that my life is changing, and it will never be the same. I almost feel like I'm losing something, or saying goodbye to something. But that's silly because I'm gaining so much! Ross is the man of my dreams, and I want to be with him forever. I don't want to be single forever, and I certainly don't want to live in the trailer park longer than absolutely necessary. Why do I feel like I'm going to miss being out here?!

Are any other newly wed brides or even long-time wives out there that remember feeling this way? How did you handle it?

Gathering boxes and packing tape,
Ray

How to Tell if Your Neighbors are Meth Chemists

I know there are some sketchy characters that live in my 'hood, but for the most part, the only people I see are the people out grilling or enjoying the evening breeze as I run/jog/usually walk by. These are the good ol' boys and girls of lower middle class or upper lower class who are hanging up their nomad spurs in good ol' Middle of Nowhere, Texas. They have hourly jobs and kids and dogs, or their dogs are their kids, or their car is their kid...

Anyway, they're just human beings getting by, living the life of no tie-downs. I'm there with them. As much as I want a real roof over my head with shingles and everything, right now, that just isn't my life. I'm getting by. I'm making it work. And they are too.

Then there are the people that make me question how safe I truly am out here in the sticks.  Let me introduce you to stall #141 and how to tell if your neighbors are meth chemists.
1. There is a car that never moves.
Stall #141 has a Mercedes out front that never moves. In fact, the car is plugged into the RV. Through the trunk. I'm no mechanic, but the battery is under the hood, not in the trunk. Not sure what's being plugged in there or why.

2. You never see a person coming or going.
I've never seen a person at stall #141. Not a single person. Ever. They moved in after me, I guess in the dead of night (hey, we have that in common!), and for the past 6+ months, I haven't seen a person coming or going. The car never moves and the bills that get stapled to their door handle haven't moved either.
3. Electricity is on, but the lights never are.
The electricity is hooked up. They have power to the place. What are they using it for? No idea. Their lights are NEVER on. At least that I can see. So maybe no one is in there.
4. Water out, but no water in.
The weirdest thing: they have their drainage hooked up, but not their water line into the RV. They can put things down the toilet or down the sink, but they don't have running water to go with it. Cue Twilight Zone music. Oh and here's Rod Serling, my hero:

Watch The Twilight Zone. It's the best.

So here's what I think: it's a meth lab. They're cooking up a storm in there, or they have cooked it all and picked it up and will only return when they need more to sell.

What do you think is going on in Stall #141?

Hopefully nothing blows up,
Ray

Pro Pain: The Saga Continues

It was a grey day in Texas today, and that reminded me of winter when the sun went down early and I froze half the time. And I remembered a great story I hadn't shared yet. It's a doozie.
By now, you know how much I hate being cold, and how easy it was to run out of propane in the winter. Well, one cold winter's night, I am curled up in my bed under about 3 blankets and a sheet along with a personal heater in the shape of a cat watching a scary movie when I realized that I was bundled up under layers of warmth and still really cold. Fearing the worst, I got up and turned the thermostat to 80 degrees. Lo and behold, nothing happens. I'm out of propane. Go figure. Shady Grove fills propane tanks every week day for a fee, but all you have to do is unhook your tanks from the lines into your RV and set them in your driveway for the propane guys to pick up. They return them to your space full, and you can hook them up to your RV and bask in the warmth they give. So, I get my coat and boots on and go out to unhook my tanks so I don't have to do it tomorrow morning before I leave for work.
I shut the tanks off and try to unscrew them from the hose, but the collar on one of them won't budge! I wrap it in my jacket and try. It doesn't give an inch. I go back in the trailer to find a pair of gloves to use, but I can't find them anywhere. I end up grabbing a towel and trying that, but to no avail.  I'm pretty sure it's frozen shut. That sounds like a big problem to me, so I call Bob the best future-father-in-law ever to see what can be done if the collar gets frozen onto the propane tanks. It's about 9 o'clock at night, but he answers with what can only be described as an unamused tone. When I explain to him that the hose connector is frozen onto the propane tank and I can't get it off, he tells me to get that pair of gloves he left. When I tell him that I've already looked for them and can't find them, he's not too happy and gives me a little lecture about making sure I know to fill my tanks BEFORE they both run out. But, being the great future-father-in-law that he is, he offers to come out there to unhook them for me. It's a 45 minute drive for him to come out there from where he and Fran live. I tell him it's really ok, I can go one night. I said I would borrow a pair of gloves from the place I worked and unhook them tomorrow after work.
"But then you'll have to spend another night in the cold because they won't fill the tanks until the next day." He lets out a big sigh. "I'll come out there, just hold on. There better not be a pair of gloves there."
I assure him there isn't, and we hang up. Well, it is still freezing, and I have 45 minutes, so I get back under the covers and start the movie again.
I was watching You're Next, a movie about a holiday that goes terribly wrong. It was just getting good, the bad guys were trying to kill the main character and the suspense was building, when I heard a knock on the door. I was so engrossed in the film that the sound jolted me out of bed before I realized that a killer probably wouldn't knock before he busted in to murder me. Nope, Bob was here. My hero.
I open the door and tell him he almost gave me a heart attack, to which he replied, "Why are you watching a scary movie by yourself?" Good point.
He handed me a pair of gloves he brought and we head to the propane tanks. I put the gloves on and try to turn the collar on the hose. It spins easily. I look up at him (he's 6'6") with my mouth wide open.
"I tried my jacket! I tried a towel! It really wouldn't move before! Really!"

He shakes his head and lets out another sigh. "Gloves make all the difference. You really don't have any? I thought I left a pair for you."
"No, I looked. I didn't find any."
We start back towards the door of the trailer.
"If I find a pair of gloves in here, I'm kicking your ass."
I chuckled at that. Then Bob looked in a drawer I swear I had looked in, and he came up with 2 pairs of gloves. TWO.

I felt what can only be described as hilarious shame.The look he gave me... Well, let's just say I was glad he was leaving. I felt so bad, I apologized profusely and promised I would do a better job of getting my propane tanks refilled before they both ran out.
As he is walking out the door he says, "And don't watch a scary movie by yourself!"
"Don't knock on my door!"
He turns around and says, "Then deal with your own fucking propane!" and climbs in his truck.
Deep down, he's really glad I'm part of the family.


May you always find what you're looking for (before a large, angry man gives you a death stare),
Ray

I'm a Sightseeing Adventurer

Today, I went on a run. By run, I mean of course that I sprinted for 10 seconds and walked for 50 seconds for 10 minutes. I'm not a distance person. It's important to have endurance, sure, I mean you've got to be ready to outrun the zombies when the time comes, but I think you're a little crazy if you run marathons and nonsense like that. Bad ass? Yes. Crazy? Yeah, you're that too. Let's be real; the first guy that ever ran a marathon DIED. Yeah, look up your Greek history. That being said, I'll never be one of those people that enjoys running. I do, however, love going on walks. At that speed (which isn't too much slower than my long distance running speed), you can see and take in so much more. You can feel the sun on your skin and the breeze in your hair. It's heaven on earth. So in my running/walking-then-walking-some-more excursion, I saw some pretty great things that I didn't know about my community. Let me introduce you to Shady Grove through pictures...

The dog park

We have our very own troll bridge!

Enclosed yard with a ramp? Living the dream.

Who doesn't want a ramp?

'Merica!

These are actually weather vanes.  Cool, huh?

See that bricked walkway up to their DECK??? #fancy

These folks aren't playing around.

They have a house behind their house... No clue.

The corner lot did some landscaping. Pretty sweet!

And then there are these people who are actually my neighbors. Now, that is what's up. #Firefly

I live in a pretty cool place. My neighbors wave and say hello when they see each other. A man who didn't speak English helped me fix a machine in the workout room. (I thanked him in Spanish, and thank goodness he didn't believe I actually knew Spanish. I have a very limited vocabulary.) All in all, it's a nice community with nice people who just like the nomad lifestyle. Who came blame them? Don't we all have that adventurous spirit within us that makes us wonder what's just beyond our vision?  That makes us strive for something new, something exciting? Don't we all thirst for that? I know I do. Let's really experience life and have some stories for the grand kids. 

Stay thirsty, and take a walk,

Ray