Where are you going next?

One of the jokes during the trip has been about where we are going next. During a conversation with Kristi once I blurted out - "70 degrees." Its been a quip ever since, whenever a fellow campground dweller asks what our next move is, even if we know (which as all you readers know - isn't always), I seem to say "70 degrees."

Well, this morning I looked at the weather, and it appears as if the joke is on me. I've been very fond of the weather here in Novato - not too hot, not too cold, and I can usually be found with any window around me open to the breeze. I've made the joke into the truth - I'm in '70 degrees.' My hope is to try to keep us in that belt of good weather (especially considering what's going on in some other places weatherwise) for a good long stretch.

Quick update

It is currently raining, but for those not following the weather channel right now as close as my mother, here's the deal. Predictions are for less than .25" of rain for this area over the next 24 hours. The storm has weakened significantly and looks to not really even touch us with Tropical Storm type winds. The highest I'm seing in the hourly is 25MPH, and we had that last week in Connecticut, so I probably didn't even need to take in the awning, but glad I did.

I'll update again after the storm passes, but its really no big deal. In fact, our neighbors are having a party where 12 people came TO the trailer park for the evening, in the midst of the storm. Needless to say, I'm glad this one will ride right on by :)

R.

Update on the 'cane.

I'm making my list of preparations, and thought I'd put out an update for everyone from how I see it. Right now the track and strength have changed pretty dramatically from when I wrote this morning. Facts are that it could get much weaker before it gets here, but even with it the way it is now, I think we're in fine shape.

As of about an hour ago, the projected path by NOAA takes it out of RI and down to a Category 1 when it passes. We have a 50/60% chance of seeing tropical winds (+/- 39MPH average over a one minute period). As any poker player will tell you - that's a coin flip, and purely a maybe-maybe not thought. I'm currently on the maybe not side. I'm thinking it will weaken and move out enough that we'll see some winds, we'll see plenty of rain, but nothing too significant, at least - nothing to be too worried about.

I've prepped as I've been taught. Gas tanks are full if we need to leave, cased water in the house in case something goes really wrong, but the cool thing about being in an RV is that we don't suffer from the problems that traditional houses would. Think about it - if the electricity fails, I'm already setup for that both through 12V and a generator. If city water fails, I have a full tank of more water than we can conservatively use in a week. If gas fails - it can't fail because I already carry more than I can use in a few days now. If traffic is bad, we pull over and have the house with us.

In reality, the biggest thing we have to worry about is damage from the winds, and we've already survived a good set of gusts of 45+ in Chincoteague... which I admit I should have been better prepared for then, and why our youngest is currently freaked out at the thought of 'Storms', but I know better now and am prepared. Especially for this one.

Yes - "tornados love trailer parks", but we have advanced warning of this out-in-the-ocean twister, so all will be well. Will I stay up tomorrow night, on-point, without beer? - you betcha. Am I worried right now that we'll have to move? - not a bit. Will I be prepared should things take a turn for the worse? - already am. Tomorrow's gonna be just fine, just spent comforting a 2-year-old about the big rain. Jill and I are ok with that. :)

A little concerned...

I'm starting to get a little concerned about Earl. Not that guy on TV ;) - the Category 4 Hurricane that's got the East Coast squarely in sight. In looking at the tracking, Rhode Island - ALL of Rhode Island, is in the projected path. It looks like we'll get rain, there's no doubt of that, and possibly some strong winds, but how strong is the question. Where we are is fairly inland, and probably more protected than a lot of places. Unless it comes ashore due South of us we'll likely just get brushed by, but that could still mean significant wind, and with wind - possible damage.

I'm in a quandry about what to do. The youngest is terrified of storms now, and will likely get a free pass into Mommy and Daddy's bed from the get-go Friday night. I guess if tracking shows that its headed directly at us I'll cut strings, hook-up and run North. Its still too early to tell, quite frankly, what the best course of action is, but those of you out there that are worried - don't... Earl has my (almost) full attention. :) We'll keep everyone as updated as we can.

Long day...

(ed. note: I apologize in advance for this post being the way it is. It really is a blog about what's going on and I want to be honest with that, with myself when I look back at it, and with you, and while I'm not sure who is reading it, I know that there are some of you out there - so again, my apologies for the likely self-centered, slightly downer thing coming your way if you continue.)

It really is nice to have an evening where there is 0% chance of rain. We've been through a spell here where thunderstorms could pop up at any minute - and not like sprinkly thunderstorms... monster gutter-washing half-an-inch-of-running-water-down-the-driveway-in-five-minutes thunderstorms. And while I understand that not having rain is also a bad thing, at this point in our trip I'm very happy to be free a couple of days from it.

It is nice being able to have the windows open. Real air with just a slight breeze cutting across the room. Yes, its a little humid, but my opinion of humidity has changed in the last 2 weeks. I'm getting better about it, and can stand it a bit more. Speaking of which...

2 weeks? Really? Its a cheap way to live but I certainly didn't expect to be here coming up on, and surely passing, 2 weeks. But, with everything going on, Mom's surgery, so much stuff to do around the place and still so much to have gone through I guess I shouldn't have expected less time. It doesn't seem like I've made any progress in the last few days, though I know I have. Maybe I just need to move on. I've resigned myself to the fact that we're here for another 4 or 5 days but it has really left me in a bit of a funk. I wanted to write about it last night but just couldn't bring myself to even think about it. How is that a way to start this adventure - be beaten up enough to not want to write any of it down... sigh.

For any of you that didn't notice this last two weeks have kinda taken a toll ;) We WANT to be on the road and feeding on new experiences about the places, sights and information for us and the kids, but its just kinda a holding pattern. I'm hopeful that we can get into a takeoff pattern soon, and go adventuring. Once we're on the road, I know that everything (*especially* my attitude) will improve.

I think we've all settled into our new lives pretty well so far. With all the knockdown punches we've taken the last 2 weeks we're seriously still laughing about it for the most part. I'm hopeful that tomorrow, after what is sure to be a very full day of work, I'll be able to fix the washing machine (the new one has a bad board in it, so it just keeps pushing water into the drum - all the time - 50, 60 gallons a cycle...), I'll get the cooked Audio/Video system in place and rewired, (a--gain, for the third time). I'll get the dryer out of the living room, and then put the door back on the closet. Hopefully tomorrow we won't blow any more breakers (the electric water heater is the bane of my 30 amp existence), and I can be on a downhill run for the rest of the week crossing stuff of my fixit list. :) Keep it together Robert... Keep it together. :)